WSDA Centennial

WSDA Centennial

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

In 1913 when the Washington State Department of Agriculture was formed there were 34 employees and a budget of a little more than $195 thousand. It now has a budget of $151 million, and 755 employees supporting the state’s $46 billion food and agriculture industry. Since this year marks the WSDA’s 100th year as a state agency, several events are planned throughout the year to celebrate the accomplishments of the agency and the agriculture industry in the state; starting off this month with the WSDA Centennial Poster Contest for students 4th - 12th grade. Becky Elias, WSDA Special Projects Coordinator, talks about what they are hoping to see with the posters.

ELIAS: Agriculture has gone through so many changes, and also many parts of it are still the same in terms of the cultural relevance and also the types of farming that is going on, but there are also so many new advances and new rituals around it. We’re interested to see what young people envision farming, and agriculture, and food, and community - what all of that looks like to them.

Elias explains the WSDA’s plans for the posters.

ELIAS: What we would like to do is use them to promote Washington agriculture throughout the state. The winners of the contest will have their posters turned into the promotional materials for Taste Washington Day. And schools around the state will have those posters available in their cafeterias and in their classrooms

So, students here’s your chance to share what agriculture and its connection to your community means to you, and what you think the future of agriculture will look like. Poster entries are due by Monday, April 15th. Visit the WSDA website for more information. We will be sharing more about the programs and services that the WSDA provides to our state’s agriculture industry throughout the year.

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