Join us for breakfast and a celebration of the Skagit Valley, its farmers, innovators and leaders who are part of the rich agricultural history and its promising future.

The breakfast and program are FREE. There will be opportunities to contribute your financial support. Register today!

Our Valley Our Future Awardees

2023

Legacy in Agriculture Award – Steve Sakuma

SPF is proud to honor Steve Sakuma as our Community Legacy in Agriculture awardee.

Steve has served on local, regional and national boards and associations, pursuing a brighter future for this valley with his willingness to bring all parties to the table: to work collectively for the good of the whole. Steve and the Sakuma family committed time, talent and financial support towards the renovation of Washington State’s Northwest Research and Extension Center (WSU-NWREC). Through Steve’s commitment to agricultural science, research and the agricultural community, the WSU-NWREC is now a leading agriculture research center in Western Washington with internationally recognized faculty and staff, performing some of the most important agricultural research in Washington. SPF recognizes and honors Steve with the 2023 Community Legacy in Agriculture Award, in recognition of his unfailing commitment to keep Skagit Valley farming.

Innovation in Agriculture Award – Kirk Damon

Kirk Damon has been leading a technology revolution for Skagit growers since 2014. Damon is the founder and owner of Ag. West Implements, helping farmers take advantage of the latest technology from Europe in planting, harvesting technology, and advances in crop storage. Whether traveling to Europe with farmers to see some of the most high tech farm equipment in the world today or running out in the middle of the night to perform emergency repairs to keep the harvest going, Kirk has been instrumental in keeping Skagit agriculture viable. SPF is pleased to award Damon the 2023 Innovation in Agriculture Award for his dedication to the future of Skagit agriculture.

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Andrew Villard

An Eagle Scout, summer camp counselor and volunteer with the McLean Road Fire Department, Andrew Villard is not your typical graduating high school senior. Andrew is one of the youngest students to attend and graduate from the Northwest Career and Technical Academy. He now works as a Teacher’s Assistant for the La Conner High School’s Automotive Program. Andrew is apprenticing with Motor Trucks International and will attend Bellingham Technical College in the fall for Diesel Technology. We are pleased to honor Andrew's accomplishments today and recognize him with the 2023 Achievement in Agriculture Award, and a $1,000 scholarship to attend BTC.

Our Valley Our Future Awardees

2022

Legacy in Agriculture Award – Philip Burton

Philip Burton has been engaged in protecting the continued viability of Skagit farmland and SPF’s mission for nearly two decades, when the first auctions were held at the Rose Farm in La Conner.

“Phil represents a generation of business people and leaders in the community who recognize that the farmland is what makes this place special,” said Bob Rose, SPF Executive Director from 1995-2006.  “That’s the kind of support every organization depends upon.”

Burton’s commitment to supporting farmland preservation and the continued viability of agriculture in Skagit Valley has been steadfast and unfaltering.

“I just think it’s so important for all of us who care about preserving farmland to engage with organizations that make a difference, and to take the time to do whatever we can do to help,” Burton said.

Innovation in Agriculture Award – Matt Steinman, Foothills Farm

Matt Steinman is a regenerative farmer who likes a challenge. At Foothills Farm, a small, multigenerational family farm at the head of the Skiyou valley east of Sedro-Woolley, Steinman began with a quarter-acre pea patch just a few years ago and has expanded to 35 acres of vegetables and another 25 in pasture rotation for poultry, with more to come.

Steinman “ditched the plow and rototiller in favor of the broadfork and power harrow,” and uses companion planting, minimal till, raised bed agricultural practices. He amends the soil with natural inputs of chicken and cow manure, worm castings, and mulch.

Steinman is working toward year-round, high-yield production for many of the 100 varieties of greens and root vegetables grown at Foothills Farm. He continues to experiment with processes for adaptation to larger acreage outside of the greenhouses.

“How do you take that small-scale raised bed farming to large-scale agriculture?” he asked. “There are little pieces we are figuring out.”

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Charity-Dakota Jordan, La Conner High School

La Conner’s School and Career Counselor Lori Buher describes Charity-Dakota Jordan as a “star.” The straight-A student plays percussion in the school band, was in cheer for two years, participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. twice, and spent many years in 4-H. On her father’s farm she tended a herd of as many as 40 goats, providing vaccinations, milking and helping birth kids.

Jordan aims to be a large animal veterinarian after graduating in six years from WSU. Her path is accelerated as a Running Start student who will graduate high school with an AA degree in hand.

She is entering the veterinarian field at a time when studies show a shortage of companion animal veterinarians, putting the pressure on large animal vets, and widely effecting farms across the nation.

“My goal is to come back and work to serve our community in Skagit Valley,” she said.

Our Valley Our Future Awardees

2020

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Shauna Flores, Sedro-Woolley High School

Shauna Flores, Sedro-Woolley High School graduating class of 2020

Shauna Flores fell in love with agriculture when she was a third grader, showing her rabbits at the Skagit County Fair with her 4-H club.  And since that time, agriculture has kept popping up in her life. It was her dad, Chris Flores, who urged her to take horticulture classes with Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Bennett at Sedro-Woolley High School. 

