skagit typepad

Snohomish Conservation District
528 - 91st Ave NE, Ste A
Lake Stevens, WA 98258-2538
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lake Stevens, WA
Permit No. 26
The Nexus
Features of a Zero Runoff Yard
By Kailyn Wentz, Integrated Media/Social Marketing Specialist
Spring 2013
Serving Snohomish County
and Camano Island
Election News
The Snohomish Conservation District
Board of Supervisors re-elected Steve
VanValkenburg to the open seat. He
was the only person who filed for
the position by the deadline. Mark
Craven has applied for the appointed
position, subject to approval by the
Conservation Commission. For more
information, call 425-335-5634.
Reusable Bedding Video
Did you know that composted bedding can be put back to work in your
horse stalls as an alternative to wood
shavings or pellets? It’s light and
fluffy, with a pleasant earthy smell,
and is very absorbent. Compared to
wood shavings or pellets, compost
significantly reduces dust and allergens in stalls.
Bill next to one of many rain barrels he uses to collect rain water.
The Lider driveway allows stormwater to filter through.
Bill Lider seems to know every plant and creature that
resides on his residential lot outside of Lynnwood. From the
pileated woodpeckers that love his red-osier dogwoods to
the spotted towhees that occupy his “engineered” brush pile,
every plant has a purpose and every creature has a place.
Even the moles are appreciated. “They’re great stormwater
engineers,” Bill comments.
Permeable paver driveways - Rather than solid
concrete, pavers have spaces in between, usually filled with gravel or plants, that allow water
to drain down through and soak into the ground,
rather than running off the property to a ditch or
stream.
Questions and Answers with Bill
Moles aren’t the only ones getting creative with stormwater.
Bill and his wife Sally have made zero stormwater runoff
a priority on their property in unincorporated Snohomish
County. With a rain barrel at every downspout, not one - but
two - types of permeable paving, and plantings for wildlife
throughout their yard, the Liders are truly making a difference and enjoying it, too. Recently I was able to tour their
property with Bill as my guide to see and understand all the
features they’re using.
Q: Where did you first learn about permeable pavers
and infiltrating stormwater?
A: Through my work (Bill is a Civil engineer).
Zero Runoff Features
Rain barrels under every downspout
The turfstone drive leading to the carport was a
good compromise to a traditional driveway because
we didn’t want to lose the
lawn for entertaining and
relaxing.
According to Bill, the rain barrels are definitely worth
it if you operate them with a dispersion system. They
do a good job of reducing runoff and provide a great
environmental benefit. His barrels are set up to drain
between storms; soaker hoses are routed throughout
landscaping to disperse the water and deeply water
plantings, making them drought-tolerant in summer.
Rain gauges - Rain gauges help Bill determine
watering needs so he doesn’t overwater.
Native plantings
The Lider property
was one of the first
certified Backyard
Wildlife Habitats
in the state. This is
a designation from
the National Wildlife Federation that
certifies yards that provide the four elements of habitat:
food, water, cover and places to raise young.
Q: Why did you build your permeable driveways?
A: The asphalt was going bad and I was attracted by
the uniqueness of permeable pavers. They were environmentally-friendly and helped meet the goal of zero
runoff.
Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to other
landowners, what would it be?
A: If you are unsure, I’d recommend that you hire
someone to help with the design and/or construction.
It’s worth the money to make sure it comes out right the
first time. The small cost savings by doing these things
yourself is not worth it.
The District received funding from
the Western Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education Program
to work with a few horse owners in
Snohomish County to try composted
bedding.
If interested, contact Caitlin Price
Youngquist at caitlin@snohomishcd.
org or call the office at 425-335-5634,
ext. 4. For a video of this program,
go to: http://www.betterground.org/
resources-2/videos/.
Inside
 2012 Award Winners
 Collecting Rain Water
 Grounds for Your Soil
 Firewise Communities
 Rain Gardens & Horses
 Puget Sound Month
 Barley Fodder--Yum!
 Events and more
Q: Would you recommend use of permeable pavers
to others?
A: Pavers do have their drawbacks and if I were to do
it over, I might use pervious concrete instead. Pervious
concrete wasn’t really available at the time I installed it.
See a video of my tour at www.betterground.org
Learn about capturing rain water on page 4.
SCD 1
District 2012 Award Winners Shine
Lifetime
Achievement
Award
Mary Margaret Haugen
The District’s first Lifetime
Achievement Award was given
to former Senator Mary Margaret
Haugen for her tireless efforts
supporting agriculture and conservation. Ms. Haugen served in the
State Legislature for many years,
and began looking into conservation districts and other special purpose districts early in her tenure.
Low Impact Development - Cooperator
of the Year
Larry and Kalleen Ormand
Larry and Kalleen Ormand were one of our first rain garden customers when
the Community Conservation Program began in 2010. They installed their
rain garden in Spring 2012, with design help from engineer Derek Hann. The
Ormand’s have done a great job keeping us posted on how it’s working. They
enjoy educating their friends and neighbors about their new landscape feature
and watching it soak up the rain.
Having grown up on a family farm
on Camano Island, Ms. Haugen
was aware of conservation programs and supported efforts to
establish a Farmland Preservation
Former Senator Mary Margaret Haugen receives office in Olympia and to create
the Lifetime Achievement Award from Mark Cra- long-term stable funding for all
ven (District Chair), and Monte Marti (District
Washington conservation districts
Manager).
through assessments.
