Agricultural Viability in Puget Sound
Restoring Puget Sound depends on the protection of working lands, which preserves their ecosystem services and prevents conversion to development. This includes the farmland that produces fresh, local food and other products for our communities. But we can’t just focus on protecting the land. We must keep farmers on the land with strategies that support their livelihoods and the viability of agriculture in the region.
American Farmland Trust has teamed up with Puget Sound Partnership to address this gap in advancing the recovery of the watershed. Working with a steering committee that includes farmers, conservation districts, agricultural service providers, county planners, and state agencies, we are developing an action plan that will serve as a roadmap for agricultural viability in Puget Sound, including a toolkit with strategies for local governments and indicators that can measure progress. This work will be informed by farmers through a survey, focus groups, and interviews.
AFT is currently conducting a survey of current, former, and aspiring Puget Sound farmers to understand the needs and challenges about local agriculture viability. Click here to take the survey.
