American Farmland Trust Releases Action Plan to Improve Agricultural Viability in Puget Sound Region
(Bellingham, WA) American Farmland Trust (AFT) has published an action plan to make agriculture in Puget Sound thrive, and to ultimately help farmers become more economically secure and resilient, permanently protect land for agriculture, and improve environmental health and community well-being.
Supported with funding from Puget Sound Partnership, the plan is based on a 2024 survey of former, current, and aspiring farmers to help understand the state of, and opportunities for agricultural viability in the Puget Sound region. Findings showed that rising labor and input costs, market volatility, climate instability, and the high costs of compliance with state, local, and federal laws have eroded the financial and emotional resilience of farmers who sustain local food systems and steward its natural resources.
“This Puget Sound region stands at a critical moment, and this plan is urgent,” said AFT Pacific Northwest Regional Director Addie Candib. “Without immediate, united action, we risk losing the farmland, farmers, and natural resources that sustain our communities. The strategies in this plan are not long-term aspirations—they are urgent priorities that demand bold leadership and decisive investment now. Protecting irreplaceable working lands, strengthening farmer livelihoods, expanding equitable land access, preparing for climate extremes, and supporting the health and wellbeing of those who feed our region cannot wait.”
The goals of the plan include 1) protecting farmland from conversion to development; 2) improving farmer livelihoods and business viability; 3) increasing access to farmland, markets, infrastructure, and technical assistance; 4) building resilience to climate change and natural disasters; and 5) supporting producer health and wellbeing.
The plan recommends that agencies, local governments, and nonprofit organizations work together to address systemic gaps across the agricultural community, including to coordinate strategies to promote water and soil stewardship practices; equitable and affordable land access programs; regional infrastructure and market investments; and support for health and wellbeing that recognize farmers as essential stewards of critical natural resources.
An advisory committee, composed of farmers, conservation districts, agricultural service providers, county planners, and state agencies shaped the action plan, and coordinated with other entities engaged in research about agricultural viability. AFT also combined an extensive literature review and stakeholder interviews with the findings from the farmer survey to develop the Agricultural Viability Action Plan for Puget Sound.
“There’s no question that state agencies, local governments, conservation partners, and elected officials each have a critical role to play,” said Candib. “But lasting change is only possible if residents, consumers, and advocates also use their voices, purchasing power, and civic engagement to champion a future where farming remains viable and valued. Every policy decision, funding allocation, and community action taken today shapes whether the next generation will inherit a resilient agricultural landscape or the loss of an irreplaceable resource.”
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food® message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.
