Quality Apple Crop & Conservation Funding to Restore Key Farmland & Wetlands

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Apple harvest is in full swing and Todd Fryhover, President of the Washington Apple Commission says that the fruit quality so far looks good.

FRYHOVER: Gala harvest is the first one and two picks, and most places are done - honeycrisp the same thing. Golden Delicious harvest is going on in earnest. All these new varieties that are out there, these club varieties so to speak, are being harvested at this time as well. I think that the general consensus is that the yields per acre are excellent, fruit quality looks good, and we could indeed have that record crop that we've been talking about.

According to Fryhover available labor for the apple harvest this year is tight, but they have seen a huge increase in usage of the H2A program with quite a few more people coming in as committed labor, which he says is a real benefit to the industry.

More than $325 million in conservation funding is being invested to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation. Provided through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program the funding will help private or tribal landowners and eligible conservation partners working with landowners receive assistance from USDA to protect and enhance agricultural land through an agricultural or wetland easement. Nearly $2 million in ACEP funding will be provided for projects in Washington state. For more information about technical and financial assistance available through conservation programs visit your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation service center.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.