Country Life April 2015

Country Life

Dairy • CL3 Gardening • CL4 Ag News • CL6

Special Section • Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Business

Agriculture

Whatcom Farmers Co-op to merge with much larger national group

From deep roots to farm solar

CHS a Fortune 100 farmer-owned cooperative based in Minnesota

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — Whatcom Farmers Co-op has agreed to a merger with the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative and a Fortune 100 company, Minnesota-based CHS Inc. The WFC board voted in April to approve the merger, which is expected to become effective in July 2015.

CHS employs over 11,000 people across North America and in 25 countries. In fiscal year 2014, CHS generated $1.1 billion in net income and $42.7 billion in net revenues with its holdings diversified in energy, grains and foods.

Jeff Bedlington, WFC board chairman, in a statement put out by CHS Monday, thanked the producers of Whatcom Farmers Co-op for “turning out and making a clear statement that we should move forward with the merger.”

“A lot of time and effort by the board of directors went into the decision to bring this proposal to our members,” Bedlington said. “WFC will remain a locally based company, staying true to its roots. We are excited for the opportunities that CHS and WFC can provide for our employees and customers.”

Bedlington told the Lynden Tribune on Monday that “people aren’t going to notice a difference” and that “everything is pretty much going to remain the same.”

Roderic Perry shows off some of the control technology for his farm’s new solar power system. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

See WFC on CL2

Roderic Perry goes progressive as his historic dairy farm taps into sun power

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

EVERSON — ­ Recording local weather has been an official duty in the Perry family since 1919. So maybe it’s not a surprise that Roderic Perry is leading the way toward using solar power on his Van Buren Road dairy farm.

Perry stood in the electrical control

room adjoining his barn on Friday afternoon as the day’s weather turned to a cold rain. But the solar panels that are tipped toward the southern sky were still producing electricity.

“It’s quite amazing how much sun there is even when it is raining,” said the lifelong fourth-generation farmer.

He was counting up how much power had been produced so far for the day from the 165 solar panels installed

by Glacier Pacific LLC Solar Energy last year. On a sunnier day in April, the output could be four times greater.

Overall, it’s a 42-kilowatt system. It’s also one of the first known applications of solar power on a Whatcom County farm.

Energy received from the sun will

cover just under half of the needs of the farm, Perry said. But when you factor in several other “drivers,” as he calls them, the investment certainly pencils out.

Two years ago, Perry had an electrical fire in equipment that may have dated back to the earliest rural electrification of the 1930s. He needed to upgrade. He decided to do it in a big leap of technology.

Perry was already somewhat familiar with what Dean Mellema, who lives a few miles away, could offer through his Glacier Pacific company.

Perry got himself educated on the incentives of going solar, including a 30 percent federal tax write-off that is due to See Perry on CL3

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Country Life 2 • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

WFC: Viability long-term Continued from CL1 WFC will retain its sevenperson board of directors, the employees will remain in place and Don Eucker will continue to lead the group as

ply of fertilizer and chemicals or their knowledge base.”

CHS was founded in 1929 and has stayed committed to the cooperative business model. It is made up of 625,000 producers, the major-

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Whatcom Farmers Coop already has a diverse offering of agronomy, fuel, retail and more. (Courtesy WFC) general manager.

Even for producer-members it is going to be “business as usual.”

WFC was formed in 1982 as a merger of local Western Farmers Association holdings and the Whatcom County Grange Supply, with roots back to 1941.

The current iteration of WFC has grown to offer products and services in agronomy, energy and hardware with retail operations. WFC has locations in Lynden, Bellingham, Fairhaven, Ferndale, Blaine and Nooksack.

Already, WFC uses Cenex fuel, a CHS-owned brand.

The merger, though, ensures the long-term viability of WFC, Bedlington said.

“We are in a really small area for a co-op. We are blocked off by mountains and the border and the ocean,” he said. “A lot of companies out there see this area as a target to grow and we want to remain a viable company. By aligning with CHS it keeps us strong and gives us the opportunity to pull from their resources, whether their sup-

ity based in 1,100 member cooperatives. The company also has 16,000 preferred stockholders.

refineries/pipelines and manufactures, markets and distributes Cenex brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and

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The company supplies energy, crop nutrients, grain

renewable energy products.

Over the past five years CHS has returned nearly $2 billion in cash to farmer and member cooperative owners.

