Farm and Ranch by Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Pend Oreille Ferry

Stevens

Bonner

Spokane

Lincoln

Grant

Boundary

Benewah Adams

Whitman

Shoshone

Latah Clearwater

Franklin Yakima

Garfield Columbia

Benton

Nez Perce

Asotin

Walla Walla

Lewis

Klickitat Umatilla

Wallowa

Morrow

Farm and Ranch Northwest

Kootenai

Idaho

Union

Baker

Inside this issue

Food and farm diagnostics Modern -day farmer faces modern-day needs Farm Bill holds new revenue safety plan Produced quarterly by Tribune Publishing Company

WINTER 2012

2 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

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LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS Pend Oreille

Ferry

Boundary

Stevens

Bonner

Spokane

Lincoln

Grant

Kootenai

Benewah Adams

Whitman

Shoshone

Latah Clearwater

Franklin Yakima

Garfield Columbia

Benton

Walla Walla

Asotin

Nez Perce Lewis

Klickitat Umatilla

Wallowa

Morrow

Idaho

Union

Farm and Ranch Northwest

Plant viruses

WSU research looks at simultaneous infections | 8

Change in the air

Washington wheat growers receive award for limited burning | 12

For the love of fruit Layne takes on lead role with WSU extension | 14

On the cover: Chuck Benbrook, a WSU researcher, is heading a project named Measure to Manage: Food and Farm Diagnostics for Sustainability and Health.

Northwest Farm and Ranch is published quarterly by the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News and printed at the Tribune Publishing Co. Inc.’s printing facility at 505 Capital St. in Lewiston. To advertise in Northwest Farm and Ranch, contact the Moscow-Pullman Daily News advertising department at 208.882.5561 or Advertising Manager Craig Staszkow at cstaszkow@dnews.com, or the Lewiston Tribune advertising department at 208.848.2216 or Advertising Director Fred Board at fboard@lmtribune.com. Editorial suggestions and ideas can be sent to Lee Rozen at lrozen@dnews.com or Doug Bauer at dbauer@lmtribune.com

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

Modern-day farmer faces modern-day needs Steve Camp advocates for biodiesel production and sustainability By William L. Spence Northwest Farm and Ranch

anaging fuel costs is an important consideration for any modern-day farmer, but for Steve Camp the issue has more to do with sustainability. Camp, a fifth-generation farmer who lives near LaCrosse, Wash., is a staunch advocate of biodiesel production, both as a way to improve soil health and as a matter of energy security. He currently grows camelina, an oilseed crop, on about 6 percent of his tillable acres. That yields enough biodiesel fuel to meet all his on-farm needs. “I started out growing camelina as a contract grower (about six years ago),” Camp said. “I was intrigued by its possibilities as a rotation crop. I eventually started making my own fuel. Now we’re 100 percent self-sustaining as far as diesel fuel.” Camelina and canola both produce a cold-tolerant biodiesel fuel, he said, and don’t require any kind of engine conversion to be usable. “It’s a direct replacement (for regular diesel),” Camp said. “On all the tests I’ve run on my equipment, I get better mileage and the engines run cooler. Vegetable oil has a higher lubricity than petroleum-based oils, so there’s less friction. I haven’t noticed any reduction in performance.” Camp uses a cold press process that leaves some oil in the meal byproduct after pressing. The meal is then sold as a feed supplement for livestock and chickens, while the oil goes through a processor. “Once you crush the seeds, you end up with about 65 percent meal and 35 percent oil,” he said. “The oil is filtered to remove any impurities. Then it’s heated to a specific temperature and a catalyst is added, which causes the glycerin to drop out of the vegetable

Contributed photo

LaCrosse farmer Steve Camp produces his own biodiesel fuel from camelina he grows. The fuel is used to power the farm’s vehicles. oil. It’s the glycerin that causes issues with biodiesel, because it can gum up an engine.” The remaining oil is filtered one last time. Depending on yield, Camp said, one acre of camelina can produce 60 gallons or more of usable biofuel. “Our farm averages about 1,200 pounds (of oilseed) per acre,” he said. “That yields about 62 gallons of fuel. If you get 1,500 pounds an acre, that’s about 70 gallons of fuel.” Besides producing his own biodiesel, Camp also cut his fuel consumption in half by switching to direct seeding. He sees both practices as a move toward greater sustainability. “Fertilizers and chemicals started to show up in the 1950s,” he said. “Before that, farmers did more crop rotations and made their own fertilizer by spreading manure. It was very labor intensive.” Chemicals and fertilizers changed that by increasing yields, reducing the need for crop rotations and enabling farmers to make more money for less effort. “We got lazy,” Camp said. “We’re looking at 60 years of that kind of farming. Now it’s coming back to bite

