Country Life 7.13.16

Country Life Special Section • Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Testing the future of raspberries

Gardening • CL2 Dairy • CL3 Community • CL4

Baker FFA students to D.C. Pair go July 1924 to leadership conference

By Brooke Hanson

Grower Randy Honcoop, right, evaluates varieties of raspberry in flats at a field day display on Maberry land west of Lynden on Thursday afternoon, June 23. It’s an annual event headed up by Washington State University Extension in cooperation with local growers and also British Columbia and Oregon plant horticulturists. Here, in addition to samples of the traditional Meeker and Willamette varieties, four of the strongest new cultivars out of WSU were getting attention. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

DEMING — Two Mt. Baker High School FFA students will fly soon to Washington, D.C., for five days of leadership training at a national conference. Nick Tanis and Shylee Cloninger will bring new skills back to enrich their own FFA chapter.

Tanis and Cloninger will both be seniors at Mount Baker this fall, having been involved in FFA for their first three years of high school. Tanis will be the president of the chapter and Cloninger will be the treasurer.

The organizers of the national FFA conference aim to teach students to become effective leaders by taking action and serving others, according to the website. There will be leadership activities, team-building exercises and informational speakers.

Todd Rightmire, faculty FFA advisor, was one of the first from Mt. Baker to go to the conference in 1987. He now teaches the Advanced Natural Resources class, a favorite of Tanis and Cloninger.

Tamara Whitcomb and Zachery Conlee also advise Mt. Baker FFA. Tanis and Cloninger will attend the conference July 19-24, but will spend some extra time in the area to sight-see. Neither has been to Washington, D.C., before and this will be Cloninger’s first time on a plane.

Cloninger said he has learned many skills in FFA that See Baker on CL2

7/31/2016

Country Life 2 • Wednesday, July 13, 2016 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Baker: Planning for the future Continued from CL1 will help in her future. For instance, having to do public speaking has improved her communication skills.

Rightmire, as her advisor, has seen Cloninger grow over the past few years. She got involved in the club because a friend encouraged her to, and since then she’s been a dedicated member, he said.

She enjoys the animal aspect of FFA, she said. She’s raising a pig for the Northwest Washington Fair, and will show a cow as well.

Cloninger wants to go to Washington State University

or Montana State University and become a veterinarian.

“Being in FFA opens a lot of doors in that field,” she said.

Tanis also raises pigs, but his passion lies with agriculture technology and forestry.

He first learned about forestry in Rightmire’s Advanced Natural Resources class, and quickly took an interest in the field.

“I love learning how we can best take care of our forests for the future,” he said.

Tanis is considering a career in either forestry management or agriculture technology management.

“The kid sleeps, eats and breathes FFA,” Rightmire

said. “He’ll be a great club president.”

This is the second consecutive year of Mt. Baker students going to the conference. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, students went every year, until it was required by the school district that an advisor go with them, Rightmire said.

That rule was changed last year when Morgan Zender and Connor Estabrook were allowed to go to the conference, he said. The two came back with an idea to help the FFA food drive, which increased the donations to the Foothills Food Bank over the holidays.

Farming

Blueberry market in boom mode with locals in the mix Production will pass 1.4 billion pounds globally FOLSOM — The blueberry industry is projecting a 25 percent increase in North American production over a four-year span, growing from 750.2 million pounds in 2015 to 940 million pounds in 2019. Production for 2016 is projected to again surpass 750 million pounds, with global production anticipated to surpass 1.4 billion pounds.

Soaring demand has created a nearly billion-dollar industry in the United States. Top-producing states include California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington.

As the industry, led by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, promotes blueber-

ries as a healthy lifestyle staple, North American consumption and purchases continue to keep pace with supply.

• North American percapita blueberry consumption grew nearly 50 percent between 2010 and 2015.

• Fresh blueberry sales at U.S. retail amounted to $1.5 billion in 2015, up 7 percent from 2014, making blueberries number two in fresh berry dollar sales.

• Frozen blueberry sales reached $189.6 million in 2015, up 4 percent versus 2014, making blueberries number two in frozen fruit dollar sales.

