Agriculture
Fresh air, fresh food
2012 farmers markets list: Find out what's open and when
Date: 05/30/2012 | Life
Council gives Terrace farmers market its support
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- The City Council is backing the local farmers market, saying it offers a place for residents to meet their neighbors and that it supports local businesses.
Date: 05/30/2012 | Local News
Dairy farmers coaxing more milk from contented cows
CHILTON, Wis. -- Lucky, a 7-year-old dairy cow, had been walking with a limp for several weeks when veterinarian Sara Gilbertson was called. Instead of prescribing painkillers, Gilbertson tried an unusual new therapy -- a chiropractic adjustment that included a full-length spinal...
Date: 05/30/2012 | Business
Biofuels firm to repay county
Company failed to fulfill contract for canola project
Date: 05/16/2012 | Local News
Good prices for near-record state apple crop
YAKIMA — Most of Washington's 2011 apple harvest has been sold and growers say prices for the near-record crop have been good for them.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Business
Everett Farmers Market has new owners
The Everett Farmers Market is under new ownership and management. Karen Erickson and Gary Purves have taken over from longtime owners Inger and Tone Hutton.
Date: 05/09/2012 | Bizblog
Down Under horse sense
Equine expert shares in Monroe, Stanwood next week
Date: 05/04/2012 | Local News
New Forest Service official focused on stewardship
EVERETT -- For the first time in its 100-year history, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is under the leadership of a woman.
Date: 05/04/2012 | Local News
County OKs feedlot near Mesa for 3,500 cows
PASCO -- Franklin County commissioners approved a permit Wednesday for a dairy to expand a feedlot five miles east of Mesa.The Coulee Flats Dairy plans to have up to 3,500 cows on the 646-acre site.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Northwest
Duvall farm fined $1M for hiring illegal immigrants
SEATTLE -- A Washington state organic herb farm must pay $1 million for firing, then rehiring illegal immigrants following a federal audit.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Northwest
Flock to Coupeville’s chicken coop tour
WHIDBEY ISLAND -- Fowl fans are invited to flock to Whidbey Island on Saturday for the third annual coop tour.
Date: 04/18/2012 | Local News
Food activism may come at a cost
LOS ANGELES -- When it comes to percentage of income spent on groceries, Americans enjoy the cheapest food supply in the world.
Date: 03/30/2012 | Business
Beef processor was unfairly 'slimed,' say some in industry
LOS ANGELES -- Beef Products Inc. told the Associated Press on Monday that it will shut down operations at three of the four plants where it makes the meat product that critics have taken to calling "pink slime." But some food industry experts say that the company's trip through the grinder is...
Date: 03/27/2012 | Business
WSU extension office offers class on livestock handling
Adding livestock to your farm can result in mishaps, some funny, others dangerous.
Date: 03/24/2012 | Life
Monroe farmers win sustainability award
MONROE -- Jim and Andy Werkhoven's efforts to run a cleaner dairy operation have won them the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award in the inaugural U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards.
Date: 03/19/2012 | Business
Schools will get to opt out of 'pink slime' beef
ALBANY, N.Y. — School districts soon will be able to opt out of a common ammonia-treated ground beef filler critics have dubbed "pink slime."
Date: 03/15/2012 | Nation & World
Basil farm growing again
Loyal stores waited for Camano farm after fire
Date: 03/07/2012 | Local News
Lynnwood council votes to allow residents to keep up to 5 chicken hens
LYNNWOOD -- The path is set for people to be able to coop up to five chickens on single-family properties in Lynnwood.The City Council scratched into the topic, passing an ordinance allowing chickens, 5-2 at Monday's meeting.
Date: 03/01/2012 | Local News
School lunch, reinvented
Schools are improving nutrition with locally grown food
Date: 02/19/2012 | Local News
Wine grape growers meeting at Kennewick
KENNEWICK -- Washington wine grape growers are holding their annual meeting and trade show through Friday at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.
Date: 02/10/2012 | Business
New forest plan weakens protection for wildlife
WASHINGTON -- Back in the 1980s, when conservation advocates were trying to stop logging in old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, they relied on a 1982 regulation that required the National Forest Service to protect wildlife such as the spotted owl throughout its range. They won, and a new...
Date: 02/05/2012 | Nation & World
Farmers in Snohomish, Island counties may be eligible for disaster aid
EVERETT -- Farmers in Snohomish and Island counties are eligible to apply for federal disaster support following a year of weird weather.Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, announced in a statement Tuesday that farmers in 15 counties statewide can apply.
