In today’s Ag News Roundup, Japanese beetle worrying farmers and WSDA, FFA teaches life lessons, Washington state lawmakers pushing USDA to finalize funding, online food and farm finder expands, and Oregon brothers receive national award for environmental stewardship.
WSDA Works to Restrict Movement of Japanese Beetle
According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, 2021 was a record year for the Japanese Beetle. Now the WSDA (Washington Department of Agriculture) is proposing a 49-square-mile Japanese beetle quarantine and multi-year eradication program to restrict the spread of the beetle.
Discussing the Many Merits of FFA
There are many benefits of being part of the FFA (Future Farmers of America), including life lessons. From the Pacific Northwest Ag Network, Oregon FFA Vice President Justin Sharp shares his thoughts in an audio blog on the organization and what students learn in FFA.
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Eastern Washington Lawmakers Push USDA to Expedite Promised Funds
From the Pacific Northwest Ag Network, lawmakers in Washington are calling on the USDA to distribute $10 billion in approved funding to help farmers rebound from the recent drought, wildfires, and extreme heat. It’s estimated the funds could have a far-reaching, positive impact on the state’s economy.
Washington Food and Farm Finder Expands
The Eat Local First Collaborative’s Washington Food and Farm Finder (https://eatlocalfirst.org/wa-food-farm-finder) now includes a wholesale food finder to help connect farmers, producers and consumers. The already popular online tool has been available since November 2020.
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Family of Melittologists Earn National Award
Brothers Dan and Michael O’Loughlin, who turned their family’s 200-acre grass seed farm into a model of environmental stewardship have earned the national Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award from the National Association of Conservation Districts and the Pollinator Partnership. The farm sits along the South Yamhill River near McMinnville, Oregon.