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Producer Farm Flash E-News June 2010
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Agricultural Advocacy, Education & Awareness
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Farm Power Lynden Anaerobic Digester Groundbreaking
2pm Monday, June 28th
8421 Bob Hall Rd
Lynden, WA 98264
You are invited to a groundbreaking ceremony for Farm Power Lynden's manure-to-energy project. After almost two years of development, we now look forward to celebrating this step with community leaders, neighbors, and everyone interested in the future of farming and energy.
Read more about the project & download Full Invitation
View Digester Photo Gallery
Contact Kevin at
(360) 424-4519 or farmpowernw@gmail.com
with questions, or visit www.farmpower.com
for more details. |
Washington Growers League
Whatcom Farm Friends is a member of the Washington Growers League so we can stay abreast of their work on farm labor issues. Our membership helps to inform us in the area of labor policy.
We encourage our members to also join and support the work being done on labor issues.
Visit the WGL website at http://www.growersleague.org/
to learn more about their work and how it can benefit you.
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Calendar of
Upcoming Events
June 24 - Ag and Energy Steering Committee
June 25 - PDR Oversight Committee
View 6/25 Agenda
View 5/28 Summary
June 28 - Farm Power Digester Ground Breaking Event
June 30 - Farm Friends presents
NRM concept to Whatcom BIA
July 13 & 27 - County Council Meets
July 6 - Bertrand WID Meeting
July 8 - Berry Field Days in Mt Vernon (WSU) and Clearbrook
(Ag Canada)
July 9 - Farm Friends Board meeting
July 20 - North Lynden WID Meeting
Sept 21 - Shared Waters Roundtable |
Farmers Needed for
'Meet the Farmer' at the Fair
Tell your story!
Come share your knowledge, experiences and expertise about your farming operation - in other words - your story.
The Farming For Life exhibit is moving from the Mt. Baker Rotary Bldg into the brand new Agriculture Adventure Center in the middle of the fairgrounds during this year's Northwest Washington Fair August 16-21, as the anchor exhibit.
This will be the second year we showcase our farmers in a Meet the Farmer area. All you need to do is bring a few photos, any posters, or 3-D props, samples if you have something to share, and your experiences. People love to talk to real farmers. This is your opportunity to dispel myths and reveal truths about farming in Whatcom County. A two hour time commitment for Meet the Farmer earns you an all day pass to the Fair.
We NEED you!
Please sign up here!
We are also looking for general volunteers. We need about twenty volunteers each day to preside over and take care of the Farming For Life exhibit area. This year we will be in a 60'x90' tent with potential for many more fairgoers. We need volunteers to help keep things in order, tables stocked, and people happy. We would LOVE to have you be a part of our fun! A four hour time commitment as a general volunteer earns you an all day pass to the Fair.
Click Here to Sign Up
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"The farmer is the only man
in our economy who
buys everything at retail,
sells everything at wholesale,
and pays the freight both ways."
--John F. Kennedy
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Join Our Mailing List!
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Rethinking How We Approach Water Quality
"We have been trying a command-and-control, top-down approach for the past four decades to control non-point sources of water pollution. The examples of the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound are grim testimony to our failure. If one solution doesn't work, the answer is not to push it harder but to look for new approaches."
-Bill Ruckelshaus, strategic director of Madrona Venture Group and chairman of the Leadership Council of Puget Sound Partnership, and first EPA Administrator in 1970
Read the full article:
A New Shade of Green
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Shared Waters
Roundtable Summary
Opening conversation across international boundaries
The inaugural meeting of the Shared Waters Information Roundtable (SWIR) was held on May 19, in Aldergrove, B.C. A summary of the meeting can be downloaded from the BPRI home page: www.wwu.edu/bpri
About 18 organizations were represented at the meeting, and the group consensus was to continue the forum - a second meeting has therefore been scheduled for September 21, in Lynden, WA, at 1:00 p.m. The exact location will be provided in a future mailing. Over the course of the coming weeks, a new section of the BPRI website will be built in order to support the SWIR forum.
Thanks to all those who participated in the first meeting. It seems as if greater transboundary knowledge is a commodity sought by many.
Regards,
David Davidson
Associate Director
Border Policy Research Institute.
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Small Dairy Resource Book
Information Sources for Farmstead Producers and Processors
A 64 page .pdf booklet has been published by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) which contains listings of publications, books, and websites about dairy processing. The booklet includes chapters on cheese, butter, and ice cream making, as well as food safety issues with processing dairy, and business and marketing ideas.