us. With the focus on cash crops, we haven’t been very good stewards of the land, and my generation is starting to see the results of that. The transition (to more sustainable practices) is starting to happen, and I feel biodiesel should be part of the process.” Spreading the gospel hasn’t been easy, though. In 2011, for example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency offered incentives of up to $100 per acre for Washington farmers to try growing camelina. Not a single grower signed on. A follow-up study by Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences concluded that farmers acted rationally, because they could make higher profits by sticking with their traditional rotation schemes. The lack of familiarity with camelina and availability of crop insurance or direct payments for competing crops also encouraged farmers to take a pass on the opportunity. Camp and Iowa-based Independence Energy Co. ran into similar reluctance earlier this year, when seeking commitments from local growers to produce at least 5,000 acres of cam-

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

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elina. farmers will be content The idea was to to stay on the sidebuild a processing lines. facility near Dusty “We need people and convince farmwith vision to step up ers there would be a and see the potential,” market for camelina, he said. “What I’d realCamp said, thereby ly like is for the local encouraging them to community to own and put it into their crop operate (the processing rotation scheme. facility). But we need Had enough farmers to get it off the ground committed, IEC would first and prove that it have provided processworks; that’s where ing equipment capable IEC comes in. of producing 48 tons “I don’t know how per day of biofuel. It to encourage farmers would have paid a set any more. I underprice for the oilseed stand their reluctance and offered growers — there have been two a 40 percent fuel disor three other manufaccount as well, but the turers in this area who proposal didn’t attract Steve Camp promised the world; sufficient interest. area farmer some took the money “It’s frustrating, and then left. But I’m a but we’re still plugfifth generation farmer ging away,” he said. “There’s a fair amount of interest in the concept. It’s here. I want this program to work just getting over the hump. Farmers and be solid. If you watch what the are a hard-nosed group and we don’t economy is doing, I think we need change easily. This appears to most to step up to the plate and take care of ourselves, because it’s not getting to be a significant change.” While camelina and biofuel pro- done on the government side.” duction is profitable, Camp said, it’s not as profitable as growing wheat. William Spence may be contacted at bspence@ So long as that’s the case, many lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.

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Camelina, similar to what Steve Camp grows on his farm near LaCrosse, Wash., is shown. Camp is a staunch advocate of biodiesel production, both as a way to improve soil health and as a matter of energy security.

6 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

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ich Koenig, recently appointed associate dean and director of extension at Washington State University, hopes to strengthen the relationship between the university and state to create more opportunities for students. “Really creating widespread opportunities for WSU students to participate in, and gain experience in …” he said, “so having that become more of a normal part of WSU extension operations.” Koenig said throughout his faculty career he has always held extension positions and loves the work done Koenig with extension, which prompted him to be interested in the position as 13,000 volunteers. director of the organization. Koenig said understanding the “Extension is really the outreach breadth and depth of extension is his arm of the university,” Koenig said. first short-term goal as director, and “It is responsible primarily for dis- plans to do that with a tour around seminating research information out the state beginning in January. to the residents of Washington.” He said the tour will be completed Before assuming his new role, in phases — hopefully finishing by Koenig had been the department the end of the year — since all 39 chair for crop and soil sciences since counties in the state work with WSU 2008, and began his tenure at WSU Extension. in 2003 when he was hired as a fac“There’s going to be a considerulty member and soil scientist. able amount of travel and absorption Koenig said he has the perspec- of knowledge from those program,” tive of a faculty member and admin- he said. istrator, and hopes he can use those Koenig said all the counties experiences to move extension for- also give financial support to WSU ward and maybe better understand Extension, as well as providing the how to fill the gaps. physical space. A portion of WSU “I had a strong connection to salaries in those areas come from extension as a faculty member in local support and in exchange, he that (crop and soil) department, and said, a pipeline of knowledge and what that did was allow me to have resources is established back to the insight into extension,” he said. university. While he knows a lot about exten“It’s a good partnership,” he said. sion in some areas, Koenig said he Connecting extension back to still has a lot to learn about the the WSU campus in Pullman is an program as a whole, which consists important aspect for Koenig, and of 700 paid employees and about he said he wants to directly link

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012 the degree requirements on campus to extension. He said he plans to do that by creating opportunities to establish internships for students all across the state that will be more accessible depending on the individual’s situation. Koenig said he also wants to improve electronic delivery presence within the organization, and because of budget cuts, will focus on strategic hiring. Even so, he said he has a vision for where extension will be in the next five years. “Heavily engaged in WSU, in disseminating or distributing information developed at WSU, and maybe recognized as a leader in distributing and developing these types of programs throughout the state and region,” he said. Elizabeth Rudd can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by email to erudd@dnews.com.

