Hot topic: conservation conversations

MOSES LAKE — Looks like combining the annual meetings of the Moses Lake and Warden Conservation Districts again might be a good idea for the future.

The turnout of the first combined meeting Thursday morning, about 28, was larger than it probably would have been at a meeting just for the Moses Lake district and just for the Warden district.

"Maybe something we may think about for another year," said Warden Conservation District chair John Preston with a small chuckle. "I think we have a better crowd. It looks like it's worked really well."

Warden Conservation District Administrative Assistant Mishele Loera agreed, saying it was probably the best turnout she's seen in two years.

"This way we've been able to reach more cooperators combined with the topics we wanted to present," Loera said. "If we'd have had two separate meetings, we might not have been able to get the speakers for all of these topics that were such hot topics for the districts."

Those in attendance Thursday heard about a range of pertinent issues, including high-moisture/minimum or no till practices, the Odessa Aquifer, crop yield monitoring, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers undercutters project and an update on biofuels.

Loera said it was difficult to narrow down the topics for the meeting. She approached boards for both conservation districts to find out their desires for the agenda, and picked the topics selected by both.

"We get word out there of what the districts are trying to help educate the cooperators, the farmers, the general public on," she said. "It's important to come to these, because they get to see what we're working on, what we want to help them implement, all that."

The districts are non-regulatory agencies to help the public be in compliance with regulatory agencies, and offer education and technical services necessary, Loera added.

Preston advised anyone with questions to get in touch with the districts.

"When we get the cost-share and stuff for Environmental Quality Incentives Programs from the National Resources Conservation Service, the conservation districts are the ones who have to get it on the ground," he said. "It comes down to the local conservation districts and there's nobody quite like the districts who can do that. We're all volunteers, we do it on our own, just because we're interested in helping agriculture."

Cost-share funds are still available to cooperators following the meeting, Loera said.

"I'm a farmer and there's concerns, so you're just trying to expand your knowledge," Warden farmer Brent Erdmann said. "You're trying to expand every aspect of farming you can, so every bit of information you get is good. Farming's moving in different directions, so you've got to keep coming to these meetings because these are the guys doing the research."

"It keeps everybody informed of what's going on, brings everybody together," echoed Boe Clausen, a Warden farmer and conservation district board associate. "Definitely, the conservation issues are very important to keep up with."