Northwest
Farm and Ranch Grant
Yakima
Benton
Pend Oreille Ferry
Boundary
Stevens
Bonner
Spokane
Lincoln
Kootenai
Benewah Adams
Whitman
Shoshone
Latah Clearwater
Franklin
Garfield Columbia
Asotin
Walla Walla
Klickitat
Umatilla
Wallowa
Morrow
Idaho
Union
Baker
SUMMER 2020
A joint publication of the
The secret may be in the sun Maximizing exposure could make Northwest a wheat goliath / Page 2
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
| CEREAL GRAIN|
Study: Let the sunshine in Researchers say region could be tops in wheat production given the resources here White puffy clouds are seen rising over fields of wheat on the Palouse earlier this month. By Kathy Hedberg for Farm and Ranch
The Pacific Northwest has the potential to be among the highest-yielding wheat regions in the country by maximizing sunlight exposure, one agricultural researcher said. Cat Salois, director of research for the McGregor Company at Colfax, said studies that are part of the international Maximum Wheat Yield Project indicate the ability to capture and convert water, mineral and solar resources in the Pacific Northwest gives it the potential to be one of the highest-yield wheat growing regions in the world. “We have huge environmental potential,” Salois said. “Yet our region has one of the biggest gaps between
current and achievable yield. “Often we hope water is the limiting factor but don’t truly know where, when and how our yield losses are happening. Identifying major yield gaps and understanding how those gaps affect the yield components of the crop stands to dramatically impact yield Salois response.” Wheat yield is affected by the number of grain heads per acre; the number of grains per head, and the weight per grain. Each of these components has a critical growth period in which they are most sensitive to stresses and most responsive to management tools. Knowing what tools to use and
at what time, Salois said, is critical to reducing yield losses and driving higher returns on resources. Extending grain fill is key. Increasing the grain weight by just 1 gram per 1,000 grains adds up to 3 bushels per acre of gain. Salois and her team found that by consciously moving a portion of the crop inputs, such as fertilizer and fungicides, to later in the season they were able to extend the “stay green” period of the flag leaf, keeping it actively photosynthesizing, prolonging grain fill, and increasing weight per grain. Salois attributed this to the plant’s ability to keep energy stores focused
August Frank/For Farm and Ranch
on yield production rather than being diverted to survival. Capitalizing on the environmental potential of the region’s sunlight, however, will require a shift in the thought process about why growers need to address flag leaf timing in the wheat crop. Currently, most effort is made on the front end of the season. In order to benefit from this science, the team concluded, the same effort must be put into the back half, or reproductive portion of the season, as well. Plant health fungicides and correct plant nutrition are expected to lead to heavier grain and increased yields. Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail. com or (208) 983-2326.
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 3
| PRODUCTION |
Losses mount for cattle industry Producers seek financial relief from Coronavirus Food Assistance Program By Michael Wells for Farm and Ranch
Cow-calf producers have taken the brunt of cattle industry losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study commissioned by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. They have taken an estimated economic hit of about $3.7 billion of an estimated total cattle industry loss of $13.6 billion, according to the study. If the damages were not mitigated by relief payments, the losses could reach $247 per head of cattle by 2021, according to the report. The loss can be limited in 2020 to $111.91 per head for each mature breeding animal in the U.S. Producers in the area lost as much as $85,000 when they sold cattle this year, Washington Cattlemen’s Association President and local cattle producer Sam Ledgerwood said. Cattle producers lost $150$250 per head of cattle they sold because of the continuing disruptions to the cattle industry caused by the pandemic, Ledgerwood said. Producers who sold freshly weaned calves last fall got $1,000 to $1,050, he said. Those who held onto their cows and sold them after the pandemic hit were getting about $770 for larger animals, and they had larger feed bills because they kept them longer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded to the losses with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. There are $16 billion in relief payment funds available. The relief funds are made up
Pete Caster/For Farm and Ranch
Cows graze in a field in Lewiston on June 15. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association estimates that the industry has taken a $13.6 billion hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. of $9.5 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Act and about $6.5 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act money. About $5 billion of those relief funds has been allotted for cat- Lane tle producers, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said. “The idea is to get some help out to the country to get these guys through a very difficult period,” Lane said.
