Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Though organic orchardists have a more limited toolbox than conventional growers, they still have effective tactics available, researchers say. The orchard floor performs several functions -- including water intake and storage, physical support, gas exchange for roots and nutrient cycling -- an ...
Friday, June 14, 2013 10:25 AM
News of the discovery of glyphosate-resistant wheat in Oregon has brought more attention to GMO-labeling efforts across the country. Only Washington state has an initiative on this fall's ballot, but 37 labeling proposals have been introduced in 21 states so far this year, and at least nine sta ...
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 10:33 AM
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) -- For the first time, people seek out Gary Middleton to buy his organic fruit. That's something that has taken Middleton, who farms about 100 acres of organic apples, cherries and blueberries near Eltopia, about 13 years to accomplish, and is among the reasons he plans ...
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 9:32 AM
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) -- For the first time, people seek out Gary Middleton to buy his organic fruit. That's something that has taken Middleton, who farms about 100 acres of organic apples, cherries and blueberries near Eltopia, about 13 years to accomplish, and is among the reasons he plans to co ...
Monday, June 10, 2013 9:58 AM
When the USDA's National Organic Program approved the expanded use of peracetic acid to control fire blight bacteria in tree fruits, it addressed a fairly nonexistent use, an organic expert says. David Granatstein, sustainable agriculture specialist for Washington State University Extension, sa ...
Wednesday, June 05, 2013 3:31 PM
When the USDA's National Organic Program approved the expanded use of peracetic acid to control fire blight bacteria in tree fruits, it addressed a fairly nonexistent use, an organic expert says. David Granatstein, sustainable agriculture specialist for Washington State University Extension, sa ...
Wednesday, June 05, 2013 10:20 AM
YELM, Wash. -- Experimental plots of short-season corn will sprout soon as researchers seek suitable varieties for growing dairy silage in Western Washington. The region has a fairly short growing season, so growing sweet corn is an iffy proposition. But silage corn can be harvested without ever ...
Tuesday, June 04, 2013 1:40 PM
Seeding summer annuals in the pasture can benefit dairy farmers, an agronomist says. The annuals tolerate drought, fill feed gaps during the summer, add biomass to the crop, fit well into crop rotations and can be used for grazing, silage or grain. Heather Darby, an agronomist at University o ...
Thursday, May 30, 2013 9:42 AM
POINT REYES STATION, Calif. -- This summer and fall, a group of teachers will visit farms and ranches to learn how to incorporate agriculture into their school lessons. In a program called the Agricultural Institute for Teachers, some 30 elementary and high-school instructors from the northern Sa ...
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 11:00 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The organic food industry is gaining influence on Capitol Hill, prompted by its entry into traditional farm states and by increasing consumer demand. That's not going over well with everyone in Congress. Tensions between conventional and organic agriculture boiled over this ...
Friday, May 17, 2013 9:36 AM
Fighting pests can be like fighting the wind unless growers methodically survey their fields, agricultural consultant Doug O'Brien says. Speaking at a webinar sponsored by eOrganic, the organic agriculture arm of eXtension, O'Brien said that when farmers cannot afford to hire a consultant, they ...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 11:16 AM
In response to producers' concerns about the amount of recordkeeping required for organic certification, the USDA's National Organic Program has begun to lighten the load. Its "Sound and Sensible" initiative is intended to reduce the paperwork while maintaining high standards and ensuring complia ...
Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:12 PM
A bad fire blight year after 2014 could devastate some Northwest organic apple and pear growers, who have relied on oxytetracycline to control the disease, a researcher says. When the National Organic Standards Board voted April 11 not to extend the sunset for use of the antibiotic, orchardists f ...
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 10:01 AM
PORTLAND -- After the National Organic Standards Board rejected a proposal to extend the use of tetracycline in organic apple and pear orchards, members considered a "safety net" for growers to deal with fire blight outbreaks. Just as the board's semi-annual meeting drew near a close April 11, ch ...
Friday, April 12, 2013 10:25 AM
PORTLAND -- By a 9-6 vote, the National Organic Standards Board has recommended the use of tetracycline to treat fire blight in organic apple and pear orchards be permitted only until Oct. 21, 2014, its current expiration date. Board member Jay Feldman, who represents the environmental community, ...
Thursday, April 11, 2013 4:55 PM
PORTLAND -- Livestock owners and veterinarians urged the National Organic Standards Board to reconsider the allowed addition of amino acids to feed during its meeting this week in Portland. The board discussed livestock issues during its Wednesday morning session. Mohamed Mousa, vice president o ...
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:18 PM
April 19 is the deadline for farmers to apply for financial assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service in fiscal year 2013. The agency's Organic Initiative, which helps certified organic producers as well as those transitioning to organic, is part of the Environmental Quality In ...
Friday, April 05, 2013 10:15 AM
Tilth Producers of Washington and Washington State University's Small Farms Team are sponsoring farm walks to introduce farmers to current research and how it is put into practice. The walks are: * April 22 -- Klickitat Canyon Winery and Meadowlark Vineyards, near Lyle, incorporates no-till p ...
Monday, April 01, 2013 10:49 AM
PORTLAND -- Though researchers have tested several treatments that may be able to replace oxytetracycline in organic apple and pear orchards, they say they need more time to find the most effective way to fight fire blight. The antibiotic has been the treatment of choice, but its use in organic ...
Monday, March 25, 2013 12:53 PM
CHURUBUSCO, Ind. (AP) -- It has been years since Chuck Zumbrun, who farms 1,200 acres near Churubusco, got the odd piece of advice from a one of his father's friends, a man he described as an old hillbilly farmer. Plant your beans, corn and squash together, like the Indians alway ...
Thursday, March 21, 2013 9:27 AM
PORTLAND — When the issue of tetracycline comes up at the National Organic Standards Board meeting in April, a Washington State University Extension researcher predicts there will be a “food fight.” Approved use of the antibiotic, which has long been used to control fire blight in ...
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 10:17 AM
TACOMA, Wash. -- When Andy Wilcox looked at the cost of feeding his family farm's 100,000 organic laying hens, he realized that getting feed from a distance was not only expensive, but the supply was less reliable year-round. The first step was buying his corn and alfalfa from growers in Eastern W ...
Monday, March 11, 2013 10:07 AM
Studies of various cropping systems show that the effects of drought are mitigated by organic practices, even when they are part of conventional management, researchers say. "All farmers need to drought-proof their soils," said Jeff Moyer, director of farm operations at the Rodale Institute. "T ...
Friday, March 08, 2013 10:34 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Whole Foods says all products in its North American stores will have labels disclosing if they contain genetically modified ingredients by 2018. The company says it's the first national grocery chain to set such a deadline for labeling foods that contain genetically modified ...
Friday, March 08, 2013 10:13 AM
PORTLAND -- The National Organic Standards Board will take up the use of tetracycline on tree fruit and other issues during its meeting, which will be in Portland April 9-11. The meeting of the board, which occurs twice a year, provides a public forum for the organic community to weigh in on i ...
Thursday, March 07, 2013 10:43 AM
Starting in 2014, organic farmers seeking federal crop insurance will no longer have to pay a 5 percent higher premium. The change by the USDA's Risk Management Agency is a response to an audit by the agency's Office of Inspector General. A review of three years of organic crop insurance po ...
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