Download the 7KB
.pdf booklet now.
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Dairy Sustainability Website
In a worldwide dairy industry effort to reduce carbon emissions as part of its continued contribution to help address global warming, the "Dairy Sustainability Web site" was launched last fall. This site aims at sharing best practices, promoting environmentally focused initiatives and improving overall performance of the dairy sector.
The site launch is the beginning of a transparent portal to action taken by the global dairy industry to contribute to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. It was launched immediately after signing the Global Dairy Agenda for Action, an industry declaration to reduce carbon emissions as part of its contribution to help address global warming, where seven dairy organizations gathered at the World Dairy Summit in Berlin pledging their commitment to addressing climate change.
The site hosts a vast majority of information regarding sustainable dairy activity worldwide. One major initiative is the 'Green Paper,' a project that catalogs online initiatives illustrating the continuous improvements already made and in progress along the whole of the dairy supply chain.
With more than 260 initiatives cataloged under six primary areas, the Green Paper section on the Web site lists these case studies from different regions of the world with examples of how the industry is doing things such as:
* Emissions reductions
* Energy efficiency
* Transport efficiency
* Reduction in loss of milk
* Resource efficiency
* Life cycle analysis and management
The site also includes information about the Global Dairy Agenda for Action, climate change fact sheets, as well as scientific publications and a press room.
For more information, visit
http://www.dairy-sustainability-initiative.org
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Whatcom County's rich farmland has sustained families and communities for thousands of years. Today it is more productive than ever, providing thousands of people around the world with valuable food products.
But farming in Whatcom County provides more than just healthy food. Well managed farms and farmlands means preservation of our rural vistas, our natural resources, and the sense of place we call Whatcom County. As such, all citizens of Whatcom have a stake in leaving a healthy legacy for our children and grandchildren.
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 My View
In mid May I attended the Lummi Salmon Ceremony. Staying in touch with the tribes is an important part of our policy work and relationship building efforts. An otherwise enjoyable time was dampened by the news that the Lummis would be sending this letter to the EPA to report their findings of deteriorating water quality (fecal coliform levels) in the Nooksack River Watershed.
This caught me by surprise. I knew that there had been a few spikes in some locations but I was under the impression that the levels remain well under the level where the Portage bay shellfish beds become at risk. It is very disappointing to have the Lummi's feel the threat of another shellfish bed closure. It is just as disappointing to see the blame finger pointed at a struggling dairy industry that most would agree is continually and dramatically improving in their nutrient management practices.
Farm Friends is working with a few of our partners to respond to EPA in a manner that constructively addresses the issue. The response letter Farm Friends is drafting together with other Ag organizations attempts to focus EPA's response on actions that effectively improve water quality protection. And does so in a manner that does not further hinder the large majority of responsible livestock farmers.
Henry Bierlink
Executive Director
Whatcom Farm Friends
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Council Members Kershner & Mann
Take a Starling Program Tour
County Council Member Kathy Kershner Holds a yellow headed blackbird bird for Release from a Starling Trap
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Council members Kathy Kershner and Ken Mann visited Greg Smit's dairy in early June to learn about the starling trapping program operated by Farm Friends.
Non-target birds like the yellow headed blackbird are released.
The Starling Control program benefits dairy and berry farmers by reducing bird populations that eat crops and feed, and leave droppings in barns. Participation in the program is voluntary, but benefits many.
Contact Farm Friends to learn more about the nuisance wildlife program and how to participate.
County Council Starling Tour. L to R: Ken Mann, Henry Bierlink,
Greg Smit, Kathy Kershner
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Fishtrap WID Update: Mitigation Plan For
Double Ditch/Pepin Creek
Reed Canary Grass
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North Lynden Watershed Improvement District Commissioners are preparing a Hydraulic Permit application to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) that would allow for a comprehensive and predictable ditch maintenance effort. Their efforts build on agreements between WDFW and local Drainage Districts and programs developed and implemented by the Whatcom Conservation District.
The stalemate between landowners needing ditch and drainage maintenance and fish managers seeking fish protection and habitat enhancement has been going on for decades. The complication of being next to County and State roads makes the problem even more vexing. Farm Friends helped to facilitate this agreement and hopes it provides a positive path forward for both farmers and fish managers. We appreciate the difficult work of the NLWID commissioners, the Conservation District and WDFW in working through the details of this agreement.