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 7

Farm Bill holds new revenue safety plan Insurance programs to replace direct payments By Eric Barker Northwest Farm and Ranch

armers are likely to find themselves operating under a new revenue safety net program if and when Congress approves a new fiveyear farm bill. The latest version of the bill is expected to save $25 billion over five years by replacing direct payment programs with crop and revenue insurance programs. The change will demand more numbercrunching time from producers who will have to wade through several crop and revenue insurance options to determine which is best for their operation. “Farmers are going to have to be more proactive and participate more fully in farm safety net than they have in the past,” said Kelly Olson, administrator of the Idaho Barley Commission. Gone will be the days when Olson said farmers didn’t have to do much to receive a payment for a portion of their

production. “It didn’t really require them to do anything. Based on historic crop records they got a guarantee payment from the government. That era is over,” she said. “It will be replaced by something Olson that is less of a guarantee and more of a supplement. Farmers are going to have to step in and buy their own revenue insurance and get something in addition to that as part of the farm safety net.” Gaining farmer support for replacing the direct payment program with insurance support hasn’t been easy, but it is generally backed by growers of the Pacific Northwest, said Travis Jones, executive director of the Idaho Grain Producers Association at Boise. “Its been a difficult road to get a unanimous position on that in Idaho. Some growers have supported direct payments, but as an association we adopted a policy that agrees to eliminate (direct payment) as long as we are able to maintain a robust crop insurance

program.” He said there is more political support outside of the agricultural community for the insurance program that requires producers to participate by putting in their own money along with some governmental support for premiums or deductibles. Paul E. Patterson, a University of Idaho extension economist at Idaho Falls, said the recent cycle of healthy commodity prices made direct payments politically unpalatable. But farmers continue to want something to guard against low price cycles in the future. “The direct payments are difficult to justify given where current markets are,” he said. “Most people do recognize in agriculture, things are cyclical and it’s impossible to predict those up and down cycles and what policymakers are trying to make sure is they have a mechanism in place that would provide some degree of safety net to growers when prices do decline.” Eric Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune. com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ ezebarker.

8 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

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genetic level when these types of viruses, called tospoviruses, combine inside a plant. According to statistics cited by the research team, tospoviruses could be By Holly Bowen responsible for as much as $1 billion per Northwest Farm and Ranch year in worldwide crop losses. Unlike fungi and bacteria, Pappu ome Inland Northwest crops could suffer at the hand of plant viruses said, viruses require a living host to that work together to weaken survive, so they cannot afford to be picky their hosts’ natural defenses, according about the plants they infect. “It’s very important for viruses to conto new research out of Washington State stantly expand their host range, or the University. number of different hosts “Especially if there’s they can infect,” he said. more than one virus in your “It basically comes down field, they can sometimes to survival of the fittest. help each other and make The more hosts they can the disease even worse,” infect, the better chances said Hanu Pappu, the of their survival.” Sam Smith Distinguished Researchers are Professor of Plant Virology always looking out for and chairman of the WSU new viruses and existing plant pathology departviruses that have expandment. ed their host range and The research journal want to get that informaPLOS ONE recently pubtion out to agricultural lished the findings, which producers, he said. were the result of a colPappu said it’s imporlaboration among Pappu; tant that growers know Sudeep Bag, a doctoral stuwhich viruses and viral dent at WSU; Sahar Eid, a vectors are in their region, former WSU student and a and which ones impact current postdoctoral fellow Hanu Pappu their crops and neighborat the University of Idaho; WSU professor ing crops, so appropriate and Neena Mitter, a professor at the University of Queensland in management strategies can be adopted. He said he doesn’t know if mixed Australia. Pappu said onions, potatoes and infections are a worsening problem, tree fruits are all examples of regional but he said he and other researchers crops that are susceptible to simultane- will continue to look into the “basis ous infection by more than one type of for the interaction between two viruses and what it’s actually doing to the host virus. “The outcome depends on the nature metabolism, the plant metabolism.” The key is learning how to interof the viruses coming together,” he said. His team found that when iris yellow fere with that interaction to reduce the spot virus and tomato spotted wilt virus impact of disease, he said. The research project was funded by infected the same plant — Datura stramonium, in this case — the two viruses the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s collaborated at the genetic level to facili- National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crops Research tate increased infection. Pappu said it’s not uncommon for Initiative, in addition to the National plants to be infected with multiple virus- Onion Association. The research paper, titled es, especially in the case of flowering crops that are propagated by bulb cut- “Complementation between Two Tospoviruses Facilitates the Systemic tings. “In many cases, they compete and Movement of a Plant Virus Silencing one will prevail, but in a few cases, they Suppressor in an Otherwise Restrictive end up helping each other, resulting Host,” can be accessed at PLOS ONE at in more serious disease,” he said of the this shortened link: http://goo.gl/o5PNK. viruses. Pappu said this research shows Holly Bowen can be reached at (208) 882-5561, for the first time what happens at the ext. 239, or by email to hbowen@dnews.com.

