Country Life September 2015

Country Life

Gardening • CL2 Dairy • CL3 Community • CL4

Special Section • Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Preferred Freezer now open A new structure represents local farming Whatcom Family Farmers arises from Ag Board, Dairy Federation, and will absorb Farm Friends

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

WHATCOM — Say hello to a new organization on the local farm scene.

Several existing groups helped officially create Whatcom Family Farmers in late July, and a website of the same name aims to give voice to the local agricultural enterprise.

“The family farmers of Whatcom County have come together as never before to help raise awareness in our community about the very real concerns facing farmers” is an opening declaration of the website. The goal is to “join in a unified effort to improve communication with the media, community and government leaders.”

It took votes of the Ag Water Board, representing six north-county watershed improvement districts (WIDs), and the Whatcom County Dairy Federation, which is also doing public outreach as Whatcom Family Dairies, to make it happen.

Over time, the 25-year-old organization known as Whatcom Farm Friends, based at 1796 Front St., Lynden, will be folded into the new structure.

“This move is seen by the farmers as an important and necessary step to create a stronger, more unified voice for our family farmers,” said Scott Bedlington, chair of the Ag Water Board. “We very much appreciate the years of service by the Farm Friends board and Henry Bierlink, the executive director. Given the many issues facing farmers, it is very important that we form a unified, strong voice to gain the support from the community we need.”

Gerald Baron is the media and communications coordinator for both Whatcom Family Dairies and Whatcom Family Farmers. He said the outreach effort, including planned advertising, will rely on contributions from farmers and also from farm-related community businesses and supporters concerned about protecting the future of farming.

The Whatcom Family Farmers board

will consist of members appointed by the county Dairy Federation and the Ag Water Board representing the watershed districts. For now, the plan is to have one Family Farmers board member appointed executive director for a year’s term.

Fred Likkel of the county Dairy Federation and Henry Bierlink of Farm Friends are already contracted by the Ag Water Board and the WIDs to provide technical support and coordination with farmers and will continue to serve in those roles within the new structure.

Water issues take center stage on the new whatcomfamilyfarmers.org website, as farmers need access to sufficient, uninterruptible water for farming and want to minimize any pollution that could impact water quality.

These are additional statements of participants: Jon DeJong, president of Whatcom County Dairy Federation: “Dairy farmers believe this new structure will be effective in representing the interests and concerns of farmers because it helps to keep farmers in control of the message

Preferred Freezer, located on West Main Street, in Lynden, started taking food product for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 8, about two weeks ahead of an expected Canadian cranberry harvest rush. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

See Family on CL3

Board chosen Whatcom Family Farmers announced on Sept. 4 who will lead new board members on water quality and water access issues.

The board consists of: Scott Bedlington, Keith Boon, Mike Boxx, Marty Maberry and Ed Blok, all current members of the Ag Water Board; Rich Appel, Mitch Moorlag, Mike Schoneveld, Harold Van Berkum and Jeremy Visser, elected by the Whatcom County Dairy Federation. An at-large board member will be chosen by the Ag Water Board. All on the 11-member board will be actively farming.

In addition, two ex-officio members are Todd Burgers from Larson Gross, public accountants, and Chuck Antholt, a Lummi Island farmer and part-time professor of agricultural economics at Western Washington University.

They are carryovers from the Whatcom Farm Friends board.

Whatcom Family Farmers is billed as the “new, unified voice of farmers” focused on preserving a future for family farms in Whatcom County through improved communication with the media and community.

Some members of an Ag Steering Committee of 2013-14 carry over to the new Whatcom Family Farmers organization board. From right are Ed Blok, Marty Maberry, Tom Thornton speaking, Scott Bedlington and Greg Ebe. (Lynden Tribune file photo)

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Country Life 2 • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

In Bloom

It’s time to renew State outlines potential changes in CAFO permit affecting dairies your yard Comment will be taken to Sept. 18; formal draft due by year’s end

By David Vos

In the spirit of all things weather-related in 2015, it’s looking like we may have an early autumn. Sure, September rarely passes without good stretches of nice weather, but after the rain and stormy weather of the last couple of weeks, you’ve likely seen a lot of your plants starting to show the weariness of a season nearly over.

As you gear up for autumn, here are some tasks to set about doing around the yard and garden.

It’s time to show your lawn a little love. Whether you’ve let your grass go brown over summer or kept it somewhat green with regular watering, now is the time to feed. Especially if you haven’t fed your lawn since spring, once your grass starts to grow again this fall, it’s going to be hungry!

