August 24, 2018
CapitalPress.com
Smoke, heat knock Washington
potato crop down to average
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Court takes chlorpyrifos
chemical away from farmers
ban in 2015, but missed
EPA has 60 days a court
deadlines to make a
final decision. The Trump
to ban insecticide administration inherited a
Capital Press
By DON JENKINS
Heat and smoke have hin-
dered Washington’s potato
crop, industry leaders say.
The early part of the crop
had been slightly above aver-
age in quality and yield, said
Dale Lathin, executive direc-
tor of the Potato Growers of
Washington.
Smoke from wildfires be-
came more dense, interfering
with the potato plants’ photo-
synthesis, Lathim said.
“Basically it did nothing
this week in terms of growth,”
Lathim said. “The guys had to
turn off their water because
the plants just weren’t taking
it up because they weren’t
photosynthesizing.”
During field samples two
weeks ago, Lathim said, the
crop looked well-above aver-
age for yield and quality. Last
week, samples showed closer
to average because of heat and
he expects even lower this
week.
“By the time we get to
harvest, we’re still going to
be above average, but not
by much,” he said. “But the
quality should be very good.
We’re going to have a very
manageable crop. Nothing
bountiful, but very good qual-
ity, manageable size crop.”
Heat hasn’t affected earlier
varieties Shepody or Ranger,
but the question is whether
it will impact potatoes that
go into storage, said Chris
Voigt, executive director of
the Washington Potato Com-
Growers may find alter-
natives to a widely used in-
secticide that a federal court
says must be banned by ear-
ly October, but substitutes
may be less effective and
more expensive, and leave
fewer ways to suppress ev-
er-evolving bugs, according
to farmers and crop advisers.
Farmers use chlorpyrifos
on more than 50 food crops.
Christmas tree farmers use
it on bugs, and ranchers use
it to kill horn flies. Banning
the chemical won’t be sim-
ple, Oregon State University
entomologist Stuart Reitz
said Friday.
“The reality is, yeah, you
can pull out any product,
any chemistry, and growers
would have to adapt to that
reality. But can we provide
them with alternatives that
work as well?” Reitz said.
“I think that’s something the
public and regulatory agen-
cies need to think about.”
A three-judge panel of
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled 2-1 on Aug. 9
that the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency must cancel
all registrations for chlorpy-
rifos within 60 days. The
EPA has yet to announce
whether it will appeal or ask
for a hearing by the full cir-
cuit court.
The ban stems from a pe-
tition filed in 2007 by pesti-
cide opponents. The Obama
EPA tentatively proposed
Capital Press
Washington Potato Commission
About 91 percent of Washington state’s potato crop is grown under contract.
mission in Moses Lake.
Shepody and Ranger vari-
eties go straight from the field
to processing plants in the re-
gion.
The Columbia Basin is one
of the first areas in the country
to begin harvesting potatoes
for processing.
Harvest will continue
through October.
Potato farmers in the Co-
lumbia Basin began harvest-
ing Shepody in mid-July, and
are wrapping up that part of
the harvest, Voigt said.
Shepody yields were a
little light at first, but then
bulked up, Voigt said.
Farmers are now harvest-
ing Ranger and Russet Norko-
tah fresh potatoes for packing
sheds and to go into storage.
Yields look good, Voigt said.
Farmers will begin har-
vesting Russet Burbank in
mid-September. Yield and
quality are promising, Voigt
said.
“There’s going to be a de-
cent supply of big potatoes, a
decent supply of small pota-
toes and then a decent supply
of potatoes in the middle,” he
said.
Disease and insect pres-
sure has been “pretty mild,”
Voigt said.
Prices are “OK,” he said. A
larger Idaho supply is moder-
ating some potato prices.
“The last six years haven’t
4-H has a lot to offer kids in our communities. In addition to the
requisite animal projects commonly associated with the program,
it also brings STEM and arts education. These projects lead to
family engagement
and provide a
positive social outlet
for youth out in the
community and away
from digital screens.
