Organic inspector uses garden to support community need

Kathy Davis
Communications

Ali Dermond, right, conducts an organic inspection for Zillah tree-fruit
producer Paul Stonemetz. 

One activity that is thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic is home gardening. Warm weather, more time at home, and the desire for fresh food is inspiring both veteran and novice gardeners to dig in the dirt. 

Ali Dermond, a WSDA Organic Program inspector lead in Ellensburg, is an avid gardener who is devoting her skills to helping feed her community. 

Ali has been planting more this year to donate to the FISH Community Food Bank in Ellensburg. She also helped start a Facebook group called FISH Victory Gardens to encourage and support other area gardeners to grow and donate to feed people in need. 

“A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to plant peas. I usually don’t plant a lot of peas, but I was thinking about the space I have and wondering if I could make room to grow more for the food bank,” Ali explained.

After contacting the food bank to confirm they were still accepting homegrown produce, she proceeded to rearrange and plan to make the most of her garden space this year. 

Hunger relief need spiking

The global pandemic is straining the hunger relief system, as more people find themselves out of work and struggling to make ends meet. On April 30, WSDA Director Derek Sandison said in a news conference that food bank demand in Washington has doubled, with more than 2 million residents seeking help. 

While organizations are seeking financial assistance to support a food supply line, home gardeners across the state are also stepping up to help. 

“A number of people on the Facebook group are sharing plant starts and whatnot to fill up each other’s gardens,” Ali said. “It’s pretty neat to see gardeners finding more planting space and sharing extras to help each other out.”

Ali takes a selfie with her garden.

Personal and professional overlap

Ali has worked in the Organic Program for seven years. In 2013, she also moved to a larger property and transitioned from patio containers to a large garden space. 

She said her work and personal life often overlap because both are about growing food that’s good for the environment and for consumers. 

“Hearing from other programs at WSDA helps me see the need our communities will have to make sure everyone has food on the table,” she noted. 

For more information about how COVID-19 is affecting hunger relief organizations, visit WSDA’s Food Assistance or the state coronavirus response webpage. 

In summary: One activity that is thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic is home gardening. Ali Dermond, a WSDA Organic Program inspector lead in Ellensburg, is an avid gardener who is devoting her skills to helping feed her community during this time of great need.

Short budget session yields some impacts to WSDA

Kathy Davis
Communications

The Washington State Legislature finished their 60-day session on March 12 with less fanfare than usual. This year the Legislature’s work was overshadowed by the COVID-19 outbreak as it emerged during March.

During a short session year, lawmakers generally limit the number of policy bills they consider, and they approve a supplemental budget that adjusts the state’s two-year operating budget to address new developments and needs. 

WSDA received $3.2 million in additional funding for agency activities, bringing our total agency 2019-2021 biennial operating budget to $220.6 million. Here is a list of funds added by the supplemental budget bill, in descending order of dollar amounts.

Gypsy moth eradication - $518,000 federal and $176,000 state funds to treat areas of the state at where this destructive, invasive pest have been found. 

Burrowing shrimp grants - $650,000 for research to assist with the development of an integrated pest management plan to address burrowing shrimp in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, and facilitate continued shellfish cultivation. 

Food pantry storage - $500,000 to increase cold storage capacity for food pantries, food banks and regional emergency food system partners to manage increasing volumes of fresh and frozen foods, including from Washington producers.  

Wolf/livestock management grants - $320,000 for Northeast Washington Wolf Collaborative for increased range-riding activities in the Kettle Mountains in Ferry County north of U.S Highway 20. 

Soil health - $200,000 to continue the Washington Soil Health Initiative -- in partnership with Washington State University, and the State Conservation Commission, assess soil health baselines, and develop, evaluate and incentivize practices that improve soil health conditions across Washington’s diverse agricultural systems. 

Sustainable farms and fields - $126,000 to work with the State Conservation Commission in awarding grants that support carbon farming as a method to move excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and store them in soil and vegetation. 

