|
Snohomish Conservation District Celebrates 70 Years of Conservation!
To help celebrate 70 years of helping landowners protect natural resources, the Snohomish Conservation District is holding a photography contest ending June 30.
There will be prizes awarded, and winning photos will be highlighted on the district website.
Categories include "Past and Present," "Conservation in Action" and "Ag/Conservation All Around Us" (barns, people, forests and fields).
Find out more at www.snohomishcd.org or call Leif Fixen at 425-335-5634, ext 110.
 |
|
|
|
SnoCo's fifth annual Ag Roundtable deemed a success
Snohomish County brought together agricultural organizations, local and state governments and nonprofits related to farming to discuss pressing ag issues of the day and how they can better serve farmers.
The roundtable has become an informal opportunity for agencies from Whatcom to Pierce counties to share what they are working on as well as to better network and collaborate with each other.
"This is a hands-on opportunity to tackle issues that are pertinent to and affecting agriculture in the Puget Sound region," said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. "The roundtable builds off what we hear from regional farmers during the annual Focus on Farming events in the fall as well as current issues."
Started four years ago and facilitated by the county's agriculture coordinator, the outcomes have been better planning and coordination between agencies and nonprofits whose services often cross paths.
"Many new partnerships have formed as a result of each organization sharing their work plans and goals for the year," Reardon said. "We've also seen organizations meet to collaborate on new projects and grants -- all of which benefit regional agriculture."
For more information, contact Linda Neunzig, the county's ag coordinator, at 425-388-7170 or linda.neunzig@snoco.org. |
County's dryer at Cathcart open for business
Harvesting weather in Snohomish County is always uncertain. If you need grain dried at harvest time, the Cathcart Grain Handling Facility, located at 8915 Cathcart Way, is ready to help.
Last year the facility dried 300 tons of wheat, triticale and canola so it could easily be marketed.
The dryer uses landfill gas for fuel, saving on costs and using an otherwise wasted resource. Rates are $10 per ton to dry barley, corn, oats, rye, triticale or wheat with a $5.50 per ton load-in and load-out charge. Rates to dry canola and mustard are $10 per ton with a $6.25 per ton load-in and load-out charge. Loading in and out is by appointment only, and you must have a signed Use Agreement with Snohomish County to use the facility. Snohomish County does not offer long-term storage. All grain must be loaded out within 15 days of drying so that others may use the facility.
If you might need grain dried this fall, contact us now. The more we know, the better we can help. Call Linda Neunzig at 425-388-7170 or Mathew Goad at 425-388-3464, ext. 4658, and let us know how much of what grain you might want to bring to the facility and when it might be harvested. |
|
2011 NPGA Convention to be hosted by the Evergreen Pygmy Goat Club at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds
The Evergreen Pygmy Goat Association, a nonprofit organization, was selected to host the Nationals, June 22-28.
The event will be the first event in the Evergreen State Fairgrounds' new multipurpose facility now under construction. As many as 600 animals from across the United States are expected to convene on the Evergreen Fairgrounds in Monroe.
This week-long event has not been held in the Northwest in 10 years, and then was conducted in Idaho.
For more information, go to the convention website at www.npga-pygmy.com or contact Julie Davis www.clearvalleyfarm.com 425-308-4456. |
|
Farmers battling wet conditions have "delayed planting" options
Cool and extremely wet weather in the inland Northwest has caused crop damage and slowed planting this spring.
Dave Paul, director of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Spokane Regional Office, encourages producers faced with questions on prevented planting, replant or crop losses this spring, to contact their agent for more information.
Producers who are unable to plant an insured crop by the final planting date due to an insurable cause, such as excess moisture and flooding have a number of options.
· Producers may plant the insured crop during the 25 day late planting period with a reduction in the production guarantee of 1 percent a day for each day planting is delayed after the final planting date.
· Producers may leave the acreage idle and receive a full prevented planting payment or the producer may be able to plant the acreage to another crop after the late planting period and receive a reduced prevented planting payment.
· Producers with double cropping history can receive a full prevented planting payment within the guidelines of the policy.
· Prevented planting coverage will not be provided for any acreage that does not constitute at least 20 acres or 20 percent of the insurable crop acreage in the unit. Producers need to keep in mind that group policies do not provide prevented planting coverage.
"Producers who are unable to plant due to excess moisture need to contact their insurance company to discuss prevented planting policy requirements related to their specific coverage and farming operation." said Paul. "The producer's insurance company will make the final determination of acres eligible for prevented planting payments."
Paul encourages producers to contact their crop insurance agent for assistance. Producers can also get crop insurance information on the web at www.rma.usda.gov.
Local crop insurance agents are available to provide program details that reflect the grower's nursery inventory. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers or at http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.
|
|
|