The USDA started accepting applications through CFAP May 26. As of June 22, 196,462 livestock producers applied for $1.98 billion in CFAP relief funds. The program also received 12,084 applications from dairy producers through June 15 seeking $667 million in relief funds. The program issues relief payments to specialty and nonspecialty crop growers. Through June 22, 146,424 nonspecialty crop growers applied for $1.04 billion in relief
payments and 2,253 specialty crop growers applied for $84.27 million in relief payments. “This has been a really devastating crisis for our producers for a variety of reasons,” Lane said. “We’ve had supply chain problems, because of outbreaks at processing facilities. You have a certain dependable supply chain at any normal time of year, then all of the sudden everybody decides to fill their freezer with as much beef as they can buy in a week and a half. It shocks the system.” On top of supply chain problems and retail problems,
restaurants were mostly forced to shut down across the country, only being allowed to offer curbside service. Restaurants represent a substantial portion of U.S. beef sales, which dropped to about 20 percent of normal, Lane said. “So you have all that product that was intended to go to food service that had to be diverted to retail and this massive shakeup in the supply chain from the packing facility to the consumer. We’re kind of out of that fog and returning See CATTLE, Page 5
4 | Saturday, June 27, 2020 |
Cattle from Page 3
to normal. A variety of cuts that you are used to seeing are returning to shelves again now,” he said. “That constriction in processing capacity has meant you have a lot of cattle available. So think supply and demand and a limited ability to actually process them through the system, which creates a ton of pressure — downward pressure on prices on cattle producers. Producers breed their cows and raise their calves to sell to feedlots, which finish the cattle on corn before they are sold to packers. The industry is producing about the same number of cows it did a year ago, Ledgerwood said. But because of the processing plants not running at capacity and having shutdowns because of COVID-19 outbreaks, producers are losSee CATTLE, Page 5
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PAYMENTS AS OF JUNE 22 The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities with financial assistance that gives them the ability to absorb sales losses and increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of applications on this summary includes both approved applications as well as those that have been signed by producers but not yet approved. The payment figure represents only the approved applications that have been forwarded for payment processing. Data will be updated and released each Monday by 11 a.m. PDT on farmers.gov/cfap.
NON-SPECIALTY State
SPECIALTY
LIVESTOCK
DAIRY
Payments
Applications
Payments
Applications
Payments
Applications
Payments
Applications
$1.6 billion
425
$2.6 million
70
$35.8 million
2,086
$39.5 million
244
OREGON
$247,519
94
$772,576
36
$19 million
1,293
$12.6 million
116
WASHINGTON
$934,543
200
$1.25 million
22
$10.5 million
824
$28.5 million
215
IDAHO
NON-SPECIALTY COMMODITIES include: Malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, wool.
SPECIALTY CROPS include: FRUITS — apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons. VEGETABLES — artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers,
eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, taro. NUTS — almonds, pecans, walnuts. OTHER — beans, mushroom.
LIVESTOCK includes: Cattle, hogs, and sheep (lambs and yearlings only). SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 5
Cattle
Cow-calf producers have taken the brunt of COVID-19 cattle-industry losses, according to a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association study.
from Page 4
that and take the slack out of the rope we’ll see this equalize and hopefully return to normal. But the losses in the meantime are extreme.” Ledgerwood is concerned about younger cattle producers. The average age of a cattle rancher is 60, he said. Young producers have cow payments to banks, pickup truck payments and land rent payments. “We sure don’t want to lose any of our young producers,” he said. “Without someone willing to take over, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” He believes the comeback in the industry will be slow, and he is concerned about bank notes coming due on cattle that were held back and not sold or could not be sold by producers because of the backlog. If banks call the notes, cows are a liquid asset and they would be sold, likely to larger producers, which would consolidate the industry, driving the price of cattle down again. “It has not been a lot of fun being the head of this cattlemen’s association during these turbulent times,” Ledgerwood said. “You just wonder how to help your neighbors and your producers across the state.”
ing money on their cattle. “So the packers have a huge inventory of cattle to pick from, and so those prices that producers have been getting are not reflective of what consumers are paying or what the commodity is really selling for,” Lane said. Cattle producers can apply for the funds through their local Farm Service Agency Office. “These losses have been bad enough, there’s not nearly enough money in this program to make people whole, but our hope is that it helps them get through this and come out the other side,” Lane said. “We’re lucky in the cattle industry we’re not having the same depopulation conversation that the pork and poultry folks are having to have. “We do have more options of putting cattle on maintenance diets and putting them on grass and otherwise putting them in a holding pattern while processing capacity rebounds, which it has. It is back to about 95 percent today,” he said in early June. “So they will start to eat through that million head of cattle that are backlogged in Wells may be contacted at mwells@lmtribune.com the system to catch up, and as they do or (208) 848-2275.
