WA Potato Commission Fund Raiser
I'm Bob Larson. The potato industry in Washington state is in the process of raising the funds to help create a new position at WSU focused on the study of soil management.
Washington Potato Commission's Matthew Blua says it's a team effort they hope answers a lot of questions about our soils ...
BLUA ... "This is something that we're just starting that we're really excited about, that has to do with our interest in soil health. The Washington State Potato Commission is teaming up with Lamb Weston, Simplot, and McCain's Foods to generate funds to support an endowed chair in soil health for potato cropping systems at Washington State University."
So far, Blua says they're nearly two-thirds of the way to their goal ...
BLUA ... "And, when we get funds for this position, and our goal is $3-million, the interest from that $3-million will go into funding research for whoever that endowed chair will be."
Blua says there is so much about our soils that we don't yet know ...
BLUA -20 = 17 ... "Soils always been an important subject, but we never had the means to really to get a handle on soil biology and ecology like we do now. In the past, soils have been studied mostly by chemists and physicists and that's the kind of techniques that they used. And, it's always been important, and it always will be important, but now we can put another spin on it and just look at soil ecology."
Blua says they are likely to expand their fundraising efforts very soon to help reach that $3-million goal.
