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Local Business
Eighty Farm Bureau members from around Arizona met with 53 state legislators during the annual Legislative Agricultural Festival held recently in Phoenix. Every year in January, the Arizona Farm Bureau hosts the event to give farmers and ranchers an opportunity to speak on behalf of their industry to lawmakers one on one. The event also showcases statewide agricultural products. Legislators were treated to green corn tamales from Cochise County; chili from Pima County; lamb from Pinal County; steak from Yavapai and Coconino counties; and milk, ice cream sandwiches and citrus from Maricopa County. Also, bean dip and chips from Graham County; vegetables and fresh produce from Yuma County; Arizona Caviar (salsa) from Greenlee County; pulled pork from Navajo County; beef kabobs from Mohave County; and assorted homemade desserts. Melon disease workshop The rapid onset and spread of the cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) in the desert Southwest melon crop this past fall has prompted a careful review of the disease's nature and how to control it. A host-free period has been suggested for this summer in Yuma and Imperial counties. A meeting to discuss this and other issues regarding the virus will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Yuma County Cooperative Extension office, 2200 W. 28th St. Two Arizona and California continuing education credits have been applied for. For more information, call Kurt Nolte, extension agricultural agent, at 726-3904. Minimum wage meeting The Arizona Farm Bureau and Industrial Commission of Arizona are holding informational meetings around the state to explain the new regulations for the minimum wage increase that went into effect Jan. 1. All employers are encouraged to attend. The Yuma meeting will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 7 at Booth Machinery, Araby Road and 30th Street. For more information and to RSVP for lunch, call Liz Foster at 1-480-635-3611. Field day planned The Yuma Valley Ag Center, 6425 W. 8th St., in conjunction with Yuma County Cooperative Extension, will be hosting a field day Feb. 7. The event starts at 7:45 a.m. and will highlight insect management, pathogen control, food safety and wide-bed vegetable planting schemes. It concludes with a hosted lunch at noon. Four Arizona, California and CCA credit hours are pending. For more information, call 726-3904. Community science summit A community science summit will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at Arizona Western College in Building 282. Representatives from the various science-based organizations, such as health care, agriculture, military and federal agencies, are invited to attend and share their vision for the future of the science program at AWC and Northern Arizona University-Yuma. Summit coordinator Tim Whittier said the goal is to find out what the community needs in terms of science courses and services, and gather ideas for the future of the program. He said the timing fits with construction of two new science buildings on the campus. For more information, contact Whittier at 344-7589 or tim.whittier@azwestern.edu. He is a professor of environmental science at Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University-Yuma.  |
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