Stanwood Dairy Hosts Governor Inslee in Partnership Meeting
/Governor Jay Inslee met with a group of partners involved with the Snohomish County Sustainable Lands Strategy on July 13, at Natural Milk Dairy in Stanwood, WA, owned by dairy farmer Jeremy Visser.
The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss the Snohomish Sustainable Lands Strategy (SLS) and engage with partners on the benefits to collaboration on the project. SLS focuses on the needs of salmon recovery as well as agricultural sustainability and how collaborative focus is imperative for success.
Inslee spoke highly of the collaborative efforts and outstanding work put forth by all in attendance. He began with congratulatory remarks on the project.
“[This is the] ultimate example of leadership,” Inslee said. “Congrats, hats off to you.”
Individuals from the Tulalip Tribes and Stillaguamish Tribe, along with neighboring area farmers from Snohomish County and the Stillaguamish Valley, as well as staff from Dairy Farmers of Washington, Washington State Dairy Federation, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Snohomish Conservation District, Snohomish County Farm Bureau, Janicki Enterprises, and The Nature Conservancy participated in the discussion.
“This was a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of public-private partnerships, multi-benefit projects, and locally led actions,” said District Manager of the Snohomish Conservation District Monte Marti. “It highlights the commitment to and importance of voluntary stewardship efforts by private landowners.”
Photographs courtesy of Chase Gallagher, Media Manager, Office of Governor Jay Inslee
Partnerships, key to the advancement on the project, center on a clear relationship among resources, including at the federal, state and local levels, as well as a partnership with the Stillaguamish Tribe.
After the meeting, attendees toured the dairy. Visser walked Inslee through his state-of-the-art rotary, or “carousel” parlor, through his free-stall barns, and then gave a preview of the Janicki project, also known as the Advanced Distillation and Nutrient Separation (ADNS) Processor for Dairy Wastewater. As they walked by, manure was being separated to be later used as bedding for the cows.
Janicki Bioenergy, based out of Sedro-Woolley, plans to install the equipment on Visser’s dairy, aiming for an installation date late this fall.
The Dairy Farmers of Washington (DFW) organization leads statewide advertising and public relations programs, hunger relief initiatives, retail promotions, and nutrition education. Dairy farmers in Washington State fund DFW.
Contact:
Erin Vincent
Dairy Farmers of Washington
206-419-5496
erin@havemilk.com
