Northwest Farm and Ranch, Fall 2018

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Farm and Ranch FALL 2018

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A new research playground The University of Idaho gains 48 acres of orchard property in Sandpoint — Page 12

2 | Saturday, September 29, 2018 |

Farm and Ranch

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Table of Contents An aging agricultural infrastructure Page 3

Weed killer is no friend to wine grape growers Page 4

Joining the fight against noxious weeds Page 7

Healthy harvest brings poor pulse prices Page 8

University gains 48 acres in Sandpoint Page 12

Palouse farmers prepare to repair stream fronts Page 15

Back to their roots: How traditional practices can help soil Page 16

Geoff Crimmins/Daily News

University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center is pictured above. 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 Doug Bauer with the Tribune Publishing Company at dbauer@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2269. Editorial suggestions and ideas can be sent to Devin Rokyta at drokyta@dnews.com or Doug Bauer at dbauer@lmtribune.com.

Minnesota orchards debut new apple variety called First Kiss Page 18

Huge squirrel population chomps crops, driving farmers nuts Page 19

Farm and Ranch

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 3

An aging agriculture infrastructure Washington State University economist examines best ways to help US crops flow

lic transit. Roads, inland waterways, dams and levees all received a D, while bridges and ports scored a C+ and railroads received a B. Jessup said due to By Katie Short the privatization of the Jessup Daily News staff writer railroad system, the rails have been relaPlanes, trains and automobiles are tively well maintained. In 2013, howthe veins that give the agriculture ever, Washington state received a Ccommunity the ability to transport its grade for its 3,200 miles of railway. products all over the nation and com“While the capacity of the rail syspete on a global scale. Nationwide, tem overall is adequate, some congesthowever, agriculture infrastructure is ed corridors and the condition of some failing, which, in turn, made it more of the shortline rails are concerning,” difficult to transport goods and has stated the ASCE report. increased cost to the end consumer. Jessup said cost along the railroad Eric Jessup, assohas remained low due ciate research profesto the fact there are sor at Washington alternative ways the State University and agriculture industry in Director of the Freight the Pacific Northwest Policy Transportation can transport its Institute, said goods. increased funding to in“The Pacific frastructure improveNorthwest has been ments is essential in blessed. We have both order to keep consumer rail and water infracosts low and efficiency structure that other high. parts of the world do Eric Jessup “In the Pacific not have. That compeNorthwest, we have WSU associate research professor tition keeps the rates done better than the low,” he said. national average of maintaining our Jessup said each time the inland infrastructure, but we still have needs,” waterways, ports or levees are shut Jessup said. down along the Columbia or Snake Every four years, the American rivers, the cost of transporting goods Society of Civil Engineers’ releases a on railroads increases. report card that grades each individual While railways are primarily fundstate and the nation as a whole on its ed and maintained by private corporacondition and performance regarding tions, roads and highways are funded infrastructure. Overall, the United States received See Aging, Page 4 a D+ grade, struggling most with pub-

“

We have not done a good job of maintaining our core highway structure.”

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Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Aging from Page 3

primarily through the state and individual counties. “We have not done a good job of maintaining our core highway structure,” Jessup said. He explained the road system is one of the most crucial infrastructures in the export chain because products such as wheat, pulses, apples and potatoes that come out of the Pacific Northwest have to reach an export terminal, such as a railroad or a port, somehow. “(The goods) leave the fields via county roads; they do not magically appear on the railroads,” Jessup said. “We have to maintain access to rail, highways and out port facilities.” Jessup said one way to better fund the highway system would be to increase the federal fuel tax. He said since 1993, the federal fuel tax has not been raised from 8.4 cents a gallon for regular gas and 24.4 cents a gallon for diesel. “The federal government has tried to push the maintenance of the infrastructure onto the states and the counties,” Jessup said, adding

as vehicles have become more fuel efficient, states are not receiving enough revenue to offset the cost of damages the vehicles impose on highways and bridges. “Of (Idaho’s) 75,891 miles (of road), approximately 12,000 lane miles are state highways and 63,607 lane miles are local roads and streets. While the Idaho legislature has made strides in identifying additional funding for the state’s highways and roads, available funding is insufficient to meet current and future demands. Over the next 20 years, the state will experience a $3.6 billion shortfall if funding remains stagnant,” reads the ASCE 2018 report of Idaho’s roadways. Jessup said one of the largest issues with the export system is that it extends beyond state lines. “The state of Washington has things they want to fix and the state of Idaho has things they want to fix,” he said, noting the states must coordinate funding and support in order to fix the whole chain at once. He said when crops are able to flow easily from the field to the end consumer, everyone benefits. Katie Short can be reached at 208-883-4633 or by email at kshort@dnews.com

