Highlights as of December 2025:

Beekeeping has been relocated inside the fence near recreation to improve access

Partners:

Mother Earth Farm, Little Earthe Farm, Tacoma Community College, Washington Master Beekeepers

Highlights as of December 2025:

17 students enrolled in Horticulture will earn 55 credits through Tacoma Community College including 3 support classes (English 101, Business Math, and leadership) for full certifications. Horticulture students seeded, grew, harvested and delivered 8300 lbs. of vegetables for prison kitchen. Floral was unable to provide decoration services for the Governor or special events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Partners:

Tacoma Community  College, WSU Extension, Pierce County (Master Gardeners)

Highlights as of December 2025:

Maintain 2 electric vehicles

Highlights as of December 2025:

Horticulture has been working with 3 Pierce County Master Gardener (PCMG) volunteers mentoring students in the gardens. These volunteers are also members of the Horticulture Advisory Board. We have partnered with Cedar Creek and Tacoma Tagro as board members. Received a $1,500 grant from PCMG for hydroponic system in the greenhouse.

Partners:

Tacoma Community College, WSU Extension, Pierce County

Highlights as of December 2025:

Last year, composted 158+ tons of food waste. Program temporarily suspended for construction, operating for two months before being suspended again due to COVID-19. 14+ tons of compost yielded in two months.

Highlights as of December 2025:

Continued replacement of fluorescent T8 lamps with LED lamps facility-wide as lamps burn out. Close to 75% replaced as of December 2020.

Highlights as of December 2025:

Temporarily suspended due to COVID-19; previous year offsite crew of 9 organic farm students grew vegetables for donation to 16 food pantries (quantities not available for 2019); formal education on 17 topics earns 9 credits from TCC

Partners:

Mother Earth Farm, Emergency Food Network, Tacoma Community College

Highlights as of December 2025:

Hanging baskets, perennial and annual pollinator-friendly flowers throughout facility; horticulture group planted additional ~4,000 flowering plants throughout the grounds

Highlights as of December 2025:

In past year, the crew cultivated ~65,000 prairie plants for habitat restoration, increased seed nursery to produce Viola adunca seed for federally endangered Silverspot butterfly on the Oregon coast; 30 workshops on restoration ecology

Partners:

CNLM, JBLM, WA DNR, WDFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friends of Puget Prairies, and Wolf Haven International

Highlights as of December 2025:

This is the first in-prison pet program in the country! In the past year, 32 dogs were trained, 11 companion animals were adopted, 7 service dogs were placed, and 18 incarcerated individuals were employed.

Area:

MSU

Highlights as of December 2025:

14,978 items were created and donated: 1,853 Tyvek gowns, 12,523 masks, 527 release bags, 66 quilts, and 9 sets of curtains for tiny houses.

Partners:

Community members donate supplies; LIHI and multiple non-profits/charities receive donations

Highlights as of December 2025:

Diverted 86+ tons of materials from waste stream to recycling. Program temporarily suspended for construction, restarted for two months, and then suspended again for COVID-19. In the two months of operation, 25+ tons of material recycled.

Area:

SPL