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Sustainable Agriculture in King County, Washington

Agriculture in King County, Washington

This page provides information and programs primarily for farmers in King County, Washington. For information about gardening and yard care in the Puget Sound area, please visit our Northwest yard and garden page.

Flooding preparation in the Green River Valley

Puget Sound Fresh - Western Washington Farms Puget Sound Fresh
Add your farm to our growing, searchable database of farms, crops and products to reach a very large market. King County created Puget Sound Fresh to support local farmers and insure a close-in food supply while encouraging consumers, wholesalers, retailers and restaurants to seek out and purchase higher-quality, fresher, locally-grown products.

Building permits for agricultural structures
Find guidance on requirements that govern building barns, greenhouses, shops, and other utility structures on agricultural lands.

Agriculture documents
Plans, studies and reports related to Agriculture in King County, Washington.

  • Snoqualmie Flood-Farm Task Force Report
    Provides finding and recommended mechanisms to help Snoqualmie Valley farms that get periodically flooded, in ways that maintain good floodplain management and continue salmon recovery in the lower Snoqualmie River.
  • Construction of farm pads on Snoqualmie Valley farms
    Notice of determination of non-significance under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
  • King County Climate Change Plan
    How King County seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to projected climate change impacts, and embed mitigation and adaptation into county policy decisions. The plan incorporates agriculture-related goals and actions.

Manure management
Provides help on handling manure to avoid contaminating lakes and streams.

Local food video: episode 15 of Yard Talk
Program promoting the benefits of local food and providing tips and tricks.  Covers a variety of subjects from backyard gardening to farmers markets and local farms. 18 minutes, 44 seconds.

Noxious Weed Control Program
Aggressive exotic plants degrade pastures, may poison livestock, and produce amazing volumes of long-lived seeds. To help control invasive weeds, King County offers a noxious weed list site to help with weed identification, a form to report noxious weed infestations, and information sheets on best methods to control noxious weeds -- and is available to answer your questions at the Noxious Weed line, 206-296-0290.

King County Agriculture Commission
Sign up for a newsletter to keep abreast of land use issues, policies, regulations and incentives affecting commercial agriculture in King County.

Livestock ProgramLivestock Program
A program that supports the Livestock Management Ordinance, a King County ordinance intended to provide a buffer of safety to keep salmon-bearing streams free of pollution. Provides information and an application for cost-sharing of fencing, storage, and other potential expenses to help farmers embrace good stewardship practices.

Agriculture breakout session results, King County Climate Change Conference
Review a summary report describing anticipated affects of global warming on agriculture in King County and Washington State with proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies. Also, look up the agriculture session agenda, presentations, and speaker credentials and biographies.

Farm Management Plan
Learn how to achieve agricultural benefits such as reduced livestock setbacks from streams, siting of agricultural buildings or access roads in stream and wetland buffers, and how to get exceptions to county clearing and grading permits while still protecting everyone's environment.

Agricultural Drainage Assistance Program
Also known as the Fish & Ditch Program, this program provides technical and financial help to farmers working to maintain agricultural watercourses. The site provides an overview of the program, monitoring reports, maps of streams and ditches, and contact information.

Transfer of Development Rights Program
A voluntary program enabling landowners to buy and sell residential development rights on private property to preserve public benefits in our rapidly growing region-- for example farms, forestlands, open space, regional trails and designated urban separator lands and habitat for threatened or endangered species. Owners benefit financially through the transfer of development rights to better locations while the public benefits through permanent preservation of critical lands.

Food and Farms, WSU King County Cooperative Extension (external link)
Find educational and agriculture management programs for farmers including commercial horticulture and livestock, courtesy of WSU/King County Cooperative Extension and funded in part by King County Water and Land Resources Division.

Salmon Safe (external link)
Certifies fish-friendly farms for marketing or promotional purposes, to help influence the restoration of agricultural watersheds so that salmon can sustainably spawn and thrive.

