Country Life Special Section • Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Gardening • CL2 4-H • CL3 Berries • CL4
Washington Big raspberry year, but Tractor on steady changes lie ahead for industry growth curve Company up to 12 stores with recent acquisition By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — John Deere told its Washington-based independent dealers over three years ago that if they merged together things would go well for them. Jim Hale, president and CEO of the statewide Washington Tractor company, said John Deere was absolutely right. Washington Tractor, which formed in 2010 by merging three companies (representing four families), went through its first acqui-
sition, buying Barnett Implement and its three retail shops, in October. While Washington Tractor had added a fifth family to the merger group, bringing in Okanogan in 2012, Barnett “was the first time where we stepped out and actually bought somebody,” Hale said. Based in Mount Vernon, but also with retail locations in Snohomish and Yakima, the Barnett father-son team of Jerry and Bill Rindal were great neighbors and friends for 37 years, Hale said. But as John Deere continues to push for consolidation, growing continues to make sense for the “long-term viability and sustainability” of Washington See Tractor on CL3
Domingo Villalobos does the highly skilled work of pruning and tying raspberry canes on the Randy Honcoop farm north of Lynden. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
State commission board may be revamped; national council now in effect as well By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — Fresh off their secondbiggest harvest ever, Whatcom County raspberry growers move on toward other challenges and changes. It was indeed a great year of ideal weather for the July and August crop, said
Randy Honcoop, who grows 50 acres of fruit on Northwood Road. The weather blessing showed up in a total yield of 63.7 million pounds across the county’s 9,000-plus acres in red raspberries. Only the 66.4 million pounds of 2011 eclipsed that mark. The numbers for the state and region were released by the locally based Washington Red Raspberry Commission on Oct. 28. Lynden is practically the center of red raspberries grown for processing on the North American continent. Still, there are plenty of areas to watch to make sure that a viable industry is maintained into the future, Honcoop said.
“We don’t see the yields (per acre) that we used to — that’s the long and short of it. Maybe a new variety will give us a new bump on that,” he said. Speaking of varieties, the Meeker has been dominant for over 30 years, and still is. But other varieties are in the mix, and one that is on an upswing in plantings is the Wakefield variety developed by the Northwest Plant Co. of the Enfield family of Lynden. More than 500,000 Wakefield plants were sold in 2013, ahead of all other upstart varieties, according to the November newsletter of the raspberry commisSee Berries on CL4
Jim Hale, right, said acquiring Barnett Implement on Oct. 31 was the right step for Washington Tractor.
Corner of the Guide and Main, Lynden • 360-354-2186 Fall Store Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM, Saturday, 8AM-1PM
Country Life 2 • Wednesday, November 13, 2013 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com
Farmers hope Wrap up for more input gardening with a on future food strong finish labeling laws
MiElkE Market
In Bloom
Farm milk price inches higher By Lee Mielke lkmielke@juno.com
At least it’s going in the right direction — up. The October Federal Order Class III benchmark milk price is $18.22 per hundredweight (cwt.), up 8 cents from September but $2.80 below October 2012. The producer price equates to about $1.57 per gallon. That brought the 2013 Class III average to $17.82, up from $16.98 in 2012 and comparing to $18.25 in 2011 and $14.36 in 2010. Class III futures settled Friday morning, Nov. 1, at $18.84 for November and $18.27 for December. That would result in a 2013 average of $17.93, up from $17.44 a year ago but below $18.37 in 2011. The October Class IV price is $20.17, up 74 cents from September and $1.63 above a year ago. The 2013 average now stands at $18.66, compared to $15.56 in 2012 and $19.38 in 2011. The product averages used in calculating the class milk prices had cheese averaging $1.8025 per pound, up 0.6 cent from September. Butter averaged $1.5454, up 11.9 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.8366, up 2.8 cents, and dry whey averaged 57.31 cents per pound, down fractionally. California’s 4b cheese milk price is $16.82 per cwt., up 17 cents from September but $2.61 below October 2012. The dairy markets had a lot to absorb at the turn of the month, including the Cold Storage, Livestock Slaughter