Small Acreage Program

1. The Small Acreage program provides educational workshops and other outreach to residents on how to manage issues such as mud and manure management, fencing and pasture management, and other water quality topics unique to rural properties. If you are interested in receiving emails about upcoming classes and events, please sign up for the Small Acreage Program Listserv .

Classes, workshops, tours, and other events are offered throughout the year. See below for upcoming events and resources:

– Living on the Land
– Harvest Celebration
– Workshops and Training
– Well and Septic Workshops
– Small Acreage Expo
– Small Farm Tours
– Model Property Assessments
– Agriculture Business Planning
– Publications and Videos

Harvest Celebration

When: Typically the 3rd Saturday in September (September 21st, 2024)
Where: Multiple farms throughout Clark County
Cost: FREE
Registration: none needed

2022 Program: Harvest Celebration Farm Descriptions and Map 2022

If you would like to help with this event or for more information, contact WSU Clark County Small Acreage Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov or 564-397-5729.

Living on the Land

When: Tuesdays, Oct 1 – Dec 10, 2024 6:00pm-8:30pm
Where: In-person at the 78th St. Heritage Farm in Vancouver, WA
Cost: $35/person or $50/household or farm (Scholarships for Veterans are available upon request)
Registration: First, please take this pre-survey and then you will receive an email within a few days inviting you to register.

Class size is limited to 30 students and registration fills quickly, so fill out the survey soon! Upon completion of the survey, you will be contacted and given a registration link. Please allow several days for your survey to be reviewed and registration link sent.

For more information or to be added to the notification list for future Living on the Land classes, contact WSU Clark County Small Acreage Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov or 564-397-5729

Living on the Land is a multi-week class series where small acreage landowners learn stewardship practices to help better care for their land. Living On the Land participants learn about important topics pertaining to soil, water, plants and animals that guide sound stewardship decisions for small acreage management. Topics are presented by local and regional experts and include pasture management, controlling weeds, wildlife, soil health, well & septic maintenance, and many more. Graduates of this training come away with knowledge about how different aspects of their land interact, practices that enhance natural resources, and helpful strategies for improving their land stewardship by taking a whole farm approach.

Workshops

The Small Acreage program offers workshops throughout the year on issues of interest to rural landowners. Topics include mud and manure management, pasture management, wells and septic maintenance, fencing for livestock, and more! See below for our upcoming offerings:

Past Workshops:

What: Utilizing Cover Crops to Build Healthy Soils Demonstration Workshop
When: Wednesday, March 27th, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: 78th St. Heritage Farm, Vancouver, WA
Cost: FREE, register in advance
Registration: https://covercrop032724.eventbrite.com

What: Stream Health Monitoring On-Site Workshop
When: Wednesday, November 30th, 2022
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: Mill Creek near WSU-Vancouver campus, in Vancouver, WA
Cost: FREE, register in advance
Registration: https://streamhealth11302022.eventbrite.com

What: Noxious Weeds Management Workshop
When: Tuesday, October 18th, 2022
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Alpaca ranch in Ridgefield, WA
Cost: FREE, register in advance
Registration: https://NoxWeeds102222.eventbrite.com

Well and Septic Workshops

How do I sign up? To register for a Well and Septic workshop, select from these options:

The next Septic System Maintenance and Self-Inspection Certification Workshop is:

When: Wednesday May 1, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: In-person at the 78th St. Heritage Farm
Cost: $17.85/household
Registration (required): https://ws050124.eventbrite.com

What: Homeowners with septic systems and wells are invited to attend the Well and Septic workshop to learn valuable tips about maintaining their septic system and protecting their water supply. Clark County homeowners with owner-occupied, gravity fed septic systems can get certified to perform their own septic inspection at the workshop, saving money while learning important maintenance tips. Gravity fed septic systems must be inspected every three years with every other inspection performed by a certified O&M professional.

Septic inspection training and well safety tips will be presented by officials from Clark County Public Health, who help homeowners meet regulations protecting surface and ground water by ensuring septic systems and wells operate properly. By participating in the workshop and taking a short exam, homeowners can perform their next septic inspection and file it with Clark County Public Health rather than hiring a certified O&M professional to do it.

