03/21/06 FB initiative drive; wheat crop condition

Washington Ag March 21, 2006 The Washington Farm Bureau has launched its signature gathering campaign for its Property Fairness Initiative for the general election in November. There was a delay in getting the drive underway because the League of Women Voters and other opponents of the initiative had challenged the ballot title in court. A Thurston County Superior Court Judge has rejected that challenge. The Farm Bureau needs to collect 225-thousand signatures by July 7th to get Initiative 933 on the ballot. The measure would require state and local government to compensate landowners when regulations damage the use or value of private property. It appears that artic cold spell in February didn't do much damage to Washington's winter wheat crop even though much of it lacked snow cover at the time. Washington Wheat Commission Chairman Randy Suess says that was the consensus at this month's Commission meeting. Suess: "Everything seemed to come out of it pretty good and talking with the rest of the people across the state I think we are all in the same boat. Some of the people said some of the leaves yellowed up a little bit but I think we came out of this pretty good." And even some of the drier production areas are back to normal moisture so crop prospects are good. Suess: "It look's like it as of right now. There's always things that can happen in the short term but as of right now the winter wheat crop is looking really good." Suess says the focus for spring wheat is on planting protein or hard wheats, because of their better market price over soft white. I'm Bob Hoff.