Date: 01/31/2012 | Local News
Stanwood expo offers classes in country living
STANWOOD -- It's not too late to register for Saturday's Country Living Expo and Cattlemen's Winter School. In fact, people can show up at the door and take part in a full day of education.
Date: 01/27/2012 | Local News
More construction allowed on undersized parcels
The Snohomish County Council passed code changes Wednesday allowing people more chances to build on undersized land parcels.
Date: 01/26/2012 | Local News
New map for gardeners reflects global warming
WASHINGTON -- Global warming is hitting not just home, but the garden. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, illustrating a hotter 21st century.
Date: 01/26/2012 | Nation & World
Saving history on film
Arlington man photographs county barns while they still stand
Date: 01/25/2012 | Local News
Citrus growers sweating extended Calif. freeze
FRESNO, Calif. -- California citrus growers are sweating a hard freeze that has blanketed the nation's largest fresh-fruit market in the midst of harvest.
Date: 01/17/2012 | Nation & World
Lawmakers want students to work in farms
YAKIMA -- State lawmakers want to free up students during the school year to work as farm hands.
Date: 01/14/2012 | Northwest
Presentation will feature photos of more than 50 local, historic barns
You might call Gerald Magelssen a barn expert.He grew up on a Camano Island farm that has a historic barn. He's worked in many barns on Camano Island. And he's photographed more than 50 of them.
Date: 01/14/2012 | Life
Rules eased for weddings in ag, rural zones
The Snohomish County Council on Wednesday eased rules for wedding venues on land zoned as agricultural or rural.
Date: 01/12/2012 | Local News
Farmers may boost planting of peanuts
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Drought and strong prices could push more peanut production out of traditional regions and into states such as Arkansas and Mississippi not known for growing peanuts but with ample water to give it a try.
Date: 12/24/2011 | Business
Learn country living skills at annual expo in Stanwood
The 2012 Country Living Expo & Cattlemen's Winterschool is coming up.
Date: 12/22/2011 | Home and Garden
A farmers market at the mall
New shop at Everett Mall offers locally made products
Date: 12/20/2011 | Business
Research station in Fairbanks to close this spring
FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Alaska's federal agriculture research station and its new $1.2 million greenhouse are closing in the spring because of federal budget cuts.
Date: 12/14/2011 | Northwest
State apple crop exceeds industry expectation
YAKIMA -- Despite concerns about a late harvest, cold weather and picker shortages, Washington's apple crop is exceeding industry expectations.More apples safely reached storage than had been anticipated.
Date: 12/10/2011 | Northwest
Get your urban homesteading on at the Country Living Expo
The 2012 Country Living Expo & Cattlemen's Winterschool is coming up. This, ladies and gentleman, is actually some cause for excitement.
Date: 12/06/2011 | Eco Geek
State inmates lend a hand on bumper crop of apples
WASHINGTON -- Even after deploying 105 prison inmates this week to help pick apples, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says growers still need from 3,000 to 4,000 workers to help harvest before the season's first major freeze.
Date: 11/03/2011 | Business
Snohomish County conference casts spotlight on farming
EVERETT -- Snohomish County has scheduled its eighth annual Focus on Farming conference at Comcast Arena on Nov. 3.The networking event aims to create opportunities for new and seasoned farmers alike.
Date: 10/25/2011 | Local News
State farmers see value for 2010 crops soar
YAKIMA -- Higher food prices at the grocery store might not be good news for consumers, but those prices are resulting in big returns for Washington farmers in an industry that's proving to be a bright spot in an otherwise slumping economy.
Date: 10/23/2011 | Northwest
Northwest potato crop recovers from sluggish start
PENDLETON, Ore. -- An above-average growing year has pleasantly surprised Columbia Basin potato farmers who saw the season off to a slow start.
Date: 10/22/2011 | Northwest
Senators vote to limit farm subsidies to millionaires
WASHINGTON -- Unable to agree on whether millionaires should be taxed more, Democrats and Republicans are in rare accord on one issue: Growers with million-dollar incomes shouldn't reap farm subsidies.
Date: 10/22/2011 | Business
'Kudzu bug' new threat to farmers
BLACKVILLE, S.C. -- Kudzu -- the "plant that ate the South" -- has finally met a pest that's just as voracious. Trouble is, the so-called "kudzu bug" is also fond of another East Asian transplant that we happen to like, and that is big money for American farmers.Soybeans.
