The imposition of a recommended quarantine of the Methow Valley to control the apple maggot has been postponed for a few weeks because pest-control experts with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) aren’t …
AGRICULTURE
Forbidden fruit: apple maggot quarantine likely in valley
Orchardists, waste haulers and Okanogan County Public Works staff are scrambling to prepare for a quarantine that could be imposed on the Methow Valley in early September to control the apple maggot.
The quarantine would require apple growers to be certified that their crop is free of the destructive …
County urges combat of apple maggot threat
In an effort to head off any possibility of an apple maggot infestation, Okanogan County’s pest control agent is urging anyone with apple trees on their property to spray them for apple maggots.
Last year 32 apple maggot flies were caught in insect traps that are placed every summer in apple trees around the county to detect the presence of apple …
Help available for farmers and ranchers affected by drought and fire
Farmers and ranchers affected by the drought may be eligible for assistance through a federal disaster program. The Emergency Conservation Program helps orchardists and ranchers who have such severe damage that their trees or livestock will not survive without additional water. The program provides different types of cost-sharing for measures such as pipeline installation or […]
Ranchers scramble to find alternate ways to graze
This time of year, local ranchers are usually moving their cattle onto grazing allotments that they’ve used for years on state, federal and private lands.
But this spring is different. In the aftermath of last summer’s massive Carlton Complex Fire, which destroyed vast
Free pesticide collection
Individuals, farmers and businesses with pesticides they no longer need or want can register for a free pesticide-collection event being organized this spring by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and most chemicals that kill or repel unwanted pests will be accepted. WSDA works with a contracted hazardous-waste company to […]
Twisp family farm honored in state’s 125th-anniversary celebration
By Marcy Stamper
Family farming is a tough way to make a living, but some 400 Washington families have succeeded at it for 125 years — including the Thurlows, who still operate their cattle ranch outside Twisp. This week those families got some official recognition as part of the state’s 125th-anniversary celebration. Twenty-five years ago, for the state’s centennial, the …
Despite challenges, valley’s apple crop makes a dramatic comeback from last year’s harvest
By Ann McCreary
After last year’s miserable apple crop — described by longtime grower Dave Schulz as the “worst ever” — this year’s harvest is a welcome change. Statewide, the apple harvest is predicted to be a record. Here in the Methow Valley, growers had to cope with challenges that included wildfire-caused power outages that …
Farmers, ranchers lose livestock, pastures, trees to fire
By Marcy Stamper
Farmers and ranchers have been scrambling to bring cattle to safety and deal with fire that threatened fields and farm equipment, but it will be months—even years—before the full impact of the Carlton Complex Fire on …
County comp plan nears finish line with new draft
By Marcy Stamper
Comprehensive planning is right up there with the wonkiest of bureaucratic undertakings, obscure enough that ordinary citizens often find it difficult …