Proposed Scope of Work:
If the permit is approved, Whatcom County Public Works, in cooperation with the Whatcom Conservation District and the North Lynden and Bertrand Watershed Improvement Districts, will remove sediment and reed canary grass in selected reaches of the east and west channel of Double Ditch Road from the Badger Road north to the US-Canada border. Additional maintenance may include removal and replacement of existing culverts that provide access to fields and farmsteads. Culvert replacement would meet county and WDFW standards. Designs for culvert replacement would be submitted to WDFW for approval one month prior to installation.
The total length of the combined east-west channel is 5.1 miles. Not more than 1 mile (20%) of the channel would be cleaned each year beginning in 2010. As part of the permit, the WID would agree to work with landowners to install a vegetated 15-foot wide riparian buffer on the field side of the Double Ditch channel at a ratio of at least one lineal foot of buffer for each foot of maintained channel. The buffer would consist of native shrubs selected by the Whatcom Conservation District to meet site and habitat suitability factors. Concerns over traffic sight impairment and home lawns would be addressed. The installed buffers would be evaluated after five years to assess if the buffers are achieving their intended purpose of providing improved aquatic habitat without interfering with drainage or causing snow drifting on the road.
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FMD Outbreak in Asia Requires Heightened Awareness & Preparedness in Washington
A message from Dan Newhouse, Director,
WA State Dept of Agriculture
The recent spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Asia is a reminder that foreign animal disease presents a very real threat to agricultural production around the world. As an agricultural trade leader and Asian travel hub, Washington may be more vulnerable to FMD than most states. Therefore, I ask for your support to maintain a heightened awareness of FMD and work together to prevent its introduction to our state.
The United States hasn't had an outbreak of FMD since 1929, but air travel and a global marketplace make us vulnerable to disease outbreaks across the globe. The current outbreak in Japan already has resulted in the euthanization of nearly 200,000 animals, primarily pigs and cattle, at 300 farms and livestock facilities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture already has placed import restrictions on beef from Japan.
Washington is particularly vulnerable during this time of year when many overseas visitors and in-bound trade missions come to Evergreen State farms to witness firsthand the quality of our hay, tree fruit, and other commodities prior to purchase. Unsuspecting travelers can transport the FMD virus quickly to non-infected animals. Travelers are being asked to avoid contact with livestock or wildlife for five days prior to and after returning home from regions of FMD outbreak, including parts of Japan, Korea and China.
If FMD is to be kept out of Washington state, the agricultural community must remain vigilant in its on-farm biosecurity measures. That's why I'm asking producers to review biosecurity measures with employees, salespeople and service personnel at farms, dairies, ranches, feedlots and other agricultural facilities.
Current outreach efforts by WSDA and the ag community include:
- WSDA Animal Services Division is on alert for FMD issues and communicating with its stakeholders. Livestock owners should monitor their animals closely for early signs of disease.
- The state's "Bovine Issues Working Group" is sending FMD biosecurity reminders to some 9,000 beef and dairy beef producers.
- WSDA contacted USDA and Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Patrol to ensure our federal partners recognize the importance of preventing FMD through careful inspections and import restrictions.
- WSDA contacted Governor Gregoire's office to ensure state government leadership is briefed on the importance of FMD awareness and prevention.
The U.S. has a strong system in place for detecting and responding to outbreaks of foreign animal diseases like FMD. Washington State does not have foot and mouth disease. For more information on FMD, please visit www.fmdinfo.org.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the State Veterinarian's Office at (360) 902-1881
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Farm Friends Memberships & Sponsors
May 2009-May 2010
Many thanks to all of our supporters! By becoming a member of Farm Friends, you can support a healthy agriculture base in our county. Become a Member Now.
2010 Farming For Life
Sponsors and Supporters
PLATINUM
Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation
Whatcom Community Foundation
SILVER
Darigold Inc
WA Red Raspberry Commission
WA State Dairy Products Commission
Whatcom County Dairy Women
BRONZE
Bogarrd Hay Company
Community Food Co-op
Northwest Farm Credit
NICKEL
Pfizer Animal Health
OTHER
Whatcom Manufacturing
Holmquist Hazelnut
Cascade Farms
North Washington Implement
Paul & Mary Grey
Three Pheasants Farm
Storm Haaven Farm
Bellewood Acres
Cedarville Farm
Mt. Baker Vet & Embryo Services
Ace Hardware - Lynden
Whatcom Farmers Co-op - Bellingham
Smits Compost
Isom Elementary - Chad Norman's 3rd Grade Classroom
PRODUCER MEMBERS
Farmers actively involved in agriculture
BERRY PRODUCERS
Allison, Carol; Cleaarian Berry Farm
Bathe, Raj; Bathe Farms, Inc.
