Fertile King County farmland returns to its roots, as much-needed soccer fields are built nearby

Some of the best, fertile Sammamish Valley farmland will once again produce fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs under permanent protection, while new soccer fields needed for thousands of young players will be built nearby under an agreement announced today by King County Executive Kurt Triplett.

The agreement includes the sale of 72 acres of the old Muller Farm by its owners, the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA), to Full Circle Farm, a local organic farm based in Carnation. The acreage has been owned by the LYWSA since 1993 for possible development as soccer fields.

As part of the transaction, King County is purchasing a conservation easement for development rights on the remaining seven acres of the old farm that weren’t already protected by a conservation easement. The land, which lies along the Sammamish River near Redmond, was potentially available for development prior to this recent transaction; now it will be preserved for agricultural use in perpetuity.

“Resolving the longstanding tension between development and agricultural interests has been a goal of this office for many years, and I am honored to help bring a workable solution to the Sammamish Valley,” Triplett said.

“Restoring historic farmland to full productive use while adding nine soccer fields in the growing Redmond community brings a successful conclusion to an issue that has been a challenge for many, many years,” he said.

Andrew Stout, owner of Full Circle Farm, said he hopes to begin planting the fertile land with crops next spring.

“We’re excited to partner with King County and the community on putting into active cultivation this historic Muller Farm land,” Stout said. “I applaud the efforts of all stakeholders to see that this land is put to its highest and best use, which is to provide fresh, organic food for our community.”

Full Circle Farm is a 300-acre certified organic produce farm based in Carnation. The farm cultivates more than 125 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, utilizing sustainable farming practices which focus on soil health as the foundation for nutritious organic produce.

Covenants attached to this agreement restrict the Muller Farm property to agriculture or open space uses and limit the number of residences that could be built on the land. Additionally, 95 percent of the property must be kept open and available for cultivation.

This latest accord follows a 2008 agreement in which the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association agreed to build and maintain new sports fields at King County’s Sixty Acres South Park.

Under that agreement, LWYSA is solely responsible for the funding needed to design and construct the athletic fields, plus all maintenance and field scheduling.

Curt Bateman, director of operations for the LWYSA, said the organization is off to a great start on the new fields at its 60 Acres South location, which is just across the Sammamish River from the new Full Circle Farm property. The new fields are on schedule to be available for play in late spring.

“I am very pleased with the fact that we were able to craft a solution that resolves the tension between what used to be competing interests,” Bateman said. “LWYSA will be able to better meet increased demand for field resources with one of the finest athletic field complexes in the western United States, and it’s equally important to me that we return the Muller Farm to active farming, preserving an important piece of open space in the Sammamish Valley.

“We are looking forward to a great, synergistic relationship with Full Circle farms and our health-conscious membership,” Bateman added. “I would particularly like to thank the elected officials and staff at King County who worked so hard to make this happen.”

The Lake Washington Soccer Association has some 6,800 members, and allows use of its fields by thousands of other adult and youth sports enthusiasts, including adult soccer, Frisbee and others. Informal passive use is also allowed during non-scheduled use.

Related information

Agriculture in King County, Washington

King County parks with soccer fields

Sammamish Watershed