This Benton City farmer loves to teach about nature. He’s getting an award for it

Area school children may know Mast Farms in the Benton City area as a haven for ducks, wildlife and monarch butterflies.

Now the Benton City farmer who owns the property along the Yakima River has been named the Wildlife Steward of the Year by the Washington Association of Conservation Districts.

Bill Mast said he strives to make his farm “economically viable and still have some wild left in it, having some natural processes occur that benefit wildlife and fisheries.”

He raises beef cattle, strawberries and native plants on his farm, managing his property to protect riparian vegetation, provide nesting boxes for wood ducks, maintain milkweed for traveling monarchs and habitat for wildlife.

Mast also founded Wildlands Inc., a regional leader in native plant propagation and environmental restoration.

He opens his farm to school field trips with the Benton Conservation District, teaching students about both agriculture and nature.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 12:26 PM with the headline "This Benton City farmer loves to teach about nature. He’s getting an award for it."