Chances are, you’ll soon start to see ads for winterizing fertilizer, but like I’ve written before, it’s still way too early for that. Right now, your lawn is waking up from summer dormancy, so give it a hearty feeding with Scotts Turf Builder. Later this fall — anytime from late October until early December — you can apply winterizing fertilizer, but given the stress of this summer, your grass needs the extra nutrients that a spring and summer fertilizer like Turf Builder offers.

September is the time to overseed your lawn to fill in bare, dead or thin spots.

Typically homeowners who choose not to water their grass during summer still have healthy lawns come fall.

Even during dry summers we usually get enough rain to sustain a lawn’s root system.

This year was different, however, and as your lawn starts to green up with the milder, wet weather, you might be surprised to see areas of your lawn that don’t come back.

If entire swaths of your yard stay brown this fall, you may have to consider replacing your lawn altogether. If the brown spots are minimal, though, you can overseed. In those areas, use a stiff landscape rake to remove as much of the dead grass as possible and expose some soil. Spread

grass seed and starter fertilizer and then crumble a light layer of peat moss over top to hold in moisture. Lightly water the areas you’ve seeded regularly to avoid wide swings between wet and dry and in approximately a week you should see grass sprouting.

As autumn approaches, now is also the time to start planting shrubs, trees and perennials around your yard.

Autumn’s cooler weather is ideal for transplanting just about anything into your yard, so take advantage of the changing seasons to get some new plants in the ground.

Whatever you’re planting, remember that the soil you plant in will make a huge difference in the longevity of your plants. Whether you have heavier clay soil or very sandy soil, your plants will benefit from some organic compost or soil conditioner mixed in the hole around each plant. Both compost and soil conditioner help to loosen clay soils and hold moisture in sandy, porous soil.

Finally, add some fresh color to your porch or patio. If you’ve kept your flowers going strong through the heat of summer, kudos to you, but even the best care is no match for a windstorm or heavy rains like we’ve had.

Replant your pots with winter pansies — or better yet, Cool Wave trailing pansies — and be rewarded with an abundance of flowers through fall, winter and well into next spring.

A new season is upon us, so make the most of it this fall and enjoy the opportunity to work in the yard and garden without the risk of heatstroke.

David Vos is the general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery in Lynden.

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OLYMPIA — After months of meetings with industry and interest groups, preliminary details were released Aug. 11 about proposed updates to the state’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations permit.

Comments will be accepted through Sept. 18.

The aim of the state-led Clean Water Act permit is to protect surface and groundwater from being polluted by manure coming from facilities that confine and feed large numbers of animals, like cattle, pigs and chickens, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Generally, by definition, a CAFO is a facility that confines animals for 45 days or more during any 12-month period in an area that does not contain forage or crops and has or had a manure discharge.

Bacteria, pathogens and nitrogen from manure can harm the health of fish-bearing waters and shellfish beds as well as groundwater, which is a source of drinking water for many communities.

“The changes we are proposing move us toward greater protections of our surface waters and groundwater,” said Heather Bartlett, manager of Ecology’s Water Quality Program. “This preliminary step affords everybody with an extra opportunity to learn about the changes we are considering before we get into the more formal public review process. We’re collecting feedback and asking for help to fill in some gaps.”

The permit, which is up for renewal every five years, expired in 2011. Ecology seeks to renew the permit “to allow additional facilities to have permit coverage.” Facilities with documented manure discharges must be covered by the permit. “Having permit coverage provides legal protections to concentrated animal operators,” Ecology says.

The proposed permit changes include: • Requiring facilities with unlined or clay-lined manure lagoons to obtain permit coverage.

• Requiring permitted facilities with manure lagoons to submit information about

Dairy farms would have to show their manure lagoons are not seeping into surface or ground water under the preliminary writing of new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit rules by the state. (Lynden Tribune file photo) the lagoons — for example, when and how they were built.

• Establishing basic management practices to protect water quality.

• Giving each facility the flexibility to determine how best to meet the permit requirements at its site.

Ecology will continue to meet with industries, agencies, interest groups and tribes to discuss the preliminary permit. The agency expects to issue a formal draft permit later this year.

Visit Ecology’s website to read the preliminary draft permit and learn how to submit comments.

Responding to emailed questions from the Tribune last week, Ecology staff said the preliminary draft CAFO permit is different from the past in these respects: • addressing groundwater.