“

It basically comes down to survival of the fittest. The more hosts (viruses) can infect, the better chances of their survival.”

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

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Small- and large-scale producers find value in outside training By Brandon Macz Northwest Farm and Ranch

hether people want to learn the basics of cheese making or how to make their product a slice better than before, Russ Salvadalena says, the Washington State University Creamery can help. The Northwest is gaining a reputation for its cheese, and WSU is part of that with its Cougar Gold, which represents 80 percent of the creamery’s annual revenue. While the creamery safeguards secrets surrounding the cheese, it does offer classes to teach people how to craft many other varieties, said Salvadalena, creamery manager. A basic, three-day course Feb. 1921 in Chehalis, Wash., focuses on small farmers or artisans looking to distribute their own cheeses or become more knowledgeable about the process. “That’s where a vast majority of the artisinal cheese makers are,” Salvadalena said of the western Washington venue. “It’s a pretty big expense to have all the equipment to do that.” For a $529 early registration fee,

prospective cheese makers learn about the coagulating process, using cultures and enzymes, aging cheese and take a field trip to local producers to see how the industry operates. “The basic one is not complicated at all, said Salvadalena, and cheeses made typically consist of cheddar, a queso fresco and monterey, to name a few. Advanced courses are preferred by large-scale cheese makers who send their employees for outside training. The next one will be March 5-7 in Pullman. “We step out a little bit,” Salvadalena said, with other cheeses like mozzarella, havarti and gouda.

Everything but blue But never mold-ripened cheeses. “Once you bring mold into your plant, you’re always making blue cheese,” he said. “Even if you’re trying to make cheddar, you’re making blue cheese.” Making cheese from raw milk is also not promoted by the creamery as there are food safety issues with unpasteurized dairy. Participants will spend two days in the classroom and one day making

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Johnny Parkins, left, and Beth King rake Cougar Gold curds as part of the cheddaring process at Ferdinand’s Creamery at Washington State University in Pullman on Dec. 6.

10A | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

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Herd manager Logan Page pushes cattle grazing on the Finegold Creek Preserve toward another pasture on Nov. 26, 2012 near Friant, Calif. The preserve is owned by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, a Fresno-area land trust that’s raising its own beef herd to benefit the environment and to improve its bottom line.

Conservationists team up with ranchers, loggers Gosia Wozniacka Associated Press

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cheese, Salvadalena said. The early registration fee is $739. These courses are a way to gain knowledge but not the rigorous certification process the American Cheese Society offers with its cheese manufacturers exam, he said, which requires test takers to know a lot about the process, milk, aging, cheese characteristics and more. “We do give them a certificate that’s just something that shows they participated in a class,” Salvadalena said. “In a lot of cases, it’s something they can take back to their employer.” Nial Yager, who has worked at the Creamery for 24 years, is one of 126 certified cheese professionals in the country. “We bring in professionals from all over the world to help make all the

for locally raised, grass-fed meat in California’s Central Valley. But this isn’t a ranch. It’s a nature preserve managed by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, a Fresno-area land trust that protects ecosystems. The Conservancy says it is breaking new ground by raising its own beef herd, using cattle to benefit the environment and to improve its bottom line. different kinds of cheese,” said Yager. “Since they’re watching and teaching, there’s really no room for error.” The creamery is also offering a twoday pasteurization workshop aimed at plant operators, suppliers, marketers, managers and quality control specialists. It will be held April 3-4 in Pullman, and focuses on vat and hightemperature, short-time pasteurization systems. All of the courses are offered early in the year as the creamery does about two-thirds of its sales from Oct.15-Dec. 15, said Salvadalena. To learn more, go to this shortened link: http://bit. ly/12uSjSH. You can also contact Cathy Blood at blood.@wsu.edu. Brandon Macz can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 238, or by email to bmacz@dnews.com.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012 The beef operation is one of several novel approaches — cost-effective, though paradoxical — that marry conservation work with industries often held in low esteem by environmentalists. Across the nation, conservation groups in partnership with ranchers are using cattle to restore native plant species by grazing invasive grasses. Other groups are working with fishermen to fish sustainably, and using logging and mining profits to pave way for forest and salmon restoration. “There’s been a shift to working more with industries,” said Lynn Huntsinger, professor of rangeland ecology at the University of California, Berkeley. “This is a human landscape. We need food, we need wood, people are crazy about eating salmon. Working closely with those who produce on the land offers opportunities for ... teaching them about conservation.” In the past, conservationists relied on purchasing land and setting it aside, away from human activity. Logging, ranching or mining were seen as

