Country Life
Gardening • A9 Dairy • A10 4-H • A10
A8 • Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Local raspberry crop tops 75 million pounds — a new record Factors cited: good weather, more plantings, impact of new Wakefield variety By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — County red raspberry production has set a new high mark. The numbers for the 2016 harvest have been compiled by the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, and they show more than 75 million pounds of the Lynden-area signature crop taken in last summer. That’s well above the 68.6 million pounds harvested two years ago, which had been the record. The 2016 tally statewide is over 78 million pounds, also a new record. Three factors can be credited, said Henry Bierlink, administrator of the Lyndenbased commission. They are: some increase in acres planted, a year of good growing and harvest weather, and the expanding impact of the new Wakefield variety that is starting to replace the longrunning Meeker. Still, the strength of the harvest, as tonnage was tallied in October, came as somewhat of a surprise, Bierlink said. Whatcom is the capital of red raspberries grown for processing in the United States, typically at least two-thirds of
the national total. Local acreage operated by 78 growers is estimated at about 10,000, according to WRRC. 2015 was an off year, with production around 50 to 52 million pounds, the least in seven years. So this year’s bounce-back was all the more pronounced. In both Whatcom County and statewide, the year-to-year jump was about 46 percent. On the other hand, the average price to growers — across all blends, before any packing or processing — is at its lowest point in four years, at 90.6 per pound of berries. For three years it was over $1. The commission, using an assessment of half a cent per pound, keeps investing into research and promotion for the industry in order to yield a return for growers, the November 2016 newsletter states. “We sense that demand for processed raspberries will continue to grow in large part due to the investments in health research and strategic communications with both consumers and key food industry companies. Our challenge will be to produce enough high-quality, safe, and responsibly grown raspberries to meet the market demand and to do so profitably,” it states. • The WRRC annual meeting will be held on Dec. 1 during the three-day Small Fruit Conference and Lynden Ag Show in Washington Tractor Arena on the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds. • The 2017 draft budget
The uniquely colored and flavored red raspberry grows ideally in the climate and soil of Whatcom County. (Courtesy Photo)
for the commission, to be considered at the annual meeting, is set at about $404,000. • On Dec. 4-6 the North American Raspberry/Blackberry Conference is held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Pacific Agriculture Show and Grower Shortcourse is held
Jan. 26-28 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. • A year ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency codified several changes to the Worker Protection Standards that become effective in January 2017 (a few requirements are delayed to
January 2018). In some areas the federal requirements were brought up to standards already in place in Washington State. For example, the new federal requirements for medical evaluation, training and fit testing for respirators have been in state rules since 1996.
Whatcom Red Raspberries, yield in recent years 2016 75,485,225 lbs. 2015 50,508,651 2014 68,605,297 2013 62,706,638 2012 57,739,866 2011 66,367,838
Don’t Get Caught In The Storm, Be Prepared
Gas Generators - on sale now Starting At
$575
3100 to 9000 Watt Units In Stock Call or Stop by for an Install or Service Quote
• In-house Licensed Electrician • Electric Start & Auto-Idle Features Available • Quick Connect Transfer Switch Packages Available
Visit or Call and Let Us Hook You Up! 410 19th St, Lynden, WA FarmersEquip.com - 888-855-4981
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com • A9
IN BLOOM
Now is time of closure and new beginnings in the garden In the world of gardening, November is a month of closure. Raking leaves, pulling out flowers, putting the lawnmower away for winter — there are plenty of signs that the season is ending. This month, as you wind down your garden work for 2016, don’t miss out on these season-ending tasks — and a very important first task for spring you need to take time for now. First, it’s time to rake leaves. Autumn’s colors this year were particularly vibrant, and I was sad to see the leaves begin to fall, but soon the last of the leaves will come down in most of the trees around your neighborhood. If you haven’t yet raked the leaves off your lawn, don’t wait. The nearly incessant rain we’ve had lately will mat the leaves down on your lawn, smothering your grass if left too long. With continued mild temperatures, mold or fungus issues could further complicate the damage. In short, rake up your leaves to avoid having to repair your lawn next spring. Second, now is a good
