SEQUIM — North Olympic Land Trust has met its $180,000 goal, and leaders of the land trust said they will pursue final steps to conserve Wonderland & The 80, a 132-acre farm in Sequim.
An outpouring from the Sequim-Dungeness Valley community helped the nonprofit conserve the largest single piece of farmland in Clallam County after the launch of a campaign for farmland conservation in early September, the land trust said in a news release.
“The Friends of the Fields Campaign reinforced that our community values its farmland, and willingly invests in the lands that define the Olympic Peninsula and our way of life,” said Tom Sanford, land trust executive director.
More than 230 donors contributed to the campaign to back the land trust’s efforts to conserve Wonderland & The 80 — land that has been farmed by five generations of the Smith and Schmuck families since 1933.
Land trust officials expect to finalize its conservation in early 2019. Once complete, Wonderland & The 80 joins a collection of 17 conserved farms such as the Historic Ward Farm, Finn Hall Farm, Freedom Farm and Dungeness Valley Creamery.
Collectively, the land trust has conserved more than 520 acres of farmland within the county.
Today, the Wonderland & The 80 Today property grows feed critical to one of Clallam County’s two remaining dairies, as well as barley and a variety of seed crops, land trust officials said.
“We’re in awe of the overall response to our public call for support, and the generosity that came through the 19th-annual Harvest Dinner, 21st-annual Clallam County Farm Tour and private conversations,” Sanford said.
The support gleaned not only leverages secured state and federal grants earmarked for Wonderland & The 80, but also allows the Land Trust to turn its attention toward future projects.
“We’re also working toward the conservation of three additional farms, as well as properties along Morse Creek, the Elwha, Dungeness, Calawah and Clallam rivers,” Sanford said.
“Continued efforts to conserve lands that sustain the communities of Clallam County would not be possible without such incredible support from the local families and businesses that made this fundraising goal possible.”
The North Olympic Land Trust looks to conserve open spaces, local food, local resources, healthy watersheds and recreational opportunities. Its mission is “to conserve lands that sustain the communities of Clallam County.”
For more information, visit northolympiclandtrust.org.
Thanks to the efforts and contributions of more then 230 donors, the North Olympic Land Trust will be able to protect the Wonderland & The 80, a 132-acre farm in Sequim. (John Gussman)
Spinach seed being grown at Wonderland & The 80. (Cody Bandy)
