Nate's notes: Deadline nears for Tilth Conference, Cover crops show biofuel benefits, WSU Extension publishes new guides

Here are event reminders, research items, agriculture news stories that I’ve noticed while learning about agriculture in the Puget Sound.

Deadline approaches for Tilth Conference + Farm and Food Symposium

Oct. 28 marks the deadline to register for the Tilth Conference + Farm and Food Symposium that takes place Nov. 12-15 in Spokane Valley, WA.

The four-day event include tracks that will help growers at all levels – Farm to School, Transitional Organic, Farm and Business Marketing, Practical Skills and Production Practices.

Keynote speakers include Vivian Kaloxilos of Docterre, Todd Harrington of Harrington’s Organic Land Care, Erin Martin of Fresh RX Oklahoma, Valerie Segrest from Native Plants and Food Institute, and James Cassidy from Oregon State University.

For more information and to register, click here.

Helping farmers, boosting biofuels: New WSU-led paper shows promising cover crop benefits

Research released in October through Washington State University showed cover crops viable in Washington’s normal “off season” don’t hurt soil and can be sold as a biofuel source.

A team led by Washington State University scientists examined four cover crops for multiple years in fields in western and central Washington. Two of those crops showed promising results, according to a paper published in Biomass and Bioenergy.

Triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye, produced the highest yields, and hairy vetch, a vine-like legume with hairy leaves, provided stable yields at low costs while adding nitrogen to the soil.

WSU Extension offers new guides

WSU Extension publications store released new guides which are produced by experts from Washington State University and partner institutions for farmers gardeners and homeowners. Guides are available in both English and Spanish. Available guides include:

· Citizen Science Guide to Wild Bees and Floral Visitors in Western Washington.

· X-Disease Phytoplasma in Washington

· Produce Safety Rule Harvest Intervals: Validated Escherichia coli Die-off Data for Washington Apples.

WSU Extension’s online store can be accessed here.

Farmer fuel rebates in Washington change

Washington State Standard reported that Washington state ended funding for a program that provided rebates to farmers who paid fuel surcharges under Washington’s climate law.

Instead, legislation enacted in May to make it easier for farmers and haulers of agricultural goods to receive the fuel exemption promised under the state’s cap-and-trade system, according to a story the Washington State Standard published Oct. 21. The Department of Ecology developed an online list of retailers who will sell exempt agricultural fuels that excludes any surcharges tied with the Climate Control Act.

For more information, click here.