Country Life Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • lyndentribune.com • ferndalerecord.com
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Raspberry growers willing to spend $600,000 in ‘fair trade’ fight Decisions to be made at April board meeting — also on a change in assessments By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — The Washington Red Raspberry Commission board of directors passed a 2020 budget of $1.67 million at its Jan. 22 meeting. An ambitious 35 percent of the budget, $600,000, is devoted to a “fair trade” effort. “We are currently engaged in a case assessment with our trade attorneys in D.C. The results of this assessment will determine if we file a case against importing countries or not,” states the February commission newsletter. The case would be primarily focused on protecting Washington raspberry growers’ puree markets against byproducts of the Mexican fresh raspberry industry “which have created unsustainable pricing for the
majority of our growers,” according to the commission. The case assessment by the legal firm of King & Spalding is expected to be completed in March and then the WRRC Board will have to decide whether to initiate a fair trade legal action. Across the state are 75 growers, of which all but eight are based in Whatcom County. The harvest in 2019 produced more than 66 million pounds of berries to be frozen for processing, but that yield is below the past five-year average. Other parts of the budget are: $420,000 for marketing, $250,827 for health research, and almost $180,000 for production research. The Washington commission is in its second year of taking over functions of a National Processed Raspberry Council that was heading up the industry’s health research and raspberry product promotion. The budget arises mostly from a 2-cents-per-pound assessment on the farmers’ crop, although in 2020 about $240,000 for health research is carried over from the NPRC closure.
Lynden raspberry grower Brad Rader talks to a group visiting Whatcom farms last July. The February newsletter also reports that the board of directors has decided to look at a new assessment policy whereby IQF packs — the highest-value Individual Quick Frozen berries
— would pay a higher percentage of assessments, with puree at a somewhat reduced percentage and juice an even lower rate, reflecting the value of these packs in the marketplace.
However, this would require changes in the state-mandated policies governing the commission. This topic will be on the agenda of the board’s April 15 meeting.
Ericksen wants to make it easier to buy local meat His bill would enable custom slaughterhouses OLYMPIA — Consumers and farmers would have new opportunities to buy and sell locally raised beef, pork, lamb and other meat products under a bill sponsored in the 2020 legislative session by Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale. Since January, SSB 6382 has gone through a revision by majority Dem-
ocrats, however, and is in Senate Ways and Means Committee. The measure would permit “custom slaughterhouses” to sell meat by the cut, creating a new market for Washington famers who raise livestock for eventual human consumption. Ericksen’s measure would expand a state meatinspection program. “This bill would create a new market for Washington farmers and give consumers a way to purchase locally,” Ericksen said. “The
way the rules work right now, if you want to buy local, you have to buy in bulk. But how many of us have freezers big enough for half a cow?” Federal rules require all meat sold in restaurants, farmers markets and wholesale and retail outlets to be processed at facilities inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But small farmers have trouble gaining access to that channel. Increasingly these USDA-inspected slaughter-
ing facilities are large operations that cater to large producers. Since passage of federal meat-inspection rules in 1967, the number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses in Washington has declined 90 percent, from about 1,000 to 100. Many process animals by the herd and deal only in beef. For small producers — those with just a few animals to process — the only option is to work with a “custom slaughterhouse,” or obtain their own slaugh-
tering license, according to Ericksen. These smaller custom operations are overseen by state inspectors. Customers can purchase an entire animal prior to slaughter, or a share of it, and have it cut to order. But this requires them to buy in bulk, and the meat cannot be resold. Ericksen’s bill would allow custom slaughterers to sell state-inspected meat by the cut. Currently, the state licenses 17 custom slaughterhouses, 72 farm slaughterers and 103
custom meat facilities that perform cutting and wrapping. “As USDA-inspected meat-packing operations get bigger and bigger, the federal inspection requirements are becoming a bottleneck for small producers,” Ericksen said. “In my district, in Whatcom County, USDA inspections aren’t even available anymore. This bill will create new opportunities for farmers and consumers, and give local farm production the boost it deserves.”
