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On January 1, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 643-2025, which updates the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, map, and Title 17 (Zoning). Known as the Year of the Rural , these changes show the County’s strong commitment to supporting agriculture, working lands, and rural communities. The ordinance confirms that agriculture remains a core rural land use, strengthens planning policies that support farming, and ensures existing agricultural operations remain leg

Dear Ag Partners ,  We want to thank everyone who signed our petition encouraging the Kitsap County Board of County Commissioners to seat an Agriculture Advisory Council immediately. Your support and engagement truly made a difference! The petition is now closed, and all signatures and comments have been formally submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for review.  We are grateful to have you standing with us in support of agriculture in Kitsap County and we

Dear Ag Partners, Happy Giving Tuesday! We’re reaching out to you with gratitude — and a simple ask. Today is a wonderful opportunity to support the nonprofits and charities that help make Kitsap such a vibrant and caring community. Whether it’s a food bank, a school, an environmental organization, or any group that speaks to your heart, your generosity truly matters. And while we’re always grateful for your support of KCAA, today is really about giving back to the wider co

Dear Ag Partners, The Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance is looking for community members who are excited about supporting agriculture to join our Board of Directors. We currently have openings for a Board Secretary and a few Members at Large . About us: The KCAA is Kitsap's longest-standing agricultural nonprofit, built by local farmers nearly 20 years ago. We are a board of volunteers who envision a vibrant community sustained by a thriving local food system - and th

On Monday, November 24, the Board of County Commissioners began deliberations on the Year of the Rural deliverables, including the long-awaited formation of an Agriculture Advisory Council. Below is KCAA’s letter to the BOCC, submitted alongside a petition and 116 signatures collected over the past 48 hours. The petition remains open and continues to grow. Click here to add your name — and any comments you would like shared with the BOCC!

Dear Ag Partners, After months of public input, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners is preparing to begin deliberations on updates to the agriculture code as part of the Growth Management Act review. One of the most important components of these updates is the long-awaited creation of an Agriculture Advisory Council (AAC) . This council would include members from across our agriculture and equine communities and would provide essential, informed guidance to County leade

Kitsap County DCD has released the Year of the Rural Deliverables Comment Form. The public comment period was 9/24/25 - 11/10/25. Click here to review the concerns and feedback submitted by fellow constituents regarding the Draft and Draft 2.0 code updates, as well as the proposed changes to the Rural and Resource Lands chapter of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan.

On Monday, November 10th, the KCAA Board showed up in numbers to comment on the proposed changes to the Year of the Rural 2.0 Deliverables Draft. The public hearing was held at the Kitsap County Commissioners’ Hearing Room in Port Orchard, and KCAA Board President, Bob Geballe, read KCAA's official statement to the Board of County Commissioners. Board Members Karissa Holcombe, Jeremy Anunson, and Scott Hall also made comments as individual stakeholders. You can read KCAA's pu

Kitsap County's Department of Community Development (DCD) has released their 2.0 DRAFT updates of the Comp Plan's Rural and Resource Lands Chapter, as well as the updated draft Agricultural Code. Below are our comments. Written and Prepared by Scott Hall and Bob Geballe 1. Comments on Description of the Function of the Agriculture Advisory Council – Rural and Resource Lands Strategy 5.c. Recommendation: The wording in the draft 2.0 YOTR document be changed to the following

On October 13, 2025, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners voted to postpone the Equestrian Facility Code update until 2026. This decision separates the equestrian code from the broader Year of the Rural project to allow more time for discussion, community engagement, and thoughtful refinement. This means that in 2025, the County and community can focus fully on other Year of the Rural topics—such as farmland protection, rural character, and rural economic development—whi

On Tuesday, September 23, the Kitsap County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed draft of the agriculture section of...

Kitsap County's Department of Community Development (DCD) has released their DRAFT updates of the Comp Plan's Rural and Resource Lands Chapter, as well as the updated draft Agricultural Code. Below are our comments. 🌾 KCAA Comments on Kitsap County’s YOTR Draft Plans: Background: Kitsap County’s Year of the Rural (YOTR) initiative is meant to highlight the value of rural communities, strengthen protections for working lands, and help the County comply with the state’s Gro

This year, the Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) proudly contributed their annual donation toward each entry at the 2025...

The Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) is proud to announce the publication of our first book, History of the Petersen Farm...

The Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) was proud to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the Kitsap Agritourism Coalition for the...

Our friends at Eat Local First have published the long-waited farm tour video that they took last year! Please help us share this video...

On June 9, 2025, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners made major decisions on rural rezone requests as part of the Year of the Rural...

In 2025, the Kitsap County Department of Community Development (DCD) began updating the Rural Lands Element of its 2024 Comprehensive...

In May 2025, the Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) made another generous donation to Kitsap Fresh in recognition of its...

On Saturday, April 19, Friends of the Farms hosted the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art - bringing...