PORT TOWNSEND — The three Jefferson County Commissioners are scheduled Monday to consider approval of the acquisition of two agricultural easements that will buy the development rights to preserve two Chimacum Valley farms in perpetuity.
The county, in partnership with Jefferson Land Trust, is working to acquire the development rights for an old family farm, the 50-acre Brown Dairy, as well as 33-acre Finnriver Farm, a certified organic blueberry and vegetable grower.
The county commissioners will consider approving county Conservation Futures Funds totaling $203,500 for the Finnriver acquisition and $77,500 for Brown Dairy.
Jefferson Land Trust spearheaded a successful effort to gain a $203,500 state Wildlife and Recreation Program Farmland Preservation grant. The grant was awarded to Jefferson County, as the project’s lead agency, for the Finnriver Farm conservation easement acquisition.
The farmland acquisitions will mean that the land cannot be developed for other uses in the future.
“Chimacum food is something that’s going to become really big in the future,” said county Commissioner Phil Johnson, after hearing a presentation from Tami Pokorny, who is handling the farmland acquisitions for the county public health department.
Located at the crossing of Chimacum and Center roads at state Highway 19, the Brown Dairy, in the fertile Center Valley, is adjacent to Glendale Farm across Center Road, another land trust and county acquisition, Jefferson Land Trust officials said.
Like Glendale Farm, the Brown Dairy has a long history of dairy production.
The Brown farm includes three platted parcels, a historic farmhouse, barns and a milking facility and nearly 45 acres of prime pastureland.
Approximately 2,000 feet of the main stem of Chimacum Creek runs through the property.
Finnriver Farm also is in the agriculturally zoned Center Valley. Farm owners have recently planted more than 900 apple and pear trees and are in the process of establishing an artisan-scale winery and cider production facility.
Finnriver Farm has more than 1,300 feet of Chimacum Creek running through it and contains habitat for salmon, beavers, trumpeter swans, bears, eagles, hawks and other species.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@ peninsuladailynews.com.