Sustainable Farming in the Floodplain
Our resource planners provided conservation planning and technical assistance to 89 farms this past year. One of our long-time farmers that we work with is Eric Fritch.
Managing farmland in the floodplain is a unique challenge, and Eric Fritch takes on this challenge with an impressive dedication toward environmental stewardship. Chinook Farms, which sits on 132 acres in the Snohomish River floodplain, operated as a commercial pulp tree farm until Eric became the owner in 2008.
With Eric at the helm, Chinook Farm's mission became to “develop and maintain a healthy food system through sustainable farming practices that benefit the local ecosystems, people, and economy.” Eric is doing just that—restoring the land while growing food for the community. The former poplar plantation is now a diversified farm operation with grass-fed beef, wheat, hay and haylage production, vegetables, and pigs.
Eric hosted a tour of Chinook Farms to showcase the farm’s sustainable efforts. The tour drew 15 participants, including some farmers who followed up with the District for technical assistance to support their own best management practices.
Eric is one of Snohomish Conservation District’s long-time cooperators and has collaborated with us since 2008. In 2010, he hosted the first Wheat Walk in Snohomish County, where people were able to tour the farm, see multiple varieties of wheat, and strengthen their connection to the local food system. Eric now has only one strain of wheat, a heritage variety called Renan grown exclusively for The Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville.
Over the years, Chinook Farms has partnered with the District to implement a number of best management practices including soil testing and nutrient management, compost applications, intercropping/diverse hay planting, and perimeter fencing to keep livestock out of the stream and lake. He also supports other local farmers, including Food Bank Farm and One Leaf Farm, who utilize Eric’s property and help to diversify the food produced for the community, all while maintaining the same standards of stewardship for the land that Eric holds.
When Eric started Chinook Farms, soil testing showed the land only had one percent organic matter. By implementing best soil management practices, that number has grown to over four percent.
“It’s one of the big things I strive for,” Eric explained. “Organic matter is a sponge and when you have sandy soil, it helps keep water handy.”
In 2018, the District awarded Eric the Conservation Leader of the Year award. When asked where his commitment to conservation came from, Eric answered, “It’s the right thing to do. It’s a big enough property that it really makes a difference in the ecosystem.”
In April 2024, we partnered with Eric to host a tour of Chinook Farms to showcase the farm’s sustainable efforts. The tour drew 15 participants, including some farmers who followed up with the District for technical assistance to support their own best management practices.
Eric hasn’t slowed down in his commitment to sustainability and is currently working with the District to develop a Carbon Farm Plan that will help identify opportunities to capture and store carbon in the soil and perennial plants. He’s also working with Snohomish County on a salmon habitat project around Bob Herman Park, which borders Chinook Farms. Finally, he’s working with the District and Tulalip Tribes on a cooperative fish passage project.
We are grateful for Eric’s dedication to sustainability in the floodplain and his partnership with the District over the years. It’s landowners like Eric that help ensure the future of farming in our region.
The District is committed to supporting and partnering with farmers throughout Snohomish County and Camano Island on their natural resource management goals. To request free technical assistance, visit snohomishcd.org/contact.
This project (WQC-2022-SnohCD-00101 Nutrient Runoff Reduction From Agricultural Lands in Snohomish County) was made possible with a Washington Department of Ecology Centennial Clean Water Fund grant.