Biosolids Program
Biosolids are the nutrient-rich, composted solids extracted during wastewater treatment. This page provides information about biosolids and the biosolids program, answers questions about quality control and safety, and provides case studies of biosolids use and chemical analysis for fertilizer applications in commercial agriculture.

King County working resource lands
Look up forests and farms protected by King County as working resource lands. The natural lands site provides pictures, location maps and rules for public use.

Wetland topics
Information about wetlands, wetland plants and wildlife, development and mitigation rules, and educational programs from King County.

Flooding services and information
Services to help before, during and after floods including the King County Flood Warning System, flood buyouts and other programs, how to call in drainage complaints, and hydrologic data.

Related information

Related agencies

News and announcements

Puget Sound starts here

Nov. 16, 2009
Fertile King County farmland returns to its roots, as much-needed soccer fields are built nearby

King County wants your opinion!
Countywide Strategic Plan

Oct. 7, 2009
External article, Northwest HUB
King County Updates Farmland Preservation Program

Sept. 24, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Take a harvest tour of King County farms

Sept. 21, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Northwest farmers have banded together to market their own flour

Sept. 11, 2009
External article, Seattle P-I
EPA puts limits on 3 pesticides to protect salmon

Sept. 2, 2009
Green River Valley farmers can learn more about flood safety, dam repairs, at public meetings

Aug. 27, 2009
King County Hosts Historic Barn Workshop
Grants available to residents for barn stabilization and rehab work

Aug. 11, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Slaughterhouse on wheels aids 'locavore' movement

Jul. 31, 2009
Celebrate state farmers market week with a trip to your local King County farmers market

Jun. 22, 2009
Farm-fresh produce abounds as King County offers 39 farmers markets

Apr. 21, 2009
External report, KING5 News
US biologists say 3 pesticides harm salmon

Apr. 19, 2009
External opinion, Seattle Times
Wash. farmers go organic as demands grow

Apr. 13, 2009
External opinion, Seattle Times
Close loopholes in Washington's Growth Management Act

Mar. 30, 2009
Vashon agriculture focus of April 9 public meeting

Mar. 10, 2009
Farm pad meeting coming to Snoqualmie Valley

Mar. 10, 2009
King County Agricultural and Forestry Program recipient of King Conservation District’s “Rock Award”
Awards program spotlights programs, municipalities and individuals

Mar. 9, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Seed companies have a bumper crop of customers

Feb. 24, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Enumclaw to run King County fair

Feb. 24, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
4-H among state programs facing big WSU budget cut?

Feb. 23, 2009
King County wants to hear ideas of farming’s future

Feb. 3, 2009
King County’s noxious weed list growing
Weed board now requires knotweed control on upper, middle Green River

Jan. 27, 2009
External article, King 5 News
King County farms left scarred by winter storms video

Jan. 9, 2009
External article, Seattle Times
Global warming will be a killer for agriculture, UW scientists say

Jan. 8, 2009
Flooding cuts off residents in East King County
Levee upgrades, farm pads keeping residents and animals safer this year

Farming Survey:
What's the future of agriculture in King County?

Nov. 19, 2008
External article, Seattle Times
To protect salmon, restrictions placed on three pesticides

Nov. 7, 2008
Sims pledges to ‘Eat Local for Thanksgiving,’ encourages food purchases from area farms

Oct. 7, 2008
Workshop for floodplain farmers set for Oct. 28
King County workshop covers flood preparedness, farm pads, other topics

Sept. 30, 2008
External article, Seattle P-I
Despite the bee crisis, you still can savor Northwest honeys

Sept. 25, 2008
External opinion, Seattle P-I
Living food: Genius in farming

Sept. 22, 2008
External article, Seattle Times
Taste King County's bounty at Harvest Celebration Farm Tour

Sept. 19, 2008
Rural, home-based businesses in King County to get support under proposed rule changes
Executive pushes to improve conditions for traditional rural industries

» Archived News and Announcements