Residents across WA work together to protect farmland for future generations
The three of us call the Tri-Cities region home: Maricela is the daughter of farmworkers; Veronika works alongside farmers to connect them to their local farm-to-table community and business boosting resources; and Ginger is a passionate advocate for local food who served on the start-up board of the new Tri-Cities Food Co-Op. All three of us agree that farmers are the heart of our society, who work tirelessly to feed their communities.
That's why we're writing to respond to the misinformation being spread in our community about a recent State Supreme Court decision, King County v. Friends of Sammamish Valley and Futurewise. Recent reporting in the Tri-City Herald asserts that this court decision was to blame for Wheat Head Brewery losing a permit for food trucks at the brewery. We don't claim to know why Benton County denied a food truck permit for Wheat Head Brewery but as Futurewise board members, we feel confident in asserting that it wasn't because of this court case.
The 2024 court decision protects farmland from sprawl and speculative development by limiting non-agricultural uses on farmland. The court decision also supports agritourism that enhances (rather than competes with) the primary use of farmland for agriculture. The intent of this legal case and the impact of this ruling is to protect farmers on both sides of the Cascades, so they do not have to compete with non-farmers for land, while still allowing agritourism to supplement income for farmers themselves.
The ruling doesn't ban tasting rooms at vineyards or a food truck at a brewery, or pumpkin patches. The ruling simply ensures that the primary use of agricultural land is for farming and stays that way. The court recognizes that agritourism can be an important way for farmers to support their difficult work and stay in business. This ruling provides guidance on how agricultural land can be used for secondary income sources — like a brewery, food trucks, or as an event venue — while ensuring that farmland remains primarily used for its main purpose: farming.
The timing of this case couldn't be more crucial: according to the American Farmland Trust, Washington state is in danger of losing 192,000 acres of farmland by 2040 to sprawling development if current trends continue. We're seeing this first hand in Benton and Franklin counties with new subdivisions eating up more and more acres that in previous generations produced wheat, onions, and potatoes.
Farmers are the heart of our society. There are few things more important than preserving bountiful farmland and supporting the families working each acre. Farming has significant challenges. Agritourism is an important component of a multi-level solution that advocates for and supports farmers statewide while preserving legacy agricultural land. We encourage everyone passionate about this issue to complete the Washington State Agritourism Study to share your feedback with decision makers and help us preserve farmland while promoting density, accessibility, and a better future for all people in Washington. And if you or someone you know is having trouble with a permit for an accessory use on a farm, please reach out to Futurewise and we'll see if we can help.
Maricela Sanchez is a Prosser City Councilmember and past Futurewise board president. Veronika Meiers is the founder and CEO of Strategy Northwest and Futurewise board treasurer. Ginger Wireman is a founder of the Tapteal Greenway and Tres Ríos Community Land Trust and serves as a Futurewise board member.
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