FARMER'S TOOLBOX
New state farm vehicle definition clears things up...a bit
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about a new farm vehicle law approved
nearly unanimously in both the State Legislature’s House and Senate chambers.
The law, which was sponsored by Sen. Curtis King (R-Yakima) and co-sponsored
by Sen. Janea Holmquist Newbry (R-Moses Lake) further defines the term
“farm vehicle” in the state rule books. Read more
POLICY
Challenges still ahead despite state bipartisan budget
While it took a few hours of a second special session to
get the job done, the state Legislature was able to break the
gridlock and pass a bipartisan budget. For the most part,
Washington’s agricultural interests fared well.
Read more
Consumers Not Avoiding Biotech Foods, Don’t Want Labels
A new survey of U.S. consumer perceptions of agricultural technology shows a strong majority would be willing to purchase foods made with wheat produced using biotechnology if the innovations delivered nutritional or environmental benefits.
Read more
TRADE & MARKETS
Treading carefully
Arab spring spells trouble for soft white exports; Egyptian journey reveals complexities, similarities
By Tom Zwainz
I was woken at 5 a.m. after a 14-hour
flight to Cairo from Spokane by the Islamic
call to prayer amplified through speakers at
the top of a minaret not far from the hotel.
I’m told a translation of this early morning
shout-out sums up Muslim’s religious
beliefs in just a few repeated lines, but for
me, who doesn’t understand Arabic, the call
served as a 15-minute alarm clock without
a snooze button.
Read more
RESEARCH
CRP conumdrum
Taking out CRP land requires thought
By Ian Burke, WSU professor and scientist; Shawn Wetterau, WSU associate in research; and Daniel Ball, OSU professor of weed science
With government support for the Conservation Reserve Program expected
to diminish over the coming decade, it’s expected that a significant amount of
“retired” acreage will be coming back into production. How those acres are
converted to cropland has been the subject of much discussion. Read more