Whidbey Island Conservation District
Updates for October 2021
Education & Outreach Updates
Strengthening Whidbey agriculture, connecting farmers-to-farmers through seasonal small group FarmWalks
What do Silva Family Farm, Ebey Road Farm, and Maha Farm all have in common? They are our fall Whidbey FarmWalks hosts this month! Are you a farmer, rancher, or farm supporter interested in helping strengthen our island's social landscape in agriculture? In partnership with WSU Extension Island County Food Systems Program, we welcome you to come learn in this intentionally designed small group, COVID-safe outdoor event. Our host farms will provide a walking tour of their farms and we'll encourage you to share stories.
Limited to the first 10 sign-ups. Only a few spots remain! Click here to learn more and register.
Subscribe to our Plant Sale email list for notifications
Our annual Native Bareroot Plant Sale online pre-ordering begins in early November. You're probably eager to know just when that is. We're setting up our online storefront currently, and are encouraging folks to subscribe to our Native Plant Sale Email List to ensure they are among the first to be notified when the website becomes live. Expect many of the same favorites from years previous in our groundcover, shrub, and tree categories.

And yes, we'll still need volunteers to help us pack orders in February! Sign up to be on our Volunteer Email List here so you'll be notified. We'd love your help and appreciate our volunteers.
Celebrating Land Ambassadors, combating noxious weeds
In partnership with Island County Noxious Weed Program, our seasonal educational weed bulletin has evolved into a more interactive ArcGIS StoryMap format. Each season, we'll highlight a particular noxious weed of concern and ways that both public agencies and private landowners and residents are working hard to eradicate it and serve as Land Ambassadors. Learn more about this Fall's focus - Scotch Broom. Click here to read the story.

To view our Weed Bulletin archive and resources to help eradicate noxious weeds, click here.
Fiscal Year 2021 Report of Accomplishments showcases increase in demand, services for Whidbey residents
WICD operates under the state's fiscal year, which begins July 1. At the end of each fiscal year we put together a three-page accomplishments report for the public to view. Despite a global pandemic and several major staff transitions, our District continues to serve Whidbey residents in new and creative ways. Learn more by reading out Report of Accomplishments here.

We develop, with public and partner feedback, an Annual Plan of Work every year each spring, and our Report of Accomplishments tie off of this Annual Plan of Work document. Click here to read our current (Fiscal Year 2022) Annual Work Plan.
Planning & Technical Assistance
WICD receives grant, partners with USDA to help Historically Underserved producers apply to EQIP
Are you currently an active farmer or rancher on Whidbey Island and are needing help in addressing land use challenges on the land you farm? WICD received an NACD Technical Assistance grant that will help streamline Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applications for small, beginning, and historically underserved farmers in partnership with USDA NRCS. In addition to helping producers apply, this grant will enable WICD to design and launch an integrated outreach, education, and technical assistance pilot project model for small farms and Historically Underserved producers that can be adopted by other areas of the state and nation with ease. Click here to learn more.
Streamlining WICD requests for assistance via online form
If you are in need of educational or technical assistance and/or have a general information request from our staff, we are asking folks, where possible, to please complete our online request assistance Form. You'll see it in a number of locations on our website - from our homepage, to each individual service's page, and more. Having this one go-to location has allowed our small, yet mighty staff team stay organized and focused, assisting clients in the order that their requests are received. We, of course, will respond to phone calls, but as we are working remotely due to COVID-19, please expect a slightly more delayed follow-up via phone.

The online request assistance form also outlines a clear set of expectations for when you submit your request - including waitlist times and links to external professional services directories should you need assistance sooner than our free, voluntary service allows.

We appreciate your patience and encourage you to explore the robust library of resources we have on our website at each of the Service Pages, as well. We look forward to serving you soon.
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