Last month Forever Farm in Enumclaw hosted KCD and fifteen farmers and landowners from the nearby community for a tour of their streamside horse farm. The farm owner led the tour through her property, while sharing her experience with rotational grazing, managing winter mud with a heavy use area, and stewarding her farm’s streamside area. Staff from KCD’s Farm and Riparian Teams were also there to answer questions about sustainable farming practices and how to get support to implement stewardship projects. Attendees learned from one another, as well, and shared their experiences implementing stewardship projects on their farms.
The tour’s highlight was Forever Farm’s absolute beauty of a mature riparian buffer on Newaukum Creek, which was planted in 2010. The buffer represents an established riparian forest with a diverse assemblage of native trees and understory that shades the stream below. The farm’s owner says her riparian area has become a highway for wildlife passing through her farm and that she sees adult salmon spawning in the creek. Forever Farm’s riparian buffer was a fantastic example of managing a healthy waterway on a farm with livestock.
Thank you to everyone who came out and to Forever Farm for opening your home for this educational and impactful event!
