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Spokane beekeer claims nicotine-based insecticide does more harm than good — Pages 4, 5
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Officials stress the virus is not a threat to public health | 7A
Bonner
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Washington state’s bird flu outbreak
Boundary
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Grant
| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 3A
Idaho
On the cover: A Spokane beekeeper
inspects a brood frame looking at the eggs, larva and young worker bees during spring inspections | Photo courtesy of Will Olson
Farming with drones
Using drones can help farmers notice anomalies in the field | 8A
Baker
Ag trends find their way onto the Palouse 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.
Local area is a testament to two reports released by US Department of Agriculture | 11A
Transportation bills key for ag industry
Policy specialists discuss relevant proposals in Idaho and Washington legislatures | 13A
Seeds for Success
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4A | Saturday, March 21, 2015 |
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Northwest Farm & Ranch
Nicotine-based insecticide possible detriment to bees Spokane beekeeper says hive numbers are dropping with use of neonicotinoids By Samantha Malott Daily News staff writer
Photo courtesy of Will Olson
Will Olson, a Spokane German beekeeper, inspects a brood frame looking at the eggs, larva and young worker bees during spring inspections when beekeepers look for overall health of the hive, queen fertility, honey and pollen.
Will Olson, a Spokane beekeeper, believes the use of a nicotine-related insecticide — neonicotinoids — in crop fields is playing a key role in the death of bees by the thousands. Pete Nowak, a researcher for AgInfomatics, however, points to the benefits of the use of neonicotinoids, including increased yields, lower costs and improved pest management, and says the science is still out on whether the insecticide is harming bee populations. Although the use of neonicotinoids may not be the sole issue causing declines in bee populations, it is part of the problem, according to Olson, a licensed German beekeeper in Spokane and biology teacher at Summit Christian Academy.
He and others have concerns that when the insecticide is sprayed over and absorbed by plants it can be harmful to pollinators, like bees, when they come in contact with a treated seed’s flowers and nectar. “Current research says it is a combination of the factors that is playing into the problem,” he said. One of those other factors, he said, is mite infestation. “It is pretty hard on our bees,” he said, “but neonicotinoids don’t help.” Olson said there are studies — conducted in the United States and Europe — that show the insecticide is a detriment to pollinators and honeybees. “(Countries in Europe) banned neonicotinoids in corn production, which is a big product,” he said. Nowak, however, argues that without the use of this tool, the agriculture system would collapse.
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Northwest Farm & Ranch “That’s just not the case,” Olson said. recovering in his backyard. The Springdale hives are about three Olson pointed to France, where neonicotinoids are no longer used and yet miles away from the nearest farm and the country had nearly the same yields didn’t experience any losses. The bees in as when use was allowed. Honeybee Green Bluff are being exposed to something in an agricultural populations have since setting that is reducing rebounded, he said. their strength, he said. “It’s anecdotal, it’s A bee will travel not hard yet,” he said. an average of two to “(The insecticide) can’t two-and-a-half miles differentiate between a around the hive, he good pest and pollinasaid. tor.” “How many farms Olson said he has can there possibly be in beehives in differthat radius?” he said. ent areas throughOlson is worried out Spokane, includthat the government ing Green Bluff and will not step in and Springdale. Last winter, take action against the Olson said his beehives use of the insecticide. in the Green Bluff area, Only the Food and where there insecticide Drug Administration is frequently used, were Will Olson can do it, he said, but not as productive. Even Beekeeper no one wants the govin sub-lethal doses the ernment telling them bees experience definite what to do. loss in cognitive abili“If I lose my hives, ties and flight patterns, he said referring to some of the foreign studies he has I have no recourse,” he said. “... Why should one type of product give a shortexamined. term benefit to one group and damage “I saw weakened hives,” he said. Olson said he was forced to move another?” some of the hives back to Spokane and provide feeding, “just desperately trying Samantha Malott can be reached at (208) 883to keep them alive.” The hives are slowly 4639, or by email to smalott@dnews.com.
“
| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 5A
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6A | Saturday, March 21, 2015 |
Northwest Farm & Ranch
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Warmer weather could mean more bugs By Kathy Hedberg Lewiston Tribune staff writer
The unusually warm winter might spell trouble for farmers dealing with insect pests this year. Sanford Eigenbrode, a professor of plant, soil and entomological sciences at the University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said it’s still too early to tell if insect pests will be more of a problem for farmers this year. Although warmer temperatures favor survival, “most insects that live here year around adapt to cold weather,” Eigenbrode said. When temperatures go up and down, however, bugs that have come out of their winter dormancy may be knocked back because they’re suddenly vulnerable. Insect damage to crops
causes untold losses each year, according to the Washington S t a t e Department of Agriculture. W h e a t for Eigenbrode aphids, example, secrete a toxin that causes leaf rolling and plant streaking. A second concern is the warm temperatures in the Pacific Northwest might cause migration of insect pests that normally reside in more southerly locations. The diamondback moth, Eigenbrode said, generally has to fly here to infest the canola crops. “So we don’t have a big problem. But if it gets warm enough over a long enough period of time, then moths could become
much more serious than they are now.” Eigenbrode said the warmerthan-usual winters have only been happening for a couple of years “and there’s certain to be variability coming. So, in terms of range expansion, that’s a slow process. The trend that we’re experiencing over the long run could lead to that, but (this winter) is a one-off and range expansion couldn’t really happen” this quickly. Even though some insects might become active earlier with a warmer winter, if their food source is not also emerging from dormancy, they would not survive. “If there are no bugs for them to feed on yet, coming out when it’s warm is terrible for them because they’re not matched with their food source,” Eigenbrode said. Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 9832326.
astroexo.com/Daily News
Pea aphids and other bugs may get a boost in their life span with warmer weather coming earlier than expected.