In rural and isolated
Pacific County,
Wash., youth-serving
organizations partner
with 4-H to offer
high-quality, low- to
no-cost events. Since
2014, the Pacific
County Fair has
hosted 4-H
“Super Saturday,” a
day of hands-on
learning for youth of
all ages.
been fabulous for the fresh
potato industry,” Voigt said.
“Last year was one of the first
years where it was semi-OK.
We’re hoping for good things
this season.”
Prices depend on vari-
ety on a per-acre basis, but
Lathim estimates an overall
breakeven average price of $7
per hundredweight. Prices so
far are roughly $6 to $6.50 in
most cases, he said.
About 91 percent of the
crop is grown under contract.
Farmers who make average
yield and quality will be prof-
itable, Lathim said.
The fresh market, about 9
percent of the crop, is subject
to market whims.
15
new deadline and dismissed
the petition last year. The
EPA, however, hasn’t made
a final decision on whether
chlorpyrifos residue on food
is safe enough to comply
with the Federal Food, Drug
and Cosmetic Act.
An EPA lawyer told the
three judges at a hearing in
July that the agency need-
ed another year and that a
ruling by the court would
be premature. One judge
agreed, but two decided that
EPA had run out of time.
Rather than set a new dead-
line for EPA to make a deci-
sion, Judges Jed Rakoff and
Jacqueline Nguyen banned
the chemical, which has
been used in U.S. agricul-
ture since 1965.
Willamette Valley seed
farmers use chlorpyrifos to
control cabbage root fly and
garden symphylan, crop ad-
viser Ted Hake said.
Farmers can use other
chemicals, but none, includ-
ing chlorpyrifos, are 100
percent effective, he said. If
farmers are reduced to using
one product, pests will de-
velop resistance more rapid-
ly, he said.
“It’s a pretty big deal.
We don’t have a lot of other
options,” he said. “They’ve
been working on new things
for quite awhile. The issue
is, there are only so many
ways to attack a pest.”
The EPA’s position is
that the medical science on
whether chlorpyrifos causes
birth defects is unresolved.
range of topics, coordinated by Washington State University
Pacific County Extension 4-H Youth Development.
Based on evaluation responses, these expert-led workshops
enabled participants to
bring home new ideas and
skills to share. This year,
35 percent of participants
learned about small animal
care, 20 percent learned
new sewing and cooking
skills, 10 percent learned
new craft skills, 20 percent
learned about showing
livestock and 20 percent
were excited to use science
as a tool.
Older youth reported that
they not only learned
complex new information
and skills, but they also
plan to raise a healthier
animal.
Small animal projects
Caregivers indicated youth
2018 was the most
Sewing and other activities are featured.
are always popular.
are more likely to join the
successful program
family for a meal if the
to date with over 200
child
helped
prepare
it,
leading
to
more
family meals as
young participants. Know and Grow Coalition for Early Learning
participants
use
what
they
learned.
and Timberland Regional Library offered a space for babies and
When shared with friends and family,
toddlers up to age 5 to engage in developmentally appropriate,
these new ideas, skills, and
hands-on activities, allowing families with children of all ages to
knowledge not only enrich lives but
participate.
also broaden the reach of 4-H all over
Pacific County 4-H leaders provided free lunches with funding
the county.
from Willapa Community Network and Pacific County Youth
In Pacific County, we do our best to
Alliance. Support from the South Bend Kiwanis Club brought
magician Jeff Evans and his “Science Magic” show to wrap up the offer learn-by-doing experiences that
encourage kids to experiment,
day.
innovate, create and think
However, the real magic of Super Saturday are 4-H projects for
independently – the fundamental
youth ages 6 and up. Participants choose classes taught by 4-H
4-H ideal.
leaders, 4-H senior members, and community members on a wide
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