San Juan County Agricultural Organizations Planning Retreat

Agricultural organizations came together from all over San Juan County to review work done in the past year, share their visions for the future, and to discuss priorities for helping shape the County Comprehensive Plan, which informs County Code. San Juan County is in the midst of a 20-year update of its Comprehensive Plan as required by the Growth Management Act.

The retreat, which is convened annually by the Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC), was co-organized and facilitated by several ARC members, and led by both Learner Limbach, Chairman of the ARC and General Manager of the Orcas Co-op, and Caitlin Leck, a farmer and Chairwoman of the ARC Outreach Committee. Attending were 18 representatives from 11 organizations, including NABC.  Break-out groups reviewed sections of the Plan dealing with such topics as ag land designation, water management, agricultural economic development and supportive farming policies, then after lively and earnest discussion shared suggestions with the rest of the attendees.

Work groups on each main topic will meet again over the next month for more discussion and, after adoption by the ARC, the comments will be forwarded to the County Council to be considered during development of the main Plan sections.  Comments on the Plan will also be solicited from the community through August or September 2018, with workshops and discussions to follow before a first draft is developed.  Community input will continue to be sought and public meetings held as successive drafts are created, and at every step along the way, up until the final Plan is adopted early next year.