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8 CapitalPress.com March 9, 2018 University of Idaho announces $25M plan to upgrade its research, extension centers By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press USDA The Washington State Department of Agriculture says it will go to court if necessary to protect brassica seed growers from cross-pollination with cabbage and other brassica crops grown by small-scale producers and home gardeners. Washington vows to safeguard purity of brassica seed crops extends to Whatcom, Sno- Gardeners, seed homish, Island and Clallam counties. The state has a savers seen as separate brassica seed pro- district in Central potential threats duction Washington. The agriculture By DON JENKINS Capital Press The Washington State Department of Agriculture says it’s prepared to go to court to protect the purity of Skagit Valley’s vegetable seeds from cross-pollina- tion. The department’s warn- ing responds to concerns that gardeners and small vegetable farms are letting their plants go to seed too close to commercial fields of brassica seed crops. Washington State Uni- versity-Skagit County Extension Director Don McMoran said cross-polli- nation is a growing worry. “It is, especially as we get more and more people from out of the area who are unfa- miliar with our production,” he said. The agriculture depart- ment enforces a state law mandating minimum dis- tances between fields of brassica seed crops. The rule also applies to farms that save seeds. Since the 1940s Skagit County seed growers have met to identify their fields before spring planting. The fields must be spaced at least 1 mile apart, McMo- ran said. The requirement department’s warning was a reaction to cases in Skagit County. In one case last summer, a residential garden was seen as a threat to a commer- cial cabbage seed farm, Mc- Moran said. The case was resolved through appeals to the gardener, he said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, we educate them, and they’re more than will- ing to go by the rules,” he said. Before the 2017 grow- ing season, the agriculture department distributed postcards and made other efforts to inform gardeners and seed-savers of the rule against cross-pollination. The department has au- thority to seek an injunction in Superior Court to protect commercial seed farms. The department has not taken a case to court recently, agen- cy spokesman Hector Castro said. “Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that,” he said. “We are very serious about these requirements.” Skagit County grows 25 percent of the world’s cab- bage seeds, according to the WSU-Skagit County Ex- tension. The county is also a major source of spinach and beet seeds. BOISE — The University of Idaho’s College of Agri- cultural and Life Sciences is pursuing an aggressive plan to invest tens of millions of dol- lars in its nine agricultural re- search and extension centers. Those centers house the people that conduct research on a wide variety of crops grown in the state and seek solutions to production chal- lenges faced by the state’s farmers and livestock produc- ers. UI hopes to invest about $25 million in the centers in the coming years, CALS Dean Michael Parrella told members of the House Agri- cultural Affairs Committee on Feb. 28. The average age of the fa- cilities at those centers is 50 years, he said. “What we need going for- ward is a $25 million invest- ment in our R and E centers,” Parrella said. He told Capital Press later the plan “is an investment in the future of the state. Agri- culture is 20 percent of Ida- ho’s GDP, it’s a critical in- dustry and it’s important to all aspects of our economy.” Parrella has told ag indus- try leaders at least twice in the past month that he is not the dean of CALS to maintain the status quo and that he wants to aggressively move the college Sean Ellis/Capital Press forward. The plan that Parrella out- Researchers at the University of Idaho’s agricultural research and extension center in Parma check lined for lawmakers in broad onion samples last September. UI’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences hopes to invest about $25 million in its nine ag research and extension stations. strokes would do that. He said with a lot of re- searchers and faculty set to the funds that will be need- about helping fund some of what the R and E centers are retire in the coming years, ed to accomplish this plan the investments, it’s important doing, what their needs are CALS will be hiring a lot of emerging from a three-way “that we’re not just coming and maybe we come up with “early career professionals,” partnership between CALS, with our hand out, that we (a plan).” The chairwoman of the and “we need the type of fa- the farm industry and the leg- have some skin in the game, cilities to attract them and islature. House ag committee, Rep. so to speak.” “I don’t want to imply that keep them.” CALS’ effort to engage Judy Boyle, a Republican He said “modern, ‘clean’ we are not investing in our R industry on the plan officially rancher from Midvale, said and appropriately equipped” and E centers because we are began March 8 with a vision- having the latest research in- laboratories are required to doing that,” he said. “We as ing session at UI’s Parma re- frastructure is critical to the state’s farming industry. do the type of cutting edge re- a college will contribute as search station. search that will be critical to much as we can but I think the “It’s vital and agriculture is Parrella told Capital Press the state’s farming industry in industry is going to have to he hopes to form a group vital to Idaho so I think it’s a the near future. “where we bring all the (farm) worthwhile goal,” she said of step up and help.” Parrella said he envisions He said that when it comes commodity commissioners CALS’ plan to invest in the time to approach legislators together and we talk about research centers. Oregon meat distributor recalls ground beef, pork By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press An Oregon-based meat grinding and packaging company is recalling 14,806 pounds of raw ground beef and pork products that may be contaminated with E. coli. Interstate Meat Distrib- utors, of Clackamas, Ore., reports a sample of beef trim tested positive for E. coli, leading to the recall on March 3. Products include: • 2.25-pound wrapped packages of fresh “All Natu- ral Extra Lean Ground Beef,” with package code 04118, and with 96 percent lean and 4 percent fat on the label. • 2.25-pound wrapped packages of fresh “All Natu- ral Ground Beef Chuck,” with package code 04118, and with 80 percent lean and 20 per- cent fat on the label. • 2.25-pound wrapped packages of fresh “Ground Beef and Pork Blend,” with package code 04118, and with 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat on the label. • 2.50-pound bag contain- ing 10 quarter-pound frozen “Brothers Choice 85% Lean Angus Ground Beef Patties,” with package code 04318. The recalled food items were packaged on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 and shipped to Walmart stores in Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho, as well as several locations in Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming. A spokeswom- an for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service said there have been no reports of anyone becoming sick. Interstate Meat Distribu- tors declined further comment Monday. The USDA recom- mends anyone who bought the recalled products throw them away or return them to the store. Products can be identified by an establishment number of “965” inside the mark of inspection. E. coli is a bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdom- inal cramps, usually for 3-4 days on average after expo- sure. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! BAGS: • Seed Bags • Fertilizer Bags • Feed Bags • Potato Bags • Printed Bags • Plain Bags • Bulk Bags • Totes • Woven Polypropylene • Bopp • Polyethylene • Pocket Bags • Roll Stock & More! HAY PRESS SUPPORT: • Hay Sleeves • Strap • Totes • Printed or Plain • Stretch Film (ALL GAUGES) WAREHOUSE PACKAGING: • Stretch Film • Pallet Sheets • Pallet Covers LOCATIONS: Albany, Oregon (MAIN OFFICE) Ellensburg, Washington CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 855-928-3856 Fax: 541-497-6262 info@westernpackaging.com ....................................................... 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