Gretchen Garth Sees Sustainable Agriculture as Essential to the Future

Editor's Note: Changes in tax law and the economic downturn have forced Woodinville to tighten its budget. In the past five years, the city has seen a 30 percent decline in sales tax and property tax growth.

With the economy still sluggish it is difficult for cities to plan for the future. So what’s a city to do? How can a city develop and attract investors into the community. What type of development should be courted?

In an attempt to answer some of those questions, Woodinville Patch is launching this series asking business owners, civic leaders and the community where the future of Woodinville lies.

Patch sat down with Gretchen Garth, board president of an organization that supports sustainable agriculture. 21 Acres just had its open house for its new on 171^st Street. The building is meant to be the a regional center to promote locally grown food and sustainable living.

Garth spoke with Patch about her perspectives on the future of Woodinville.

Patch: What has been the best change or changes in Woodinville over the last 30 years?
Gretchen Garth: I think the people that have been involved in trying to move things forward. Hal Hart [Development Service Director for Woodinville], for sure, [he] came from Bellingham and has just given a lot of foresight to Woodinville, I think. And of course, the first mayor, Lucy DeYoung, was wonderful in what she wanted for the community — it was very community-based, pedestrian (friendly). I think we’re inching our way along, but I think, who knows how the future will be?

Patch: Have the goals of people in the community changed?
Gretchen Garth: I think they always had wonderful, high expectations for how things would be, and that they’re able to do some of it, which is good if we get the ideals out there. But it really is a community for people with a mix of business in there.

Patch: Has Woodinville become more of a community for people?
Gretchen Garth: (Shakes head) No, I think it’s a city.

Patch: Do you see that as more of a positive or negative thing?
Gretchen Garth: More of a negative thing.

Patch: How successful can an organization like yours be in a city?
Gretchen Garth: Well, technically we’re in King County, and so we’re not really within the boundaries of Woodinville. We work with them, but there’s so many hoops to go through.

Patch: What are the biggest challenges facing the city now?
Gretchen Garth: Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t pay much attention to what the city’s doing. I used to go to council meetings all the time and pay attention. I just never felt those processes were really acknowledged. You know, they’d have consultants come and collect information through the high schools and individuals. For years, we would do that — go through these different processes. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of information gathered and then the city councils or whomever wouldn’t do anything with it. It would be business as usual.

So I just really have stopped paying attention, and just pay attention to this work here (at 21 Acres) because I think it’s going to meet some of the needs people have around food and questions they have about energy and different ways of transportation and infrastructure that supports that.

Patch: What are some of the challenges that 21 Acres is going to help solve?
Gretchen Garth: Mostly, replacing some of the infrastructure that we’ve lost through the years. When our food became industry, which to me is the kiss of death — you saw what happened in the music industry — when everything became so impersonal and large-scale volume that we lost the quality. We’re sort of the opposite way of globalization. We just want to do things locally, carefully, quietly with quality.

Patch: With your proximity to Woodinville, where do you see 21 Acres fitting in? Are you a separate entity or will you be integrated?
Gretchen Garth: Probably separate entity. Even though the city in their long-term planning looked at opening up Garden Way — this in their estimation was the south anchor. Again, we’re not into the volumes that would open up, not interested in the busloads of people coming. (We’re) just interested in teaching and thinking and experimenting and a place to reconnect with where our food comes from. It’s very different, so I would say it’s more separate.

Patch: Are the problems facing Woodinville unique to Woodinville or are they shared across the Eastside area?
Gretchen Garth: Eastside area. And the country. I think we’ve compartmentalized the society to better manage it and I don’t think that works. People in Woodinville mean well, but it’s just the way we’re doing things right now.

Patch: Is there hope for a city like Woodinville to buck the trend and change?
Gretchen Garth: Sure. They’d have to see where we need to go. I think a lot of people do understand that and realize relationships are important, businesses are important. Transportation choices are important. (They need to) look at this more regionally — what’s really happening — and then (get) people in there to really problem solve.

Patch: What will be unrecognizable about Woodinville if the trends continue?
Gretchen Garth: I really don’t see how things will change much. I don’t see people doing anything different.

Patch: Do you see yourself having any part in Woodinville’s future?
Gretchen Garth: No, I don’t think there’s anything I can do that would be helpful. I did that for a long time, many years. We’re just going to start all over here.