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Sila’s Moses Lake plant opening on track
MOSES LAKE — According to Sila Nanotechnologies Vice President Chris Dougher, the opening of Sila’s Moses Lake manufacturing plant, which will eventually mass produce the company’s Titan Silicon anode, has been going well and is on track “The first really big milestone, or public milestone, was the groundbreaking in November,” Dougher said. “We had the (Department of Energy) here, as well as a handful of customers with Mercedes and others that came on-site and celebrated the early work that we’re doing out back getting our foundations in.” Sila purchased the Moses Lake site, 160 acres and a 600,000 square foot building located on Road N Northeast, about a year and a half ago, Dougher said.
Staying booked: Small-town booksellers discuss challenges, benefits of independence
MOSES LAKE — Local small-town booksellers from Moses Lake’s Sandbox Bookstore, Wenatchee’s Ye Olde Bookshoppe and Leavenworth’s A Book For All Seasons talked about how they operate in a smaller town and compete with larger retailers. Sandbox’s owner, Mai Houvener, said she is not yet equipped to handle online sales, as it is difficult for her small store to afford the shipping costs and extra manpower required – she said she doesn’t want to pass that expense on to the customers.
Low-interest loans available to cherry growers
WASHINGTON D.C. — Sweet cherry growers in Washington will be eligible for up to $500,000 in federal emergency loans following a formal disaster declaration for the 2023 cherry season by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The declaration was announced March 19 by Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Representative Kim Schrier. Cherry season 2023 was plagued by bad weather in Washington and California, which shortened the season and led to an oversupply of fruit.
Welcoming spring: Blossom Festival 104-year-old Wenatchee tradition
WENATCHEE — Apples, apple blossoms, parades, a car show, carnival rides, live music, crafts for children, food booths and plenty of activities will fill the streets of Wenatchee during the 104th Apple Blossom Festival. Activities begin this week, with the grand finale, the Stemilt Grand Parade, May 4. There have been some interruptions – events like World War II and a coronavirus pandemic – but for the most part, Apple Blossom has been part of Wenatchee since 1920. Apple Blossom Festival Director Darci Christoferson said the festival’s purpose, then and now, is to highlight the Wenatchee Valley and the industry that gave it a big part of its identity – and still plays a crucial role in the valley’s economy.
West Mathison: Stemilt CEO honored as 2024 Apple Citizen of the Year
WENATCHEE — The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival is a giant celebration of all things apples – but it has more serious aspects as well, like recognizing those who contribute to the community. People like West Mathison, CEO of Stemilt Orchards as the 2024 Apple Blossom Citizen of the Year. “During West’s tenure Stemilt has grown its footprint in apples, pears, cherries and organic tree fruits and solidified its position as a tree fruit leader focused on “cultivating people and delighting consumers through excellence” with World Famous Fruit. Stemilt celebrates its 60th year in business in 2024,” the Apple Blossom Festival organization announced a few weeks ago. It isn’t necessarily just business acumen that lent itself to Mathison being chosen though. The statement said a great deal of his selection had to do with his dedication to his staff and to the tree fruit industry as a whole.
Inside job: Local organizations discuss potential benefits of indoor farming for Central Washington
MOSES LAKE – Representatives of both the Port of Othello and the Adams County Development Council attended the 11th Annual Indoor Ag-Con March 11-12 at Las Vegas’s Caesars Forum, a trade show for the indoor and vertical farming industry. ACDC Executive Director Kyle Niehenke said he and Port Executive Director Chris Faix and Port Commissioner Homer Montemayor looked into the conference in response to Pasco’s incoming indoor agriculture Local Bounti location. “I’ve seen greenhouses but they’re to keep flowers fresh,” Niehenke said. “This is like full cycle of growing, start to finish, from seed to consumption, that’s what’s going on down in Pasco.” Niehenke said he thought indoor farming would be a good fit for Adams County and other areas in Central Washington.
WSU professor provides updates on fire blight antibiotic resistance
MOSES LAKE — Frank Zhao, a professor of plant pathology at Washington State University, spoke at the April 4 Fire Blight Webinar hosted by Michigan State University, providing an update on current research and results of fire blight antibiotics and resistances at WSU. According to WSU’s Tree Fruit website, fire blight is a disease affecting crops of pears and apples. “Infections commonly occur during bloom or on late blooms during the three weeks following petal fall. Increased acreage of highly susceptible apple varieties on highly susceptible rootstocks has increased the danger that infected blocks will suffer significant damage. In Washington there have been minor outbreaks annually since 1991 and serious damage in about 5 to 10 percent of orchards in 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.” Zhao discussed three common fire blight antibiotics during the webinar, including streptomycin, oxytetracycline and kasugamycin.
BMX tracks collaborate for 2024 events
MOSES LAKE — BMX tracks across the country have been preparing over the past month for the opening of their respective seasons, including tracks in Moses Lake and Spokane. “We worked hard through the off-season, meeting a couple of times a month to get prepared for the season,” Moses Lake BMX Track Operator Jeff Niehenke said. “We’ve really focused on some more marketing – we’ve got an awesome marketing team now, and trying to bring more people to the track and make more people aware of the track.” After a few weeks of local races, in mid-May both BMX tracks in Spokane and Moses Lake will be hosting their state races on back-to-back days – Spokane hosts its state race on May 11, while Moses Lake hosts its state race May 12.
Aspen Institute fellow stresses native customs, sovereignty
SPOKANE — Sophia Turning Robe grew up learning about the importance of salmon, and by extension the natural world, to her ancestors, her contemporaries and hopefully generations to come. “I know how important it is to our people, and to natives of the Pacific Northwest,” she said. Turning Robe is a citizen of the Spokane Tribe through her mom, she said, and a descendant of the Siksika Nation (Alberta and Saskatchewan) through her dad. While her family had always explained the place of salmon in the lives of the people who lived along the Columbia and Snake rivers and the tributaries, not everybody had the same experience, she said.
Irrigation expenses follow a unique set of rules
COLUMBIA BASIN — When it comes to the cost of farming, irrigation – especially in the Columbia Basin – is a cost that has to be factored in and planned for with each acre having a place in the water-cost equation. “If somebody has 40 acres, and maybe 35 of those are classed as irrigable, they’re paying an assessment based on that,” said Scott Revell, manager of the Roza Irrigation District, which snakes down through the Yakima Valley from Selah to north of Benton City. “So if (the assessment) is $200, it’s that times 35 irrigable acres.” Each irrigation district, of which Washington has 27, sets its own assessment per irrigable acre, regardless of how much water each grower receives, Revell explained. Because water is a public resource, the irrigation districts don’t charge for the water itself, only for the delivery costs, and those costs vary from district to district and from year to year. This year’s assessment in the Roza Irrigation District is $202 per acre, increased by $8.10 from last year. At the same time, the Naches-Selah Irrigation District is charging $240 per acre this year, whereas the Kittitas Reclamation District is assessing $97.85.