Date: 10/18/2011 | Nation & World
Weather drives up prices for peanuts
ATLANTA -- Consumers should be prepared to shell out a bit more for peanut butter soon.
Date: 10/13/2011 | Business
Congress passes 3 free trade agreements
WASHINGTON — Congress approved free trade agreements Wednesday with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, ending a four-year drought in the forming of new trade partnerships and giving the White House and Capitol Hill the opportunity to show they can work together to stimulate the economy and put...
Date: 10/12/2011 | Nation & World
County program protects nearly 400 acres of Monroe farmland
MONROE -- The growing season is looking a lot longer for four farm properties in the Tualco Valley, now that Snohomish County has placed them under
Date: 10/11/2011 | Local News
Where to find pumpkins, get lost in mazes
Here's a list of some area pumpkin patches, corn mazes and harvest festivals. If you have a pumpkin patch, festival or maze that's not on this list, send it to The Herald at features@heraldnet.com.Snohomish, Island counties
Date: 10/07/2011 | Entertainment
Rule change could spur increase in organic hops for beer
TOPPENISH -- Call it a hops revolution.
Date: 10/01/2011 | Business
Pumpkins and more
Where to find October's corn mazes and harvest festivals
Date: 09/29/2011 | Entertainment
Farmers Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 09/28/2011 | Life
Have fun down on the farm at Harvest Jubilee in Stanwood
On Saturday, the world of farm life takes center stage as the Harvest Jubilee celebrates our agricultural heritage with farms opening up their doors for families to enjoy hay and tractor rides, fresh food, music and lots of livestock.
Date: 09/23/2011 | Entertainment
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 09/21/2011 | Life
State's fruit growers to donate $27 million to WSU
SPOKANE -- The state's apple and pear growers have voted to donate $27 million over the next eight years to support tree fruit research at Washington State University, the largest single gift in the Pullman school's history.
Date: 09/20/2011 | Northwest
Late apple harvest under way in Washington
Yakima Herald-RepublicYAKIMA -- It's getting to be a common thread for Yakima Valley agriculture in 2011. Like so many crops before it, the apple harvest is late, in some cases as much as two weeks.
Date: 09/20/2011 | Business
Potatoes au gratin, 80 feet by 8 feet, could mash old record
All eyes will be on Mount Vernon on Saturday.That's when a spirited group of potato devotees attempts to produce the largest potatoes au gratin during the "Spirit of the Spud" event in downtown Mount Vernon.
Date: 09/19/2011 | Life
Farmers Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 09/14/2011 | Life
Farmers Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 09/07/2011 | Life
Alaskans to enter a budding flower market
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Demand for wedding flowers is helping a budding industry to sprout in Alaska. Peonies blossom later in Alaska than elsewhere. So when big competing growers are past their seasons, Alaska can meet the demand.
Date: 09/04/2011 | Nation & World
Farmer's markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 08/31/2011 | Life
Evergreen State Fair results
OC Needle ArtsGrand Champion: Stefanie Stadnicki, LynnwoodBest of Division: Stefanie Stadnicki, Lynnwood; Renée Pietsch, Snohomish; Jean McGuire, Lynnwood
Date: 08/26/2011 | Local News
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 08/24/2011 | Life
Free creative fun at Island County Fair
The focus of the Island County Fair is farm education with lots of exhibits where visitors can learn about farm life: livestock and crops, baking and canning.That doesn't mean life on the farm can't be fun. Or free.
Date: 08/19/2011 | Entertainment
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 08/17/2011 | Life
Texas drought recalls long, punishing dry spell of 1950s
FORT WORTH, Texas -- After enduring nearly a year of drought, Texans have grown accustomed to seeing acres of withered crops, scores of dried-up ponds and mile after mile of cracked earth.
Date: 08/14/2011 | Nation & World
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 08/10/2011 | Life
Amid bee die-off, healthy hives thrive in cities
CHICAGO -- Among the wildflowers and native grasses in the garden atop Chicago's City Hall stand two beehives where more than 100,000 bees come and go in patterns more graceful, but just as busy, as the traffic on the street 11 stories below.
Date: 07/30/2011 | Business
Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 07/27/2011 | Life
Cool summer just right for Whatcom County berry farmers
LYNDEN -- While many Whatcom County residents are wondering if warmer summer temperatures will ever arrive, local raspberry and blueberry farmers are loving the weather.