One change locals may see is a potential upgrade of signage. While the board hasn’t finalized plans yet, a small CHS logo may adorn the corner of WFC signs in the future.

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Retail prices configured at a tax rate of 8.7%. 1Monthly payments calculated at a sale price of $19,595 with 20% down at 0% interest for 60 months. 2Monthly payments calculated at a sale price of $22,995 with 20% down at 3.95% interest for 60 months. 3Monthly payments calculated at a sale price of $28,995 with 20% down at 3.95% interest for 60 months.

410 19th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 • www.FarmersEquip.com

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Country Life 3 • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

MiElkE Market

Milk price up a bit, but future remains cloudy The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the March Federal Order Class III benchmark milk price April 1 at $15.56 per hundredweight (cwt.), up 10 cents from February but a whopping $7.77 below March 2014. It’s $1.59 above California’s comparable Class 4b cheese milk price.

The price equates to about $1.34 per gallon, up a penny from February and comparing to $2.01 a year ago. It puts the 2015 first-quarter Class III average at $15.73, down from $22.61 at this time a year ago and $17.44 in 2013.

Looking ahead, the April Class III futures contract settled at $15.59, May at $15.57, and June $15.56, with a peak of just $17.25 in December.

The March Class IV price is

$13.80, down 2 cents from February and $9.86 below a year ago. The firstquarter Class IV average stands at $13.62, down from $23.14 a year ago and $17.71 in 2013.

The four-week National Dairy Products Sales Report-surveyed cheese price used to calculate the March prices averaged $1.5750 per pound, up 3 cents from February.

Butter averaged $1.6945, up .2 cents.

Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.0217, down a penny, and dry whey averaged 48.24 cents per pound, down 3.5 cents from February.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced its March Class 4b cheese milk price on April 1 as well at $13.97 per cwt., up 19 cents from February but $8.19 below March 2014. The first-quarter 4b

average stands at $13.83, down from $21.20 a year ago and $15.42 in 2013.

The March Class 4a butter powder price is $13.42 per cwt., down 4 cents from February and $9.95 below

a year ago. The three-month 4a average now stands at $13.32, down from $22.86 a year ago and $17.65 in 2013.

The latest Global Dairy Trade auction added to the losses incurred in the March 17 event, as the weighted average for all products plunged 10.8 percent, likely due to Fonterra increasing the volumes it made available to the auction over its prior forecast. All products offered were down.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Thursday at 97.75 cents per pound, up a quarter-cent on the week. Only two train cars traded hands on the week in the spot market. NDPSR powder averaged 99.18 cents per pound, down 1.6 cents, and dry whey averaged 49.3 cents per pound, up 2.6 cents.

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 March $15.56 $15.05 (current) April $15.60 $15.05 May $15.55 $15.15 June $15.55 $15.30 July $16.25 $15.70 Aug. $16.70 $16.15 Sept. $17.05 $16.50 Oct. $17.20 $16.45 Nov. $17.25 $16.50 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly and associate editor of DairyBusiness Update.

Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.

Perry: Solar on a Centennial Farm EPA fines Lynden dairy $7,500 for manure violation

Continued from CL1 end in 2016. He could also depreciate his full investment in one tax year (instead of five or seven) as long as the project was entirely completed by last December — and it was, just in time. There was also a 75 percent refund of sales tax paid.

And to top it all off is that Puget Sound Energy — into whose grid Perry feeds — will pay for all the power he produces, even what he uses himself. That is a fact that many people do not know about PSE’s program that aims to encourage solar production, Mellema said.

“You probably have to have a passion to get into something like this, because the learning curve is pretty high,” he said of all the technicalities involved.

Anyway, it made sense to all involved to pull it together, and this became a five-month project.

Another key partner was K Engineers (electrical) of Lynden, especially Bill Diephuis there. Every dol-

system on his property, significantly smaller than Perry’s.

Mellema said he is working with another farmer in

a REAP grant, will see a full return on his investment in about six years, Mellema said.

With a grant, the time could be trimmed to just over four

lar spent with that firm was money well worth it, Perry said. The installing electricians with Stremler Electric — also a neighbor not far away — could just follow the engineering plans Diephuis drew up.

