Updated 06/16/2008

Outreach and Education

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Since 2006, Washington State has experienced dramatic biofuels/bioenergy industry development. Washington’s 2% renewable fuel standard alone, if met from in-state feedstock, will require some 200,000 acres planted to oilseed crops. Despite these emerging markets, economic and agronomic risks associated with biofuels crops have kept planted acres below 20,000.

In late 2007, WSU Extension and WSDA partnered to develop an oilseed crop outreach and education program to help farmers make sound cropping decisions related to biofuels. The outreach effort distributes fundamental agronomic and economic information on emerging biofuels and bioenergy crops, primarily oilseeds (e.g., canola, mustard, and camelina), using the initial results of Washington state-funded biofuels/bioenergy crop research. In addition, the project presents value-added and market diversification opportunities to growers, as well as United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency (RMA) information. Together, WSDA and WSU Extension will provide up to eighteen educational opportunities between April 2008 and August 2009. Educators will add a biofuels component to ten existing, mixed-crop field days. As funding allows, the team will hold eight additional events: four field days dedicated to biofuels/bioenergy crop production and four winter-season workshops focused on specific crops. Taken together, these educational events will help growers in oilseed crop production methods, risk decision-making, crop/market diversification, and risk protection.

Potential Event Locations

  

Currently scheduled 2008 events:

1. April 10: Nespelem Community Center, Nespelem (biofuels emphasis)
2. June 19: Lind Field Day, Lind Dryland Research Station
3. June 25: Wilke Farm Field Day, Davenport (biofuels emphasis)
4. June 26: Pullman, Direct Seed Cropping Systems Research Field Day, Palouse Conservation Field Station (biofuels emphasis)
5. July 9: Paterson Field Day, Paterson Research Farm
6. July 31: Puyallup Organic Farm Field Day and Resource Fair, Puyallup Research and Extension Center

Related Crop Outreach and Education Information:

• WSU Field Day Schedule (2008)
• WSU Extension Outreach Program
• Northwest Field Day Schedule (2008)

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