Shauna began learning about greenhouse management, landscaping and horticultural plant science. She was hooked: Shauna was fascinated with different native plants and how the earth has pushed them to evolve. Now, she can’t imagine doing anything but agriculture.

Shauna graduated this June from Sedro-Woolley High School and is enrolled in the Washington State University at Pullman CAHNRS program this coming fall. The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is one of the largest and most innovative colleges at WSU.  

Flores hopes that a lot more young people become passionate and invested in agriculture for it to be sustainable. 

2019

Community Legacy in Agriculture Award - Richard Smith

Richard Smith has lived in the Skagit Valley since 1936 and was introduced to farming by his step-father Henry Burkland. After graduating from WSU with a degree in horticulture, and then serving in Korea, he came home and got to the business of farming. Soon after he was joined by brother Bob Burkland, forming Smith & Burkland (presently S & B Farms). In the early days, Richard and Bob farmed from Darrington to Stanwood growing cauliflower, peas, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots and several seed crops.

In the 90’s, when farming in the Valley began to change (with the departure of canneries), S&B Farms knew they needed to pivot. Richard is described by many as a meticulous planner with an incredible mind for both farming and business. At an age when most would be pondering slowing down, Richard teamed up with Morrison Farms to build the potato shed we are all familiar with along I-5. That shift to potatoes as his primary crop showcases what so many Skagit Valley farmers know; creativity and risk are just part of the job.

Richard’s revered place in Skagit County agriculture is well-deserved as evidenced by his peers lining up to share stories of his impact with us. We will probably never know just how many harvests came in because he offered his time or equipment. We cannot count how many times he drove by and saw something amiss and returned it to its proper place after a flood. What we do know, however, is that Richard embodies Skagit County agriculture.

Innovation in Agriculture Award - Rhonda Gothberg

In 2001 Rhonda Gothberg was feeling a little cramped living in Anacortes. She was rounding out a thirty-year nursing career and doing a bit of real estate on the side. It was love at first sight when she set eyes on the long past, 40-acre dairy farm now known as Gothberg Farms. As the story goes, her husband inquired “what” all this space “was” and Rhonda, a Texan by birth replied, “a start”.

The plan was to have a big garden, a couple fruit trees and one family goat to learn how to milk and make goat cheese for the family. La Mancha goats aren’t just known for their excellent milk quality but for their clever antics — bringing much joy to their human keepers. So three pregnant ladies were added and Rhonda was off to the races. Milking parlors were rehabbed and a 4-day intensive cheese-making class was completed at WSU (Pullman).

Rhonda will tell you that she walked into her cheese-making room one day and noticed, with its organization and sterile technique, a striking resemblance to the operating rooms she’d spent time in over her nursing career. Friends raved about her cheese and encouraged her to share it with the world.

Today, Gothberg Farms cheese can be found at 4 farmers markets, regional shops and high-end restaurants. Rhonda planned a ten-year run for this venture; this August, Gothberg Farms turns fifteen and shows no signs of slowing down!

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Caleb Boon, Mount Vernon Christian High School

Caleb Boon is the son of Steve and Melinda Boon and a senior at Mount Vernon Christian School. He is a respected leader in his community and this fall his peers chose him to be the recipient of the Mount Vernon Christian Heart of Service Award for his reputation for serving others.  

The son of dairy farmers, Caleb is no stranger to hard work. From a young age he could be found around the farm scraping, pressure-washing or catching a ride in a tractor with his dad, uncle or grandfather. When he was old enough to drive, he began planting corn, driving truck and generally pitching in on anything he was assigned.

While Caleb relishes his time on his family’s farm in the Skagit Valley, he deeply values education and is looking forward to beginning classes at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa in the fall. He will take part in the college’s new Pro-Tech Program; a weekly balance of three days in the classroom and two days in a paid internship on a local farm.

Caleb’s plan is to graduate with a degree in Farm Operations and Management and return home to the Skagit Valley to continue working alongside his family.

2018

Community Legacy in Agriculture Award – Alan Osberg

 Allan Osberg’s family roots run deep in the Skagit Valley, resulting in one of the most important investments in the future, and continued success, of Skagit agriculture.

 Allan’s grandfather, Olof Olson, brought his family from Sweden to the Pacific Northwest in 1905 after learning of the region’s fertile soil. In 1912, the family settled in the Skagit Valley and purchased 22 acres of prime farmland for $6,000 and built a house one year later. That same house, known as the Olson House, was purchased and renovated nearly 100 years later through a partnership between SPF, WSU Research Station, Skagit County Farm Bureau and the Osbergs.

The Olson House is now graduate student housing for WSU-NWREC, while the adjacent farmland is used for research—demonstrating a partnership between higher education and agriculture that protects farmland and the future of agricultural research.

