Kent Nonprofit Wins $198,630 for Farm Stand Trail Plan
A state planning grant will fund design work for recreation improvements at the Green River Farm Stand site in Kent.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Hiking
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Living Well Kent Collaborative received a $198,630 state planning grant for improvements at the Green River Farm Stand site at 24918 Frager Road S. The state Recreation and Conservation Office awarded $2.1 million in planning grants to 15 organizations.
Why it matters
The grants target communities that lack adequate access to outdoor recreation and often lack the staff or resources to do planning. For Kent residents, the planning work positions the site for a possible future state development grant.
The program received 120 applications requesting more than $18 million and funded about 11% of applying projects. The grant covers contracted consultant services in design, feasibility, engineering, and cultural resources work, plus Living Well Kent staff time.
The players
Living Well Kent Collaborative
Living Well Kent is a nonprofit that operates the Kent Farmers Market, a greenhouse in Auburn, and farms in Kent and Sumner.
Recreation and Conservation Office
The Recreation and Conservation Office is the Washington state agency that administers outdoor recreation and conservation grant programs.
The details
The planned site work includes a community garden, picnic areas, an open gathering space with a stage or gazebo, and pedestrian connections to the Green River Trail. The project will produce conceptual site plans, a feasibility study, and an environmental and cultural resources survey, serving immigrant, refugee, and low-income residents of South King County.
Timeline
November 9, 2026: State announced the planning grants and Living Well Kent was awarded $198,630.
Seasonal Patterns
The Planning for Recreation Access program funds planning rather than construction, so this award is a first step in a multi-stage process. The state's 11% funding rate for applicants shows how competitive access to these planning dollars has been.
Residents near the Green River Trail may eventually see a community garden, picnic areas, and new trail connections at the Farm Stand site. Those improvements are not yet scheduled, since this grant funds planning and design only.
The takeaway
Planning grants like this one are often the first step toward trail and park improvements that can take years to complete. Readers interested in local trail access can watch for future state development funding for this site.
Further reading
Explore more trail access projects in our Hiking section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kent Reporter.
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