Ag Notes from the State

Here are a few short news stories important to ag producers in the state.

Karen Lewis, a Washington State University Extension regional tree fruit specialist, has been appointed to lead WSU's tree fruit extension team, effective Oct. 1. She will continue as regional extension specialist to the tree fruit industry as she serves as team leader. She will work on outreach programming to growers and industry leaders across the state and on coordinated efforts with WSU's technology transfer programs.

More Odessa Aquifer Irrigators are rejecting the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District's

high cost proposal which includes expensive publicly financed revenue bonds, and costly arbitrary annual "development fees".   Additionally, the ECBID has also not provided or allowed the option of using the much less expensive privately funded/financed alternative that would quickly bring surface water to Odessa Aquifer deep well irrigators.

Every fall, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) sets workers' compensation rates for the following year. This year, the department is proposing an average 2 percent rate increase for 2016. Employers and workers around Washington pay into the workers' compensation system so they're covered if someone gets hurt on the job or becomes ill from something they're exposed to at work.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.