Northwest Farm and Ranch - Spring, 2013

Page 1

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

New oil on the market Microloan program catches on with small-scale farms Farm to School programs continue to show success Produced quarterly by Tribune Publishing Company

SPRING 2013

2 | Thursday, February 28, 2013

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013 Pend Oreille Ferry

Stevens

Bonner

Spokane

Lincoln

Grant

Boundary

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

Wine studies

WSU works with industry to fund research | 7

Pondering pot

Legal marijuana in Colorado, Washington poses growing dilemma | 13

Logging for pure oils Young Living finds profit in Idaho trees | 6

On the cover: Camelina crop raised in Ritzville, Wash., on the Greenwalts’ 320acre farm that will be pressed into oil for cooking and cosmetics. | 12

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 Kim Burner at kburner@lmtribune.com. Editorial suggestions and ideas can be sent to Lee Rozen at lrozen@dnews.com or Doug Bauer at dbauer@lmtribune.com

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 3

USDA may raise its rates for CRP land Move hopes to halt decline in users of land reserve program By Eric Barker for Northwest Farm and Ranch

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will consider raising the rates it pays farmers to keep environmentally sensitive land out of rotation. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak said the department will review rental rates for the Conservation Reserve Program at the same time he announced the program would soon open a new four-week sign up. The May 20 to June 14 enrollment period marks the first general sign up for the program since the farm bill was extended in an early January fiscal cliff deal. The farm bill had expired at the end of last fiscal year and temporarily closed the door on new enrollments. The program, commonly referred to as CRP, pays farmers to enter into 10- to 15-year governmental contracts in which they agree to keep land sensitive to erosion or valuable to wildlife or water quality planted with grasses or other vegetation that stabilizes soil. Participation in the voluntary program is off a bit as high commodity prices have lured growers to convert CRP ground to crops as their contracts expire. “We are in the process of updating CRP rental rates to have them reflect local market conditions to the extent we can,” said Matthew Ponish, acting director of Conservation and Environmental Programs at the Farm Service Agency in Washington, D.C. “Enrollment has declined mainly due to increased demand for commodities.” He said the agency tries to keep rental rates competitive but acknowledged there is sometimes a lag in periods of climbing crop prices. The farm bill provides for a maximum of 32 million acres in the program. At the end of January, about 27 million acres were enrolled, with contracts for 3.3 million acres set to expire at the end of the fiscal year. In Idaho there are 622,000 acres under contract, with about 67,000 or 11 percent set to expire. Washington has 1.46 million acres under contract, with about 17 percent or 253,000 expiring and Oregon has an enrollment of 546,000 acres, with 11 percent or 56,000 acres set to expire. Officials at the Farm Service Agency,

Barry Kough/Tribune

Rates of reimbursement might increase for farmers keeping certain areas out of production in the Conservation Reserve Program. which administers the program, said they hope the expected price adjustment will make it an attractive alternative for growers. “We don’t have a quota, we just want to make sure we provide everybody an opportunity to enroll in the program and, if they are eligible, get those acres enrolled and start produc-

ing those (environmental) benefits,” Ponish said. Vilsak announced the price adjustment and open enrollment at Pheasant Fest, the national convention of the hunting and conservation See CRP, Page 23

4 | Thursday, February 28, 2013

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

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Applications for next year’s USDA grants to fund Farm to School programs are now available online and due April 24. Farm to School is broadly defined as a program that connects schools (kindergarten-12th) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers. Each year, $5 million in federal grants are awarded nationally to Farm to School programs that connect schools with local agriculture operations and teach kids where their food comes from. Projects range from farm-school matchmaking to school gardens and in-class curriculum.

“Many of the schools who are most successful, are funding it from their own budget,� said Tricia Kovacs, Farm to School lead in Washington. Where state and local funds are limited, federal grants keep programs moving forward. Of the three grants available, two are intended for schools or school districts. Planning grants assist schools that are beginning to incorporate elements of the Farm to School program into their current operation. Implementation grants support schools with established Farm to School programs for development purposes. The third type, support service grants, provide overall support or development of existing programs. This grant is available for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of producers and nonprofit entities working with schools or school districts.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013 Three webinars focusing on each type of grant, will be offered free of charge Tuesday, Wednesday and March 7. They provide an overview of the Farm to School Grant Program, along with what the USDA is looking for, how to apply, the constraints and requirements of the program and what to expect upon award of a grant. “It’s a really valuable resource, especially for those who haven’t applied for grants in the past. It walks you through the priorities and what will make it a strong application,” Kovacs said. Washington’s Farm to School program was awarded grant money for 2013, after the program lost all state funding in 2011. The grant enables the program to operate at the state level, providing assis-

tance to schools through pilot work, developing procurement guides and providing regional mobile workshops that educate schools and farmers about the options in implementing the program. Schools in Walla Walla and Cheney in Washington and Rigby in Idaho were also awarded grant money for 2013. Although the Idaho program has some state funding, it relies heavily on the partnership between the federal agriculture and education departments. Just as in Washington, the program in Idaho is uniquely tailored to each community. “Farm to School has to be very flexible in order to work,” said Leah Clark, Farm to School lead in Idaho. The program doesn’t have sign-up procedures

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 5 or minimum participation requirements. It’s a complicated process, between school nutrition requirements and food purchases. “It’s very much voluntary. It’s up to the school, the district, the parents, the cafeteria, the students — it has to be a community effort,” Clark added. Successful programs depend on highly motivated staff or volunteers who are making connections in the agriculture community and adjusting lunch menus for seasonality. It is a complicated process, but schools and agriculture producers that do participate generally agree the partnership effort is worthwhile. “According to the pilot projects we’ve done, we have seen an economic benefit to the program,” Clark said. Idaho pilot schools in Coeur d’Alene, Boise

and Marsing saw savings in food transportation costs by using local fall fruits: apples, pears and peaches. Schools aren’t the only ones to benefit. Developing table grape farms in southwest Idaho are too small to market in grocery stores. Through the Farm to School program, they’ve developed a market by partnering with local schools. “They’re delicious

grapes — the kids are loving them, and these growers don’t have to go out and find a new market every year for their product,” Clark said. Beyond economic incentives for the program, schools in Washington cite the value of the community connection and the quality of produce. Producers value the positive effect on kids’ health and having markets closer to

home. The Farm to School grant request for applications, links to the webinars and additional information are online at http://www.fns.usda. gov/cnd/f2s/. Washington applicants can contact Kovacs at (206) 256-6150 to notify her of their program and request. Michelle Schmidt may be reached by email at themichelleschmidt@gmail.com.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Logging for pure oils By Brandon Macz for Northwest Farm and Ranch