The Snohomish Conservation District and the agriculture community are most
grateful for Ms. Haugen’s steadfast efforts.
Commercial Farm of the Year
Carleton Farm, Inc, Reid and Darren Carleton
Reid and Mary Carleton and their son Darren
own and operate a 60-acre horse stable, produce,
and agro-tourism farm near Lake Stevens. They
first opened their doors in 1966 as a dairy. Over
the years, they have converted it to a horse stable
and produce farm with a strong agro-tourism
component. The Carleton’s have worked with the
District since the farm’s early days (Reid served
as a District Board Supervisor) and have been
eager to cooperate as their farm evolved.
The Carleton’s have taken advantage of several
programs, from guidance on removing their manure lagoon to, most recently, working with the
District and WSU as one of our compost research
sites. They have hosted numerous tours talking
about the program and have always been eager to
learn and adapt to new challenges.
Small Farms of the Year
Elva and Jerry Van Donge
John Natterstad accepts the Wildlife Farm of the Year Award from
District Habitat Specialist Ryan Williams. John manages properties
for Bethlehem Lutheran Church, including Wilcox Farm in Marysville, where the District’s habitat team has done several projects.
Wildlife Farm of the Year
Bethlehem Lutheran Church / Wilcox Farm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church began working with the District in 2005. From the start, the Church and their farm’s
renter have wanted to keep horses out of Quilceda Creek,
but funding was the biggest hurdle. The planting area along
Quilceda Creek turned out to be bigger than we thought, so
we enrolled them in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program.
The Marysville Church and it’s volunteers have already
planted 1.2 acres and installed 900 feet of fencing. They plan
to finish the 4.4 acre planting area this Spring with Adopt A
Stream Foundation crews. They’re also going to install an
off-stream watering system. John Natterstad, the property
manager, has been very eager to work with us and plans to
develop Wilcox Farm into an outdoor classroom and tour
location to highlight Best Management Practices.
The Church is also actively involved in sustainable agriculture on the property across the street from Wilcox Farm,
where people can rent P-Patches to grow food for themselves
or local food banks.
Elva Donge has worked with the District since
2001, installing gutters, downspouts, underground outlets, graveled sacrifice areas, and comDebbie Young, Village Community Services
post bins on her farm. She removes her horses
Leif Fixen (left) and Mark Craven (right) with the
Village Community Services has been providing quality
from pastures during the winter and practices
winner of the Commercial Farm of the Year Award,
residential support and vocational services to adults with
rotational grazing during the growing season.
Darren Carleton.
disabilities for more than 40 years in Snohomish, Island and
She has worked extensively on her pastures to
Skagit
counties.
Their
support services and advocacy helps these individuals
remove moss, control weeds, manage nutrients, over-seed when needed and add
integrate and fully participate in their communities.
lime. Her farm is an example of excellent land stewardship.
Partnership Awards
Black Dog Ranch, Shannon and Brian Finch
Shannon and Brian Finch own five acres near Stanwood, complete with three
horses and two donkeys. Shannon contacted us after hearing that the District
helps property owners with farm planning. The Finches had been battling mud
and manure for a long time. Since our first visit in March 2012, the Finches have
built compost bins and exclusion fences, and hosted a hand’s-on fence workshop
led by Monte Gerdes. Since then, Shannon says she spends time just gazing at
her bins because, in her words, “they are so pretty”.
Merit Farm
Steve and Dena Adkins
Steve and Dena Adkins are new clients, eager to learn from our experience and
make use of our free technical help. Their farm includes two horses in the Harvey
Creek area of the Stillaguamish Watershed.
In the last six months, the Adkins corrected all the issues we identified on their
farm that could harm water quality. Last fall they also took advantage of our cost
share program to install both a heavy-use area and a compost bin. They installed
a drainage system on their own that our engineers designed for them. They have
been a true pleasure to work with.
SCD 2
For the past several years, Consultant Debbie Young has picked up and delivers brochures and mailers from the District office so her clients can label and
process them. This helps District staff update publications and get ready for
events. It also helps her clients contribute while learning new skills.
Scott Chase, WSU Island County Shore Stewards
Scott Chase has partnered with the Snohomish
Conservation District on several projects over
the years and has been a great help as we expand
our efforts on Camano Island.
Scott’s upbeat manner, can-do attitude, and
thorough knowledge of the people and places on
Camano Island have been invaluable to District
staff. He has helped with bluff and rain barrel
classes, recycling events, the Port Susan Open
Houses and a host of other events. Scott is a tireless supporter and promoter of our conservation
programs and services.
~ continued
Left: David Capocci talks with a District farm planner about his hoop
house garden area. David has been a great supporter of District programs and will be hosting three seminars at his Granite Falls ranch later
this year.
David, Glenn Budlow and Tim
Leingang have taken great care
to create a working alpaca ranch
and guest camping facility while
protecting natural resources in
the Mountain Loop Highway area
east of Granite Falls.
David Capocci accepts his
award from Mark Craven.
