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 acquisition project with the Zakarison Partnership will conserve their family farmland for future generations and prevent conversion to nonagricultural uses. To accomplish this, the family is working with the Palouse Land Trust to secure a conservation easement on approximately 607-acres. The land trust intends to purchase all but one development right and eliminate future division of this agricultural land.The farm is located on State Route 27 about 5-miles north of Pullman. The family settled on the Palouse in 1935. They farm with a vision of diversification and system resilience and pay special attention to the soil fertility. In addition to producing wheat, hay, and oats, they also raise pastured poultry and lamb and have a feed grain business the serves dozens of local families. They experiment with growing a rotation of specialty grains, oil seed crops, and cover crops to increase the fertility of soil, and integrate livestock as part of their regenerative strategy. With close proximity to the Pullman urban city limit, and with sweeping views of Kamiak Butte and Moscow Mountain, the property will become increasingly desirable for future home sites. Protecting their family farm from future development and preserving the soil fertility that they have so diligently nurtured through regenerative farming practices is the paramount long-term outcome the family seeks.