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Gardening • C2 4-H • C2 Classifieds • C4

Section C • lyndentribune.com • Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Farm milk price sets $23.25 record

Robot milking comes to Lynden farm Bouma dairy is getting DeLaval system, due to handle first cows in April

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — ­ The first robotic milking system in Whatcom County is being installed on the Bouma farm on the west Lynden city limits.

Two units of the DeLaval VMS computerized milkers, which arrived Feb. 27 from manufacture in Sweden, should be ready to receive cows by early April, said workers at the Flynn Road farm.

The companies involved are DeLaval Dairy Services, headed by Rick VanderVeen of Lynden, and, for building the new milking areas and a new tank room, DeYoung & Roosma Construction of Lynden.

The two firms worked together in creating a similar package of two units on the Alan Mesman dairy farm in Skagit County in 2013. Altogether now in both Washington and Oregon, the Bouma dairy represents the sixth to get a DeLaval robotic milking system.

“This is the beginning of a very significant trend, absolutely,” VanderVeen said.

For the benefiting family, Nelva Bouma said they are eagerly looking forward to this new “adventure” ending their two daily four-hour stints in a milking parlor.

“Because we’re all getting a little bit older and a little bit

Lee Mielke also comments on Farm Bill

By Lee Mielke lkmielke@juno.com

Fresh off the delivery truck, two robotic milking units arrived two weeks ago at the Bouma family farm on Flynn Road just west of Lynden. This is a first for Whatcom County, although robot milking has grown in the last 20 years in the rest of the world. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) more arthritic,” Nelva said, it made sense for the Bouma dairy farm to go to the robotic technology and “do away with the milking, at least getting up at 5 a.m. each day.”

The family farming enterprise, at least 60 years at its site, currently involves Nelva and brothers Louis, James and

Mark.

Louis, a computer guru, had been looking into robotic options for some time for their nearly 160-cow Holstein herd before settling on the DeLaval VMS (Voluntary Milk System) as the most suitable, she said. Visiting and seeing the Mesman system in op-

eration sealed the deal for her brothers.

“They thought that was the greatest thing they had ever seen,” Nelva said.

Cows are first allowed through a new system to get their grain only for easier adaptation to the robots before milking without a human

present. “It’s a learning process for the cows,” Nelva said.

The herd may drop in size a bit, as cows that do not adapt well to the change are culled out.

It’s not as though all farm work will disappear, however.

See Milking on C2

Sustainable farm/garden store opens at Hinotes New business takes over space of Hannegan Farm & Home

By Brent Lindquist editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN ­ — John and Leah York were just about ready to move on without their dream of owning a sustainable farm and garden store last year when an opportunity fell right into their laps.

“We had the idea for the past couple of years about being able to have a forum to teach people about sustainable living,” John said.

The Yorks were negotiating to take over the Kelly Ridge Farm & Garden location at the time. That possibility didn’t work out, however.

“The day we decided to give up on that project, we noticed that Matt had posted on Facebook that he was closing down,” John said.

That Matt is Matt Aamot, former co-owner of Hannegan Farm & Home at Hinote’s Corner. Aamot had decided to close his store, and the Yorks seized the opportunity.

Negotiations were finished in December, and a lease was signed. The Yorks took a few months to get their store situated, and they opened it officially just a few weeks ago.

“We’re focused a lot on poultry and smaller livestock,” John said. “We’re going to be selling chicks. We had 140 chicks last week, and they’re all sold now. We’ll be getting a couple hundred more chicks this week.”

Sustainable Living Farm & Garden also carries supplies

for chickens, conventional and organic feeds including Scratch and Peck, Nutrena and potentially Conway feeds soon.

The store carries feeds for all types of livestock, along with pet foods and supplies, with more to come in the future.

Sustainable gardening is another bit focus at the Yorks’ store, and they carry everything from propagating supplies to fertilizer. In addition to flower, vegetable and herb starts, the store carries nursery stock throughout the year, fruit trees, berry plants, tropical plants and unusual flowers and plants. The Yorks also brought in the remaining stock of grass feed.