time to prune some of the plants around your yard. Although we haven’t had a real frost yet to signal to plants the need to go dormant for winter, the shorter days are signal enough for many plants, and now is the time to cut them back. Cleaning up the dead foliage on dormant perennials will remove insect eggs and fungus spores, ensuring healthier plants when they wake up next spring. November is also a good time to cut back roses and some varieties of hydrangeas. For rose bushes, the benefit of a fall pruning is to reduce the risk of winter damage from
snow or wind, not to shape the plant or promote healthy new growth. For that reason, don’t stress over the science of good pruning — just cut your rose bushes halfway back and call it good; more exact pruning should wait until early spring. If you have a variety of hydrangeas around the yard and want or need to prune them back to control their size, late fall is a good time to prune some varieties, but certainly not all. If you have traditional mophead varieties with the blue, pink or purple ball-shaped flowers, don’t prune them now. Likewise for lacecap types, which have a flat bloom comprised of a ring of bigger petals surrounding a center of very small blossoms. Because mophead and lacecap hydrangeas typically bloom on “old wood,” they’ve already formed their buds for next summer, and pruning in fall will likely sacrifice many of your flowers. However, over the last dozen years, panicle-type hydrangeas with cone-shaped flowers in shades of green, white and pink have become
increasingly popular, in part for their ease of pruning. Cut these back anytime now through early spring and you won’t sacrifice any of your flowers. The same rule applies to arborescens hydrangeas, the most common of which is the popular ‘Annabelle’ variety. Finally, November is the perfect time to start on lawn care for the year. Because lawn grasses bulk up their roots systems in late autumn to protect against winter damage, doing one last feeding in November ensures a healthy lawn through winter. Use a fertilizer like Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard this month after your last mowing of the year, and see the difference that a late autumn feeding makes in creating a beautiful, lush lawn to start next season! Enjoy the slower pace that late autumn brings to your garden, and make the most of your efforts to ensure a healthy lawn and garden for winter and the coming year. David Vos is general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery in Lynden.
WSU seeks dairies to be in phosphorus test Mobile system will do recovery of phosphorus from manure PUYALLUP — Over the next two years, researchers of Washington State University will build and operate a mobile system to fully develop a phosphorous-rich fertilizer in Washington State. Since 2004 WSU researchers have been refining technology to capture excess phosphorous from liquid dairy cow manure in the form of struvite. Phosphorus is one of the key elements in fertilization of crop land, improved production and soil health. The project now is to build and operate a mobile struvite system, applying fluidized bed technology, to efficiently extract phosphorous from raw manure and anaerobically digested manure. The project is called the Mobile System for Nutrient (Phosphorus) Recovery and Cost Efficient Nutrient Transport. And participant dairy farms are sought. “We are actively recruiting dairy farms to participate in the fluidized bed technology project that will efficiently develop a highly transportable phosphorousrich fertilizer in the form of struvite,” said Dr. Joe Harrison, project lead and WSU
nutrient management specialist. For more information, contact Dr. Joe Harrison at 253-445-4638 or jhharrison@wsu.edu. A USDA Conservation Innovation Grant of $460,010, plus a $150,000 grant from the Dairy Farmers of Washington, for a total of $610,010, will fund the demonstration project to further develop the efficiency and effectiveness of the mobile technology. “We take pride in our support for science-based research projects and innovative ideas that reinforce
our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Scott Kinney, general manager of Dairy Farmers of Washington. “The Washington dairy community is unified in support of research that efficiently improves farm operations, and partnerships that promote nutritious dairy products.” This year, the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant program invested $26.6 million in 45 innovative conservation projects. Those will be extended by $32.5 million in matching investments from grantees, including the one of the Wash-
ington dairy community on the phosphorus recycling project.