and Ag Prices reports, plus anticipating the September Milk Production report. Cash block cheese was up for a fifth consecutive week, closing Nov. 1 at $1.9025 per pound, up 2 3/4 cents on the week but 20 3/4 cents below a year ago. The barrels finished at $1.87, up a nickel on the week and 21 cents below a year ago. Nine train cars of block traded hands on the week and only three of barrel. The Agricultural Marketing Service-surveyed U.S. average block price hit $1.7980, up 0.9 cent. Barrel averaged $1.80, up 3.1 cents. Cheese production is active in the face of tighter milk supplies, according to Dairy Market News. “Demand is good enough for plants to look for additional milk, but price and availability are hindering deal making.” Competition
California firm recalls grilled chicken salad due to possible E. coli WASHINGTON — Glass Onion Catering, a Richmond, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 181,620 pounds of ready-to-eat salads and sandwich wrap products with fully cooked chicken and ham that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Nov. 10. The company announced that the products are being recalled in conjunction with other foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. A full list of products being recalled will be available on FDA’s website at: www. fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Recalls/ default.htm. Products regulated by FSIS bear the establishment number “P-34221” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced between Sept. 23 and Nov. 6, 2013 and shipped to distributions centers intended for retail sale in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/ recalls. FSIS began monitoring a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses on Oct. 29, then was notified by FDA on Nov. 6 that California authorities had reported case-patients consum-
Voters rejected I-522, but labeling issue is expected to remain
By David Vos
from Class II manufacturers for available milk is restricting access to additional spot loads for cheese, according to DMN. Some plants are reconstituting nonfat dry milk and purchasing cream to bolster production schedules. Seasonal demand is good, as retailers look to secure additional supplies for the upcoming holidays. Adding to the demand is current good export ordering, says DMN. Cash butter reversed three weeks of losses, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday ahead and the Cold Storage data, and closed Nov. 1 at $1.5325, up 5 3/4 cents on the week but still 35 1/2 cents below a year ago. Nine cars traded hands on the week. The AMS butter average was $1.5239 per pound, down 4.4 cents. Butter production varies by region, being active in the West and Northeast but slower in the Central Region, according to DMN. Continued strong orders are driving Western and Northeast production. Inventories in those regions are also being used to meet orders, but Central manufacturers report that orders from retailers are slower than expected. Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.91, up a penny, and Extra Grade held all week at $1.85. AMS powder averaged $1.8457, up 0.3 cent. Dry whey averaged 56.04 cents, down 1.1 cent. 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 Oct. $18.22 $19.45 (current) Nov. $18.85 $19.85 Dec. $18.05 $19.40 Jan. $17.35 $18.90 Feb. $17.05 $18.40 March $16.90 $18.20 April $16.75 $17.90 May $16.75 $17.85 June $16.85 $17.70
As we ease into winter, another season of gardening draws to a close. Before you store your gardening gloves and forget what dirt under your fingernails looks like, take a few minutes this month to wrap up some simple garden tasks to finish the year strong. Last month I wrote about steps you can take this fall for a healthy lawn through winter and into next spring. If you didn’t have time in October to get everything done, keep in mind that you can treat for moss and turf-damaging grubs or worms at any time — it’s never too late to keep your lawn healthy! Likewise, “winterizing” fertilizer can be applied anytime this month to feed your lawn through the winter months and into spring. With the last of the leaves falling, take some time in the next couple of weeks to do a final cleanup of your yard. If the rain hasn’t plastered fallen leaves in place on your grass and flowerbeds yet, it will soon. Don’t expect a good wind storm will take care of things. A little effort in raking can save a lot of headache of dealing with dead grass next spring. Leaves left to rot on your lawn can rot your grass right along with. Additionally, while leaves do provide some insulation to the plants in your beds, they may harbor insect eggs, mold spores or other diseases. So, while fallen leaves can serve a purpose in your flowerbeds, the risks often outweigh the benefits. In other words, grab your rake and get to work! If you do have tender plants that could benefit from some protection around their roots this winter, insulate them with a layer of fine- or medium-grade bark. The mulch will keep your plants safe while allowing for proper drainage, and in the spring you can spread the extra bark around your flowerbeds. As for pruning, take some time this month to prune back only the plants that might be at risk of damage in a wind or snow storm