John York enjoys brewing his own beer, and that inspired him to carry a variety of homebrewing materials for beer, wine and cheese.

Manure-groundwater issue studied in county Department of Ecology worked with dairy farmer Editor’s Note: The following is a blog posted Monday, March 10, 2014 by Sandy Howard, state Department of Ecology communications manager for water quality and environmental assessment programs.

This is a story about a gracious landowner who was willing to work with us so we could better understand connections between the use of manure on land and nitrate in groundwater.

Right off the top, we want to thank the landowner.

Thanks to his hospitality, our state has some new-found science that will help both agriculture and water quality.

We think Washington’s agricultural industry is incredibly valuable and important to our state. We believe

that livestock and agricultural production can co-exist and

MARKET1

See Manure on C3

LLC

John and Leah both have a great deal of experience in sustainable gardening and homes.

“My experience with plants and such goes back to landscaping in my late teens, then I went to school for horticulture where much of my focus was actually on agriculture,” John said. “I managed a retail garden store in Bellingham and opened another location in Mount Vernon.”

John has also raised poultry as a hobby and has been interesting for a long time in food preservation.

Leah grew up on a farm in British Columbia and has worked at Joe’s Garden in addition to landscaping and floral design businesses from Whatcom County to Tacoma.

“Her experience goes back to growing up on a 40acre orchard with several acres of vegetable orchard,” John said.

The Yorks’ goal for the store is simple: teach customers how to grow their own food.

“We want people to be able to produce their own food,” John said. “That’s our main focus. We want people to know where food comes from, and to have greater control over what their family eats.”

Sustainable Living Farm & Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays.

The Yorks are hosting a grand opening event at noon on Saturday, March 15.

The store is located at 6931 Hannegan Rd.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the February Federal Order Class III milk price on Friday, March 7, at $23.35 per hundredweight (cwt.), topping the previous high of $21.67 set in August 2011.

The price is up $2.20 from January, $6.10 above February 2013 and $2.21 above the California 4b cheese milk price. It equates to $2.01 per gallon.

The two-month 2014 Class III average stands at $22.25, up from $17.70 at this time a year ago and compares to $16.56 in 2012 and $15.24 in 2011.

Looking ahead, the March Class III futures contract settled Friday at $22.65, April at $21.25, May $20.25, and June $20.01 per cwt.

In politics, the U.S. Senate passed the long-awaited Farm Bill on Feb. 4, and the President signed it on Feb. 7.

The signing ended two long years of partisan bickering and amounts to nearly $1 trillion in spending on crop agriculture, dairy, conservation, food stamps, nutrition, and international food aid, to name just a few pieces of such a big package.

Jim Mulhern, National Milk Producers Federation president and chief executive officer, had this to say: “It has been a long and torturous road toward the creation of a better safety net for dairy farmers.

“We didn’t wind up precisely where we wanted in terms of the dairy program,” he said. “But the milk glass is more than half-full. The new farm bill replaces three outmoded programs intended to help farmers but that often failed in that effort.

See Milk on C2

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C2 • Wednesday, March 12, 2014 • lyndentribune.com

Milker: Also dispenses grain to cows Continued from C1 “There’s still a lot involved,” Nelva said. “It’s just not as regimented. You’re not stuck in the parlor. Farming is not an easy life.”

Several robotic systems are reportedly in operation just across the border in lower British Columbia. In fact, the United States is fairly slow to get serious about the new technology, as over 10,000 DeLaval units are installed worldwide, VanderVeen said.

He didn’t want to say exactly how much a robotic milker costs. “They are a significant investment, but cost-effective,” he said.

But then, in addition to milking cows all by itself, a VMS is able to dispense grain and keep track of pertinent data on milk given and grain consumed. It can predict onset of mastitis. Newer modules being developed by DeLaval, though not approved for use in the United States yet, will even help

Workers of DeLaval carefully set a new robotic milking unit in place. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) a farmer know a cow’s pregnancy status.

“It is absolutely amazing,” VanderVeen said.

A farmer can control “permission level,” or how many times a cow can go through a VMS each 24 hours, Vander

Veen said.

