As the Evergreen State Fair swings into action on August 22, it's time to tip our hats to a local legacy in agriculture that has been cultivating our county's soil for over a century. Snohomish County will spotlight the contributions and enduring presence of the Stecher family with a special honor at 2 p.m. during the fair's opening ceremony, recognizing the family's unwavering commitment to farming for the last 135 years.
The Stechers, who have called their 40-acre expanse off Lowell-Larimer Road in Snohomish home for four generations, have become a testament to agricultural resilience and continuity; they have seen the land yield vegetables, dairy cows, beef cattle, and hay, fostering not just crops but facets of community sustenance, this according to Snohomish County's official website. While farming can be as unpredictable as the weather, the Stecher family has demonstrated how to weather these changes and maintain a foothold in a challenging industry.
"Agriculture has been a dominant feature of Snohomish County's fertile landscape since the county was founded in 1861, 28 years before Frank Stecher purchased the land his family still farms," Linda Neunzig, the county's Agricultural Coordinator, praised the family's generational efforts, as stated by the Snohomish County.
"Our farms and farmers are a vital part of our community,” Dave Somers said, as per Snohomish County. “By growing crops and raising livestock, they feed our families and strengthen our economy.." Somers acknowledged the hard work by generations of families like the Stechers that has been crucial in keeping agriculture robust in Snohomish County.