There are a lot of claims about the healing powers of essential oils, which has proven a lucrative market for Young Living. Grossing $250 million last year and with 260,000 distributors worldwide, the essential oils company is always looking for the best trees and flowers to harvest. It happens that many can be found on 1,200 acres of land in St. Maries, where trees are cut and processed locally. “The oils themselves are very healing,” said Dale Billeter, director of farms for Young Living. Typical uses are for aching muscles, respiratory conditions, skin conditions and aromatherapy. “They cover a wide range of conditions that we try to help with.” Young Living employs 450 in its farms and distilleries worldwide, harvesting balsam, fir, Idaho blue spruce, western red cedar and North American pine in St.

Maries, along with lavender and Melissa flowers. Billeter said harvesting takes place between December and January because oils in trees recedes into the roots during warmer seasons. “We will cut them down and put them in a large chipper,” he said. “We load the chips into large cookers and, based on the type of tree it is, there’s a certain type of pressure and temperature to extract the oil.” One cooker can yield six to 10 liters of oil depending on the tree, which has to be at least 8 years old to grow large enough to be worth extraction. “Every time we cut down trees, we go back and we replant trees,” said Billeter, adding 56,000 trees were replanted last March. “This year we’ll do the same again. … It’s a pretty expensive process to get that little oil from so much. That’s why we like the distributors to come up and see the process.” Distributors from around the world come to St. Maries to watch and learn about the extraction process, which helps them better market the oils, and to work with Young Living’s logging horses. They are used for harvesting balsam trees,

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Percheron horses haul balsam trees during harvest at the Young Living farm in St. Maries. which grow too close together for conventional logging methods. “We go in with chain saws and cut them down and we have three teams of Percheron horses that we have come and pull them out,” Billeter said. “As far as we know, we’re the only company

that now uses horses to do logging. It’s kind of a lost art.” He added Young Living founder and Idaho native, Gary Young, was the one See OILS, Page 23

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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 7

WSU works with wine industry to fund research Science center on Tri-Cities campus needs just $4M more By Estelle Gwinn for Northwest Farm and Ranch

After raising $250,000 with the Auction of Washington Wines, Washington State University’s wine research program was able to establish an endowed chair and has been growing ever since. It’s been almost a year since WSU teamed up with the auction and the Washington Wines Festival to raise $160,000, the final payment for an endowed chair in the Viticulture and Enology Program, and $90,000 for wine research. Sherri Swingle, executive director of the auction, said the investment in research would be good leverage for the program since a lot of federal funding and grants require existing funds. “We’re hoping these monies will bridge the gap for other funding,� Swingle said. The decision to invest in WSU wine research was not a difficult one, Swingle said. WSU’s program accounts for nearly all the wine research done in the state. “WSU is really on the forefront of research,� she said. “They’re really focused on becom-

ing a world-renowned nership with the auction research facility for wine allowed WSU to increase science.� its investment in research The research funding and Henick-Kling expects has yet to be allocated, it to continue growing. said Thomas Henick- He said the partnership Kling, who was the received the result of too endowed many wine chair posiauctions tion, worth being held, $1.5 million. resulting in Henickthe industry Kling is competing also a WSU with itself. professor “That’s and director not in anyof the probody’s intergram. est really,� To reche said. eive fund“It’s a lot of ing, reswork and earchers costs money go through to put these a competievents on. tive process It just made where they more sense submit proto have one posals to the very good Washington event.� W i n e W S U Advisory will join the Committee. annual aucResearch tion again subjects this August range from and they are Thomas Henick-Kling irrigation considering m a n a g e - Director and professor of teaming up ment to Washington State University with the grapevine Auction of wine research program viruses to Washington microbiology. Formal Wine to put on an addipresentations begin tional event in Tri-Cities March 1. or Spokane. Fundraising The university’s part- events have become

“

That support is really important because tuition has gone up significantly and federal funding for research has been cut severely. The industry is trying to step in and fill the funding gaps we see in university programs.�

increasingly important for the program to support its students, HenickKling said. “That support is really important because tuition has gone up significantly and federal funding for research has been cut severely,� he said. “The industry is trying to step in and fill the funding

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Microloan program catches on with small-scale farms Farm Service Agency introduced program in January

“

By Michelle Schmidt

The small farmer movement has been impressive. It’s not just a hobby, many of the young farmers are very committed and producing a large amount. The idea of this loan is to help them be successful.”

Dick Rush Executive director of Idaho Farm Service Agency

for Northwest Farm and Ranch

Small-scale farmers have quickly taken notice of the new USDA microloan program now offered through local Farm Service Agency offices. Released on Jan. 15 of this year, the microloans target small and startup agriculture operations, providing loans under $35,000. With a simplified application and current interest rate of 1.13 percent, this loan is making operating and expansion more accessible to less-traditional farming operations. “What we’re finding is that there’s a whole group of beginning and niche farmers, a lot of folks with just a few acres. They aren’t the kind of borrower a bank would normally deal with. So these loans have really taken off,” said Dick Rush, executive director of Idaho Farm Service Agency. In the month since they’ve been released, 414 microloans have been approved nationally. Nine have been

from Idaho. Farm Service Agency offices confirm there’s been a lot of interest by farmers in this new loan offering, even in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington, which are dominated by traditional largescale farms that rely primarily on bank financing. “There is really a market for those who want to produce locally for farmers markets or those just getting started,” said Bardell Faux, farm loan manager at the Nez Perce County Farm Service Agency office in Lewiston. Four microloans have been approved through the Nez Perce Farm Service Agency office and another four are in process. Flexibility is the strongest feature of the new program. Because the focus of the program is to empower qualified agriculture operations, the types of operations considered are much broader than previous types of loans. In the Nez Perce office, Faux cites a variety of operations that have

applied for the microloan. Some loans have been for small-scale beef operations looking to add to their herd or make improvements. Others have been for niche markets, those growing berries and organic vegetables that will be sold at local farmers markets and stores. Yet another loan was for a new grain farmer who had access to equipment, but needed money to lease land for growing with the hope of expanding. Because the loans are for beginning or small-scale operations, many who have applied locally have other sources of income and just want to develop what they have. Larger, established farms are seldom eligible for these loans, except in new partnership situations, perhaps with the new generation of farmers. The microloan is not available for farm operations that are eligible for any kind of loan elsewhere. Flexibility is also an aspect of what the Farm Service Agency considers when it comes to the agriculture experience required for loan approval. Experience can be defined traditionally, but can also range from small