He has been told, however, of a cow in Richmond, B.C., that is producing 170 pounds of milk per day in eight visits through a robotic — all within parameters.

On the Mesman 100-cow

farm near LaConner, the VMS system has been in operation since November, said owner Alan with son Ben. An open house will be held March 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

There were some bugs to work out at first, but by now the Mesmans can concentrate on other chores on the farm while reducing hired labor by about a position and a half, he said.

Mesman said he is aware of several more farms in Skagit and Snohomish counties looking at the DeLaval VMS options.

“It’s definitely on the way in,” he said.

Vander Veen thinks he has some compelling selling points.

“Not everybody wants to get up at 4 a.m. to milk cows,” he said.

“And if you want to go have supper in town on Saturday night, you can.”

The DeLaval company, specializing in milking systems, goes back to 1883 in Sweden and now has a presence in 100 countries, Vander Veen said.

Tree sale offers 15 species for variety Sale is March 22 at fairgrounds

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — For over 50 years, the Whatcom County Farm Forestry Association has worked to educate the public and small woodland owners about forests. And there’s no better way to educate about trees than with actual trees.

The group’s annual tree sale is set to run from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 22, in the Northwest Washington

Milk Continued from C1 “In their place is a new, more modern and more comprehensive margin protection program, offering dairy producers a far better and more effective safety net,” he said.

“Because it is designed to protect against periods of both low milk prices as well as high feed costs, margin insurance is a better risk management tool to help farmers deal with global volatility in commodity prices in the 21st century.”

The bill is bittersweet for

Fair’s Henry Jansen building, offering everyone from woodland owners to city lot dwellers 15 varieties of trees at 90 cents each.

“The way we look at it, any opportunity that we have to get a face-to-face with the general public allows us to educate someone about planting trees,” said organization spokesperson Sara Brown.

Nearly all the trees sold at the sale are at least two years old. They are bare root and have lived either two years in a seed bed or a year in a plug and then a seed bed. They range from 6 inches to 2 feet tall, depending on species.

The county chapter works with the

National Milk, which fought long and hard for a controversial supply management provision to control milk production, only to see it dropped when House Speaker John Boehner threatened to keep such a bill from even coming to the floor for a vote.

NMPF released an analysis of the resulting proposal, which it supports, and points out that the main feature is the Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program. National Milk says this protection program is a “new and unique safety net program that will provide dairy producers with indemnity payments when actual dairy margins are below the margin

4-H Report BARNYARD KIDS Luke Wolfisberg, reporter On March 6, 2014, Barnyard Kids 4-H Club held its monthly meeting at the Lynden Library. As our president and vice-president were absent, recording secretary Katelyn Oostra led the meeting.

She started off with the roll call; our question of the day was “what are your plans for spring break?” Jacob Tolsma then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and Kai Wolfisberg did the 4-H Pledge.

Katelyn read the minutes, and since there were neither a treasurer’s report nor correspondence, we moved on to project reports.

These were done by Caleb Bareman, Gracie Dickinson and Luke Wolfisberg.

Juli Dickinson then talked to us about hosting demonstrations on Feb. 17 at Laurel Baptist Church. Emmi Kroontje told us about giving demonstrations, followed by a Quiz Bowl talk by Michael Bareman. In old business, Mrs. Kroontje reminded us about the Dairy Women demonstration applications.

After this, we moved on to new

business. The Springtime Youth Calf Sale will be held on March 15 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. The grant recipients will be announced on March 8, and those who receive one will have an interview the morning of the sale.

There will be a dairy judging that morning as well.

We discussed what our theme for our Youth Fair silent auction gift basket would be. After several ideas, we decided on a Seattle Seahawks theme. Every family should bring one item to Mrs. Kroontje or Heather Oostra.