By Brent Lindquist reporter@lyndentribune.com
this winter, including roses. Our long, warm summer this year helped roses grow beautifully, but left unpruned, tall rose canes can break off in a northeaster or under the weight of snow. With roses, prune your bushes back halfway after the leaves begin to fall or around Thanksgiving, whichever comes first. Likewise, other plants in your yard that may be at risk of breaking in inclement weather may benefit from a similar pruning this month. When you’re done with your garden tools for the season, prepare them for a winter’s rest by cleaning them and oiling any metal surfaces to prevent rust. Garden tools today are often treated as throwaway conveniences, but with a little bit of care, a good quality tool should last for years. If you’re really looking for a way to keep your tools in prime condition, use a bastard file to sharpen the blades of your shovels or hoe. Typically, even new shovels only have a semi-sharp blade, so you’ll be impressed how much easier digging can be next spring when you haul out your freshly sharpened tools. Finally, before you forget all your successes (and failures) from the past year, make some notes of what worked and what you could have improved in your gardening endeavors over the last year. Gardening can involve a lot of trial and error, so take a minute to journal your results for next season. Soon, the holiday season will be in full swing, so wrap up another year of gardening with a strong finish. David Vos is the general manager of Lynden’s VanderGiessen Nursery.
WHATCOM — Controversial Initiative 522 on GMO labeling was almost unanimously opposed by Washington’s farmers, and a 52 percent majority of voters agreed with them on Election Day. If it had passed, the initiative would have required certain foods and products containing genetically modified organisms be labeled clearly as such. Opponents took issue with the costs the initiative could have created if passed, along with the wording of the initiative itself. Those against the initiative also argued that adequate methods of purchasing non-GMO foods already exist. Furthermore, the potential legal ramifications only added to the fervor of those who stood against the initiative. Proponents of the initiative argued that consumers have the right to know what is in their food, and that 64 countries already have similar labeling laws on the books. Whatcom Farm Friends head Henry Bierlink, who also serves as the executive director of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, said that the idea of labeling foods has not disappeared forever, and that farmers will not necessarily be against a labeling
Ag. Advisory group meets today WHATCOM — The Whatcom County Agricultural Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, Nov.13, at 3:30 p.m. in the Northwest Annex conference room, 5280 Northwest Dr., Bellingham.
law in the future. “Agriculture all around the state of Washington was almost unanimously against it. My impression is that the people rejected that initiative. They did not totally reject the idea of labeling,” Bierlink said. “I suspect that it will be back again in a different form. Frankly, we would be far less opposed to a well-thoughtout labeling measure that would allow people to know where their GMO-sourced food comes from, and what’s in the food that they eat.” Bierlink said the very nature of an initiative prevents collaboration between those writing laws and those they would directly affect. “If we can work on this together with those who want labeling and those who are affected by labeling, that’s the process we should be working through. I think that’s a comment on initiatives in general,” he said. “They sometimes make sense, but the heavy use of initiatives to accomplish public policy is problematic because you really don’t have two sides working together to try to develop a good set of policies. It’s just one side advancing something and trying to force it down people’s throats.” Bierlink said he expects the labeling issue to return, and that if it is handled in a manner more favorable to farmers, they will be on board. “Farmers recognize that this sets the stage for an opportunity for a better, more productive discussion,” he said. “And farmers are going to be happily involved in that discussion.”