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Weed killer is no friend to wine grape growers The chemical 2,4-D is known to stunt the growth, reduce the quality of the fruit By Joel Mills Lewiston Tribune

Clarkston winegrower Jim Arnett recently held two vastly different grape leaves side by side. One was large — almost as big as his hand — with a thin, flat structure. The other was much smaller, thicker and cupped. But both leaves came from the same vine, illustrating the damage the common broadleaf weed killer 2,4-D can inflict when it drifts in from nearby lawns and fields. “These leaves should be nice and pretty and big,” Arnett said of the stunted examples he showed in his three-acre vineyard. “And if you get

hit hard enough, they won’t even make it.” Winemaker Coco Umiker said the drift of improperly applied 2,4-D has hit her Clearwater Canyon Cellars vineyard at the top of Gun Club Road in Lewiston each of the 15 years she has been growing grapes. The damage is worst in the spring when actively growing vines collide with people aiming to eradicate dandelions and other broadleaf weeds from their property. “It’s not uncommon for us to drive around Lewiston in April, May and June, and people are broadcasting weed and feed on their yard, and it’s 100 degrees with a gale-force wind coming from the west,” said Umiker, who is also the president of the LewisClark Valley Wine Alliance. “They have no idea what they’re doing.” The herbicide is highly volatile at

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Joel Mills/Lewiston Tribune

Clarkston winegrower Jim Arnett compares grape leaves to show the negative effects of weed killer.

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“

Grape from Page 4

temperatures over 80 degrees, when it can enter the air and drift for miles. It’s best to apply 2,4-D in March when temperatures are lower, and only if it isn’t windy. Many homeowners apply it at higher concentrations than necessary, adding to the drift. Umiker said plants that get exposed in April and May can have their canopies of foliage diminished, leading to sunburned grapes that can’t be used to make wine. And that hurts her bottom line. “Leaves don’t only help ripen the fruit, they protect it from the sun,� she said. “We don’t even keep the badly sunburned grapes. We have to drop those on the ground and leave them.� If vines get hit in June when they typically bloom, ripening can be further delayed and put a kink in production schedules. Umiker said she believes the quality of the final product can be affected as well. “I suspect it decreases the flavor profiles, all the neat molecules in the grapes that make flavor,� she said. “And who knows if we end up with wine that isn’t as good as it could have been.�

It’s so depressing because it’s something that is totally out of our hands.� Coco Umiker Lewiston winegrower the spring, according to Washington State University Viticulturist Michelle Moyer. But Idaho has no such regulations, and Arnett said he could literally smell it in the air this spring. Umiker said she knows the distinctive odor well. It fills her with dread. “It’s so depressing because it’s someJoel Mills/Lewiston Tribune thing that is totally out of our hands,� Clarkston winegrower Jim Arnett compares grape leaves to show the negative she said. “I can’t stop 2,4-D from bloweffects of weed killer. ing from all these homeowners’ yards Both Umiker and Arnett said they aerial spraying of broadleaf killers into my vineyard, and you’ve worked have worked well with their immedi- on wheat fields at higher elevations so hard to make it perfect. You’re ate neighbors, who have agreed to also hurt his vineyard since they were anticipating this incredible vintage, apply broadleaf killers in March or use applied late this year due to the long, and then you walk out one morning in less volatile alternatives. But the dam- wet spring. The state of Washington May and you can smell it, and you want age still occurs because the chemical regulates the commercial use of 2,4- to cry because you know it’s here.� can drift from areas well beyond their D in counties that grow specialty immediate neighborhoods. crops like grapes and doesn’t allow Joel Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune. Arnett added his belief that the their use during various months in com or (208) 848-2266.

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Joining the fight against noxious weeds Asotin County weed coordinator says first year on the job has been rigorous so far

Asotin County Noxious Weed Coordinator Sarah Murt examines rush skeletonweed, one of several ubiquitous and unwelcome invaders to the area.

