Impact of Government Shutdown & Small Farms Conference

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Impacts of the Government shutdown are also being felt across the state of Washington. Governor Inslee had this to say at a recent press conference.

INSLEE: At companies large and small, workers already furloughed are worrying about what comes next in the next few days, as citizens have been denied basic governmental services. Unfortunately, there is significant potential for this to get much worse very soon - worse for the economy, worse for Washington families, and worse for the entire nation.

Across the state farmers and ranchers are feeling the effects of the federal government shutdown as numerous vital agricultural reports normally supplied by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service ceased to be with the onset of the shutdown. Not only are new agricultural reports on prices, exports, and supply and demand estimates not being issued, but all websites with past information have been taken off-line.

The third annual Inland Northwest Small Farms Conference is titled "Country Living with Purpose and Profitability" and will be held in Spokane October 19th at the Spokane Falls Community College. The conference is aimed at beginning landowners and small farmers throughout eastern Washington and northern Idaho and will offer information on such topics as effective irrigation, dealing with nuisance wildlife, soil management, agricultural tourism, well placement and septic systems management. For more information on the conference visit sccd.org.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.