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| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 7A
Washington state’s avian influenza outbreak With the bird flu infecting flocks in several counties, officials stress the virus is not a threat to human health By Dominique Wald Daily News staff writer
Associated Press
Turkeys are pictured at a turkey farm Nov. 2, 2005 near Sauk Centre, Minn.
Local farmers remain unaffected by the recent outbreak of avian influenza in Washington state, but that doesn’t mean they’re not taking cautionary measures. AlyssaMarie Link, of Link’d Hearts Ranch in the Palouse, said she’s been diligent in making sure her birds and eggs remain safe. “I know locally there hasn’t been an outbreak, but I am being very cautious with my chickens,” she said. “If something were to happen, it would really hurt the business. It’s a little scary and intimidating to think about what would happen.” Link said she’s doing everything from disinfecting and constantly checking her flock to keeping an eye out for wild birds flying around. “We’re also making sure we’re not finding dead chickens on the property, even dead wild birds,” Link said. “A lot of it is monitoring and common sense.”
The state experienced an outbreak of the avian influenza, commonly referred to as the bird flu, in early December, causing officials to quarantine several counties and euthanize infected birds. The Washington State Department of Agriculture defines the avian influenza as a highly contagious and viral disease of chickens, turkeys, ducks, quail and many wild birds. There are two types of strains, highly pathogenic and lowly pathogenic. The department’s communication director, Hector Castro, said the first outbreak was along the Canadian Border in British Columbia. It wasn’t long before the virus showed up in Whatcom County. There were reports of ducks and falcons being fed wild birds that carried the avian influenza, which caused the outbreak to spread. “There was definitely an increased level of concern,” Castro said. “One of the concerns early on was the virus spreading to other parts of the state, See outbreak, Page 14A
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8A | Saturday, March 21, 2015 |
Northwest Farm & Ranch
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Farming with drones Empire Unmanned waiting to fly By Danielle Wiley Daily News staff writer
Robert Blair has a vision for precision agriculture, one that includes using the technology of drones. He believes farmers in the Pacific Northwest can benefit from drones and reduce operating costs at the same time. That’s why Blair helped start Empire Unmanned LLC to bring commercial drone use to Idaho. “We’re a start-up and we’re looking to provide a service for growers to help scout their fields,” he said. Blair said the drones
used by Empire Unmanned can help producers look for anomalies in their fields. This includes insects, weeds, disease and nutrient issues. Empire Unmanned is the first company that the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle exemption, which allows the company to use drones for commercial purposes, Blair said. The company received its exemption in January but Empire Unmanned is still having issues with getting its UAVs in the air. According to Scott Marikis, vice president and chief
Geoff Crimmins/Daily News
Kendrick farmer Robert Blair (second from right) talks about the remote-control aircraft during the Precision Agriculture Technology Demonstration Day in 2014 at the University of Idaho Parker Farm east of Moscow. financial officer of Empire Unmanned, the FAA required the LLC file for a certificate of authorization to get specific airspace for the drones to
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“What’s interesting is the COA basically doesn’t do See drones, Page 14A
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Fixing the shortage A new legislative act will help expand veterinary programs By Elaine Williams Lewiston Tribune staff writer
Five large animal veterinarians in the LewistonClarkston Valley were among a handful of health care professionals available to treat more than 69,000 cattle and 9,000 sheep in an area that extends north from Craigmont, Idaho, to the Canadian border. Such shortages are common in rural areas of the country, said Gina Luke, assistant director of the division of governmental relations with the American Veterinary Medicine Association in Washington, D.C. The Idaho need was one of many that went unmet in part because a program aimed at filling
that gap n e e d s m o r e funding, Luke said. “There are livestock all over the Crapo country who need access to veterinary services. ... We all want to have safe food on our plate.” Her group is pushing for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act, a bill that would expand an existing program. Trained veterinarians receive as much as $75,000 in loan repayment in exchange for three-year commitments to practice in under-served areas in
the specialties of large animal or public health. The latter specialty helps prevent or control epidemics in animals that are part of the food supply and improve bio-security. As it stands, $5 million is allocated to the program annually, but 39 percent of that is paid back to the federal government in taxes, Luke said. The act would lift that tax, making more positions available in the program. Since 2010 when the program debuted, 286 awards have been made to a pool of 860 applicants. One of the reasons the program is so popular is most veterinarians need loans to finish a four-year bachelor’s degree required to apply for graduate
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
school and go on to incur more debt before they complete their professional training, Luke said. “It’s extremely competitive.” But convincing lawmakers of the need has been challenging. The bill has been introduced for the third time in the Senate where it has powerful allies, including Sen. Mike Crapo, its lead sponsor, as well as Idaho’s other Republican senator, James Risch, Luke said. “This legislation will provide a lifeline to rural communities by incentivizing well-trained veterinarians to serve in the areas where they are needed most,” Crapo said in an email. It will soon be introduced in the House and Luke hopes it will pass in time that the additional money will be in the next round of awards in September. Elaine Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune. com or (208) 848-2261.
| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 9A
Tribune/Barry Kough
Veterinarians Donielle Wagner, left, and John Hoch take care of small animals at the Lewiston Veterinary Clinic.