By Kathy Hedberg Lewiston Tribune

Sarah Murt’s six months as Asotin County weed coordinator has been a steep learning curve. Although Murt has worked in various sciences and taught school in the subject, dealing with invasive species has been a new — albeit exciting — experience for her. “I’m really new to the weed world,” Murt said. “I come from a science background, but I’ve been trying to get used to everything.” Murt took over her new job in April and said the pace of learning about and trying to keep up with noxious weeds in the county has been relentless. “My feet were running

Barry Kough Lewiston Tribune

when I started,” she said. “The season starts in the spring and doesn’t end until fall.” Murt answers to a fivemember board of noxious weed advisers, each of whom represents different geographical areas of the county. According to the weed department’s website, the invasion of noxious weeds “is one of the most serious threats to our natural resources today. Our wildlife, native vegetation, water quality, aesthetics, agricultural production, forest production and recreation either have been or are at risk of being altered to unacceptable levels due to the spread of noxious weeds.” The weed control board is funded by property taxes,

along with grants from various local, state and federal organizations. The weed board allocates public dollars toward landowners and land users in Asotin County. “We are working to establish and maintain an integrated vegetation management approach toward the control of noxious weeds within our boundaries,” the website states. “We value the diversity of the land as well as the diversity of the people who choose to make this county their home.” Murt said one of her priorities this year has been to administer the cost-share program with landowners, which helps them financially as they combat noxious weeds on their property. “We’ve been doing a lot of the cost-share program for yellow star-thistle and See Weeds, Page 8

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Scotch thistle, and we match up to a certain amount of money,� Murt said. “Everybody who lives around here knows yellow starthistle is commonplace in a lot of the rangeland, unfortunately. This year was a bumper crop year for yellow star-thistle. I think it had something to do with the wetter spring — really good growing conditions. It’s been that way for the last couple of years.� The cost-share match varies with different species of noxious weeds, but for yellow starthistle the weed board has been granting a one-to-one match up to $500 for treatment of the weeds. The board offers a one-toone dollar match up to $100 for treatment of Scotch thistle. Murt said the county also has been using biocontrol insects to help fight the spread of noxious weeds. “The biocontrol isn’t going to eradicate it, but it is going to slow down the progression of yellow star-thistle, for sure,� she said.

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Murt said she and others are always on the lookout for noxious weeds, and sometimes they’re tipped off to an infestation by landowners or other land users. Some of the other infestations the county focused on this summer include common crupina, which is a Class A weed in the state of Washington. That means it is a nonnative species the distribution of which is still limited, but preventing new infestations and eradicating existing infestations is one of the state’s highest priorities. Mediterranean sage and rush skeleton weeds are listed as Class B priorities, meaning they are designated for control, but their spread is not currently widespread in the state. Murt said the noxious weed season is expected to continue for about another month and will resume next spring. For information about the Asotin County weed program contact Murt at (509) 243-2032 or email smurt@co.asotin.wa.us. Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 9832326.

Farm and Ranch

Healthy harvest brings poor pulse prices Farmers on the Palouse and Camas Prairie see bountiful yields, dismal prices due to tariffs By William L. Spence of the Tribune

Despite near-record yields, the story of the 2018 pulse crop harvest will likely be one of unfulfilled promise. Todd Scholz, vice president of research and member services for the U.S. Pea & Lentil Council, said yields for peas, lentils and chickpeas bordered on the fantastic for a number of farmers on the Palouse and Camas Prairie this year.

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“If the average yield (for peas) is 1,500 to 1,700 pounds per acre, some growers were getting in the neighborhood of 3,000 pounds,� Scholz said. Similarly, a number of growers in the MoscowPullman area reported lentil yields exceeding 2,000 pounds per acre — and in some cases as high as 2,700 pounds — compared to the average of about 1,600 pounds per acre. “When the weather is perfect, the crop can be great,� Scholz said. “The genetics are there; all they need is moisture.� Abundant spring rain and cool temperatures in June, when the plants bloom, helped boost this year’s pea crop, he said. Lentils and chickpeas experienced similar conditions, although

thunderstorms washed out some fields. Chickpeas planted later in the year also didn’t do as well, but overall yields for the region were above average. However, that agricultural bounty was offset by dismal commodity prices, largely due to protectionist and retaliatory tariffs by India and China. “Prices are just terrible,� Scholz said. “We had above average, in some cases fantastic yields, but prices just aren’t as exciting.� The drop-off began last November, when India decided to protect its domestic pulse growers with steep import tariffs on peas. Lentil and chickpea tariffs were added in December. “That basically shut down

