In October 2012, the Jefferson County community celebrated the donation of Twin Vista Ranch to Washington State University.
The 26-acre site, which was a strawberry farm in the 1920s, was purchased by Lisa Painter and Jeanne Clendenon in 1972. They raised cattle, chickens, bees, fruits and vegetables, and supplied food locally as well as to the nearby food cooperative.
After Clendenon died in 2011, Painter started looking for ways to protect the land from development and ensure it would continue to be managed organically and sustainably. She chose WSU and the Jefferson County Land Trust.
The farm sits on the Olympic Peninsula’s Marrowstone Island about 30 minutes south of Port Townsend. It will be managed by WSU’s Extension program in Jefferson County and will host a variety of educational and research activities.