Asian giant hornet eradication - $101,000 (state, plus federal funds that become available) to address the newly discovered insect pest that attacks and destroys honeybee hives. The world’s largest species of hornet were found near Blaine and Bellingham last year, the first-ever sightings in the United States. 

Farm to Food Pantry - $100,000 to expand this pilot assistance program that builds relationships between farmers and local hunger relief organizations to bring more locally grown food into food banks and food pantries for hungry people in need. 

Aerial herbicide - $87,000 to work with the departments of Health, Ecology, Labor & Industries, and Natural Resources, as well as other stakeholders, to evaluate pesticide investigation rules and processes. 

Ag negotiations - $81,000 (plus cost-recovery options) to facilitate negotiations between agricultural product handlers and accredited associations of pear producers regarding the sale, compensation, or production of pears, in addition to current work related to sweet corn and potatoes. 

Food forum - $58,000 to help WSDA continue participating fully in the food policy forum.

Because of the fiscal threat posed by the COVID-19 response, before signing the supplemental budget bill into law, Gov. Inslee vetoed sections that trimmed $235 million in state spending. 

Among the vetoes affecting WSDA were a review of alternatives for the pesticide chlorpyrifos, negotiating an agreement with USDA to conduct meat and poultry inspections, and a project related to compost use. 

In summary: The Washington State Legislature finished their 60-day session on March 12 with less fanfare than usual. During this short session, lawmakers approved a supplemental budget that provided WSDA with $3.2 million in additional funding for agency activities.

Providing access to those with limited English proficiency

Hector Castro and Hannah Flournoy
Communications and Administrative Regulations 

Government agencies, including WSDA, are obligated to ensure that people who have limited proficiency with the English language (Limited English Proficient or LEP) have meaningful access to information, programs, and services the agency provides. 

Providing LEP access is not only good customer service, it is also required by federal civil-rights laws. As a recipient of federal funds, WSDA must take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to LEP people. 

What does LEP mean? It means a person has a limited ability to speak, read, write or understand English. They may be able to speak English and understand it in some informal settings, but are limited in areas such as reading and writing, or understanding legal or technical language. It can also mean that a person self-identifies as LEP and asks for interpretation or translation assistance. 

Plan and policy

An agency workgroup with representatives from the Communications Office, Human Resources and Administrative Regulations has been collaborating on efforts to improve WSDA’s communication with Limited English Proficient (LEP) people. The group is working to develop an LEP plan and policy. 

Some of the key elements of the LEP plan include:

• Agency goals for improved LEP communication, both written and verbal.
• Guidance for programs to identify vital documents.
• Expectations for programs to translate vital documents. 
• Commitment to providing interpretation service when needed.
• Use of bilingual staff.

The LEP policy has not yet been adopted. The current draft would direct staff to follow the LEP plan as generally described above. It would authorize program managers to set the amount of language services provided, and it commits that WSDA will not charge customers or the public for language services. The draft policy would also create an LEP committee to monitor, assess and adjust the agency’s language activities. 

Programs will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft policy and plan before adoption. The schedule to complete the plan and policy was originally set for this summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted some of this work.

Over-the-phone language service

WSDA took a big step in recent weeks by choosing a new vendor to provide over-the-phone language interpretation services. Driven by a law change, the state established master contracts with new vendors and WSDA has identified Lionbridge as our primary service provider for phone-based language interpretation. 

As we transition to working with Lionbridge, training materials on how to use these services will be made available, including online training and webinars. Also, for your convenience, the vendor will provide wallet cards with the call-in number for service, and a space to add your program’s fund code. 

Lionbridge offers 24/7 service by qualified, certified interpreters. No more hunting around for a bilingual colleague if you find yourself speaking with an LEP customer. 

While Spanish will likely be the primary language we need, they offer access to hundreds of languages that can be interpreted. Expect to see more detailed information regarding this service in the coming weeks. 

In summary: Providing access to agency information and services in languages other than English is good customer services. It is also required by federal law. WSDA is taking steps to improve our communications with all customers and the public.