Over 60 representatives of various food processors and produce shippers from the region attended a recent “Shippers Open House” at the Port of Quincy Intermodal Terminal (www.portofquincyintermodal.com) to learn about a new expedited intermodal rail service for Washington state produce and perishable shippers. The “Shippers Open House” was hosted by Rail Logistics (www.icoldtrain.com) with support [...]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said the Farm Storage Facility Loan program has been amended to allow producers to build cold storage facilities to store their fresh fruits and vegetables. This program is part of USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative and uses discretionary authority provided by the 2008 Farm Bill authorizing the [...]
Deer and elk hunters have until March 31 to enter a drawing for a 2010 multiple-season permit. In early April, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will randomly draw names for 2,000 multiple-season deer permits and 600 multiple-season elk permits. Winners will be eligible to purchase a special tag that allows them to [...]
Crop Rotations on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual is now available through the Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service. This 154-page book includes instructions for making rotation planning maps and discusses the transition to organic farming. The authors share strategies that can be applied under various field conditions and with a wide range of crops. [...]
The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Potholes Reservoir Supplemental Feed Route, which will increase the reliability of transporting water from Banks Lake to Potholes Reservoir. Request a printed copy of the document by calling (509) 754-0200 or pick one up at 32 C [...]
Applications are being accepted through May 3 for grants to protect farmland by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). Eligible farmland may include ranch land, irrigated or dry cropland. For more information, visit www.rco.wa.gov/grants/grant_news.shtm/wwrp.
Rich soils, diverse climates and large-scale irrigation make Washington one of the most productive growing regions in the world. The state’s deep-water ports and its proximity to important Asian markets also provide natural advantages for agricultural trade. The state’s $38 billion food and agriculture industry employs 160,000 people and contributes 12 percent to the state’s [...]
By Jim Pearson Contributing writer Last fall in Wyoming, I passed on a shot at an antelope and he was a dandy. I was standing and so was he, but the wind was blowing and I couldn’t make the rifle settle down. I had nothing to lean against for support and a prone shot was [...]
The Bureau of Reclamation has just released the March 2010 forecast for irrigation water supply in the Yakima Basin. The forecast is based on flow data, the snowpack and precipitation data. “We are expecting a below normal water supply at this time,” Chuck Garner, Yakima Project River Operations supervisor, said. “The March 2010 forecast indicates [...]
The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the final tally for Washington State’s 2009 wine grape crop. A record-high level of 165,000 tons was reported. That’s up 14 percent from the previous high in 2008. Growers received an average of $988 per ton, which was $30 less per ton [...]