In summary, the five arrays of 33 panels each on Perry barns facing to East Badger Road create direct current that is sent to five invertors for conversion to alternating current. Also in the electrical control room are two meters, one measuring the solar production — “on a good day, that will just be flying,” Perry said — and the other the net difference between power produced and power used on the farm.

Mellema himself, as he got into this business a few years ago alongside another job, installed an 18-kilowatt

Whatcom County to obtain a REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that could lead to Glacier Pacific installing another solar system.

Perry, who did not get

years, he said.

Mellema emphasized that his interest in solar is to “give back” to the community via an area of interest. It’s a direction of the future that he may be able to help educate people on before they decide

R. Bajema Farm inspection was back in 2013

A solar water heating system was an earlier effort on the Perry farm. But the long array of panels on the dairy barn now is the real deal for maximizing the power of the sun. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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on a step.

“People don’t need to buy these things until they’re informed,” he said. Glacier Pacific can be reached at 7399903.

As to the tax and other incentives that he tapped into, Perry is the first to say that “the time is ticking” on some of the variables and no one can say what may be renewed by the government.

There can be plenty of energy hogs on a dairy farm, even this one of less than 200 cows, the milking and milk cooling systems being the biggest.

The weather watching in the Perry family — officially as the Clearbrook WA station for National Weather Service — goes back to Roderic’s uncle of the same name, then his father William and mother Nola. All the numbers, now available online, create a picture of weather patterns and highs and lows that can be researched and analyzed.

The farm itself is one of only five in Whatcom County that qualifies as a Centennial Farm, with at least 100 years in the same family’s ownership. William B. Perry, Rod’s greatgrandfather, came to the land first in 1876.

Roderic, wearing a NOAA cap, can speak himself of how the relatively far northern latitude of Whatcom County is an exposure to more summer sunlight than is true in a southern clime. And global warming will only bring solar energy more into play, he notes.

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SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a compliance order and $7,500 penalty to R. Bajema Farm for violations of the Clean Water Act found during a 2013 inspection of the Lynden dairy farm.

According to an EPA news release, staff observed the discharge of water polluted with animal waste to a ditch that flows into Fishtrap Creek and the Nooksack River, which empties into North Puget Sound near shellfish beds.

The farm agreed to update and follow its Nutrient Management Plan and correct issues causing discharges from confinement areas. Concentrated animal feeding operations and other agricultural facilities that discharge to surface waters must have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, but the Bajema Farm of 350 mature dairy cows did not have one at the time of the inspection.

“For both industries to thrive, agriculture and shellfish farms must coexist,” said Ed Kowalski, director of compliance and enforcement in EPA’s Seattle office.

“Many agricultural facilities in Whatcom County are already helping to protect downstream Puget Sound shellfish farms by using tools that allow them to apply manure at the right time, in the right place and in the right amount, which minimizes polluted runoff.”

EPA will enforce water quality laws if facilities fail to comply with basic environmentally protective regulations, Kowalski said.

R. Bajema Farm also drew the attention of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which issued a civil penalty in 2014 for a discharge of runoff from an area of land where the owner had applied manure.

Reasons for regulation Shellfish beds in North

Puget Sound depend on clean water and are struggling because of fecal coliform pollution running downstream into Puget Sound. Fecal coliform originates from multiple sources including wastewater treatment plants, poorly managed septic systems, application of manure to fields, and agricultural facilities such as livestock operations, poultry farms, and dairy farms, the EPA said.

Water contaminated with fecal coliform drains from land into creeks and rivers, making its way into Puget Sound where the fecal coliform can contaminate shellfish. When fecal coliform levels rise, shellfish bed operators cannot harvest because the shellfish pose a risk to consumers.

The Lummi Nation has been particularly impacted by shellfish bed closures with millions of dollars in economic loss.

According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, 106 dairies in Whatcom County have 44,000 mature animals and 16,000 replacement stock that generate millions of pounds of manure each year.

In addition, there are agricultural operations such as feedlots, heifer replacement facilities, poultry farms and hobby farms where manure must be managed carefully.

Operators of agricultural facilities can refer to manure spreading advisories and mapping that allows them to minimize the risk of runoff by deciding when and where to spread manure based on weather, soil conditions, soil type, field slope, equipment used and type of field.

In addition, state and local agencies have hosted well-attended workshops on environmentally protective dairy nutrient management.

