From the first commercial crop of cultivated potatoes in 1853, the Skagit Delta has been supplying the region, state, and world with nearly every crop imaginable. The Valley produces almost 95% of U.S. table beet seed (50% of the world supply), 75% of U.S. spinach seed, 25% of global cabbage seed stocks, and more tulip, daffodil, and iris bulbs that any other U.S. county.
Our farms also provide environmental services like climate and flood control, water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, open space and an enhanced quality of life. Thousands of Trumpeter and Tundra swans, Snow geese, raptors, and other wild birds rely on Skagit farmland.
In 2013, Washington State designated Skagit Valley as an Innovation Partnership Zone to enhance awareness of our unique agricultural character and rural community. The Genuine Skagit Valley program was born through a multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The goals of the Innovation Partnership Zone include:
The Innovation Partnership Zone facilitates partnerships among: researchers at Washington State University, Port of Skagit, Skagit County, City of Mount Vernon, Skagit Valley College, The Northwest Agriculture Business
Center (NABC), Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County, Northwest Innovation Resource
Center, farmers and entrepreneurs as well as many other organizations.
The Innovation Partnership Zone has developed and approved the regional identity and Certification Mark for our agricultural strategy; it is “Genuine Skagit Valley”. When we work together with a strategy, shared values
and connected experiences, the entire community benefts from increased economic opportunities as well as community pride, the power of a positive experience, and a “one-of-a-kind” genuine brand reputation.
