Crop Update & Hands-On Learning

Farmers across the state were finally able to get a lot of their spring plowing and seeding done this past week as the damp, cool weather finally turned off warm and sunny. Asparagus growers report that harvest is progressing well, with hardly any weather related delays so far this season. As for hay crops, most are in pretty good condition right now and growers for the most part are optimistic that prices will remain strong this year. It was also excellent pollination weather for stone fruit trees, which were blooming nicely. In fact, the cherry crop is starting to set on the trees. The apple and pear industries are busy gearing up for their new season, but Kevin Moffitt, president of Pear Bureau Northwest says they still have about 15 percent of last years crop left to sell.

MOFFITT: This season we have a lot of smaller sized fruit and more fancy grade fruit than we’ve had in a normal op year. It’s just going to be a hard fight to the end, and we’d like the prices to be better but a lot of this fruit falls in the range that especially domestic retailers aren’t really keen on carrying.

This spring students at University Elementary School are enjoying the use of their new greenhouse, donated to the school through a grant from the Washington Potato Commission and Yoke’s. The students have been busy planting what they deemed “salad”, a plant mix consisting of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and different herbs, and will track the plants’ growth for a truly hands-on learning experience. The students are planning on using some of the plants to give to their moms on Mother’s Day. A large portion of the herbs will be used for the Extension Food $ense program where volunteers come to the school to educate students about eating healthfully.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.