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Farm and Ranch India as a market for the United States and the world,” Scholz said. “It was our No. 1 export market for peas and lentils.” The impact on prices was immediate, he said, with about a 15 percent decline. The situation deteriorated further this year, when China imposed tariffs on pulse crops and other agricultural products in retaliation for tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by the Trump administration. “China was our No. 2 market,” Scholz said. “Prices reacted almost immediately. Chickpeas were about 30 cents per pound at planting (in the spring), and they’re now around 21 cents. Lentils dropped from 25 or 26 cents to 19 cents.” For some farmers, that may not even cover the cost of production, he said.

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

The U.S. Pea & Lentil Council, which is headquartered near Moscow, is pursuing a number of different strategies to boost demand for pulse crops and to compensate for the hit to its two largest export markets. For example, increasing the domestic consumption of peas, lentils and beans offers significant potential. U.S. consumers eat an average of about 8 pounds of pulses per year, Scholz said, compared to about 40 pounds in India. “U.S. consumption of pulses is pathetic,” he said. “Our marketing campaign is a ‘half-cup habit.’ If you’re making a smoothie, drop in a half-cup of pulses. If you’re making rice, drop in a half-cup of pulses. We figure about 60 percent of the U.S. population wants more plants in their diet, and pulses See Pulse, Page 10

| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 9

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Baron Preston an employee at the Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative brooms the last of a load “Billy Beans” or chickpeas, off a truck being unloaded at the grain elevators in Genesee.

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10 | Saturday, September 29, 2018 |

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Pulse from Page 9

can be a part of that.� The council has also applied for assistance through the Trump administration’s $12 billion aid package for farmers affected by retaliatory tariffs. If approved, it would help boost sales to schools, hospitals and other institutions. The organization is also working to expand exports, which account for about 60 percent of U.S. pulse production. For example, it’s currently hosting a trade mission from Pakistan, and will travel to South Africa in the near future. However, Scholz noted that it takes time to develop and expand export markets — particularly ones on the scale of India and China. Consequently, resolving the ongoing trade disputes with China and other nations may be the fastest way to ensure that the 2019 harvest doesn’t suffer from the same unfulfilled potential as 2018. “As my boss says, we understand there are unfair trade practices by some of our (U.S.) trading partners,� Scholz said. “But we want these disputes resolved. Quicker is better.�

The price of chickpeas has fallen since China imposed tariffs on U.S. pulse crops.

Steve Hanks/Lewiston Tribune

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Moscow-Pullman Daily News

University gains 48 acres in Sandpoint UI acquired Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center in August By Garrett Cabeza Daily News staff writer

The University of Idaho’s presence in northern Idaho grew 48 acres last month when the school acquired the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center through a donation from a Sandpoint resident. UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Michael Parrella said the facility will allow the school to interact with the local community and North Idaho College through educational programs. It will also allow the university to provide internships and recruit northern Idaho students to the UI, he said. “All those things I think are on the table now whereas before was more difficult for us,” Parrella said. He said the property includes a conference center with offices and a

commercial kitchen, a three-bedroom home, a dormitory that can house 35 students, an apple storage facility and a cider house where apple cider is made. He said apples are the primary fruit produced on the property, including 68 apple varieties making up 675 apple trees. Eight pear varieties and eight types of other fruits are also grown at the orchard. Dennis Spence, who launched national apparel company Coldwater Creek in 1984, donated the property to the UI. Pence previously donated 18 acres of land in 2007, which sits adjacent and just south of the 48 acres, said Carly Schoepflin, UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences director of communications and strategic initiatives. “There is not a place like it anywhere,” Parrella said. He said a university typically would not build a new research and extension center to the degree the Sandpoint center is constructed. “Dennis really spared no expense when he constructed that facility so

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We want to express our appreciation to the regional agricultural community, the hard working people who ll our nation’s pantries. Your hard work and concern for the environment keeps our land fertile, productive and safe. It is your hard work that has enabled our proud nation not just to feed its own, but to send food abroad and ease hunger in other parts of the world.