Cooperator of the Year
Paca Pride Guest Ranch, David Capocci, Glenn Budlow and Tim Leingang
The partners at Paca Pride Guest Ranch are innovators who began their guest ranch/alpaca farm with a bare piece of land eleven miles outside of Granite
Falls. They researched farm layout, crops, barns, composting, and fodder feeding. They installed fencing and numerous trees and shrubs to protect a streamside corridor. Paca Pride has been the site of two farm tours, and will play host again in 2013 for a sustainable agriculture workshop. David Capocci, educated
on permaculture principles, has offered to teach that for District events, as well as host our groups in their yurt classroom. Always positive and upbeat, David
has been and continues to be a great advocate for Snohomish Conservation District’s helpful, innovative programs.
Low Impact Development - Partnership Award
Philomena Kedziorski, WSU Rain Garden Program Coordinator
Philomena has done a wonderful job promoting the Conservation District programs to private homeowners and organizations. She’s arranged multiple rain garden site visits for us,
and a few rain barrel site visits as well. And she encourages WSU Extension’s Master Gardener volunteers to do the same. She is easy to work with and always willing to help plant a
garden or give planting advice. Philomena could almost be considered a third member of the
District’s Low Impact Development team with all she contributes.
Philomena Kedziorski
Volunteer of the Year
John Marsh, WSU Extension Master Gardener
John is a great supporter of our rain garden program. He has been to all but one of our rain
garden planting events and helped with multiple planting plans, always with a smile.
A former teacher, John easily engaged kids during Columbia Elementary’s planting day.
Dedicated volunteers are critical to the success of our programs, so we appreciate John and
all the other Master Gardeners who have helped further our on-the-ground efforts.
Employee of the Year
Stacy Aleksich, Community Conservation Program Manager
Stacy Aleksich
Stacy has been with the District for two and a half years and served Whidbey Island
Conservation District prior to that. She coordinates the District’s work with cities and
works on low impact development practices like rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns, and
permeable paving.
John Marsh helping a student plant the
Columbia Elementary rain garden in
Mukilteo.
Salmon, Slugs and Water Samples
Free Classes for Schools
by Roger Kelley, Snohomish Conservation District Educator
The student video-recording his classmates didn’t notice where he was standing until water from a small stream soaked though his shoes. Even then he didn’t
move, intent on recording the hands of several of his fourth grade classmates as
they turned over a log looking for ‘decomposers’ ~ centipedes, slugs, and other small creatures that break down dead
and decaying organisms. Another group of students recorded
‘biotic ecosystem components’ on a worksheet, while a third
group learned that invasive plants can do bad things, like
take over an area by displacing the native plants, thereby
eliminating important food and shelter for native wildlife.
A week later a group of sixth graders at another school
measured the diameter of a Douglas Fir tree and converted
that number into years, discovering that this tree, tucked in a
corner of their schoolyard, was alive back when Thomas Jefferson lived in the White House, 212 years ago.
These students were learning about some of the Northwest’s
incredible natural systems in a class taught by a Conservation District educator.
This class and 11 others are offered to Snohomish County schools as part of a
new partnership between Snohomish County Surface Water Management and the
Snohomish Conservation District. Under separate funding, the District will also offer the same 12 classes to Camano Island schools as well as a class on shellfish for
Stanwood-Camano and Marysville school district schools.
Snohomish Conservation District’s expanded K-12 education program
provides free classes on a variety of environmental topics including
Puget Sound salmon, Northwest ecology, native plants and how to
prevent pollution.
Classes are available to any school in unincorporated
Snohomish County, and to schools in cities where
at least 25 percent of the student population lives in
unincorporated Snohomish County.
Whenever possible, the outdoor classes are held
on school grounds, preferably an area that borders
a pond or stream. These little-visited areas of the
schoolyard are often a perfect setting for taking water samples, learning about stream or pond insects,
or evaluating the importance of native plants.
Snohomish County teachers - see class descriptions and register at http://www1.co.snohomish.
wa.us/Departments/Public_Works/Divisions/SWM/Ed.
Camano Island and Stanwood teachers - if you are interested in the
shellfish or native plant class, contact Roger Kelley for more information at [email protected].
SCD 3
Don’t Let It Drain Away - Start Collecting Rain Water Today!
by Stacy Aleksich, Community Conservation Program Manager
Collecting rain water is not new; cultures around the world have done this for
thousands of years for agricultural, as well as domestic, uses. In many countries
and some U.S. cities, it is now required to consider rain water collection in all
new building construction. Our neighbors up in the San Juan Islands have even
built a number of homes with rain water collection systems as their only water
supply. This could very well be the wave of the future.
STEP 2. Calculate Your Collection Potential
Just how much water can really drain off that roof area? Well, you’d be surprised. Let’s say you want to place your barrels in the backyard, near your
raised beds, and about one-fourth of your roof area (let’s assume 500 square
feet) drains to this downspout. How much water do you think would flow off
that area in a one-inch rain storm? 249 gallons! That’s enough to fill five standard rain barrels, which hold about 50 gallons each.
Why Collect Rain Water?
It’s FREE (minus the cost of
your collection system, of course).
It’s better for your plants. Rain
water is free of additives such as
chlorine or fluoride, which are not
good for plants. Rain water is also
slightly acidic, which helps plants
better use soil nutrients.
