Each Spring I begin to look forward to the opening of our local farmer’s markets. I love to have my own small organic vegetable garden, but I really LOVE heading to a market to buy such an incredible array of fresh veggies, fruits, honey, flowers, breads, cheese and so much more. We are so blessed in the Pacific Northwest. We have a moderate climate and a long season for crops. Snohomish county has an abundance of farms and I want to do my part to support our local farmers. Eating local not only makes for a healthier diet, but think of the gas and pollution saved when trucks are not having to bring our crops in from across the country. Don’t forget to grab your cloth bags before you head out.

Here is a guide to the markets scattered throughout our county:

Arlington Farmers Market (Legion Park)   June-Oct     Sat 9-2pm
Description: The Arlington Farmers Market is a fantastic market set in Legion Park in recently renovated downtown Arlington. This market features fresh produce, flowers, crafts, prepared food, and other entertainment.
Location: Legion Park, 200 N Olympic Ave, Downtown Arlington 360-435-9272

Country Village Farmers Market, Bothell
23718 Bothell-Everett Highway
June 3rd – September 30th
Fri. 12pm – 6pm

Darrington Open-Air Market

June – September      Saturday 10-3        Seeman St., Darrington

Edmonds Museum Garden Market
5th Ave. N. & Bell Street
May 7th – June 25th
Sat. 9am – 3pm

Edmonds Summer Market
5th & Main
July 2nd – October 1st
Sat. 9am – 3pm

Everett (Waterfront)
1600 W. Marine View Dr.
June 5th – September 25th
Sun. 11am – 4pm

Granite Falls Open-Air Market on Getchell

June – September          Saturday 11-4  Old fashioned country farmers market

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Lake Forest Park Farmers Market
Lake Forest Town Center
May 8th – October 9th
Sun. 11am – 4pm

Lake Stevens Farmers Market
Downtown Lake Stevens
June – August
Thu. 5pm – Sunset

Marysville Farmers Market
Tulalip Amphitheater
June – September
Thu. 10am – 3pm

Monroe Farmers Market
Parking lot next to Monroe Historical Museum, 200  & Main Street
June – September
Tuesday 2-7

Monroe River Valley Farmers Market

May-October  Saturday & Sunday 11-5

Description: Local produce and products. Gourmet jellies, seafood, gourmet nuts and jewelry. Plants, flowers, wine and beer tasting room, live entertainment.
Location: 19829 168th St SE, Monroe

Mountlake Terrace Farmers Market May 20 - Oct     Fri 3-7pm
Description: Local farm fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and more.
Location: in front of the MLT Civic Campus at 23208 56th Ave W.

Mukilteo Farmers Market
609 Front Street
June 1st – September 28th
Wed. 3pm – 7pm

Snohomish Farmers Market
1st & Cedar
May 6th – September 30th
Thu. 3pm – 7:30pm

South County Farmers Market
Maltby Rd & 39thth Ave SE
June – September
Wed. 4pm – Dusk

Woodinville Farmers Market

Saturdays from 9  to 3

In the street on 133rd Ave NE

just south of the Carol Edwards Center in front of City Hall

Seattle Area Real Estate

During the past 5 years, no major county in the United States had a greater increase in personal income growth than Snohomish County. Isn’t it time for you to make a move to a county that is moving and shaking?

“This is not by accident,” says Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “We’ve made the conscious effort to make Snohomish County the most competitive county in the state.”

Snohomish County’s personal income expanded by 40%, the largest 5 year increase among major counties. Reardon’s efforts are not just to create jobs, but high paying jobs that allow families to send their children to college. In 2009, Snohomish County residents earned a total of $30.3 billion dollars, according to research conducted by the American City Business Journals. That was an increase from $29.8 billion dollars in 2008.

For a complete look at the report, click here.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Earth Day 2011 is a great opportunity to give back to our beautiful earth by volunteering to clean up a public beach or park, plant trees or native plants, plan an activity that brings awareness to the importance of taking care of our planet or use your imagination to plan a fun event or activity in your neighborhood.

In Snohomish County, we have an opportunity to choose from different events being held on different days and at different locations, including those listed below:

Earth Day Celebration of the Allen/Quilceda Watershed: Come celebrate Earth Day with friends and family by planting trees, removing invasive species, and spreading mulch at Jennings Nature Park! Contact Jacob Zarate to register for this event at 425-508-6709 or jacob.zarate@snoco.org.

