Women in agriculture learn how to power up their communication

Kathy Davis
Communications

If you picture attendees of a Women in Agriculture conference learning how to fix a tractor or take soil samples, think again -- at least regarding this year’s conference held on March 19. 

Participants of the 2016 Women in Agriculture Conference, gathered at the
Olympia site in the Natural Resources Building.

The 600 participants who gathered in 28 networked sites across five states learned about a skill essential to any industry – interpersonal communication. More than 20 participants attending in Olympia were hosted by WSDA at the Natural Resources Building. Christina Harlow with USDA was the site facilitator, and the whole event was emceed by Margaret Viebock, director of Chelan and Douglas counties WSU Extension.  

The morning speakers, Wendy Knapp and Michael Stolp of Northwest Farm Credit Services, presented a personal assessment model called DiSC®. By reviewing the four behavior styles in the DiSC® personality profile, conference attendees better understood their own communication tendencies and how they affect others. 

During group activities, participants identified themselves with one of the four styles and joined

others like them to discuss what works and what doesn’t when interacting with those having different styles. Based on the DiSC® descriptions, I joined a table of others with the “Steadiness” profile. We related and joked about our similar personality traits and how we cope with those in our lives who function differently. 

Another activity presented real-world examples, such as marketing your product to a restaurant or securing financing. Groups brainstormed how to approach different personalities to achieve these goals. 

One of the unique challenges in agriculture is that business partners are often family members. Michael and Wendy pointed out that work conversations around the dinner table or at the truck tailgate may not yield desired results. 

The afternoon’s keynote speaker, Shelly Boshart Davis, talked about how her family’s farm in Tangent, Oregon, has used the DiSC® assessment to improve their relationships and their business. Her extended family and all permanent employees have taken the assessment. 

My own favorite take-away of the day was the notion that various communication styles are like ingredients in a recipe. The key to the success of a business, family or team is to respect each individual, strike a balance and blend accordingly.

Imagine a gypsy moth spring

Karla Salp
Pest Program Outreach Coordinator

A sunny day in spring beckons many to enjoy time outdoors. But it isn’t only enticing humans. Now is when gypsy moth caterpillars start to emerge from egg masses and begin causing all the problems for which they are so loathed.

Just what is it like to live in an area infested with gypsy moth when spring time rolls around?

Creepy Crawlies

Each gypsy moth egg mass can contain up to 1,000 eggs. In infested areas, trees and other outdoor surfaces can be covered with egg masses. When the eggs hatch and gypsy moths begin to feed, the caterpillars can literally cover trees, houses, play sets, cars – any outdoor (and sometimes indoor!) surface. Check out this video by a homeowner in another state recording the gypsy moth caterpillar infestation at his house.

A serious infestation can result in so many caterpillars, they can fall from trees on anyone walking outside. Imagine picking them out of your hair as you walk to your car or bus stop.

Chewing With Their Mouths Open 

Gypsy moth caterpillars

We’ve all been taught to chew with our mouths closed. This lesson apparently isn’t passed on to gypsy moth kids. When the caterpillars eat, leaf bits fall from the trees. In outbreaks, residents have even reported hearing the gypsy moths chewing on leaves – day and night.

Raining Poop

That’s right. So many caterpillars eating so much that it literally “rains” caterpillar poop. Don’t believe it? One man recorded the phenomenon in this short home video.



The Gypsy Moth Sting

Caterpillar "sting" by WikiHow User Flickety

Gypsy moth caterpillars can cause eye, skin, and lung irritation. Some people are allergic to the caterpillar hairs with reactions that include stinging rashes or blisters, as shown in this photo.

These are just a few of the ways that gypsy moths can damage quality of life, beyond the ecological harm they inflict. At WSDA, the Pest Program has successfully prevented the gypsy moth from ruining our springs for 40 years.

Want to learn more? We tried to paint a picture for you in our latest gypsy moth video, and you can hear from people who have lived with the gypsy moth in our old gypsy moth video, as well. Of course, you can always visit our website at agr.wa.gov/gypsymoth for more information.

