Asparagus Outlook & Dairy Sustainability Award

Washington asparagus growers are mowing down the old fern and applying herbicides - gearing up for harvest starting next month, and find themselves posing questions. Will it be an early harvest and a warm season? Will Mexico’s harvest and California’s harvest, which started early this year due to warm weather, end up in the stores at the same times as Washington’s asparagus crop? Washington Asparagus Commission member and WSDA Trade Specialist Rebecca Weber talks about the potential impact of Mexico’s asparagus crop.

WEBER: They’re bringing their product into the market right now and so what I’m told is that California and some of the growers are holding their crop a little bit longer which could impact our crop. It’s a little bit wait and see - you know in terms of how we end up timing our crop on the market.

Congratulations to the Werkhoven Dairy in Monroe, Washington for winning the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award. Ten years ago through a collaboration of local farmers, the Northwest Chinook Recovery, and the Native American Tulalip Tribes, a nonprofit energy group was formed that operates an anaerobic digester 1-1/2 miles from Werkhoven Dairy. The digester utilizes manure from the cows and co-digests pre-consumer food waste to produce methane that fuels a generator. Electricity from the generator goes on the local grid. Electricity and compost sales help keep the dairy viable while preserving air and water quality and protecting salmon streams.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.