Climate Change Team, Farmers Market Week, Pierce Honored, Taste WSU

WSU Weighs in on Governor’s Climate Plan

The Washington State Climate Advisory Team — created in 2007 — provides suggestions, ideas, and advice to the governor and Legislature about ways to manage human-induced climate change. Chad Kruger, interim director of the WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, joined the team last year and has been selected to co-lead the Agricultural Sub-Committee in 2008.

“Our goal is to provide the governor and legislators with practical strategies to reduce our carbon footprint here in Washington,” Kruger said. “We hope to provide recommendations about reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and increasing carbon storage in plants and soils. We need to find ways to keep carbon out of the atmosphere.

“This effort is huge in scope, impacting every aspect of our lives,” he continued. “We need to move down the path to emission reduction, and this advisory team process seems to be a good plan.”

Last year, Kruger explained, team subcommittees provided a total of 47 proposals. About 100 stakeholders were involved in the subcommittee work. Those proposals were organized into a strategic framework that was presented to the state’s political administration. The Legislature then identified the highest priority ideas.

“This year, with the guidance of the Legislature, we are digging deeper into the details of some of our options,” he said.

“This team is really great,” he said. “I absolutely support it. This is the perfect outlet to promote the sustainable agricultural activities that WSU has studied for the last 30 years.”

For more information on the 2008 Washington State Climate Action Team, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/57wjbg.

Farmers Market Week Is Aug. 3 – 9

The Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington State Farmers Market Association will join Gov. Chris Gregoire in proclaiming Aug. 3-9 as Washington State Farmers Market Week — a time to recognize the benefits of farmers markets to Washington residents.

“Agriculture is the cornerstone of Washington’s economy,” Gregoire said. “Farmers markets provide a unique opportunity to support our local growers, purchase fresh, healthy produce, and at the same time, get out and enjoy your local community.”

The number of markets in Washington has more than doubled from a decade ago, increasing from 60 in 1998 to more than 125 sites in operation today. Statewide, farmers markets reported $55 million sales in 2007, up from $38 million in 2006. Most of these dollars go directly to Washington family farmers.

With technical expertise from the Washington State University Small Farms Program, WSDA published the Washington State Farmers Market manual, available on the WSDA Web site at http://tinyurl.com/6qfaxy.

Fran Pierce Honored at Precision Ag Conference

Fran Pierce, director of Washington State University’s Center for Precision Agricultural Systems and a professor in the crop and soil sciences and biological systems engineering departments, received the first Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Senior Scientist Award at the ninth International Conference on Precision Agriculture in Denver this week.

The award honors senior and junior scientists who have made significant contributions to precision agriculture. Pierce received a $1,000 cash award.

As director of the Center for Precision Agriculture at the WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Pierce leads efforts to advance the science and practice of precision agriculture through the development of technologies for monitoring and control of important agricultural management practices, in automating agricultural practices and in the management of the spatial and temporal components of agricultural systems.

A Taste of WSU, Aug. 28

We’ll be at Benaroya Hall in Seattle on Aug. 28. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate the contributions WSU makes everyday in communities across the Evergreen State.

Sample from the bounty of Washington-produced beverages and fine foods prepared by several of the Seattle area’s premier chefs.

A delicious meal may seem like magic, but often it is the result of close collaborations between scientists, farmers, chefs and consumers.

Enjoy great food while learning more about myriad ways that WSU Extension, the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, and local producers and purveyors work together to give you, the consumer, the freshest, most flavorful food available.

For more information, and to register for the event, please visit: https://ocrs.wsu.edu/Signup/?eventid=410.