The events covered rules and regulations, irrigation water management and identification, and management of high-risk areas.

For more information on manure handling systems, go to http://www. epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/ dairymanure.html.

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Country Life 4 • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

‘I am interested in capturing honeybee swarms’ Swarming may be normal, but it’s also a chance to direct bees to a better location

a few new queen cells. The swarm will leave about two days before the virgin queen emerges. The swarm is looking for a place to establish a new colony. Gorging themselves with honey as the swarm leaves, it appears to be a wild unsynchronized mess, bees everywhere, not really flying in any type of formation.

300 are male drones and there is a single mated queen; the rest are female worker bees.

As the honeybee colony population continues to increase, the parent colony becomes overcrowded, forcing it to send out a swarm.

A swarm contains about 50 percent of the worker bees, a few drones and the original existing queen.

Before swarming, the parent colony begins to raise

In reality, they are following a predetermined plan and find a place to land, rest and reorganize. This “resting time” cluster appears as a large clump of bees hanging on a tree, porch post, wall, stop sign or any other place the swarm wishes to land.

Somewhere in this large clump of tightly clinging bees is the solo queen. A swarm may hang in his location for anywhere from a few hours to as long as three days.

When you look at a honeybee swarm, you see nothing but a bee cluster about the size and shape of a football. The cluster is bee-colored and not the gray color of a paper wasps’ nest. Scout bees from this honeybee cluster leave to find a suitable new home. The scout bees return to the cluster and convince the swarm that the new home location is acceptable.

Capturing a honeybee swarm at this time is the easiest for the beekeeper and best for the property owner. Once bees enter a structure or tree cavity, they become established and cannot be easily removed without some demolition. The sooner the swarm is captured, the less likely it will become established in an attic, the eaves of a home, a car or any other place they may find suitable.

As a Whatcom County beekeeper, I (Russell) am interested in capturing honeybee swarms. The description above is a very brief overview of what actually is going on during a swarm, and I would be happy to answer any questions. We all need to see that honeybee populations remain strong and that these valuable pollinators survive.

I can be contacted 24/7 on my cell at 360-815-3989.

Russell and Janice Deptuch of Ferndale own Bees Choice Honey. The business sells honey, removes swarms and provides pollination service.

Bull riding back in Lynden at fairgrounds May 9 LYNDEN — Rodeo fans can see “the most exciting 8 seconds in sports” for a couple of hours on Saturday, May 9, when the Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division event returns for a third year.

Approximately 35 of the top bull riders in the world are expected when the Laurel Farm and Western Supply Lynden PBR starts at 7:30 p.m. inside the Washington Tractor Arena at the Northwest Washington Fair & Event Center.

Reserved tickets from $29 to $39 went on sale April 2.

Four tips for a better veggie garden

By David Vos

Once again the sun has come out in Whatcom County. We had an unseasonably warm winter, with the appearance of an early spring. As the ground continues to warm, the early spring wildflower blossoms appear along with the fruit and berry blossoms triggering the natural progression of life.

This time of year and throughout the summer, honeybee colonies reproduce and expand their numbers by a natural progression called swarming.

A healthy honeybee colony can contain as many as 30,000 bees. Of these, about

At least 35 pro riders expected

In Bloom

They will be available at the fair office, 1775 Front St., online at www.nwwafair.com or by phone at 354-4111.

“Bull riding is the most popular event of any rodeo and this features a whole night of it,” said Jim Baron, fairgrounds general manager.

The bulls will be provided by longtime rodeo stock contractor Mike Corey of Moses Lake.

Riders will be competing for $10,000 in prize money as well as points in the Touring Pro Division standings. The TPD is the PBR developmental tour in which established veterans and newcomers compete against some of the

most famous bucking bulls.

Music in the beer garden will be offered after the bull riding.

For sponsorship opportunities and VIP seating details, call 354-4111.

With this year’s mild winter, our gardening season in the Pacific Northwest has gotten off to a much earlier start than normal.

From lawns that need a good mowing to fields of tulips in bloom well before the height of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, signs of an early spring have been plentiful. As you prepare to plant your vegetable garden this year, here are four tips for a more productive, rewarding garden.

1. Give each plant in your garden the sun exposure it needs. Now, with adequate water, most vegetables will produce best in full sun. The breadbasket of California’s Central Valley wasn’t born from its abundance of shade!