Bjornstad, Jim ; Bjornstad Farms
Cieslar, Brian
Dickinson, John; Riverland Farms, Inc.
Ehlers, Darryl; Ehlers Farm LLC
Honcoop, Randy
Hoyt, Gretchen; Alm Hill Gardens
Jackson, B.C. & Cheryl; Jackson's BlueBerry Farm
Korthuis, Ken
Koskela, Carl & Peggy; Koskela Blueberry Farm
Maberry, Matt; Curt Maberry Farm, Inc.
Maberry, Marty; Maberry Packing, LLC.
Piper Road Neighborhood
Rader, Brad; Rader Farms
Samson Farms, Inc
Sterk Berries LLC
Shumway, Ladd & Paige; Shumway Berries
Vander Veen, John; T.J. Veen Acre Farms Inc.
Van Diest, Stan & Kay; Van Diest Farm
Williams, Harry; Williams Farms
DAIRY PRODUCERS
Appel Bros. Dairy, LLC
Blankers, Lance ; Lazy Daisy Dairy
Blok, Roger & Jackie
Blok's Evergreen Dairy, Inc
Bouma, Louis; Bouma Farm
De Boer, Albert
De Hoog, Jake
De Jager, Pete; Doubly Good Dairy
Feddema, Ted & Arnie; Feddema Dairy LLC
Langley, Shawn & Clarissa; Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy, Inc.
Larsen, Jim & Chris; Aldergrove Farms
Noteboom, Dan
Paul, C L The Paul Dairy, Inc.
Polinder, Sherm & Phyllis; Ronelee Farm
Smit, Greg and Jan
Smit, Robert & Debbie; Smit Dairy
Stap, Larry & Debbie; Twin Brook Creamery
Steensma, John & Karen; Steensma Dairy
Sterk, John, Alice, Kevin & Debbie; Sterk Dairy of Whatcom County, Inc.
Vande Hoef, Rod & Joan; Vande Hoef Dairy LLC
VanderVeen, Tim & Mindy; VanderVeen Dairy LLC
Van Berkum, Harold; Van Berkum & Sons LLC.
Van Dellen, Jerry
Van Ingen, Ben; Van Ingen Dairy, LLC
Van Mersbergen, Mark; Markwell Holsteiins
Van Middendorp, John; OK Dairy LLC
Vlas, Pete & Kim
Vreugdenhil, Marv; Hillview Dairy LLC
Wolfisberg, Hans & Colleen; Edelweiss Dairy
Zylstra, Kenneth
CATTLE PRODUCERS
Beyer, Robert & Beth
Chudek, Paul; Second Wind Farms
Deming, Walter
Holden, Dick; Har-Hethlon Farms
Kirkman, Joe
Quanz, John
NURSERY / GREENHOUSE
Fast, Marvin & Lynn; Red Barn Lavender
Harrison, Brent; The Growing Garden
Jones, Todd; Fourth Corner Nursery
Pike, Gary & Christina; Tuxedo Garden
Van Wingerden, Mike; Van Wingerden Garden Center
Troutman, Paul; Cascade Cuts
SEED POTATO
Ebe, Greg & Mary
TREE FRUIT
Belisle, Dorie & John; BelleWood Acres
Gavette, Derek & Debi; Stoney Ridge Farm
Gmeiner, Lawrence; Flying B Ranch
Holmquist, Richard; Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards, LLC
ORGANICS
Antholt, Chuck & Sharron; Three Pheasant Farm
Dykstra, Pete & Dorene; Hopewell Farm
Finger, Mike & Kimberly; Cedarville Farm
Harrison, Brent; The Growing Garden
Powers, Steve & Karen; Big Sky Garden
Wagner, Les & Ginny; Third Thyme Farm
HEIFER
Derr, Vernon & Elaine; Fern View Farm
VanDe Garde, Vern
OTHER PRODUCERS
Barron, Leonard & Gwen (Poultry)
Johnson, Keith; Keith Johnson Fish
WC Farm Forestry Association (Farm Forestry)
Stremler, Ken; Alpine Meadows Tree Farm
Berardi, Gigi (Small Farm)
Boon, Keith; Professional Turf Growers, LLC
AG BUSINESS MEMBERS
Agriculture related businesses who support Producers
PLATINUM ($1,000 TO $5,000)North Washington Implement Co. Peoples Bank - Lynden Larson Gross PLLC Sterling Bank - Lynden Whatcom Farmers Coop Versacold Cascade, Inc. GOLD ($500 TO $999)Farmers Equipment Company Northwest Farm Credit Services Darigold Daritech Northwest Liquid Transport Northwest Plant Co. Andgar Corporation SILVER ($250 TO $499)Delaval Direct Mt Baker Vet Kulshan Veterinary Hospital PLLC N3 Consulting Northwest Propane LLC Pea Pod Industries Reisner Distributor, Inc. Pacific Pumping BRONZE ($100 TO $249)Bogaard Hay Company Custom Dairy Services Littau Harvester Northwest Farms & Food Northwest Lime Company Northwest Propane LLC Oxbo International Corp. Watertec, Inc. Whatcom Manufacturing, Inc. Dairyline Communications
COMMUNITY EDUCATION MEMBERS
All who support Ag Education, Awareness & Promotion
RANCHER ($1,000 TO $4,999)
ConocoPhillips Company, Ferndale Refinery
Land O' Lakes Foundation
L.T.I. Inc.
