08/28/06 Contract for undercutter signed

Washington Ag August 21, 2006 In June a 900-thousand dollar plus federal National Conservation Innovation grant to the Washington Association of Wheat Growers Association was announced to demonstrate and advance the use of the undercutter for summer fallow farming. Gretchen Borck of the Wheat Growers Association says the contract for that grant was signed earlier this month. Borck: "We hope to really show the reduction in soil erosion by using the under cutter method of slicing the capillaries off under the soil, leaving the soil on top undisturbed." The grant will allow farmers in nine eastern Washington counties, and five in Oregon, to cost-share the purchase of an under cutter, which runs about 30-thousand dollars, with the grant paying half the cost, the participating farmer the other half. Borck: "In Washington the counties are Adam, Benton, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Klickitat, Lincoln, Walla Walla and Yakima. And within those counties you have to be within 12 inches or less precipitation." Borck is taking names and numbers now of interested producers at 1-800-598-6890, ext. 11 or go to the website at www.wawg.org I'm Bob Hoff.