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business experience to self-guided apprenticeship. Those with limited farm experience will be required to work with a mentor. “These are supervised loans, which means we follow up with borrowers. We’ll go visit their farm, go through records with them,” Rush said. He added this arrangement has been valuable to beginning farmers and is at least partially responsible for the historically low delinquency rates of Farm Service Agency loans. The microloan can be used for a variety of approved operating expenses, including startup expenses, operating costs such as seed or fertilizer, purchasing equipment and other farm improvements, marketing and distribution, as well as family living expenses. Loan terms vary, depending on the type of loan. If one strength of the loan is flexibility, the other strength of the loan is its simplicity. “We tried to reduce the red tape as much as we could,” Rush said. Doing so meant modifying the loan application from 17 pages to eight, along with changing the eligibility and security requirements to make it more accessible to qualified operations. “The small farmer movement has been impressive. It’s not just a hobby, many of the young farmers are very committed and producing a large amount,” Rush said. “The idea of this loan is to help them be successful.”

Steve Hanks/Tribune

Small scale farmers who sell goods at farmers markets can get low cost loan help for expansion from the federal government.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

USDA offers loans to farmers who grow for locals Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With interest in locally grown food soaring, the federal government said Tuesday it has created a small loan program to help community farmers who might not be able to borrow money from banks. Call it seed money. The low-interest “microloans” of up to $35,000 are designed to aid startup costs, bolster existing family-run farms and help minority growers and military veterans who want to farm. Over the last three years, there has been a 60 percent increase in local growers who sell directly to consumers or farmers markets, Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Kay Jensen, an organic farmer who grows broccoli, strawberries and tomatoes in Sun Prairie, Wis., saw two immediate benefits from the program — paperwork would go from about 30 pages to seven, and it would be easier to borrow a manageable sum. She said she might consider a loan for $3,000 to $10,000 to expand her irrigation systems.

“A lot times what we need is just small amounts of money, but a lot of times the only funding available is large amounts of money,” she said. “This whole concept of a microloan, where you’re looking at smaller, reasonable amounts of money, this really fits an incredible niche.” The loan can cover the costs of renting land, buying seed and equipment, and other expenses. One goal is to create more opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment in the farming industry, Vilsack said. Another goal is to provide beginners a chance to build credit, so that they can eventually qualify for higher-value loans and expand. “It’s about making sure that we have diversity within agriculture, that we have a good blend of large production facilities, medium-sized operations and smaller operations,” Vilsack said. “It will help bolster the local and regional food system movement that is taking place.” Alan Wedemeyer, a farmer in northwest Iowa, was optimistic. He said banks tend to want to work with bigger farms because small farms have

difficulty determining ahead of time Tenn. what price they’re going to get for their “These individuals lease city lots, so crops. they need a small amount of startup Wedemeyer’s farm, capital,” Hellwinckel A & A Acres in Lake said. City, focuses on vegHowever, Iowa etables and poultry, State University and might consider economist and local applying for a loan to food researcher David build a greenhouse Swenson said that system for year-round $35,000 isn’t enough production. to significantly help The “entrepreneura startup farm or ial side of it ... that’s “capitalize any kind of where this would meaningful food proreally help out, kind duction system.” He of seed money almost,” said materials and he said. equipment were just The loans could too costly. help urban farmers Swenson also noted who grow fruits and that local food producvegetables — or raise tion still makes up a chickens for eggs or very small percentage Tom Vilsack bees for honey — on Agriculture Department Secretary of the U.S. agriculture lots that can be as industry, despite its small as one-eighth recent growth. of an acre, said Chad Hellwinckel, Swenson said the loan program is a research assistant professor at the Agricultural Analysis Center at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, See Loans, Page 19

“

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Proposal would require genetically modified label Washington initiative to be submitted today By Shannon Dininny Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. — Companies would be required to label food products made from genetically engineered crops under a Washington state initiative to be submitted today by the proposal’s sponsors. Initiative 522 would require food and seeds produced entirely or partly through genetic engineering and sold in Washington to be labeled as such, effective July 1, 2015. Under the measure, raw foods that are not packaged separately would have to be labeled on the retail shelf. The proposal comes two months after California vot-

ers rejected a similar ballot measure in a nearly $55 million advertising war that pitted food safety advocates against agricultural and biotechnology giants. Supporters argued consumers should have a choice of whether or not to eat genetically engineered products, even though the government and major science groups say such foods are safe to eat. Opponents argued the proposal would raise food prices and hurt farmers. About 50 countries require genetically modified foods to be labeled, but the U.S. isn’t one of them. Only Alaska has enacted legislation at the state level, requiring the labeling of genetically engineered fish and shellfish products.

A bill in the Washington Legislature to require food labeling failed to pass out of committee, despite support from a coalition of local wheat farmers who said they feared their export markets will be hurt if genetically modified wheat gains federal approval. Biotechnology giant Monsanto Co. has announced plans to begin testing genetically modified wheat, though the product is likely a decade or more from being offered commercially. An initiative to the Legislature requires at least 241,153 valid signatures of registered state voters to be certified, though the secretary of state’s office suggests at least 320,000 as a buffer for any duplicate or invalid signatures.