• replacing the previous nutrient management plan in the permit with a manure pollution prevention plan that looks specifically at pollution prevention activities.

• being more proactive than the previous primarily reactive approach to addressing discharges.

A “documented discharge” of manure occurs when Ecology or one of its agency partners finds and documents a discharge from a facility.

Potentially under the new permit, any farm with an unlined or clay-lined manure lagoon could have to get a

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draft, according to the agency. “The preliminary draft, as written, defines the goals or outcomes that are desired for pollution prevention. How those goals or outcomes are met is up to the producer, which allows site-specific flexibility. The manure pollution prevention plan documents what the producer is doing to meet the goals or outcomes onsite.”

Ecology has had some response from various interests in the agricultural community. It has met with, and continues to meet with those that have requested meetings to discuss the preliminary draft. “Generally, the responses and comments about the preliminary draft have been constructive and will help inform the development of a formal public draft. We expect to have a formal public draft available for comment toward the end of this year.”

As to how many Whatcom County dairy farms or other operations might be expected to come under the revised permit, Ecology says that “as currently proposed, if a facility is a CAFO and has a discharge to surface or groundwater, a permit would need to be obtained.”

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“The requirement to get a permit is that there is a discharge (to surface or groundwater). If a lagoon is discharging due to seepage through the walls or clay liner (depending on how the lagoon is constructed), this triggers the requirements to get a permit from Ecology. The only type of lagoon construction that the Water Quality Program determined does not discharge is a lagoon constructed with a double geomembrane liner that has a leak detection system between the layers.

“Other types of storage are available (e.g., an aboveground storage tank) that are also likely to be considered not discharging. If an unlined or clay-lined lagoon can be shown to not be discharging (no seepage), it would not trigger the requirement for a permit.”

A discharge from a facility is necessary to trigger the requirement to obtain a permit. This is true regardless of the size (number of animals) of a farm facility.

References to “flexibility” and “best management practices” relate to the manure pollution prevention plan proposed in the preliminary

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Country Life 3 • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

MiElkE Market

Milk price $5.98 below a year ago, staying low    U.S. dairy farmers are again having to contend with depressed milk prices coming on the heels of last year’s record highs.    The nation’s benchmark milk price slipped another 6 cents as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the August Federal Order Class III price at $16.27 per hundredweight (cwt.) on Friday.    That’s $5.98 below August 2014 and equates to about $1.40 per gallon, unchanged from July but way down from $1.91 a year ago.    The eight-month Class III price average now stands at $16.07, down from $22.49 at this time a year ago and $17.72 in 2013.

   Looking ahead is not very encouraging, either. The September Class III futures contract settled Friday at $16.14; October, $16.37; November, $16.18; and December, $15.96.

That would result in a 2015 average of just $16.09, down from last year’s record $22.34 per cwt.    The Class III price is 53 cents above California’s comparable Class 4b price, but that is the smallest price gap since June 2011, thanks to the state-mandated temporary increase in the whey pricing factor of the formula. USDA will hold a hearing starting Sept. 22 in California to discuss a proposal to establish a Federal Milk Marketing Order in the nation’s number 1 milk producer.    For the farmer, higher feed costs and a lower All Milk Price took the July milk-feed price ratio to 2.01, down from

Family: Future focused Continued from CL1

and direction. We recognize that it is essential that all family farmers in our community be united as we seek the support of our community in facing the many issues threatening the future of farming in Whatcom County.�    Ed Blok, Lynden dairy farmer and key organizer of the WIDs and Ag Water Board: “Farmers tend to be a quiet bunch who just want to farm, but we are realizing how important it is that we make our friends and neighbors and fellow citizens aware of the important issues facing us. We need their help in working with

the government leaders making decisions that affect our future.�    Marty Maberry, of Maberry Packing, a leading berry farmer and processor: “Water issues including water quality and making certain our farmers have access to water are very big concerns of many, if not most, farmers. We’ve been work-

2.06 in June and 2.36 in July 2014, according to USDA’s latest Ag Prices report. The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration of 51 percent corn, 8 percent soybeans and 41 percent alfalfa hay.

