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B7 • lyndentribune.com • Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Raspberry growers in ‘planning our future’ vote Referendum info meeting is in Lynden today, ballots out in June By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — The Washington Red Raspberry Commission is asking its grower members to “plan for our future” via a referendum vote over the next six weeks. In short, the commission seeks “flexibility to adjust to evolving challenges facing our raspberry industry,” according to a recent newsletter of the Lyndenbased organization. The WRRC board of directors urges approval of the measure. The Washington State Department of Agriculture, which conducts the referendum, is hosting a public hearing at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, in the WRRC offices, 204 Hawley St., Lynden. Should all go as planned, a ballot will be mailed to all growers on June 1, with a deadline of June 22 to return it. Approval must be by a majority of growers and twothirds of WRRC production in order for the changes to be implemented. Growers have already been sent more detailed information
Whatcom County’s thousands of acres of raspberry plants are progressing well toward summer production. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) from WSDA. Two main reasons are cited for seeking the expanded authority: 1. The National Processed Raspberry Council will have a vote on continuing its mission in the next year. The Washington state commission has relied on the national council for nearly all general raspberry promotional activities for the past six years. In
the event the national council is dissolved, the WRRC wants to be ready to pick up this work of market promotion, with an emphasis solely on domestic production. 2. The raspberry plant breeding program at Washington State University is about to undergo changes, related to the upcoming retirement of longtime breeder Pat Moore. WSU is willing to fill the position and move it to Lyn-
National board recap of issues Evaluation and WA board positions are on the docket LYNDEN — The National Processed Raspberry Council met April 13 in the Jansen Art Center, as it has several times per year, and these were topics: NPRC Effectiveness — According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, frozen raspberry per-capita consumption increased from 0.36 pounds in 2013 to 0.54 pounds in 2015, a 50
percent jump. Consumption of 2016 will be published in summer 2018. A USDA-required third-party effectiveness evaluation of the council has been completed and the full results will be published soon. In short, the evaluation finds that marketing and research programs have performed well and are positioning processed raspberries favorably within marketplace trends. The council’s 2017 Annual Report provides a high-level recap of key activities completed by the council in 2017 as well as results from a financial audit. The
results can be found at http:// www.redrazz.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/04/Annual-Report2016-17.pdf. Health Research — The NPRC has 14 research studies underway investigating the potential health benefits of red raspberries, including help with metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular function, diabetes, cognitive performance, gut health and bone health. In coming months, a health research database will be launched on redrazz.org, linking to published health studies related to red raspberries.
IT CHECK
den provided that WRRC solidifies its commitment to the partnership by endowing a faculty position. For that, $150,000 would need to be raised annually. The proposed changes to governing rules are designed to give WRRC the flexibility needed to address these foreseen challenges, according to the newsletter. Specifically, the requested changes are:
• Authority to allow the WRRC board to set the annual assessment rate at the end of harvest rather than having the set rate of one-half-cent per pound every year. • Authority to allow the WRRC board to set the assessment rate at whatever is felt to be needed within the range of zero to 2 cents per pound. “The commission is committed to ensuring the sum of all federal and state assessments does not exceed 2 cents.” • Changing the requirement that all assessments are collected by Oct. 15 of a year. Instead, quarterly payments would be allowed, better reflecting the cash-flow needs of both farmers and processors. Board members say they are willing to stop by a farm to talk about why the changes are sought. “We rely on good feedback from you and to hear your ideas about where we should be focusing our time and resources.” WRRC is now in a new base of operations, the Ag Central building at 204 Hawley St., Lynden, just north of Vander Giessen Nursery. The main contacts are 360-3548767 and henry@red-raspberry. org, with Henry Bierlink as executive director. The vast majority of Washington’s red raspberry production is concentrated in the Lynden area.
Referendum on NPRC’s Future — USDA programs such as the council require periodic approval of growers in order to continue in force. This vote-ofconfidence referendum is due for NPRC in 2019. However, it may occur earlier, as over 10 percent of raspberry growers have signed a petition calling for that, meaning See Raspberry on B8
Time to start gardening!
OUT
Tips for a high-yield vegetable garden
Raised Garden Beds These allow you to create a deep, organically rich soil, encouraging healthy extensive root growth and providing more nutrients. Garden Pattern The way you arrange your plants can provide more yield in your garden bed. Instead of planting in rows or patterns stagger the plants in triangles. You can fit almost 15% more plants per bed this way! Garden Up Create areas for your vegetables to climb. Vining plants such as pole beans, peas, tomatoes and squash can grow straight up on supported trellises which can be provided by fences, ladders, cages or stakes. Thhe vegetables will be easier to get to when they are ready, making harvesting easier. Variety Mix up your garden. It is okay to plant corn, pole beans and squash in one area together. The corn will grow up providing a sturdy support for the pole beans and the squash will grow below keeping the weeds away.
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