In 2013, Americans were nearly twice as likely as they were in 2004 to buy blueberries in the coming year and 84 percent cited awareness of blueberry health benefits, up 115 percent over 2004.

And North America isn’t the only market of focus for

the blueberry industry. Approximately 10 percent of the total U.S. highbush crop is exported each year, with fresh exports totaling more than 79 million pounds in 2014, up 60 percent from 49.3 million in 2005.

The USHBC aims to increase industry export figures substantially in the coming years by expanding existing export markets and opening new markets where fresh blueberries from the U.S. aren’t currently available, including Australia, Chile, China, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and Vietnam.

July is National Blueberry Month.

In Bloom

Make the most of summer in the garden

By David Vos

Summer is in full swing, although it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had to dress so warm yet in July. In any case, now is the time of year when your yard begins to take on its “finished” look for the season, and as you enjoy the fruition of your gardening dreams, it’s time to take stock of what else your garden could use for a unique focal point — or a project to make your efforts more successful. Here are a few ideas you could try as you work in the garden this month.

In college, I worked a season in the greenhouse on campus, tending to a variety of tropical plants. One of my favorite plants to grow was hibiscus, a plant as quintessential to tropical locales as palm trees and grass skirts. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re a long way off from the lands of tropical hibiscus, but that doesn’t mean we can’t grow our own variety that looks just as stunning.

First, a little clarification: The term “hibiscus” can apply to at least three different categories of plant: 1) the tropical variety you’ll find in warm climates; 2) a woody shrub with smaller flowers referred to as Rose of Sharon; or 3) a cold-hardy perennial with large, tropical flowers that dies back to the ground each year.

This last category of hibiscus is what I’ve found to be one of the most stunning perennials we can grow here in our corner of the world. Perennial hibiscus produces huge, eight-inch flowers for weeks on end in mid-summer, a time of year when spring perennials have finished blooming and later varieties haven’t yet hit peak bloom.

In spring, hibiscus is one of the last plants to sprout, so don’t worry if you don’t see anything coming up until late May. Once sprouted, though, hibiscus can grow an inch a day, filling out to around four feet tall and

$5.00 off

TUXEDO GARDEN

Lawn Food 5M size. Limit 2 per customer. May not combine with other discounts or coupons. Expires 8/6/16.

• (360)

3246 South Pass Road, Everson, WA (one mile east of Everson) (Hours: Tues-Sun, 9:00am-6:00pm) Gr e Gr at Pl eat an Pr ts at ice s!

nearly as wide. Cranberry Crush is my favorite variety I’ve found so far, with bloodred, glossy flowers and deep green foliage. Berry Awesome has similar foliage with rich pink blooms.

Now, as we near midsummer, many of your flowers and plants around the yard are reaching maturity.

And while that might mean they slow down in their growth, it doesn’t mean they’ll stop — and certainly doesn’t mean you can stop tending to them!

If you’re tired of watering everything by hand, however, consider the ease of care that drip irrigation provides.

Not only is drip irrigation a great way to conserve water — plants watered with drip use much less water than traditional overhead sprinkling — but it frees up all kinds of time you’d otherwise spend watering so you can actually enjoy being in your yard instead of working in it.

Admittedly, installing drip irrigation involves some work, but with today’s technology and simple-to-use starter kits, you can hook up a complete drip system to an outdoor faucet with a battery-powered timer, eliminating the task of plumbing in underground valves and wiring controllers.

If you’re looking for ways to ensure your perennials, pots or hanging baskets keep looking their best, a drip system may be just what you need.

Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of our cooler July to feed your lawn. Many lawns took a beating last summer, and if you’ve spent time and money to revive your lawn this spring, now is not the time to ignore it. Feed your lawn now with Scotts Turf Builder and it will have the nutrients it needs to carry it into September.

Enjoy all your yard and garden has to offer this month.

David Vos is the general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery.

354-3097

LARGE SELECTION of shrubs and trees.

