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ARC Stands Up For Farmers

By Eliza Habegger

I want to spread the word about the good work that the Agricultural Resources Committees (ARC) is taking on. This relatively new group was created by the former County Commission to protect and encourage island agriculture, both by advising local government and through its own initiatives. ARC members are now rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.

People may wonder why we need a local committee dedicated to agriculture. What exactly are the benefits of having a robust agricultural community and economy? Are local farms really under threat?

The benefits are simple but profound. Local agriculture ensures an accessible supply of fresh, healthful food, even in times of emergency. When land stays in agricultural use, treasured island views are preserved - picture Crow Valley on Orcas, or the rolling fields of Lopez. Well-managed farmland makes good environmental sense. Agriculture contributes to the local economy through job creation, sales, and supporting businesses.

Farms can also provide unexpected economic benefits. For example, financial studies conducted in dozens of communities nationwide have consistently found that farms and open lands generate more tax revenues than they receive back in public services. This holds true even when the land is assessed at its current agricultural use. In comparison, residential land use consumes more public funds than it generates.

All our local farms are small-scale, family operations. In many cases they are oriented towards sustainability and organic methods. These farms are beautifully appropriate for a small county with special environmental features.

However, our local producers face serious obstacles. Food distribution networks favor big operations, and the global marketplace puts cheap, overseas produce at our fingertips. Islanders who could afford outstanding local fare instead drive to the mainland and shop at large chain stores. An array of costly, time-consuming, and confusing regulations further discourage farmers. Though regulations may be well-intentioned, they tend to excessively impact small operations.

Perhaps most alarming for the future, the county's high and rising land prices have made it quite difficult for new farmers of average means to get started – income from the farm just can't pay the mortgage. It's also costly to pay workers a living wage in this high-priced county.

Yet there's a new generation of farmers in the islands. Determined residents and newcomers bitten by the farming bug have found creative ways of making it work. Young people without land have sought out properties to lease, and long-time farming landowners have helped the newcomers get a leg up. Side jobs help pay the bills. I hope these future farmers find San Juan County to be hospitable, and proud of the good work they do.

The Agricultural Resources Committee wants farms and farmers to thrive in the San Juans. After surveying local producers, the ARC has settled on a few top priorities, including: 1) creating better access to local products, through venues such as year-round farmer's markets and cooperatives; 2) linking up new farmers with land and other resources to get them started, and 3) improving regulations that disproportionately impact our small farms. Expect to hear more about these projects in future months.

How fortunate we are to have neighbors who do the honorable work of farming.

(Eliza Habegger is a Agricultural Resources Committee member representing the San Juan County Land Bank )
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A New Year Resolution Some Should Make

By Bill Cumming

There is no question that one of the many reasons we live here in the San Juan Islands is the pristine beauty of our islands. I don't think there is a person living here who doesn't feel a sense of violation when they see roadside litter, wondering either out loud to their family or friends, or quietly to themselves, "Why would somebody deliberately do that?"

We have all seen the beer bottles and cans, cigarette butts, cardboard boxes, batteries, and other trash alongside our roads and in our roadside ditches. This question we ask, and the outrage we feel, are not only appropriate, but are also welcomed as a community statement.

Personally, I am continually amazed at this type of behavior. Is it immaturity? Is it anger? Or are those who litter simply making a statement about themselves and the community they live in? If you observe someone littering, I urge you as a member of our community to report it to the Sheriff's Office so it can be dealt with in a way that will hold the individuals accountable for their deliberate actions. They have no excuse for littering our community with their trash. Fines that range from $194 to as much as $5,000, depending on the circumstances, speak to just how expensive littering can be.

There is another type of litter alongside our roads that we can all do something about. Self-hauling recyclables and household refuse to our solid waste facility is a popular activity among most of our island population. Those of us who go to the dump, and I am one of them, need to realize that one of the biggest sources of roadside litter comes from self-haulers who fail to properly secure their loads. It doesn't take much for part of your load to fly off the back of your truck, and onto the roadway, if you don't have it properly loaded, secured, and covered.

The San Juan Island Anti-Litter Initiative has mobilized a variety of community groups and individuals to remind us that it is our responsibility as drivers to ensure the proper loading of any material into our pick-up trucks or other vehicles, and to critically assess whether or not the load should be secured and covered. You should always err on the side of safety and use a cover if there is any question about the possibility of losing part of your load.

Sheriff's deputies and solid waste staff have begun to remind all of us who carry these types of loads of the laws and our responsibilities when doing so. Browne's Home Center has generously stepped forward to help in this effort by providing 25% off coupons for cargo nets that deputies and solid waste staff will be handing out when they encounter drivers with loads that need to be secured.

Let's all do our part in keeping our island pristine. Secure your load, and report to the Sheriff's Office (378-4151) any person throwing litter out a car window or driving with an unsecured load.

(Bill Cumming is the San Juan County Sheriff)

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