August Frank For Farm and Ranch
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MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
| PRODUCTION |
THRIVING AMID RESTRICTIONS Opening day earlier this month went ‘really well,’ according to manager of Eggert Family Organic Farm By William L. Spence for Farm and Ranch
New coronavirus safety protocols didn’t discourage customers during the first week of produce sales at Washington State University’s Eggert Family Organic Farm. The 30-acre facility runs a public farm stand every Friday, from 3-6 p.m., through midOctober. Opening day this year was June 5, and farm Manager Brad Jaeckel said things went “really well.” “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Jaeckel said. “But we had a lot of people come right at 3, and we stayed busy until 4:30. We started selling out after about an hour and a half.” That’s despite new safety procedures that prohibit customers from touching or bagging the produce themselves. Instead, the farm staff prebags everything. “That’s probably the biggest difference (from past years),” Jaeckel said. “But people seemed to be totally fine with it, and it actually sped up sales because they weren’t bagging things on their own.” Although there appears to be little evidence that the coronavirus can be spread by touching fruits and vegetables, new state safety guidelines say farmers markets and similar operations should minimize public handling of produce. “We had some people comment that they were concerned about going to the grocery store for that very reason,” Jaeckel said. “So they
really appreciated us bagging things.” The farm staff will wear face masks this season, and customers are encouraged to do the same. Social distancing guidelines are in place as well, and farm buildings and restrooms are off limits to the public. The farm serves primarily as a teaching and research center for WSU students. Consequently, once the coronavirus reached pandemic levels in March and states began issuing stay-at-home orders, Jaeckel said some See THRIVING, Page 7
ABOVE: Michelle Blankas (right) and Elissa Nelson place hoops over patches of kale and Swiss chard at the Eggert Family Organic Farm in Pullman. LEFT: Brad Jaeckel, manager of the Eggert Family Organic Farm, looks over the farm in Pullman. August Frank For Farm and Ranch
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
Thriving from Page 6
consideration was given to simply not opening the farm stand this year. However, “it represents a fairly large portion of our annual sales,” he said. “We surveyed our customers and tried to get as much information as we could about how to move forward safely. And there’s been a lot of good communication among growers and sellers in the state. I’ve actually been impressed with how much guidance the state has provided.” The early season produce that’s available includes a popular salad mix, kale, chard, rhubarb, arugula, carrots and basil, as well as pea, sunflower and radish shoot microgreens that are grown in the farm greenhouse. Among the new products this year, Jaeckel said, are container-grown tomatoes, eggplant and peppers that are all raised in the greenhouse. “The first crop of tomatoes could be ready by the end of the month,” he said. “Normally they aren’t available until the end of July or early August.” The farm publishes a weekly newsletter alerting customers about what’s available the coming Friday. It’s available on the farm website, at http://css.wsu.edu/organicfarm, along with directions to the produce stand. Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune. com or (208) 791-9168.
TOP: Various crops stretch down a hillside at the Eggert Family Organic Farm in Pullman. ABOVE: WSU student Sarah Hallyburton chucks an armful of weeds out of the way in the crop of winter peas. RIGHT: Student Elissa Nelson takes a large step over a row of chard. August Frank/For Farm and Ranch
| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 7
8 | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | A poison hemlock grows near Moscow’s Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility. The noxious weed, which can be deadly to humans and livestock when ingested, is at above-average levels this year in Idaho.