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • lyndentribune.com • A7
MIELKE MARKET
Benchmark price fall $2.32 The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the first Federal Order Class III benchmark milk price of 2020 at $17.05 per hundredweight, down $2.32 from December but $3.09 above January 2019 and the highest January Class III price since 2014. It just might be the low point for 2020 as well. Friday’s Class III futures settlements showed a February price at $17.06, March $17.42, April $17.50, and May $17.45. The peak is $17.91 in September and October. The January Class IV price is $16.65, down a nickel from December but $1.17 above a year ago and the highest January Class IV price since 2014. Powder and butterfat values pulled the third Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction of 2020 down, reversing the previous two upticks as apprehensive traders await
By Lee Mielke
the continuing fallout of the coronavirus outbreak. The weighted average of products offered fell 4.7%, following the 1.7% rise of Jan. 21 and 2.8% on Jan. 7. Whole milk powder led the declines, down 6.2%, after it gained 2.4% Jan. 21. Anhydrous milkfat was down 4.5% after falling 2.6% last time, and skim milk powder was down 4.2% after inching
up 0.7%. FC Stone equated the GDT 80 percent butterfat butter price to $1.8841 per pound U.S., up fractionally from the last event. Chicago Mercantile Exchange butter closed Friday at $1.8325. GDT cheddar cheese equated to $1.9513 per pound, up 11.5 cents, and compares to Friday’s CME block cheddar at $1.93. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.3186 per pound and compares to $1.3770 last time. Whole milk powder averaged $1.3786, down from $1.4663. CME Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.25 per pound. President Trump has signed the U.S.-MexicoCanada Agreement, which should benefit U.S. dairy exports, and China announced last week that it will halve the additional tariffs it imposed last September on $75 billion of U.S. imports, even
IN BLOOM
Rain or shine, get ready for spring Like most Washingtonians, I love a good rain — at least the first few of the season. But frankly, I think even the most enthusiastic pluviophiles among us (extra points if you don’t have to look it up!) are ready for a good stretch of sunny, dry weather. As you gear up for early spring in the garden, here are a few can’tmiss tasks to make time for this month. First, before you tackle any job around the yard, ensure your tools are up for the task. Nothing is more frustrating than attempting to start a job without the proper supplies or tools that don’t work properly. If it’s been months (or years … or never) since you last sharpened your hand pruner, use a sharpening stone to put a fresh edge on the blade. A few minutes’ effort sharpening will make pruning both easier for your hands and better for the health of your plants by ensuring clean cuts less prone to damage or disease. Second, start with spring cleanup and pruning. While it’s still possible to get some amount of winter weather for the next month or so, the chance of a major winter storm decreases with each passing week, so take some time before plants start leafing out both to prune off winterdamaged branches and shape your shrubs and trees to control their size or improve their appearance. While much of the pruning you may do around your yard is cosmetic, some plants really need a good pruning to be their most productive and healthy. Roses thrive with a hard pruning in late winter, so don’t be afraid to prune shrub, floribunda and hybrid tea varieties down to as little as six to
By David Vos
eight inches — although if that sounds too scary, even a pruning as low as 12-18 inches will help increase their flowering in the coming year! Fruit trees and bushes also benefit from pruning in late winter. Blueberries, one of the most commonly grown fruiting shrubs, will be more productive if you take time to thin out a couple of the oldest branches (noted by dull or peeling bark) each year on older established shrubs. After pruning your blueberries, fertilize them with an acid-based fertilizer blended for rhododendrons and azaleas to increase your fruit production this summer. Third, after you’ve finished pruning your fruits and roses and before they leaf out, they should be sprayed with a dormant spray to get a head start on insect and disease control for the coming year. Particularly if you had problems last year, dormant spray can clean up any residual insect eggs or disease spores left on the branches of your plants. Bonide All Seasons Oil is a great option for smothering insects and eggs, and copper or sulfur are both good fungicide options for disease control. For any plants that have had insect or disease problems in the past, remember to also clean up
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any fallen leaves or debris under your plants, which can harbor pests. Finally, now is the time to get started with early spring lawn care. Just in the last six weeks, it seems like moss has exploded in lawns once again. Kill moss quickly by spreading ferrous sulfate, then follow up with fastacting lime and later this month, a dose of Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control. With a week between applications, this simple three-step regimen eliminates moss, improves soil conditions and feeds your grass to help it thicken up again after a winter’s rest. Spring is nearly upon us, and with primroses, candytuft and blooming hellebores beginning to arrive in garden centers, it’s time to start exercising our green thumbs once again. Now, if someone could just shut off the faucet! David Vos is general manager of Vander Giessen Nursery Inc. of Lynden.
