CAFO General Permit & Multi-Species Rotational Grazing Farm Walk

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

After several months of meeting with agencies, stakeholders, tribes, environmental groups and others about the updating of the Concentrated Animal Feeding General Permit, which expired in 201, the state Department of Ecology has scheduled public comment sessions April 21 in Zillah at the Zillah Civic Center, and April 23 at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham. The permit is issued by Ecology to protect public waters by focusing on how animal manure is managed at facilities that confine large numbers of livestock, poultry, or other animals. Currently there are ten facilities in Washington covered by the permit that maintain their permit status, even though the permit is expired. For more information visit Ecology's website.

Greenbow Farm, located near Ellensburg, will be the location for the April 27 Multi-Species Rotational Grazing Farm Walk offered through the Tilth Producers of Washington and WSU Small Farms Program. Farm owners Christina Miller and Matthew Cox sell their products such as nutrient dense eggs, grass-fed meats and fiber products from their Icelandic sheep at farmers markets in Ellensburg and Seattle. Angela Anegon, Education Coordinator with Tilth Producers.

ANEGON: Greenbow Farm utilizes rotational grazing for chickens, turkeys, sheep and cattle. They are really working hard to promote the health of their soil and the health of their animals.

Anegon says that after the recent avian influenza virus outbreaks around the state extra precautions are being taken with Farm Walks; attendees are asked to wear clean shoes and there will be a boot dip. For more information about farm walk times and locations visit tilthproducers.org.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.