Each month, experts with WSU Extension publish new guides aimed at helping Washington farmers and families succeed.
The latest guides help growers understand the feasibility of Fuji orchards; care for ponds and streams on their property; understand food safety hazards; and more:
• 2019 Cost Estimates of Establishing, Producing, and Packing Fuji Apples in Washington State (TB73E)
In this guide by WSU School of Economic Sciences faculty members Karina Gallardo and Suzette Galinato, find out if growing Fuji is economical for your farm. Explore the physical and financial requirements of Fuji production, packing, and establishment.
• Protecting Water Resources: Planting and Caring for Home Wetlands and Other Riparian Areas (FS091E), part of the Home Garden Series.
Some homeowners are lucky enough to have streams, ponds, or other bodies of water on their property, but the transitional area between water and land requires careful management to protect the health of both ecosystems. Written by Linda Chalker-Scott, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, this guide helps home gardeners and other private landowners create a pleasing landscape without damaging environmentally sensitive areas.
• WSU Wilke Research and Extension Farm Operation, Production, and Economic Performance for 2019 (TB72E). Written by Wilke Farm Management Committee Chair Aaron Esser and Research Technician Derek Appel, this annual publication outlines the operations, production, and economic performance of Wilke Farm in 2019. It helps inform farmers and crop consultants in the intermediate rainfall zone, and also assists WSU faculty engaged in small-plot research.
• Current Good Manufacturing Practices: An Overview (FS350E).
Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) are the foundation of any food safety system. CGMPs outline the minimum requirements for the methods, facilities, and controls used in production and packing of food to ensure its safety. Read an overview of the minimum requirements for these practices, including personnel, plant and grounds, training, process and grounds, and more, in this guide by WSU School of Food Science research associate Ewa Pietrysiak and SFS interim director Girish Ganjyal.
• Food Safety Hazards: An Overview (FS351E).
Each year, approximately 48 million U.S. citizens become sick, and around 3,000 die from eating contaminated food products. preventing food contamination and strengthening our food safety system is of the utmost importance. This guide shares in-depth information on biological, chemical, and physical hazards in food; by Ewa Pietrysiak and Girish Ganjyal.