Thank you for the vital fruit of your labor! Geoff Crimmins/Daily News

The University of Idaho has acquired the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center.

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it far and away exceeds what a normal university would actually build,” Parrella said. “From a research and education extension center, it is a crown jewel of our system.” Parrella said Pence is passionate about supporting local, sustainable and organic food productions and educating people on those processes. “We made a connection with Dennis and he realized that his vision would be fulfilled,” Parrella said. “He’s kind of stepping away from it and we were there ready to pick up that legacy and move it forward.” The center is the first and only USDAcertified organic program in the UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Parrella said there are not many land grant institutions that have certified organic production where students can actually train and learn. “I think in that sense, it puts us in a rarefied air,” Parrella said. Students will be able to learn about organic and sustainable crop production and pest and soil management among other topics. Parrella said he expects at least five departments from the college to be engaged at the Sandpoint facility. Idaho ranked seventh among all states in certified organic acreage with 167,000 See Sandpoint, Page 14

| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 13

Geoff Crimmins/Daily News

The University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center is the first USDA-certified organic program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

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University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center has a dormitory, commercial kitchen and an apple storage facility.

Sandpoint from Page 13

acres in 2015 valued at $85 million. “In that sense, having students trained in organic production practices have a direct impact,� Parrella said. Parrella said internships for UI and North Idaho College students will be offered at the center. Schoepflin said UI students have previously interned on the property. She said an open house will take at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the center. Schoepflin said members of the public can tour the facility and learn more about the programs. Remarks from university personnel and a special recognition of Pence will be included at the event. Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.

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Courtesy of the Spokane Conservation District

An example of the commodity buffer program implemented by the Spokane Conservation District, depicting how stream fronts were allowed to revert to a more natural habitat and help maintain riparian areas in the middle of farmland.

Palouse farmers prepare to repair stream fronts A voluntary conservation program reverts waterfronts to natural habitat, compensates farmers By Tom Holm Lewiston Tribune

Several farmers on the Palouse have begun the process of repairing riparian areas along their property. Organized by the Palouse Conservation District, a pilot program for the area offers stipends to farmers who allow several acres of waterfront property to revert to natural habitat in order to preserve stream fronts. Dubbed the Commodity Buffer Program, a large grant of $5.5 million was secured to pay Washington farmers to participate. For participating farmers, that means no development from the designated stream fronts and riverfronts is allowed. Ryan Boylan, an employee of the conservation district, said the project has little oversight and no long-term contract beyond the three-year funding the grant provides, making the project more appealing to farmers. “It’s (in) highly erodeable areas that we have been doing the commodity

pay rate,” Boylan said. “The payment depends on the crop … and the buffer width is scaled based on the current practices of the farmer.” After the three years, farmers can again volunteer to let the land stay as it is and receive compensation from the Washington state grant that is split across 18 regional conservation partnership programs. Boylan said the goal was to have 450 acres of buffer commodity in the area, and early in the review process of several farmers the program has already reached the halfway point at 250 acres. The program is entirely voluntary and is only in the planning stages on the Palouse, but it is a known protector of riparian areas thanks to the Spokane Conservation District. Ken Keno, who farms property near Fairfield, Wash., said he volunteered to give up a little less than 5 acres See Stream, Page 16

| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 15

16 | Saturday, September 29, 2018 |

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Stream from Page 15

of his land that is on both sides of a small tributary of Hangman Creek, Rattler’s Run Creek. Keno was offered compensation for the malt barley and garbanzo bean crops on either side of the creek, and he planted a mixed grass along the stream last spring. Keno said he volunteered for the project under a three-year contract with the Spokane Conservation District under which he won’t farm those acres, instead letting the grass grow and revert to a more natural habitat around the creek. “(The district) really did the legwork, and it was something we could wrap our arms around,� he said. “This is my first time participating in it, and we’re just getting our feet wet with it.� After three years, Keno has the option of again planting on the land, but he said he sees the benefit of preserving the watershed. “It’s something I thought we could do, and they did the background work and got the funding and compensation, so I felt it was a program that was doable,� he said.