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Bipartisan agreement on a need for more farm workers By Erica Werner Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats said Tuesday that farmers should be allowed to hire foreign workers more easily as Congress reworks U.S. immigration laws. But there was some disagreement on how it should happen. Lawmakers and witnesses at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing said the visa program that lets farmers hire foreign agricultural workers is so unwieldy it accounts for only a very small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of farm workers hired in the U.S. Half or more of agriculture workers are here illegally, experts agree. These workers play a critical role to the U.S. economy and food supply, harvesting fruits and vegetables around

the country. But growers said their productivity and ability to keep operations in the U.S. is threatened by difficulties ensuring a stable labor supply, and that must change. Meanwhile workers said they should get more protections and that farm workers should have the opportunity to obtain citizenship or at least permanent legal status. “It is a costly, time-consuming and flawed program,” said Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. “If we are honest we must admit that Congress essentially left farmers with no choice but to hire undocumented workers. Let’s not fool ourselves,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. The existing program for temporary farmworkers See workers, Page 22

12A | Thursday, February 28, 2013

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

New oil on the market Ritzville family produces, distributes camelina oil from their 320-acre farm By Elizabeth Rudd for Northwest Farm and Ranch

Travis Greenwalt began his research on camelina oil with the intention to use it as a biodiesel, but what he found instead was a future family business. Greenwalt, who works for Cardno ENTRIX, an environmental consultant firm, said he kept coming across the health benefits of camelina oil and discovered it was really good for human consumption. He said he also realized his family’s 320-acre farm in Ritzville, Wash., despite being arid, had good conditions for growing the crop. Camelina oil contains twice the number of omega-3s as it does omega-6s, a high concentration of Vitamin E and has a smoke point of

475 degrees Fahrenheit. While Greenwalt was the first to present the idea to his family, he said it was his father, Curt, who was willing to try something new. Travis said they spoke with several different researchers to develop their business model and spent a year and a half converting a barn into press space that met the Washington state code for food production. At that time, Travis said his mother, Lynn, made it very clear she did not want anything to do with the oil. That changed when they began pressing the oil, and Lynn discovered she liked the taste and health benefits. Travis said she is probably their biggest fan and advocate now. “It’s kind of funny how her mind-

set has changed in the last few years,” he said. Since then, Ole World Oils has become a family business ranging from father Curt and mother Lynn to Travis and his wife, Sasha, and his brother Tyler and his girlfriend, Linze. Travis said everyone attends and helps with farmers markets in Moscow, Missoula, Coeur d’Alene and Ritzville, as well as marketing items to sell the oil, but since he lives in Missoula and Tyler lives in Dayton, Wash., much of the daily tasks fall to Curt. “I would say my dad is most involved because he is managing the farm where we grow the camelina, See camelina, Page 21

Courtesy photo

Lynn and Curt Greenwalt pose in front of their crop of camelina in Ritzville, Wash. The Greenwalts grow and press camelina seed, above, to produce oil they sell at farmers markets and in some stores.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 13

PONDERING POT

Associated Press

Instructor Ted Smith uses a slide to demonstrate different types of damage to marijuana plants during class at THC University in the Tivoli in Denver on Feb. 9.

Legal pot in Colo., Wash. poses growing dilemma Growers told not to teach average gardeners best techniques for cultivating weed By Nicholas K. Geranios and Kristen Wyatt Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. — It may be called weed, but marijuana is legendarily hard to grow. Now that the drug has been made legal in Washington and Colorado, growers face a dilemma. State-sanctioned gardening coaches can help folks cultivate tomatoes or zucchini, but both states have instructed them not to show people the best way to grow marijuana. The situation is similar in more than a dozen additional states that allow people to grow the drug with medical permission. That’s leaving some would-be marijuana gardeners looking to the private sector for help raising the temperamental plant. “We can’t go there,” said Brian

Clark, a spokesman for Washington State University in Pullman, which runs the state’s extension services for gardening and agriculture. “It violates federal law, and we are a federally funded organization.” The issue came up because people are starting to ask master gardeners for help in growing cannabis, Clark said. Master gardeners are volunteers who work through state university systems to provide horticultural tips in their communities. The situation is the same in Colorado, where Colorado State University in Fort Collins recently added a marijuana policy to its extension office, warning that any employee who provides growing assistance acts outside the scope of his or her job and “assumes personal liability for such action.” The growing predicament is just the

latest quandary for these states that last year flouted federal drug law by removing criminal penalties for adults 21 and older with small amounts of pot. In Washington, home-growing is banned, but it will be legal to grow pot commercially once state officials establish rules and regulations. In Colorado, adults are allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants in their own homes, so long as they’re in a locked location out of public view. At least two Colorado entrepreneurs are taking advantage of that aspect of the law; they’re offering growing classes that have attracted wannabe professional growers, current users looking to save money by growing their own pot and a few baby boomers who haven’t grown pot in decades and don’t feel comfortable going to a marijuana dispensary.

“We’ve been doing this on our own, but I wanted to learn to grow better,” said Ginger Grinder, a medical marijuana patient from Portales, N.M., who drove to Denver for a “Marijuana 101” class she saw advertised online. Grinder, a stay-at-home mom who suffers from lupus and fibromyalgia, joined about 20 other students earlier this month for a daylong crash course in growing the finicky marijuana plant. Taught in a rented room at a public university, the course had students practicing on tomato plants because pot is prohibited on campus. The group took notes on fertilizer and fancy hydroponic growing systems, and snipped pieces of tomato plants to practice cloning, a common practice for nascent pot growers to start raising weed from a “mother” marijuana plant. Ted Smith, a longtime instructor See dilemma, Page 20

