Too MUCH Water???

See below for the USDA Risk Management Agency Press Release regarding the cold & extremely wet weather conditions seen across the Northwest all Winter..I mean "Spring" ;) I think its best not to complain about too MUCH precipitation on the Eastern side of the state...however...between the FREEZING spring we've had & now the crazy rain & floods that ensued...this is gettin' to be a head scratcher. We aren't in a drought & we aren't on fire...always gotta find that silver linin'?! :)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Contact: Jo Lynne Seufer, (509) 228-6320

jo.lynne.seufer@rma.usda.gov

Options for Farmers with Delayed Planting from Wet Conditions

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, May 24, 2011 ---Cool and extremely wet weather in the inland Northwest has caused crop damage and slowed planting this spring. Dave Paul, Director of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Spokane Regional Office, encourages producers faced with questions on prevented planting, replant or crop losses this spring, to contact their agent for more information.

Producers who are unable to plant an insured crop by the final planting date due to an insurable cause, such as excess moisture and flooding have a number of options.

· Producers may plant the insured crop during the 25 day late planting period with a reduction in the production guarantee of 1 percent a day for each day planting is delayed after the final planting date.

· Producers may leave the acreage idle and receive a full prevented planting payment or the producer may be able to plant the acreage to another crop after the late planting period and receive a reduced prevented planting payment.

· Producers with double cropping history can receive a full prevented planting payment within the guidelines of the policy.

· Prevented planting coverage will not be provided for any acreage that does not constitute at least 20 acres or 20 percent of the insurable crop acreage in the unit. Producers need to keep in mind that group policies do not provide prevented planting coverage.

"Producers who are unable to plant due to excess moisture need to contact their insurance company to discuss prevented planting policy requirements related to their specific coverage and farming operation." said Paul. "The producer's insurance company will make the final determination of acres eligible for prevented planting payments."

Paul encourages producers to contact their crop insurance agent for assistance. Producers can also get crop insurance information on the web at: www.rma.usda.gov.

Local crop insurance agents are available to provide program details that reflect the grower's nursery inventory. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers throughout the U.S. or at the web site: http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (80) 795-3271 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Jo Lynne, Spokane RMA

Jo Lynne Seufer, Risk Management Specialist

USDA/Risk Management Agency

Spokane Regional Office

(Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)

11707 East Sprague Ave, #201

Spokane, WA 99206

(509)228-6320Office

800-205-9953 (in AK, ID, OR, WA) Toll Free

(509)998-6902 Gov't Cell

(509)228-6321 Fax

jo.lynne.seufer@rma.usda.gov

www.rma.usda.gov

Grateful to be back on the Eastside!

I haven't updated a new post in awhile as I have been on the go! Well, I'm always on the go:) but we were traveling a bit! I headed to Mattawa, WA for the 4th of July and got to spend the weekend with a great friend of mine from college and her husband. We had a low-key affair and just enjoyed good conversation, drinks, and of course great beef! I taught her how to make kabobs (she's not a very experienced cook) and beef definitely was what was for dinner! Mattawa is a pretty interesting town as anyone who has heard of it knows but it is a very diverse agricultural area so its great to be there in the heart of the growing season.

When I got back to my folk's place, I took my folks to Seattle for my dad's treatment at Swedish Cancer Institute. He is on a new trial there for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with Dr. West, who is a very renowned oncologist on the west coast. He officially started the new drug and will be taking it in conjunction with Tarceva, the other cancer drug he has been on in the past. Both the Dr. and the nurse running the trial are extremely nice, positive people, and both have a great sense of humor. All traits needed and appreciated by my dad, or anyone going through this stuff.

I officially started a "Twitter" account, which I'm almost embarrassed to admit. I swore I wasn't going to get on that thing. However, on Dr. West's website it shows his Twitter posts and one was about my dad: "Saw a very nice cowboy today (never-smoker, no less!), now 5.5 yrs out from his Dx w/NSCLC & brain mets. Wouldn’t have imagined it possible."

That was enough to have me start a twitter and follow Dr. West. My dad truly is a miracle. Even a leading lung cancer oncologist can't believe he has overcome the odds of this disease for over 5.5 years!

Anything is possible in this world, so don't let anyone tell you any different. We can't control what happens to us in life, but we can control how we choose to respond. Its not up to us when we leave this earth and don't let someone try to decide your destiny for you!

lots of miles, Independence Day, and Water.....

In a few minutes, I'm off to my (weekly) drive back to Yakima County. Since about February or March I have been making the commute from Spokane to my folks' place to be with my family. Some might say that can be a pretty boring drive on the eyes, but that opinion is all in the eye of the beholder. You can make the most of the drive or you can let it suck you dry. I try to make the most of it, and I won't lie to you: a cell-phone makes it a heck of a lot easier. It becomes a pretty amazing feat though when you really start to pay attention to what is around you. We need to remember how lucky we are in this state that I can drive from the far east side of the state to the lower central portion in just a few hours. If we were in Texas I wouldn't even have left a corner in that time. Washington is truly a beautiful place if you really stop and look around. We live in a truly biologically diverse part of the world and no part of this state is the same in pretty much an hour within any direction. On my drive I go from some light timber, rolling hills of dryland crop country, Columbia basin, Columbia River Gorge, sagebrush, irrigated crop-ground, and my drive ends with close views of both Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier in front of my windshield. The next time you think a drive across Washington is boring-head to the mid-west. I guarantee you won't see the diversity you can here!

This 4th of July make the most of the day. I truly believe this holiday is a sign of the times to come. Already patriotism has virtually died in our nation, I feel. I don't know about you but I haven't heard much about "Independence Day" in the days leading up to Saturday. In my opinion that's because our country doesn't much believe in our "Independence" anymore, so they sure as heck don't want to remind us of it. Teach your kids and grandkids what this holiday is for beyond hotdogs, fireworks, and Popsicles. Teach them who fought and died for our country so many times over. Teach them how important the freedom we do have left, is and instill in them a sense of pride and work ethic to maintain that independence.

This Independence Day brings one of the biggest battles I think our state has seen. We are in a fight for our lives with stockwater in Washington State. I encourage you to reflect on your own life as we enter into this next era and decide how important your freedom is to you. Are you willing to stand and fight in this "war" of the 21st century or are you going to lay down and surrender? How will you proceed and what kind of legacy do you want to be known for? This next chapter will reveal peoples true character, strength, resiliance, and passion.