“

(The district) really did the legwork, and it was something we could wrap our arms around.� Ken Keno Farmer near Fairfield, Wash.

Back to their roots Scientists say key to maintaining healthy soil may lie in old-school farming practices By Scott Jackson Daily News staff writer

Buffer zones can be hayed or grazed as long as that use doesn’t interfere during the critical birdnesting season. “Another cool thing about program is that the buffer width is scaled based on practices that occur upland, so if the farmer has no-till practices the requirement will be for a smaller buffer,� Boylan said. “It’s a shift away from traditional programs that we run and the producer gets to decide what plan works as long as it meets the minimum specs.� Tom Holm may be contacted at (208) 848-2275 or tholm@lmtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @ TomHolm4.

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“Dirt� is a four letter word among soil scientists. They contend that’s no way to talk about a diverse ecosystem that has a direct and profound affect on the crops and foods which human life is dependent on. In a climate of intensifying trade disputes and worsening markets for local exports like wheat, garbanzo beans and lentils, farmers on the Palouse and across the nation are looking for ways to make operations more efficient. Mike Strickland, an associate professor with the University of Idaho’s Department of Crop and Soil sciences, said they should be looking down. “We’ve just come to the realization that soil — it’s just not a substrate for growing plants on,� Strickland said. “Being able to maximize what your soil is to kind of foster its natural abilities can also yield a lot of benefit.� Strickland said many of the practices considered to be beneficial to

soil health are actually a return to tradition. Before the advent of readily available inorganic fertilizer and the popularization of aggressive tilling, Strickland said, certain farming practices were Strickland actually more sustainable and better for the soil than what is commonly done today. He said in order to reintroduce nutrients to their soil and maximize production, many farmers must return to their roots. No-till practices — or minimizing tillage — is fairly common, Strickland said, but to some it may seem counterintuitive. “Initially, it’s a good thing in a lot of ways because what it does is it breaks it up, you stimulate microbial decomposition and you get a release in a flush of nutrients,� Strickland said. “But once you continue to do that over time, you start to deplete that reservoir, if you will, of nutrients and carbon that’s in there.� No-till practices come with a wealth of advantages, Strickland said, including minimizing erosion and runoff, which may wash nutrients from the soil into nearby waterways. It also allows for the organic material, like root systems, to stay in the soil and decompose — liberating yet more

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Barry Kough/Lewiston Tribune file photo

Mike Strickland, University of Idaho associate professor, says more traditional farming practices such as no-till can be better for soil health.

Farm and Ranch nutrients, but also aiding with water retention. Wayne Jensen, who owns Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm near Genesee with his wife Jacie, said his operation uses no-till and a variety of other practices to maintain soil health and it has been generally beneficial. Still, Jensen said, it comes with some difficulty. “The weed control is the big issue and getting good seed placement through the residue so you can get a good stand — those are the two biggest challenges,” Jensen said. “That’s the main reason for tillage, is to get rid of the residue so you can place your seed correctly.” Jensen said his farm is trying to make cover crop practices work as well, though that’s a little more difficult. Cover crops are generally planted between cash crop seasons to promote soil health and biodiversity, prevent erosion and help capture carbon from the atmosphere to deposit into the soil. Strickland said keeping cover crops — and cash crops for that matter — in a diverse

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“

There’s a growing realization that the soil microbes and the roots of plants are really closely interacting — just like with your gut flora, what matters is what you feed it.” Mike Strickland University of Idaho associate professor rotation is key to introducing a variety of the nutrients to the soil. “Some of these cover crops are going to have a pretty deep root structure,” Strickland said. “They have the capacity to draw nutrients up from depth in your soil and essentially bring them up close to the surface that in some instances might benefit a particular cash crop.” Cover crop is a particularly popular practice in the Midwest, Jensen said, but the Northwest’s dry summers make it difficult to deploy closer to home. “We don’t get any rain in July and August to make it grow,” Jensen said. “Your

window for raising a cover crop is right when you’re trying to raise a crop — so you’re competing with your money crop.” Strickland and Jensen agree that microbial diversity is a crucial component to soil and crop wellbeing. Strickland said microbes and some fungi work in a symbiotic relationship. In addition to aiding in the decomposition process, Strickland said microbes can sometimes metabolise and produce nutrients that a root system could not access on its own. “There’s a growing realization that the soil microbes and the roots of plants are really closely interacting — just like