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

harmful and incompatible with preservation. But in recent years, the use of conservation easements to retire development rights on private land has exploded. The easements, which cost a fraction of what it would cost to buy the property, allow landowners to continue working the land. In areas where nearby urban development has pushed up land values, conservation easements can provide an alternative solution to ranchers who might be tempted to sell their holdings, said Daniel Press, a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Conservationists “have found that allowing, or even encouraging or designing some way of making money off of properties is the only way to keep them from being degraded further or developed outright,” Press said. At the Conservancy — which owns about 6,500 acres of land in Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa counties and manages another 20,000 acres for ranchers with easements and for public agencies — allowing ranching on its land was once

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controversial. But over the past decade, studies have shown that cattle grazing can help the land, especially vernal pools, temporary collections of water that provide crucial habitat for native plants and invertebrates, said executive director Jeannette TuiteleLewis. “If we don’t graze the foothills, then the European grasses end up choking out a lot of the native plants and it really decreases the biodiversity of the habitat,” Tuitele-Lewis said. So-called conservation grazing is increasingly used by land trusts and public agencies on preserves and on private ranches throughout the U.S., she said. Most lease land to ranchers, but the Conservancy took the practice a step further. Two years ago, it started its own beef herd under the label Sierra Lands Beef. The group now runs about 300 cows on 1,800 acres of land. The beef operation provides an additional revenue stream, Tuitele-Lewis said, and allows greater control over grazing management. The conservancy’s herds-

men transport the cattle, five head at a time, to Fresno State University’s slaughterhouse to be butchered, processed and boxed. They then deliver the grass-fed beef to customers. “We’re creating a bridge between conservation and the local economy,” Tuitele-Lewis said. Other conservationists are teaming up with private timber investors such as the Lyme Timber Company based in New Hampshire. The company acquires quality habitat that doubles as timberland, gives up development rights by selling conservation easements to land trusts and public agencies throughout the U.S., then logs the land in a sustainable way to generate an income. Timber is harvested at or below the annual rate of growth, said Peter Stein, the company’s managing director, and harvesting methods are third party certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The approach is key, Stein said, as conservationists aim to preserve larger tracts of land — in the hundreds of acres —

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 11

which are too expensive to buy outright. The Nature Conservancy is also partnering with the timber industry in California and Alaska to restore salmon by felling trees to create stream habitat. The group has also partnered with the fishing industry. It bought out fishing permits in California and in Maine to protect millions of acres of ocean habitat, then leased the permits back to fishermen who agreed to fish sustainably. “We’ve come to the realization that you don’t try to do everything yourself. You catalyze the adoption of practices by having ranchers, fishermen and logging companies adopt them, so that you can have widespread impact,” said the group’s North and Central Coast Director Brian Stranko. But ecologist George Wuerthner says such approaches do more harm than good. “Given all the impacts associated with these operations, it’s troubling to call it conservation,” said Wuerthner, who works for the California nonprofit Foundation for Deep Ecology.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Washington wheat growers receive award for limited burning By Estelle Gwinn Northwest Farm and Ranch

he Washington Association of Wheat Growers was recognized in November for cutting their field burning to improve the quality of Washington’s air. After 20 years of working with environmental groups, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the agricultural burning task force, the WAWG received an environmental excellence award for their efforts to eliminate smoky days while maintaining burning as a tool for farming in Eastern Washington. “We have worked as a team to make

our internationally recognized smoke management and permitting program successful in Washington and a model for others,” Grant Pfeifer, regional director for DOE, said in a statement. The agricultural burn program considers weather conditions such as wind and air quality. It also asked farmers to pay higher burn fees, which many farmers supported “We went to bat at the legislature and said we would support a fee increase,” Jay Penner said. Penner is a wheat grower and member of the Agricultural Burning Task Force who has worked on the burning issue for 14 years. The task force is the only

