Grow Skagit 2017

VIVA FARMS: exploring new markets PAGE 2 HONEYBEES: research aids blueberry farmers

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SCHUH FARMS: the benefits of growth PAGE 5 SKAGIT VALLEY FARMS: embracing new technology

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A S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E S K A G I T VA L L E Y H E R A L D A N D A N A C O RT E S A M E R I C A N

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GrowSkagit

VIVA FARMS New washing and packing shed opens new markets Story by AARON WEINBERG Photos by SCOTT TERRELL Skagit Valley Herald

FARMER AMY FRYE SNIPPED FLOWER STEMS one late summer afternoon inside Viva Farms’ newly upgraded washing and packing station.

Another farmer worked nearby, packing lettuce.

“It used to be really crowded in here but this new wash-pack shed has opened capacity for more farmers to work at a time,” Frye said.

Along with adding space, the upgraded station has enabled Viva Farms to obtain a Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) certification, opening new markets for its growers.

Amy Frye, co-owner of Boldly Grown Farm, prepares flowers on Sept. 15 at Viva Farms’ upgraded washing and packing station.

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For instance, Burlington-based Viva Farms will be able to sell its farmers’ produce to schools, hospitals and higher-end grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

Viva Farms is a nonprofit that provides land, infrastructure and training for beginning farmers.

The organization has been aiming for the certification for about four years, said Rob Smith, operations and incubator manager.

The upgraded washing and packing station was the impetus for obtaining it.

“A big part of (GAP) is postharvest handling,” Smith said. “It makes sure things are done in a way that minimizes food safety risks and risks of contamination.”

GAP certification is voluntary and requires a State Department of Agriculture audit of the washing and packing sta-

tion to ensure it meets certain standards.

Many wholesale buyers require GAP certification, so Viva Farms now has access to a larger market to sell its growers’ products, Smith said.

The certification also keeps Viva Farms ahead of safety standards that will go into effect in the next few years.

Before the remodel, the old washing and packing station had gravel floors that sometimes became muddy when it rained.

There was also little space for multiple farmers to work.

The upgraded station is 1,728 square feet and includes a covered roof. It has concrete floors, stainless steel spray tables and a new sanitizing system.

The project cost about $50,000.

Frye, co-owner of Boldly Grown Farm, said the

new washing and packing station will be a big help during the winter.

“We do a lot of fall and winter storage crops so we are out here a lot from November through March in the cold and rain,” she said. “We’ve been packing carrots in windstorms and rainstorms and having this gives us great covered space.”

The washing and packing facility upgrade follows years of recent growth for Viva Farms.

Along with infrastructure and program improvements, the facility earlier this year purchased 45 acres of nearby farmland. It already had 33 acres at its Port of Skagit location.

“We’ve really hit our stride in the last number of years,” Smith said. “We have the infrastructure to really support the next generation of farmers.”

Giana Wakim loads fresh parsley Sept. 15 at the Viva Farms wash station.

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4 - Wednesday, October 25, 2017

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HONEYBEE RESEARCH A boon for blueberry farmers in Skagit County Story by AARON WEINBERG Photo by SCOTT TERRELL Skagit Valley Herald

THE EUROPEAN HONEYBEES USED BY BEEKEEPERS aren’t very good at pollinating blueberries.

That poses a problem for blueberry farmers because pollination helps boost a crop’s yield.

“Honeybees are important for pollinating crops, blueberries among them,” said Lisa DeVetter, assistant professor at the Washington State University Mount Vernon Research Center. “It initiates a cascade of fruit development.”

Since 2014, DeVetter has researched the problem of pollinating blueberries. Her work has helped blueberry farmers get better results during the important bloom and pollination window.

Blueberry bushes start blossoming in the spring.

Depending on the variety, the white flowers are usually so small that it’s hard for honeybees to land on them.

“They land, they fall and sometimes are successful but often aren’t,” DeVetter said. “If they

get lucky and land on the flower they often can’t fit their head in to pollinate it.”

Honeybees also won’t often stray too far from their hive. Knowing this, DeVetter has found one promising tactic for increasing pollination success — dispersing honeybee hives throughout a crop rather than clustering them together.

“What we found is that the further you get from the hive, fruit size drops linearly,” she said.

Her findings showed that increasing hive density from the standard four hives per acre to eight hives per acre increased fruit yield 2.65 pounds per plant.

Bow Hill Blueberries owner Harley Soltes said that after learning of DeVetter’s findings, his farm will start spreading bee hives throughout its fields.

“We used to put them

Lisa DeVetter, assistant professor at the Washington State University Mount Vernon Research Center, shows some of the station’s experimental bee colonies. She is conducting research on ways to improve pollination of the region’s blueberry crop. close together in a spot that would heat up the fastest in the morning,” he said.

Soltes also makes efforts to enhance habitat for native pollinators such as bumblebees and the much smaller mason bees.

“Between ... our own wildflowers and blossoming weeds, we provide good food for the bees year-round,” he said.

Bumblebees, which often live in underground hives, are much better at pollinating blueberries, said DeVetter.

Bumblebees, although much larger than European honeybees, can pollinate blueberries reliably

A honeybee collects pollen from blueberry blossoms.

Photo courtesy of Washington State University

because they can vibrate their flight muscles, causing pollen to release from the flower.

Mason bees, meanwhile, are small enough to fit

inside a blueberry flower.

The problem with those species is that they aren’t available commercially in the region.

And even if they were, DeVetter doesn’t know if they would help farmers much based on her team’s preliminary work on bumblebees in 2016.

That year, she rented bumblebee hives to test their impact on crop yield. Her team didn’t see an increase, but they

did make one interesting finding.

“We did see more honeybee activity, maybe because of the increased competition with the bumblebees,” DeVetter said.

