5-23 NWR Dungeness Danger

A recent article in the Seattle Times is relevant to many of us who either enjoy seafood or make our living harvesting it. According to the Times, as levels of carbon dioxide rise in the atmosphere due to fossil fuel burning and other human-caused pollution, it changes water chemistry by raising its acidity. This can be lethal to crab larvae. Increasing ocean acidification is predicted to harm a wide range of sea life unable to properly form calcium carbonate shells as the pH drops. Now scientists at the NOAA's Northwest Fishery Science Center of Seattle also have learned that animals with chitin shells — specifically Dungeness crabs — are affected, because the change in water chemistry affects their metabolism.

Farmers helping farmers is a practice that is as old as agriculture. Now, more farmers are turning to each other to increase their profitability and help fellow farmers at the same time. Just as urban ride-sharing services such as Uber have transformed the way those who live in cities get from Point A to Point B, a similar concept adapted for farm equipment is growing in popularity.

It's called MachineryLink Sharing, and more than a thousand farmers have listed equipment on their web site to share with other farmers. Farmer Jason Wykoff has found success in renting his combine through the platform.