Tips, tricks, and a quick peek into the everyday life of the conservation district.
Silvopasture is the practice of deliberately integrating trees and grazing livestock on the same land. This typically involves either taking a stand of trees (such as a forest or an orchard) and integrating livestock, or establishing trees on land where livestock are already grazing.
Read MoreSince our creation following the Dust Bowl, conservation districts have relied on partnerships with farmers to pioneer new ways of protecting our natural resources—and agroforestry is no exception. For the last several years, Snohomish Conservation District has led the region in agroforestry, working with farmers to integrate perennial trees and shrubs into their agricultural systems. Utilizing land in this way can help diversify income, sequester carbon, and improve productivity, water quality, and wildlife habitat.
Read MoreOne of the many benefits of agroforestry—the integration of perennial trees and shrubs into agricultural systems—is its potential to mitigate climate change and increase resilience. Here are a few examples of how…
Read MoreIn addition to its three riparian buffers, Polestar Farm is home to upwards of 20 beaver dams, creating a wetland nested within the forest. The slowed water caused by a beaver dam helps keep horse waste and other pollutants from entering the stream quickly, and also recharges groundwater.
Read MoreFood forests are designed to mimic a forest ecosystem and are mainly made up of edible and medicinal perennial species, with some annual crops mixed in.
Read MoreIf you visit Niky Schultz’s food forest, you might get the sense she’s planting her own little Garden of Eden, an edible landscape where bees nap in her “Pollinator Paradise” and salamanders swim like little dragons in her pond. It’s hard to believe that she’s spent most of her adult life living in apartments with only enough space for a container garden.
Read MoreThis event kicked off the planting of several trees in the Delta Neighborhood of Everett and highlighted the ways that urban trees can reduce stormwater volume and filter water, while also providing wildlife habitat, shade, and improved air quality, human health, and livability.
Read MoreAgroforestry can provide major benefits for farms—it also presents unique challenges. Unlike traditional monocultures, agroforestry requires farmers to understand the needs of multiple plants and how they interact with each other. It takes planning, adaptation, and patience to create a successful system. It also isn’t static. Many agroforestry practices incorporate trees that affect shade conditions as they grow. That means crops may need to shift over the years.
So why bother with all the trouble?
Read MoreLast week, we welcomed Snohomish County Council members Nate Nehring and Sam Low, Town of Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin, and Linda Neunzig, Snohomish County Agriculture Coordinator, on behalf of Executive Dave Somers, for a tour of three of our conservation projects throughout Snohomish County.
Read MoreNick Pate, owner of Raising Cane Ranch in Snohomish, has incorporated several agroforestry practices on his farm. His food forest also serves as a harvestable, multi-functional, or working buffer. The trees and shrubs in the food forest essentially act as a second layer to his native forest riparian buffer, which borders the Snohomish River.
Read MoreTucked towards the back of Raising Cane Ranch, beyond their farm stand and Highland cows, you’ll find a food forest filled with chestnut, walnut, and hazelnut trees, black currants, evergreen huckleberries, and aronia berries.
“It’s one of the most peaceful places on the property,” says farm owner, Nick Pate. “I just love working out there.”
Read MoreToday, we often think of forests as places to harvest trees, pass through, or leave untouched for wildlife. But growing and harvesting crops within a forest in a sustainable way doesn't just add the possibility of new income streams.
Read MoreWhen you think of our native bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), you might picture a mossy trunk with delicate licorice ferns. You probably don’t think of maple syrup. Particularly, one with a “bold and buttery flavor that has hints of vanilla and molasses.”
But that's how Patrick Shults, Extension Forester for Southwest Washington—along with many others—describe the taste of this specialty syrup.
Our resident agroforester Carrie Brausieck has been researching, implementing, and educating on agroforestry in the region for over half a decade, but it’s only been the past two years that agroforestry has become widely noticed.
“We’re the only organization in the state that has an agroforestry program and a person on staff with an agroforestry title,” Carrie said. “Our program is leading the way for this innovative land use within our county and throughout the state.” Read on to learn about the work we've been doing in agroforestry.
We’re called the Evergreen State for a reason— more than half of Washington is forested. Small forest landowners can play a vital role as stewards of this critical resource and they now have access to education and technical assistance from professional foresters, thanks to the Regional Forestry Pilot Program.
Read MoreImagine three farms, each very different, but all with something in common... Read on to learn about a unique approach to agroforestry that will give you even more reasons to love native plants!
Read MoreRegister for the whole series, or pick and choose the ones most interesting to you!
Read MoreDuring the first winter of the pandemic, our Agriculture Resilience Team brainstormed ways to engage the public when we were unable to physically gather. The result was a Carbon Crushers series of workshops focused on ways to reach “drawdown”—the point when levels of greenhouse gases stop climbing and start to actually decline
Read MoreSnohomish Conservation District (SCD) has hired a new forester, Stacey Dixon, to help small forest landowners navigate the challenges and opportunities associated with owning forested property.
Dixon assists forest landowners who want to improve their forest’s health, develop timber management plans, and nurture a diverse, healthy ecosystem on their land.
Read MoreWe are excited to introduce Stacey Dixon, our new forester on our Habitat-Floodplains team!
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Snohomish Conservation District | 528 91st Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 | 425-335-5634