14 | Thursday, February 28, 2013

Feedlots, meatpackers closing with fewer US cows

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Drought cited as reason for recent shockwaves in rural communities By Roxana Hegeman Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. — Years of drought are reshaping the U.S. beef industry with feedlots and a major meatpacking plant closing because there are too few Associated Press cattle left in the United States to support them. Some feedlots in the nation’s major cattle-produc- Randy Cree scratches his bull, Junior, on the head while feeding cattle on his farm near Big Springs, Kan., on ing states have already been dismantled, and others Feb. 12. are sitting empty. Operators say they don’t expect a recovery anytime soon, with high feed prices, much price of corn used to feed animals in feedlots skyrock- two others now being torn down. of the country still in drought and a long time needed eted. The drought accelerated the process, but many Feed yards typically employ one worker per 1,000 to rebuild herds. feedlots were able to survive at first because ranch- head of cattle, so even big ones may not have more The closures are the latest ripple in the shockwave ers whose pastures dried up weaned calves early and than a few dozen workers. But they supply meatthe drought sent through rural communities. Most sent breeding cows to be fattened for slaughter. packing plants, which have much bigger workforces, cattle in the U.S. are sent to feedlots for final fattenBut now far fewer livestock than normal remain and feedlot closures could herald greater unemploying before slaughter. The dwindling on the farms. And, ironically, if it ment to come. number of animals also is hurting rains this spring and summer, even Cargill Beef, one of the nation’s biggest meatpackmeatpackers, with their much larger fewer animals will go into feedlots ers, temporarily closed a slaughterhouse in Plainview, workforces. For consumers, the effect because ranchers will hold back cows Texas, earlier this year, laying off 2,000 workers. The will be felt in grocery and restaurant to breed and rebuild their herds. operation had been one of four meatpacking plants in bills as a smaller meat supply means Texas, the largest beef-producing the Texas Panhandle, and the annual economic loss higher prices. state, has been particularly hard hit to the region is estimated at $1.1 billion — a “major Owner Bob Podzemny has been with a historic drought in 2011 from chunk of that economy,” said Steve Amosson, an taking apart the 32,000-head Union which it still hasn’t fully recovered. economist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service County Feed Yard near Clayton, “Most of the bad news is in Texas,” in Amarillo. N.M. It closed in 2009 when a bank said Dick Bretz, an Amarillo broker Cargill is moving what business remained at the shut off its operating capital in the who specializes in selling feed yards plant to slaughterhouses in Friona, Texas; Dodge midst of the financial crisis, and and other agribusinesses. “That is City, Kan.; and Ft. Morgan, Colo. That will allow Podzemny said he doesn’t see reopenwhere I see most of the empty yards, those plants to run near capacity and more coning after struggling through Chapter that is where I see most of the inter- sistently give their workers full paychecks with 40 11 bankruptcy. est in selling yards and where I see hours per week, spokesman Mike Martin said. “There just are not that many the least interest in buying yards.” “By idling, we are retaining both the plant (in cattle in this part of the country no He recently dismantled a 7,000- Plainview) and the property for potential future use,” Mike Martin more, and it is not profitable to bring head feed yard in Hereford, Texas, Martin added. “And the hope is that at some point Cargill Beef spokesman them in and feed them, so it is shut for a new owner who had bought it some years down the line, the cattle herd will be down,” Podzemny said. for the land, not the business. The rebuilt and there will be a need for additional proHe’s now feeding a few cattle in another feedlot, previous owner had lost the property to foreclosure, cessing capacity.” buying them at about 450 pounds and growing them and the facility was in very poor condition and would Most experts estimate the cattle feeding industry to 800 to 850 pounds. He then sells them to others have cost too much to repair, he said. now has an excess capacity of between 20 and 25 who bring them to the typical 1,200- to 1,300-pound When corn prices first spiked to $8 a bushel nearly percent, CattleFax market analyst Kevin Good said. slaughter weight. four years ago, about 70 big feed yards went up for The meatpacking industry has an excess capacity of “It is making a little money now on just growing sale in the High Plains feeding area that includes 10 to 15 percent — even after the recent closure of feeders and selling them as feeders rather than fin- Texas, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska, Bretz said. Cargill’s Plainview plant.Given the cost of transportishing them all the way out,” Podzemny said. “We do Today, there are 10 and 15 feed yards for sale in the what we got to do to survive, you know.” region, mostly in Texas. Bretz said he knows of 15 Cattle numbers have been falling for years as the more that are empty, three recently dismantled and See feedlots, Page 22

“

... the hope is that at some point some years down the line, the cattle herd will be rebuilt and there will be a need for additional processing capacity.”

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 15

Vermont hopes syrup grade changes will sweeten sales By Dave Gram Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Would fancy grade maple syrup by any other name taste as sweet? Vermont lawmakers are pondering that question as they consider whether to drop the state’s traditional maple labeling system in favor of an international one. The change pits tradition versus a desire to be a bigger player in world markets. Vermont is the No. 1 maple syrup producer in the United States, but its unique labeling standards put it at odds with the other big producers, including Canada. The state Senate last week passed and sent to the House a measure to drop fancy, grade A medium amber, dark amber and grade B. (Fancy is the lightest and mildest, while grade B is the darkest and has the strongest maple flavor.) In

their place would be several types sharing a grade A label, with descriptive phrases following: golden color and delicate taste; amber color and rich taste; dark color and robust taste; very dark color and strong taste. Sen. Kevin Mullin, RRutland, initially argued against the measure before reluctantly going along. “We should not be following everyone else in lockstep and ... giving them the ability to try to pretend that syrup made in another state is anywhere near as good as the syrup made in Vermont,� he said. Mullin later said he was mollified by assurances that the changes would be phased in over three years and that producers wouldn’t have to throw out containers already printed with the existing labels. State Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross said the changes have largely been pushed by the industry, though the agen-

cy has conducted a series of Vermont will maintain its public hearings to address the distinct branding by labelconcerns of the more reluctant ing its syrup as coming from producers. the state. Connoisseurs will Thanks to improvements continue to appreciate that in technology and growing Vermont regulations will interest by continue to landowners, require boilVermont’s ing sap for syrup prolonger than duction has is the case roughly douelsewhere, bled in the producing a past decade, slightly densto the extent er product, that supply Ross said. But vastly exceeds to continue any demand using a sepathat would rate grading come from a system would state of about lead to con626,000, Ross sumer confuDoug Bragg said. sion, the sec“What’s retary added. East Montpelier syrup producer become clear D o u g is that the Bragg, an majority of syrup produced in eighth-generation syrup prothe state of Vermont is sold ducer from East Montpelier, in national and international said he was taking the changes markets,� Ross said. in stride.

