Sunday, May 19, 2013
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Washington state farmers are protesting federal protection for a sagebrush subspecies, saying they fear the government will take private property rights. On May 23, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will list the White Bluffs bladderpod, a subspecies of sagebrush, as a threatened species. The F ...
Friday, May 17, 2013 12:00 AM
The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee has written a letter to the Obama administration urging an immediate halt to the listing of a sagebrush species under the Endangered Species Act. Washington farmers are concerned about potential impact to their property if the White Bluffs Bladd ...
Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:44 AM
RICHLAND, Wash. -- As cherry clusters hung sparsely in orchards near Pasco, Sundale and Hood River, Pacific Northwest cherry growers met in Richland and estimated this year's crop at 18.2 million boxes. That's down 21 percent from the record 22.9 million of last year. Alternate light bearing afte ...
Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:34 AM
TOLEDO, Wash. -- Wheat breeder Stephen Jones has high hopes for growing grain west of the Cascade Mountains, and what he has seen so far encourages him. "It's really hopping in the (Puget) Sound area," he said. "In Whatcom and Skagit counties, in the San Juans and Whidbey (islands), pretty much e ...
Thursday, May 16, 2013 10:45 AM
An Eastern Washington irrigation district is starting to gear up for expanding into more of the Odessa Subarea as it awaits word from the federal government on which farmers are eligible to receive water from the Columbia River. Craig Simpson, manager of the East Columbia Irrigation District in ...
Thursday, May 16, 2013 10:04 AM
As the WSDA prepares to update its Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook -- "The Green Book" -- it is seeking input in assessing what needs to be improved, updated or added. The agency wants to hear from farmers, processors, ranchers, extension educators, health and food safety officials, stude ...
Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:34 AM
OLYMPIA -- As of July 28, nonprofit fair associations will be exempt from paying taxes on their real and personal property. Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Senate Bill 5078, which was approved by the Legislature during its regular session. Heather Hansen, who represents the Washington State F ...
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 10:34 AM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- The new Washington state FFA president is a city girl with lots of agricultural experience. "I grew up in Centralia and live in the city, but my grandparents farm near Napavine and I've been raising cattle since I was seven," said Bailey Peters, daughter of Bob and Shawn Peters. ...
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 8:43 AM
WENATCHEE, Wash. -- Lorie Ponce is a part-time China Express cook in the deli at the Safeway grocery store in East Wenatchee. Last summer, she netted and extra $2,500 sorting cherries for Stemilt Growers Inc., the world's largest packer and shipper of sweet cherries. "It's easy money and it's har ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 10:31 AM
ODESSA, Wash. -- The livestock slaughter facility under construction in central Washington will open for business a little later than planned. Project manager Sue Lani Madsen said the facility's opening, originally slated for June 15, will now be a little later, due to the delayed availability of ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 10:11 AM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Northwest Nursery Improvement Institute and two other entities have applied to the Washington State University Research Foundation to manage the university's new WA 38 apple variety. They are the same three that submitted letters of intent earlier and the foundation still ho ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 3:42 PM
ROY, Wash. -- The idea that hay cannot be grown well west of the Cascade Mountains is a misconception, an agronomist says. The moderate growing conditions in western Washington state make for more-even production, agronomist Marty Chaney said during a tour of farms in Pierce County, Wash. "We d ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 10:31 AM
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- After 17 years in Klickitat County, which has three dairies, Susan Kerr has taken on the responsibility for advising dozens of dairies in five counties: Whatcom, Snohomish, San Juan, Island and Skagit. She was director of Washington State University Klickitat Extension. Now ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 9:50 AM
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The frosty nights of the first week of May have turned into "perfect strawberry weather," Olympia grower Tim Spooner says. He predicted a harvest date of about June 6 or 7, a week to 10 days earlier than usual. That's a far cry from last year, when an "awfully wet" May and ...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:52 PM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Delegates at the 83d Washington FFA Convention here Saturday elected Bailey Peters of Centralia, president for the coming year. Other officers are Michael Heitstuman of Quincy, vice president; Andrew Zahl of Walla Walla, secretary; Johnathan Kelly of Battle Ground, treasurer; La ...
Monday, May 13, 2013 4:00 PM
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Pacific Northwest hay stocks are down 19 percent from 2012, according to the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. In the Northwest region -- Washington, Oregon and Idaho -- the quantity of hay stored on farms, sold or unsold, on May 1 totaled 98 ...
Monday, May 13, 2013 8:59 AM
GERBER, Calif. - More than $2.7 million in federal funds has been handed to 15 West Coast farms as part of the USDA's Value Added Producer Grant program. Of those, seven grants worth $1.5 million were given to farms in California. The competitive grant program aims to eliminate key barriers i ...
Monday, May 13, 2013 10:49 AM
CASHMERE, Wash. -- Crunch Pak, the industry leader of sliced apples, is headed for a year-long run on Broadway. The company will participate in a marketing campaign that puts its fresh apple product portfolio on display on a gigantic electronic billboard in the heart of New York City's world-famou ...
Monday, May 13, 2013 8:59 AM
Following is a rundown of winners from the 78th Anniversary Junior Livestock Show of Spokane: BEEF: 4-H Market Steer: Grand Champion -- Madison Dixon, Garfield Co. 4-H, 1316 lb. steer sold Jim Ledgerwood for $4.35 per lb. Reserve Grand Champion -Cade Lyyski, Grow Em & Show Em 4-H, 1226 lb. s ...
Monday, May 13, 2013 10:29 AM
The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources has formed a working group to examine the Endangered Species Act. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., and chair of the committee, and Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., co-chair of the Western Caucus, will lead the working group, according to a press release from the ...
Friday, May 10, 2013 9:58 AM
The U.S. Forest Service has named a new deputy regional forester for the agency's Oregon and Washington region. Becki Lockett Heath, currently supervisor of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, will be one of two deputy regional foresters assisting Regional Forester Kent Connaughton. "In m ...
Friday, May 10, 2013 9:58 AM
The Northeast Washington Haygrowers Association meets at 8:15 a.m. May 11 on Dairy Lane Farms at 42505 N. Dunn Road in Elk, Wash. Washington State University Extension educator Tom Platt said the field day will focus on producing dairy quality forage; the state's special regulations for phenoxy he ...
Friday, May 10, 2013 8:28 AM
PESHASTIN, Wash. -- Driving up Wenatchee Valley you pass thousands of pear trees in bright new green leaves, like kids in fresh clothes. But turning south at the Big Y on Highway 97 toward Blewett Pass, sunlight on gorgeous white pear blossoms catches your eye. The trees here were still blooming ...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 9:56 AM
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- A weed scientist is on his way to Scotland to help Pacific Northwest growers produce raspberries that are more healthful. Tim Miller has conducted trial projects at Washington State University's Northwestern Washington Extension and Research Center to explore how weeds and ...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 11:37 AM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Researchers at Washington State University are working to fight an insect pest that spreads bacteria to U.S. orange trees. The Asian citrus psyllid spreads the citrus greening disease by piercing citrus trees with a needle-like mouthpiece, similar to a mosquito transmitting mala ...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 10:56 AM
Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho sheep producers will get tips on how to keep or increase their profits at an upcoming field day and meeting. The Spokane Area Sheep Producers Association holds its annual meeting beginning at 8:45 a.m. May 18 at the Shepherd's Bounty farm one mile north of ...
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 11:47 AM
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