It reduces runoff. Rain barrels
can divert a small amount of runoff
from roofs, reducing flooding in local streams and overwhelming storm
systems.
A series of rain barrels can be connected to
save even more rain water.
If you let the collected rain drain into
your landscaping or lawn between
rainstorms, you’ll be imitating
Nature more closely (a very good
thing!) and deeply watering your
yard all winter, making it more
drought tolerant in the summer.
CALCULATING YOUR POTENTIAL RAIN WATER VOLUME
Square feet (sf) of catchment area
× efficiency*
× rainfall in feet (inches/12)**
× 7.48 conversion factor
= gallons of rainwater available annually
* 0.8 for a composite roof or 0.9 for a metal roof
** http://www.idcide.com/weather/wa/index.htm
Now, think about all the times it rains in one year. Areas along the coast (Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mukilteo, Everett, Stanwood, etc.) get around 35 inches
of rain each year – that’s almost 9,000 gallons a year from the 500 square foot
roof area! As you move east, closer to the mountains, areas get more and more
rainfall. Arlington and Monroe get close to 50 inches a year – or nearly 12,000
gallons from that 500 square foot roof area. I told you it adds up quickly.
Given this, you can expect that your collection system will overflow during
each storm once it’s full. It is important to route that overflow safely away from
building foundations and, if possible, allow it to soak into the ground.
It saves precious drinking water. Did you know – only one percent of all
the water on our planet is drinkable! Irrigating with rain water conserves our
limited drinking water supplies.
It makes your chores easier. Collecting rain water from outbuildings to
water your gardens or livestock will relieve you from having to drag hoses and
buckets around your property.
How to Get Started
Collecting rain water means diverting it from your downspouts and storing it in
large, durable containers. Collection systems come in a variety of shapes and
sizes. The bigger the container, the better, since runoff from even a small roof
area adds up quickly.
Collecting rain water in the Puget Sound area comes with some challenges.
Here are the steps to take to see if collecting rain water is right for you.
STEP 1. Determine Your Uses
Knowing how, and where, you’ll use this collected rain water will help determine how large a system you will need. For example, if you intend to water all
of your flower beds, plus a few vegetable beds, you’ll need about 2,500–3,000
gallons to get you through the summer (Note: this does not include any water
for your lawn).
You’ll want to set your system up as close as possible to where the water will
be used. That means finding the nearest downspout to your garden or pasture.
Put gravity to use - an uphill collection location lets gravity move water to
where you need it.
Septic tanks (new ones!) make a great collection system, often much
cheaper than plastic tanks. They hold 1,500 gallons each.
STEP 3. Choose Your Containers
Now that you know how much rain you could collect, and how water much you
may need to get you through the summer, it’s time to choose your containers.
Here are the main things to consider:
Size and/or number of barrels or tanks. How much water do you need for
your intended uses? How much space do you have for your collection area?
Above or below ground? Buried tanks require a pump to move water to
where you need it, but a below ground tank may allow you to collect more
water. Pumps also make it easier to use your water regardless of elevation
changes between the tank and watering destination.
Type of plastic. If you choose a plastic barrel or tank, pick darker colors,
or plan to paint the barrel/tank with an oil-based paint (or other paints intended for use on plastics). This will help keep UV rays (light) out to reduce algae
growth to a minimum. Also, be sure to ask what was previously stored or
transported in all barrels and tanks. It should only be food-grade substances no chemicals or toxic components. Chemical residue can mix with your rain
water and harm your plants.
Other considerations are aesthetics and how much you want to spend.
Permits may be required for tanks 5,000 gallons or larger, and for electrical pump systems. Contact your city or county planning department, or ask
District staff for assistance (contact information at end of article).
STEP 4. Assemble Your Collection System
Farms can store and use rain water for irrigation and to get water to their
animals by collecting rain runoff from barn roofs and other outbuildings.
SCD 4
Every system needs a few vital components. While the actual parts will vary
somewhat based on your chosen container(s), there are endless configurations
and creative solutions for building a rain water collection system. Your local
hardware store should be able to help you find the needed parts. Or contact us,
we’re happy to help! Check out online how-to videos to see other ideas, too!
~ continued
The following is a basic list of what you’ll need:
1. Barrels or tanks
2. A sturdy, level base (cinder blocks work well for barrels, raising them up
enough to get a watering can under the spigot. A level gravel pad is needed
for tanks and larger systems)
3. Downspout extender or adaptations
4. Secure container lids
5. Inlet with screen (fine window or gutter mesh so mosquitos can’t get in the
container to lay eggs)
6. Spigot
7. Overflow, routed away from a building’s foundation
8. Clean-out access
9. Perhaps a first flush diverter (see below)
Rain Barrel Workshops Are Popular!
These class participants learned the value of teamwork during one of the
District’s popular build-your-own rain barrel classes held in March.
In case you missed it...
Snohomish Conservation District has held three rain barrel workshops
in the past four months in Arlington, Stanwood, and on Camano Island
as part of our Department of Ecology grants. They have been lively
and hand’s-on, not to mention sold out! Rest assured though, we will
continue to offer “Build Your Own Rain Barrel” workshops.
The timing and location of future classes are dependent on when
we find a reliable source of barrels, and where they are located. Past
classes have filled in a day, so it’s best to watch our website, Facebook
page, or sign up on our workshop mailing list (http://www.betterground.org/about/subscribe/) to ensure you’ll be among the first to
know!