CHS Northwest patronage payments top $310,000 Payout is to age 70 and older, or often to estates By Ashley Hiruko ashley@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — The new farmer-supply cooperative CHS Northwest recently completed an equity redemption to eligible customers and producers over the age of 70 totaling to $310,000. This redemption is for members over the age of 70 who have equity in the cooperative. “Lots of times, people don’t apply for it,” general manager Don Euckers said. “You have to apply for it to get it.” A new policy within the company shifted the equity redemption from being sent out monthly to this process happening once a year. Out of 130 individuals involved in this redemption, about 25 received the funds as estates of deceased. “Sometimes people are
going through parents’ documents and they come across something that tells them they have patronage with the local co-op,” Euckers said. “They go through the process to get it redeemed.” CHS Northwest is a cooperative that supplies agronomy and energy items and operates retail stores serving producers and customers. “We provide all the services that a producer would need,” Euckers said. The organization is the result of the former Whatcom Farmers Cooperative joining the very large national CHS farmers-supply cooperative. CHS has more than 650 retail locations throughout the United States. The merger, Euckers said, was to help sustain the company for the future while gaining the benefit of products and services that a national company like CHS can offer. “We were looking to grow,” Euckers said, “knowing that if we stay the same size over time, someone else is going to come in. This is a great partnership with CHS.”
$5.00 Off Limit 2 per customer. May not combine with other discounts or coupons. Expires 12/3/16. • (360)
354-3097
800.548.2699 | northwestfcs.com This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
TUXEDO GARDEN 3246 South Pass Road, Everson, WA (one mile east of Everson) (Hours: Tues-Sun, 9:00am-6:00pm)
Gr Gr eat P eat lan Pr ts a ice t s!
LARGE SELECTION of shrubs and trees. Practically all plants are LOCALLY GROWN. Gary Pike, Owner Phone: 360-966-7829 | 360-927-2877 tuxedogarden.com
Asphalt Paving RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
• Grading • Driveways • Potholes • Patching • Parking Lots
FREE ESTIMATES
Corner of the Guide and Main • Lynden • (360) 354-2186 Store Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM, Saturday, 8:00AM-NOON
Office: 360-366-3303 Loren VanderYacht: 360-410-7389 Dallas VanZanten: 360-410-7986
Quality with Integrity
2380 Grandview Road • Ferndale
Locally owned and operated since 1982
www.wrsweb.com
Please Recycle this Paper.
A10 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com • Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Farmers protest agencies’ Benchmark milk price idea of flooding farmland MiElkE Market
falls by $1.57/cwt.
The land in Whatcom County targeted by the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project is in the delta of the Lummi River. (Courtesy photo) This is some of the most beautiful and productive farmland in the state. It is used to grow seed potatoes in Whatcom County. Seed potatoes require land that is well prepared and isolated. The Army Corps of Engineers and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife propose to Hood about 800 acres of this land. The plan also calls for removing drainage ditches — essential for farming. This could cost an addition 2,500 acres of prime farmland. They say the loss of farm-
land is “insignificant.” Maybe to them. But farmers can’t farm without farmland. There is no more farmland to be had in Whatcom County. You don’t manufacture it out of thin air. What is left, less than 100,000 acres, is increasingly precious and increasingly expensive. Top-notch berry land goes for about $35,000 per acre. This plan would remove about 3 percent of Whatcom County’s remaining farmland — an absolutely irreplaceable loss in an area where farm viability is teetering.
