09/18/06 Ecology announces farmer awards

Washington Ag September 18, 2006 The state Department of Ecology has announced that four farms located around the state will receive awards for using farming practices that contribute to clean water. The winners of the awards are: Ron Sheibe of Asotin County, John and Cristi Eaton of Kittitas County, Drainage Improvement District 21 in Whatcom County, and Ken and Louise Sadilek of Clallam County. Ecology spokesman Glen Kuper explains some of the practices these farmers are using. Kuper: "Well different things but they all contribute to keeping water clean. For example they are moving livestock feeding areas away from water so you are not getting that pollution from the livestock. Setting up buffers along water bodies to have more natural vegetation there and that helps keep the water cooler in a lot of instances. Also using different seeding technologies to reduce erosion and so that keeps dirt from either running into water bodies and it also helps decrease the amount of dust that can be problems. So those are a few of the types of things these farmers were doing." Representatives from Ecology will present the "Washington Conservation Farm Awards - Farming for Clean Water, 2006" to the farmers at public events in October. I'm Bob Hoff.