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE
Experts: Poison hemlock common, deadly in Idaho With a mild winter and moist spring, the noxious weed is especially prevalent in the Gem State this year By Garrett Cabeza for Farm and Ranch
Garrett Cabeza For Farm & Ranch
The potentially deadly noxious weed poison hemlock is at above-average levels this year in Idaho because of the state’s mild winter and spring, adequate water supply and good growing conditions. “It’s been a good year for a lot of our weeds, but definitely poison hemlock is thriving,” Phillip Acree, Nez Perce County senior weed technician, said
of the weed’s presence in the county where he works. The biennial plant, which means it takes two years to complete its life cycle, grows 6 to 9 feet tall, according to the Invasive Species of Idaho website. Its flowers are small, white and in umbrella-shaped clusters. Alan Martinson, Latah County Noxious Weed Control superintendent, See HEMLOCK, Page 9
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020 ple also confuse the plant with parsley and decide to taste it. Besides being lethal at times, from Page 8 Martinson said poison hemlock can take over an area, choking said poison hemlock’s purple out desirable vegetation. blotches on its stem make the “Once it gets established in plant easy to identify. an area, then it will continue to “It can grow just about any- grow and invade,” he said. “It’s a where, but it seems to prefer prolific seed producer.” wetter areas,” said Martinson, The invasive plant is on noting stream banks Idaho’s noxious weeds as an example. containment list, which He said the plant means landowners — is common in Latah whether that be private County but estimated residents or governit to be at average levment agencies like the els there this year. Idaho Transportation “It’s a lot more Department — must prevalent in Nez Perce reduce or eliminate County than Latah new or expanding Martinson County,” he said. weed populations on The plant can kill their property. humans and livestock if ingestMartinson said spraying ed, and handling it can cause herbicides on poison hemlock dermatitis in some individuals, and digging up the plant are the Invasive Species of Idaho the best ways to eliminate it, website said. noting herbicides are most Martinson said poison hem- effective when applied early in lock seems to be more toxic in the plant’s life cycle. early spring, which is typically the time people mistake it for Cabeza can be reached at wild carrot and eat it. (208) 883-4631, or by email Acree said sometimes peo- to gcabeza@dnews.com.
Hemlock
| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 9
POISON HEMLOCK CONTROL Use these recommended control methods to remove poison hemlock from your property. Always wear protective clothing and gloves to prevent accidental exposure to the plant’s toxic juices. Keep children away from poison hemlock. Mechanical: Small patches of poison hemlock can be carefully dug up, making sure to remove the taproot. Do not cut or mow the plants, as they will only resprout. Dispose of plants in the trash. Chemical: Herbicides containing glyphosate are readily available and can be very effective, especially for larger infestations. Always read and follow the label instructions before applying any herbicide product. The best time to spray poison hemlock is when the plant is still young and the leaves are just a basal rosette, and before it forms a stem and flowers. If plants are already in bloom, make sure to cut flowerheads and dispose of them in trash bags. Follow-up: Monitor for and treat areas for seedlings and resprouts. Plant grasses and other desirable vegetation to help prevent further weed establishment at the site. Remember: Toxins will remain potent in dried plant material. Never put pulled plants in the compost or leave them where children or livestock might eat them.
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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
New tool could aid winemakers WSU researchers developed unique way to test mouth feel ber of techniques. Some take hours and require an extensive chemistry background. Others require less experBetter wine is the purtise, but have drawbacks. pose of a new, free tool develFor instance, winemakoped by Washington State ers can get a sense of mouth University researchers. There are feel by tasting. That can A team at the school be difficult, though, if they worked on the method that certain are working on a number of assists winemakers in prewines at once, because they dicting the color and mouth wines that have to thoroughly cleanse feel of their wines. won’t sell if their mouths with water Both qualities are importtastes to avoid ant to wine enthusiasts, said you don’t put between dulling their perceptions, James Harbertson, an assothem in glass Harbertson said. ciate professor of enology at With money from WSU, who participated in where you wine taxes and levies the the project. Washington state wine Most people buy red can see the industry imposes on grapes wines based on color and color.” and wine for research, he expect rosé to be a certain and his colleagues developed hue, Harbertson said. an alternative that takes “There are certain wines — JAMES minutes. that won’t sell if you don’t HARBERTSON, “This is a way for them to put them in glass where you get that data without them WSU ENOLOGY can see the color,” he said. having to break their neck,” Mouth feel is also key, PROFESSOR he said. even though it’s not a part of Two or three wineries the flavor of a wine. It has to have used it so far. do with the sensation drink“I’m not sure why winemakers havers have on their tongues and insides of their cheeks when they are consum- en’t flocked to it,” Harbertson said. Co-owners of two Lewistoning wine, somewhat similar to rubbing Pete Caster/For Farm & Ranch Clarkston Valley wineries said they paper between your fingers, he said. A new tool developed by researchers at Washington State University can help It was possible to measure these winemakers test the mouth feel of the wines they are creating. characteristics previously with a numSee TOOL, Page 11 By Elaine Williams for Farm and Ranch
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| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 11
Robert Hubner/WSU Photo Services
Washington State University wine researcher Jim Harbertson enjoys, admires and carefully weighs the hues, shades and tints of rosé wine.