On the agenda are: election of officers, the county right-to-farm ordinance and outreach, small ag lot rezoning, farmland mitigation and the Purchase of Development Rights program. For more details, contact Karin Wessman at 676-6907 or kwessman@whatcomcounty. us.
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Country Life 3 • Wednesday, November 13, 2013 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com
4-H Reports COUNTRY PARTNERS Leader: Helen Zylstra Reporter: Amanda Standow The Country Partners had a great kickoff to the new year during their meeting on Oct. 17, 2013 at Nooksack Valley Reformed Church. This location is where the club will meet for the rest of the year. To start off the meeting, fliers for the club’s Costume Harvest Party were handed out and reviewed. Lots of fun activities are planned, such as bobbing for apples, team cupcake wars, crafts and fun games. The club was also excited to try a new competition called Trick-or-Trunk. This will be a fun and safe way for kids to get dressed up and load up on candy. The winner of the vehicle with the best decorated trunk will walk away with a $25 gift certificate for Dairy Queen. This event took place at Hopewell Grange, 3441 Hopewell Rd., Everson, on Oct. 26. At our last meeting, we elected new officers: Jill DeJager president, Janis DeJager vice president, Nanielle Bryant secretary, Mckenzie Yost treasurer, Amanda Standow reporter, Emily Kooiman historian and Jordan Prink recreational leader. We also watched a slide show of pictures put together from the Lynden fair of 2013. Everyone was happy to welcome our new members: Christina Stanley, Faith Stevens, Alexander Stevens, Grace Stevens, Benjamin Traina, Lisa Klem, Kelly Klem, Lora Klem, Sarah Klem, Andrew Klem, Erayn Wynia and Shallon Wynia. Helen announced that everyone would have to do a record book and demonstration this year. Lucas Kooiman was the first one to give his demonstration and he did a stunning job at explaining how to give a rabbit a health inspection. The record book coordinator was announced to be Janet Kooiman. A counting was also taken of everyone who would be attending the rabbit show in Enumclaw on Nov. 9. On the previous day, an Achievement Night will be held at Laurel Baptist Church. Toward the end of the meeting, a decision was made on whether the club should continue to do Baskets of Blessings this year. It was decided that each family that could attend would be required to bring one basket. To wrap up the evening, Helen explained the project signup for this year. BARN BUDDIES Leaders: Lacey VanderVeen, Debbie VanderVeen Reporter (former): Nick Kildall Barn Buddies 4-H Club held an officers’ retreat for the end of the 4-H year. A business lunch was held at the Rusty Wagon restaurant, where we talked about our goals and what we would like to achieve throughout the upcoming year. This was held before our regular monthly October members meeting. Treasurer Bret DeGraaff was absent due to attendance at college out of county. Each of us had many ideas and narrowed them down to a few to talk about during the 4-H meeting. We talked about possibilities for fundraising. We also discussed new times to schedule our regular meetings. Many of us also had other new ideas including deciding it would be good to have “fun meetings” where we could get together for a relaxed time without having any activity deadlines going on at the moment. After much discussion at the meeting the subject matter was wrapped up. BARN BUDDIES Leaders: Lacey VanderVeen, Debbie VanderVeen Reporter (new): Austin Anderson Let me introduce you to the Barn Buddies 4-H Club. I am Austin Anderson, the club’s new reporter, and I am here to tell you about some of the exciting things that have been going on in Barn Buddies. First of all, we recently elected new officers. Jake Kildall is our president. He is 15 and has been president for two years. He has worked on the Small Animal Experience at the Northwest Washington Fair. Jake said, “We have expanded the Small Animal Ex-
