FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skagit County Farmland Legacy Hosts Community Workshops on Succession Planning

In collaboration with community organizations, the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program is hosting Your Farm’s Future: Three Winter Workshops to support succession planning for Skagit County farmers. Each workshop in December and January has reached capacity, with spaces still available for the final session on Wednesday, February 18.

Your Farm’s Future addresses the critical need to preserve farmland and keep agriculture thriving for the next generation of farmers. The average age of farmers in Washington is 59.3 years. With more than 40% of the nation's farmland owned by people over 65, up to 370 million acres across the United States will change ownership by 2040—affecting approximately one third of farms and ranches in Washington state alone, the American Farmland Trust estimates. Farmland is most vulnerable to development at these times of transition, from one generation or owner to the next.

The succession program is in partnership with several Skagit County organizations and institutions invested in agriculture, including Western Washington Agricultural Association, Washington State University Skagit County Extension, Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, the Skagit Farm Bureau, and Genuine Skagit Valley. This broad stakeholder support reinforces the urgency and importance of the work spearheaded by the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program on behalf of preserving its agricultural heritage.

The final workshop is on Wednesday, February 18^th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Shawn O’Donnell’s at the Farmhouse. Each workshop has provided first-hand accounts of successful land and operation transfers, as well as resources and tools to help farmers take the first step in their succession journey.

These events are funded by the Land Transfer Navigators grant awarded to Skagit County by the American Farmland Trust and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant provides funding to support the often difficult, lengthy work to transfer farm and ranch lands to a new generation of producers.

The session is free with pre-registration and includes dinner. To register and learn more, please visit this link.

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