NARF - Then & Now...
Created to Fulfill A critical Need
By the middle of World War II our nation faced a critical shortage of certain vegetable seeds. Without sufficient seed production, growers could not produce the crops to keep the nation, and much of the Allied world, fed.
Five northwest counties in Washington State: Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties were the nation's leader in the production of cruciferous seed crops (those in the cabbage family) as well as other vegetable seeds. But at the time, harmful insects and plant diseases had become so dominant that seed crops were destroyed while still in the field.
The Solution was NARF
In 1944, a concerned group of Skagit County farmers, business leaders and elected officials formed a "Governing Board" to coordinate agricultural research projects for interests in the five counties. By 1946, this farsighted effort was underway as the beginning of what is now the Northwest Agricultural Research Foundation, known as NARF.
A Special Relationship
The need for research specifically suited to the needs of the region led NARF to strenuously lobby for the creation of a Washington State University research station to serve the area. 50 years ago, the Mount Vernon station was created. Through its funding assistance, NARF has faciliated a number of the station's high priority research programs.
A Wide Ranging Mission
A nonprofit organization, NARF has supported reserach leading to the control of harmful diseases and insects as well as significant advancements in cultural practices, plant fertility and soil management. The research is conducted in conjunction with WSU and its research stations in Puyallup, Prosser and Vancouver as well as Mount Vernon. Man projects are financially supported through grants from the USDA and the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
5 Decades of Proven Achievement
A Quiet Commitment for Over 50 years
The companies, individuals and government entities who support NARF have engaged in a quiet commitment to bring better food and horticultural products to this region and beyond. Without a lot of fanfare or any clamoring for government funding, the groups which make up NARF have set about finding solutions to some very big problems. By soliciting and managing funding from the private sector, NARF has supported research leading to advances in disease and pest control as well as improvements in cultural practices and the adoption of environmentally sound production techniques.
These achievements are not locked up in some file cabinet, but are shared throughout the state, country and even, the world, to improve the quality of agriculture everywhere.
Following are just a few examples of the many remarkable successes of NARF coordinated research:
Peas
In the 1940's and 50's, the pea industry was besieged by the pea moth. This destructive pest sustained its life cycle by living in volunteer vetch plants growing along fence rows and roadsides. Through NARF supported research, an environmentally safe "silver bullet" was found which eradicated the weed, controlled the pea moth and saved the Puget Sound pea industry.
In many ways, the stability of the pea industry is the glue that has held NARF together. This was evident when a new problem arose in the 1960's. It was a soilborne disease called race 5 and 6 Fusarium Wilt. As the farmland rapidly became infested with this disease, all known pea cultivars (cultivated varieties) died in the infected fields. With the support of NARF, the world collection of all pea cultivars was screened for resistance to these diseases.
Eventually resistance was found. It took 30 years of intensive cross breeding, selection, and cultivar testing to develop commercial cultivars with wilt resistance as well as the yield and quality characteristics equivalent to non-resistant varieties. This was a cooperative effort coordinated by NARF and carried out by WSU scientists and pea breeders in private industry.
Vegetable Seeds
This region produces 85% of the nation's table beet seeds and 50% of the world's cabbage seeds. When seedborne fungus diseases infected these seed crops, this vital industry faced devastating liability on the crops produced from those seeds. Through NARF, a chemical means of control was identified and taken through the lengthy governmental approval process. Future seed crops were free of the disease.
Daffodils
Parasitic nematodes (a type of roundworm) were killing daffodil bulbs and with it, the entire daffodil industry. Without the chemically enhanced hot water control locally proven through NARF supported research, this beautiful, tourist-enticing crop would no longer grace our region. The research "system" which enabled this development has benefits for the entire tulip, iris and flower bulb industry.
Red Raspberries
In the 1970's, through help from NARF, a new red raspberry variety was developed. "Meeker" is a sweet raspberry with all the delicious flavor one expects, but bred to be stronger and firmer so that it can withstand mechanical harvesting without loss of quality in the harvested berry. This development has contributed greatly to Washington's elevation in status asthe largest raspberry producing region in the world.