Practically all plants are LOCALLY GROWN. Gary Pike, Owner Phone: 360-966-7829 | 360-927-2877 tuxedogarden.com

A

800.548.2699 | northwestfcs.com

Please Recycle this Paper.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Why get just a part when you can get it all?

You wouldn’t want half a chocolate chip cookie, would you?

It just wouldn’t be right.

When you get your news from other sources, it’s only part of the whole picture. We know you want it all in one convenient place and we’ve committed ourselves to serving as your complete guide to local news, weather, sports entertainment and more.

No one else can give you what you want - all of your community’s news!

Call 360-354-4444 today to subscribe.

113 Sixth St., Lynden • www.lyndentribune.com

Country Life 3 • Wednesday, July 13, 2016 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

CAFO hearing will be July 26 at WCC in Bellingham WHATCOM ­— The Washington State Department of Ecology has updated the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFE) general permit. The existing permit expired in July 2011.

Now a period of comment on the draft permit goes through Aug. 17.

Ecology says that it prefers comments be submitted via the comment form on the permit webpage at http:// www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/ wq/permits/cafo/index.html.

Comments should reference specific permit text when possible.

Also, two workshops and public hearings will be held, plus a webinar whereby interested parties may provide oral comments.

One of the public meetings will be on Tuesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. in Whatcom Community College’s Heiner Theater, 237 W. Kellogg Rd., Bellingham. The other is in Yakima on July 28. In between is an online webinar equivalent on July 27.

Ecology began the public process to update the permit in early 2014. Listening sessions with stakeholders such

SPOKANE — More than 12 cents of every $1 generated and 1 job in 10 are attributed to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries in the five-state region of the Northwest including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

This comes from a study recently commissioned by Northwest Farm Credit Ser-

Benchmark milk price headed back up But $13.22 is still lowest for June since 2009

By Lee Mielke lkmielke@juno.com

An informational meeting with farmers was held in Whatcom County while updating the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit. (Courtesy photo/Washington State Department of Ecology)

as the livestock industry and environmental groups were held to gather input and hear concerns about an updated CAFO permit. This resulted in a preliminary draft permit released for public comment in late 2015.

After reviewing comments on the preliminary draft and continuing to listen to stakeholders, Ecology announced on June 15 that it had drafted two permits. CAFOs

with groundwater discharges would need a state-only permit, but may opt into the combined state/federal permit. CAFOs with discharges to surface water would require a combined state/federal permit.

Submit comments by mail to: Washington State Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program, Attn: Jon Jennings, P.O. Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696.

Economic power of ag, foresty in region detailed Washington impact is over 300,000 jobs, $58 million in sales

MiElkE Market

vices and conducted by Oregon State University Extension Service Rural Studies Program and the University of Idaho Extension Service.

“Farm Credit has been supporting Northwest agriculture and forestry producers for a century, and fisheries since the 1970s,” said Phil DiPofi, Northwest FCS President and CEO. “We knew intuitively how vital these industries are to the Northwest, and wanted to quantify their contributions to the regional economy. This study affirms the significant impact producers have on the financial strength of our re-

gion.”

The study concludes that the total economic impact of the ag, forestry and fisheries segments equates to more than 885,900 jobs and nearly $176.1 billion in sales. Of this impact, 68.2 percent comes from agriculture, representing 7.5 percent of all jobs in the region and 8.3 percent of total sales. Forestry follows at 23.8 percent of the impact, with 2.3 percent of all jobs and 2.9 percent of total sales in the region. Fisheries, at 7.9 percent of the impact, represents 0.9 percent of sales and 1 percent of jobs in the region.

In the state of Washington,

The June Federal Order benchmark milk price was announced July 1 by USDA at $13.22 per hundredweight (cwt.), up 46 cents from May. But that is $3.50 below June 2015 and the lowest June Class III price since 2009. It equates to about $1.14 per gallon, up from $1.10 in May but below the $1.44 of a year ago.

The half-year average is at $13.48, down from $15.99 at this time a year ago and $22.68 in 2014.