Comments from our rain barrel workshops
Clockwise, from top left: an assortment of barrels ready to be converted; a barrel sits
on a stump with spigot in place; a rust-colored rain barrel with an overflow hose, and
one easy option for diverting your gutter to a barrel.
Be Careful When Watering Plants
Because there is some uncertainty, and few scientific studies, of what comes off
of our roofs with rain water (bacteria from bird droppings, chemicals from roofing materials, particles deposited by wind, etc.), it’s important to only use your
collected rain water only for non-drinking uses. If you want to make it drinkable
there are treatment options, but that’s beyond this article’s scope.
If you’re planning to use your collected rain water on edible plants or for livestock, it is strongly advised that you include what is called a “first flush diverter”.
This is an added piece of plumbing that takes the first few (and most polluted)
gallons that run off your roof and redirects that water away from your storage
container.
When watering edible plants, it’s best to apply water directly to the soil, not on
the plants - especially not on leafy greens. A drip, furrow or trickle irrigation
system works great for this, AND it will conserve water. Always thoroughly wash
fruits and vegetables with fresh tap water before eating them.
Question - what did you like about this class?
“Being taught how they are built and then making one. The
supplies and barrel were amazing for your fee. It opened up
a new ‘realm’ of imagination and creativity as a home owner
with conservation in mind.”
“I have wanted a rain barrel but it was too expensive. The price
was great for this class and the information was great. The staff
were so helpful. I am so very grateful.”
“I liked the opening presentation that contextualized building a
rain barrel, and, also, I liked that the concepts of modification
were covered so that I can customize the barrel to my needs.”
“I liked that I left with the item:)
Learning is great, but hands on helps me remember things.”
This young
gardener
quickly
learned how
to fill her
pint-sized
watering
can.
Resources to Get You Started
Visit our new web site at www.betterground.org to find a downloadable brochure
providing a more detailed parts list for making a rain barrel. You will also find
a list of local and online places to purchase barrels and tanks, as well as a list of
local professionals who can help you set up a larger system.
Our District staff is also a great resource. For more information or free technical
assistance on collecting rain water, please contact:
Stacy Aleksich at 425-335-5634, ext. 112, [email protected] or
Derek Hann at 425-335-5634 ext. 112, [email protected].
This father and son team are obviously proud of their efforts and were
rewarded with a ready-to-go rain barrel to take home.
SCD 5
The Valley Ripple Blog
by Terry Johnson, Tualco
http://thevalleyripple.blogspot.com
From time to time, the NEXUS hosts guest writers whose topics, we feel, align
with our readers’ hobbies and lifestyles. Gardening and sustainable living are
hot topics and we welcome longtime Tualco resident and retired English teacher
Terry Johnson’s contribution to this issue. So, grab a cup of coffee, and learn
how you can turn coffee grounds into a garden amendment.
Grounds for your Garden ~ Giving Back to the Soil
My garden provides. I try to give back…. Here in the Tualco Valley we are
blessed with a wonderful, thick layer of topsoil, thanks, I suppose, to the fact that
our valley is a floodplain. Bottom land, they call it, soil that’s been deposited over
time by flood action and consequent silting…a tradeoff, I guess, for the thirty
days of the year we valley folk have to worry about similar silt deposits on our
carpets and flood waters wicking up our drywalls.
Even though I’m no agronomist, after thirty-seven years of backyard vegetable
gardening, I’m well aware of what lies beneath my feet when I walk around my
garden. Under a layer of dark, heavy topsoil lies a substratum of light, sandy
loam, a fact that’s reaffirmed every time I dig holes to set my bean poles.
At one time my garden was most certainly streambed and over time, flood action
laid down the layer of loam. What is curious about this topsoil/loam combination
is that it varies from one part of the garden to another.
Winter Rye
Winter rye, which I plant in
October, works well in our
valley. Planting rye is also an
excellent way to control weeds
in the garden. If your garden
is a carpet of chickweed come
spring, winter rye will solve
your problem. The sections of
my garden I leave as winter
forage for birds are at present
one mass of chickweed; the
plot of rye I planted is chick- Winter rye is one way to control weeds, especially
annual chickweed, the bane of NW gardeners.
weed free.
Grass clippings
Layering the soil between vegetable rows and plants with summer lawn clippings not only serves as weed control but also adds nutrients to the soil. Grass
clippings heaped in piles do not compost well, but clipped grass layered two
to three inches thick between rows (I especially like to use them around my
tomato plants) not only helps retain soil moisture during dry spells but also
inhibits weed growth while at the same time giving back to the soil. The thin
layers of clippings readily compost over the winter and are easily tilled under
in the spring. (Tip: those piles of old newspapers you chuck in the recycle
bin? Recycle them back to the soil instead; use those want ads and legal notices as a “floor” for those grass clippings.)
Leaf mulch
The east portion measures nearly fourteen inches of topsoil covering the loam;
however, some thirty paces west, the topsoil is thinner with only four to six
inches of the dark, heavier soil overlaying the lighter colored loam. The annual
vegetable garden makes demands on the soil’s nutrients, and whenever possible, I
do what I can to amend the garden plot. For thirty-seven years I’ve been trying to
build the depth of that thinner topsoil layer in this stretch of garden.
