With a wonderfully mild end to summer, the King Conservation District staff gathered for our annual Farm Field Day at Soggy Bottom Farm in rural Renton. Summer departs the Pacific Northwest slowly some years. This September exhibited ideal end of summer weather. Blue sky, big puffy clouds and temperatures in the 60’s welcomed the KCD staff. With a great turn-out of staff, we took a day out of our busy work lives to get together. Anyone’s work life can be hectic, full of meetings and deadlines. So, taking moments to pause and allow us to connect make important moments of recharge.
This year, Laura and Madison led us through a challenging round pf Conservation Jeopardy. The game started out even, but it quickly became apparent that the “Killer Tomatoes” team was going to crush and dominate the three other teams. Nice work Killer Tomatoes. Next year we will remember to bring a prize for the winning team.
Carrie brought coffee and treats from the Ukrainian bakery. The little quiches were excellent, and the fruit pies fueled many of us throughout the day. Many thanks Carrie!
Matt led an informative talk about birds in the area. It was too bad we just missed Soggy Bottom Farm’s large flock of Swallows. They just migrated south for the year a few days before. However, as Matt talked about habitat improvement for a farm and back yard a sharp shinned hawk and barn’s flock of rock doves swooped by. We finished the session by opening up some of Soggy Bottom's 20 birdhouses to see who might have made them their home this summer.
No staff retreat is complete without a discussion about taking care of our shared vehicles. Ashley got us up to speed on how to keep are cars happy and clean for everyone. Here’s a quick rundown:
· Gas tanks should be refilled when at a ½ tank or less, after each use.
· Please remove all trash from the vehicles.
· If the cars are dirty, take them to the car wash. Several of the Chevron gas stations have carwashes attached.
· Please report any maintenance issues to Lorna with an email or note on her desk.
· It is good practice to walk around vehicles before each use. Check the lights, tires, and general condition of the vehicles before taking off.
Those who answered Ashley’s vehicle questions correctly received prizes: snickers bars.
Madeline led a soul searching team exercise. We were asked to sit alone quietly for 6 minutes. The staff spread out over the farm, each finding a nook to just listen to the sounds of Soggy Bottom. No phones or other distractions were allowed, just listening. Time moved slowly. The sound of leaves falling were interrupted with only the occasional bird song and the sounds of Penny the dog coming over to say hi. After that we spend another 6 minutes sitting next to someone and listening quietly again. No talking, no phone, just listening. Time surprisingly slowed even more. Despite our urges to speak with our partner, we just to sat and listened. Six minutes does stretch. And again, Penny the dog said hello.
No KCD farm field day is complete without a good potluck lunch. Good food, good conversation, good connections.
We had a special guest after lunch, University professor and writer David Montgomery. David gave us a wonderful talk, going over his 4 books: Dirt, The Hidden Half of Nature, Growing a Revolution, and What Your Food Ate. It was a wonderful exploration of how poor agricultural practices destroyed past civilizations, how microbial life rules our body and our partner plants, how cover crops, no-till planting, and crop rotations can sustain soil microbiome to increase productivity, and how soil health ripples through crops, livestock and ultimately us. It was an inspiring talk to motivate conservation district staff.
After bidding goodbye to David, we welcomed former KCD staff member, Mike Lasecki talk about mushrooms. The remaining staff members hiked into the Soggy Bottom Forest. There, amongst growing fungi and the towing cedar, hemlock and firs, Mike led us down a road of discovery. He did not go through the biology of fungus. He did not go over the importance of fungus to the environment. Instead, Mike talked about being curious about mushrooms. He invited us to explore the world of mushrooms and how intertwined they are with our lives.
And with that, KCD Farm Field Day came to a close. With many good talks, good food, and good conversations, the KCD staff departed, feeling refreshed for the next year ahead. Here’s to another successful year.
photos by Mark Dostal, KCD
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