Farmers are very concerned about environmental protection, restoration and fish habitat. But this plan directly contradicts the Puget Sound Partnership’s Action Agenda. Section A.3 calls for measures to protect farmland by protecting the economic viability of farmers. One thing the Army Corps and Fish and Wildlife should know right now: Farmers will not support this misguided misuse of taxpayer’s money. — Safe Family Farming, Gerald Baron, executive director
The October Class III benchmark milk price was announced Friday by the USDA at $14.82 per hundredweight (cwt.). That’s down $1.57 from September and 64 cents below October 2015, but 39 cents above California’s comparable 4b cheese milk price. It equates to about $1.27 per gallon, down from $1.41 in September and $1.33 a year ago. The Class III price has been up and now down since June 2016 and this is the lowest October Class III since 2009’s $12.82. Class III futures indicate the price will reverse direction in November and go up, but then fall again in December. The October Class IV price is $13.66, down 59 cents from September and $2.77 below a year ago. California’s October 4b cheese milk price is $14.43 per cwt., down 81 cents from September and 32 cents below October 2015. The October 4a butterpowder milk price is $13.11, down 47 cents from September and $2.61 below a year
ago. Halloween week ended with cash block cheddar at $1.90 per pound, up 17 cents on the week and 20 cents above a year ago. The barrels finished at $1.86, up 26.25 cents on the week and 21 cents above year ago. The blocks have gained 35 cents in three weeks and the barrels have gained 40 cents. Dairy Market News reports that Midwest cheese output is “strong and many manufacturers are using all the milk available to them.” Also this: “A few processors are surprised the milk supply is not a little heavier.”
4-H Achievement Night this Friday at Laurel church WHATCOM — Annual 4-H Achievement Night will be on Friday, Nov. 11, in Laurel Baptist Community Church, 162 W. Laurel Rd.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cash butter, after jumping 16.5 cents the previous week, closed the first Friday of November at $1.8925 per pound, down 3.25 cents on the week and 99.25 cents below a year ago. Spot Grade A nonfat dry milk climbed to 89 cents per pound Wednesday, but then retreated and closed Friday at 84.75 cents per pound, down three-quarters cent on the week and 4.25 cents above a year ago. The Northwest Dairy Association made these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend Oct. $14.82 $15.00 (current) Nov. $16.80 $15.50 Dec. $16.40 $15.85 Jan. $15.90 $15.60 Feb. $15.95 $15.70 March $16.00 $15.90 April $16.10 $16.00 May $16.15 $16.10 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.
The dessert potluck and social starts at 6:30 p.m. The awards program begins at 7 p.m. All the accomplishments by 4-H youths in the past year will be announced and celebrated. Many of the awards are a surprise until announced.
give the gift of education or a garden – gift cards available
in december (360) 966-5859
www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org
6906 goodwin road, everson
The heavy rainfall of Saturday caused this swamp of new standing water off Main Street in Everson. (Elisa Claassen/Lynden Tribune)
Stay Warm This Fall!
Mill end firewood for fast, hot fires in your wood stove. Available for pick up or delivered in truckloads.
Proudly ... Supporting the communities we serve.
FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE • FINE LOCAL CRAFTS • READY TO EAT FOOD
STILL GOING STRONG THROUGH DECEMBER 17TH DOWNTOWN
SATURDAY, 10AM TO 3PM, APRIL - DECEMBER
DEPOT MARKET SQUARE, 1100 RAILROAD AVE, BELLINGHAM, WA
MARKET1
LLC
• 966-3271
7 2 9 1 E v e r s o n G o s h e n R o a d • E v e r s o n , WA 9 8 2 4 7
w w w . e v e r s o n a u c t i o n m a r k e t . c o m
NEXT FEEDER SALE
Saturday, November 12th 12:30 pm Early Consignments:
19 Angus Steers 600-750 # 8 Purebred Angus Heifers 700-800 # - “Very Fancy” 26 Angus Steers 450-550 # • 10 Black Bulls & Heifers 550-600 # 27 Angus Bred Cows, Purebread Cows due spring 18 Holstein-Angus Steers 600 #
Many more by sale time!
EVERY MONDAY 12:30pm
EVERY WED. 1:00pm
Cull Cattle, Small Animals & Poultry Dairy & General Livestock Sale Your Consignments Are Appreciated! FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR TRUCKING CALL: Barn: 360-966-3271 Pete: 360-815-0318 • Terry: 360-815-4897
8631 Depot Road, Lynden WA
360-354-2101