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Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Growing season ahead of schedule
Local Brief
Sooner-than-expected warm temperatures have farmers scrambling to prepare planting
NASS seeks agricultural producer feedback
Lewiston Tribune
The light winter experienced in the Pacific Northwest isn’t presenting significant challenges to producers of wheat and other dryland crops. But the early spring has put the growing season weeks ahead of schedule. “Right at this present time our (soil) moisture regime looks pretty good,� said Loren Morscheck, account manager for the McGregor Company at Waha. “It’s awful warm and things are probably a couple of weeks ahead of normal. People are getting going in the field and doing some spring wheat now.� Even though many mountain basins are well below seasonal averages for snow depth, Morscheck said in north central
Idaho precipitation was on par Farmers at higher elevations with long-term averages. depend on snow blanketing the Much of that moisture came fresh growth to insulate it from in the form of frost and blasts rain instead of of arctic air. snow. But he “There has said since the been some ground wasn’t re-seeding on frozen when the Palouse it fell, the soil and (Camas) absorbed it Prairie where well. some wheat “With direct didn’t make seeding we it through the have held all winter,� he that moisture said. “I haven’t we have gotten seen any of this winter.� that down in Some growthe (LewistonTravis Jones ers at higher Clarkston) elevations may Executive director of Idaho Grain Valley at lower have suffered elevations.� Producers minor damage T r a v i s to winter wheat. Jones, executive director of The crop is planted after the Idaho Grain Producers, said fall harvest and begins to grow some growers are scrambling before the onset of winter. to either prepare for planting or
“ There are growers who are already preparing the equipment to get going or have already started working in the field.�
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The March Agricultural Survey conducted by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is asking producers to provide information on the number of acres they intend to plant for particular commodities and how much grain and oilseed they have stored on the farm. The results of the survey will give detailed county-level data on acreage, production and stock levels in the Pacific Northwest and the United States for 2015. Producers may respond online at nass.usda.gov or fill out a survey questionnaire and return in via mail or fax. For additional information, contact NASS Northwest Regional Director Chris Mertz at (800) 435-5883.
Lewiston Veterinary
48 Size
have already started. “The spring season is upon us earlier than people are used to. Certain growers are kind of surprised at how mild things have gotten in just the last two or three weeks in certain parts of the state,� he said. “There are growers who are already preparing the equipment to get going or have already started working in the field.� While the mild conditions have enabled an early start to planting, Jones said there could be problems down the road. “What we are concerned about, just because of the general mild temperatures, is if there are any plant disease issues like stripe rust. That remains to be seen.�
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Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Ag trends find way onto the Palouse
The Palouse is a testament to two reports released by the United States Department of Agriculture on farm size By Josh Babcock Daily News staff writer
The number of acres of cropland on the average farm nationwide nearly doubled from 589 to 1,105 between 1982 and 2007, according to a recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture. The same trend is happening on the Palouse. “Farms are always going to get bigger — it’s been the trend ever since the 30s and 40s,” said local farmer Kevin Mader, whose family has been operating on the Palouse for five generations. Technology is a major contributor driving the larger farm sizes noted in both the report and by Mader. The report stated farms are growing in acreage due to larger and faster
capital equipment, information technology, chemical herbicides, seed genetics and changing tillage techniques. Mader said when his great-grandfather started farming, 40 percent of the country was involved in agriculture because it wasn’t so mechanized. “Machines are only getting bigger, costs are only going up, and as the cost of land and machinery go up the risk gets bigger and bigger,” Mader said. John Deere is a prime example of increasingly larger machinery. While 40-foot headers were once the average for wheat harvesting combines, Mader said the standard has increased to 45 feet, and last See trends, Page 16A
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| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 11A
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12A | Saturday, March 21, 2015 |
Northwest Farm & Ranch
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Providing food source the easy way Aquaponics is using fish wastewater to give edible plants the nutrients they need By Ralph Bartholdt Lewiston Tribune staff writer
Aquaponics use fish to fertilize plants, and both become table fare. The systems for the process are becoming more popular on the Palouse thanks to a local group’s efforts to promote the vegetable-and-protein growing method that can be small enough for a kitchen counter, or large enough for the backyard, or the garage. Jeanelle Miller of Colfax said a lot of groups interested in aquaponics in the bistate Palouse region were swimming in different directions until the Palouse Aquaponics Association got them under one umbrella. Aquaponics has caught
Cauliflower, broccoli, and lettuce grow in farmer Jaenelle Miller’s home media bed system.
