News & Projects – Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative

CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS as of 10/1/2021

Kawamoto Farm Purchase – Request for Proposals

August 27, 2021

Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative seeks qualified farmer(s) or cooperative to purchase historic Kawamoto Farm and house for active agricultural use. Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative is a network of organizations in Jefferson County, WA whose mission is to keep working lands viable. This includes farmland and forestland. View Request for Proposal document in English and Spanish.

ABOUT THE FARM

The historic Japanese-American Kawamoto Farm in Quilcene, WA will be for sale at an affordable agricultural price and has been in agricultural production for over 100 years. The 148-acre farm is located next to Lake Leland, alongside Highway 101, with moderately-sloped rolling topography. The property will be permanently protected with a conservation easement by Jefferson Land Trust this year, conserving the property’s agricultural and forestry values. The property is approximately 40 acres of farmland and 108 acres of forestland. Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative is working to find a buyer to purchase the farm after the easement is in place to bring the land back into active agriculture and contribute to the local economy. Due to topography, soils and other factors, the most likely agricultural use is presumed to be livestock or orchards.

Open market price was $965,000. As a result of conservation easement, chosen farmer(s) will purchase property from Kawamoto Family for under $500,000. See attached Request for Proposal for more details.

THE PROCESS

1) Interested applicants will provide a one page letter of interest by Sept. 30, 2021 to Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative describing their farming background, why they are interested, and proposed use of the property. Please contact info@jeffersonlandworks.org for acceptable alternative formats to a written letter.

2) Following submission of interest, there is an opportunity to visit the farm in person (or virtually) in mid-October prior to submitting full application. *Out of respect to current landowner, do not visit the farm outside of scheduled farm tours.*

3) Second phase: applicants will submit a full proposal which will include a business plan and farm plan; financing plan for purchase of the property; and references. Due by November 19th, 2021. Interviews will be conducted in early December for top proposals by the Selection Committee.

We encourage Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers to apply (defined by USDA as African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, His-panics, Asians, and Pacific Islanders.

We will do our best to accommodate non-English applications, including by offering translation services whenever possible.

HOW TO APPLY

All materials be submitted to info@jeffersonlandworks.org or mailed to:

Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative

1033 Lawrence St

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Requests for Proposals

Click on the photo to read the pdf document Request for Proposal in English.

Solicitud de propuesta

Haga clic en la foto para leer el documento pdf Solicitud de propuesta en Español.

Requests for Proposals

Click on the photo to read the pdf document Request for Proposal in Japanese.

Need assistance with the process?

Please consider Jefferson Landworks partners when planning your proposal:

North Olympic Development Council (Farm Business Advising) Mark@noprcd.org
Craft 3 (Financing) elindholm@craft3.org
Jefferson County Conservation District (Farm plans) info@jeffersoncd.org
Port Townsend Food Coop (Market demands) deb@foodcoop.coop
Jefferson Land Trust (Farmland preservation information) sspaeth@saveland.org
WSU Extension Office (Small Farms Info) kellie.henwood@wsu.edu

Browse our directory of resources, such as access to capital and financial planning, farm business advising and planning, whole farm planning and more.

Kawamoto Farm Selection Committee Members

The Selection Committee is made up of the Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partners and community members who provide diverse perspectives. Please see below for short bios:

○ Heather Kawamoto: Heather is one of the three landowners of the Kawamoto Farm (daughter to Ray and Margie); professionally, Heather focuses on antiracism, racial equity, interrupting white supremacy, and decolonizing our ways of being to create a liberated and socially just education system and society.

○ Melony Edwards: Melony Edwards is a first-generation farmer whose ancestors traveled north after emancipation in the journey known as the Great Migration, for a better life away from the fields of sorrow that they had grown to know. Melony farms with the Organic Seed Alliance in Chimacum, and is a board member of the National Young Farmers Coalition.

○ Hanako Myers: Hanako is co-owner of the 29-acre organic Midori Farm located in Quilcene, WA which focuses on growing high quality organic vegetables, garden seedlings, seeds and crafting traditionally fermented sauerkraut and kimchi from farm grown produce.

○ Afrose Ahmed: Afrose is both a poet and a non-profit professional engaged in social justice and community-based work for over 14 years. She currently works as the Development Specialist for Blue Mountain Land Trust.

○ Cameron Jones: Cameron is co-owner of Woodbridge Farm in Chimacum, staff at the Chimacum Center, and yoga teacher.

○ Ron Nakata: Ron is cousin to Margie and Ray Kawamoto. Ron is a co-owner of the Town & Country Market on Bainbridge Island, a family-owned grocery market since 1957.

○ Blaise Sullivan: Blaise is the Conservation & Stewardship Coordinator with Jefferson Land Trust, and has been serving as logistical facilitator for the Kawamoto RFP process and Selection Committee

○ Sarah Spaeth: Sarah is the Director of Conservation & Strategic partnerships with Jefferson Land Trust, a Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partner.

○ Joe Holtrop: Joe is manager of the Jefferson County Conservation District, a Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partner.

○ Mark Bowman: Mark has 32 years of financing experience, and is currently the Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator for the North Olympic Development Council, a Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partner.

○ Deb Shortess: Deb is the Manager of Inventory & Pricing at The Food Co-op in Port Townsend, a Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partner.

○ Erika Lindholm: Erika is a Senior Business Lender for Craft3 which is a nonprofit lender based on the Olympic Peninsula. Craft3 is a Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative partner.

○ Kellie Henwood: Kellie is Program Coordinator for the Regional Small Farms Program under WSU-Extension Jefferson County, and serves as the coordinator of the Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative.