Events

Please plan to attend a Washington Farm Bureau Strategic Plan Listening Session on Tuesday, August 18, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at the Skagit Farmers Supply Corporate Office, located at 1833 Park Lane in Burlington.

If you have ideas or concerns regarding the future or direction of the WFB, please bring those to the meeting.

Other meetings across the state will be scheduled during the next few months.

A Property Rights Education Conference will be held on August 20, 2009 in the Jepson Center’s Wolff Auditorium at Gonzaga University.  Sessions are scheduled from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm.  Parking is free.

The featured keynote speaker is Mountain States Legal Foundation CEO William Perry Pendley. “Our constitutional liberties are under siege today more than at any time in our country’s history,” said Pendley, “including the right to own and use property.  It is vitally important that all Americans inform themselves about the threats to our liberties and take action to fight back.  This conference is an excellent first step in doing just that.”

From colonial times until well into the 20th century hard cider was overwhelmingly the predominate beverage in the United States, consumed more than whiskey, wine, and beer put together. In fact, the U.S. apple crop was so devoted to the manufacture of hard cider that during prohibition many farmers cut down huge orchards of mature apple trees, because they were unable to come up with another profitable use for the fruit.

When: Sunday, August 23 from 9:00am to 2:00pm

What: Learn the step-by-step process of humane, on-farm chicken processing from small-scale poultry farmers.  Participants are encouraged to practice the process.

Why: To help new producers learn or improve butchering skills and learn about licensing options in Washington.

Who:  Small-scale producers interested in butchering chickens for on-farm sales or for yourself and family.

Where: Homegrown Pastures in Olympia, WA.  Detailed directions will be sent with registration confirmation.

Cost:  $35.00 per person or $50.00 for two adults from the same farm.  Includes refreshments and a processed chicken to take home.

Space is limited to 20 people so that everyone has an opportunity to process chickens.

Please register by August 19.

Ensminger Pavilion
WSU Campus, Pullman, WA
3 hours before kickoff
WSU vs. Stanford

You are invited to learn about the exciting things happening in the Department of Animal Sciences and what talented WSU students are doing.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. All profits benefit scholarships.

To register, please send check to:
Dept. of Animal Sciences, WSU, P.O. Box 6310, Pullman, WA 99164-6310. Or, contact Jaimie Dahl at (509) 335-5523.

For updates and guest speaker info visit http://friendsofansci.org. 

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is sponsoring a free pesticide disposal event in Prosser on Oct. 13. The deadline for signing up is Sept. 8.

WSDA encourages farmers, businesses, residents and property owners to inspect their storage sheds, barns, shops and garages and look for agricultural and commercial-grade pesticide products that are no longer needed or wanted. In 2008, WSDA collected more than 127,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides. Last fall, 30 customers brought a total of 21,000 pounds to collection events in Prosser.

"This service helps protect our local environment by properly disposing of damaged, unusable or unwanted pesticides," said program coordinator Joe Hoffman. "Proper disposal helps keep our water clean, prevents expensive cleanup projects and protects public health."

Please plan to attend a Washington Farm Bureau Strategic Plan Listening Session on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, at 11:30 a.m. at the Dutch Mother Restaurant, 405 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264-1913, 360-354-2174.  (Meals are not provided)

If you have ideas or concerns regarding the future or direction of the WFB, please bring those to the meeting. 

Other meetings across the state will be scheduled during the next few months.

Note: The first CRP public meeting will be in Spokane.
Sept. 15, 2009, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn Spokane Airport
Spokane, Wash.
(509) 244-5866 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2009 - The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), today asked the public for comments on the Conservation Reserve Program and scheduled nine public meetings from Sept. 15 through Oct. 8 to solicit comments on the program.

The meetings will be held in Washington, Montana, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Topics to be discussed at the public meetings include provisions dealing with cropping history requirements, crop rotation practices, contract incentives, program enrollment terms and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment authority of 32 million acres established for the remainder of the 2008 Farm Bill.

What:  Mason/Kitsap County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Where:  Theller Hall in Belfair (off Hwy 3)

Time:  6:30 dessert social

Guest Speaker:  Britt Dudek