people’s interest, Miller said, because of its efficiency, its low cost and dual results: It uses nutrient-rich wastewater produced by fish, which range from goldfish to trout raised in buckets or aquariums, to fertilize edible plants grown in a greenhouse environment. Water from the fish tanks is recycled and filtered through plant beds, or fish feces is collected and fed to plants, providing them with nutrients. The fish are eaten when they become big enough, and replaced with more fish. The system provides an ongoing food source that is cheap and efficient. “It is definitely growing in popularity for this region,” said
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| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 13A
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Outbreak from Page 7A
since we were dealing with wild birds, and that’s exactly what ended up occurring.” Just a couple weeks later, Castro received reports of several infected flocks in Benton County. The strain found was highly pathogenic and killed around 150 birds. Because the nature of the strain was extremely contagious and deadly, Castro said, the department had no choice but to quarantine the county and euthanize the remaining infected birds. Castro said the quarantines generally last 21 days and cover the entire area, sometimes overlapping neighboring counties. For local farmers within those areas, the quarantine put a halt on their egg and poultry delivery. During a 21-day quarantee, officials investigate and talk to local farmers to see if their birds have been in contact with any wild birds. Veterinarians also visit infected sites to ensure
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alert from early December to the virus does not spread. “The key seemed to be access late February, and the last of to contact with wild birds,” the quarantines, in Okanogan Castro said. “The first loca- County, was lifted on Feb. 25. According to the department’s tion included ducks that would Avian Health come and go Program, there to nearby are no apparwater and ent risks to sometimes human health they’d bring from domestic wild ducks to poultry, and it come join the is safe to conflock.” sume properly Castro said handled poulthe departtry products, ment was Hector Castro including meat in the midst and eggs. Director of Communication for of wrapping “We didn’t things up Washington State Department of have any in early to Agriculture instances mid January where people when another flock started were getting sick from this,” experiencing deaths near Port Castro said. “It was strictly an Angeles. animal disease concern and we The largest of the out- haven’t had any reports of sick breaks, however, took place birds, we seem to be in a lull.” in Okanogan County. One of For more information on the the flocks infected consisted Avian Influenza or to report an of 4,000-5,000 birds, most- infected flock, visit www.agr. ly ducks, primarily used for wa.gov or call (800) 606-3056. training dogs and not human consumption. Dominique Wald can be reached at The Department of (208) 883-4628, or by email to dwald@ Agriculture was on high- dnews.com.
“
The key seemed to be access to contact with wild birds.”
Drones
disease, pests or irregular watering. Shresta said it’s impossible from Page 8A for a farmer or their labor to walk through every acre, so anything different from what many times problem areas are is listed in our exemption, it’s not taken care of and the farmall spelled out what we can and er loses crops and income. can’t do,” Blair said. “It’s very Blair said drones have disappointing because we are received a bad reputation from trying to do the media everything because some by the books people fear and do it that hobbyists legally.” will invade D e v others privacy. “There’s Shresta, a always going professorand to be concerns agriculture with things researchthat are new er at the if you don’t University understand of Idaho, them,” he said drones Robert Blair are an excel- Founder of Empire Unmanned LLC said. “I’ll pull out my iPhone lent technoland you don’t ogy that can help create jobs, lower costs see anybody saying anything and produce better crops in the about pictures being taken. The second you put in a UAV future. Companies like Empire that’s an issue. The problem is Unmanned can use UAVs not the UAV it’s the data.” to take photos of fields and gather soil and crop samples to Danielle Wiley can be reached at determine if a farmer is facing intern1@dnews.com.
“
The second you put in a UAV that’s an issue. The problem is not the UAV it’s the data.”
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colonial times, when most water was not safe to drink but most homesteads had an apple orchard. Apple juice was a safer alternative to the water, and when the juice was stored long enough it fermented. Popularity grew in the 1880s, when German immigrants brought beer with them into the country. Popularity of the drink was revitalized more recently by the growth of mainstream, non-craft products such as Angry Orchard, and Miles said once the seed was planted, craft brewers
Boom in the craft cider industry prompts growers, technology to adapt By Hannah Shirley Daily News staff writer
Few good ideas come from the boredom of college roommates, but when Trent Meier and his friends decided to put a whiskey barrel in their basement, an interest in brewing hard cider that has spanned two decades was born. It wasn’t until Meier, now the owner of the Cider House in Pullman, moved from his native Michigan to the West Coast that he began noticing hard cider more and more often. “I’d started seeing some hard ciders and tasting hard ciders in the Portland area,” Meier said. “In that time, I had seen more products hitting the shelf around there than I’d ever seen before, and that spurred me to look into it.” Meier helped found the Whiskey Barrel Cider Company in 2010. Since then, the cidery has grown to include a taphouse, a line of its own signature
ciders and distribution spanning the Pacific Northwest. The secret to its success, Meier said, is simplicity. “Our recipes taste very much like an apple,” Meier said. “That’s the idea behind our ciders — very fresh, very clean ciders.” The Whiskey Barrel Cider Company brews its ciders using local dessert apple varieties. According to Meier, if there’s an apple producer within several hours, he probably buys from them — one of those producers is the Washington State University cider apple orchard in Mount Vernon, Wash. In Mount Vernon, WSU Professor of Horticulture Carol Miles has also noticed the boom in Washington’s hard cider industry. Miles has been studying cider apple production since 2007, about three years before the growth in popularity. “It’s an attractive, enjoyable beverage,” Miles said. “It’s just a fermented
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fruit juice, which people find appealing. It’s accessible, it’s good, apples are grown through the local region, and everybody believes this is a long-term change.” According to Miles, hard cider first gained popularity in America during
See cider, Page 18A