Youth Fair entries are due in on March 14, with the fair being held on April 4-5. Mrs. Odens also reminded us that the DHIA banquet will be on March 24; senior and intermediate 4-H’ers can sign up to help at it. It is scheduled to be at the Mt. Baker Rotary Building in Lynden. The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

After this, we did a practice judging and oral reasons class on primroses and their pots. Mrs. Odens handed out judging worksheets to be filled out before the next meeting.

state’s Washington Farm Forestry Association — www.wafarmforestry.com — to partner with nurseries in Washington and Oregon to help raise these trees for sale. A few species, such as cedars, Brown said, involve association members visiting members’ woods and gathering cones to harvest seeds. Those seeds are frozen by a nursery within the state and then grown when needed.

All trees at the sale were grown in either Washington or Oregon.

Along with a variety suitable for timber, Brown said many of the species work well as landscape trees, even for city lots.

For more details, call 671-6988.

coverage levels the producer chooses on an annual basis. Its focus is to protect farm equity by guarding against destructively low margins, not to guarantee a profit to individual producers.” The Farm Bill requires the Margin Protection Program to be established no later than Sept. 1, 2014.

National Milk cautions that the program supports producer margins, not prices, and is designed to address both catastrophic conditions as well as prolonged periods of low margins. Under this program, the “margin” will be calculated monthly by USDA and is simply defined as the all-milk price minus the average feed cost.

Average feed cost is determined using a feed ration that has been developed to more realistically reflect those costs associated with feeding the entire dairy farm enterprise of milking cows, heifers and other related cost elements.

The new Farm Bill also creates a new Dairy Product Donation Program that would be triggered in the event of extremely low operating margins for dairy farmers and would also provide nutrition assistance to individuals in low-income groups by requiring USDA to purchase dairy products for donation to food banks and other feeding programs.

This program would only activate if margins fall below $4 for two consecutive months and would require USDA to purchase dairy products for three consecutive months, or until margins rebound above $4. The program would trigger out if U.S. prices exceed international prices by more than 5 percent. Under this provision USDA would purchase a variety of dairy products to distribute to food banks or related nonprofit organizations. USDA is required to distribute, not store, these products and organizations receiving them would be prohibited from selling them into commercial markets.

The bill eliminates the Dairy Price Support Program and the Dairy Export Incentive Program, the Federal Milk Marketing Order Review Commission established in the previous Farm Bill, and, once the Margin Protection Program is up and running, the Milk Income Loss Coverage program will be ended.

Three existing dairy programs are renewed through 2018: the Dairy Promotion and Research (“checkoff”) Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Forward Pricing Program.

Lee Mielke, of Lynden, can be reached via email at lkmielke@juno.com.

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In Bloom

Enjoy rebuilding your landscape

By David Vos

Recently I overheard someone say that in gardening “every year is a rebuilding year.” Not that our gardening endeavors each year are for naught, but as spring rolls around and we begin a new season of gardening, it’s time to start fresh with yard care, discover new plants for the garden and take steps to keep your landscape thriving.

As you begin the process of “rebuilding” this spring, here are some ideas to keep in mind.

First, in the process of “rebuilding” your lawn, there is one major task to tackle right now: eradicating moss.

Remember the three steps to success: 1) kill existing moss; 2) discourage moss re-growth; and 3) feed grass to build strong turf.

Killing moss is easy with the right product, so pick up a bag of ferrous sulfate at your local nursery and wipe the moss out in one application.

To discourage moss regrowth, follow up in a week or two with Lilly Miller Super Sweet. Then, later this month, apply Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control to feed your grass. The moss killer in this fertilizer is mediocre compared to ferrous sulfate, but the fertilizer itself is a good blend for feeding lawns without forcing too much growth.

Consider it a good fertilizer for people who don’t like to mow!

Second, it’s time to begin the process of “rebuilding” in your flower beds. Unlike the last few years, we’ve had a fair amount of subfreezing weather this winter.

That’s great for killing insects and keeping plants dormant through winter, but if you have — or rather, had — tender plants in your yard, it might be time to tear them out and replace them with something hardier.

For gardeners who only shop for plants later in the spring, there’s a shade-loving garden beauty they might miss out on entirely. It blooms in winter, boasts thick, evergreen leaves and is tough as nails when it comes to winter weather. Hellebores, once a boring and unappreciated plant species, have recently experienced a renaissance with some impressive plant breeding.