That is, one pound of milk today purchases 2.01 pounds of dairy feed containing that blend.    The July U.S. average allmilk price was $16.60 per cwt.    July corn, at $3.80 per bushel, was up 22 cents from June but 26 cents below July 2014. Soybeans, averaging $9.96 per bushel, were up 38 cents from June, but $3.14 per bushel below July 2014. Alfalfa hay averaged $169 per ton,

down $9 from June and $48 per ton below July 2014.   Meanwhile, cash dairy product prices have been on a roller coaster with bearish July milk production and cold storage reports providing the downward ride and demand being the uplifting force. This may be fair season, but this kind of roller coaster is surely not what dairy farmers enjoy.    Dairy prices continued to defy global reality going into the Labor Day weekend.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange block cheddar got up to $1.75 per pound, but relapsed and closed Sept. 4 at $1.6950 per pound. The barrels rolled out the week at $1.67. Nine cars of block traded hands on the

ing on these issues for years and we will play a significant role in the water management policies needed. We know we’ve got to do a better job of letting the community and government leaders know what we have to offer and how we can help provide the much-needed solutions to water management.�    Rich Appel, of Whatcom County’s Appel Farms and a spokesperson for dairy farmers: “Everyone in Whatcom County can be proud of our farmers and what they have done to conserve water, improve habitat and the environment and reduce or eliminate any water quality concerns coming from farms. But we need to do a lot better job of telling our story to the community and we are convinced the Whatcom Family Farmers effort will help us do that.�

Sept. 18-19 event helps small forest owners Topic is selling or harvesting years of investment    WHATCOM — Washington State University Extension is putting on a logging symposium Sept. 18-19 geared to small forest landowners who may be considering harvesting some of their timber, reports local forester Tom Westergreen.    The event will be on Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., then Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Doors open a half hour before start time.

Dinner is included on Friday, lunch on Saturday. The site is the Deming Logging Show grounds, 3295 Cedarville Rd.    A similar symposium will be held in the Auburn area in spring 2016.    Selling logs is one of the most important decisions a woodland landowner faces. They might log their property for a number of reasons. For some, it’s the culmination of decades of planning and hard work to produce a valu-

able crop. For others, it might be a liquidation of an asset to meet a sudden financial need.

Still others might be undertaking a thinning operation to improve forest health and habitat.    Whatever the reason or goal, selling logs is a high-stakes endeavor, and mistakes can be costly. You don’t want to expose yourself to unnecessary liability or be left “on the hook� for someone else’s mistake. Make sure your property looks how you want it to when the job is done and don’t risk unnecessary damage to your property that could take decades to restore.    Topics to be addressed include: timber sale fundamentals, selling methods (sealed bid versus negotiation), types of sales (stumpage, lump sum, etc.), types of buyers (mill, broker, logger), getting fair value for your logs and understanding your rights and responsibilities as a landowner.    Other topics are: what a forestry consultant can offer you, protecting yourself from liability, inventory and marketing for different forest products, how to select a logger, permitting requirements and harvest regulations, ex-

cise taxes, current use taxation and cost-share programs, and portable sawmilling.    Speakers will include: consulting foresters, log buyers, loggers, and representatives from the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Revenue.    A field trip will include: a scaling yard, portable mill demonstration, logging site from this year, and examples of what different harvesting objectives will reveal 40-70 years later.    The cost is $18 per person or $28 per couple (same household or ownership) before Sept.

10; $25 per person or $35 per couple (same household or ownership) from Sept. 10 on, with student and Master Gardener discounts available. Call to 425-357-6023 for details.    Register online with a credit card through Brown Paper Tickets, or by mail using the registration form available from WSU Western Extension Risk Management Education Center (http://westrme.wsu.edu), and mail in with a check made out to WSU Extension (must be received by Sept. 16).    Reach Westergreen at tomwestergreen@ hotmail.com.

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week and three of barrel.   Dan McBride of the Northwest Dairy Association made these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend Aug. $16.27 $14.80 (current) Sept. $16.10 $16.00 Oct. $16.35 $15.85 Nov. $16.15 $15.40 Dec. $15.95 $14.80 Jan. $15.70 $14.40 Feb. $15.65 $14.50 March $15.70 $14.80    Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.

