I’m Bob Larson. A four-evening workshop in Pasco next week will focus on the Food Safety Modernization Act, Specialty Crops, Farm Audits, marketing, federal and state regulations, and much more.

The Center for Latino Farmers’ Maria Giedra says they’re hosting the workshop to point farmers in the right direction …

GIEDRA … “Our job is to connect socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and underserved farmers to the United States Department of Agriculture agencies which is Rural Development, NASS, National Ag Statistics Service, NRCS, Natural Resources, RMA which is Risk Management Awareness, and the most popular one is FSA, which is the Farm Service Agency.”

Giedra says they also want to help keep everyone up-to-date with an ever-changing world …

GIEDRA … “It’s what’s happening with the Farm Bill, also what’s happening with agriculture these days with exportation and, or course, we want all of our farmers and ranchers to be in compliance with what federal, state and county guidelines are as far as licensing and permits. We want our farmers to succeed in Washington and we want them to keep producing.”

The Center for Latino Farmers is getting support for the workshop from the Washington Department of Agriculture which will provide several experts on a variety of Ag issues.

The evening workshop will be held at Columbia Basin College in Pasco next week, June 25th thru 28th. To register, call the Center at 509-453-3157. Giedra says they need an accurate head count because they’ve hire a caterer and want to have enough food for everyone.