Property ID:
6558
For Lease 
Land Share 
Number of Acres: 15
Location: Kent
Land Description:
15 acres of high ground in the center of the Green River Valley. The river doesn't flood, as a dam was built in the 1950's upriver. As a result development rapidly ensued, so there is not much farmland left here. The soil is top-quality silt-loam, no rocks. There is no access to the river from this property, but there is an old well we are working on rehabilitating; we are allowed a well for irrigation only, but currently we irrigate with municipal water, utilizing drip tape and mini sprinklers.The farm is in the Urban Fringe, located between the municipalities of Kent and Auburn, and less than 30 minutes drive to the urban markets of Seattle and Tacoma. My CSA pulls from Seattle, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tacoma, Auburn, Covington, and Maple Valley. The farm is an oasis of ecologically-sustainable farm and wildlife habitat in the middle of an urban metropolis. It's not "the countryside", but it is wild in its own way, a haven for birdwatchers and a place for families to be a part of where their food comes from.
I have farmed here formerly 25 years, mostly renting the property, but have held the mortgage for 5 years. I am looking for a younger, but experienced farmer to transition the farm business to. I have built a strong CSA community here, and I want to do everything I can to make sure that those 200 families continue to be taken care of, as they have taken care of me. Since Covid, the CSA has consisted of 200 families, 80 in Spring, 200 in Summer, and 125 in Winter, as well as a u-pick cut flower garden. I do not harvest January-March.
I have 7 unheated greenhouses for season extension, and am in the process of retooling equipment and farm layout for mechanical cultivation. There is a walk-in cooler and wash/pack station.
Ideally, I would like to welcome a younger farmer into this community and operate initially as partners, in a sense. I could add this person to my payroll for the first year, while becoming familiar with the farm systems in place. From there, the new farmer could transition to farm management as I transition to mentor/advisor. But I am open to other transition strategies.
Current Uses:
- Currently Farmed Organic Practices
Past Uses:
- Farmed Certified Organic
- Farmed Organic Practices
- Unmanaged
Farm Business Activities Allowed:
- CSA/Direct Market
- Wholesale
- Farm Stand
- Agritourism
Types of Farming Allowed:
- Dairy
- Row Crop
- Livestock
- Poultry
- Hay
- Pasture
- Organic
- Conventional
Land 
Organic Ready: Yes
Sun Exposure: Full
Is your land conserved?: No
Housing 
Landowner Lives Onsite: Yes
Housing: No
Infrastructure 
Fenced: Yes
Fenced: Yes
Equipment:Yes
- Irrigation
- Packing/Processing
- Tractor
- Tillage Equipment
- Cultivating Equipment