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year John Deere released its 60-foot header. In addition to technology, other forces resulting in increased farm acreage Mader mentioned were two dry years experienced by farmers in the Palouse area and some profitable years that helped some farmers choose to “cash out.� In some cases, Mader said, some farmers will sell and then work part-time for whoever owns their farm. “It’s a trend that’s not going to stop,� Mader said. Another report released by the USDA found an increase in the number of farms distributing produce locally. Between 2002 and 2007 the number of farms with directto-consumer produce, or local food distribution, increased by 17 percent and farms saw a 32 percent increase in DTC sales. However, according to the report, between 2007 and 2012
“
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Transportation bills key for ag industry Policy specialists discuss relevant proposals in Idaho and Washington legislatures By Terri Harber Daily News staff writer
It’s been a slow year for agricultural-related bills in the Idaho Legislature. That could have a little something to do with the state’s controversial ag-gag law that was passed and signed into law by Gov. C.L. “Butch� Otter about a year ago. The law came about after Idaho’s dairy industry complained that videos showing cows being abused at a south Idaho dairy unfairly hurt business. “That brought such media exposure on the state we thought this was a good year
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for ag to be in background more,� said John Thompson, Idaho Farm Bureau’s public relations director. While no controversial bills are advancing in Boise, the agricultural industry is certainly paying attention to transportation legislation that could affect registration and truck fees. Legislators were continuing efforts to reach an accord on how to spread the increases and were looking at several proposals, including a 5-cent per gallon gasoline tax raise — permanent or temporary. Other proposals have sought
cy
from Page 11A
there was no increase in such farms distributing locally were sales, despite a 5.5 percent more likely to stay in business. Mader said this is likely increase in farms distributing from a strong, local consumerlocally. Mader said the numbers base. from the report are likely a This dedicated consumerresult of many base Mader farmers’ prodspeaks of ucts being could be the distributed to reason why the same custhe report tomer base. found that The report the smaller states farmers farms — those fighting over with income the “same below $75,000 Kevin Mader dollar� or the — accounted Local farmer consumerfor 85 perbase reaching cent of local a “plateau� is food farms in likely the cause. 2012. Mader has witnessed some However, these smaller of these trends. farms only account for 13 perMader noted there is a cent of all local food sold. major concern with healthier According to the USDA’s food and how and where food is report, 67 percent of all local coming from, but when every- food is coming from farms bringone is selling fresh produce ing in more than $350,000, and it’s difficult to be profitable in these farms only account for 5 those markets. percent of all DTC farms. Despite the farms that don’t base their business on distrib- Josh Babcock can be reached at (208) uting local seeing an increase 883-4630, or by email to jbabcock@ is sales, the report found those dnews.com.
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Smith, who earned her master’s degree in aquatic fishery science from the University of Idaho. “It’s more popular than I expected. A lot of folks want to get started.” The association has a website — www.palouseaquaponics.weebly.com — and at a recent meeting in Pullman, it provided instruction and a question and answer session for would-be fish and vegetable farmers. “We had 24 people show up,” Miller said. They ranged from farmers to a contingent from the Palouse Science Education Center, members of local school boards, and individuals and families curious about aquaponics. The fish and vegetable-growing systems are gaining a wider audience, Miller said, in part because of the nation’s rapidly growing population, the exportation of many locally raised foods such as wheat and lentils, and the necessity to find cost-effective and scientifically efficient agricultural methods. Since the 1970s, aquaponics technology has been steadily advancing as a science, Miller said.
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| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 17A Swiss chard and lettuce grow in the deep water culture system Pullman resident Sue Guyett built by hand. She donates the produce to the Pullman Food Pantry.
Research has shown it is eight times more productive than soil agriculture, using as little as 1 percent of the water necessary for a comparable soil garden. “They are extremely scalable,” Miller said. “You can do one in a window or on a porch using a 5-gallon bucket for a tomato plant, or you can go to several acres.” Most people prefer a backyard-size system using several fish tanks of 100 gallons apiece. Depending on their variety and the growth cycle, fish can be harvested every three to nine months, while vegetables — cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and herbs — are harvested regularly. Fish species, including tilapia, rainbow trout and barramundi, may be harvested on a ratio of 1 pound of fish per 4 pounds of vegetables. Even though the Palouse is one of the world’s top grain and legume producers, Smith said, it doesn’t provide a lot of food to the region. Wheat farms focus primarily on exports while the need for food in the region continues to increase. Aquaponics can be a local solution to a regional challenge, she said. Ralph Bartholdt can be contacted at rbartholdt@ lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275.
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Dean Hare/Daily News
Trent Maier pulls a drink at The Cider House on Thursday, July 25, 2013, in Pullman. Maier is the part-owner and manager of The Cider House.
couldn’t help but sow the idea. Now, in the Washington craft beer market, hard cider is second in popularity only to India Pale Ales. Hard cider makes up 4 percent of the craft beer market in Washington, making it the No. 1 state in cider consumption — for comparison, hard cider makes up 2 percent of the craft beer market nationwide, Miles said. It’s been difficult for harvesting technology to keep up with the boom in popularity, Miles said. While apples are almost always hand-picked, she said, production is much more efficient when a mechanical harvester is used. WSU Extension is collaborating with Littau Harvesters to develop a mechanical harvester specifically for apples, which Miles said is tentatively slated to be completed by October. In the meantime, they’ve been using a small-fruit harvester designed for harvesting blueberries and raspberries. “I anticipate that Washington will be the No. 1 cider apple producer, and mechanization will be a key part of that,” Miles said. Miles said that while mechanization improves efficiency, her research shows producers may still face a cost issue. “Machinery is expensive,” Miles said. “You have to have enough acres to justify it.”
