10/05/07 Spud and Fruit partnership receives USDA grant

Farm and Ranch October 5, 2007 A three-state partnership of Northwest potato and tree fruit organizations has been successful in securing over 99-thousand dollars in grant funds from USDA's Risk Management Agency. The Washington State Potato Commission led the coalition and its assistant executive director Karen Bonaudi, says they are pleased the grant came through. Bonaudi: "What we are able to do with that is some general education like some marketing workshops, but we are also again going to be able to fund the keynote addresses for our four partners." Bonaudi says that keynote speaker is Dr. Jay Lehr, scientist, advisor, author and motivational speaker. He has testified before Congress on more than three-dozen occasions on environmental issues and consulted with nearly every federal agency. Early next year Lehr will address the Idaho Potato School, the Oregon Potato Commission annual meeting, the Washington Growers Clearing House annual meeting and the Washington State Potato Conference. Bonaudi: "And what we have asked him to present on is the future of sustainability in agriculture. And he is going to be looking at what it will mean to our production growers, both in the tree fruit which is one of partners and the potato industry, how those growers can adapt to the new reality of sustainability and what it will mean to how they stay in business." That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.