4-H Reports COUNTRY PARTNERS Reporter: Kelly Klem    The sunshine and warmth have been traded in for cloudy rainy days. We’re finally packing away our shorts and trading them in for raincoats. Summer has come to an end, and with that so has the 4­H year. In a couple of weeks Country Partners will have its endof-the-year banquet where we acknowledge the achievements of the year, which I think will finally get us over our fair withdrawal.   During the fair, Country Partners encountered several hilarious situations:     • One of our llamas spit on her picture and then proceeded to tear it down. I guess she wasn’t too fond of the whole fair vibe because she was sent home during the week for her frequent spitting fests with the other llamas in her pen.     • A considerable amount of blood was drawn during a rabbit fitting and show event by a frustrated rabbit that didn’t want to be shown that day. Regardless, the showman proceeded to show despite the bloodshed and ended up placing better than expected.     • Our 4­H leader received her own stall card courtesy of our club members where

she was tagged and somehow managed to pass the vet inspection.     • I spectated some of our younger members conveniently passing in front of the kettle corn booth several times within a short while when there were samples to be received.     • One of our more outspoken members was even hypnotized at which time we discovered and had the privilege of witnessing his dancing skills and his sassy singing.   Overall this year the fair was very successful. Our club members conquered a couple of the barns when it came to fitting and showing, allowing Helen Zylstra more bragging rights about her amazing club. Some of our members are even proceeding on to the state fair for competition, which will only aid her cause.    The end of the fair week is bittersweet. All year, we’ve been preparing and studying for these competitions, and within several days it’s all over and been done with and we’re left to sit and ponder what to do with our lives next. We’re starting a new 4­H year soon, however, so I guess now would be the best time to find new projects and discover new interests.

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• GRAVEL • SITE PREP • UTILITIES • CONCRETE FLATWORK • RETAINING WALLS

5946 Guide Meridian, Bellingham Bob & Linda Vander Ploeg

www.allwestselectsires.com

www.StremlerGravel.net • 360-354-8585

8631 Depot Rd. • Lynden 360-354-2101

P.O. Box 99 • 411 W. Front St., Sumas, WA 98295 Business: 360-988-5811 and 800-821-6288 Fax: 360-988-0411

Portal Way 384-3688 • Lynden 354-5611

Tiger Construction 6280 Everson Goshen Road Everson 360-966-7252

portalwayfarmandgarden.com

Country Life 4 • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Festival for big pumpkins Skagit nursery hosts Sept. 26 SKAGIT ­— The fifth annual Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival will be on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Rd., Mount Vernon.

Come be amazed at the big-bellied, absurdly misshapen pumpkins that will be lined up at Christianson’s for a weigh-off. One thousand dollars goes to the owner of the biggest pumpkin, and cash prizes will be awarded for each of the next nine top pumpkins.

The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth’s Howard Dill Award will be given to the “prettiest pumpkin,” as voted on by the visiting public.

Entry of pumpkins will be from 9 a.m. to noon. The weighoff goes to 4 p.m. when the winner is announced.

Other fun events during the day include: a giant cabbage contest with prizes for qualifying cabbage entries in three age groups; an exhibition area to show off other giant vegetables and sunflowers; a free “Bats Incredible!” talk by Kathleen Bander of Bats Northwest (11 a.m.; reservations requested at 360-4663821); Random Acts of Food providing sustenance (plenty of garden picnic spots on site); the ever-popular toad races; pony rides; face painting (for a small charge); family carnival games; farm animals; and live Cajun and Bluegrass music.

Last year’s giant pumpkin winner, grown by Joel Holland of

Sumner, weighed in at 1,450.5 pounds and its vine in the garden took up a space of 800 square feet. A 703.5-pound giant squash grown by Calli Halbert of Enumclaw and a 92.5-pound marrow grown

by Bob Risi of Enumclaw also were entered.

Entry forms for the giant pumpkin weigh-off and giant cabbage contest are available at Christianson’s Nursery or online at www.christiansonsnursery.com.

Farms, businesses could be eligible for drought aid WASHINGTON, DC — In early August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture named 18 counties in Washington as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought.

The western Washington counties include Skagit and Whatcom.

Farmers and ranchers in 17 counties also qualified for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest

emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the Aug. 5 declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Also, small nonfarm businesses in 12 Washington counties and neighboring counties are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the drought that began May 19, 2015, announced Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center in the West.

Whatcom is a neighboring county to the primarily eligible Okanogan County.

Homeowner septic training offered LYNDEN ­ — The Whatcom County Health Department trains and certifies homeowners to do their own septic system evaluation from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the Lynden Library community room, 216 Fourth St. Preregistration is required; call 778-6000. Similar sessions are offered in Bellingham Sept. 29 and Oct. 1.

Like wine?

Thank a cow.

Everything Washington’s dairy cows make is pretty awesome.

In addition to fresh, local milk, dairy cows produce nature’s best fertilizer, which helps to grow prize wine grapes, restore soil and even generate electricity for farms and homes. To learn more about our state's dairy cows and the families who raise them, visit akeyingredient.com.