News & Highlights

Restoring Habitat in Your Own Backyard

Meandering the scenic, canopy-covered understory of the O’Donnells’ Normandy Park property, it is easy to forget you are in a residential neighborhood. It is also hard to imagine that less than five years prior the property’s stream banks, now lushly populated with native ferns, flowering shrubs, and young trees, were smothered by invasive English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry.

Through King Conservation District’s Urban Shorelines & Riparian Habitat Improvement Services, Ken and Lita O’Donnell have since transformed 14,800 square feet of their land into a native plant paradise.

WSDA Launches Citizen Science Trapping for Asian Giant Hornets

Asian giant hornets pose a serious threat to honey bees, other insects, and even humans. By participating in trapping, and reporting the results to WSDA, you can help officials understand and limit the spread and possibly even eradicate these invasive hornets from Washington State.

Trapping for 2021 started on July 1. Visit the website for the instructions and to see what supplies you’ll need to get involved.

Preserve Harvest Now for a Healthier Diet

WSU Extension experts releases online guides monthly to educate Northwest communities about health, agriculture, and sustainability. This month, you can download Food Preservation for Special Diets: Adjusting Sugar and Sodium When Preserving at Home (FS359E) for free on the Extension bookstore.

Foods are naturally low in sodium and added sugars at harvest and home preservation can help reduce the amount of dietary sugar or sodium.

Find more new and updated guides at the WSU Extension Publications website.

Darigold Processing Plant To Benefit King County Dairies

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reported that a 400,000 square foot processing plant will be built in Pasco. The protein and butter plant will be the largest of its type in North America with an estimated construction cost ranging from $450 to $500 million.

Krainick Dairy in Enumclaw, owned and operated by KCD Cooperators Mike and Leann Krainick, stated “Darigold isn’t a ‘mega corporation,’ but a cooperative owned by nearly 350 Northwest dairy farmers including Mike and I.” King County has about a dozen Darigold members located across the county.

Krainicks also shared that they “Never imagined that we would be co-owners of the largest milk plant in North America!”

Photo Courtesy of Krainick Dairy