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“Most of our customers are asking, why do we have to do this? There’s a logic to it, no question about it,� Bragg said. “It’s still annoying though.� Back at the Senate office, where Lt. Gov. Phil Scott was chatting Friday afternoon with the five-member staff, there was broad agreement that people would get used to the changes. The only real debate was over the best grade. Office assistant Roxy Quero said her preference was for fancy grade, but Scott said he preferred medium amber. Deputy Senate Secretary Steve Marshall said the darker the better for him. “I usually go with grade B, grade C if I can get it, but you have to know somebody,� Marshall said. “Grade C isn’t sold as syrup at retail; it’s usually use in baked goods or maple candy. “I’d take double D if you gave me some,� Marshall said.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Peas and grains: A complete package

Progene LLC’s Kurt Braunwart stands in front of new triticale, oat and forage pea blend test plot.

Forage producers get more bang for their buck with a three-way grain and legume blend

Courtesy photo

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It is a given that wide open spaces below the leaf canopy lead to less leaf mass at harvest. Now, by combining the growth traits of three distinctly different forages, those yield-robbing gaps, once so common, are finally being filled in. Steve Fransen, Washington State University forage agronomist, explains there is a direct correlation between how much sunlight is successfully captured by a stand’s leaf mass and its eventual tonnage at harvest. “We known that the more sunlight a crop captures the higher its yield,” he said, adding stands that exhibit multiple layers or strata of leaves, collecting sunlight on both horizontal and vertical plains, are theoretically more

likely to excel at this task than stands relying on single leaf canopies. “This is the premise behind planting grains which grow vertically with legumes that spread horizontally.” Fransen is quick to point out the candidates for such a blend must be carefully selected for compatibility noting that the density balance between the upper and lower leaf strata must be such that enough light penetrates the upper canopy to sustain growth of the lower ones. This is no simple task and requires of the decision maker an in depth understanding of how each plant functions both individually and as part of a blend. “Only when that person knows exactly how these varieties and genotypes perform can he start putting

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013 them together in a systematic way,” he said. “Otherwise he is playing a guessing game.”

A nutritional bonus For Fransen the advantages associated with matching the right grains to the right legumes don’t end at more tons of forage per acre. “Each plant contributes to an overall nutritional profile that is hard to beat,” he said, adding that this is a classic case of the whole being greater than its individual parts. He cites, as an example, a threeway blend involving annual small grains and a compatible pea. “By adding peas to small grains some of the quality parameters are improved,” Fransen said. “For instance your protein should be higher while your percentage of your crude fiber should drop improving the forage’s overall digestibility.”

Tapping the potential One Northwest seed development company that is exploring the potential of small grain and pea blends is Progene LLC of Othello. During the last decade the company’s research team has been screen-

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 17

ing grain and pea varieties for compatibility in a three way blend. Owner and plant breeder Kurt Braunwart sees Progene’s efforts broken into two stages. “First, we had to determine which two small grains were most compatible,” he said. “Then we had to find a pea that matched the profile of grains we selected.” Even prior to launching their quest for a high-performing, threeway small grain and legume blend, Progene’s researchers had discovered that there were definite nutritional advantages to using two small grains over one when compatibility was an established fact. “This was evident when we paired two highly compatible forage grains; EverLeaf 126 oat and Trical Merlin triticale,” Braunwart said. “In our field trials the 126/Merlin blend had the best quality (protein) of any blend and better quality than either 126 oats or Merlin triticale by themselves.”

Designer pea While selecting the right forage grains for the three-way blend was a relatively straight forward process finding the right pea for the blend would prove more difficult.

“What we had to select from were spring peas that matured too early and fall peas that started too slowly to keep up with the grains,” he sid. “Neither type worked well with our oats and triticale.” The researchers at Progene were faced with a serious germplasm issue. “What we needed for our threeway blend was a forage pea that performed halfway between the spring and winter varieties and, at the time, it didn’t exist,” Braunwart said. “If our three-way blend was to work the way we wanted it to work we had to design one.” During the next decade Progene’s crop development team engaged in a systematic search for the pea cross that would possess the required traits. “Not only did we need a pea that matched the growth cycles of the grains from planting to forage harvest but we also needed to consider yield and palatability,” Braunwart said.

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Three way grain and pea blend, seen here, offer forage growers multiple canopy density with improved digestibility.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

SEED DISPUTE

High-stakes fight over soybeans at high court By Mark Sherman Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Vernon Hugh Bowman seems comfortable with the old way of doing things, right down to the rotary-dial telephone he said he was using in a conference call with reporters. But the 75-year-old Indiana farmer figured out a way to benefit from a high-technology product, soybeans that are resistant to weed-killers, without always paying the high price that such genetically engineered seeds typically bring. In so doing, he ignited a legal fight with seedgiant Monsanto Co. that has now come before the Supreme Court, with argument taking place Tuesday. The court case poses the question of whether Bowman’s

actions violated the patent decision in favor of Bowman rights held by Monsanto, which would leave their own techdeveloped soybean and other nological innovations open to seeds that survive when farm- poaching. The company’s allies ers spray their even include a fields with the company that company’s is embroiled Roundup in a sepabrand weedrate legal killer. The battle with seeds domiMonsanto nate American over one of agriculture, the patents including in at issue in Indiana where the Bowman more than case. 90 percent The Obama of soybeans administraare Roundup tion also backs Bill Freese Ready. Monsanto, Science policy analyst for the Monsanto having earCenter for Food Safety has attracted lier urged a bushel of the court to researchers, universities and stay out of the case because of other agribusiness concerns to the potential for far-reaching its side because they fear a implications for patents involv-

“

It has become extremely difficult for farmers to find highquality conventional seeds.”

ing DNA molecules, nanotechnologies and other self-replicating technologies. Monsanto’s opponents argue that the company has tried to use patent law to control the supply of seeds for soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, sugar beets and alfalfa. The result has been a dramatic rise in seed prices and reduced options for farmers, according to the Center for Food Safety. The group opposes the spread of genetically engineered crops and says their benefits have been grossly overstated. “It has become extremely difficult for farmers to find high-quality conventional seeds,” said Bill Freese, the center’s science policy analyst. Consumer groups and organic food producers have fought Monsanto over genetically engineered farm and food

issues in several settings. They lost a campaign in California last year to require labels on most genetically engineered processed foods and produce. Monsanto and other food and chemical companies spent more than $40 million to defeat the ballot measure. Monsanto says the success of its seeds are proof of their value. By and large, “farmers appreciate what we do,” David Snively, Monsanto’s top lawyer, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Herbicide-resistant soybean seeds first hit the market in 1996. To protect its investment in their development, Monsanto has a policy that prohibits farmers from saving or reusing the seeds once the See soybeans, Page 22

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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 19

USDA brief latah county New program focuses on improving soil health The Natural Resources Conservation Service is rolling out a new initiative that encourages improving soil health.

