The Evergreen State College’s organic farm certified Salmon-Safe

Farming practices at The Evergreen State College Organic Farm are safe for salmon, according to a Seattle-based nonprofit conservation group.

The group, Stewardship Partners, recently awarded the farm a “Salmon-Safe” certification that recognizes the environmentally friendly activities associated with the college’s 3-acre farm.

The farm received high marks for efficient irrigation that conserves water, farm biodiversity, the use of natural weed- and pest-control methods in lieu of toxic chemicals, protection of waterways and prevention of soil erosion.

“As the first college farm to be Salmon-Safe-certified, Evergreen will serve as a working model to educate the public about both environmental farming practices and credible, third-party eco-labeling programs,” said Larry Nussbaum of Stewardship Partners.

The Salmon-Safe program began in Oregon in 1997 and expanded to Washington in 2004. More than 150 farms in Oregon and 50 in Washington have been audited and ruled safe for salmon as part of the program.

The regional certification program is akin to other well-known labels such as “certified organic” or “fair trade,” Nussbaum said.

The Evergreen farm has always worked hard to foster a sustainable and environmentally sensitive approach to farming, farm manager Melissa Barker said.

“This is just another way to communicate to our students and the greater community that we’re doing great practices,” she said.

The farm operates its own composting center and generates biodiesel fuel for its farm equipment.

The fields at the farm are a colorful, productive combination of vegetable crops and research plots. An ever-expanding orchard wraps around one end of the farm, and fields are separated by borders of perennial herbs and shrubs that also provide habitat for birds, bees and other wildlife.

A large greenhouse is in full production, growing tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplant for harvest and use in the school cafeteria next fall, when students return.

Crop rotation takes fields out of production long enough to grow cover crops such as buckwheat to help rejuvenate the soil.

“The bees love it,” Barker said of the flowering buckwheat.

The farm has partnered with Washington State University researchers to grow eight varieties of winter wheat and 18 varieties of spring wheat to see which are most productive and pest-resistant in Western Washington.

Surrounded by forested college property, the farm is immune to some of the growth and development pressures other farms face, which the Stewardship Partners acknowledged in its certification, Barker said.

So what is the likelihood of farm stormwater runoff ever reaching Eld Inlet, which is less than a mile away?

“We’re at a high point on the road and the roadside ditch drains to Puget Sound,” Barker said. “By focusing on soil health, nothing is running off the farm into the ditch.”