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10 CapitalPress.com March 31, 2017 Washington Washington Farm Bureau likes new recipe for food forum Panel would tackle regulations By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — An urban legislator’s longstanding pro- posal to set up a “food poli- cy forum” has been refash- ioned enough to win over the once-critical Washington Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau’s top lobbyist, Tom Davis, en- dorsed House Bill 1562 on Tuesday. As amended by the House, the forum no longer looks like a platform for tell- ing producers how to do busi- ness, he told the Senate agri- culture committee. Instead, the forum would talk about relieving hunger, connecting small farms with local customers and easing regulations that hold back ag- riculture, Davis said. “Boy, we’re all open to having that conversation — to help those especially in the fringe areas, the suburban and urban areas, where farms have a harder time existing,” he said. Lawmakers have kicked around for several years the idea of appointing a panel to Don Jenkins/Capital Press Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, has won support from the Wash- ington Farm Bureau for her bill to appoint a food policy forum. Gre- gerson, shown here at a House committee meeting, calls getting some Republican support a “huge success.” study food-related programs and policies. Urban Demo- crats have touted the potential benefits, but rural Republi- cans have been wary, espe- cially because of the idea’s association with the Wash- ington State Food System Roundtable. The roundtable was cre- ated in 2012 by Gov. Chris Gregoire’s executive order. Made up mostly of nonprofit groups, the roundtable recent- ly released a report calling for more government interven- tion to create an “equitable” food system. As introduced, SB 1562 directed the food policy forum to coordinate and build on the roundtable’s “processes.” The bill no longer men- tions the roundtable. The House also deleted references to housing and obesity, and added a section sought by the Farm Bureau to look at how regulations affect farms. The State Conservation Commission and Department of Agriculture would oversee the forum. The two agencies were once part of the roundta- ble, but later distanced them- selves from the group. SB 1562’s sponsor, Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, told the agriculture commit- tee that she’s learned a lot by talking with farm groups and visiting farms. “I want to be very, very clear that this is not the round- table,” she said. “I want to be very clear, the intent is to do no harm.” The bill passed the Demo- cratic-controlled House by a 63-34 vote. Most Republicans voted “no,” but Gregerson called the 13 “yes” votes from Republicans “a huge suc- cess,” considering past oppo- sition. Davis said the bill was probably still tainted by its history. “Our concern with the original bill was that it was going out of its way to tell conventional ag how to do its business. And our response was, frankly, we think we have that down pretty well,” he said. “We don’t need a forum to tell conventional ag how to do its business. It’s like putting one together to tell Boeing how to build an aircraft wing.” Crop tours to answer disease questions, highlight new varieties By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Washington wheat farm- ers are expected to ask ques- tions about stripe rust, snow mold and falling number tests during field tours this season, a Washington State University research leader says. Ryan Higginbotham, di- rector of WSU’s cereal vari- ety testing program, released the 2017 crop tour schedule, which kicks off May 24 in Columbia County and ends July 14 with a barley field day in Pullman, Wash. New varieties will be high- lighted, he said. All major breeding programs will have entries, Higginbotham said, including newly named lines and some still in the experi- mental stage. “There’s something new for everybody in just about every location that people will want to keep their eyes on and see how they perform this year,” he said. Higginbotham is getting questions from farmers about soil fertility, given higher moisture levels. “Should they or should they not be adding some extra fer- tilizer?” he said. “That’s a dif- ficult decision to make when it’s $3.50 per bushel wheat — it’s a lot easier to do that when it’s $7 per bushel wheat.” WSU, Oregon State Uni- versity and Northwest Grain Growers are cooperating on field trials in Eureka, Walla Walla and Dayton, Wash. 28 crop tours scheduled The Pacific Northwest 2017 Crop Tour Schedule, released by Washington State University: Columbia County Conservation Tour: 9 a.m., May 24, contact Paul Carter at 509- 382-4741 Horse Heaven: 8 a.m., June 6, contact Ryan Higginbotham at 509-641-0549 Ritzville: 3 p.m., June 7, contact Aaron Esser at 509-659-3210 Western Whitman County and Lacrosse: 9:30 a.m., June 8, contact Steve Van Vleet at 509-397-6290 Connell: 5 p.m., June 8, contact Ryan Higginbotham at 509-641-0549 Pendleton, Ore: 7:30 a.m., June 13, con- tact Mary Corp at 541-278-4415 Moro, Ore.: 7:30 a.m., June 14, contact Mary Corp at 541-278-4415 WSU Weed Science in Pullman: 1 p.m., June 14, contact Drew Lyon at 509-335- 2961 Harrington: 4 p.m., June 14, contact Di- ana Roberts at 509-477-2167 Lind: 8:30 a.m., June 15, contact Bill Schillinger at 