Just five years ago, most hellebores either had leggy

foliage, unimpressive flower colors or blossoms that drooped so low they were almost unnoticeable. Thanks to hard-working plant breeders, however, many of today’s hellebores come in more defined colors, have fuller foliage and hold more upright blossoms.

Additionally, many bloom more prolifically than older strains, adding great color to your yard in an otherwise drab time of year.

As to cold weather, hellebores can withstand anything we get in our part of the world.

Many varieties are hardy to as low as minus 30F, so if you’re concerned about a hellebore freezing during a northeaster, fear not!

Today there are dozens of options to choose from in hellebores. Three of my favorites are Ivory Prince, a heavy bloomer with upright, creamcolored flowers; Pink Frost, with large, rose-colored blossoms that age to burgundy; and Snow Fever, an impressive new introduction last year that’s the first hellebore with speckled green and white leaves.

Finally, take some time this month to “rebuild” existing plants in your yard by pruning. Whether cold temperatures burned the tips of branches or our recent freezing rain brought down whole limbs, ensure that you keep your trees and shrubs healthy by cleaning up dead wood.

Particularly on plants that suffered broken branches, prune or saw off the jagged remnants to create a clean break; this will allow the plant the best chance of recovering in the coming year.

As we get underway with another year of gardening, enjoy the beauty this season has to offer and relish the opportunity to start anew in the garden.

David Vos is the general manager of Lynden’s Vander Giessen Nursery.

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C3 • Wednesday, March 12, 2014 • lyndentribune.com

Manure Continued from C1 thrive along with clean water in our rivers and streams.

However, livestock manure can be a threat to the underground water supply. Manure contains nitrogen which converts to nitrate in the soil.

When nitrate gets into drinking water, it is a health risk, especially for babies and pregnant women.

The study For nearly five years through 2009, this dairy landowner in Whatcom County, voluntarily agreed to allow scientists Barb Carey of the Department of Ecology and Dr. Joe Harrison from Washington State University to monitor and measure the amount of manure he applied to a 22-acre grass crop field in Whatcom County.

The work included measuring soil, crop and ground-

water to track where the nitrogen from the manure went.

Other partners in this work were the state departments of agriculture and health.

Why this location?

We selected this study location because the land sits over the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer.

The aquifer — an underground water supply — is the main drinking water source for 18,000 to 27,000 people in northern Whatcom County. It has some of the most widespread and elevated nitrate concentrations in the state. It is relatively shallow, making it vulnerable to pollution from activities above ground.

Over the last 30 years, 29 percent of the wells tested in the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer have failed to meet the nitrate drinking water standard at least once.

This landowner, like all dairy landowners, works hard to manage the manure his cows produce. It contains nutrients needed by crops, so the common practice is to spread

PUBLIC NOTICES Sumas LEGAL SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 1636 The following is a summary of Ordinance 1636 as adopted by the Sumas City Council during the regular meeting of February 24, 2014. This published under the authority of RCW 35a.65.020. The ordinance is entitled “An Ordinance of the City of Sumas, Washington, Amending Section 4.52.010 of The Sumas Municipal Code by Increasing the Rates Charged Users of the City Operated Television Cable System.”

Geri Lewis, City Clerk City of Sumas Published March 12, 2014

Notice to Creditors LEGAL IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Estate of: SONIA FAY VANDER VEEN, aka Sonia S. Vander Veen Deceased.

Probate No. 14-4-00097-2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Assigned Judge: Charles R. Snyder The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Clerk of this Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

1. Date of filing copy of Notice to Creditors: February 18, 2014.

2. Date of first publication: February 26, 2014.

Attorney for the Estate: KEITH A. BODE, WSBA #7791 314 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 688 Lynden, WA 98264-0688 Tel. (360) 354-5021 Personal Representative: ALLEN L. VANDER VEEN

it onto grass crop fields. The crop is later harvested and fed to the cows.

What the study found We have shared our study findings not only with the landowner, but also with the Washington Dairy Federation, and with legislators, the Whatcom Conservation District, and other agricultural partners. We have asked others to read and weigh in on our findings — in fact, that’s why it took us a while to get this report finished.

