SKAGIT COUNTY, WA – (MyBellinghamNow.com) The Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program (SCFLP) announced on Tuesday that 425 acres of farmland will be protected from further development.

Since 1996, the SCFLP has worked to minimize the loss of farmland in the Skagit Valley while providing financial compensation for landowners. In return, the owners will voluntarily limit development rights and effectively protect the highest quality private farmlands. The 2023 deals resulted in a total of $745,000 distributed among the landowners.

The five preservation projects that were finalized in 2023 bring the total amount of protected land to 14,750 acres. The SCFLP reported that nearly 100,000 acres of farmland had been lost to development between 2001 and 2016; over 16% of all farmland Skagit County.

Program Coordinator Sarah Stoner says that Skagit County needs at least 30% of the land to be farmland in order to sustain the agricultural-adjacent economy in the county. To read more about the study, you can read the American Farmland Trust study.

The following families protected their land in 2023 with the SCFLP. To read more about program, visit the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program’s website.

 

Fisher Family (Fir Island) – 40 acres

The protected land has been in Colleen Fisher’s family for several decades. Fisher leases the land to S&B Farms, which farmed potatoes most recently. The land is north of S&B-owned property protected in 2010.

Ball Family (La Conner) – 300 acres

Alex Ball’s land has been in his family for five generations, dating back to the 1800s when his ancestor settled on the land after his time in the Civil War. Jerry Nelson of Double N Potatoes farms the land. The 300-acre project adds to a 1,500-acre block of protected land along the Swinomish Channel in northeast La Conner.

Potato crops on the Ball Family’s land on Whitney Rd during the summer of 2023. Image courtesy of Sarah Stoner.
Richard H. Ball pioneered what would become the Ball land in 1876 after serving in the Civil War and later became mayor of La Conner. Pictured with grandson Richard G. Ball. Image courtesy of Sarah Stoner.

 

 

Edison Fields (Bow) – 25 acres

The 25-acre project adds to Edison Fields’ 156 acres of protected farmland, expanding the block. Edison Fields LLC’s farming operation spans across Skagit County, owning and leasing properties throughout. Along Farm to Market Road, the addition creates a nearly 500-acre block in the area.

Ring and Lilliquist Farms (La Conner) – 60 acres

Co-managed by families Lilliquist and Ring, their common ancestor Isaac Dunlap served as Skagit County’s first County Commissioner in 1889. Over the last decade, the land rotates grains, potatoes and vegetable crops. Their total 60 acres create a 700-acre block between Chillberg and McLean Roads.

(Left to right) John and Berdean Ring, Karl Lillquist. Image courtesy of Sarah Stoner.
A map of the Ring and Lilliquist Farms and surrounding protected farms. Map courtesy of Sarah Stoner.