Tool
from Page 10
fermentation,” Grigg said. Rick Wasem, the winemaker and an owner at Basalt Cellars in Clarkston had a different thought. “It may be helpful from a standardization view,” Wasem said in a text message. “Mouth feel is something that everyone senses a bit differently and has different preferences. A measurement system that correlated well with individual preference could be helpful for consumers to choose wine they are likely to enjoy.”
were intrigued by the innovation. “I am not so sure that it would be beneficial for me personally,” said Lisa Grigg, an owner and co-winemaker at Jovinea Cellars, in a Facebook message. “Although I might change my tune after trying it for a while and seeing its benefits firsthand. It is geared toward timing of when to get red Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune. wine grapes off their skins during com or (208) 848-2261.
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| PRODUCTION |
A meatpacking rebound Production rebounds from outbreak, but high prices and backlogs will persist, official predict By Josh Funk and Stephen Groves Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — Meat production has rebounded from its low point during the coronavirus pandemic when dozens of plants were closed, but experts say consumer prices are likely to remain high and it will take months to work through a backlog of millions of pigs and cattle, creating headaches for producers. Earlier this week, beef, pork and poultry plants were operating at more than 95 percent of last year’s levels, which was up from about 60 percent in April at the height of plant closures and slowdowns, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. That increased production came as companies took steps to protect workers, such as adding plastic partitions between work stations and staggering shifts, that are essential but could slow down the work. The safety measures and bonuses to incentivize workers have increased costs. And while worker advocates stress that companies must be vigilant to avoid more coronavirus infections, those steps will likely mean higher prices at grocery stores. Even if plants became more efficient, there is a lag of several weeks between when wholesale prices drop and when consumers start to see the change. Grocery stores, which absorbed some of the meat price increases this spring, also may not pass along all the price cuts as they try to restore their profit margins. “Don’t expect prices to fall in half just because wholesale prices have declined dramatically,” said Lee Schulz, a livestock economist at Iowa State University. Besides adopting measures to keep workers healthy, Kansas State University agricultural economist
Associated Press
Mike Drinnin reaches out to a cow at a feedlot in Columbus, Neb., June 10. Drinnin, who owns feedlots in Nebraska, said everyone involved in raising and feeding cattle felt the squeeze this spring when beef and pork processing plants were operating at roughly 60 percent of capacity amid the coronavirus pandemic. It’s welcome news that production is now above 95 percent of last year’s level, but a backlog of millions of pigs and cattle remains. Glynn Tonsor said meat processors have also boosted production by operating plants more on Saturdays, rather than just weekdays, and by saving time by producing larger cuts of meat. That means grocery stores or consumers may have to cut a pork loin down into pork chops instead of that work being done at meat plants, for example. But to work through the beef and pork backlogs quickly, meat processors may have to find ways to boost production higher than last year’s levels, said Will Sawyer, a protein economist at Cobank, an agribusiness bank. Before
the pandemic, meatpacking plants had been expected to produce more than they did last year. Even as production levels climb, it will likely take all summer and maybe into the fall to work through the backlog of more than 1 million cattle and more than 2 million pigs that was created this spring when dozens of plants were closed. That will continue to create problems for farmers and ranchers who are struggling to find space for all those animals and face low prices because of the supply glut. Mike Drinnin, who owns feedlots in
Nebraska, said everyone involved in raising and feeding cattle felt the squeeze when so many beef and pork processing plants were idled, because fewer cattle were being bought by processors. More cattle are remaining in pastures and feedlots longer than normal while ranchers try to slow their growth rate to give themselves more flexibility. “It’s been a long, long, hard haul here since March and all this kind of started,” said Drinnin, who serves on the board of the Nebraska Cattlemen See MEATPACKING, Page 13
Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 13
Meatpacking from Page 12
trade group. “It’s just been quite the struggle for everybody.” Pig farmers have been hit especially hard by the backlog because of the tight capacity on their farms. It has led some to euthanize pigs to create space in their barns. “As farmers we’re always trying to plan for the future, and it’s just impossible right now,” said Mike Paustian, the president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “The only thing that’s certain is that this problem is not going to go away anytime soon.” Largely because poultry plants are more automated, they didn’t see as many virus outbreaks and closures, with production only falling about 5 percent, Sawyer said. The plants that did close temporarily were also smaller than some of the beef and pork plants that closed. As meat plants scale up to full capacity, companies still must ensure that plants don’t again become hotbeds of infections, said Mark Lauritsen, director of the food processing and meatpacking division for the United Food and Commercial Workers International union. The union represents roughly 80
Associated Press
Workers wear protective masks and stand between plastic dividers while working in April at the Tyson Foods Camilla, Ga., poultry processing plant. percent of the country’s beef and pork workers and 33 percent of its poultry workers. “We’re still seeing outbreaks,” Lauritsen said. “It’s a strange virus because it’s hard to say where it will pop up next.”
