Women In Ag Conference & Concord Grape Juice Purchase

Women In Ag Conference & Concord Grape Juice Purchase

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Registration is now open for the 2014 Women in Ag Conference, which offers women in Washington, Oregon and Idaho an opportunity to gather in 28 locations for the March 15th 1-day event featuring keynote speaker Heather Darby, a seventh generation owner of the centuries old Darby Farm in Vermont, along with inspiring stories, practical advice on improving farm management skills and networking with other women producers. USDA Farm Service Agency’s Chris Bieker has been part of the planning committee for the conference.

BIEKER: This is a really unique conference. It happens the same day in multiple locations throughout the northwest. We video conference a keynote speaker to all of the sites and then the rest of the day the conference is made up of a panel of local women speakers and then usually a local speaker or activity. So, the agenda is the same at all these locations.

For conference locations and information on registering for the event visit www.WomeninAg.wsu.edu.

Earlier this week the USDA announced an $11.5 million nationwide purchase of Concord grape juice to stabilize prices. The purchase was in response to a request to USDA Ag Secretary Vilsack from U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray to consider reducing the excess Concord juice inventory. Concord juice grapes are grown in the Yakima Valley, and due to consecutive, exceptionally strong crop years, farmers in Washington state expressed concerns that a large excess in Concord grape supplies could cause the price of juice grapes to plummet. Last year Washington farmers harvested an estimated 164 thousand tons of juice grapes.

*The juice purchased by the USDA will be used for national nutrition programs.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.