• Date & Time: Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Location: Jennings Nature Park, 5315 64^th St. NE, Marysville

Earth Day Work Party with Friends of Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary: Please join us for an Earth Day work party at Narbeck Wetlands Park, including removing invasive plants, trimming alders to preserve views, refreshing the parking lot planting beds and more. Contact Jim Maynard with questions at 425-388-5108.

• Date & Time: Saturday, April 16, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Location: Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary Park, 6920 Seaway Boulevard, Everett

Ivy-Out at Meadowdale Park: Volunteers will work in partnership with the Snohomish County Parks Department to remove invasive ivy. Contact Doug Dailer with questions at 425-508-6618.

• Date & Time: Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Location: 6026 156th St. SW, Edmonds

Spring Recreation Expo: Jump start your spring and summer by exploring everything you need to know or have for a great outdoor or backyard adventure. For more information, contact Brenda Granstrom at 360-805-6707 or click here.

• Date & Time: Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Location: Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave. SE, Monroe

Earth Day Weekend! – Snohomish – Receive a FREE plant with purchase
4/22/2011 – 4/24/2011
Contact: Tiffini
Location: McAuliffe’s Valley Nursery 11910 Springetti Road Snohomish
Phone: 360-862-1323
info@mcauliffesvalleynursery.com

Earth Day in Snohomish, Washington Click the link for all of the activities that will take place all day April 22, 2011 in the city of Snohomish

Navel Station Everett Recycling Earth Day Fair:

POC:
Denise Lesniak
(425) 304-3071
denise.lesniak@navy.mil

I am sure that there will be many other local events and celebrations for Earth Day 2011 around Snohomish County. Remember, April is Earth Month.

If you know of an event or activity, please feel free to post it by commenting on this post.

Thank you!

Seattle Area Real Estate

Snohomish County Real Estate Statistics  March 2011

Spring is the perfect time to start planning a move. Are you a first time home buyer? You could not have picked a better time to become a home owner. Are your children grown and living on their own? Maybe it’s time to downsize. Even though you will only get fair market value for your current home, if you buy another home in the same or similar market, the savings will be evident. Is your family growing? Smaller, less expensive homes are selling quicker – this gives you an advantage when selling.

Spring is the perfect time to spruce up your home for the market. We had a harsh winter and our outdoor spaces show it.  Road appeal is more important now than ever before. Landscaping adds real dollar value to a property and makes it stand out among the competition. Look for my blog post on landscape and outdoor space tips and tricks in early April.

Arlington Real Estate Statistics:

Bothell Real Estate Statistics:

Everett  Real Estate Statistics:

Granite Falls Real Estate Statistics:

Lake Stevens Real Estate Statistics:

Lynnwood Real Estate Statistics:

Marysville Real Estate Statistics:

Mill Creek Real Estate Statistics:

Monroe Real Estate Statistics:

Mukilteo Real Estate Statistics:

Snohomish Real Estate Statistics:

Stanwood Real Estate Statistics:

*Active listings are the exact number of active listings for the respective city and Pending, Sold, Canceled, and Expired range back 180 days

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From the desk of Snohomish County’s Aaron Reardon, I thought this was well worth sharing:

Recently released data from the 2010 U.S. Census shows Snohomish County’s population has grown nearly 18 percent since the last official count was taken in 2000.

The official number for 2010 is 713,335 residents versus 606,024 people in 2000.

While Snohomish County maintained a steady population increase during “boom years,” statistics show that more people moved to the county during the recent financial downturn.

“Our greatest growth came during the years of the Great Recession, a direct result of our fiscal discipline and ability to make infrastructure improvements during that time,” Reardon said. “When you consider our quality of life, natural environment and the fact that we’re a lower cost county in terms of taxes and fees than other counties, it’s obvious that Snohomish County is in a class all its own.”

A leader in global aeronautics and home to a U.S. Naval base, Snohomish County is a major employer in the state and across the nation. It also boasts world-class attractions such as the Everett Events Center – home to hockey’s Everett Silvertips and the national champion Stealth Lacrosse team – and the Tulalip Resort and Conference Center. Access to the Cascade Mountains, saltwater and more than 10,000 acres of county owned park land also make Snohomish County a place worth living.

City development also is improving quality of life. Everett remains the county’s largest city, but the city of Marysville is now the 15^th largest city in the state – home to more than 60,000 residents – and the city of Lake Stevens has more than quadrupled in size during the last decade.

