advice needed: move to Pacific NW from Michigan?

Hello friends,

We are considering moving our young family (four small children) from the Detroit area to the Pacific NW to farm. We don't really know anyone out there and we have no direct farming/permaculture connections. We grew up in the midwest, but we are making a lot of life changes and this is a major one.

Looking for some advice on this. Have any of you made a move of this size? What is the market really like for real food? Where are areas to avoid? Is this a good/bad idea?

Sorry for the broad question, but there are only so many places to go for this kind of insight.

Thanks! Ben

Good to start with the big picture. Here's my take on Puget Sound region. The best local demand for organic local food is in the urban areas. Land value is high because of population growth and so making use of urban demand while avoiding urban land pricing is the challenge--which translates to a big question about what kind of products, who do you sell them to, and how often/how far to you drive to get to market. Land trusts can be a resource, because they will use grant money to pay for the development value, which they retain through an easement. The best farm land is associated with the valley bottoms on the Cascade side of the sound... from North to Sound with market town in perenthesis... Nooksack (Bellingham), Samish, Skagit (Mt Vernon), Stillaguamish (Arlington?), Snohomish, which upstream becomes the Snoqualmie, which references the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma megapolis which has largely consumed the Duwamish and to a lesser degree the Puyallup. Then Nisqually (Olympia)... In the Oly area where I live there is a concentration of farmers on the Middle Chehalis. Soils on the plateau often have glacial till which can affect root penetration. We have dry summers, and water rights are a critical part of farming unless you are laying out for large scale storage, and Puget SOund soils are not easy (low clay). Some areas are tighter than others, and water rights are going to get more contentious in the future. As soon as you get south of Oly, the soils start to shift, and by the time you get to lower columbia/willamette ecoregion you have older soils and more clay, compared to the valley silts in Puget Sound. Willamette's big markets for green stuff are Greater Portland, and Eugene. As you move away from this corridor, you head toward more homesteading, or less frequent market visits (grazing), and when you cross the mountains to the east side, water becomes everything, because you are living in a sagebrush bunch grass desert. Most of PNW ag is on the east side and completely dependent on irrigation both for orchard and field crops.

http://www.youngfarmers.org/tag/northwest/
http://www.farmland.org/

Hello Paul--thank you for the local wisdom. Michigan is similar in that if you want to be near the big cities you have to pay top dollar for acreage. We would be looking for 40+ acres, as we are looking to graze and raise livestock and maintain a woodlot. We want to use permaculture practices and keep annuals to a minimum, but have a few essentials (but not to take to market). I have read that there are near 100 farmer's markets in the Puget Sound region, which sounds viable for selling meat. So, as long as the soil would permit healthy grass/legume growth, it would work for us.

Thanks for the links, too. . .

You might check out local grange or tilth organizations for some tips and info. WA Tilth has an email list that sometimes notifies of farms for sale.

Focus on pasture and agroforestry and meat (which requires fewer trips to market) seems like it would open the doors wide. In WA state, the Washington Conservation Commission operates county based conservation districts, wherein you might find farm planners that could also be good sources of information. The CDs sometimes operate mobile slaughter facilities, and if you are meat based, such services would be a great resources to have where you settle if you are planning on operating above board. You might also consider the presence of a large animal vet... as communities shift from farming other economies, the loss of a large animal vet can be a problem. If you have a fish bearing stream you can often get a cost share through gov programs for a riparian fence line, which can save money by establishing one low contour at less cost. Random thoughts... I of course think our region is the cat's meow... Finding good schools in poor rural areas can also be a challenge depending on how you think about such things.

Thanks Paul-we are looking to homeschool, as we do in michigan, but I know your laws are a little tighter on that. Mobile slaughter is non-existent here, but what a great thing it is. Maybe if we make it out you can teach me to fish...

Oregon has very strict zoning laws and urban growth boundaries, so farmland pricing is not competing with development values. The Willamette Valley has lots of farmland in close proximity to urban centers: Eugene, Corvallis, Albany, Salem, Portland. There are lots of farmers markets and organic food eaters. Some towns are hipper than others depending on what your social needs are. I prefer Corvallis, Eugene, Portland. lots of people turned on to Permaculture and good working models of many aspects. Many good plant, seed and animal resources, and people ted to be highly skilled at important things here, in my opinion.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew...that is great to know!

