Heritage Farm, a community food system, and the role of a public asset in Clark County

The Metro Center developed a report for Clark County to assist them in planning for the future of county-owned Heritage Farm. The project team utilized data, along with their deep expertise in food systems and farm planning, to develop a series of recommendations for a business plan, a farm operations plan, and potential revenue generating opportunities to help guide next steps in implementing a vision for the farm.

The 78th Street Heritage Farm consists of 79 acres adjacent to residential areas and has a rich history that dates back nearly 150 years to the 1870s, when Clark County started operating a poor farm along the south side of Northeast 78th Street, once called “poor farm road”, in Hazel Dell.  The site was later used as a research and experimental farm by Washington State University Extension before the county resumed managing the property in 2008.

The March 2020 Master Plan envisions an agricultural, educational, and recreational community asset that reflects the site’s history and provides a healthy, sustainable environment for future generations.

The Metro Center worked to help Clark County Parks collect feedback and synthesis about Heritage Farm vision, revenue generating opportunities, and an operations plan. All recommendations and strategies are derived from interviews, best practices, a review of literature, and experience of authors working in food systems and farm planning. These recommendations and strategies may be used as a guide for next steps in Heritage Farm planning. 

• Metropolitan Center for Applied Research and Extension: Martha Aitken, Brad Gaolach, and Patricia Townsend
• WSU Kitsap County Extension: Laura Ryser
• WSU Clark County Extension: Kristine Perry
• WSU Snohomish County Extension: Jonathan Robinson and Heather Teegarden
• WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center: Dan Gorton (project consultant)