hibit that Barn Buddies runs at the Northwest Washington Fair to almost twice its previous size. By doing this, we have provided lots of entertainment for kids and adults. About 60,000 people came to the small animal exhibit and that was about a third of the actual people who come to the fair.” Kildall plans to expand the exhibit even more and bring in many more animals to entertain the public. In addition to president Jake Kildall, the Barn Buddies officers are: vice president Samantha Douge, secretary Alexa Chambers, treasurer Nick Kildall and finally myself, reporter Austin Anderson. Jake would also like to send a shout out and big thanks to our sponsor, Cargill Nutrena. I am 12 years old and a sixth grader at Lynden Middle School. I have one little sister named Sage and she is a member of Barn Buddies also. My mom is Stacey and my dad is Randy. I am starting my third year with Barn Buddies and I love animals. I also love sports and I like writing. I hope to be showing a lamb at the Northwest Washington Fair next year. As the club reporter, I hope to have a great year with Barn Buddies 4-H, working together to reach our goals. I am glad to be working with such a great club. As a result of our involvement in Barn Buddies, project leader Pauline VanWeerdhuizen gave our family a really special guinea pig named Alice, a sow. She was bred at the fair this past summer and on the morning of Nov. 4, 2013, we woke to find four baby guinea pigs. Our club leader, Debbie VanderVeen, taught us to check the baby’s gender and how to care for the babies and their mom. There are two boars, which are the boys, and two girls, which are called gilts. We weighed them when they were two days old and they were each right about 4 ounces. The girls’ names are Star and Olive, and the boys’ names are Cocoa and Cashew. They are the cutest things ever. My sister Sage takes care of them the most, but we all help out. On Dec. 7 in the Lynden Lighted Christmas Parade, Barn Buddies members and Small Animal Experience volunteers are welcome to ride on the fair’s trolley in the parade. I would also like to thank Mr. Cal Bratt for letting me meet with him at the Lynden Tribune to get some advice as well as giving us a tour. BARNYARD KIDS Reporter: Luke Wolfisberg Leader: Joanne Odens On Nov. 7, Barnyard Kids 4-H Club held its monthly meeting at the home of the Bareman family. Our president, Liam Kroontje, called the meeting to order at 7:10. Katelyn Oostra, our recording secretary, did the roll call, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Fiona Kroontje and the 4-H Pledge led by Michael Bareman. Our new members, Samantha and Jacob Tolsma, were introduced. There were no minutes or treasurer’s report. Project reports were done by Elissa Vreugdenhil, Caleb Bareman and Luke Wolfisberg. Each of them said their age, grade and where they go to school, favorite pizza and pizza place, and brand of shoes. Michael Bareman and Rafe Wolfisberg reported on our banquet and putting up cornstalks at the Fairway Center in October. Our new business includes: taking down the cornstalks and putting up swags at the Fairway Center, our annual Christmas party, and the starting of Quiz Bowl. We decided to do the cornstalks and swags on Nov. 23, after discussing which day would work for most people. The Kroontjes, Oostras and Odens volunteered to make the swags. The Christmas party will be hosted by the Kroontje family on Dec. 5. Quiz Bowl will start in early January. We then discussed 4-H Achievement Night, which was held at Laurel Baptist Church on Nov. 8. Everyone going should bring a dessert to share. Mrs. Odens gave out worksheets about calf health, followed by a presentation by Liam Kroontje on his trip to Madison, Wisc., in October. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
“Best Mulch I’ve Found”
The Washington Tractor ownership group is led by five families. (Courtesy photo)
Tractor: Still on a growth path Continued from CL3 Tractor. With the acquisition, which closed on Oct. 31, Washington Tractor now has 12 retail stores, including the Lynden one at Guide Meridian and Main Street, and 300 employees. The Quincy store is the company’s largest. With eight stores on the west side of the state and four on the east, Hale acknowledged Washington Tractor has set its sights on a next region for growth, even if it isn’t being made public yet. Across the slate of Washington Tractor stores, Hale said they have one of the most diverse agricultural landscapes of perhaps any place in the nation, from berries in Lynden to hops, tree fruit and field crops in the Columbia Basin. As Washington Tractor continues to grow in its agriculture and consumer sectors — Hale claims his company has the “highest mix of lawn and garden (selection)
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ington Tractor founding families are still heavily involved in the business, right down to the “next generation” of family members involved in the dayto-day operations. “It has been rewarding to watch that grow and then to blend it in with other families,” Hale said. “John Deere is very happy with Washington Tractor and what we’ve done. Our market share is strong and they said if we did this things would go well and they have.”
