La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Skagit County’s Farmland Legacy Program permanently protected another 425 acres of prime agricultural soil, with five farmland preservation projects in 2023. Protected farmland in Skagit County now totals 14,750 acres.

The largest commitment is Alex Ball’s 300 acres near La Conner. Richard H. Ball pioneered the land after serving in the Civil War; the acreage reaches back five generations. The land is actively farmed by Jerry Nelson of Double N Potatoes. The decision to sell specific property rights so the land remains farmland no matter who owns it came about from Alex and his wife Karee’s recent estate planning. “It felt easy to do. It was the right decision for our family,” said Karee Ball.

“Keeping this prime La Conner soil as farmland is important to the Ball family’s legacy and to the community at large,” said Commissioner Ron Wesen. “We are indebted to farmland owners like the Balls who protect their land for producers today and future generations of farmers tomorrow.” The additional Ball acreage creates a 1,500-acre block of protected farmland in northeast La Conner along the Swinomish Channel.

Another 60 acres near La Conner is managed by two families – the Rings and the Lillquists. They are descendants of Isaac Dunlap who served as Skagit County’s first county commissioner in 1889. The land has been in a rotation of potatoes, grains, and vegetable crops over the last decade. “Our families’ first goal is to protect the land as farmland,” says John Ring, who owns the east parcel with his wife Berdean. “We want the land to stay the same for new generations who come to grow here.”

Colleen Fisher’s newly protected 40 acres of farmland on Fir Island has been in her family for several decades. The land is currently leased to S&B Farms, which produced potatoes last season. “Protecting it as farmland is just the right thing to do,” said Fisher. Fisher’s property sits north of farmland owned by S&B Farms that was protected in 2010.

Edison Fields’ newly protected 25 acres sit adjacent to 156 acres of farmland, also owned by Edison Fields, which were preserved in 2020. These protected 181 acres are part of Edison Fields LLC farming operation, on land owned and leased across Skagit County. The 25 acres add to a nearly 500-acre block of protected farmland on Farm to Market Road in Bow.

“The smaller size of Edison Fields’ 25-acre parcel makes it especially appealing to a residential development,” said Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen. “The rural neighborhood and views contribute to the residential appeal of this land. Thanks to their collective decision, Edison Fields’ farmland remains protected for our food producers.”

“Agricultural conservation easements ensure prime farmland is not developed, help to keep it affordable for the next generation of farmers, and provide a capital boost to local farm businesses,” said County Commissioner Lisa Janicki. The additional 60 acres create a 700-acre block of protected farmland between Chillberg and McLean roads in La Conner.

The Farmland Legacy Program is a county-funded initiative that compensates landowners for placing a perpetual conservation easement on their land. Landowners retain ownership of their land and continue their farming operations as usual. The program’s primary goal is to protect Skagit County’s vital agricultural productivity and character.

The Skagit County Conservation Futures tax levy funded the conservation easement purchases. In total, landowners received $745,000 for the permanent protection of these five pieces of prime Skagit County farmland. A total of eight residential development rights were extinguished on the newly protected properties.

Despite strong land-use planning, Washington continues to lose farmland to development – nearly 100,000 acres between 2001 and 2016. Over 50% of the land lost was considered the state’s best quality farmland, according to the American Farmland Trust’s recent report.

The Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program is one of the most active and successful farmland preservation programs across Washington state due to the number of protected acres and the ongoing community and county government support.

Source: Skagit County ­government