PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington state’s certified organic agriculture producers say that economic factors are the primary reasons that they are farming organically, however the majority feel that their farms are contributing more to environmental and social sustainability goals than to economic sustainability goals.

That is one of the findings from what is believed to be the first comprehensive survey of certified organic producers in Washington state. Jessica Goldberger, assistant professor of Community and Rural Sociology at Washington State University, conducted the survey between October and December 2007.

Goldberger mailed the survey questionnaire to the 684 organic growers within the state certified by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Oregon Tilth. Three hundred fifty-six individuals completed and returned the survey for a 56.1 percent response rate.

Approximately 80,000 acres in the state are certified organic and the annual organic farmgate sales exceed $144 million.

“Organic farming continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture and Washington has the third highest number of certified organic operations in the country,” Goldberger said. “It’s important to know the characteristics, information sources, needs, opinions and challenges of our organic producers.”

So who are the state’s certified organic producers?

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Steve Van Vleet, WSU Whitman County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, has been selected to receive the 2008 NACAA/SARE Fellows award.

Van Vleet, who has a Ph.D. in agronomy, was one of four people from around the country to receive the honor. This program is a partnership between the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program of the USDA and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA). The two-year fellowship will provide training to enhance the understanding of sustainable agricultural strategies and offer national exposure to successful and unique programs.

As part of the fellowship Van Vleet will be traveling to Georgia in the spring to attend the first of four trainings.

“I’ve always wanted to look at the big picture and see what other states are doing,” said Van Vleet. “Each individual there will have unique knowledge that I can possibly incorporate into my program and make it as advantageous as possible,” he added.

Visits to selected farms and ranches along with classroom experience will provide Van Vleet a firsthand view of sustainable agriculture practices nation-wide. In addition, he will receive a SARE library and a $1,500 stipend. At the end of the two-year period Van Vleet will present an in-depth report on his findings and research on sustainable grazing.

PULLMAN, Wash. – Four faculty members have been named recipients of the 2007–08 Sahlin Faculty Awards. The $3,000 awards are given out each spring by Washington State University in recognition of excellence in academic achievement.

All will be honored publicly March 28 as part of WSU Showcase, which celebrates the achievements of WSU faculty and staff.

David M. Granatstein, area extension agent and sustainable agriculture specialist at the Tree Fruit Research Extension Center in Wenatchee, has received the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Outreach and Engagement.

He began his career at WSU Extension in 1993, when he became the first full-time faculty member attached to the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. His vision and work are helping move sustainability out of the realm of argument and into constructive dialogue and application. 

Granatstein's program of applied research and outreach has focused on three main themes: building bridges to environmental stewardship, improving soil and water quality, and advancing organic agriculture in Washington.  He has created vital networks among farmers, the environmental community, consumers and policy makers. In the process, he has become an internationally recognized expert on sustainable agriculture and organic farming.

For more about the other faculty winners go to http://www.wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=7026

Bee Cha, Hmong Program Coordinator at Washington State University Extension, has been appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire to the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. Cha, an Outreach Educator in the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, works with Hmong farmers in production, marketing, and business management.

“It’s an honor to be part of this Board. I want to be able to serve the Hmong community and make sure people are aware of the resources and policies that will affect them,” said Cha.

Cha, based in King County, works with nearly 80 Hmong farm families in King, Snohomish and Pierce County.

Language barriers and paperwork provide a challenge to many of the farmers who grow flowers and vegetables.

“Health insurance is a top priority,” said Cha. “Hmong farmers are self-employed and they don’t yet have all the skills to go through the bureaucracy. I’m teaching them about the importance of business plans and making sure they are up to date when they report what they sell to prove their income,” Cha added.

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs was created to improve and insure access to Asian Pacific Americans in government, business and education.

Cha will serve on the Commission through June 2010.

WSU associate professor Marcia “Marcy” Ostrom has been named the recipient of the 2007 Western Regional Excellence in Extension Award. Ostrom is the director of the WSU Small Farms Program that she established in 2000 and a member of the Community and Rural Sociology Department.

The honor is one of five regional awards and one national award given annually by the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. Ostrom received the award at NASULGC’s annual conference in New York City on Nov. 11.

“In seven years, Marcy has built the WSU Small Farms Program from the ground up into a model

for engaging small producers and previously underserved groups,” said Linda Kirk Fox, associate vice president and dean of WSU Extension. “She has brought together a statewide team of campus and county-based faculty, agency representatives and community partners to address issues of small farm viability and community food systems.”

Ostrom’s Small Farms Team includes bi-lingual Hmong and Latino outreach specialists who adapt educational programs for diverse cultures. Hmong refugees from Laos are a growing immigrant group that relies heavily on income from farmers markets. Latino farm owners constitute the fastest growing sector of new farmers in Washington state. For more information on the Small Farms Team, visit: http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/index.php

November 28, 2007 On Solid Ground

“Sustainable agriculture focuses on using resources efficiently,” said Catherine Perillo, clinical assistant professor of crop and soil sciences.

The goal is to meet the agricultural goals of the present without jeopardizing the environmental needs of the future, Perillo said. The certificate program is open to all WSU graduate students from any field. Eligibility for the certificate requires students meet the prerequisites of the courses needed for the certificate.

“Students really need to start learning about the impacts of industrial agriculture,” education graduate student Kristen Koenig said. “There needs to be more emphasis on how we can make it more sustainable.”

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Adapted from an article by Daily Evergreen reporter Mike Brambley.

"We're careful to point out that the figures in the profile are a best estimate because of anomalies and inconsistencies in the available data. ... The report represents a low-end estimate of organically farmed land in the state," said WSU agriculture specialist David Granatstein, in a statement.

More information on the state's organic farming status can be found at http://csanr.wsu.edu/Organic/OrganicStats.htm .