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The cider apple industry is volumebased, Miles said. One cider apple grower she knows of has 70 acres of apples. Several more growers have tens of acres, and a dozen to two dozen have an acre to five acres. “That’s happening right now,” Miles said. “It’ll take three to five years for the apples to come online to be harvested, and we have maybe a dozen or two dozen people with maybe an acre to five acres right now. We’re in that transition period where half a dozen growers will soon have hundreds of acres.” Littau Harvesters Production Manager Frank Brown said as they continue to develop the two apple harvesters, a number of both apple and cherry growers have already expressed interest in the technology. “Many folks are facing the same challenge of the rising cost or hand labor, and trying to offset that to where they can make some money,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of interest in the cider apple market in particular, and so we work pretty closely with customers as we get involved in these things.” Brown said apple harvesters are essentially similar to small-berry harvesters but bigger. Unlike tree shakers, which do damage to the root systems of trees, the harvesters pass over the plants to individually knock off each fruit, which
is much less obtrusive for the plant. While Brown said he believes mechanization will be more widespread in the future, at this point, he said the technology is growing with the customer’s interest and trust in the product — slowly but surely. “It’s awesome working directly with customers to refine equipment, because it’s always the person running the machine that probably has your best ideas,” Brown said. “The owner’s got one idea, but the guy out in the field — he’s the one who’s going to make it work.” Down the line, in the Cider House in Pullman on any given Thursday evening, where regulars are enjoying a drink of Dam Hard Cider or Triple Play Summer Cider, Meier’s vision is certainly making it work. “It was seeing the interaction with people, and seeing people who for the first time would go to a location strictly for cider, or seeing people who were beer drinkers who then become avid cider drinkers and added that to their drinking repertoire,” Meier said. “It was just seeing those kinds of things in a larger market, certainly larger than Pullman, that the interest in cider became really clear to me.” Hannah Shirley can be reached at (208) 8834632, or by email to briefs@dnews.com.
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higher costs for vehicle registration and a wholesale fuel transfer fee. Education funding also is important because legislators might look at something related to the ag industry as a potential funding source. “We’re watching for any tax increases that would affect farmers and ranchers,” Thompson said. Thompson, however, noted that research is important to the ag industry and any bill that helps with such endeavors would gain the bureau’s support. A proposal that would urge Congress to enact labeling language instead of having individual state laws is also being closely watched. “A blanket, nationwide labeling law would be the better way to go,” Thompson said. Over in Washington state, an ag-gag bill similar to Idaho’s was introduced to the Legislature, but it never advanced out of committee. The Washington Farm Bureau is against the proposed higher statewide
minimum wage that would raise hourly pay to $12 an hour starting in 2019, and it also opposed a bill that would require businesses with more than four full-time employees to provide paid sick leave to their workers. Another piece of legislation the bureau opposes is a bill that would amend the current employee anti-retaliation act and open employers to potential litigation and administrative penalties, according to the bureau. “These bills will add costs, risks and regulations on farmers,” said Tom Davis, the bureau’s government relations director. “We strongly oppose them.” Davis said the bureau is in favor of overhauling funding for road maintenance. “Substantive reforms to transportation budgeting and project delivery need to be enacted if legislators are going to ask rural residents to pay higher gas taxes,” Davis said. The bureau also is endorsing a bill that requires government agencies to get permission from the Legislature to buy drones and closes government drone footage from public view. Terri Harber can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to tharber@dnews.com.
Managing animal manure The misuse of certain fertilizers can kill edible crops By Dean Fosdick Associated Press
Organic and synthetic fertilizers are the most common way to add nutrients to the soil, but animal manure is good too, if you can find and transport it. Unless applied properly, however, it can kill edible crops and cause serious gastrointestinal disorders. “Manures are being looked at differently and the timing of their application is different now from what we’ve advised in the past,” said Mark Hutchinson, a horticulturist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and a faculty member at the Maine Compost School. “You’re no longer going
to apply fresh manure and two days later do your planting. Rather, you should apply it in the fall, let a cover crop grow and allow the manures to mature,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a food safety issue rather than a nutrient issue. We’ve all seen the outbreaks of E. coli over the past couple of years.” Not all animal manures hold the same combinations or levels of nutrients. Chicken manure, for example, is especially high in ammonia, phosphorous and nitrogen. Even decomposed, it can damage tender plant roots. Goat and sheep manure is drier and easier to apply. It gives off fewer odors, too. Horse and cattle manure contains a wide range of nutrients
but lacks strength. Worm castings are extremely rich in nutrients but costly when used in large volumes. Most animal waste contains bedding — generally straw, sawdust or wood shavings. These bulk up the nutrient mix and help condition the soil but often introduce weed seeds into your plant beds. “Most home gardeners probably won’t be using fresh manure unless they have some chickens in their backyard,” said Carl Rosen, a professor and head of the Department of Soil, Water and Climate at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. For those who do, “you can run into problems using it because it will be too hot for your plants. You’ve got to compost it.”
