May 21, 2010
Remarks by Executive Pat McCarthy
Thank you for braving the weather and driving all the way out here for this important celebration.
As Pierce County Executive, I want to express my appreciation and thanks to all of the people who made this venture a success.
I am in my second year as County Executive, and I frequently talk to my staff about doing all we can to preserve and improve the quality of life in Pierce County.
We talk about things like jobs, parks, and the flow of goods and people on our transportation systems. We also talk about farms and food.
Urban areas get lots of attention in the media and in the general public. But a key part of our success includes preserving farmland and encouraging a new generation of farmers to provide local products to local communities.
And that's where the Orting Valley Farms project comes in.
Let me give you some background to put this in perspective.
In 2007, Pierce County's Agricultural Strategic Plan showed the biggest barrier to farming in Pierce County was the high cost of farmland.
In that year, this farm was fallow and facing an uncertain future.
Then, Emma Ford stepped forward and asked the county and PCC Farmland Trust to commit to the newly adopted strategic plan and to the Alderton-McMillin Community Plan.
Mrs. Ford offered up her property and patience - lots of patience.
So a new partnership was formed: its members were
- Pierce County
- PCC Farmland Trust
- the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
- the Ford family
- and several families who stepped up to operate organic farms - the Hulse, Little and Blais families.
Today, thanks to that strong public-private partnership, we're now standing among 3 bountiful, productive farms.
This project overcame the barrier of the high price for new farmland by placing a conservation easement on the property. That saves the farmland in perpetuity. And it brought the price of the land into a more affordable range to new, start-up farmers.
There were several funding sources.
One was the Pierce County Conservation Futures fund. The money for that comes from a state-authorized property tax.
Another important funding source was the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program's Farmland Preservation Program, administered through the state Recreation and Conservation Office.
The RCO believed in this project, and they supported it with funding and a reliable can-do staff. They have a representative here today, and I want to extend my thanks for their key contribution.
Now let me say a few words about PCC Farmland Trust.
- They provided supporting funds and invaluable staff assistance.
- They found our 3 new organic farm families.
- They spent an incredible amount of time and energy ironing out the details of three separate conservation easements.
- And their passion and enthusiasm provided inspiration and motivation.
In a moment, you will hear from Kathryn Gardow, conservation director for PCC Farmland Trust. Before she comes up here, I want to thank Kathryn, Melissa Campbell and Bob Farrell for their great partnership and all of their hard work.
There are several other individuals and agencies to recognize.
I'll start with a word of thanks to Pierce County Councilman Shawn Bunney. Shawn had a scheduling conflict and could not be here today. But he provided support and leadership to get this project going.
This project required coordination among three county departments: Planning and Land Services, Facilities Management, and Parks. I thank the directors of those departments - Chuck Kleeberg, Bret Carlstad, and Kathy Kravit-Smith - for encouraging their staffs to keep this project moving forward - toward success.
I'd like to single out two county staff members, in particular:
- Kimberly Freeman, a county planner
- and Rick Tackett, a property management specialist in our Facilities Management Department.
Thanks to the efforts by all of the people and agencies that I have mentioned, the Orting Valley Farms project represents 3 major achievements for Pierce County:
- 1) It saves our farmland, which encourages local food production.
- 2) It establishes a new generation of farmers in the county.
- 3) And it demonstrates a new model of farming - smaller, diversified, organic, and operating with direct sales.
And here is more proof of our success:
Just last night, I was there in Seattle as the Puget Sound Regional Council gave its Vision 2040 award to the Orting Valley Farms project.
The Regional Council gives that award in recognition of outstanding examples of practices that achieve its growth, economic and transportation strategy, a plan known as VISION 2040.
So again, I offer my thanks and my congratulations to Emma Ford and her family - Jim, Bill and Dave.
And I offer thanks and a heartfelt best-wishes to Pierce County's newest farmers:
- Carrie and Ken Little
- Kim and Dan Hulse, and their farm managers - Amy Sills and Agustin Moreno
- and Joel Blais, and his partners, Julie Kintzi and her husband Ken
I admire your dream and your skill in producing healthy food from our local lands. I look forward to seeing your products at our local markets.
And now, please join me in welcoming Kathryn Gardow of PCC Farmland Trust.
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