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for a business of our size” — Hale credits the founding group for working together. “All the original founding families are better friends today than in 2010,” he said. “I think the biggest reason for our success, looking back, has been mutual respect from all the families involved. We’ve been blessed.” Originally started as North Washington Implement in 1917, Hale’s original Lynden store showcases family business, although all the Wash-
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Country Life 4 • Wednesday, November 13, 2013 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com
Washington ag Berries: Will be promoted nationally production at nearly $10 billion in 2012 Continued from CL1
But raspberries, milk, potatoes all were down in value from 2011 By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
OLYMPIA — The value of Washington’s agricultural production reached $9.89 billion in 2012, 6 percent above the 2011 revised figure of $9.31 billion. Record high values of production were set for six of the top 20 Washington commodities, including apples, wheat, cattle and calves, grapes, pears, and dry edible beans. Among commodities that declined in value in 2012 were blueberries, down 30 percent from a record high value in 2011. “Overall, these new figures are good news for Washington agriculture,” said Bud Hover, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “Washington’s farmers and farmworkers for several years now have managed to keep boosting the value of our state’s harvests. “We also set record employment and sales figures in the food processing industry. There’s no question that all of this shows just how important agriculture is to our state’s economy,” he said. The numbers were released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Oct. 30. Apples remained the leading agricultural commodity in the state with a 2012 value of $2.25 billion, a 16 percent increase over 2011. Apples represented 23 percent of the total agricultural value compared with 21 percent in 2011. Wheat, moving up one position in the ranking from the previous year, had value of production totaling $1.18 billion dollars in 2012. This was up 4 percent from 2011. Milk ranked third with a value of $1.16 billion, 9 percent lower than the previous year. Rounding out the top five were potatoes, ranked fourth,
and all hay, coming in fifth. Potato value of production, at $700 million, was down 9 percent from 2011 while all hay, at $679 million, declined 5 percent from the previous year. These five commodities had a combined value of $5.97 billion, or 60 percent of the 2012 value for all commodities (excluding government payments). The same five commodities in 2011 had a combined value of $5.83 billion, or 63 percent of the total value. In 2010, comparable figures were $4.58 billion and 57 percent. The value of field crops, at $3.18 billion, was 5 percent above last year. Fruit and nut crops, at $3.10 billion, rose 17 percent from 2011. Livestock, at $2.37 billion, registered a decline of 2 percent. Commercial vegetables, at $562 million, increased 10 percent while specialty products, at $535 million, decreased in value by less than 1 percent. Rounding out the groups were berry crops at $136 million, a 23 percent decline from 2011. Apples had a value per harvested acre in 2012 at $15,417, followed by all cherries at $14,681. Blueberries had a value per harvested acre of $10,675. Nursery and greenhouse products stayed in eighth place, with $305 million value. Corn for silage also held steady in 18th place, with 87.5 million value. Blueberries dropped from 15th place to 19th place, with $85.4 million in value compared to $130 million in 2011. Christmas trees stayed even in 23rd place, with $42.2 million value. Red raspberries dropped from 22nd place to 24th, with a value of $37.9 million compared to $50.3 million in 2010. Strawberries, in 33rd place, had a value of $10.3 million. The value of milk was calculated at average returns per 100 pounds of milk in combined marketings of milk and cream plus the value of milk used for home consumption and milk fed to calves. In 10 years, total value of agricultural production has risen about 81.5 percent while government payments to support agriculture have declined over that span.