Class III futures settled as follows: July, $15.07; August, $15.89; September, $16.04; October, $16.13; November, $16.11; and December, $15.89.

The June Class IV price is $13.77, up 68 cents from May although 13 cents below a year ago. It is the highest Class IV price since December 2015.

California’s June benchmark cheese milk price, the Class 4b, is at $13.03 per cwt., up $1.66 from May but $2.52

Dr. Mandy Cha

BelleWood Acres Blaine Chamber & Gardeners Market Boundary Bay Brewery Boxx Berry Farm Crossroads Grocery Ferndale Chamber of Commerce Lynden Chamber of Commerce Mount Baker Vineyards The Woods Coffee . . . and many many more local businesses throughout Whatcom County!

SEATTLE — Darigold and its employees represented

by Teamsters Local 117 were scheduled to be back at the bargaining table this week in active contract negotiations, Darigold said in a press release.

This is about a three-year contract covering about 200 employees at the company’s Seattle and Issaquah plants, as well as the lab in Tukwila. It expired on May 31 of this year.

The Darigold milk drying

Kulshan Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Jake Murphy

Hailing originally from southern California, Dr. Mandy Cha has spent time living in many different places and countries, including Singapore, China, New Zealand, where she completed her veterinary education, and Mississippi, where she completed a year-long rotating internship in equine medicine and surgery at Mississippi State University.

Dr. Jake Murphy was born and raised in a small town called Yountville, CA in the Napa Valley.

He received both his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science (2011) and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (2016) degrees from the University of California, Davis. He graduated with a special interest in beef, dairy, and small ruminant medicine.

Dr. Cha’s primary clinical interest is in lameness and imaging, and she often finds the two go hand-in-hand, with radiology and ultrasound being invaluable tools to help diagnose lameness. She has also researched new treatment modalities, such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy, for use in treating some causes of equine lameness.

In his free time, Dr. Murphy enjoys hiking, fishing, and cooking, wood-working, and spending time with his beautiful wife and pets.

In her spare time, Dr. Cha enjoys travelling, and researching far-away places to visit. On her list of places to see include the famous archeological sites in Egypt, Cambodia, and Ireland. A few places with nice beaches wouldn’t be amiss either! ll or A gF rin Ca

Creatures La rge &

Sm all

He is looking forward to establishing lifelong connections with clients and patients, while providing the highest standard of care possible to every animal he encounters.

Meet the Dr.’s Meet & Greet pizza night will be August 23rd from 4-6 p.m.

Join us for a slice of pizza and meet the Dr.’s.

8880 Benson Rd., Lynden At the corner of Badger & Benson

Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community.

plant at Lynden, with 60 workers represented by Local 231, is not involved. Labor contracts up for renewal for Lynden, Portland, Spokane, Sunnyside and Chehalis were renegotiated in the past year, according to the press release. The Lynden one goes to July 31, 2020.

“We will continue to negotiate in good faith,” said Scott Burleson, senior vice president of operations. “Agreements like this can take time. We have made progress working through issues with unions at our other plants. We look forward to coming to a mutually agreeable contract soon with Local 117.”

Help us WELCOME our New Vets to

Go where the locals go, pick up your FREE Food & Farm Finder and plan your next foodie getaway right here in Whatcom County

AVAILABLE NOW!

Darigold and union back to bargaining

the numbers are 303,321 jobs and $58,815,236 in sales of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Northwest FCS is a $10.3 billion financial cooperative providing financing and related services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, rural homeowners and crop insurance customers in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. It is a member of the nationwide Farm Credit System that supports agriculture and rural communities with credit and financial services. For more information, go to northwestfcs.com.

TREAT Your Tastebuds

eatlocalfirst.org

below a year ago and 19 cents below the comparable Federal Order Class III price.

Cash dairy markets saw block cheddar cheese climb to $1.66 per pound Thursday, June 30, the highest price since November 2015, then drop to close Friday, July 1, at $1.6250 per pound, still up 11.25 cents on the week and a half-cent above a year ago. The barrel cheddar shot up to $1.71, its highest level since October 2015, then retreated, closing at $1.67.

