Yakima Extension / Washington State University

06/22/2026

Get Your Guide for Incorporating Food Safety Into America's 250th Potluck

July 5 is America's Potluck. Communities, neighbors, and families will gather to share a meal to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

Food poisoning increases in the summer as warm temperatures allow harmful bacteria to grow, especially at large gatherings and potlucks, where homemade dishes are shared.

Click the link to see who's hosting a potluck in your area, and download our quick guide with tips and resources to support safe and healthy potlucks in your community! https://tinyurl.com/Click-for-potlucks

Download the Guide: https://tinyurl.com/Download-the-quick-Guide

06/22/2026

Do you have a budding gardener? Spring is the perfect time for hands on learning. Here's a free K-3rd grade Garden Toolkit and other educational resources from Partnership for Food Safety Education & Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation that you can use with kids in a classroom or at home.

The Partnership for Food Safety Education provides food safety classroom materials, including curricula and student activities, for teachers for grades K-12.

06/15/2026

WSU Yakima County Extension Office will observe Juneteenth on June 19 and will be closed. You can leave a message at 509-574-1600; we will return your call on Monday, June 22.

06/15/2026

Washington has a new guide to help our state prepare for the detection of emerald ash borer!

Download the guide and share with your community:https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/.../3191/2026/05/WA-EAB-Guide.pdf

While emerald ash borer has not been detected in Washington, its presence in neighboring Oregon and British Columbia means it could arrive soon, posing a serious threat to ash trees in our state.

Washington has a new guide to help our state prepare for the detection of emerald ash borer!

While emerald ash borer has not been detected in Washington, its presence in neighboring Oregon and British Columbia means it could arrive soon, posing a serious threat to ash trees in our state.

The Washington State Emerald Ash Borer Resources & Management Guide is intended to help landowners, educators, resource managers, tree care professionals, and the public take steps to reduce risk, strengthen readiness, and plan a coordinated response for when the emerald ash borer arrives.

Download the guide and share with your community:https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-extension/uploads/sites/3191/2026/05/WA-EAB-Guide.pdf

06/11/2026

The Prevention of Honey Bee Colony Collapse (COLOSS Association) is an international organization of scientists advocating for wellness

06/11/2026

Do you enjoy Food Preservation and podcasts? Listen to the "Food Safety in a Minute" Podcasts for Food Preservation.
https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/cahnrs-podcasts/food-safety-in-a-minute/

06/11/2026

Food Distribution for Toppen*sh Community, Friday, June 12, 4pm - 6pm. For more food bank listings, places, and times. https://www.yakimacounty.us/3101/Food-Banks

06/09/2026

Please join us in welcoming Aliyana Avalos to our WSU team! We are pleased to have her as part of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources Program and look forward to working with her as we continue serving our community.

Aliyana is an Environmental Education Specialist at WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. She is dedicated to supporting members of the agricultural sector through meaningful outreach and educational efforts related to the electrification of agricultural transportation. Her work focuses on farm electrification in the Pacific Northwest and works closely with the Green Transportation Program. She previously worked at WSU’s Institute for Northwest Energy Futures researching the relationship between the food-energy-water nexus in Washington State. Aliyana holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Washington State University.

https://csanr.wsu.edu/ Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources Program
The Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University invests in research and partnerships to create systems-level solutions for Washington. We work alongside producers, agencies, and scientists to turn small investments into big results.
CSANR has played both direct and supportive roles in shaping sustainability across Washington state. We helped launch the Bread Lab, the Eggert Family Organic Farm, the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture major, WSU’s organic research portfolio, and the Washington Soil Health Initiative. By seeding transformative ideas and providing a collaborative space, we help innovations grow into lasting impact.

06/08/2026

Don't forget the field day tomorrow June 9, in Zillah for Organic orchards

Tomorrow is the day! OFRF and organic farmer Jeff Leach will host a field day for technical support providers, with a focus on organic pest and w**d management, in Zillah, Washington. See details and register here:

https://ofrf.org/event/field-day-at-jls-organic-orchards/

This field day is part of a suite of resources we are developing for extension agents, researchers, and technical service providers who work with organic producers. For those working in the western region, find more resources on organic pest management at:

https://ofrf.org/resource/organic-pest-and-w**d-management-for-extension-agents-in-the-northwest/

To see all resources from OFRF, visit: https://ofrf.org/resources/

06/08/2026

At Dr. Paul Kuber’s request, we are sharing this information with all Extension colleagues.

Dr. Kuber participated yesterday in a WSDA and USDA facilitation exercise in Olympia focused on planning for a potential New World Screwworm response. He also shared the note below, along with the Industry Information alert distributed by the Washington Beef Commission.

Discussions are ongoing regarding Washington’s preparedness should an infestation occur. Recent developments in Texas have increased concern and underscore the importance of awareness. This issue is relevant to the livestock industry, companion animals, and human health, as New World Screwworm is a zoonotic pest. It is not a food safety concern, but rather one of human and animal health.

While this pest has not been detected in Washington, it has recently been confirmed in Texas.

For more information, please see the official USDA announcement:
USDA Confirms Presence of New World Screwworm in the United States. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-presence-new-world-screwworm-united-states

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact Dr. Paul Kuber at [email protected].

USDA APHIS confirms New World screwworm in a Texas calf; immediate containment, surveillance, and sterile fly release are underway to protect livestock.