However, if your garden space doesn’t have full sun, understand that plants grown for their roots or fruits need sun; those grown for their leaves will do well even in some shade. So, as you decide what to plant where, keep your peppers, tomatoes, beans and carrots in the sun and let the lettuce and spinach grow in the shadier areas.

2. Know what plants to grow next to each other.

Browse blogs and you’ll find lists of plants that aren’t “compatible” in the garden.

Here’s a little secret: I’ve broken several of those rules (mostly unknowingly) and my garden grows just fine.

If your garden lays out best with beans next to potatoes, don’t sweat it — you won’t

end up with toxic onions or shriveled beans.

What I’m referring to, rather, is this: Give each plant the space it needs to produce. Tomatoes are notorious space hogs in a small garden. Realizing this, I’ve found it best to plant early-season crops like broccoli and cauliflower next to my tomatoes.

By the time the tomato plants are big enough to infringe on the broccoli, I’ve harvested my crop of broccoli and made room for the tomatoes to grow.

3. Don’t expect an abundant harvest without providing abundant nutrients. Having seen the results in my own garden and those of many pleased fellow gardeners, I’m a big fan of mushroom compost for vegetable gardens.

Spread a layer evenly over the entire garden at the beginning of the season and spade or rototill it through the soil before you plant. Then watch your garden grow! The aged chicken manure in mushroom compost will get your

tomatoes growing like nothing else can.

4. Realize that you’re not the only one looking forward to a rich harvest from your garden in the year to come — bugs are too. While you can somewhat successfully deal with bugs after you find them munching on your rose bushes, nobody wants to deal with bugs in the vegetable garden after the fact (spinach à la aphids, anyone?), so deal with insects in the garden preventively.

Each year when I plant my garden, I treat it with Sevin insect dust. This insecticide is safe to use on vegetable gardens and is effective in preventing and controlling insect populations. If you prefer an organic option, Captain Jack’s Deadbug dust or liquid is a great alternative made from a naturally occurring bacteria shown to kill many common insects.

Given the great weather we’re enjoying this year, now is the time to start planting your garden, particularly cool-season vegetables like lettuces, peas, onions, carrots, potatoes and broccoli.

In another few weeks we should see warm enough temperatures to move into the rest of the planting season with tomatoes, peppers and squash, among others.

Make the most of your garden this year and enjoy the bounty of a successful growing season ahead.

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

Gardening

Mt. Baker FFA plant sale before Mothers Day DEMING — The Mount Baker High School horticulture program will host its annual plant sale April 30 to May 2 in the high school greenhouse. The hours will be 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Horticulture students will be selling flowering annual plants, large tomato plants, herbs, vegetable starts and hanging baskets that have been raised over the past six months. All hanging baskets cost $22 and contain wave petunias or mixed annuals.

Tomato plants grown in the greenhouse are already producing fruit and all plants have

been hardened off to ensure they transplant well outdoors.

Annual bedding plants range in size from six-packs to 5-inch containers and range in price from $1.75 to $4.

The variety of plants will include geraniums, petunias, lobelia, impatiens, dianthus, marigolds, fuchsias, scented geraniums and many more to brighten up a deck or planting bed.

All proceeds support Mount Baker Student Industries and will be used to purchase plants and materials for the horticulture program at Mount Baker High School next school year.

For more information, contact Tamara Whitcomb at 383-2082 or email twhitcomb@ mtbaker.wednet.edu.

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Country Life 5 • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Government

DelBene pushes resolution on specialty crops More than 4,000 farms in 1st District grow assorted fruits and vegetables WASHINGTON, D.C. — First District Congresswoman Suzan DelBene on March 26 introduced into Congress a bipartisan resolution supporting specialty crops, highlighting the vital role they play in America’s agricultural industry and calling for increased support of specialty crop programs.

“Whether it’s red raspberries, blueberries, potatoes or any number of different fruits and vegetables grown by our local farmers, specialty crops play a critical part in Western Washington’s economy,” DelBene said. “This resolution is an acknowledgement of the significant effect specialty crops play both in the local and national economy.”

DelBene serves as the ranking Democratic member on the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research. She said she will continue to work for specialty crop programs and other job-creating investments for her northwest Washington district.

