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Department of Ecology News Release - October 30, 2001
01-187
OLYMPIA - Dairy farms in Grant, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Snohomish and Yakima counties will be recognized with "Contribution to Clean Water" awards this year.
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is honoring the dairies for their efforts and success at keeping manure and contaminated dairy runoff out of waterways.
"I respect and admire the extra efforts the award-winning operators give every day to help our environment and protect water quality," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons.
During the next couple of months, Ecology will give the dairies their awards at local conservation-district meetings. The winners are:
Andrew and Linda Styger Dairy - located in Chehalis in Lewis County. The herd of 100 cows is a family-owned operation that has been in business since 1919. One of the farm's innovative protection measures involves moving the fences in response to the changing flows in the Chehalis River. The owners move the fences to ensure an adequate buffer is between the farm and the river when the flows in the river increase.
Callahan Dairy - located in Royal City in Grant County. The herd of 650 cows is a family-owned operation that has been in business since 1998. The farm's innovative and voluntary management practices make it an award-winning dairy.
Olympic View Dairy - located in Montesano in Grays Harbor. The herd of 325 cows is a family-owned operation that has been in business since the 1920s. The dairy asked Ecology for an inspection to ensure it was doing all the right things to manage dairy manure. The department found the dairy in top working order. This year, the owners added 65 acres to safely spread treated manure.
Pride & Joy Dairy - located in Granger in Yakima County. The herd of 200 cows is a family-owned operation that has been in business since 1978. The farm is unique in the modern age of dairy farming because it puts its cows in pastures versus a confined area and it does not apply commercial fertilizers to its pastures.
Youngren Farms - located in Stanwood in Snohomish County. The herd of more than 1,100 cows is a family-owned operation that has been in business since 1950. Due to the recent increase in herd size, the farm constructed a second manure storage pond to properly manage waste water and to better protect the quality of surface and underground waters.
Ecology started the dairy-award program in 1999 to recognize farmers who take extra care to keep pollution out of streams and underground water.
CONTACT: Mary Getchell, Public Information Manager, (360) 407-6157; pager, (360) 534-8590
Editor's Note: Most awards will be presented at public meetings. For information about the time and location of presentations in your community, contact Mary Getchell, (360) 407-6157.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
