WSU Skagit County Extension

09/01/2026

Use Food Well: A Community Celebration

Join us for a FREE, family-friendly afternoon celebrating ways to use food well and waste less!

📅 Saturday, October 3rd
🕛 12–3 p.m.
📍 Chuckanut Brewery
11937 Higgins Airport Way
Burlington, WA 98233
🚌 Bus Route 513

Enjoy free activities and fun, including:

🍺 Bread to Beer: Taste beer made from local surplus bread
🎲 Food waste trivia and games
🎁 Prizes and giveaways
🚚 Skagit Valley College Food Truck
💡 Tips and ideas to help you save food, save money, and prevent waste

Free • Family-friendly • All are welcome

Presented by the Skagit Coalition to Prevent Wasted Food and WSU Skagit County Extension.

WSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

08/31/2026

WSU Skagit County Extension is auctioning off a 1998 Chevy 4x4 Extended cab. https://www.govdeals.com/en/asset/117/4904 Please contact Don McMoran for a test drive.

08/28/2026

https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2026/08/28/its-pizza-to-the-rescue-with-pizza4producers/

For the last six years, an innovative program has been offering a path for people to gather and talk. Pizza is the magic ingredient to bringing them together. Pizza4Producers is a showpiece program.

07/14/2026

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11617-cyclospora-cases-climb-but-actual-number-unclear-as-cdc-reporting-lags-behind-states?utm_medium=emailsend&utm_source=NL-FS-Food+Safety+Digest&utm_content=BNPCD260714065_01&oly_enc_id=9839F7605490I6N

From the editors of Food Safety Magazone.
The exact case count in the ongoing U.S cyclosporiasis outbreak remains unclear, but it continues to grow. The latest data from CDC includes more than 800 confirmed domestic cases, plus some 1,500 still under investigation.
Michigan, which currently seems to be the most affected state, reports more than 2,600 cases alone. Michigan investigators are also looking at lettuce or salad as a potential source of the outbreak. Perhaps complicating outbreak reporting is the fact that national surveillance of Cyclospora cayetenensis took a big hit last year when CDC cut the pathogen from FoodNet. Cyclospora is a particularly challenging pathogen to isolate and identify, complicating public health responses to outbreaks.
Illnesses caused by the parasite have been on an upward trajectory over the last three decades.

Per CDC, 843 domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed in 31 states, plus another 1,500 pending analysis. Michigan alone has reported more than 2,600 cases and is looking at lettuce as a potential vehicle of illness.

07/14/2026

Help prevent cyclosporiasis by following these simple produce handling reminders:
• Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits & veggies
• Gently rub fruits & veggies under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking
• Scrub firm fruits & veggies with a clean produce brush under running water
• Fruits & veggies labeled “prewashed” don’t need to be washed again at home
• Cut away damaged or bruised areas on fruits & veggies before eating or prepping
• Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits & veggies promptly (within two hours or one hour if it's above 90 °F)

For more info check out https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/index.html
Stay Healthy!

Homepage for CDC's cyclosporiasis website

07/10/2026

The WSU Breadlab is seeking field volunteers! If you would like to get a first-hand view of the Breadlab's quinoa breeding program and have some quality time with our new quinoa breeder Jon Schnore, please consider signing up to help us w**d our organic variety trial plots at the Northwestern WA Research and Extension Center (NWREC). The dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday, July 15, 9a-12p
Thursday, July 16, 9a-11a
Friday, July 17, 9a-12p
Each volunteer will get to choose one of Breadlab's awesome t-shirts as a thank you gift. Anyone interested please email Jon Schnore at [email protected] Thank you very much for considering

06/08/2026

https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/2026/05/29/fifteen-participants-earn-farm-safety-certification-through-wsu-extensions-2026-farm-safety-program/

For four weeks this spring, fifteen participants from across northwest Washington invested their evenings learning one of agriculture's most important skills: how to work safely around farm equipment and machinery.…

06/08/2026

WSU Skagit County Extension is searching for a Half Time WSU Skagit County Extension Agriculture Economist (Specialist 2)

Job Duties

Proficiency in agricultural economics and working with farmers, ranchers and farm workers to develop sound business practices.
Coordinate farm stress and su***de prevention outreach for farmers, farmworkers, and their families.

Provide or connect people to behavior health resources, including counseling and crisis support referals.

Develop and deliver educational workshops on Agriculture economics, stress management, resilience and su***de prevention.
Reduce stigma around mental health in agriculture through community events and trusted extension programing.

Create bilingual and culturally relevant outreach materials and communications.

Use Extension and agricultural networks to reach producers, farmworkers and agribusiness partners.

For more information please contact WSU Skagit County Extension Director, Don McMoran [email protected] 360-395-2357

05/29/2026

Things have been happening here at WSU Skagit County Extension! 🚜🌾

Last week, we wrapped up our 2026 Gearing Up For Safety course, and graduated 15 program participants! We want to thank each of our participants for joining us and being committed to farm safety! 🧯🚜

Gearing up for safety would not be possible without our partnership with Farmers Equipment Company of Burlington ( John Morrison ). They loaned us two brand new tractors for our participants to learn on!

Interested in more info on Gearing Up for Safety? Email [email protected]!

Go Cougs!

04/27/2026

https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/event/farm-machinery-safety-workshop-3/2026-05-04/

Who can attend? Individuals in Skagit, Whatcom, Island, Snohomish and San Juan Counties are eligible to attend the training. Last year’s class contained a good mix of middle school, high…