The resolution highlights the growing and increasingly significant role that specialty crops play in America’s agricultural industry. It calls for increasing support for specialty crops and builds on the progress made by the 2014 Farm Bill through key priorities such as opening new markets abroad and funding research that helps improve crop yields and food safety.

Nationally, the annual value of specialty crops totals more than $60 billion, with about $14 billion in exports. Whatcom County leads the nation in red raspberry production and specialty crops account for more than $100 million of the roughly $326 million in agricultural sales there. In addition, agriculture is the leading industry in Skagit County and more than 90 different specialty crops are grown in the county alone.

Washington’s First District has more than 4,000 farms growing dozens of specialty crops that supply local farmers markets, restaurants and consumers with quality, fresh, locally grown food.

The co-sponsor backing of the bill by Reps. Dan Newhouse and Dave Reichert of Washington helped to make it a bipartisan effort.

This is the full resolution:

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that specialty crops are a vital part of agriculture in the United States, and that Congress should fund programs that support specialty crops as a growing and important part of agriculture in the United States.

Whereas specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops including floriculture; Whereas farmers in the United States grow more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops; Whereas the yearly value of specialty crop production totals nearly $60 billion, which accounts for about one-fourth of all domestic crop value; Whereas sales of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables total nearly $100 billion annually; Whereas combined exports of specialty crops grown in the United States totaled about $14 billion as recently as 2013, which accounts for about 10 percent of all agricultural exports from the United States; Whereas there are about 245,000 farms that grow a variety of specialty crops; Whereas specialty crop production is most highly concentrated in California, Florida, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, and Michigan; however, all 50 states have at least some specialty crop production; Whereas the Agricultural Act of 2014,

(P.L. 113-79), also referred to as the 2014 Farm Bill, included unprecedented and historic amounts of funding for critical programs such as the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, and the National Clean Plant Network; Whereas a vital program for specialty crops, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, established under section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632), received mandatory funding through Fiscal Year 2018 and beyond in the 2014 Farm Bill; Whereas a vital program for specialty crops, the National Clean Plant Network, established under section 10202 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7761), saw an increase in mandatory funding from the 2014 Farm Bill; Whereas a vital program for specialty crops, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, established under section 10202 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7761), saw an increase in mandatory funding from the 2014 Farm Bill; Whereas many important agriculture programs did not, however, receive mandatory funding under the 2014 Farm Bill; Whereas it is paramount that Congress builds on the progress of the 2014 Farm Bill to provide funding for these programs in future Farm Bills, so as to provide certainty to farmers across the United States; Whereas overall spending on specialty crops still remains a small percentage of all funding for crops, however, even taking into account mandatory and discretionary funding combined; Whereas specialty crops are not eligible for many of the traditional support programs that benefit producers of other crops; Whereas programs that support specialty crops are generally available to all crops, while the opposite is true of specific commodity crops; Whereas fruits and vegetables like red raspberries, almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, beans, blueberries, citrus, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapes, macadamia nuts, nectarines, onions, papayas, peaches, pecans, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet corn, certain tomatoes, walnuts, asparagus, beets, strawberries, broccoli, and carrots are just a few of the hundreds of specialty crops grown in the United States; Whereas specialty crops are a driving force in promoting a healthier country and are part of a healthy, balanced diet that can help consumers reach recommended dietary goals, which call for half of plates to be fruits and vegetables; Whereas the number of farms producing and sales of fruits, berries, and tree nuts in the United States is steadily increasing; Whereas according to the most recent census data published by the Census of Agriculture in 2012, 106,000 farms produced fruits, tree nuts, and berries with a total value of $25.9 billion, an increase of $7.3 billion in five years; Whereas the Census shows an increase in the value of sales for vegetables, potatoes and melons from $14.7 billion in 2007 to $16.9 billion in 2012; Whereas the value of nursery, greenhouse and floriculture sales represented $14.5 billion in 2012; Whereas it is evident that specialty crops are an increasingly important part of agriculture in the United States; and Whereas specialty crops deserve their fair share of consideration and funding in agriculture generally, but especially in the annual appropriations process and future Farm Bills: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that — (1) specialty crops are a vital part of agriculture in the United States; and (2) Congress should fund programs that support specialty crops as a growing and important part of agriculture in the United States.

The Whatcom County Dairy Women say:

“Thank You For Your Support!”