Peas

from Page 17 yield fell into the parameters of conventional plant breeding his team did benefit from one of their previous plant development programs that targeted palatability. “It is common knowledge in the research community that the reddish purple coloration in the flowers, stems and leaves of specific pea plants is due to the presence of anthocyanin, a

In Idaho, the initiative focuses on reducing wind and water erosion issues by increasing soil health. Producers interested in implementing conservation practices emphasizing soil health may apply for technical and financial assistance by March 15 for fiscal year 2013 funding. For information on this

initiative or soil health, stop by your local USDA service center or visit NRCS online at www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/. Landowners new to USDA programs are encouraged to contact their local NRCS field office as soon as possible to ensure they have the time needed to make informed decisions and complete the application process.

pigment producing flavanoid that also contributes to that plant’s bitterness,” Braunwart said. “While the color itself doesn’t affect the flavor the chemical that creates the color does.” Possessing an early understanding of the importance of palatability in livestock forage, Progene’s team had already successfully bred and released white flowered pea forage varieties with little or no anthocyanin. Braunwart points out that having the proprietary white flowered pea germplasm developed

and in their possession was critical to achieving, in a timely fashion, the team’s long-term forage pea breeding goals. In 2011 the efforts of the previous 10 years culminated in the release of Flex, an intermediate white flowered forage pea that meets all of Progene’s three-way grains and pea blend criteria. This spring, for the first time, Flex will be available commercially for blending with annual forage grains. For more information, go to http://www.progenellc.com/

Loans from Page 1

a positive first step, but the prospects of local food being a viable economic engine for most regions is highly limited. “This is a policy area where community affection and political affection for the idea of local foods has gotten itself way out in front of the economics,” Swenson said. Rick Hartmann of Small Potatoes Farm in Minburn, in central Iowa, said the program needs to be balanced with farming education and good business planning. “Access to capital is going to be very important for young and beginning farmers, as long as it’s tempered with other support,” he said. “That’s what’s going to make that capital return an investment back to the lender and to the lendee in the long run.” Vilsack announced the program a day after speaking at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting in Nashville. Since 2009, the fed-

eral government has increased the number of loans to beginning farmers and ranchers from 11,000 loans in 2008 to 15,000 loans in 2011. The interest rate for the new loan program changes monthly, and is currently 1.25 percent, according to the USDA, and the loan does not have to be repaid for seven years. Karen Archipley of Archi’s Acres in San Diego said she and her husband, Colin, an Iraq vet and former Marine Corps sergeant, run a program on their three-acre organic, hydroponic farm that teaches returning veterans how to be farmers and marketers of their own produce. She said they were recently contacted by one of the country’s largest distributors of organic kale about buying a large quantity. They have three new farmers who want to supply the contract, but they lacked the capital. “I’m so excited to hear about this because it impacts us directly,” Karen Archipley said. “We have some farmers working to get capital and they only needed $35,000 to set up crop production for organic kale.”

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20A | Thursday, February 28, 2013

Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Dilemma from Page 13

at an indoor gardening shop, led the class, and warned these gardeners that their task won’t be easy. Marijuana is fickle, he said. It’s prone to mildews and molds, picky about temperature and pH level, intolerant to tap water. A precise schedule is also a must, Smith warned, with set light and dark cycles and watering at the same time each day. Unlike many house plants, Smith warned, marijuana left alone for a long weekend can curl and die. “Just like the military ... they need to know when they’re getting their water and chow,” Smith said of the plants. The class was the brainchild of Matt Jones, a 24-year-old Web developer who wanted to get into the marijuana business without raising or selling it himself. As a teenager, Jones once tried to grow pot himself in empty Home Depot paint buckets. He used tap water and overwatered, and the marijuana wilted and died. “It was a disaster,” he recalled. Jones organized the class and an online “THC University” for home growers, but his own thumb isn’t green. Jones said he’ll be buying his marijuana from professional growers. The course showed would-be grower Cael Nodd, a 34-year-old stagehand in Denver, that marijuana gardening can be an intimidating prospect. “It seems like there’s going to be a sizable investment,” he said. “I want something that really tastes good. Doesn’t seem like it will be that easy.”

T

Associated Press

Instructor Ted Smith holds two light bulbs he recommends for use for growing marijuana indoors during class at the THC University in the Tivoli in Denver on Feb. 9. Smith rattled off pitfalls and dangers for the marijuana gardener.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Camelina from Page 12

and he’s in Ritzville so he’s at the processing plant where the oil is made regularly, too,� Travis said. The crop requires little maintenance, Curt said. It follows their wheat rotation with a year of idle ground in between, and they have never needed to use herbicides or pesticides. “It’s a tough little plant,� he said, “it doesn’t need a lot of TLC and it doesn’t need a lot of nutrients — it does pretty well.� The Greenwalts have also never used fertilizer because the camelina plants do not take many nutrients from the soil, Curt said. In fact, he said the crop makes the soil more mellow, which he attributed to its taproot system. “It grows well on marginal land because other crops can’t handle it,� Curt said. “I can raise camelina where I live, but I can’t raise canola where I live because I don’t get enough rainfall.� While the crop is adaptable, Curt said camelina is still a niche market and only about a handful of farmers across the U.S. sell it. He said this

