Washington Farmland Trust has permanently protected the 24-acre April Joy Farm in Ridgefield, Washington, using a conservation easement. This is the first project of its kind funded by Clark County’s Legacy Lands program.
Conservation Efforts
The easement ensures the land on April Joy Farm will remain a farm forever. April Thatcher started April Joy Farm in 2006, and today, alongside her partner Brad, they manage a certified organic, diversified crop and livestock operation.
April Joy Farm also runs Farm to Heart, a food equity initiative that connects local farmers with families facing food insecurity. The farm’s location at the headwaters of Whipple Creek, a tributary to the Columbia River and an important salmon-bearing stream, makes the conservation of this property vital for the health of the watershed.
Washington Farmland Trust and Clark County hope that this project will lead to more permanent protection of the county’s important agricultural land acreage, which has decreased by nearly 40% since 2017.
Original reporting: Clark County Today (Vancouver WA) — read the source article.