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The Washington Association of Wheat Growers was recognized in November with an environmental excellence award for their efforts to eliminate smoky days while maintaining burning as a tool for farming in Eastern Washington. entity that can raise the burn fee, which increased from $2.50 to $3.75 per acre. “This is a tool the farmers want to keep. It wasn’t a real tough sell because they knew what they were up against,” Penner said. If there was no fee increase

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farmers would lose two of their seven burn days. “We’re the government and we’re the regulators, so for us it’s quite an honor that the folks who use the program would actually come forward, step up

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012 and support the program even though they’re the ones who pay,” Kary Peterson said. Peterson is the burn team leader at ecology, who makes decisions 365 days a year on whether or not farmers can burn. By burning when weather conditions are right and raising fees for farmers with burning permits, the number of acres burned in the state has actually gone down. Penner said some farmers are moving toward new technology or alternative methods for clearing field residue. The acreage started going down in 1999, when the Washington DOE signed a memorandum of understanding with WAWG to reduce burning by half within seven years. The number of acres burned decreased from 229,000 acres to 114,250. “We’ve improved very much the system we burn under today rather than 20 years ago,” Penner said, although it was not an easy road. It began in the late 1990’s with a lawsuit filed by Save

Our Summers, a northwest environmental group that was unhappy with the smoky air. The group’s suit posed a threat to the number of days farmers could burn. Farmers were eager to defend their burn days and went into mediation with Save Our Summers. “It was a very frustrating process,” Penner said. “In the summer of 2000 we mediated 13 times.” As a result of the mediation, cereal grain burning was protected. After the seven year agreement to reduce burning expired, WAWG continued to work cooperatively with ecology and improve air conditions in eastern Washington. The burning task force continues to research best practices for field burning and give funding to research groups working to improve burning and/or find an alternative to field burning. Estelle Gwinn can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by email to egwinn@dnews.com.

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 13

USDA conservation program reaches 50 million acre mark BOISE — In the last four years, conservation-minded farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in Idaho have enrolled more than a half-million acres in USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program, a program that helps landowners take conservation to the next level. The program is offered through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The program is aimed at producers who are already established conservation stewards,” NRCS acting state conservationist Gene Schock said. “Conservation work aided by the program benefits working agriculture lands, including improved water and soil quality and enhanced wildlife habitat.” From improving soil health to sending cleaner water downstream, this program is improving the environment, including the landscape here in Idaho. Mark Olson, NRCS district conservationist in Salmon, Idaho, said a landowner’s existing level of conservation is examined and before being given suggestions on practices that “can take them up to the next level.” One practice Olson has worked with land-

owners on is split nutrient applications. Nutrients are applied in the spring and summer instead of just the spring. This can affect water quality downstream in case there is any nutrient runoff. Other practices used in the area include rotating salt and mineral placement on grazing lands, removing fish barriers, fencing off riparian areas, and harvesting hay in a manner that lets animals escape. For more information, look into the Conservation Stewardship Program at your local NRCS office or go online. A CSP selfscreening checklist is available to help determine if CSP is suitable for your operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements and payment types. It is available from local NRCS offices and on the CSP website: http://go.usa.gov/g9dx. Nationally, more than 50 million acres are enrolled in CSP, an area larger than Nebraska. — U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

For the love of fruit

Desmond Layne takes on lead role with fruit trees at Washington State extension By Joel Mills Northwest Farm and Ranch

rom a childhood watching his father breed fruit trees for the Canadian government to his new leadership position with Washington State University extension, Desmond Layne has been a fruit guy his whole life. “The area where I grew up in Ontario near Lake Erie was all fruit,” Layne said by phone from his soonto-be former office at Clemson University in Layne South Carolina. “As a high school kid, the only summer jobs that were available that you could ride your bike to were fruit farms.” Layne was in the orchards every summer through his college years, and eventually followed in his father’s footsteps as a fruit breeder. Now one of the world’s leading experts in tree fruit horticulture, Layne doesn’t shy away using the word “love” to describe his relationship with his field of study. “First of all, I love to eat fruit,” he said. “I love the science of growing it. I love understanding how the plant functions, and love the fact that it’s providing delicious, nutritious food for people. It’s a vital part of life.” Layne has become one of the preeminent peach experts in the Southeast during his years at Clemson, but he

Associated Press

Dorisel Estevez of Kennewick harvests Pink Lady apples Nov. 8 at Predator Ridge Orchard off Glade Road about 20 miles north of Pasco, Wash. said he couldn’t pass up an “unprecedented opportunity” to join an expanding team at WSU that aims to be the top tree fruit research and

extension hub for the world. “For a career opportunity for me professionally, it’s really outstanding to be able to interact with really excel-

lent scientists and innovative growers in a climate where there’s very, very strong collaboration between scientists and the industry.”

