Category Overview
Farmland Preservation protects valuable farmland and habitat for recreationally important animals, like salmon, birds, deer, and elk. These projects allow families to continue farming the land they have worked on for generations, and provide Washingtonians with healthy local food and a diverse economy. WWRP is the only source of farmland preservation funding in the state budget.
Project Highlights
This project allowed Snohomish County to purchase a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the 324-acre Peoples Ranch property, located five miles south of Monroe, Washington. Peoples Ranch, also known as the Hollandia Dairy Farm, was established in 1990. The farm milks about 500 cows, grows and harvests 130 acres of green chop, and raises milk and heifer cattle. Over 95% of the Peoples Ranch property consists of Prime Farmland Soils as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The farm is actively involved in riparian restoration efforts, has enrolled 28 acres of land in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and was recently certified as “Salmon-Safe.”