Her ongoing research will examine ways to further promote native pollinators and will also seek to gather more information on how weather impacts the timing of pollination.

She said the work has been rewarding, even if she and her team have to endure a few bee stings every now and then.

“Growers are interested in this,” she said. “We can take a few stings.”

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 - 5

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SCHUH FARMS

New barn means room to grow, more efficiency Story by AARON WEINBERG Photo by CHARLES BILES Skagit Valley Herald

WITH THE COMPLETION OF A NEW BARN in September, Schuh Farms has room to grow.

The 3,000-square-foot barn — located across the street from the farm’s stand on Memorial Highway in Mount Vernon — includes space for equipment storage, a walk-in cooler and freezer, and a spacious kitchen, said Jennifer Schuh, daughter of owners Steve and Susan Schuh.

“It felt so big,” said Schuh, recalling the first time she began baking in the new kitchen. “It’s a lot of space and so much more efficient.”

The family-owned farm grows berries, pumpkins, corn and other produce on 300 acres. It also sells baked goods, which used to be made inside a tiny espresso stand next to the farm stand.

The new kitchen inside the barn includes enough space for multiple bakers to pump out pies, cookies and other items.

It’s made the farm much more efficient, Jennifer Schuh said. In a few hours, workers can bake about 34 dozen cookies, a pace they were never able to achieve before.

The farm will also allow

Steve Schuh describes the features of the new barn’s kitchen facilities at Schuh Farms in Mount Vernon. the Schuhs to store their own products, said Andy Schuh, Jennifer’s brother.

During a mid-October morning, Andy Schuh opened the barn’s walk-in freezer, where three tons of berries were stored.

“We used to pay to store these berries,” he said.

“This makes us more efficient because we don’t have to drop them off and pick them up in

Burlington.”

Next to the freezer is a walk-in cooler filled with apples. That cooler includes two doors: one leading outside to a covered area to make it easier to unload products from trucks, and another that leads into the kitchen.

The rear of the building also includes space to store equipment.

The barn’s location will

provide a boost to the farm’s adjacent u-pick fields because workers will be able to assist customers more easily, Jennifer Schuh said.

U-pick has become more popular in recent years, she said.

“We started doing u-pick in 1978, but times changed so the u-pick dwindled,” she said. “We want to get that feeling back again and

people are looking for that experience.”

During recent busy weekends the barn has been an added attraction for customers who come to buy pumpkins, navigate the corn maze or take tractor rides, Jennifer Schuh said.

She said people will often stand near the windows and watch her and her employees bake.

“It’s fun,” she said.

“Last week there were two grown-ups holding their kids as they peeked through the window.”

The barn is helping to further promote the farm as a destination, which Andy Schuh said is important for the farm’s continued growth and viability.

“It’s necessary for us to survive to build structures like this,” he said.

6 - Wednesday, October 25, 2017

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SKAGIT VALLEY FARMS

Taking advantage of new technology part of its ‘DNA’ Story by AARON WEINBERG Photos by SCOTT TERRELL Skagit Valley Herald

SINCE ITS INCEPTION ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, Skagit Valley Farms has embraced new technology.

Skagit Valley Farms Operations Manager Ian Mintz (left) and Principal Tony Wisdom explain how their robotic weeder machine can determine if a plant is a weed or a crop.

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From robotic weeding machines to robotic planters, Skagit Valley Farms Principal Tony Wisdom and his team aren’t afraid to try new things.

“We are not an average farm,” Wisdom said.

“Using technology is a theme we developed throughout our company ... It’s part of our DNA.” The farm grows organic and conventional crops, including broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

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One of the most helpful pieces of technology the company has invested in has been two robotic weeders. They are attached to GPS-guided tractors.

Farm Operations Manager Ian Mintz said the machines, with his help, use cameras to determine a “kill zone” in between plants as the tractor drives.

The machine will scoop out weeds as the tractor is driven slowly down the rows. It’s been a great benefit to the farm’s organic operation since herbicides can’t be used.

“What makes this machine so special is the ability to weed in the row between the plants ...

That’s always difficult,” Wisdom said. “That’s where the advancement of vision-driven technology has made big improvements in agriculture.”

Mintz stepped into the driver’s seat of a tractor equipped with one of the robotic weeders. The tractor features a computer that displays video from mounted cameras.

When the tractor is in use, the computer shows crops, such as broccoli or cabbage seed, marked

with a green X. Anything between those Xs can be automatically plucked by the weeder, Mintz said.

He said the screen helps him ensure the weeder is identifying the right plants.

Utilizing such technology has helped Skagit Valley Farms in numerous ways. It cuts down on labor costs while removing the burden of hiring temporary workers, which have become increasingly difficult to find, Wisdom said.

Now, instead of hiring dozens of temporary workers, Skagit Valley Farms has full-time employees to manage the robotic equipment and other technology.

“It takes a very technical operator,” Mintz said.

“It takes a talented person that understands technology and how the system works.”

Another advantage to using robotics has been an increase in efficiency, with the ability to complete weeding or planting quicker and with more precision.

“Instead of taking a small plant out of a starter tray by hand and putting

Skagit Valley Farms Operations Manager Ian Mintz shows how the robotic weeder is programmed for specific crops and field contours. it in a machine, we have a robot doing that work,” Wisdom said. “That takes us from a crew of 14 to two.”

He said workers also use technology to help sort produce. For instance, camera systems observe products for quality, and if a subpar product is found a mechanical arm will pick it out.

Wisdom said much of the advanced farming technology comes from Europe. Those advancements are driven by necessity, he said, because European farmers don’t have as much land.

“Every square inch counts in Europe,” he said. “Here, we aren’t as focused on efficient utilization of land because we have so much of it.

In Europe, there is more emphasis placed on efficiency and utilization of equipment.”

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