Collecting Data

You've no doubt heard us talk about the latest reports from the National Ag Statistics Service. That information for all the various reports is being collected in an on-going basis. Shirley Eklund is one of those people who helps collect that data as a field supervisor for the NASS.

EKLUND: We do potato samples. We go out and collect wheat samples. We send the wheat samples to St. Louis, Missouri. The potato samples all go to Parma, Idaho and that is for estimation of yield and quality. And then we do all of the field surveys for NASS collecting financial in the spring. Right now we are doing a fruit can survey to collect data for all of their pesticides and fertilizers they have applied to their crop.

Eklund says that this survey has been a big benefit for producers.

EKLUND: Basically it shows that they are not using even the recommended amount. They usually use much less and the reason this all started was because of the ALAR scare many years ago that took many farmers out of business because they weren't able to sell their apple crop.

Eklund was recently recognized as one of three field supervisors of the year for National Association of Departments of Agriculture.

EKLUND: And then one of my enumerators actually is one of five for year for field enumerators.

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