Congratulations to our new 2015 Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador

Jana Plagerman

Pictured L-R: Pamela

Roosma, Alternate Jana Plagerman, 2015 Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador Karibeth Engelsma, Alternate

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Country Life 6 • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Energy

Upgrades at Lower Baker Dam to improve operations This phase will involve grouting at the dam’s rock abutments BELLEVUE — Puget Sound Energy is set to begin a series of three projects at the Lower Baker Dam in Skagit County that will upgrade and improve operations at the hydroelectric facilities.

And while all that work is being done, nearby residents and people passing by might wonder what’s going on.

Improvements at the dam are scheduled to begin on Monday, April 13. For several months, there will be increased activity around the dam site including teams of workers, boats on the water, a crane positioned near the dam and frequent flights by helicopters in the area.

Farm crisis management: What to do when things start going wrong Workshops April 22 LYNDEN — Whatcom Farm Friends is sponsoring two crisis preparation workshops, both on Wednesday, April 22, aimed at helping local farmers manage farm crises. The workshops will be conducted by Gerald Baron, CEO of Agincourt Strategies, a crisis communication training and consulting firm.

Two topics are addressed. “Crisis Management on the Farm” will be from 9 a.m. to noon while “Media Training for Farmers” will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Both workshops will be in the Mt. Baker Rotary Building on the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds.

“We are encouraging local farmers and processors to attend these workshops,”

said Henry Bierlink, Farm Friends executive director.

“Recent events around the state and nation have made it clear that farmers face pressures from many directions and are eager to learn how best to prepare and respond.”

Register online to attend at: https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/19m9M pSlhoqFlJjea1nmpQ8DFzZZ_sa7ygCASQlxtFUY/viewform.

The Crisis Management workshop will lead farmers and processors in identifying and prioritizing crises and emergency events that threaten their farm’s future, help them identify the most important people to communicate with in a crisis and help them create simple, realistic plans to respond with proper action and communication. The Media Training

time will provide solid information on the dos and don’ts of media interviews and provide hands-on experience in responding to reporter questions.

“These are workshops,” said Gerald Baron, “which means those participating will come away with very specific action items and a clear understanding of the priorities to properly prepare and effectively respond.”

Baron emphasized the importance of understanding how the internet and social media have changed how crisis communication is done. “Some farmers are quite comfortable with these tools, but many do not know how crucial using a website and social media is at a time when much of the attention of the community, region

or world may be focused on you.”

Baron is a Whatcom County native who has built a national reputation for leadership in crisis communication technology and management. He is the creator of the PIER System, a global leader in crisis communication software, and has worked with numerous oil companies, utilities, universities and government agencies in crisis communication planning and response. His company provided the primary technology support to both BP and the U.S. government during the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Current clients include large utilities and oil companies as well as a growing number of farms and food producers.

Reach Farm Friends by phone at 354-1337.

“We do not want the public to be alarmed. There are no concerns regarding the integrity of the dam,” said spokesman Ray Lane in a press release.

The first phase of the Lower Baker Dam Capital Program will focus on drilling test holes in the dam’s rock abutments — the area between the concrete structure and the rock canyon walls — to investigate why leakage occurs and better understand the geology.

Crews will then work on the grouting of the dam’s abutments to address the leakage that historically happens about every 30 years.

PSE makes these points: • Grouting is a standard and necessary practice that’s widely used to maintain dams.

• The leakage at the dam occurs naturally through seams in the limestone rock of the canyon walls. The dam itself has a functioning internal drain system.

• In the dam’s 90-year history, the rock abutments have been grouted to varying degrees: first in 1934, then

again in 1946, 1960 and most recently in 1982.

• The Lower Baker Dam is a concrete arch dam that was constructed in 1924-25, with additional work done in 1927.

It impounds the waters of the Baker River, creating Lake Shannon.

The grouting project will be completed in 2016. Then construction on floodwall upgrades is designed to protect the abutments from the impacts of potential floodwaters. The final phase, starting in 2018 and lasting two years, will involve replacing and modernizing the areas above the water line, such as the dam crest, the piers, spillway gates and all equipment needed to operate those gates at the dam. improvements The planned in the Lower Baker Dam Capital Program will last for the 50-year life of the project license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which PSE received in 2008.

Learn more about PSE’s Baker River Hydroelectric Project at pse.com/bakerriver.

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