From: mcbride@rust.zso.dec.com (Melinda McBride)
Subject: Puget Sound Farm Trust Meeting Info
Summary: Support Local Organic Farming
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation - DECwest Engineering
Distribution: seattle
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 00:49:16 GMT

                   Puget Sound Farm Trust
       Preserving Our Region's Agricultural Heritage


Puget Sound Farm Trust is a non-profit (IRS tax-exempt
status pending) corporation formed to purchase and preserve
land for farming, ensuring that good land will be available
for small farmers.  The first piece of property the Trust is
acquiring is a 12-acre parcel in the Sammamish Valley.  This
is being funded by contributions from Trust supporters.

The Trust will be holding a public meeting on Sunday, Janu-
ary 10, 1993, from 2:00 to 3:30 at the Redmond Public Li-
brary.  Please come to learn more about the Trust and pro-
vide your comments and find out how you can support the
Trust's work.  The Trust needs financial support as well as
volunteer help.  We are currently accepting applications for
three open board positions.

Farm land is disappearing rapidly in the Puget Sound Region.
Land prices are doubling every three years, making it diffi-
cult for small farmers to purchase land.  Short-term leases
provide no security or incentive for long-term investments
such as soil improvements or fruit growing.  The Trust will
buy land, then sell long-term leases to farmers who will
then be able to make long-term investments in the soil and
successfully use organic, sustainable farming methods.

The Trust encourages the use and research of sustainable
agriculture methods, such as bio-intensive and low input,
which conserve land space and water, and use less machinery,
thus also conserving fossil fuels and contributing to
cleaner air.  Five of the 12 acres are currently being
farmed by The Root Connection, one of the area's first com-
munity supported agriculture (CSA) projects.

Other long term visions for the land include leaving natural
strips between leased sections to provide habitat and travel
corridors for birds and other wildlife that provide natural
pest control; a small demonstration farm where young people
could grow food, donating the produce to food banks in their
neighborhoods; providing a model of successful small scale
farming ventures that will contribute to the conservation of
other farm land in the region.

The people involved in project share a vision of preserving
farm land, protecting our environment by supporting organic
farming methods, and ensuring a supply of fresh, locally-
grown, poison-free produce for our region's residents.  We
recognize and appreciate the value and dedication of the
small farmer to our community.

If you share these visions, we invite you to join with us in
supporting the Puget Sound Farm Trust.  The Farm Trust is an
all-volunteer organization and has no paid staff.  Your con-
tributions will be applied directly to land purchase pay-
ments.

For more information, call Melinda McBride at (206)767-7334
or Catherine Futtrup at 361-1889 or reply to this posting or
send e-mail to Melinda at mcbride@rust.zso.dec.com.  Or
better yet, come to the meeting January 10, 2:00 to 3:30 at
the Redmond Public Library.