search over the years,” said the 27-year Lynden sion. farmer. But it is a “proprietary” • Changes are complant not generally avail- ing to the makeup of able such as those devel- the state commission — oped through public uni- that is, if the 122 grower versity research, Honcoop members approve. said. Ballots will be While Wakefield may mailed out Nov. 14 for be especially good for the a referendum on the IQF (individually quick fro- Washington Administrazen) high-value berry pack, tive Code changes, said other factors to consider in Adam Enfield, commischoosing a variety are color, sion president. flavor, hardiness, pathogen One of the more resistance and machine significant changes is to harvestability. reduce the commission “I don’t want to change board from 11 members for change’s sake,” said to nine (seven with votHoncoop, who raises en- ing power). Two appointed tirely Meekers. “It’s got to advisory members could “bring needed expertise to the myriad of Whatcom County Red issues conRaspberry Production fronting raspberry growers,” (In pounds) Enfield said. 2009 58,699,371 At least 2010 54,287,694 three of the 2011 66,367,838 seats will be2012 57,739,866 long to What2013 63,718,945 com County, (2013 statewide, 68,341,288) reflecting its dominance (over 90 percent) in statewide producwork for you.” tion. Having allowed rasp- Already, two new local berry test plots on his land members will come onto for many years, Honcoop the board Dec. 1 for threesays he is hopeful that some year terms: Honcoop and efforts of Washington State Jon Maberry. They replace University plant breeders Kyle Haugen and six-year will move into broader test- president Adam Enfield. ing soon. • It’s a time of transi “Our growers have tion to a National Processed funded a lot of good re-
Raspberry Council — and seeing how it works in concert with the Washington state commission and Whatcom growers. After years of effort, the 12-member national research and promotion council was formed in 2013 and held its first meeting at SeaTac in June. Veteran Lynden berry grower John Clark was elected chair. Starting with this year’s harvest, all raspberry growers and importers into the United States pay a penny per pound toward strengthening raspberries’ health message to the public based on research projects. That’s in addition to an ongoing half penny per pound to the state commission for more field horticulture-based research, said Honcoop. Essentially, this is following the lead of American blueberry growers in getting proactive to promote their fruit with consumers,
he said. Two national council meetings have been held. The next will be on May 29, 2014, again at SeaTac. • Coming up Dec. 5-6 in Lynden is the annual combined WSU Small Fruit Workshop and Lynden Ag Show, held in the fairgrounds’ Washington Tractor Arena. This event will convene speakers in educational and research specialties from all over the Northwest, along with dealers in the equipment needed for fruit growing. Honcoop said a new person in the role of horticulture specialist at the WSU research facility in Mount Vernon should also be present in Lynden. Lisa McVetter will bring a new intensity in working with Whatcom County farmers and existing Extension personnel to help them do their soil and plant work even better, he said.
AG Event
Lynden combined ag event coming up Dec. 5-6 at fairgrounds LYNDEN — The third annual Washington Small Fruit Conference, combined with the Lynden Ag Show, will be held Dec. 5-6 on the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in the Washington Tractor Arena building. “Each year, we work to improve the conference,” say organizers. “As always, we have researchers, farm-
ers, and policy-makers presenting topics of new research, emerging issues, and novel ideas for you to take back to your farm and business. Topics covered include contentious issues of labor and water, pest and disease issues, and organic production.” Added new to the 2013 program is a pre-license pesticide training session in the Fall Creek Nursery room. This session is open and applicable to anyone in the berry industry or others who may need a pesticide license. Topics presented will be
valuable to those looking to take the pesticide license exam or for those looking to refresh their knowledge of good practices around pesticide use. The room will also host introductory sessions on insect, weed and disease pest biology and management. Again this year, there will be a catered social hour after the program on Thursday. The registration rate is $95 for both days up to Dec. 1, $105 after. Find more information and register online at: http://whatcom.wsu. edu/ag/edu/sfc.
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