That’s up 13.5 cents on the week, 8.75 cents above a year ago and 4.5 cents above the blocks.

Cheese production is steady in the Central region, according to Dairy Market News. Milk intakes remain high, and plant managers

report little change in milk components and yields. Demand from retail and food service are both strong.

Cheese stocks are seeing relief as strong sales prevail.

Cash butter closed July 1 at $2.35 per pound, up a half-cent on the week and 41 cents above a year ago, with six train cars trading places on the week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk finished at 83.5 cents per pound, down 6.5 cents on the week but a quartercent above a year ago. Thirtysix cars traded hands on the week.

Dan McBride of the Northwest Dairy Association made these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend June $13.22 $13.80 (current) July $15.20 $15.20 Aug. $15.80 $16.00 Sept. $15.90 $16.30 Oct. $16.00 $16.20 Nov. $15.05 $16.20 Dec. $15.90 $16.00 Jan. $15.75 $15.85 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.

More details at www.KulshanVet.com or

Kulshan Veterinary Hospital

354-5095

Asphalt Paving 7655 Melody Lane, Ferndale • 360-384-1260

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

Visit our picturesque mini-farm offering U-pick/We-pick strawberries, raspberries, blueberries & blackberries.

Frozen berries offered year-round.

Open Monday-Saturday 9-6, Sunday 10-4

Call ahead for fruit availability and orders.

Cascade Blueberry Farm 354-4764 815-1344

All RUBBER BOOTS JEANS Tshirts ALL BIRD15% 25% $5 OFF SEED OFF 10% OFF at either MensCome Cinch see shortussleeve shirtslocation now in stock! for allCome of your gardening seeyard us atand either locationneeds Everson Everson 302 302 W W Main Main St St Ř• (360)966-3352 (360)966-3352 Lynden Lynden 421 421 Birch Birch Bay Bay Lynden Lynden Rd Rd Ř• (360) (360) 354-3300 354-3300

www.elenbaasco.com www.elenbaasco.com

• Grading • Driveways • Potholes • Patching • Parking Lots

2667 Willeys Lake Rd., Custer • 360-366-5188 kamaddux@hotmail.com • Kevin & Bianca Maddux Agritourism, Farmers Market, Farm Stand, Phone Orders, Wholesale Family owned and operated since 1985.

Farm stand open 10am to 6pm, seven days a week, May 1st to October 1st.

Veggie starts, hanging baskets, vegetables and blueberries available in season. (Blueberries available August 1st)

FREE ESTIMATES

Loren VanderYacht: 360-410-7389

Medium and Fine Bark, Sawdust Shavings and Hog Fuel 360-384-5487 • 360-734-8818 1546 Slater Rd., Ferndale, WA, 98248

Office: 360-366-3303 Dallas VanZanten: 360-410-7986

Quality with Integrity

Locally owned and operated since 1982

2380 Grandview Road • Ferndale www.wrsweb.com

Country Life 4 • Wednesday, July 13, 2016 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Ken Haak retires after 47 years with Select Sires He was honored at June 22 event at Mt. Baker Rotary

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — ­ Ken Haak has officially retired after 47 years as a salesman and inseminator with All West/Select Sires.

At the Mt. Baker Rotary Building on June 22, Haak was presented a plaque from the company and congratulated by many of the local dairy farmers he worked with over the years.

For his part, Haak said he has been “immensely blessed” to have had his long run working with good people.

His Whatcom County replacement is Kelby Stadt, an Everson native, who joked that his age is less than half of Haak’s long tenure. Stadt joined All West/Select Sires a year ago with an animal science degree from Washington State University.

Haak agreed that some people tend to doubt his longevity and some of his stories of early years. When he started with All West/Select Sires in 1969, there were four or five

like him working out of the little house headquarters building on Front Street, each making 15 to 20 farm calls per day.

Adria DeHaan, office manager, would send out 300 to 350 bills monthly. (Adria made it to Ken’s retirement event.)

“I’d go to Acme or make a run out to Lummi Island,” he said.