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012 He said the coopadded. erative work being But the indusdone between the try’s endowments university adminand other funding istration, its extenefforts will help sion services, and create stable prothe Washington grams, he said. fruit industry is “It demonstrates virtually unknown, that there’s a huge in his experience. level of trust, that In fact, the there’s a huge level industry itself is of commitment to funding Layne’s those who will do Yakima-based the research and WSU faculty posioutreach.” tion with an endowAnd WSU will ment. He said such continue to add action will help faculty members create and sustain and support staff to innovative fruit the effort, eventubreeding programs ally creating what Desmond Layne that will survive Layne called an WSU extension and grow for years, “all-star team.” while fruit research He is also excitin other regions is in decline. ed about expanding his expertise “Other programs in the coun- beyond stone fruits into pom fruits try are either static and positions like apples and pears, and to work aren’t being filled, or there is very with an industry that is so much minimal investment from the uni- larger than the one he’s been supversity to support applied research porting in the Southeast. and extension, or there are state cut“This is a phenomenal opportubacks,” he said. nity. Perhaps once in a lifetime.” Federal research expenditures are also down, and the remaining fund- Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or ing is getting harder to secure, Layne (208) 883-0564.

“

It’s really outstanding to be able to interact with really excellent scientists and innovative growers in a climate where there’s very, very strong collaboration between scientists and the industry.”

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 15

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16 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Massive Napa do-over prompts grape plant shortage By Tracie Cone Associated press

SAN FRANCISCO — Napa Valley, one of the world’s premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: not enough new grapevine root stock is available to supply the massive replanting that’s under way there. A trifecta of developments has created the critical shortage: Aging cabernet vines planted after a deadly phylloxera outbreak in the 1980s are due for replacement that was deferred for years as sales of premium wines slumped in the recession. With demand again strong, growers are taking the opportunity to replace old vines with varieties and clones better suited for their microclimates. Others are reconfiguring rows to prevent erosion into

sensitive streams, or to allow mechanical harvesting machinery to access vines. All of this activity caught commercial nurseries across California short of supply. Some are sold out for 2013 and are taking orders for 2014 and beyond. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Michael Monette of Sunridge Nurseries, one of the industry’s biggest Associated Press suppliers of plants. “What’s totally phenomenal for me is I’m focusing on 2014 Vineyard manager Chris Pedemonte walks with his dog between Cabernet and 2015, which is absolutely nutso. Sauvingnon vines that were recently pulled up at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford, We have no more space in our green- Calif., on Dec. 13. houses.” That replanting of new clones on more Napa Valley, an hour’s drive north- that most new growers used was not east of San Francisco, caught the world’s fully resistant to the root-eating phyl- resistant rootstock are the vines on which the Napa Valley’s current reputation for attention in 1976 when, to the shock and loxera pest. Nearly two-thirds of the vines there excellence was sealed. Today wines from chagrin of the French, wines from Stag’s Leap and Chateau Montelena won the slowly died, and vineyard owners yanked Napa Valley’s 16 sub-appellations are Paris Wine Tasting. The ensuing rush to millions of plants beginning around 1990 some of the most complex and priciest produced. plant was cut short when the rootstock then spent $1.2 billion replacing them.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012 After 20 years, however, plants reach old age and yields begin to diminish in a region where a ton of grapes can fetch $4,500 or more. Growers routinely replace plants, but the convergence of events has created an urgency that prompted the Napa Valley Grapegrowers to gather experts last week to talk about planning, plant financing and even preventing erosion during the process in a region of sensitive habitat. “The defining feature of this movement is the scale at which it is taking place,” said Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the association. “That nurseries are sold out is unprecedented. That an industry is reinvesting in itself right now is a sure sign we’re coming out of the recession.” Mondavi alone is in the process of planting 1.5 million new vines, she said. One vineyard management company alone removed 8,000 acres this year. “A lot has changed since the phylloxera replanting,” said Putnam. “We’ve learned more