Date: 07/23/2011 | Northwest
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 07/20/2011 | Life
Whidbey’s Loganberry Festival offers a taste of farm life
Greenbank Farm's 22nd annual Loganberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday boasts a "Back to the Farm" theme with more than 100 booths and exhibitors to showcase the farm's role as a center for sustainable agriculture, recreation, environmental education and small-scale economic development.
Date: 07/18/2011 | Life
Gentlemen farmers drive up land market prices
Braden Janowski has never planted seeds or brought in a harvest. He doesn't even own overalls.
Date: 07/16/2011 | Business
Farmers Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.Bailey Vegetables: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily July through October, 12711 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-568-8826; www.baileyveg.com.
Date: 07/13/2011 | Life
A lesson from udder to plate
Lake Stevens Girl Scouts learn to make goat cheese
Date: 07/12/2011 | Local News
State fruit growers pleased by agreement with Mexico
YAKIMA -- Washington fruit growers are celebrating an agreement with Mexico that should increase exports.
Date: 07/07/2011 | Business
Animal welfare group drops state chicken initiative
OLYMPIA -- An animal welfare group in Washington is dropping its planned initiative that would have required businesses to provide egg-laying hens with more spacious cages.
Date: 07/07/2011 | Northwest
Fruit importers visit state producers
SELAH -- Nine produce importers from Mexico and Central America toured Washington recently to look for new products and new suppliers, part of an increased effort by the state's agricultural industry to boost exports to the region.
Date: 07/04/2011 | Business
Stanwood farm rings the bell for dinner in a barn
It's not every day you get to visit a local farm, much less eat dinner on-site in a heritage barn, including ingredients harvested from the fields right outside.
Date: 07/02/2011 | Life
Some food prices are likely to ease
ST. LOUIS -- U.S. food prices may ease later this year now that farmers have planted the second-largest corn crop in nearly seven decades.
Date: 07/01/2011 | Business
Farmers Markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.Bailey Vegetables: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily July through October, 12711 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-568-8826; www.baileyveg.com.
Date: 06/29/2011 | Life
Arlington: A place to roost
City looks to make it easier to raise a backyard brood
Date: 06/29/2011 | Local News
Ice cream, hot dogs, 'hooky cool' music at Maltby creamery
OK. We all scream for ice cream, but we might scream even louder if the ice cream is free. And what if this treat is served up with free hot dogs and free live music?It would probably be called something like ice cream-o-rama.
Date: 06/24/2011 | Entertainment
Farmers markets
Arlington Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 1, Legion Park, 200 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Date: 06/22/2011 | Life
No strawberries yet, but farm fest goes on
Though the berries are late, Biringer Farm won't wait.The farm will open its gates this weekend for the annual Strawberry Harvest Festival.There may not be berries, but there are plenty of blossoms for families to enjoy on a tour of the fields with the farmer on the Jolly Trolley.
Date: 06/17/2011 | Entertainment
Garden plots available at Everett community farm
Garden plots: If you dream of growing enough food to sustain your family but lack the land, check this out: The Volunteers of America and Transition Port Gardner are now offering large,
Date: 06/16/2011 | Home and Garden
One bad apple
And 11 other fruits and veggies to watch for pesticide residue
Date: 06/15/2011 | Life
Apples move to top of 'Dirty Dozen' list
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer watchdog organization, released its 2011 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides this morning.As usual, it's not great news.
Date: 06/13/2011 | Eco Geek
Like sprouts? Experts say to cook them first
WASHINGTON — Sprouts may not be as healthy as you thought. Now implicated in an outbreak that has killed 31 people and sickened nearly 3,100 in Europe, they are a frequent culprit in foodborne illness.
Date: 06/11/2011 | Nation & World
Germany: Sprouts likely cause of E. coli outbreak
HAMBURG, Germany — Initial tests have confirmed that bean sprouts grown in northern Germany are the likely cause of an E. coli outbreak that has killed at least 22 people and sickened over 2,200, an agriculture official said Sunday.
Date: 06/05/2011 | Nation & World
Cool, wet spring delays some Washington crops
YAKIMA -- A cool wet spring has put many Yakima Valley crops behind schedule.The Yakima Herald-Republic reports some farmers are just getting into fields to plant corn or other crops that normally would be in the ground by now.
Date: 06/03/2011 | Northwest
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