509-235-1933 St. Andrews: 5 p.m., June 16, contact Dale Whaley at 509-745-8531 Mayview: 9 a.m., June 20, contact Mark Heitstuman at 509-243-2009 Eureka: 3 p.m., June 20, con- tact Ryan Higginbotham at 509-641- 0549 Higginbotham said the re- searchers decided to work to- gether instead of duplicating efforts. He hopes the coopera- tive field days will help boost attendance. WSU’s biennial Spillman Field Day in Pullman, Wash., would normally be this year, Walla Walla (cereals): 1 p.m., June 21, contact Paul Carter at 509-382-4741 Dayton (legumes): 8 a.m., June 22, con- tact Paul Carter at 509-382-4741 Anatone: 3:30 p.m., June 22, contact Mark Heitstuman at 509-243-2009 Moses Lake (irrigated): 8 a.m. June 27, contact Andy Jensen at 509-754-2011 University of Idaho/Limagrain; Moscow, Idaho: 8:30 a.m. June 27, contact Debby Rigby at 208-885-6681 Almira: 3 p.m., June 27, contact Diana Roberts at 509-477-2167 Reardan: 7 a.m., June 28, contact Diana Roberts at 509-477-2167 Wilke Farm Soil Workshop; Davenport: 9:30 a.m., June 28, contact Aaron Esser at 509-659-3210 Fairfield: 7 a.m., June 29, contact Diana Roberts at 509-477-2167 St. John: 10 a.m., July 6, contact Steve Van Vleet at 509-397-6290 Lamont: 2:30 p.m., July 6, contact Steve Van Vleet at 509-397-6290 Farmington: 8 a.m., July 7, contact Steve Van Vleet at 509-397-6290 Palouse: 3:30 p.m., July 7, contact Steve Van Vleet at 509-397-6290 Bickleton: 1 p.m., July 11, contact Han- nah Brause at 509-773-5817 Know Barley, Know Beer; Pullman: 3 p.m. July 14, contact Kevin Murphy at 509- 335-9692 but the university decided not to have it due to lagging atten- dance in recent years. “(We’ll) see if we can re- group and maybe try some- thing a little different next summer,” Higginbotham said. WSU researcher Drew Ly- on’s weed science field day June 14 will be in Pullman. The field day June 28 on WSU’s Wilke Farm east of Davenport, held as a soil workshop, will also be differ- ent, Higginbotham said. Online http://smallgrains.wsu.edu/2017- pnw-crop-tour-schedule/ Matthew Weaver/Capital Press File Cattle at a feedlot near Pasco, Wash. The state House agriculture committee on March 23 endorsed raising the beef checkoff. The issue has divided the beef industry. Washington GOP lawmaker slices beef checkoff hike Fee would increase by 50 cents By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — Given a sec- ond take, a Moses Lake Re- publican passed through the House Agriculture and Natu- ral Resources Committee on Wednesday a bill to raise the beef checkoff by 50 cents this year, but without another in- crease in two years. The committee had passed the checkoff bill March 23. The bill then called for a 50- cent increase now and another 50-cent hike in 2019. A proce- dural error, however, forced the committee to vote again. Between last week and this week, Rep. Tom Dent, who’s taken a lead on the issue, re- considered his position. Dent said the majority of producers he’s heard from support a $1 increase. But he noted that the industry was not unanimous, so he dropped the second half-dollar hike. “We give them a little bit of a raise, and we’ll see where the money goes,” he said. “I think this was a good com- promise for everybody, I truly do.” For more than a year, beef producers have argued stren- uously for and against rais- ing the per-head tax on cattle transactions from $1.50 to $2.50. The $1 increase would double the annual budget of the Washington Beef Com- mission to about $2 million. The state’s $500,000 a year contribution to the national Beef Board would stay the same. The House committee ac- cepted Dent’s proposal and voted 13-2 to amend a Sen- ate-passed bill, which provid- ed for a $1 increase this year. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, said after the House commit- tee vote that she preferred a $1 hike, but agreed to Dent’s proposal. “I would have liked to see it increase in two years, but we have been in a lot of con- versations, and I think it’s the best we can get this year,” she said. The Washington Cattle- men’s Association, the Cattle Feeders of Washington and Washington Farm Bureau supported the $1 increase. The Cattle Producers of Washing- ton and Northwest Farmers Union opposed it. Cattle Feeders Executive Director Jack Field said the organization would have pre- ferred the dollar, but will be grateful for the 50 cents. “I think this is going to be outstanding. I’m sure people will see great things, though we can’t have $1 expectations based on a 50-cent increase,” he said. The Cattle Producers ar- gue their members, cow-calf ranchers, see little benefit from the checkoff. The group’s president, Stevens County rancher Scott Nielsen, said last week that he was “exasperated” at propos- als to incrementally raise the checkoff. “It’s either good or bad,” he said. Dent also included a pro- vision in the bill requiring the Beef Commission to present producers and legislators with budget reports. While some ranchers heap praise on the Beef Commission, others say they aren’t informed about how their money is used. “One of the big push- backs is, ‘We don’t know where the money is going,’” Dent said. The beef industry was torn over the checkoff last year, so Dent and Warnick took on the issue. Dent said he doesn’t re- gret stepping in, though it’s brought him some heat. “There was way more pas- sion than I expected on both sides at times,” he said. 13-1\#14