Washington’s Least Populated County Is #1 In The State For This

Washington State's least populated county is right next door to the Tri-Cities and you'd be surprised to discover what they rank #1 over everyone else in the state.

What's The Least Populated County In Washington?

The least populated county in Washington State is Garfield County but they do manage to rank #1 in the state for a special reason and you'll be glad that they do.

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First, Garfield County has a little over 2,000 people in their entire county and their county seat is the town of Pomeroy Washington. I'm sure if you traveled to Lewiston and Clarkston through Dayton, you've passed through Pomeroy. Pomeroy has roughly 1300 residents making it one the smallest county seats in the state.

What Is Pomeroy Washington's Claim To Fame?

Pomeroy does have the distinction of having had Lewis and Clark pass through in 1805 of what would be the future townsite of Pomeroy. It's a good reason to be #1 but that's not the reason why Garfield County is #1 in the state for that particular reason.

The #1 Thing That Garfield County In Washington State Is Known For

You see, agriculture is big in Garfield County. You see it from the grazing cows and the long fields of wheat and hay but that alone wouldn't make you #1 in the state of Washington.

You could even point to the 1990's movie "Black Sheep" starring Chris Farley and David Spade as the two characters in that move hid out in Garfield County but even that isn't Garfield County's claim to fame

If you have ever driven through Pomeroy, you'll know what I'm talking about because the sign sits right along Highway 12 that tells you exactly what Garfield County is #1 for.

The next time you go that way, look for the sign.

Garfield County and Pomeroy have the distinction of having the largest chapter in the state of Future Farmers Of America!

That's right, our least populated county in Washington has the largest chapter in the state for FFA.

Washington State's Biggest FFA Chapter Resides In Pomeroy.

If you are curious about the organization of Future Farmers Of America, here is a description from their official website:

FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

FFA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success.

Members are future chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers and premier professionals in many career fields.

FFA is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education.

The official name of the organization is the National FFA Organization. The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change.

It's pretty cool that the smallest county in the state of Washington is #1 at cranking out future farmers because we all need food to survive and it's nice to see the proud tradition of FFA continuing on and that's the #1 thing that Garfield County is known for.