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

480-acre Trefethen Family Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District. “Growers were quiet for a number of years, but now we have a lot more optimism. Now wineries want grapes and growers are like, ‘Shoot, I should have planted a few years ago.”’ Trefethen was founded in 1968 when there were just 15 wineries in the Napa Valley. Since the phylloxera replanting, they’ve learned more about the types of vines suited to the soil and the trellis structure that Associated Press best supports them. Cabernet A vineyard that was grafted with Cabernet Sauvignon earlier this sauvignon grapes that ripen in year at Trefethen Family Vineyards in Napa, Calif., is shown. Napa the shade can taste like bell pepValley has an uncommon problem these days: Not enough new pers, but those with low vigor and clusters exposed to direct grape root stock to go around. sunlight can develop a raisinabout the soil, and what variet- onto native North American like flavor. Ruel says changing rooties might be better suited for a grape plant roots, which are site, maybe the row orienta- naturally resistant to phyllox- stock, as he is doing, is like tion should change. We’re at era. Botanists further tweak rotating crops — you end up the beginning of a wave of rootstocks to resist local pests with a plant that is more resischange.” and disease, or to control the tant to whatever pests and disease exist in the soil. While grapes can grow by vigor of the vines. “Every time you replant you simply planting a cane in the “It has been 23 years since ground, those plants will not be 1990, so that’s a lot of acreage have the opportunity to do it resistant to pests and disease. coming due,” said Jon Ruel, smarter,” said Ruel, who will Nurseries graft European vines chief operating officer at the replace 40 acres a year until

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 17 his redo is complete. “It’s really an exciting time because it’s an opportunity to reinvest in our vineyard with a better understanding of how we can produce the best possible grapes and in a sustainable fashion as well.” Most of the new plantings going on across Napa Valley are cabernet sauvignon, the varietal for which the region is most associated, Monette said. But others are planting rising stars petit verdot, malbec and petite sirah for blending. Beckstoffer Vineyards is looking at new rootstock and clones as cabernet vines are replaced on more than 200 acres. They’ve placed some orders for 2014 delivery. “We’ve been developing for two years when (grape) prices were low because we saw they would come back. We’d rather have fruit available than wait two years for it, even when prices were very low,” David Beckstoffer said. “Replanting is expensive, but when prices are where you want them to be your investment pays off.”

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18 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

Filling the science-based info void on food safety

An overweight person is shown eating. Despite widespread attention on the nation’s obesity issue, many Americans aren’t changing their diet habits.

Armed with a $240,000 grant, WSU researchers look to launch website By Kathy Hedberg Northwest farm and Ranch

ooking for information on food safety, the nutritional quality of food or the effect of farming on the environment? Although articles on these topics abound in the popular media, accurate, science-based information is sparse. It’s the goal of a group of Washington State University researchers to remedy that situation. Armed with a threeyear $240,000 grant from the Clif Bar Family Foundation, Chuck Benbrook, a WSU researcher in sustaining agriculture and natural resources, plans to launch a website that will answer such questions for scientists, as well as consumers. The project is named Measure to Manage: Food and Farm Diagnostics for Sustainability and Health. “On all these topics there’s a ton of information, but it’s not organized and accessible to nonscientists in a way that can help people make more informed decisions about the food they eat, the farming systems they choose and the technologies that farmers decide to use,” Benbrook said. With all the discussion in the media about the problems of obesity and diabetes, one would think the American public would be changing their diet to promote health, he said.

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science is clearly showing about what is right and wrong about the American food system and the American diet.” Benbrook said his program intends to draw on the science that’s already available and integrate it into simple, Web-based tools that people can use to think through ways to improve

their health by altering their diets in ways that are medically sound. And as for farmers, Benbrook said they are being “pushed and shoved” by a number of factions — federal and state regulations; retailers, big food companies and consumers. “In the midst of all this new-found

Share a story | Market your business Be a part of Northwest Farm and Ranch in 2013 See Page 4 to learn how you can suggest a story idea or advertise your business in our upcoming editions of Northwest Farm and Ranch

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

| Friday, December 21, 2012 | 19

“

There’s a disconnect between what science is clearly showing about what is right and wrong about the American food system and the American diet.”

CLIF BAR FAMILY FOUNDATION  The organization provided Washington State

University a $240,000 grant. Learn more about its mission at www.clifbarfamilyfoundation.org

Chuck Benbrook WSU researcher

A health worker takes a blood sample from a diabetic patient’s hand at a free blood sugar checking station. activism that is focusing on the choices farmers make, the farmers themselves often don’t know how to interpret what’s behind a lot of the kinds of recommendations or claims or requirements that they’re being hit with,” he said. The long-term goal of the project

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state from being led down a primrose path.” Benbrook expects the Website to be up and ready to use by spring. “This is a long-term project,” he said. “We’re going to build two versions — one for technical specialists and one for consumers. If you try to meet the needs of both audiences with one system you end up not meeting either needs very well. We’re going to build parallel portals for all of these tools.” Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail. com or (208) 983-2326.Associated Press

20 | Friday, December 21, 2012 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Winter 2012

lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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