On a warm and windy day in May, Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) and 24 participants gathered at Moon Family Farm in the Horse Heaven Hills of Southeast Washington for a field day co-hosted with our partners at Salmon-Safe. Farmer Garrett Moon opened up the event by sharing the story of his family's fifth-generation, regenerative farm and the challenges of farming grains in an arid region. He highlighted the wildlife-friendly practices they’ve adopted, such as adding raptor perches, conserving native grasses and shrubs in the canyons and other sloping areas of the farm, and using precision weed control technology. 

Attendees toured the farm and heard from speakers on a variety of topics: 

Brian Muegge, Salmon-Safe, gave an overview of the Salmon-Safe certification process, covering their peer reviewed standards that focus on watershed impacts from farm operations, and recognizing farms for doing their part to protect water quality and wildlife habitat. Read more about Salmon-Safe Certification here.

Dave Huggins, USDA Soil Scientist, discussed how wheat-based farming systems can increase soil health, profitability, and resilience by diversifying their crops, implementing no-till practices, and incorporating livestock grazing for nutrient cycling. Dave dug up a clump of soil from a wheat field and passed it around to demonstrate the positive soil structure present. Read studies published by Dave here. 

David James, WSU Entomology Professor and and Extension Specialist, has studied more than 100 perennial plants native to Central Washington to learn which plants beneficial insects prefer. David shared his top native plants with attendees and pointed out the ones that could be seen on the farm. These included Sagebrush and Rabbit Brush, which support parasitoid wasps and Common Yarrow, which is extremely attractive to a range of beneficial insects including predatory true bugs, flies and parasitic wasps. Other plants include Spreading Dogbane, Goldenrod, Pearly Everlasting, Buckwheats, Milkweeds, Coyote Mint, W. Hyssop, Neettles, Wild Rose and Lupine. David emphasised the importance of sourcing native Common Yarrow since the ornamental colorful varieties do not seem to be as attractive. To learn more, watch David's presentation in WFA's webinar Putting Beneficial Insects to Work. Read more on David’s research here. 

Ashley Chesser, Wild Farm Alliance, discussed WFA’s Farmland Flyways Program. She shared how different types of raptors and songbirds birds can provide different pest control benefits and the ways that farmers can support them on the farm. Ashley encouraged everyone who supports birds on the farm to join the Farmland Flyways Trail. 

Seth Hulett, Audubon, shared details on their Audubon Ranching program and the services they offer to land managers for supporting birds on the farm. Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. Landowners voluntarily enroll in the program, and when they meet requirements centering on habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, they earn the Audubon Bird-Friendly Land certification. Learn more about Audubon Ranching here. 

Thomas Sexton, Benton Conservation District, finished up the presentations with a discussion on water quality projects and the services they offer for producers. Water is a critically important resource in Benton County. The Yakima River flows through the center of the county and provides multiple beneficial uses including irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational use. Benton Conservation District provides technical assistance, information and education to help the community maintain and care for natural waterways. Learn more about Benton Conservation District programming here.

We closed out the day with lunch provided by Ethos Bakery, a business that partners directly with Moon Family Farm to source grain. In a full circle moment, participants enjoyed a sandwich and cookie made with the wheat grown on the farm they had just toured.

Wild Farm Alliance thanks Moon Family Farm for hosting the event as well as all the speakers, partners, and attendees who helped make the day a great success.