Lauritsen said many plants where hundreds of employees became infected have reopened since implementing safety measures. But other plants, like a JBS beef plant in Hyrum, Utah, are just now seeing outbreaks. The plant, where mass testing revealed that 287
employees had COVID-19 this week, has had to slow some of its operations, but it remains open. The union estimates that 13,150 U.S. meatpacking plant workers been infected or exposed to the coronavirus and 57 have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. As plants scale up to full capacity, Lauritsen said he’s concerned they will ease up on safety measures. Worker shortages also still seem be a problem at some plants, with many employees cautiously returning to work. One labor staffing company in Arkansas, TEC Staffing Services, has held “drive thru hiring events” for poultry plants, seeking to fill hundreds of open positions. Marisol Avelar, who works at a JBS pork plant in Worthington, Minn., said dozens of people are missing every day from her shift on the production line. When she was called back to work last month after the plant temporarily closed, her fears were somewhat assuaged by the safety measures the company had taken. She’s still nervous, though, because of talk about infected workers. “The company has done a lot of work trying to keep everyone safe, but people have continued getting infected,” she said.
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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020
Old-fashioned milk delivery making a comeback Charles Streitweiser, a milkman with Logical Living, drops off milk and other food items to customers in the West Chester, Pa., area.
By Frank Fitzpatrick The Philadelphia Inquirer
TERRE HILL, Pa. — The oncefamiliar tinkle of glass bottles at dawn is missing, as are the distinctive trucks and the crisp white uniforms of their drivers, but in the midst of the COVID19 outbreak, home milk-delivery is experiencing a renaissance in the Philadelphia area. The combination of the coronavirus’ lock downs, worries about food shortages, the booming delivery economy, and a trend toward farm-to-table freshness has helped revive the bygone American tradition of milkmen, who as recently as the 1960s brought dairy products to the doorsteps of nearly a third of U.S. households. A new breed of milk-delivery companies, located on the region’s still rural fringes near some of Pennsylvania’s 5,730 dairy farms and staffed by milk men and women, has in the last few months penetrated the Philadelphia suburbs.
Philadelphia Inquirer
See MILK, Page 15
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| MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE | Saturday, June 27, 2020 | 15
Milk
from Page 14 Lancaster County-based Doorstep Dairy now carries milk and other farm products to parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties. Logical Living of Kennett Square does the same from Avondale to Downingtown. Cow Belle targets the Lehigh Valley and Poconos. Even in highly urbanized North Jersey, Udderly Delicious has thrived by offering its home-delivered milk in glass bottles. And a spokesperson for Wawa, the area’s largest convenience-store chain, said that through third-party services such as Grubhub, it now offers milk delivery in 95 percent of its operating area. The surge in milk deliveries has actually outpaced the overall boom in home food delivery, Wawa has found. “It’s grown substantially,” said Lori Bruce, Wawa’s public-relations manager. “It’s definitely something people want delivered.” While most of their new customers made the switch during the recent pandemic, these companies hope the appeal and convenience — and the growing number of products they offer — will convince milk drinkers to stay once the world returns to normal.