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 21

is partly because the crop does not make as much as wheat or canola. “I doesn’t gross as much as other crops, but it doesn’t cost a lot to produce it,� he said. Curt said they have been averaging 800 to 900 pounds of clean seed per acre with about 33 pounds of seed required to produce one gallon of oil. He said the seed is about 30 percent oil and they can usually produce 20 to 25 gallons of oil from one acre. Because camelina oil is a raw product, like extra virgin olive oil, Curt said it retains many of its nutrients unlike refined oils. He said this allows for the omega-3 fatty acids to remain in the oil, especially when using it for cooking. “The main difference is in the composition,� he said. “You know, all oil is fat, that’s terrible to say but all oil is fat, and the difference between this oil and the other oils is the composition of that fat.� The oil is also used for cosmetic items because of the high levels and quality of Vitamin E present, Curt said. He said there are four quality levels for Vitamin E and the camelina oil has the highest. “We’ve talked with several toxicologists at different universities that work with this oil and that is

what we’ve been told,� Curt said. Tyler, who works for Seneca Foods, said for him, one of the most interesting aspects is the future of the crop. He said the possibilities for the camelina oil business are very wide, but believes they are in a good position to move forward with human consumption. “In the future people will be maybe a little bit more receptive to camelina oil, so I think we’ll be around for awhile,� Tyler said. Ole World Oils Camelina Gold can be purchased in 8.5- or 17ounce bottles at most of the natural food stores where it is carried, which includes Huckleberry’s inside Rosauers, at about $9 and $14, respectively. The oil is sold in half gallons and gallons at farmers markets and in five-gallon containers to restaurants and cosmetic companies. Curt said while they grow almost all of the seed that becomes oil, they do purchase Montana seed for oil that is distributed in stores there. For more information, visit camelinagold.com, “Like� them on Facebook or call (406) 396-1420. Elizabeth Rudd can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by email at erudd@dnews.com.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Feedlots

Soybeans

ing cattle, most of the nation’s feed yards and slaughterhouses are in the big cattle-producing states of the High Plains. While the industry has been gradually shifting north from Texas into areas that are expected to more rapidly recover from the drought, businesses in Kansas and Nebraska are struggling too. In southwestern Kansas, Lakin Feed Yard manager Steve Landgraf said his operation is down to 75 percent of capacity and he expects it to be less than half full within the next couple of months. For every two animals now going out of his lot for slaughter, only one is coming into it. With a capacity of 15,000 head, the yard now employs 14 people. But with normal attrition, Landgraf anticipates he’ll be down to 10 or 11 workers by spring, and he may reduce their hours. Still, with little debt, Landgraf says he’s in a better position than some. “Some people are probably going to go broke because they aren’t going to have the occupancy,” he said.

crop is grown. Farmers must buy new seeds every year. Like almost every other farmer in Indiana. Bowman used the patented seeds for his main crop. But for a risky, late season crop on his 300 acres in Sandborn, about 100 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Bowman said, “I wanted a cheap source of seed.” He couldn’t reuse his own beans or buy seeds from other farmers who had similar agreements with Monsanto and other companies licensed to sell genetically engineered seeds. And dealers he used to buy cheap seed from no longer carry the unmodified seeds. So Bowman found what looked like a loophole and went to a grain elevator that held soybeans it typically sells for feed, milling and other uses, but not as seed. Bowman reasoned that most of those soybeans also would be resistant to weed killers, as they initially came from herbicide-resistant seeds, too. He was right, and he repeated the practice over eight years. He didn’t try to keep it a secret from Monsanto and in October 2007, the company sued him for violating its patent. Bowman’s is one of 146 lawsuits Monsanto has filed since 1996 claiming unauthorized use of its

from Page 14

from Page 18

HILLCO

Roundup Ready seeds, Snively said. A federal court in Indiana sided with Monsanto and awarded the company $84,456 for Bowman’s unlicensed use of Monsanto’s technology. The federal appeals court in Washington that handles all appeals in patent cases, upheld the award. The appeals court said that farmers may never replant Roundup Ready seeds without running afoul of Monsanto’s patents. The Supreme Court will grapple with the limit of Monsanto’s patent rights, whether they stop with the sale of the first crop of beans, or extend to each new crop soybean farmers grow that has the gene modification that allows it to withstand the application of weed-killer. The company sees Bowman’s actions as a threat both to its Roundup Ready line of seeds and to other innovations that could be easily and cheaply reproduced if they were not protected. “This case really is about 21st century technologies,” Snively said. Bowman and his allies say Monsanto’s legal claims amount to an effort to bully farmers. The Center for Food Safety’s Freese points out that Monsanto’s biggest moneymaker is corn seed, which cannot be replanted. “So seed-saving would have no impact on the majority of Monsanto’s seed revenue,” he said. The case is Bowman v. Monsanto Co., 11-796.

Workers from Page 11

— the H-2A visa — allows workers into the U.S. for 10 months at a time but growers complain that it is extremely bureaucratic and pays artificially inflated wages. Some 55,000 H-2A visas were issued in 2011 compared to over a million workers on fields and farms. Also, dairy farms and meat processing plants, which are increasingly major employers of foreign workers, are not covered by the program. Lawmakers of both parties said the system is broken and needed to be fixed but disagreements emerged over how to improve it. Goodlatte said there should be a new program to replace the existing one and ensure a “stable, legal agricultural workforce.” But several Democrats said any changes should be made in the context of comprehensive changes to the nation’s immigration laws that would provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, including eventual citizenship for farmworkers.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Spring 2013

Oils

from Page 6 who wanted to keep that tradition alive. “The demand is becoming so high. It’s not just the oils from the trees, but it’s oils from plants that we grow around the world,� Billeter said. “We have oil users in probably 125 other countries.�

CRP

from Page 3 group Pheasants Forever. Organizations like Pheasants Forever, Quail Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited, support the program because it provides habitat to ground-nesting birds and waterfowl. Dave Nomsen, vice president for governmental affairs at Pheasants Forever, said he is pleased as the government continues to support the program, even during tight fiscal times. “Given where budgets are at this is a really strong statement from USDA that they intend to fund conserva-

Thursday, February 28, 2013 | 23

While there is greater acreage in St. Maries, more trees are harvested on 260 acres of land in the Highland Flats near Naples, Idaho. “It seems like Idaho has the best trees,� said Billeter. “They grow very well in the soil. They have a very high yield in the oil.� To find out more, visit youngliving. com. Brandon Macz can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 238, or by email to bmacz@dnews.com.

tion programs as a priority,� he said. “Money is tough right now in D.C. and across a lot of pheasant range we have seen such tremendous increases in land values we simply had to have an increase to keep CRP as a competitive option for landowners.� Funding for the program is exempt from sequestration cuts. However, Ponish said that doesn’t mean the program will be untouched should the automatic spending cuts take effect. “The program itself is exempt but the Farm Service Agency is not,� he said.

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