Shipping cattle to another state? Quick rule reviews available online

David Hecimovich
Animal Disease Traceability manager

If you’re shipping dairy or beef cattle across state lines and want quick information on interstate travel requirements, there’s a relatively new website you should check out. 

InterstateLivestock.com, sponsored by the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, has been operating since October. 

The information posted on the website makes it easier for producers, veterinarians and marketers to understand and meet animal health import requirements before moving cattle. Once online, users enter the state they are shipping from and the destination state. The user then will be asked pertinent questions including species, sex, and age of the livestock; certificate of veterinary inspection status, and other necessary details. 

State animal health officials collaborated on creating the site. Each state, including Washington, updates its import requirements on the website when new or amended livestock rules are adopted. 

The website provides instant access to shipping information without having to call a specific state about requirements. Navigating the website is quick and easy to follow. Check out InterstateLivestock.com today.

The Monarch and the Moth

Karla Salp
Pest Program Outreach Coordinator

As we’ve been conducting outreach and education about our proposed gypsy moth treatment plan, people are getting it: We need to treat for the gypsy moth to protect our environment. Btk is safe for people, pets, birds, fish, and bees. Btk only affects the caterpillars of moths and butterflies.

But if it affects these caterpillars, what does that mean for the monarch butterfly?

A great question indeed! The short answer (spoiler alert!) is that it doesn’t affect the monarch butterfly in our state. Keep reading if you would like to know why.

First, Washington is not a primary migration area for monarch butterflies; the primary migration path is in the Midwest. Eastern Washington has a handful of monarch sightings each year, but sightings are somewhat rare in Western Washington. (According to Learner.org, which tracks monarch sightings, only one adult monarch was sighted in Western Washington in mid-July in 2015. No eggs or larva were sighted. There were no monarchs sighted in Western Washington in 2014.)

In fact, compared to many other locations, butterflies of any kind are somewhat few and far between in Western Washington because they don’t much care for our wet weather.

Photo by Jim Occi, BugPics, Bugwood.org

However, even if some monarchs migrate through our state, they would not be affected by our treatments for one simple reason: the monarch butterfly does not have the same life cycle as the gypsy moth.

The monarch caterpillar (larva) begins feeding in our state in late June at the earliest. Gypsy moth treatments generally end in May. Because Btk degrades so rapidly, it would not affect any caterpillar beyond 10 days after treatment. Adult monarchs are not affected by Btk at all.

Both because of the low numbers of monarchs that migrate to Washington and because their lifecycle differs from the gypsy moth, WSDA’s gypsy moth treatments will not affect monarch populations. Visit agr.wa.gov/gypsymoth to learn more about the gypsy moth threat and WSDA’s work to protect our environment.

Worker protection guidance now available to marijuana growers

Joel Kangiser
Policy Assistant, Pesticide Management Division 

Indoor marijuana growing operation

 Much attention has focused recently on pesticides in marijuana, specifically on using only appropriate, allowed pesticides. At the same time, there’s emerging concern for the safety of employees who work around pesticides. Marijuana growers are as responsible as any other crop producer for protecting their employees from pesticides exposure. 

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) has been around for more than 20 years. Conventional agriculture is well familiar with what most refer to as WPS. For Washington state’s newly legal marijuana industry, it’s a whole new arena. 

That’s why WSDA created a guide to specifically help marijuana growers understand and comply with the WPS requirements. These are not new rules created for the industry, but existing rules that apply to the marijuana industry as much as they do to any other growers.  

The Worker Protection Standard covers such things as: 

• Employee pesticide safety training.

  

  Agriculture worker receiving
  protective gear training

• Notification of pesticide applications.
• Decontamination supplies.
• Personal protective equipment requirements.
• Restrictions on entering pesticide-treated areas. 

WSDA is currently providing technical assistance to marijuana growers on the WPS requirements. Full enforcement can be expected down the road.

Even though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not authorized pesticide use specifically for marijuana, EPA’s position is that WPS applies to marijuana growers. Complying with WPS represents good business practice for the industry and its employees. Furthermore, it is required by both state and federal law, applying to marijuana growers whenever they use pesticides labeled for agricultural use. 

We at WSDA encourage growers to read the new guide and call us at 360-902-2040 with any questions.