Futurewise, a nonprofit organization protecting land and promoting sustainable urban growth in Washington State, held a fundraiser, "Feast With Friends", at Kaspars on Queen Anne Thursday. Participants from West Seattle and Burien attended. You can read our story about one of the event's vendors, West Seattle- based "11 Olives", here.

"Futurewise protects and preserves local land," said Rick Martin, owner, 11 Olives. "I was more than happy to participate. That's part of the vision of my company."

Other West Seattle vendors included Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, 3770 SW Alaska St., (with another location at 4757 12th Ave. NE.) and Blackboard Bistro, 3247 California Ave. SW.

Blackboard Bistro chef Jacob Wiegner trained at Le Cordon Bleu London. "I looked into Futurewise and it seemed like a natural fit," he said of participating. "I try to use local farmers and producers as much as I can and it's something I definitely agree with. I think they are a great organization."

Added Wiegner, a Fauntleroy resident, "I think West Seattle is the next blooming area for the restaurant scene. Really, it already is."

State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon of the 34th District attended the fundraiser. He is a longtime supporter of Futurewise, he said.

"Futurewise is our state's environmental group that fights for land use, healthy and safe communities and to protect our farm land, forest land, and wildlife habitat from suburban and urban sprawl," Fitzgibbon explained. "I have worked very closely with Futurwise in Olympia to make sure that we manage growth well and protect critical habitat. They came into being about 20 years ago with the Growth Management Act, the law that governs how cities and counties deal with growth. It used to be called Thousand Friends of Washington. I am a big fan of their work."

Added Burien resident Angela Uhl, Futurewise Associate Director, "At the time Growth Management Act of Washington State it was a ground breaking law to help our communities plan in a more sustainable way. From that point foreword counties and cities had more of a roadmap to make sure our farms and forests were protected. We are not a 'no-growth' organization. We want growth to occur in the best possible places.

"We make sure citizens have opportunity to participate in local government and to see that local governments are following the plan. We are hoping we change the conversation about the way our state grows. You need to have access to transit, then communities built up around it to live and work to get to their jobs in an easy and affordable way."

"The future will depend how we live on the land, and Futurewise has got it figured out," said Beach Dr. resident, Martha Kongsgaard, who calls herself a "fifth-generation Napan", referring to California's wine country. A vineyard owner whose brother, John, operates the world-class Kongsgaard Vinyards, Martha chairs the Leadership Council, Puget Sound Partnership.

According to the Puget Sound Partnership's website, "Our Action Agenda will prioritize cleanup and improvement projects, coordinate federal, state, local, tribal and private resources, and make sure that we are all working cooperatively. We will base decisions on science, focus on actions that have the biggest impact, and hold people and organizations accountable for results."

"I believe in wine as a great agricultural practice that can go a long way to help save the planet," Kongsgaard said, tying it all together. "Wine makes people happy. It is benign on the land if you do it the right way. As a Napan I can say we are worried about the (competitive) pressure the State of Washington has on the wine industry."