Help Us Save Our Family Farm – Deschutes Valley Farms in Yelm, WA

“This whole lawsuit is just a way to try to shut a farm down… without actually coming out and saying, ‘We don’t want farming.’

This is our family farm.”

— Chuck Rogers

We are the Rogers family — Chuck, Austin, and our kids — and we’re fighting to keep our historic family farm alive.

Deschutes Valley Farms is the old Reichel place, land that has been farmed continuously since the 1880s. The grandkids of the original owners still live right next door. In 2021 we bought this property with one simple dream: to restore the neglected land, honor its long agricultural legacy, and create a working farm where our children could grow up and where local families could come make happy memories together.

We’ve poured everything we have into it — fixing roads and drainage, cleaning up the property, and building something the community loves. Our seasonal pumpkin patch, corn maze, tractor rides, and farm events have become a favorite tradition for so many families in the Yelm area.

But today that future is in serious danger.

In July 2025, the Washington Department of Ecology issued us a $204,000 fine. They accused us of illegal shoreline development along the Deschutes River, placing fill material, and operating what they called an “RV park” and “commercial hauling business.” They also claimed large parts of our farm are protected wetlands.

That description does not match our farm at all.

What we actually have is a working family farm with seasonal agritourism — a few movable trailers and RVs used only during the season and special events, hundreds of feet from the river, with no permanent hookups or paved pads. It’s just a real, working farm with animals, crops, and the kind of events that help small farms survive.

Even in internal emails, their own wetland specialist acknowledged:

“It sounds like the case for parts of the wetland violation are not as strong as I thought because they’re part of his agricultural operation… I’m wondering if we’d still be justified…”

Independent experts and other state agencies have reached very different conclusions than Ecology:

Kagel Environmental completed a full wetland delineation and found no wetlands on the disputed areas.

The Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fish and Wildlife both reviewed the property and found no violations.

Even the Department of Agriculture told Ecology our manure practices were “not a big worry.”

We have followed agricultural best practices and worked cooperatively with DNR the entire time. We also just learned that during the legal process Ecology withheld key field data from discovery, which our attorney is now challenging.

We are not a big corporation. We are a regular farm family. Every extra dollar we have is now going toward lawyers, expert reports, engineers, and the appeals process instead of feeding our animals, maintaining equipment, or planning for next season. The financial and emotional strain on our family is more than we can carry alone.

This fight is about more than just our farm. It’s about whether small family farms in Washington can continue to operate without being overwhelmed by regulatory costs before they ever get a fair hearing. We are fighting for every other farm and ranch the Department of Ecology is targeting.

We’re not asking for a handout.

We’re asking for a fighting chance to protect the land we love and the legacy we’re trying to pass on to our children.

Your donation will directly help with:

Legal defense and appeals before the Pollution Control Hearings Board

Expert consultants and studies

Ongoing compliance and fighting costs

If you believe in family farms, rural heritage, and the right of hardworking families to steward their own land, we would be so grateful for your support.

Even a small gift of $10 or $25 makes a real difference. Sharing this campaign with friends who care about farms and rural life also helps more than you know.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us.

With gratitude,

Chuck, Austin & the kids

Deschutes Valley Farms

Yelm, Washington