Tilth Conference draws ag industry and WSDA staff

Chris McGann
Communications 

WSDA joins a host of agricultural experts participating in the annual Tilth Conference in Yakima this weekend.  Agency specialists from a wide range of disciplines will share their expertise and experience in workshops, meetings and presentations throughout the three-day event that begins Nov. 8.

This year's theme is "Growing a Resilient Future: Production and Beyond," and will provide an opportunity for farmers, food system professionals, researchers and educators to learn from one another, share best practices and network with others in the agriculture industry.

Attendees will have a chance to explore topics such as crop and livestock production, pest and weed management, marketing, certifications, land access, and opportunities and challenges in agriculture.

WSDA staff are among the numerous speakers at the conference, and will cover a variety of topics including:

Market Expansion and Development

• Hear from our Farm to School team and learn the basics of selling to schools and how to get started.

• Later, our WSDA staff will be involved in a panel discussion offering practical guides and checklists for hiring and training (including what hires need to know), market day operations, food safety requirements, booth and display set-up, customer service, working with market managers, and vehicle safety. 

Business Planning Toolkit

• Get an update from the Office of the Washington State Veterinarian, including new outreach materials, animal disease status in the state, personnel changes, new programming, foreign-animal diseases of concern, regulation changes, and the new WSDA website.

Resource Opportunities to Support Farm Success

• Listen to a panel discussion on the Farm to Food Pantry initiative where participating farmers, food pantry managers, WSDA, and Harvest Against Hunger partners recount their roles within this initiative, share their vision for scaling it up and sustaining it statewide, and how attendees can participate in the effort.

Technology, Regulations and Certifications

• WSDA conducted their first season of inspections under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. Hear how farms responded and the results of these initial inspections. WSDA staff will share their inspection approach, the frequency of inspections and the prioritization process used by the WSDA Produce Safety Program.

• Take part in a Q&A with the WSDA Organic Program staff and get an overview about the program, as well as updates on program activities. The session is intended to answer certification questions, cover the organic system plan, as well as recordkeeping, forms, processes, and other things to know about certification. 

Market Expansion and Development

• The newest edition of the Handbook for Small and Direct Marketing Farms (popularly known as the “green book”) is now available for free. In this workshop, attendees will hear from the experts behind the handbook, learn what’s new in this updated edition and how to find the information needed for your farm business.

Visit the Tilth event schedule for a full list of the talks, workshops and panel discussions.

Hot weather tips for pets and livestock

Dr. Minden Buswell
WSDA Veterinarian

As the summer heat rises, it's important to help
 your livestock stay cool.

Hot weather can reduce animals’ feed intake, growth, production, reproduction, welfare, and overall health. Each year the livestock and poultry industries lose billions due to livestock heat stress.

Here are a few tips and links to help keep your livestock and pets healthy during the summer heat.

Livestock heat stress: recognition, response, and prevention

According to this Washington State University Extension fact sheet, "Livestock Heat Stress: Recognition, Response and Prevention," keeping animals cool with shade, water on the skin, airflow and cool drinking water is important, especially if they show signs of heat stress. These warning signs include:

• Crowding around water tanks or shade
• Lethargy
• Poor appetite
• Increased respiratory rate
• Elevated heart rate
• Immobility or aimless wandering
• Drooling or slobbering
• Non-responsiveness
• Seizures
• Death

If you observe signs of heat stress, it's time to take action. To help cool them down, you should

1. Provide shade immediately.
2. Soak the animal's body with lukewarm to cool water.
3. Increase airflow around the animal using fans if possible.
4. Provide cool drinking water.
5. Minimize handling, transportation, and stress.
6. Call veterinarian for consultation.

A word about water

It may seem obvious that water requirements for livestock rise with the temperature, but some folks may not be aware of just how much more water animals need when it gets hot. According to information from University of Nebraska and University of Iowa extensions, water consumption when the temperature reaches 90 F can be almost twice what it is at 70 F.
Here’s a link to a useful fact sheet put out by the Iowa 4H.


Heat index:

 "Be prepared, even if the risk is several index units away. Additional
 solar heat, lack of air movement and heavy fat cover all can lead
 to disastrous effects of heat stress." NDSU Heat Stress Guide 

Many factors come into play when it comes to assessing the level of stress heat puts on animals. Physical workload, body weight, confinement and even hide color can all contribute to heat stress. For example, dark-hided animals are more susceptible to heat stress than their light-hided counter parts. But,  just like it does for people, humidity can really increase the discomfort on a hot day. As this table illustrates, the “feels like” factor should be taken into consideration, too.

Heat stress in cattle

With all that’s at stake, it pays to adopt a three-step plan for hot weather.

1. Learn how to identify the animals most at risk of heat stress.
2. Develop an action plan.
3. Know when to intervene.

North Dakota State University lays out a sensible approach to the problem in their brochure, "Dealing with Heat Stress in Beef Cattle Operations."

Visit WSDA's Animal Health Program webpage for other resources.

Grab a cuppa and improve your farm or land

Karla Salp
Communications

The Thurston Conservation District in Olympia has a unique opportunity for farmers and others to learn about their services - Coffee with Your Conservation District.

The concept is simple – meet up once a month at various local coffee joints and allow community members to come and learn how the conservation district can help them be better stewards of their land. No commitment is required – not even a sign-in list is passed around.

At the January meet-up, half a dozen community members gathered around a large table at a coffee shop in Lacey and peppered the conservation district with questions about how the conservation district could help them. Some of the available services they discovered include:

• Soil and nutrient testing
• Removal and replacement of invasive species
• Landowner succession planning
• Linking new farmers with landowners
• Assistance in finding financing resources 
• Cost-share programs, such as exclusion fencing and nutrient management projects
• Farmland preservation
• Small equipment rentals
• Workshops and training for farmers and landowners
• Voluntary Stewardship Programs 
• Shoreline protection
• Shellfish recovery
• Conservation planning

These are just some of the projects offered at the Thurston Conservation District, and most conservations districts around the state offer similar programs appropriate for their land and ecosystems.

But it’s not only the services they offer that makes conservation districts an interesting option for landowners, it’s their philosophy of doing business, which stresses partnerships over regulation.

Here are the top five reasons you might want to get involved with your own local conservation district. 

1. Trusted partners. One of the most attractive and unique qualities of conservation districts is that they are specifically non-regulatory. They provide technical assistance and partner with landowners to improve stewardship of their land or come into compliance with state law without the threat fines. 
2. Local experts and leadership. Staff offer landowners expertise in fields such as soil resource management, conservation biology, forest and ecological engineering, and more. Each district is directed by a five-member board of supervisors. Three members are elected locally, at least two of whom must be landowners or operators of a farm. 
3. Personal investment. Because conservation districts are run by people who live in the community, they are experts in local issues and are very familiar with the natural resource and environmental issues unique to each region. They care about protecting the environment in their backyards. 
4. Free and low-cost. Most conservation district services are either free or low-cost. Their services are partially paid through grants and property taxes, allowing them to keep costs affordable for everyone. 
5. Protect the environment. The role of the conservation district is to help landowners be better stewards of their land. By working together, the environment is improved for all. 

Conservation district staff and community members gathered
at a local coffee spot in Lacey. 

You don’t have to live in Thurston County to benefit from conservation district services. There are dozens of conservation districts throughout the state. Visit the Washington State Conservation Commission’s website at scc.wa.gov/conservation-district-map  to find a conservation district near you.