 Allan’s commitment to the future of Skagit agriculture doesn’t stop there. He and his wife Inger have committed substantial funds towards the preservation of farmland along the I-5 corridor—some of the most threatened farmland in Washington State.

Innovation in Agriculture Award –  Ray de Vries

Ray de Vries wasn’t born in the Skagit Valley, but he is definitely part of what makes this valley a special place. Born in the Netherlands, Ray’s family immigrated to the U.S, settling in Mount Vernon when Ray was seven. His father Ralph was a dairy farmer, but Ray didn’t share his father’s love of farming at the time, so he became a shop teacher and moved to Iowa.

 It wasn’t until 1988 that Ray got involved in the family farm, to help his dad with his “out-of-control” retirement vegetable garden—now known as Ralph’s Greenhouse. The most important aspect of his farm are the people who work there. Ray strives for year-round work to provide year-round job for workers, which means their children don’t have to change schools and are more likely to graduate.

 The farm has stability, but more importantly the families have stability. Ray has also developed methods to stretch growing seasons to provide more work and has added about 100 goats to the farm to create jobs during the slow season. There’s very little on the farm that hasn’t been touched by innovation—whether it’s something mechanical, something growing, or simply prioritizing what’s important. An educator, a pioneer, an innovator, Ray de Vries is a shining example of Skagit agriculture at its best

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Emily Hurlbutt, Sedro-Woolley High School

Emily Hurlbutt , a senior at Sedro-Woolley High School, maintains a 3.8 grade point average while managing a busy schedule—academically and agriculturally. Emily is the President of her high school FFA Club, participates in her school’s Floriculture Design Team and has been involved on the SWHS Logging Rodeo Team for the past four years.  

Emily takes great pride in her care of animals, raising a variety of farm animals for as long as she can remember. In addition to her work with animals, Emily also finds time to give back to her community through a number of volunteer opportunities with WoodFest, Peacehealth and North Cascades Institute.

After graduating, Emily’s goal is to pursue a degree in Agribusiness Management and expand the small business she started in high school.

2017

Community Legacy in Agriculture Award – Mary Margaret Haugen

Senator Mary Margaret Haugen has a lifetime of service on her resume. Fortunately for us, some of her most far-reaching accomplishments have been to the substantial benefit of Skagit agriculture.

Senator Haugen has left an indelible mark on Skagit agriculture during her 10 years as a State Representative and 20 years as a State Senator. Among her long list of legislative accomplishments,

Senator Haugen served on the Agriculture & Rural Economic Development Committee, created the Office of Farmland Preservation, sponsored significant legislation for the Skagit County digester, and was a leader in tide-gate legislation, working with farmers, tribes and local governments.

She sponsored the Growth Management Act, a keystone piece of legislation that directed 80% of future growth into municipal boundaries, and created legal requirements to protect farmland of long-term commercial significance. She also wrote legislation that created our state’s only Agricultural Scenic Corridor, from Bow Hill to Conway Hill.

Senator Haugen has made a tremendous impact on agriculture in the Skagit Valley and Puget Sound region!

Innovation in Agriculture Award –  Debbie Inglis

Dr. Debra Ann Inglis has been a quiet champion for Skagit agriculture for decades. As a Professor of Plant Pathology at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, she is one of our country’s leaders in plant pathology and disease research. I

For nearly 30 years, Debbie’s research has focused on the biology and management of diseases that affect western Washington’s fresh market and processing vegetable industries—which is critical for the 80+ specialty crops grown here in the Skagit Valley. Her pioneering disease research has made a significant impact on our local potato industry, helping to ensure its economic viability.

Between 2004 and 2008, Dr. Inglis served as Interim Director at WSU- NWREC in Mount Vernon and oversaw the major revitalization of the Center. This included the renovation of the Olsen House for grad student housing, building the new facility with offices, labs, auditorium and demonstration kitchen, as well as bringing the Agricultural Research & Technology Building online.

Achievement in Agriculture Award – Juliana LeClair, Mount Vernon Christian High School

Juliana LeClair, a senior at Mount Vernon Christian High School, maintains a 4.0 GPA while volunteering for her school, her church and working on her family’s 350-cow dairy farm.

Juliana has already made her mark on Skagit agriculture, serving as the Sunshine Dairy 4-H Club President, volunteering at the Skagit County Fair as a Vet Assistant, serving as the reigning Skagit County Dairy Ambassador and former Washington State Jersey Queen alternate, winning the 2016 Washington State Dairy Fitting & Showing Champion Award, and much more.

 In addition to agricultural activities, Juliana makes it a priority to be actively engaged in her school and her church, where she has served three years on Student Council at MVCHS, participated in National Honors Society, co-organized a fundraiser for human trafficking victims, and assisted at the school auction. Juliana has furthered developed her leadership skills by mentoring younger members of her 4-H Club, and volunteering in her church nursery and Children in Worship program.

Juliana plans to attend Washington State University where she plans to major in Agricultural and Food Business Economics and minor in Animal Sciences. She also hopes to one day own a dairy farm.

2016

2015