“It’s easy to see why people want to live, work and play in Snohomish County,” Reardon said. “We bring together the best of many worlds.”

To view U.S. Census data, click here.

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Everett is the largest city in Snohomish county. Snohomish county has been striving for many years to keep it’s farming and farmers economically viable.

The announcement for a marketplace comes less than a year after the creation of the Snohomish County Growers Alliance, a farmer-led initiative with support from County Executive Reardon.

The Alliance’s top objective has been to create a farmers’ market and distribution center for locally produced products. It’s also a direct outcome of Reardon’s 2004 Ag Initiative, the annual Focus on Farming conferences and last year’s Ag Sustainability Project report, which called for the creation of a locally driven farmers’ market.

It was announced yesterday that a 60,000 square-foot agriculture center will house a full-time, year-round indoor farmers’ market, commercial kitchen and processing facility as well as farm-product distribution hub. The facility, on Grand Avenue between Hewitt Avenue and Wall Street in downtown Everett and near the Everett Public Market, will anchor a 180-unit housing project being constructed by Dargey Enterprises.

The Grand Avenue project is cutting edge in the world of farmers’ markets and is unique in its features, which includes a large commercial kitchen that agricultural producers can use on site to make products to sell at the market or load on delivery trucks. Operated by the nonprofit Snohomish County Growers Alliance, the agriculture center will offer residents and shoppers farm-fresh and high-quality local meat, dairy and produce as well as value-added products created onsite solely from local farm crops.

Products at the market are likely to include fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, pears, peas, beans, arugula; locally butchered beef, lamb and goat; dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream; as well as more specialized products including fresh-cut and dried flowers, local honey, soaps, beer and wine. The marketplace is expected to offer 90 retail spaces to large and small direct-to-market farm producers. More than a dozen farmers already have asked to reserve a space. In addition, café-style and full-service restaurants will be strategically located throughout the marketplace.

The market is set to open Spring of 2012. I know that I can’t wait and hope that many others feel the excitement and will do their part to support our local farmers. Eating locally produced foods benefits everyone – better nutrition, better for the environment and better for the region as a whole.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Approximately 61,000 tons of recyclable plastic bags and film are thrown into King County’s landfill every year.

No matter how hard we all try to remember our reusable bags, the fact is that most people still have a collection of plastic bags at home.

Participating “Bag your Bags! Bring ‘em Back” retailers include Fred Meyer, QFC, Safeway, Top Food & Drug, Town & Country Markets, Metropolitan Market and the Duvall Family Grocer.

And don’t forget to bring your reusable bags when you shop. A great way to remember them is to leave them in your car in a visable spot or hang them on the same hook as your coat or car keys.

Here is a short video on why it is so important to recycle plastic bags.

Seattle Area Real Estate

I love the Point Gardner area of Everett. There are three distinct residential communities – Rucker Hill, Grand Hill and Longfellow – as well as a thriving retail and business district.

The western portion of Point Gardner was one of the first residential neighborhoods in Everett. Over the years the simple bungalows and cottages were replaced with more architecturally elaborate homes as higher income families moved into the community. Many homes have been updated but have kept their roots obvious making for a wonderful bounty of architectural styles. The famous mansion perched atop the hill overlooking Port Gardener Bay was built in 1903 by the Rucker family. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The homes built below the mansion are part of the Grand Hill and Rucker districts. Fall is a wonderful time to take a walking tour to view these incredible turn-of-the-century homes as well as magnificent gardens and the bay and mountains. Another great fall walk is around Grand Hill. The magnificent big leaf maples planted around 1910 line the sidewalks and form a canopy over the street. As the leaves turn crimson red and bright orange, it is a spectacular sight!

Not only does Port Gardner include some of Everett’s most historic and lovely homes, it is also known for it’s retail, waterfront and restaurant offerings. The historic Monte Cristo Hotel built in 1925 is home to the Arts Council of Snohomish County and Center for the Arts, Smashed Tomatoes Italian Cafe and residential housing on the upper floors.

Everett Station is the county’s primary transportation hub for train and bus travel. In addition, it  offers residents and visitors a unique look into the history of Everett through its informative and beautiful artwork.

Nature lovers can tour the Forgotten Creek Ravine, a neighborhood-sponsored restoration project. From here it is a short walk to the newish Pigeon Creek Trail that leads to the beach. One of the best spots to watch a beautiful Pacific Northwest sunset is from the Warren Street Outlook on Rucker Hill.

