What is ANR?

Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources

With departments in the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Extension programs offer producers and processors of farm and forest products education to help them improve profitability and competitiveness while preserving and enhancing the natural resources and rural environment. Farm and forest owners, professional managers and advisors obtain and apply knowledge that leads to sustainable stewardship practices, consistent with producer objectives. To stabilize economic uncertainty due to fluctuating prices, risk management educational programs are designed to help producers make production and management decisions to lower their costs. Educational programs support the adoption of value-added agricultural and specialty forest products and sustainable forest management. Through the improved implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, producers may reduce the pesticide load in the environment to safeguard human and environmental health. Extension builds upon USDA's national initiative to help small farms and non-industrial private forests make production and management decisions that increases their sustainability. Extension programs aid the establishment of local food systems connecting producers with consumers to enhance the economic, environmental and social well-being of those communities.

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Environmental Stewardship

Washington State University Extension provides environmental education to help Washington State residents clearly develop and articulate a set of public values (an environmental ethic) that includes individual, organizational and community responsibilities for preserving and enhancing our state's environment.   Extension educators facilitate a process for reaching consensus and resolving conflict over environmental issues.   Extension programming provides an unbiased source of education and technology transfer on environmental protection, energy efficiency and waste management.   These programs lead to the protection and improvement of Washington 's water resources (water quality and quantity, flora and fauna).

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New Directions

• Harvesting Clean Energy from Farm Fields

Washington State University is uniquely positioned to address two important issues in the state that have not been previously linked:   renewable energy and economic development in the agricultural sector.   Extension, through its Energy Program, can help agricultural producers take advantage of the need to provide greater energy supplies to the state, particularly from renewable sources.   These include capturing wind and solar energy, producing biogas from animal and food processing wastes, and growing crops that yield biofuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.

• Salmon Recovery

Extension will engage in education to support local communities facing complex issues surrounding the recovery of salmon.   Water quality and quantity, Endangered Species listings for salmon and trout, and growth management are issues requiring the application of the best available research in developing local solutions.   Local rural landowners, including farmers, worry about regulatory solutions including riparian buffers.   Habitat enhancement is an important component of salmon recovery.   Farmers and non-industrial forest landowners need education, training and access to research in order to make critical decisions about their property.   In addition, Watershed Steward Programs will train volunteers and citizens to act in community projects supporting community leadership as they face changes.

• Sustaining Viable Growth in Organic Agriculture

Organic food sales are increasing 20-30% per year and many Washington State growers are entering organic production.   Washington State University Extension can make focused investments in organic farming that will enable this agricultural sector to retain its vitality and viability while contributing to consumer satisfaction and environmental quality.   Farmers will learn of the requirements for participating in the organic industry and be able to evaluate organic production for its actual potential and for its compatibility with their operation and their personality.   They will learn strategies for making the transition and research based practices for success in organic food and fiber production.

• Viticulture and Enology

Washington grape acreage has doubled in the past ten years and the number of wineries has increased from 15 to more than 160.   Extension will partner with the rapidly expanding grape and wine industry to pilot joint projects.   These projects will create the educational base for the production of superior quality grapes and value added grape products.

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