| Saturday, March 21, 2015 | 19A
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Goat farmers handle increased demand Producers are trying new techniques to continue developing their dairy merchandise By Kourtney Liepelt Associated Press
MADRID, Iowa — Buying two goats in August 2008 was little more than an experiment for farmer Paula Olson and some entertainment for her daughters. Six and a half years, 14 milking goats and roughly $300,000 later, she’s in the midst of constructing a small-scale creamery in Madrid, Iowa, that’s set to feature goat milk, cheese, ice cream and more. And though her creamery isn’t yet open, Olson said local businesses have begun inquiring about her products, prompting her to already consider expanding. Americans’ growing taste for more unusual fare has contributed to a steady increase in demand for goat products in recent years, and producers across the country are trying to determine how to secure enough milk to give consumers what they want while continuing to develop their merchandise. The nation’s dairy goat herd climbed
2 percent in the past year to 365,000 animals, but producers said their annual sales are rising even faster — up by 15 percent or more. In Iowa, the number of goat farms has climbed from less than 20 a decade ago to about 200, behind only Wisconsin and California. Sheep and goat milk accrued $92.2 million in sales in 2012, according to the most recent figures available from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s census, with combined sales about a third higher than in the previous 2007 census. Goat dairies remain a relatively new market, however, so those in the industry are trying out new techniques largely by trial and error. “It’s not like the cow world,” said Larry Hedrich, owner of LaClare Family Farm in Chilton, Wis. “There aren’t reams and reams of research available.” Shelby Cornelius, president of the Iowa Dairy Goat Association, said membership has doubled since he took over in 2013 as farmers search for guidance
in how to get the most from their goats. The association has provided information on topics ranging from cheese-making to artificial insemination, he said. Much of the new demand appears to be due to increased interest in artisan cheeses and populations that are more accustomed to goat milk, such as Hispanic and Jewish communities, Cornelius said. In much of the world, goat milk is more common than cow milk. “As time goes on, goats won’t surpass dairy cattle, but I think they’re going to become more competitive,” Cornelius said. Some believe goat milk has significantly greater health benefits than cow milk, but Leo Timms, a professor in Iowa State University’s Department of Animal Science, said the two are quite similar. The most notable difference, he said, is that goat milk is naturally homogenized, meaning the fat globules in the liquid have already been broken
up so they’re digestible, whereas cow milk homogenization must be simulated. Proteins in the milks also differ, so someone who is allergic to cow milk might be able to drink goat milk, though lactose is still present in goat’s milk. Another distinguishing factor is in milk production — dairy cows produce about 20,000 more pounds of milk annually than goats. Cow milk accounted for nearly 95 percent of milk consumption in 2014, compared to 0.02 percent for goat milk, according to a statement from Dairy Management, Inc., which collects money from the nation’s approximately 47,000 cattle dairy farmers for product promotion. Still, goat products serve a niche in the dairy market. Jennifer Bice, founder of Redwood Farms in Sebastopol, Calif., has been in the dairy goat business for 45 years and witnessed the changing industry. As goat farmers continue to grapple with best methods and test new products, Bice said she expects interest to only grow. “I don’t see any reason for it to stop,” she said.
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Turning agriculture into tourism People are traveling far and wide to get a sense of the farm experience Catherine W. Idzerda The Janesville Gazzette
BROHEAD, Wis. — They call it “ag tourism.” Local farmers call it “doing business.” On March 30-31, the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association is holding a “LUV-R-AG” summit in Wisconsin Dells. The two-day event will feature experts in ag, marketing, ag-tourism business owners and others who will showcase “opportunities for and partnerships in the ag-tourism industry.” But what exactly is ag tourism? Around here, agriculture is synonymous with work. Based on the description the ag tourism’s website, visitdairyland.com, ag tourism can be anything from eating lunch at a CSA (community-supported agriculture) to touring a pheasant farm to a trip to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. It also includes corn mazes, opportunities to meet dairy goats or llamas, strawberry patches, apple orchards and
a variety of other activities many south- the trip each summer simply because central Wisconsin residents don’t think they enjoy the drive. are that unusual. Along with the usual “We take it for line-up of school groups, granted because we Reavis has given tours have easy access to it,” to Christian motorsaid Christine Rebout, cycle groups, antique executive director of the car clubs and Red Hat Janesville Convention ladies. and Visitors Bureau. Reavis agreed that “Around here, we’re people are further away probably only one or from the land than they two generations away used to be. from the farm.” “There used to be a In the suburbs time on the weekends of Chicago, people when people packed up are more likely to be and went back to the Dela Ends between two and four farm,” she said. Co-owner of Scotch Hill Farm generations away from Reavis and her husthe farm. band, Michael, started “People in northern the farm in 1995. The Illinois love the idea of a farm experi- couple saw tours as a way to promote the ence,” Rebout said. “It’s really exciting farm’s products. to them.” That’s also the case for Dela and Joylene Reavis, owner of Sugar Maple Tony Ends. The Ends family has been Emu Farm in Brodhead, said she has running Scotch Hill Farm in Brodhead repeat customers from Illinois who make since 1994.
“
When you buy anything, if you know who made it and where it comes from, it means more.”