Rhododendrons
"Rhodies" are the #1 ornamental plant in the Pacific Northwest. The traditional cuttage method of producing varieties in sufficient quantity for retail requirements took 20 years. In the 1980's plant tissue culture for rhododendrons and other woody plants--tree fruits, blueberries, Kalmia--were developed. They brough the development period down to only 3 years. This test tube technique has exciting potential for many horticultural industries.
Apples
Proving you never know where research funds will come from, NARF accepted hundreds of small checks from home gardeners wanting an apple that could withstand the twin threats of scab and powdery mildew. The money was used to establish an apple variety trial to identify an ideal variety for the region. One of the winners was Jonagold, a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon. It proved an excellent choice for home gardeners and adapted very well to commercial production also. In the past many solutions were based on chemical agents. In today's environment, however, NARF is actively engaged in seeking solutions which stike a balance between biological and chemical controls. By promoting an "integrated approach", NARF is leading the way toward an evermore safe and productive future in agriculture.
How it Helps Everyone
As goes the health of agriculture, so goes the health of our region
NARF seeks solutions for the benefit of agriculture; solutions which create an economic ripple effect. Every time a product is make better or more desirable in the marketplace, the demand for that product is increased and so are the opportunities for increased employment, the need for more support services, and the strength of the economic engine that keeps this area vital and valued. From directly-linked businesses such as processors, distributors and agricultural supply and implement dealers to secondary support levels such as shipping firms, legal services and insurance companies, NARF's achievements have affected the economic stability of the entire region.
Consider the Numbers
Gross farm income for Skagit County alone has grown from 5.7 million dollars in 1950 to an estimated $200 million in the 1995-1996 growing season. The economic multiplier from agriculture in the region's economy is 1.7, yielding a current total of $340 million in gross activity. Add to that the 60-plus million brought to the area by the Tulip Festival and it's easy to see that in the not-too-distant future agriculture will approach a half billion dollars in economic activity each year.
This area, despite a steady decline in farmlands from the peak of 153,000 acres in the 1940's to today's 92,000 acres, is abundant in its output. 85% of the nation's table beet and spinach seed is produced here, along with 50% of the world's supply of cabbage seed. Local growers produce 38 million pounds of carrots and 260 million pounds of potatoes per year as well as 2.3 tons of processed peas per harvested acre. We produce more tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs than any other region in the nation and we are achieving significant market growth in red raspberries, blueberries and apples.
Sustaining Our Quality of Life
A Balance of Interests Protects This Precious Land
It took Mother Nature thousands of years to create the precious, irreplaceable soil of this region. It is the best and last of its kind in Western Washington. We Must protect it for this and future generations. The loss of the Kent valley as a highly productive farming region serves as a stark reminder of what can happen when one group's interests are allowed to override another's. That is why NARF works so hard to forge alliances which promote a balance of interests.
In the past, agriculture and environmental groups have had conflicting goals on many issues. The situation today, however, is based on joint development of programs which address mutual concerns.
A superb example is Barley for Birds. This program to preserve the flyway of migrating water fowl is supported in conjunction with the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department and Ducks Unlimited. Farmers plant winter cover crops of cereal grains such as barley, rye, oats and wheat and the birds feed on them during their migration. In the spring farmers plow the crops into the soil as nutrient-rich "green manure" which builds up the soil, reduces reliance on chemical soil amendments and minimizes nitrate leeching into the ground-water during heavy winter rains.
Where To Go Next
Currently, NARF administers in excess of $175,000 in annual grant funds to scientists at the WSU units for agricultural research. The majority of the work is undertaken at the Mount Vernon station. That station is engaged in a capital campaign to replace facilities which are, due to the steady decline in federal and state funding, in poor condition and inadequate for their purpose. NARF will play an active and enthusiastic role in that campaign.
On a broader scale, NARF's mission is to promote and direct private/public partnerships which will foster greater efficiency in the use of expensive facilities and equipment while promoting cooperation and exchange of ideas between public and private researchers.
By continuing to work together for a common goal, the quiet commitment of the Northwest Agricultural Research Foundation will grow stonger and deeper year by year.