Disaster Assistance for Honeybee & Livestock Producers & Veterans In the Field

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Roughly $600,000 in federal disaster assistance will be distributed by the Farm Service Agency through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program to Washington ag producers affected by wildfires and other natural disasters between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. The program provides disaster relief to livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. For more information about ELAP and other FSA programs contact your local FSA office.

The Veterans In the Field program helps veterans get started in sustainable farming and ranching. Pat Munts, Small Farms and Acreage Coordinator with the Spokane Conservation District and WSU Spokane County Extension explains.

MUNTS: We just felt that as a Conservation District that we had some of the resources and access to allow veterans to experience different forms of agriculture so that maybe they would go into it.

The programs first series of classes covered beginning farming and ran during the last winter quarter through Spokane Community College and WSU Spokane County Extension.

MUNTS: So that people could understand what goes into starting an agricultural operation - insurance, finances, business management, marketing, crop and animal management, weed management; all those things that you have to consider when you want to start a farm or some kind of an agricultural operation.

Munts will be back tomorrow to talk more about the program and the spring quarter classes, as well as their plans to team up with Tilth Producers of Washington.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.