These were key findings: • We found that the major source of nitrate in groundwater at the study site was from manure applied for grass production. The amount and timing of manure applied each year to the field were the overriding factors that affected nitrate levels in the shallow (less than 11 feet) groundwater.

• When manure was applied at the recommended amounts and times of the year, nitrate concentrations in groundwater were low

LEGAL Published February 26 and March 5 & 12, 2014

Summons by Publication LEGAL IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY LOU PIOTROWSKI, Plaintiff, vs.

WHATCOM COUNTY, a municipal corporation; ALSO ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described in the complaint herein, Defendant. ) NO. 14-2-00472-5 FIRST AMENDED SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION TO THE DEFENDANT(S): The State of Washington to the said ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described in the complaint herein: You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the March 5, 2014 and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiff Lou Piotrowski, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiff Lou Piotrowski, at his (or their) office below stated; and in case of your failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court.

This is an action to quiet title to real property located in Glacier, Washington, in favor of the Plaintiff. In 1903, this property belonged to Jennie Vaughn, when she granted an easement to the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad Company. After the property was no longer used for railroad purposes and officially abandoned in 1960, ownership may have reverted to Jennie Vaughn’s heirs.

Plaintiff has brought this action to quiet title to a portion of the former easement, which he has acquired by adverse possession.

DATED: February 25, 2014.

PEMBERTON & HOOGESTRAAT, P.S. James S. Hoogestraat, WSBA # 12451 Attorney for Plaintiff.

FILE RESPONSE WITH: Clerk of the Superior Court Whatcom County Courthouse 311 Grand Ave., Third Floor P.O. Box 1144 Bellingham, WA 98225 SERVE A COPY OF YOUR RESPONSE ON: James S. Hoogestraat PEMBERTON & HOOGESTRAAT, P.S. 119 N. Commercial Street, Suite 186 Bellingham, WA 98225 Published March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2 and 9, 2014

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY GARY A. GRAHAM and HEATHER R. GRAHAM, husband and wife, Plaintiff, vs.

WHATCOM COUNTY, a municipal corporation; ALSO ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described in the complaint herein Defendants. ) NO. 14-2-00510-1 FIRST AMENDED SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION TO THE DEFENDANT(S): The State of Washington to the said ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN claiming any right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the real estate described in the complaint herein: You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the March 5, 2014 and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiffs GARY A. GRAHAM and HEATHER R. GRAHAM, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiffs GARY A. GRAHAM and HEATHER R. GRAHAM, at his (or their) office below stated; and in case of your failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court.

This is an action to quiet title to real property located in Glacier, Washington, in favor of the Plaintiff. In 1903, this property belonged to Jennie Vaughn, when she granted an easement to the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad Company. After the property was no longer used for railroad purposes and officially abandoned in 1960, ownership may have reverted to Jennie Vaughn’s heirs.

Plaintiff has brought this action to quiet title to a portion of the former easement, which he has acquired by adverse possession.

DATED: February 25, 2014.

PEMBERTON & HOOGESTRAAT, P.S. James S. Hoogestraat, WSBA # 12451 Attorney for Plaintiffs.

FILE RESPONSE WITH: Clerk of the Superior Court Whatcom County Courthouse 311 Grand Ave., Third Floor P.O. Box 1144 Bellingham, WA 98225 SERVE A COPY OF YOUR RESPONSE ON: James S. Hoogestraat PEMBERTON & HOOGESTRAAT, P.S. 119 N. Commercial Street, Suite 186 Bellingham, WA 98225 Published March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2 and 9, 2014

enough to meet safe drinking water levels.

• Most of the annual precipitation in the area occurs during the period of limited crop growth (October through March), when rain carries available nitrate in the soil to the water table. Late fall application in 2006 followed by heavy rain resulted in a significant increase in the groundwater nitrate concentration.

