The ‘King County Walk the Line’ Tour on Sunday welcomed me into the Carnation community and firsthand showed me the Carnation Tree Farm. Although it was muddy and cold, I was eager to learn more about this farm’s green conservation practices. I was introduced to the owner Roger Thorson, who highlighted the green initiative the farm had been taking on the control of erosion and weeds by planting grass between trees instead of toxic chemicals. Thorson also mentioned how they are experimenting with drip irrigation systems and sheet-mulching to provide much needed environmental benefits such as; water conservation, weed control, and soil quality enhancement. The mulch comes mainly from trees from the farm or through the Christmas tree recycling program. To read a “green” letter from Roger Thorson and learn more about the history of his farming background, visit http://www.carnationtreefarm.com/.

The Farms is joined with the King Conservation District to improve and protect the wetlands of the southern boundary. Some of these measures include removal of invasive blackberries and the planting of native trees and shrubs.
For more information visit http://www.kingcd.org.

The next speaker was Larry Nussbaum the Program Director of Stewardship Partners who described the Salmon Safe and stewardship program. The Snoqualmie Stewardship is a non-profit conservation organization established to help private landowners restore and preserve the natural landscapes of Washington State.

I quickly learned that Carnation Tree Farm was the first Christmas tree farm in 2007 as part of the Northwest to be certified as salmon safe and recognized for environmentally conscious practices. These included protecting the local waterways, preventing soil erosion, using natural weed and pest control methods, and encouraging a diversity of plant and wildlife habitat. The Salmon Safe certification requires farmers to protect wetland areas, control erosion into streams, and to adopt practices that enhance on farm-biodiversity. Once, a farm such as Carnation is certified from independent assessors, a Salmon-Safe logo is received to distinguish their products in the marketplace. As a result, the farms receives positive recognition through an education and marketing campaign which informs the public about the need for conservation practices and the benefits of supporting local sustainable food production.

For the most current list of certified farms visit www.stewardshippartners.org