The Whatcom dairy industry is greatly constricted down, from hundreds of farms across the county to less than 100 today. And remaining farms are larger, meaning that as many as 30 animals can be processed for insemination on one farm visit, Haak said.

At the Lynden gathering, Jim Wells, executive director in the organization’s Burlington office, said Haak exemplified Select Sires goals of being dedicated to customers’ success, and being humble and purpose-driven in his work.

“We thank you, Ken, for your influence on so many people in the AW organization. You’ve been a model and example for many people to follow these past 47 years,” he said to the crowd.

Karen Knutsen, director of marketing and communication for All West/Select

Kulshan welcomes new veterinarians LYNDEN — Kulshan Veterinary Hospital welcomes two new doctors, Jake Murphy and Mandy Cha, into the local practice.

Murphy was born and raised in the small town of Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley region. He received both his bachelor’s degree in animal science (2011) and his doctorate of veterinary medicine (2016) from the University of California, Davis. He graduated with a special interest in beef, dairy and small ruminant medicine.

In his free time, he enjoys hiking, fishing, cooking, woodworking and spending time with his wife and pets.

Jake said he is looking forward to establishing lifelong connections with clients and patients in the Whatcom County area, while providing the highest standard of care possible to every animal he encounters.

Hailing originally from southern California, Mandy Cha has spent time living in many different places and countries, including Singapore, China and New Zealand, where she completed her veterinary

education. She also completed a year-long rotating internship in equine medicine and surgery at Mississippi State University.

Dr. Cha’s primary clinical interest is in lameness and imaging, and she often finds the two go hand-in-hand, with radiology and ultrasound being invaluable tools to help diagnose lameness. She has also researched new treatment modalities, such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy, for use in treating some causes of equine lameness.

In her spare time, Mandy enjoys travelling, sometimes researching far-away places to visit. On her list of places to see are the famous archaeological sites in Egypt, Cambodia and Ireland. “A few places with nice beaches wouldn’t be amiss either!” she says.

Sires, did an extensive writeup with many tributes to Haak in a recent edition of the Bullhorn newsletter as well.

“To the soft spoken, always-smiling, passionate student of the industry, these 47 years were filled with change, with sorrow, with happiness and with a level of success that’s beyond measurement,” she wrote in her notes.

As to replacement Kelby Stadt, his interest in the dairy industry began in high school when he got his first job of calf feeding at TJ Veen Acre Farms, owned by his uncle. Kelby remembers coffee break times shared with All West/Select Sires salesman Ken Haak. As he grew older, Kelby was given more responsibilities and eventually participated in an artificial insemination course held at the dairy by Larry Nootenboom, also a salesman for All West/Select Sires. “Being able to meet and learn from both of these All West veterans was extremely motivating and beneficial,” he explained. “It inspired me to keep learning about the genetics side of our industy.”

That interest grew after Kelby enrolled at WSU. “To me, it’s one of the best parts of the industry, getting to work

Ken Haak, right, greets a wellwisher at a farewell event in his honor in Lynden on June 22. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

with breeders in developing future generations of profitable cattle. I get to work with, and learn from, a team that focuses on the customer first, and that’s cool.”

“I was able to attend the Dairy Challenge Academy

this spring as a member of the champion team. While winning was exciting, another highlight of the trip was being exposed to the quality employees of Select Sires, so I applied for an internship with All West. I was pretty excited

to earn an internship position in the summer of 2014 and be immersed in the culture of All West. It only seemed natural to accept a full-time position after graduation!” said Stadt.

Stadt started work with All-West Select Sires in May.

Fair Foundation announces local 2016 scholarship winners

WHATCOM — The Northwest Washington Fair Foundation announces five 2016 scholarship winners, each receiving $1,000 to be used in agricultural or a related field of full-time study at any accredited institution of higher learning in the 2016-2017 school year.

The application process included two main parts: a written essay and interview.

The Northwest Washington Fair Foundation was organized in 2012 as a nonprofit, and one of its missions is “to financially support agricultural education.”