Logical Living
A Logical Living milk delivery truck is painted to resemble a Holstein cow. “My son and husband both commented that the milk tastes so much fresher than from the grocery store,” said Barbara Barnes, who in April began getting milk and other farm products delivered to her Radnor home for her, her husband and three boys. “We started with milk and eggs and our order just grew. Everything arrives as
it should and the quality is good. After the virus is over and the kids go back to college, our order may shrink a bit, but I intend to stick with it.” Barnes learned about Doorstep Dairy through Malvern’s community Facebook page. Since the pandemic hit earlier this year, the decade-old company’s orders and workforce have more
than doubled. Doorstep gets its milk from two Lancaster County suppliers. Kreider Farms in Manheim provides traditional whole, low-fat and skim products, while its organic milk comes from Oasis Creamery in Ronks. As demand increased, the Terre Hill, Pa.-based Doorstep, which has a warehouse in Reinholds, contracted with other area farmers for yogurt, cheese, fruit, vegetables and meat. “We’re a mom-and-pop business,” said Doorstep owner Daryl Mast. “Three months ago, there were two of us — one full-time employee and myself. We probably had 130 to 140 homes and businesses that we served each week. That paid the bills. We weren’t prepared for this big influx.” Mast said Doorstep now has about 325 regular customers in Lancaster, Berks, Chester and Montgomery Counties, and at least that many on a waiting list. He’s had to purchase a third truck, borrow a fourth from an idled food distributor, and hire three more full-time employees and several part-time warehouse workers. Since 2010, Doorstep and a few other dairy-delivery services had built small, niche markets in such places as See MILK, Page 16
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Milk
from Page 15 Lancaster, Berks and southern Chester Counties. But when the pandemic shut down the region in March and some farmers began dumping milk they couldn’t get to market, they suddenly had to confront a consumer surge. “I was worried about getting certain items from the grocery store,” Barnes said. “I wanted to make sure I had some staple items. Over time, my order just grew and grew because I liked it so much. It was fresh and fairly priced.” In Kennett Square, another dairy-delivery service, Logical Living, also doubled its business. “We’ve probably got about 300 customers now,” said Kevin Quinlan, the company’s owner. Quinlan said his family had long purchased milk from Bailey’s Dairy, a Pocopson Township dairy that sold most of its product to Land O’ Lakes. “About five years ago, I was between jobs and I realized a
“
Especially during these times, I think people are beginning to realize that not only do you get a better, more nutritious product locally, but it’s also safer.” — KEVIN QUINLAN, LOGICAL LIVING OWNER
lot of people would probably love to have that milk delivered,” he said. “So I reached out to Bailey’s and they said let’s give it a shot.” Home milk delivery in America dates to the late 1700s. Milk was perishable and there was no refrigeration. A fresh bottle on the doorstep each morning was a welcomed and useful sight. For 150 years, the delivery business boomed for such dairies as Philadelphia’s Sealtest, Harbison’s and Abbotts. But things started to change after World War II. Pasteurization and refrigeration increased milk’s shelf life, suburban sprawl made delivery more expensive, and the growth of supermarkets made buying it simple.
By the early 1960s, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 30 percent of American households had milk delivered. By the 2010s, the number had plummeted to 1 percent. Though Doorstep wasn’t founded until 2010, Mast knew he had the genes to operate such an enterprise. He grew up on the Morgantown dairy farm his parents operated, and one of his grandfathers sold farm products door to door. “I always had an idea about doing something like this,” Mast said. “When we started, our goal was to try to create some new markets for the local ag community. We felt like maybe home delivery was the way to do that.”
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Northwest Farm and Ranch | Summer 2020 Like Doorstep, Logical Living gathers product Monday and Tuesday and delivers it the rest of the week. Instead of the daily delivery that used to be the norm, customers are limited to once a week. “We deliver Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,” said Quinlan. “We used to do it mostly in the mornings but now it’s all day. We start about 8 a.m. and finish around 5 or 6 p.m.” Doorstep asks customers to have a cooler at their homes’ entrances. If requested, drivers will place the milk and other products in garage refrigerators. “But in the last few weeks, most people have been home so we just put it on the doorstep, give them a thumbs-up through the front window and we’re on our way,” Mast said. The delivered milk costs more than in a supermarket, but the firms praise its quality and say it’s competitive in pricing with store milk certified as organic. As their milk business blossoms, the companies have been supplementing it by carrying farm-fresh produce, meats and baked goods in their
small, refrigerated trucks. “Especially during these times, I think people are beginning to realize that not only do you get a better, more nutritious product locally, but it’s also safer,” said Quinlan. “The milk goes from the dairy to a truck to your home. “My sense is that while a lot of people will go back to doing what they were before, we’re going to retain a lot of others,” he added. The services rely on the dairies to bottle the milk and virtually all of it comes in plastic containers, not the once-ubiquitous glass that was the industry’s trademark and which, many consumers still insist, made the milk fresher and tastier. “We had a dairy that did glass,” said Mast. “But it’s a pain. There’s a lot more labor involved. The bottles have to be returned and sanitized. And everybody breaks some now and then. “But despite that we’re hoping to have glass back on the menu pretty soon,” he said. “It’s definitely a good selling point. There’s some real nostalgia there.”