About NWREC
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 | 360-848-6120
WSU Mount Vernon NWREC is located in the Skagit Valley of northwestern Washington, midway between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C. The region is well known for its scenic beauty, the Cascade Mountain Range, and Puget Sound. The immediate five-county area supports a diverse agriculture, including dairy and livestock industries, and the production of over 60 fresh-market and processing crops on roughly more than 100,000 acres. Blueberries, red raspberries, strawberries; cabbage, spinach, table beet and more than 20 other vegetable and grass seed crops; cucumbers, green peas, red and yellow potatoes, and specialty vegetables; apple and grape and other specialty fruit cultivars; tulips, daffodils and irises; turf, nursery and greenhouse crops; and, various small grain crops flourish here because of the rich soils and mild, marine climate. WSU Mount Vernon receives support from the allied agricultural and horticultural industries, small farmers, and garden enthusiasts. Preservation of open space and farmland in an urbanizing environment is a key issue for the region.
History
WSU Mount Vernon NWREC is one of four off-campus WSU Research Centers operated by the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. Established in 1947, WSU Mount Vernon has a long tradition of serving western Washington’s agricultural and horticultural communities. During the early years of WWII, WSU and USDA scientists working in the area were able to successfully control devastating diseases of beet and cabbage that were being grown for seed. Impressed by the value of research-based information, the community, including farmers, seed companies, processing firms and civic groups raised funds for a permanent facility.
Facilities
The research facilities at WSU Mount Vernon NWREC include the 20,000 square foot Agricultural Research & Technology Building (ARTB) built in 2006 containing office space and laboratory facilities. The Ruth Wiley Headhouse was added in 2021, providing additional office and lab facilities for soils research. The center has approximately 6,000 square feet of greenhouse space and is currently working to erect a new greenhouse. Field research is conducted on 80+ acres of research fields, including cider apples, blueberry and raspberry. There are five acres certified organic, and seven acres in transition to organic. An additional eight acres is maintained by volunteer groups and includes public gardens and an orchard of heritage apple varieties. Applied field research is also conducted at many on-farm locations in Northwestern Washington.
Research
The Center houses nine research programs, extension outreach, and research affiliates. Cooperative research between scientists at WSU Mount Vernon NWREC and other sites, as well as regional, national and international collaboration, enhances the work of all. Currently, collaborative projects on alternative crops, bio-degradable mulches, high tunnel systems, pest and disease control measures for conventional and organic production systems, riparian buffers, specialty fruits and vegetables, and various bio-fuel crops are generating results that are applicable throughout the Pacific Northwest. Cooperative and interdisciplinary research activities involve personnel in WSU’s Northwest Extension District, other WSU locations in the state, faculty at other universities, and various public agencies, organizations and volunteer groups. Research activities are funded by grants obtained from local, regional, national, and international sources.