Saving Forgotten Creek Ravine (This is a great video on the restoration done at Forgotten Creek. Enjoy!)

Port Gardner Wharf is a 65 acre waterfront parcel owned by the city of Everett. The parcel is adjacent to the largest public marina on the West Coast. It is bordered by Waterfront Center, due to open next month.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Raccoons are really cute to look at, there is no doubt about that.

The trouble is that some folks find them so adorable that they begin feeding them. This is a bad idea!

The Department of Wildlife office in Mill Creek, serving the greater Snohomish county region, receives thousands of complaints every year ranging from raccoons attacking pets or challenging people to neighbors feeding them to eating ones harvests and even rolling and digging up lawns looking for grubs. According to the office, this year is even more of a concern because the raccoons have been carrying distemper, a deadly illness to cats and dogs. They also can carry rabies and their feces contain a parasite that can be deadly to humans.

The Department of Wildlife has been attempting to push a bill through the state to make it illegal to feed wild animals.

I can speak from personal experience about the havoc that raccoons can create. I have a neighbor that has decided that they can domesticate raccoons. They feed them daily food that is not even meant for the cute critters. The raccoons have multiplied over the years coming to eat easy food. They have challenged me on my own patio, I can no longer leave my dog out to sunbathe unless I stand guard and my beautiful garden beds are daily dug up and full of raccoon feces. The raccoons walk around during the daytime and have lost their normal cycles.

Not only should one not feed raccoons, one must not leave pet food outside. If pet food is left out, a welcome mat might as well be put out for these pesky critters.

Fish and Wildlife department biologist Chris Anderson said he, too, is concerned about the problems caused by the animals, as well as for the welfare of the raccoons.
“Wild animals should be kept wild,” Anderson said. “We need to be proactive by not encouraging their bad behavior, like losing their fear of humans.”

Watching raccoons from a distance, eliminating food attractions around the house and providing native vegetation and open spaces should help humans and raccoons maintain a more natural relationship, Anderson said.

“Preventive measures usually, eventually, work, and the raccoons move along,” Anderson said. “But it needs to be a community effort. You may need to spread the word throughout your neighborhood.”

If the measures don’t seem to work, people are encouraged to call the Department of Fish and Wildlife to get advice and assistance. Sometimes that means the department will refer people to licensed animal control experts.
The trappers catch and then are required to euthanize the raccoons, said trapper John Consolini, owner of Northwest Nuisance Wildlife Control.

“They don’t survive being trapped and dumped elsewhere,” Consolini said. “They walk in circles and die of stress. It’s more humane to put them down.”

So, please don’t feed the raccoons. A lesson I hope my neighbors learn.

For details on how to control a raccoon problem, please visit:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/raccoons.html#conflicts

Seattle Area Real Estate

Cold weather is just around the corner. Fall is a great time to schedule your heating system service call. Not only is it important for the integrity of the system, it can also save money and energy.

Furnace manufacturers usually recommend an annual service but this is one expense that a cash strapped home owner might be tempted to put off until tomorrow. There are good reasons, however, to have your furnace serviced:

Regular servicing can reduce repair bills.

Regular servicing can extend the life of the furnace.

1. Safety: Oil and gas furnaces burn fossil fuel with can produce deadly carbon monoxide. Also, where there is flammable fuel fire is always a possibility.

2. Efficiency: Fuel bills for running a furnace can be really high. Keeping the system tuned up will allow it to run more efficiently and thereby cost less to operate.

3. Reducing repair bills: Sometimes things go wrong because the furnace is not working well due to the build-up of dirt, dust or because of part failing or wearing out. Filters not being changed often enough can also make the system run harder. Keeping things running in tip top condition will put less strain on the various parts of the furnace.

When you schedule your furnace service call, the following is the minimum that should be done:

A. Check the over all condition of the furnace.

B. Check whether it is installed correctly and working properly.

C. Check if it is working safely.

D. Test for leaks.

E. Test the gas pressure.

F. Test emissions to find out whether carbon monoxide is being produced.

G. Check valves and pumps.

H. Check that the flue gasses are able to escape via the vent or chimney.

In addition, some furnaces will involve far more cleaning than others, especially older models and oil furnaces.

Finally, when you decide to sell your home, it will be a real asset to have regular tune up records to provide the buyers. Many buyers will ask for a furnace to be inspected and serviced prior to closing. With regular servicing you won’t have any big surprises when time is of the essence.

Seattle Area Real Estate