Supervisor U, East Low Canal Upgrades & First Recreational Marijuana Grower License

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Washington Farm Labor Association's Dan Fazio says their Supervisor Leadership University scheduled for the first week in April is in response to growers communicating to WAFLA the need for more in depth leadership training for field supervisors .

FAZIO: We're offering a full day of leadership, motivational and basic human resources law concepts for crew leaders. We've got two instructors - Cosme Sanchez, a respected trainer from the Central Valley in California, and Ermelindo Escobedo, from right here in Washington.  Both of these guys have been teaching motivational and leadership training for many years, and more importantly, both are former farm workers who have advanced degrees and extensive HR training.

The entire class is in Spanish, but a course summary will be provided to the grower or HR director. For more information on workshop dates, locations and registration visit wafla.org.

On Thursday the Washington State Department of Ecology joined the Bureau of Reclamation in announcing a water permit and presenting Zone 1 construction of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program - East Low Canal Improvements to members of the media. The new construction along the East Low Canal included 1 radial wastewater gate, 1 million cubic yards of dirt moved, and the modification of four Adams County bridges, and will soon deliver new surface water to East Columbia Basin irrigators. The surface water replaces water they now draw from an aquifer that has declined as much as 200 feet since 1980.

Mr. Sean Green, with Kouchlock Productions, was issued the state's first recreational marijuana producer/processor business license this week. Green, who already grows and sells medicinal marijuana, plans to now raise 21 thousand square feet of recreational cannabis in a rented warehouse. Green must register existing, non-flowering plants or seeds with the state within 15 days.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.