as it deals with the escalating coronavirus outbreak there. China imports a lot of dairy products, but most originate from New Zealand and the EU. However, easing trade relations between the trading giant holds great potential for the U.S. dairy industry. Dairy prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange came under some downward pressure the first week of February. Heavy milk supplies are heading to Western vats and cheese output is at or near full capacity. Inventories are relatively stable and able to cover most buyer needs, but contacts suggest demand is steady. Western butter production is also active. Cream supplies are reportedly tighter than they have been, but there is still plenty to keep the churns full. Grade A nonfat dry milk
10-week class is on successfully raising livestock STANWOOD — Are you interested in raising beef, sheep, poultry or goats for meat, milk or fiber? WSU Livestock Advisor training begins a new 10-week series of classes March 3 at Stanwood High School. From fencing and feeding to housing, breeding and pasture management, learn how to raise high-quality livestock sustainably. WSU Livestock Advisors will share their experiences and successes raising livestock. Whether this is for your own family’s use or to increase animals’ market value, the training can help anyone develop a strategic plan for livestock on a farm. “This program helped us make wise choices about which livestock would work for our environment,” said a recent graduate. “The course provided a network of contacts, and the instructors and our classmates were extremely supportive. We’re now producing the vast majority of our food and we’re
fell to $1.2150 Tuesday, Feb. 4, but closed Friday at $1.25, up a penny on the week and 25.5 cents above a year ago. CME dry whey finished at 39 cents per pound, up 2.5 cents on the week, all on unfilled bids, and 2.5 cents above a year ago. A lower All Milk price and higher feed prices pulled the December milk feed price ratio down, ending five consecutive months of gain for U.S. dairy farmers. The USDA’s latest Ag Prices report put the ratio at 2.55, down from 2.61 in November and compares to 2.07 in December 2018. The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a set dairy ration. The U.S. All-Milk price averaged $20.70 per hundredweight (cwt.), down 30 cents from November but $4.10 above December 2018. The national average corn price averaged $3.71 per bushel, up 3 cents from November and 17 cents per bushel above December 2018. Soybeans averaged $8.70 per bushel, up 11 cents
from November and 14 cents per bushel above a year ago. Alfalfa hay averaged $175 per ton, up $2 from November but $4.00 per ton below a year ago. The December cull price for beef and dairy combined averaged $59.30 per cwt., up $1.60 from November, $7.50 above December 2018, but is $12.30 below the 2011 base average of $71.60 per cwt. The Northwest Dairy Association makes these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend Jan. $17.05 $17.40 (current) Feb. $17.00 $17.10 March $17.20 $17.30 April $16.90 $17.10 May $16.80 $17.15 June $17.05 $17.30 July $17.30 $17.60 Aug. $17.40 $17.75 Sept. $17.45 $17.80 Oct. $17.40 $17.60 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 85 dairy farms.
happy to give back to the community through WSU’s volunteer opportunities.” Several local farm tours are also included. Participants are asked to return 50 hours of volunteer time over two years, crafting the experience to match their availability and interests.
The training costs $125, with a second person from the farm or family free. The training will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays evenings from March 3 through May 3. Download an application at http://skagit.wsu. edu. Questions? Call 360428-4270.
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So Thoughtful! A guide to a green Valentine’s Day The heart-centric holiday is just a couple days away, giving the chance to show how much you care not just about your sweetheart, but about the environment. Here are a few creative ways to celebrate love in all its forms. • Gift a Tree: Several charitable organizations work with national forests to plant dedicated saplings. A tree is a great way of telling someone your love is everlasting. • No Reservations? No Problem!: If you didn’t get in to a local restaurant, pick up some ingredients from the co-op or another store and cook a delicious, organic meal together. Even if you’re no chef, it’ll be a memory to cherish for years. • Spend Quality Time Together: You don’t have to go all out for your special someone; a walk on the beach, stargazing, a bike ride through town, or a picnic are all cheap, eco-friendly ways to remind each other it’s the little things that matter. Clean Green Solutions • Yard waste recycling by composting (grass clippings, brush & stumps) • Compost & soil material sales
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A8 • Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • lyndentribune.com
Recognizing Our Career Skills Students
National FFA Week February 22-29
Meridian FFA members were showing their pigs at the Northwest Washington Fair last summer. (Courtesy photo/Maria Schatz)
It’s quite a group of Meridian FFA kids overall who participate in the Lynden fair. (Courtesy photo/Maria Schatz)
Special thanks to these community-minded businesses for their continued support of the FFA! Bogaard Hay Co. E-mail: barbiesberries@yahoo.com
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