My Granddad Mike had a small vegetable garden in his backyard. I remember a
few scrawny tomato vines from which dangled a half dozen or so anemic tomatoes. A row of beets, a few spindly fronds of carrot tops. Might have been a
potato plant or two (Granddad, like most folks from the Old Country, was partial
to root vegetables), but memory is a bit fuzzy on this. What I do recall, however,
is Granddad’s garden always smelled like coffee. Yes, his little garden plot was
also the repository for the daily coffee grounds—coffee grounds and eggshells—
Granddad’s way of giving back to the soil, a guarantee of a few more pale tomatoes and golf ball-sized beets.
Thanks to the folks at our local Starbucks I, too, catch the
whiff of coffee in the off season
whenever I pass my pepper and
tomato patches. Each time I happen by the mound of dormant
rhubarb, I have the urge to order
a Grande Americano (just a little
room, please), as well.
Two of our local Starbucks take
the time from their daily grind to
package the shop’s daily grounds
and offer them free to local
gardeners.
Silver bags of Starbucks coffee grounds sit ready
to go into the garden as a soil amendment.
Don’t bag your leaves in the fall, rake them and add
them to your dahlia beds for winter protection - the
worms will love you for it!
The raised bed of asparagus I also layer with
leaves for frost protection and winter weed control. The fact the leaf mulch
leaches nutrients into the soil is evident by the vermiculture that flourishes
beneath the leaves. Earthworms forage beneath the mulch, help to decompose
it, supplementing and aerating the soil in the process.
Composting
Even patio or container gardeners can supplement their raised beds, pots, or
barrel halves with composted vegetative material. We keep a compost bucket
handy for degradable (non-woody) vegetable matter, and when it brims, the
contents are dumped on our compost heap out back. Periodic turning of the
pile accelerates the transformation of raw material into a rich compost one
can spread over the garden or mound around berry canes and the trunks of
fruit trees. This shifting about of compostable materials is an efficient form
of recycling and precludes the use of chemical fertilizers, thus keeping your
garden as organic as possible.
I always look for the plump,
silver bags in the “free” bins and
snatch one up whenever I spy
it. The sticker sealing each bag
includes information helpful to
the backyard gardener.
The liberal rainfall in the Pacific Northwest tends to leach our soils, budging their
PH toward the acidic gradient—good for the cultivation of the berries for which
our valley is renowned.
With coffee grounds, as the Starbuck’s label states, most of the acid is removed
during the brewing process, rendering the grounds you broadcast on the garden
high in nitrogen with a PH of 6.9, nearly neutral, good for the vegetable crop, less
so if you have a berry patch.
For those who wish their gardens to be decaffeinated or don’t have access to Starbuck’s free offerings, there are other ways to give back to your garden. Here are a
few suggestions:
Green Manure
Plant a fall cover crop that’s turned into the soil in the spring. There are several
types of crops that serve the purpose. Clovers and vetch are nitrogen-rich additives.
SCD 6
When the big maple tree
in our backyard sheds its
fall glory, I rake up the
leaves and heap them on
top of the dahlia hills for
frost protection. In the
spring after danger of
frost has passed, I rake the
mulch from the dahlias,
scatter it over the thin topsoil portions of the garden,
and turn it under.
Need a source of manure to entice worms? Find
a local farmer willing to share the wealth!
I live in a valley which hosts
large herds of dairy cows and
fortunately have access to
their “by-product.” Because
others don’t have that opportunity, I haven’t mentioned this
other valuable resource for
the backyard gardener. An old
pioneer friend of mine, an avid
gardener, once told me she attributed her successful gardens
to her following the directives
of the Farmers’ Almanac (“…
root vegetables by the dark of
the moon” and such).
I believe, however, the fact that each spring she also tilled into her garden a
truckload of “winter accretion” from a local cattle feedlot was in greater part
responsible for her success as a gardener (she’d never admit to this, though).
Maybe you don’t have a dairy farm for a
neighbor; perhaps there’s no feedlot just
over the hill, but you can still amend your
garden soil. For example, if you’ve leisurely sipped a cup of coffee while reading
this post, be sure to save the grounds and
broadcast them on your garden.
Three Local Communities Want to Be Firewise
by Kristin Marshall, Habitat Restoration Specialist
This year Snohomish Conservation District, with funding from WSU Extension, will work with three local neighborhoods to achieve Firewise Communities recognition. All three neighborhoods – one near Arlington, one near
Darrington, and a third in Granite Falls – are located in the ‘Wildland-Urban
Interface’ – the area where development meets wildland vegetation.
Firewise Communities is a national recognition program for wildfire preparedness, offered by the National Fire Protection Association. It’s a program the
Conservation District is using to help communities reduce their wildfire risk.
Once these three neighborhoods achieve recognition, they will join 102 other
Firewise sites in Washington, contributing to its status as the state with the
second highest number of active Firewise Communities in the nation!
Spring Firewise Actions
1. It’s time to deal with that winter debris around your home. Remove
downed limbs within 30 feet of any structure, and clear any leaves,
needles, and twigs within five feet of your home. This debris provides an
opportunity for a wildfire to ignite your house or barn. Don’t forget areas
near sheds, under decks, and in gutters (house and barn)!
