“Farmers in rural Thurston County hope agritourism efforts will encourage
customers to buy directly from the growers, instead of the store.”
Photo courtesy: Helsing Junction Farm, Rochester, WA

“Connecting with Thurston County’s farms”
“With new marketing, membership efforts under way, 2016 could be hallmark year for agritourism around the state capital area.”

“Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero explains she was moved to help the region’s farms before they are forgotten and lost to time. Farmers are aging out, land is getting expensive and it’s getting harder and harder for new farmers to enter the market. Since 1975, the county has lost over 75 percent of its working agricultural lands, and in a five-year period from 2002 to 2007, it has lost 50 percent of the remaining farmland, according to the Washington State University Thurston County Extension.

‘It’s alarming to see the amount of farmland that was lost. Being able to help farmers stay in business all year round is really on our mind. We want them to make money,’ she says. ‘We can get people off of I-5, we can entice them. We have so much to offer in Thurston County.’

Right now, all the pieces are falling into place to finally make agritourism take off.

In October of 2013, the county created the agritourism overlay district.”

“To funnel visitors to farms and businesses like Helsing Junction, the Bountiful Byway — a 60-mile horseshoe-shaped scenic route that winds its way through Yelm, Tenino, Rainier, Bucoda, Grand Mound, Rochester and Littlerock — was established in October of 2014. There are more than 90 suggested agricultural, ecological and cultural stops,” quoting Zachariah Bryan, Business Examiner.
Read more

Source: Earth Day Network

– “It’s Earth Day!”
“Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations.”

“The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement,” quoting the Earth Day Network.
Read more


– Yelm’s Arbor Day is annually celebrated close to Earth Day –
why not combine them for more recognition of each?
“In 1996 the City of Yelm created the Yelm Tree Advisory Board. The seven members of the Board are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Boards mission is the enhancement and protection of our urban forest and carries out this charge through recommending a tree program to the City Council.”

“The City of Yelm has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation since 1996 and hosts an Arbor Day Celebration on the last Friday in April. Arbor Day is a community celebration recognizing the school age Arbor Day Contest winners and Memorial and Adopt a Tree donors.”
Read more and find out how to donate.


– “29 photos that show how drastically we are reshaping the planet”
From Business Insider.
Click here


Editor’s note:
Yelm has done nothing to honor Earth Day, where other cities in the region have some type of event, i.e. Tumwater.
Suggestion to Yelm – combine Earth Day recognition with Yelm’s annual Arbor Day, as an example, simple yes?

Source: Earth Day Network

– “It’s Earth Day!”
“Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations.”

“The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.”

“Our planet is at a turning point. The massive global migration underway now from countryside to cities will demand huge investments in energy, water, materials, waste, food distribution, and transportation over the next 25 years. If the right investments are made now, this unique opportunity will be the catalyst for dramatic changes in the built environment and the fight against carbon emissions and climate change,” quoting the Earth Day Network.
Read more


– The City of Yelm has no Earth Day events planned, an annual tradition here.
And Yelm is one of the few jurisdictions in Thurston County with no plastic bag ordinance.
With Yelm’s 20th annual Arbor Day celebration Friday, April 29th at 11am, perhaps Arbor Day here could be combined to recognizing Earth Day?
Click here for other Washington State Earth Day events.


– Yelm Cinemas offers Earth Week movies April 16-22
A sampling:
* Saturday, April 16, 6:15pm – Love Thy Nature
* Monday, April 18, 6:30pm – The Messenger
Read more


– Earth Day tours [at Sea-Tac Airport] provide rare opportunity
“Community members are invited to celebrate Earth Day this year while learning about the Port’s [Port of Seattle] environmental stewardship programs. You can register online for one of two opportunities.