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Dela Ends said farm tours and other “ag tourism” events have gotten more popular since 2000. Ends thinks consumers are more interested in buying local goods, and that they crave a connection to the producer. “It’s putting a face on it,” Ends said. “When you buy anything, if you know who made it and where it comes from, it means more.” The Soil Sisters event this year is supported by a tourism grant, which is helping to get the word out. Steve Peterson, executive director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association, said there has been an “explosion” of ag tourism in the state. Wisconsin Act 269, which provides liability protection for ag tourism-related activities, has helped tremendously, he said. At the summit in Wisconsin Dells, the ag tourism association will announce its “Field Trips” initiative to promote touring coach visits to ag-tourism destinations in Wisconsin. “The idea is based on those field trips adults fondly remember from grade school,” Peterson wrote in a news release. Rebout, who grew up on a farm near Edgerton and now farms with her husband Doug’s family, said the landscape and people we take for granted are part the attraction.
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Moscow-Pullman Daily News
5 pairs of twin calves born on small Montana ranch
Farmer’s cow was expected to deliver twins once in every 91 live births David Murray Great Falls Tribune
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Calving season is nothing new to Don Eakman. For more than 40 years he’s lived in a farmhouse overlooking the Sun River, splitting his time between teaching elementary school and caring for a small herd of registered Red Angus cattle. So when it comes to helping baby calves enter the world, not a lot surprises him. This year it did. During the last three weeks of February, five of the first eight cows to give birth on the Eakman ranch delivered twins — all of which survived and are now happily romping across Eakman’s pastures on the western edge of Great Falls.
While twin births in cattle is not unheard of, it is unusual. According to a report in the Journal of Animal Science, dairy cattle are far more likely to deliver twin calves than are beef cattle. Holsteins, for example, typically deliver twins about once in every 29 live births. Brown Swiss are even more prolific, birthing twin calves once in about every 11 deliveries. However Angus cows, like Eakman raises, only deliver twins once in every 91 live births. The arrival of five sets of twins at the Eakman ranch is even more improbable considering that Don’s entire herd consists of 34 cows. “I ended up with three sets of twins before I had one cow with a single calf,” Eakman said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “I’ve never had twins like this before.”
To put it all in some perspective, with a herd of 34 Red Angus cows Don Eakman could reasonably expect to receive a single set of twins about once every three years. The likelihood that same herd would deliver five sets in a single spring is less than one in 137 — meaning that if Eakman’s great-great-grandfather had founded that herd around the time of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, this probably would have only happened once since then. “It’s quite the feat indeed,” commented Rachel Endecott, extension beef cattle specialist with Montana State University. “Five sets already in under 40 cows is amazing.” Those unfamiliar with livestock production might naturally assume that twin calves would be a great blessing. If one live calf is good, two is even
Northwest Farm & Ranch better. But twin calves often come with their own set of complications. It’s common for the mother of twin calves to reject one of her babies and refuse to nurse him. That leaves the rancher with the option of finding another cow willing to accept the calf — not always an easy thing to do — or bottle feeding the “bum calf” three or four times a day. “That’s one reason why I don’t like twins,” Eakman told the Great Falls Tribune, “because you have to do all that extra malarkey with them. It’s a lot of extra work.” Multiple births are also physically demanding on both the mother and her calves. The additional strain of multiple deliveries can tear up the cow’s uterus, and crowding during fetal development sometimes results in deformed or weakened newborns. Even if the births come off without complications, it’s not uncommon for a single cow to be unable to produce enough milk to adequately feed both her calves. “For one cow to raise two calves is really hard on the cow,” Eakman said. “It really drains her down.” Yet in the current case, all of Eakman’s twins were born healthy, and all their mothers immediately
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accepted the extra babies. Eakman and mom comes on the run. They can didn’t even have to assist with the births be real aggressive, so I was totally frusby “pulling” any of the twins. trated. Finally I picked it up and brought “We’ve really been blessed that all of it in to the little corral next to the barn. I these have been up and eating within went in the barn and got the new mother 20 minutes, and that the from that morning and mother has taken them,” she came running out. he said. She immediately went to In the case of one that calf and it started cow, Eakman didn’t even nursing.” know she’d delivered two Of the five sets of calves until he came back twins born on Eakman’s to check on the mother ranch, four are bull/heifseveral hours later. er pairs and one is a set Don Eakman Suspecting the cow of two heifers. was about to deliver, he’d According to Endecott, Montana farmer kept a close watch on her the combination of a bull and stood by that morning as one calf and a heifer in twin calves almost always was born without any difficulty. results in the heifer being sterile. After the newborn was up and nurs“A heifer born with a twin bull is called ing, Eakman went out into the pasture a ‘freemartin’ and about 95 percent of the and carried the calf back to the safety of time she is infertile,” she said. “While in the barn, with the mother cow following the uterus the twins are sharing a blood placidly behind him. supply as their reproductive organs are About five hours later, he went back developing. The testosterone from the out into the pasture to check on the rest bull tends to develop first, and that’s of his herd, only to find an unattended going to cause sterility in the heifer.” newborn that none of the other cows For all of the unusual and unlikely seem to care about. coincidences that came together in the “I had a calf standing there all by birth of so many twins on Don Eakman’s itself bawling, and nobody was pay- ranch, it is the miracle of life itself that ing attention to her,” Eakman said. most amazes him. “Normally you get next to a newborn calf “I love seeing life like this,” he said.
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“
I love seeing life like this.”
Associated Press
Don Eakman checks on a pair of twin calves at his Great Falls, Mont., ranch.
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