2. As you plan spring planting projects, consider using fire-resistant plants
around your home. A list of fire-resistant plants for Western Washington
can be found at: http://www.wacdpmc.org/images/Fire-Resistant-Plants.
pdf. It’s best to keep vegetation at least five to ten feet away from the
foundation of any structure – this empty space will reduce the risk of
burning vegetation igniting the structure.
3. This spring, keep the vegetation around your home well watered and
healthy (put your rain collection system to use!). Consider replacing dead
or damaged plants with healthy, fire-resistant plants. Water plants deeply
to encourage root development. Adequate watering in spring and early
summer will help your plants survive our dry August and September.
Keeping plants around your home healthy will reduce the chance of wind
blown embers igniting dry, damaged or dead vegetation.
4. As plants leaf out and grow this summer, check to make sure your address
is clearly visible from the road so fire and other emergency responders can
quickly and easily find you. Check on your plants throughout the summer
and prune back branches as needed.
Leif Fixen, District Forester, works with community members to cut fallen limbs before
they are to be fed into a chipper. This community is one of three working to reduce fuel
wood and prevent wildfire damage through the Firewise program.
The Firewise Communities blog, called Fire Break (http://www.firewise.org/
communities/usa-recognition-program/project-ideas.aspx/ ), has more than 22
wildfire preparedness actions that can be completed at little or no cost.
Check the list on the right for a few actions that can be completed in the
spring. If you’d like additional advice, or a free Firewise assessment, contact
Kristin Marshall at 425-335-5634 ext. 116 or [email protected].
5. Take advantage of the longer daylight and increasingly frequent nice days
to complete any planning and maintenance that will help speed up evacuation. Make sure you have a plan for evacuating your animals and that the
equipment and vehicles you will need for evacuation are easily accessible
and in good working order.
Check out the Firewise Communities blog, Fire Break,
at: http://nfpa.typepad.com/Firewise/
This link has over 22 wildfire preparedness project
ideas for individuals and communities that can be
completed at little or no cost.
Rain Gardens Can Help Horses
by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water
Rain gardens are a bright new idea for dealing with an old nemesis on horse
properties - too much water and MUD!
Rain gardens can do many things, such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduce flooding
Reduce mud and erosion
Filter polluted runoff
Recharge groundwater
Provide wildlife habitat
Provide an attractive, low-cost landscaping feature
If you’re a horse person and you’ve never heard of a rain garden, stick with me
here. A rain garden is simply a planted shallow depression in the ground that
captures and temporarily holds rainwater from downspouts, preventing this rain
from running downhill across the ground (called surface water runoff). A rain
garden is like a miniature pond, but it’s planted with native plants that don’t
mind getting their feet wet, and eventually the captured water soaks into the
ground.
On a horse property you could easily use a rain garden to re-route runoff from
a paddock or barn roof. The special rain garden soil mix and native plants work
together to help break down pollutants (such as too many nutrients from manure, sediment, fertilizers and pesticides). The shallow ponding of rain water
also allows it to slowly percolate back into the ground, refilling underground
lakes (called aquifers) and seeping horizontally into nearby streams.
Rain gardens can reduce erosion, mud, and the amount of pollution reaching
our creeks and streams. Plus they’re attractive and they provide important habitat for native insects, and small animals like birds and amphibians. A properly
functioning rain garden doesn’t hold water for more than a day or two after the
rain ends, so don’t worry about it breeding mosquitoes or creating other problems. In fact, a well-planned and maintained rain garden attracts native birds
and insects that control pests.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because these are the plants
that grow in your area naturally. They have many advantages over their non-native cousins often used for landscaping. Native plants are better adapted to local climate and soil conditions, and are resistant to diseases and pests—a bonus
This rain garden,
next to a paddock
and barn, helps
capture and filter
rain water before
it enters ground
water.
for you because you won’t need pesticides, fertilizers or even extra watering to
help them along once they are established. Plus, native plants provide habitat
for wildlife.
There are endless possibilities in choosing plants for your rain garden. Here
are a few natives that would do well and be a great compliment to your yard
and pasture fence line: small trees - vine maple; shrubs - red osier dogwood,
indian plum, black twinberry, salmonberry, pacific ninebark; and ground cover
plants - ferns, rushes and sedges.
It may seem like a small thing, but together many rain gardens do make a
difference. They slow the flow of surface water runoff into Puget Sound and
reduce flooding in creeks and rivers. They also help stop fertilizers, oil, pesticides, manure and pet waste from polluting our rivers and harming the incredible variety of life in Puget Sound.
To learn more, visit http://www.betterground.org/rain-gardens/.
Contact Snohomish Conservation District staff :
Stacy Aleksich at 425-335-5634 ext. 112, [email protected] or
Derek Hann at 425-335-5634 ext. 112, [email protected]
SCD 7
Upcoming Events
Rain Garden Tour
May is ‘Puget Sound Starts
Here’ Month!
Celebrate all that is important to the
marine ecosystem at our doorstep
during ‘Puget Sound Starts Here’
month this May.
