Large tractors, a Wilbur-Ellis drone, and two calves from nearby Mesman Farm were among many highlights of the school district’s first-ever Ag Day event.
“It’s important for the district to share with our students how important agriculture is in the La Conner area,” said La Conner School Board President Susie Deyo, who grew up at West Shore Acres, an historic farm four miles north of town.
Skagit County: A hub of agriculture and sustainability
The Skagit Valley is one of the United States’ most fertile regions, offering a diverse bounty of crops alongside thriving aquaculture, forestry, and value-added agriculture.
More than just fields and farms, Skagit County serves as a hub for the Pacific Northwest’s local food movement and agricultural sustainability efforts. The vast majority of crops grown here are vegetables, melons, and potatoes, followed by nurseries and fruits.
Skagit County’s agricultural landscape is changing, according to details from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The county had 882 farms in 2022 — 15 fewer than in 2017. However, the total market value of agricultural products surged to nearly $367 million, a 28 percent increase over the same period.
Ninety-four percent of Skagit’s farms remain family-owned, underscoring the deep generational commitment to preserving the region’s agricultural heritage.
“The big thing about Ag Day,” said La Conner School District Superintendent David Cram, who, like Deyo, hails from a local farm family, “is that it exposes our students to the agriculture around town so they can learn how it works and what it’s all about. This is something we hope to expand upon next year.”
Students learn about farming and innovation
Jay Rendwick of Wilbur-Ellis, a major marketer and distributor of agricultural products, told students about the roles drones now play in agriculture, from allowing farmers to analyze field conditions and monitor crops in real time to managing livestock and spraying fields.
Photo by Sarah Walls/Cedarbrook Studio
The Mesman Farm calves were a big hit with the kids as well. Ben Mesman set up a mini petting zoo for the students. He also placed unlimited hand sanitizer close by.
“It was special,” said Deyo, “for the Mesmans to bring a couple calves to Ag Day.”
La Conner Elementary Principal Heather Fakkema, who accompanied students on their loop of Ag Day exhibits, agreed.
“It was really fun for the kids,” she said afterward. “They loved seeing the calves, getting on the big tractor, and being so close to the drone.”
Tying agriculture to community heritage
District Paraeducator Sally Weidenbach Azure is from a pioneer ag family that for decades has farmed at Peth’s Corner near the intersection of La Conner-Whitney, McLean, and Downey roads.
“This is so exciting,” Azure told Deyo. “Especially with the drone being here. My dad (the late Lynn Weidenbach) would’ve been so excited about it.”
In the La Conner Middle School hallway, students heard presentations about various aspects of local agriculture, including potato and vegetable seed production.
Sixth grader Wyatt Stevens was able the next day to cite statistics confirming the La Conner area’s historic and present status as a global leader in cabbage and beet seed cultivation. His classmates, Clyde Oczkewicz and Brennan Hockenberry, had the same command of facts when it came to the drone’s capabilities.
Students also learned that while La Conner and Skagit Valley farmers are blessed with some of the best soil in the world, they also face significant challenges.
“What I learned,” said sixth grader Penelope Mueller, “is just how great the flood risk is in Skagit County.”
Connecting with local roots
La Conner Middle & High School Principal Christine Tripp, whose uncle, the late Martin Steiner, was a longtime farmer and Wilbur-Ellis employee, was beyond pleased that the school district hosted Ag Day.
“It was a way,” said Tripp, “to display the significance of farming in La Conner and Skagit Valley.”
Sixth grader Georgia Brown firmly grasped the lesson.
“It helped me,” she said, “understand all the things the farmers here do.”
“We’re very appreciative of the farmers and Wilbur-Ellis for being here today during what’s a busy time of the year for them,” Cram said.
Deyo echoed Cram’s gratitude for the program’s participants.
“It says a lot,” Deyo said, “that our farmers would commit to being here for our students.”
Bill Reynolds: bill@laconnercommunitynews.org. Bill is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