Peoples Bank, Lynden
HARVESTER ($250 TO $999)
Eckert, Dr. Thomas
Port Of Bellingham
Timblin, Chuck
Vlas, Peter & Kim
CULTIVATOR ($100 TO $249)
Antholt, Chuck &Sharron, Three Pheasant Farm
De Waard, Dave, DariTech
Debruin, Pete & Terry, Everson Auction Market
Gillies, John & Marie
Goodman, Merideth
Grey, Paul
Hinman, Holly & Patrick Baker
Jennings, William
Jones, Todd & Allison, Fourth Corner Nurseries
Laird, Glen & Jean, Laird's Livestock Hauling
Lecocq, Irwin & Frances
Lewis Publishing Co., Inc.
Morse, D. C. Jr
Ormiston, Jim, Ag Appraisal Services
Peterson, David & Susan
Powers, Ed, Pea Pod Industries
Settlemeyer, Earl H.
Shumway, Ladd & Paige, Shumway's Berries
GARDNER ($25 TO $99)
Bierlink, Henry & Evonne
Booth, Terri & Ken
Bratt, Calvin
Burdge, Rabel & Joyce
Eastside Market & Deli
Finger, Mike & Kimberly, Cedarville Farm
Grover, Patrick
Haase, Adrianne
Heinrick, Elsie
Hogan, Bill
Holden, Richard F. & Berdell
Hostetler, Tim
Hovde Tree Farm
Howard, Immy
Hubbard, Bill
Jordan, Nancy & Travis
Koskela, Carl & Peggy, Koskela Blueberry Farm
Kraght, Randy & Barb, Barbie's Berries
Kuelz, Russell & Nancy
Laidlaw. Marge
Long, Michelle & Derek
Monjure, Joy
Neulicht, Lisa
Otto, Patricia
Raas, Daniel & Deborah
Stark, Elizabeth
Telgenhoff & Oetgen P.S.
VanDalen, Barbara
Voltz, Jeff & Nita
Warner, Daniel
Whitney, Glenn & Holly
Zylstra, Jerry, Zylstra Tire Center
IN-KIND MEMBERSHIP TRADES
Bellingham Chamber of Commerce
Lynden Pioneer Museum
Lynden Chamber of Commerce
Sustainable Connections
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| Farm Friends Board of Directors |
| Sherm Polinder, President - Dairy |
Chuck Antholt, Vice President - Produce / WWU |
Dorie Belisle, Secretary - Tree Fruit |
| Marv Tjoelker, Treasurer |
John Vanderveen - Dairy / Berries |
Mark DeJong - Dairy |
| Tom Eckert - BTC |
Debi Gavette - Agritourism |
Paul Grey - Technology |
| Marty Maberry - Berries |
Brad Smith - WWU |
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| Farm Friends Staff |
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Henry Bierlink, Executive Director |
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| Holly Hinman, Administrator |
Cheryl DeHaan, Community Ed Program Mgr |
Cathy Kellett, Office Manager |
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Farm Friends Contractors |
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| John Gillies, N Lynden WID |
Heather MacKay, Natural Resource Market |
John Quanz, Wildlife Control |
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Thank you for supporting Farm Friends!
The future of Agriculture in Whatcom County depends on many partners. You are one of them! Become a member.
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