Saturday, May 4: 10 – 11:30 AM
Washington Oakes Retirement Center, 1717 Rockefeller Ave, Everett
Register at: raingardentour.eventbrite.com
Take a spring stroll in north Everett to see seven amazing and unique rain
gardens in this creative effort to reduce neighborhood flooding. This will
be a walking tour, with most of the time spent outside. Please dress accordingly. A brief presentation will be given at Washington Oakes (coffee and
light refreshments served) prior to the tour.
Puget Sound Starts Here month is
filled with fun events and opportunities to raise awareness that restoring and protecting Puget Sound’s
health is a priority, and that there
are simple things residents can do to
make it healthier.
Warm Beach Dessert Social
Thursday, June 13: 5:30 PM - 8 PM
Warm Beach Senior Community,
20420 Marine Dr., Stanwood
The Keep Port Susan Healthy group is sponsoring a free
Open House at the Warm Beach Senior Community. The
first speaker will be Franchesca Perez, Marine Stewardship
and Shellfish Program Coordinator for the Stillaguamish
Tribe Natural Resources Deptartment. She will discuss the
amazing marine life in Port Susan
Penny Buse, a local historian and author, will be the second speaker. Penny
researched the history of Port Susan and Warm Beach extensively to write
a book called Stuck in the Mud. She brings Port Susan history to life with
her stories of early settlers, shipwrecks, European explorers and the early
town of Birmingham. The event is free, no registration needed.
Join us for Puget Sound Starts Here Night at Seattle’s Safeco Field - 6:10 PM
on Saturday, May 11. The Seattle Mariners will take on the Oakland A’s. Use
the special pricing code and get a FREE Seattle Mariners Puget Sound Starts
Here baseball cap. Special prices include $15 view reserved seats (normally
$25) and $29 field level seats (normally $40). The deadline to purchase is
Friday, May 10 at 5 PM. Go to www.mariners.com/pugetsound and enter the
promo code “salmon” for discount tickets.
For other regional events and more
information, visit
www.pugetsoundstartshere.org
Green Horse and Camelid Management
COMING SOON:
Saturday, June 15: 9 AM – 3 PM
Camano Multipurpose Room, (blue buiding next to CASA) Camano
Island. Register at: greenhorseandcamelid.eventbrite.com
Do you own horses, llamas or alpacas? Learn ways to reduce mud and
odors and other green practices like on-farm recycling, least toxic pest control, outdoor wash racks, rain barrels, and rain gardens. $10 for lunch.
The new ‘Puget Sound Starts Here’ website
launches in May. Soon you’ll be able to dive
deep into all the reasons to love and care for
Puget Sound.
Barley Fodder Feeding Systems
New stories will be added weekly, so it will be
a great place to explore the amazing sounds,
stories, places, people, and flavors of our very
own and very special Puget Sound.
Saturday, April 27 or May 25
10 AM – 1 PM both days
If you feed your livestock hay and
grain, you know how expensive it
can be, especially in winter. David
Capocci knows this all too well and
is growing barley fodder in trays,
which he feeds in mats to his alpaca, llamas, chickens and turkeys.
Do you need help
with your land?
Snohomish Conservation District has
staff and resources available to help
you with soil tests, erosion control,
wildlife habitat, rain gardens, drainage, and a host of other issues.
Not only is it cheaper to buy seed and sprout them in
grow trays, David says his animals are healthier, they
have better looking coats, and they can’t wait to see
him coming! Learn more about growing your own
feed at one of these two classes, and check out his
Alpaca Pride Farm, too! Location in box below.
For the April 27 workshop, register at:
http://fodderfeeding1.eventbrite.com
Call the office at 425-335-5634,
ext. 4 to learn more. Also, check
out our new website created for
people looking for information on
everything from soil health to rain
barrels at:
For the May 25 workshop, register at:
http://fodderfeeding2.eventbrite.com
Permaculture on a Mountain
Saturday, September 14: 10 AM - 2 PM
The pioneer spirit is alive and well in
Granite Falls! Come hear how David
Capocci and his partners have carved
out a thriving farm and guest ranch on
a mountaintop outside of Granite Falls,
complete with chicken tractors, yurts,
and unique gardens.
Learn...
Paca Pride History
Barley Fodder and Permaculture
Principles of Permaculture
workshops will be located at:
Building on a Gravel Pit
Paca Pride Guest Ranch
Design Strategies
28311 Mountain Loop Hwy
Barley Fodder
Granite Falls, WA 98252
Register for Permaculture at:
http://permaculturegranitefalls.eventbrite.com
These sustainable agriculture and water quality classes are sponsored by Snohomish
Conservation District and the Stillaguamish River Clean Water District to help
residents protect water quality and encourage the sustainable use of resources.
SCD 8
www.betterground.org
Snohomish Conservation District
Board of Supervisors
Mark Craven, Chair
Adam Farnham, Vice-chair
Karl Hereth
Steve Van Valkenburg
Jeff Ellingsen
Associate Members
Duane Weston
District Manager
Monte Marti
Phone 425-335-5634, ext 4
FAX
425-335-5024
Contact: Lois Ruskell
[email protected]
425-335-5634, ext 108
Editing: Donna Gleisner
The Written Edge
425-923-7110
www.snohomishcd.org
The NEXUS is published quarterly and distributed free of charge to residents of
the District. Funding provided by Snohomish County Surface Water Management,
Washington Department of Ecology, and the Washington State Conservation
Commission.