• The study found that it is not possible to accurately predict actual groundwater nitrate concentrations based on the amount of nitrogen applied. Neither the post-harvest soil nitrate test nor the nitrogen mass balance methods that we evaluated was a good predictor of resulting shallow nitrate concentrations in groundwater.

• Among the report’s recommendations is continued collaboration between state and local organizations in partnership with universities, dairies and other agricultural producers to improve the efficiency of nitrogen use and

Notice of Trustee’s Sale LEGAL NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PURSUANT TO THE REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON CHAPTER 61.24, ET. SEQ. I. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned Trustee will on the 11th day of April, 2014, at the hour of 10:00 o’clock A. M., just inside the main lobby of the Whatcom County Courthouse, 311 Grand Avenue, in the City of Bellingham, State of Washington, sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder, payable at the time of sale, the following described real property, situated in the County of Whatcom, State of Washington, towit: Parcel A: A Tract of land in Government Lot 5 of Section 6, Township 39 North, Range 3 East of W.M., described as follows: Beginning on the East line of the Guide Meridian Road at a point 850 feet North of the North line of the Bartlett Road; thence East 200 feet to the true point of beginning; thence East 167 feet; thence North a distance of 340 feet; more or less, to the South shore of Wiser Lake; thence Westerly along the South shore of Wiser Lake to a line running due North of the true point of beginning; thence South a distance of 340 feet; more or less, to the true point of beginning.

Situate in Whatcom County, Washington.

Parcel B: An easement for driveway described as follows: A portion of Government Lot 5, of Section 6, Township 39 North, Range 3 East of W.M., beginning on the East line of the Guide Meridian Road at a point 835 feet North of the North line of the Bartlett Road; thence East 367 feet; thence North 15 feet; thence West 387 feet; thence South 15 feet to the point of beginning.

Situate in Whatcom County, Washington. which is subject to that certain Deed of Trust dated May 22, 2006, recorded May 24, 2006, under Auditor’s File No. 2060504497, records of Whatcom County, Washington, from Dennis R. Wagner and Nancy Wagner, husband and wife, as Grantors, to Chicago Title Insurance Company, as Trustee, to secure an obligation in favor of Bank of the Pacific, as Beneficiary.

II. No action commenced by the Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of the obligation in any Court by reason of the Borrower’s or Grantor’s default on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust.

III. The defaults for which this foreclosure is made are as follows: Interest from January 13, 2013 to December 15, 2013 in the amount of $10,356.17.

Late charges in the amount of $467.88 IV. The sum owing on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust is: Principal $250,000.00, together with interest as provided in the note or other instru-

protect groundwater quality.

What our partners are saying “This project was designed to look at how we manage the complex system of the nitrogen cycle on a farm field,” said study partner Harrison. “It is a dynamic cycle affected by rain, temperature, tillage practices, manure application, fertilizer application, weed control and irrigation management.”

Harrison’s advice to landowners: “Keep good records of manure application rates; have your manure tested multiple times during the year; and have reliable estimates of crop yield, as well as a forage test. This data will allow one to accurately estimate the nitrogen balance on the field.”

He added that the landowner who allowed access for the study “deserves a pat on the back for providing and creating a safe learning environment and the opportunity for the Washington dairy industry, Ecology, the Department of Agriculture, Whatcom

Conservation District and WSU to collaborate on such a project. His commitment to environmental stewardship is appreciated.”

Clark Halvorson, director of the Office of Drinking Water, said: “Collaborations with dairymen like this will help us identify new management practices that better protect our drinking water supplies and strengthen our vital agricultural industries.”

Added Virginia Prest, manager of the Washington State Department of Agriculture Dairy Nutrient Management Program: “The majority of our state’s 400 dairies work hard to manage their manure to protect water quality in their communities. This study offers some key information that can help with that important effort.”

You can read the report “Sumas-BlaineAquifer Nitrate Contamination Summary” online. Follow the work with the agricultural community at CleanWater on Agricultural Lands.

Your right to know and be informed of the functions of your government are embodied in public notices. In that selfgovernment charges all citizens to be informed, this newspaper urges every citizen to read and study these notices. We strongly advise those citizens seeking further information to exercise their right of access to public records and public meetings. ment secured from the 13th day of January, 2013, and such other costs and fees as are due under the note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute.

