WSU Skagit County Extension

#GSVMemberMonday Feature

With 39 locations throughout the state, WSU’s County Extension offices are an important resource for the State of Washington. In the Skagit Valley, residents and farmers alike benefit from the support and expertise of WSU Skagit County Director Don McMoran and his team. McMoran himself is the 4th generation of a Skagit farming family. The office is located off of Westar Lane in Burlington, near the Port of Skagit. The Extension has been serving Skagit County since 1922 and just celebrated their 100 year anniversary last year.

Extension builds the capacity of individuals, organizations, businesses and communities, empowering them to find solutions for local issues and to improve their quality of life. Extension collaborates with communities to create a culture of life-long learning and is recognized for its accessible, learner-centered, relevant, high-quality, unbiased educational programs.

Some of these programs include the Cultivating Success series, Livestock Advisors, 4-H Program, Food $ense Program, Covid-19 Resrouces for Farmers, and the Master Gardeners program. Annual activities include the County Living Expo & Cattlemen’s Winterschool, the Washington Potato Workshop, the Western Washington Berry Workshop, and the Skagit Ag Summit. Classes are offered year round and include QPR Training and the Grow your Groceries webinar series, just to name a few.

We recently asked Don and his team what their favorite Skagit Valley grown fruit and/or vegetable was and received a very enthusiastic shout of “Potatoes!” and “Blueberries!” from the majority of the team.

National Agriculture Week and National Ag Day are celebrated every year in March. This year the Agriculture Council of America announced March 21st as National Ag Day. The week celebrates and acknowledges the agricultural industry and the role it plays in stabilizing the economy. Appreciation is extended to the industry for being a source of abundant food, fiber, and renewable products.

At Genuine Skagit Valley, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the first day of spring and National Ag Day than by recognizing and celebrating the numerous contributions of GSV Founding Member, the WSU Skagit County Extension. Their noteworthy expertise and contributions to agriculture are a tremendous asset to our community – we thank you!