The foundation generates funds for agricultural scholarships, gate admission for disadvantaged groups and to support capital projects of the Northwest Washington Fair.

• John (Jake) Kroontje, son of John and Lisa Kroontje, has graduated from Lynden Christian High School. Having grown up on a small family farm, Jake has been involved with 4-H since he was 7 years old and served several years as club president. Jake is also a guitarist in his school jazz band and church worship team and is a founding member of the band Westfalia, which plays at the Judson Art Center and Meadow Greens. He will leave his beef herd under the care of his younger siblings while he studies mechanical engineering at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

• Amy Judge, daughter of Janice Judge, is a Ferndale High School graduate.

When Amy attended the Whatcom County Youth Fair she was hooked on ag. She served as a teen leader the following year and then poultry superintendent in the years that followed. Besides poultry, she has shown sheep and goats and honed her dog fitting and showing skills over the years at the Northwest Washington Fair through her 4-H club. Her FFA Veterinary Science team placed at nationals, with Amy individually in gold standings. Amy is enrolling at Washington State University to major in agriculture education this fall.

• Blake TeVelde, son of Dale and Lori TeVelde, is completing his junior year studying agricultural technology and production management at Washington State University. Blake’s first experience with the Lynden Christian FFA chapter was raising a market hog that didn’t make weight. However, he was not discouraged, going on to serve in several leadership roles with his chapter. At WSU, Blake serves as president of Young Farmers and Ranchers and capped off his FFA involvement receiving his American Degree last fall. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, Blake plans to return to Whatcom County and work in the seed potato industry.

• Brittany TeVelde, daughter of Dale

and Lori TeVelde, is a Lynden Christian High School graduate. Over the years Brittany has shown dairy and pigs through her FFA chapter at the Northwest Washington Fair. However, her passion is horticulture, having taken the class for two years and helped with FFA Landscape Design. She has served as chapter president and helped a team place second at nationals in the Dairy Foods competition. As a teacher’s aide she enjoys helping younger students learn about horticulture and assists with her church’s nursery program. Brittany will attend Washington State University this fall to pursue a degree in nursery and greenhouse management.

• Karibeth Engelsma, daughter of Kevin and Paige Engelsma, is a recent Lynden Christian graduate. Karibeth’s family operates a dairy farm and for the last seven years she has shown dairy cattle through her 4-H club at the Northwest Washington Fair. Filling the role of captain of her club’s Dairy Quiz Bowl Team, they went to nationals. Karibeth has been involved with Barnyard Kids 4-H group, served in various positions with her FFA chapter and works with the Small Animal Experience. This past year she was a Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador alternate.

Karibeth will attend Dordt College this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree, followed by veterinary school for large animals.

join us for Summer Harvest Day !

saturday, july 30

Per

$0 down

$260Month

$0 down

$383 Month

10am to 5pm

0% for 60 months

$0 down

$0 down

$118 Month

learn taste explore free admission

please leave dogs at home

Per

$376Month 0% for 60 months

hours: wednesday-saturday 10-5, sunday 11-4 6906 goodwin road, everson | (360) 966-5859

www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org

L�������� M���� �� 5 ������!

A ����-�������, ��������� ������� �� ������ ���� ���� ��� ����� �����.

P����� �� D������� – CALL 366-5239 M-F�� 7-4 | S�� 8-1 ���.P����P�����.���

Per

0% for 60 months

Per

0% for 36 months

$3,910 MARKET1

LLC

• 966-3271

7 2 9 1 E v e r s o n G o s h e n R o a d • E v e r s o n , WA 9 8 2 4 7

{ { { 2i z i v ws r e y g xms r q e v oi x2g s q

NEXT FEEDER SALE Saturday, August 13th 12:30 pm EVERY MONDAY 12:30pm EVERY WED. 1:00pm

Cull Cattle, Small Animals & Poultry General Livestock Sale Your Consignments Are Appreciated!

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR TRUCKING CALL: Barn: 360-966-3271 Pete: 360-815-0318 • Terry: 360-815-4897