V. The above described real property will be sold to satisfy the expense of sale and the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust as provided by statute.

The sale will be made without warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances on the 11th day of April, 2014. The defaults referred to in paragraph III must be cured by the 31st day of March, 2014, (11 days before the sale date), to cause a discontinuance of the sale. The sale will be discontinued and terminated if at any time on or before the 31st day of March, 2014, (11 days before the sale date), the defaults as set forth in paragraph III are cured and the Trustee’s fees and costs are paid. The sale may be terminated any time after the 31st day of March, 2014, (11 days before the sale date), and before the sale by the Borrower, Grantor, any Guarantor, or the holder of any recorded junior lien or encumbrance paying the entire principal and interest secured by the Deed of Trust, plus costs, fees, and advances, if any, made pursuant to the terms of the obligation and/or Deed of Trust, and curing all other defaults.

VI. A written notice of default was transmitted by the Beneficiary or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the following addresses: Denny Wagner 7174 Guide Meridian Lynden, WA 98264-9457 Nancy Wagner 7174 Guide Meridian Lynden, WA 98264-9457 Jamie Graves-Kautz Northwest Justice Project 1814 Cornwall Avenue Bellingham, WA 98225 by both first class and certified mail on the 24th day of September, 2013, proof of which is in the possession of the Trustee; and the Borrower and Grantor were personally served on the 26th day of September, 2014, with said written notice of default or the written notice of default was posted in a conspicuous place on the real property described in paragraph I above, and the Trustee has possession of proof of such service or posting.

VII. The Trustee whose name and address are set forth below will provide in writing to anyone requesting it, a statement of all costs and fees due at any time prior to the sale.

VIII. The effect of the sale will be to deprive the Grantor of all those who hold by, through or under the Grantor of all their interest in the above described property.

IX. Anyone having any objection to the sale on any grounds whatsoever will be afforded an opportunity to be

heard as to those objections if they bring a lawsuit to restrain the sale pursuant to RCW 61.24.130. Failure to bring such a lawsuit may result in a waiver of any proper grounds for invalidating the Trustee’s sale.

X. NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS OR TENANTS The purchaser at the trustee’s sale is entitled to possession of the property on the 20th day following the sale, as against the grantor under the Deed of Trust (the owner) and anyone having an interest junior to the Deed of Trust, including occupants who are not tenants. After the 20th day following the sale the purchaser has the right to evict occupants who are tenants by summary proceedings under Chapter 59.12RCW. For tenant-occupied property, the purchaser shall provide a tenant with written notice in accordance with RCW 61.24.060.

XI. THIS NOTICE IS THE FINAL STEP BEFORE THE FORECLOSURE SALE OF YOUR HOME You have only 20 days from the recording date of this notice to pursue mediation.

DO NOT DELAY. CONTACT A HOUSING COUNSELOR OR AN ATTORNEY LICENSED IN WASHINGTON NOW to assess your situation and refer you to mediation if you are eligible and it may help you save your home.

See below for safe sources of help.

SEEKING ASSISTANCE Housing counselors and legal assistance may be available at little or no cost to you. If you would like assistance in determining your rights and opportunities to keep your house, you may contact the following: The statewide foreclosure hotline for assistance and referral to housing counselors recommended by the Housing Finance Commission: Telephone 1-877-894-466 Website: http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumers/homeownership/post_purchase_counselors_foreclosure.htm The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development: Telephone 1-800-569-4287 Website: http://www.hud.gov/ offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc/indix. cfm?weslistaction=search@ searchstate=WA&filterSvc=dfc The statewide civil legal aid hotline for assistance and referrals to other housing counselors and attorneys: Telephone: 1-800-606-4819 Website: http://nwjustice.org/whatclear DATED this 4th day of December, 2014.

MARK A. LACKEY, Trustee Battersby Field Professional Building 900 Dupont Street Bellingham, Washington 98225 Phone: (360) 734-6390 Published March 12 and April 2, 2014

March 16-22

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