The first option will be 4 to 6:30 p.m. on April 21 at Sea-Tac Airport. Guests will hear how the airport is preparing to handle up to 52 million passengers by 2024, and tour the airfield to see environmental efforts first hand. The second will be April 22, noon to 2 p.m. This bus tour will include the Port’s shoreline parks on Elliott Bay and Duwamish Waterway, Terminal 5’s Jack Block Park, the public shoreline site at Terminal 107, habitat restoration and more,” quoting the Port of Seattle.
Click here

Olympia Regional Airport, closest official weather service station to Yelm (16 miles), set a new high temperature record for any April 20th. Today’s high of 83 (28.3 C.), broke the former record high of 78 degrees set in 1956. Click here

On-shore wind flow will bring cooler ocean air and drop the temperatures on Thursday through next week.

Are you prepared for anything, at anytime?
Mullen Rd., Olympia, March 16, 2016
Photo courtesy: NW Prepper Facebook header

Mother Earth is undergoing major changes having to deal with humanity that has been so reckless, cavalier and unconsciously destroying this living being’s surface. In order to heal herself, catastrophic changes are occurring at an exponentially increasing rate. This Earth Day, April 22nd, are you and your family prepared for anything?

– Yelm “Prepper” Bloggers Abby and Teri have over 80 years experience.
“The purpose of this blog is to share our collective knowledge and wisdom on the subject of emergency preparedness. We will talk about storing food and water, building emergency evacuation kits for family and home, lighting, alternative power, heating, equipment, cooking, canning, book reviews and lots more. We believe preparedness should be taken seriously but talked about with a light heart and a dose of humor. This blog is a work in progress so please feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestions.”
Click here for the NW Prepper Blog.


– “Are you prepared for anything?”
NW Prepper will help answer questions and point out great products for emergency preparedness.
On Facebook

Olympia Regional Airport, closest official weather service station to Yelm (16 miles), broke the former high temperature record for any April 19th. Today’s high was 86 (30 C.), breaking the former record high of 78 degrees set in 1950. Click here

“Olympia’s downtown lies close to sea level.
One of the first U.S. cities to look at effects of sea-level rise.”
Photo courtesy: Univ. of WA

– From The Olympian Editorial Board:
“Sea level rise is long-term challenge for downtown”

* “Olympia city officials are planning on a 50-inch sea level rise by 2100”

* “But estimates of rise are climbing, raising questions about the downtown future”

* “Some proposals to armor the city could cost $60 million”

“The city has adopted a policy to protect downtown and prepare for 50 inches of sea level rise. But in a recent City Council work session, Eric Christensen, the city’s public works manager, noted that estimates of the extent of sea level rise keep going up. The Army Corps of Engineers predicts as much as five feet by the end of this century; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts up to six and a half feet.

Locally, El Nino weather events that bring heavier rains are likely to make it worse, particularly at high tides.”
Read more


Editor’s Note:
Olympia’s situation was first covered on this blog September 7, 2007. The effects of continued sea level rise on the seats of state and county governments WILL have trickle-down affects on Yelm.
Read more


– “Antarctica on the Brink: NASA Emeritus Scientist Warns of Dramatic Loss of Glaciers
“Scientific reports about the increasing pace of melting ice — in all its forms around the planet — are being published on a nearly daily basis.

A study published in January revealed a dramatic increase in melt rates on Antarctica’s most stable ice shelf, when it showed that melting rates were 25 times higher than expected.

This disconcerting news comes a year after another study, which showed that the largest glacier in eastern Antarctica (Totten Glacier), which by itself contains the ice equivalent of a 20-foot rise in global sea levels, is melting due to warming ocean water, by Dahr Jamail, Truthout.
Read more

Olympia Regional Airport, closest official weather service station to Yelm (16 miles), broke the former high temperature record for any April 18th. Today’s high was 88 (31 C.). Click here

– From KING 5 TV News, Seattle:
“The temperature at Sea-Tac hit 89 degrees on Monday – the warmest April day in Seattle history since records began in 1894.

The previous record high for April 18 was 77. The warmest day in April was 85. That record was set in 1976.

The National Weather Service said Bellingham and Olympia had their warmest April days on record as well, at 83 degrees and 88 degrees respectively. Several other sites in the central Puget Sound area experienced temperatures in the 90s.”

Sunday’s [Seattle] high of 80 beat the old record of 74, set in 1983.”
Read more