I’ve lived and farmed for more than 25 years just one mile downstream from the former Tall Chief Golf course. In the article about the golf course property that ran (Nov. 18), county personnel stated they could not tell people how to farm. I wouldn’t do that either, but the Tall Chief property was purchased with public tax dollars. In selling the Tall Chief, the county first canvased the community to find out what we wanted to see the Tall Chief used for, establishing specific goals/expectations for the property.

Among these goals were that the use of the Tall Chief should be awarded to someone who had demonstrated a commitment to “sustainable and environmentally appropriate farming practices.”  Other goals were to “use the assets of Tall Chief Farm to increase the amount of locally produced food,” “to protect and restore the soil, water, and forest resources of the site through stewardship,” and especially that these uses would provide “broader community benefit in the Snoqualmie Valley or beyond.”

There was a proposal that would have achieved all these goals: The Seattle Tilth Proposal. Instead the selection committee, lacking Valley input, chose a single farm to be the sole beneficiary.

This decision is not yet final.  I would urge everyone to see a webpage created by people who want to see the county stick to the goals established by the citizens of our community.  To view both proposals, and to learn more, go to www.savetallchief.com.

Erick Haakenson

Fall City