09/20/07 Washington hosting nation's ag directors and commissioners

Washington Ag September 20, 2007 The nation's 50 state directors, secretaries and commissioners of agriculture are heading to Seattle this week to discuss issues important to farmers, ranchers and consumers. The occasion is the annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture or NASDA September 21 to the 26th. Washington Ag Director Valoria Loveland has been president of NASDA this year and she is hosting the conference. Loveland: "We are going to have some speakers around carbon credit exchange. Some discussion about climate change and how that might affect agriculture. And then of course it is our annual meeting so we conduct all of our business, update our policies and we will have a lot of discussion about where the farm bill is now in Congress." The conference will kick off with an agricultural tour of the Skagit Valley, giving this national audience a quick look at some of Washington's celebrated specialty crops. The group will make stops at Sakuma Brothers berry farm and the Knutzen Family potato operation, as well as Washington State University Extension's state-of-the-art research facility. Attendees will also have an opportunity to visit Chateau Ste. Michelle winery and Pike Place Market to sample more local farm products. I'm Bob Hoff.