For more information or to be informed when upcoming workshops are available: contact WSU Clark County Small Acreage Program Coordinator at terry.koper@wsu.edu or 564-397-5729

Small Acreage Expo

Past Events:

WSU Clark County Extension – Small Acreage Program will celebrate our 18^th Annual Small Acreage Expo in 2024.

What: Small Acreage Expo: – Full day event

When: Saturday June 8, 2024, 9am-3pm
Where: 78th St Heritage Farm

For more details and to register, coming soon.

For more information: contact WSU Clark County Small Acreage Program Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov or 564-397-5729

 

Small Farm and Stewardship Tours

Come tour a farm and learn about nut and fruit orchards, old tractors, chickens, preventing soil erosion, dry farming, and hedgerows and riparian buffer strips.

Past Events:

What: Small Acreage Stewardship Tours – two residences with livestock and creeks/pond
When: Saturday, October 22rd, 2022, 10:00am-2:30pm
Where: Battle Ground, WA and NE Vancouver, WA
Cost: FREE
For more details and to register: https://StewardshipTour2022.eventbrite.com

For more information: contact WSU Clark County Small Acreage Program Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov or 564-397-5729

Small Acreage Recognition Program

The Small Acreage Program, supported by Clark County’s Clean Water Program, wishes to publicly recognize residents who are implementing clean water management practices on their acreage. If you or someone you know are doing good things on their small farms or rural property to protect our water, please let us know!

Do you manage your small acreage in ways that also protect our waters? Do you …

1. Drainage – have gutters and downspouts on your buildings; and your runoff does not discharge directly into streams, creeks, or ditches?
2. Vegetation features – have vegetation around steams, creeks, and wetlands; livestock fenced out or restricted from waterways?
3. Limited erosion & compaction – have limited areas of bare soil?
4. Inspected septic – know the location and type of septic system and when it was last inspected; limit activity on drainfield?
5. Protected Wellhead – know where your well is located and wellhead is adequately protected?
6. Safe chemical & fuel storage – store your chemicals and fuels properly away from wells and septic systems?
7. Livestock manure – manage manure to minimize nutrient runoff?
8. Manage pasture – have few weeds, limited bare soil areas, and little compaction in your pasture?

If you do some or all of these, you should consider applying to receive a Clean Water Sign. The Clean Water Sign shows your neighbors and the public that you are managing your land in ways that also protect our precious local waterways.

Completing our Assessment Guide for Small Acreages will give you an idea if you might qualify to receive this free Clean Water sign. Send your completed survey to the Small Acreage Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov and you will be contacted for a site visit to determine if you qualify for a sign.

Farm Business Planning

Are you a small acreage farmer looking to improve your business? The Ag Entrepreneurship & Business Planning Class can help you develop a successful business plan for your farm business.

This mulit-week course occurs every winter. Class topics include business planning, marketing, research methods, budget and record keeping, taxes, regulations and much more. Classes are taught by local farm marketing specialists, accountants, attorneys, agricultural professionals, and farmers sharing their farming and marketing experience. At the end of the course, students will emerge with a full business plan to take with them to guide their farm business decisions into the future.

When: Tuesdays, January 10 – March 28, 2023, 6:00pm-8:30pm

Registration is $200. Scholarships are available. For more information and to register

For more information, contact the WSU Clark County Small Acreage Coordinator at smallacreage@clark.wa.gov or 564-397-5729

Annual Report & Impacts

Small Acreage Program 2021 Annual Report (3.4 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2020 Annual Report (1.7 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2019 Annual Report (1.4 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2018 Annual Report (4 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2017 Annual Report (3.2 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2016 Annual Report (4 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2015 Annual Report (4.9 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2014 Annual Report (7.9 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2013 Annual Report (6.5 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2012 Annual Report (5.5 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2011 Annual Report (3.7 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2010 Annual Report (1.8 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2009 Annual Report (467 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2009 Annual Report: Appendices (3.9MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2008 Annual Report (516 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2008 Annual Report: Appendices (2.7 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2007 Annual Report (792 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2007 Annual Report: Appendices (7 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2006 Annual Report (572 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2006 Annual Report: Appendices (6.4 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2005 Annual Report (570 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2005 Annual Report: Appendices (6.6 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2004 Annual Report (400 KB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2004 Annual Report: Appendix A (6.8 MB PDF)
Small Acreage Program 2003 Annual Report (1.9 MB PDF)

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