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November 25, 2025
We are updating King County’s Local Food Initiative 10 years after its successful launch, expanding the roadmap that guides how our region grows, distributes, and accesses nutritious, locally grown food.
The refreshed plan responds to urgent, current challenges in the local food economy, from the rising cost of farmland and limited distribution infrastructure to increasing pressure from climate change. It builds on a decade of progress that improved access to farmland, helped small and historically underserved farmers grow their businesses, and connected more neighbors to healthy, locally grown food.
Developed in partnership with the King Conservation District and shaped by insights from more than 1,600 residents, the updated initiative centers equity and climate resilience. It identifies 10 immediate actions, including expanding local food markets, securing long-term funding for farm-to-community programs, improving farmland affordability, and helping farmers adopt climate-friendly and regenerative practices. The plan also strengthens alignment with other regional strategies, recognizing that a thriving food system and a healthy environment are inseparable.
As utility costs rise, regional leaders develop strategies to protect the environment without making housing even less affordable
With household utility costs projected to steadily increase over the next decade, Executive Braddock convened more than 150 elected officials, regulators, and public works leaders from across the region for the first Regional Utility Rate Summit. The gathering, co-hosted with Sound Cities Association, focused on how local elected officials and utilities can work together to protect the natural environment while easing the financial pressure on homeowners.
Today, a typical single-family household in King County pays about $400 each month for essential utilities — natural gas, electricity, solid waste, stormwater, sewer, and water. Rising construction costs, new environmental regulations, and the need to replace and maintain aging infrastructure mean that these monthly expenses are expected to continue climbing. The summit offered an opportunity to share strategies, identify shared challenges, and explore regional approaches to help stabilize costs.
You’re invited to watch a 3-minute video that provides an overview of the summit.
Brightwater partnership provides opportunities for local students to shine
At Brightwater Treatment Plant near Woodinville, students in Northshore School District’s Adults Transitioning to Independence program get real-world experience while helping care for the site’s 70 acres of wetlands, woodlands, flower gardens, trails, and art. The school district’s program serves between 40 and 50 young adults with special education needs, ages 18 to 22, who have finished high school and are building skills for life after school.
Each week during the school year, small crews of students come to Brightwater to participate in hands-on tasks like changing StoryWalk signs, weeding garden beds, and helping with landscaping. They follow daily task lists, practice making choices, and learn everyday skills like staying safe in the community, speaking up for themselves, and getting ready for jobs.
The partnership began in 2021, when Brightwater’s landscaping crew was short-staffed, and it has grown into a win-win: our employees get extra help maintaining the grounds, and students gain confidence, independence, and experience they can use in future jobs.
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How to stay informed and ready during flood season
As fall rains return, King County is experiencing some rivers move into early flood phases — and now is a good time to make sure you know what those phases mean and how to stay prepared. King County tracks local river conditions across seven waterways and uses a five-phase system to let people know what to expect, from early monitoring to severe flooding.
These phases are more localized than National Weather Service alerts, which means we can notify residents sooner when rivers start to rise. You can sign up for free Flood Alerts for your neighborhood, check real-time conditions on the King County Flood Warning App, and call the Flood Warning Center anytime for help understanding what a warning means for where you live.
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Social media spotlight
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Meet BK, short for Black Kitty. BK is the resident outdoor kitty at our South Treatment Plant in Renton. BK is a member of the .
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Steal the look: Local Food The 2025 Local Food Initiative provides local farmers with technical assistance and sustainable funding to bring their products to the community. Expanding access to fresh, whole, local foods.
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 As we wrap up the 2025 Salmon SEEson, we're taking a moment to acknowledge everything we do on land — like picking up pet waste, fixing oil leaks, and using natural lawn care — helps protect the water they depend on. It all flows into our streams and rivers.
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If you encounter paywalls or articles requiring a subscription, Seattle Public Library and the King County Library System offer ways to read magazines and newspapers with a library account.
To subscribe to the The Evergreen, or to manage settings, please click here.
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