Ben, good luck on your move. The one caution I would give you is to make sure you are mentally prepared for the pacific northwest "winter". In my construction career I have moved all over the country from coast to coast and from the very southern tip of Texas to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. One thing I will tell is that the most miserable weather (in my opinion) is 35 degrees with wind and rain. It won't be nearly as cold as what you are used to but it will frequently be damp, drizzling, and dreary for weeks or months at a time. After years on the road, we moved BACK to the greater Seattle area, by choice; for us the pros outweigh the cons. If you have the luxury of being able to take a long trip out before you move, spending a couple weeks out here between late Nov and the end of Feb may not be a bad idea.

On the flip side, you will be hard pressed to find a place with better summers.

As far as defining the PNW, "West of the Cascades" is a much milder area (summer and winter). Most people consider the east side of the mountains as just the NW, as it doesn't have the Pacific's influence.

The east side is in the rain shadow. While we get around 30+ inches of rain west of the Cascades, that drops off to 10-20" east of the Cascades. Land prices also drop off east of the mountains, as the largest populations are on the west side.

The entire west coast is much more into organic foods than most other parts of the country - and there are many people willing to pay the prices for quality foods. East of the Cascades, where agriculture is bigger, most people are more used to cheaper food prices, and the 'norms' of typical chemical agriculture. Organic foods don't seem to be quite as popular in that environment, but they are beginning to shift in that direction.

If you do decide on the eastern side, please look carefully at the "Water Rights" laws for this state, as that could be a deal breaker for any property. Just because the current owner has water rights, that does not mean that they come with the property. West of the Cascades, the water rights don't seem to be such a big issue.

Thanks all--really great advice. We were just in the process of looking at coming out for a week or two this winter to see what it's like in the colder season. Looks like there are a few farms that have stay-in opportunities for our family that we can use as home base while we investigate the area during the day. Thanks again. . .

Hello Ben,

I have been actively researching farming in the PNW(WA and OR) for quite some time, and have lived here for about 15 years. I came here with $1000 and 2 boxes of belongings, but have found many opportunities here through the years. I'm sorta kinda planning making "the jump" in the next 2 years. The summers here just can't be beat, and I have found the winters to be ok as long as I stay active and don't let the rain stop me. Get some muck boots and decent raingear and you're good! Also, PNW beer is very hearty, strong, and deliciously hoppy! The major obstacles to making the jump for me so far are regulatory agencies(just learning all of the codes and regulations I must comply with and the fees!), OR's water regulations appear more strict, generally, than those of WA. If you cannot find a place with water/irrigation rights, in either state, do not despair. There are perfectly legal and creative methods, conservation measures etc. discussed elsewhere supported by both states. One other obstacle, obviously, is access to decent agricultural land. I think OR beats out WA (at least in the Western portions) in this respect. WA glacial soils can be tricky to deal with so permie practices are perfect around here.
Populations of both states are highly educated, and, at least in Seattle where I live, there seem to be plenty of people with plenty of money, and willing to spend it on quality food/natural/local products. Even the PhD barista types spend their money on good food. Oregon seems to have more resources, and certainly more "permaculture-type" people, in my opinion. I can't wait until we vote for GMO labeling next week in WA though!
Lastly, I'd personally avoid areas with large military bases/populations. Also there are areas of the PNW where large coal terminals are being proposed, like near Bellingham(love Bellingham!) Longview, maybe Coos Bay OR so keep that in mind.

Best of luck and keep us posted...The PNW is a wonderful place to live and we need more people like you here.

I can only speak of land south of Seattle (King County Pierce County Area). There is a lot of farming around the Enumclaw/Buckley area. King county has stricter regulations and taxes, Pierce county has less regulation and less taxes. I enjoy living in pierce county, because it is rural, yet I can still commute to downtown Seattle for work.