with your gut flora, what matters is what you feed it,” Strickland said. Strickland said soil biodiversity is a complex ecosystem including microbes and fungi that partner with plants, predator microbes that consume other microscopic life to produce a yet more diverse array of nutrients and even earthworms, patiently tilling away with minimal disturbance. “There’s more diversity in your soil in your backyard than you see above ground in a tropical rainforest,” Strickland said. “There’s lots of organisms that are doing all kinds of different things, when we till it and we do

| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 17 those sorts of things we simplify that system quite a bit and you may lose some of the function.” Strickland speculates the farmers of the future will deploy many of these practices in concert rather than just one or two. He said as science continues to shed more light on their efficacy, those raising the crop will be able to more perfectly tailor practices to the needs of their crops. “It’s sort of more like these ideas of personalized medicine — it’s not one size fits all,” Strickland said. “It’s going to be not just dependent on the crops you grow, but it’s going to be dependent on the climate of your location, the type of soil that you have — all these other factors are going to come into play.” Scott Jackson can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to sjackson@ dnews.com.

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Minnesota orchards debut new apple variety called First Kiss By Noah Fish Associated Press

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Apple picking is next to pumpkin spice and football on the list of fall favorites, and most Minnesota orchards are now fully stocked with apples ready to be plucked from trees. “Everybody should get out to their local orchard when they can, because it’s a short season,” said Fred Kappauf, who with his three children operates Sekapp Orchard in Rochester. He said most orchards are open at least through Halloween, and Sekapp is open until Christmas. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says early season apple varieties like Zestar, SweeTango, Sweet Sixteen and McIntosh are available for picking now. Honeycrisp, Haralson, Regent and Honeygold will ripen throughout the month. Sekapp Orchard has been run by the Kappauf family since the early 1960s, and they’ve since joined the Minnesota Apple Growers Association and have planted several new varieties of apple trees. Kappauf said the orchard is having a good start to the season, and the

abundance of rain was actually good for finishing apples. At Sekapp Orchard and several other orchards across the state, an excitement can still be sensed from the debut of a new apple variety, called First Kiss. First Kiss is the brand name for apples developed by the apple breeding team at the University of Minnesota, Agri News reported. The variety was developed to ripen about a month earlier than Honeycrisp apples, while still providing a similar texture and taste for which university-bred apples are known. First Kiss apples made their debut at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. “With First Kiss, we got the best of both worlds,” said David Bedford, a research scientist in the university’s Department of Horticultural Science. “Its crisp texture and spritely flavor make it an excellent choice for fresh eating and its early harvest date means Minnesota apple lovers can enjoy their favorite Minnesota grown fruit sooner than ever.” University researchers have been developing apple varieties since 1878, and First Kiss is the 27th apple to be released by the breeding program. Eighteen of the varieties are still available today, includ-

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ing Honeycrisp. ed in the next few years, Kappauf said First Kiss dates back to the late customers will learn to appreciate what 1990s, when breeders David Bedford the variety has to offer. He said First and Jim Luby set out Kiss has the same crispto create an apple with ness as Honeycrisp, and the taste and texture a similar thin skin. of a Honeycrisp that “There’s lots of tart would be ready to apples, but they don’t harvest by Labor Day have that crisp, lively weekend. snap like this one does,” Sekapp Orchard Kaupauf said. “I think planted about 300 trees it’s going to be an apple with the First Kiss that’s going to be around variety this spring, for a long time.” and it’ll be a few years Patty Eckdahl, who before the orchard has with her husband, a big enough harvest Steve, run Northwoods to sell. Orchard in Oronoco, Fred Kappauf Kappauf said his agreed. Sekapp Orchard owner taste test of First Kiss “It is developrevealed a mildly tart ing a flavor that has flavor, not like Honeycrisp. He’s heard been described by those tasting it as an some reaction about First Kiss being too early SweeTango,” Patty Eckdahl said. sour or tart, but said that might be due to “A bit acidic, and with the texture of people misunderstanding that First Kiss Honeycrisp.” would taste just like Honeycrisp. She said Northwoods’ customers at “They look really nice, with a real sim- the Rochester Farmers Market have ilar look to a Honeycrisp,” he said. “But already been asking about when they’ll when you bite into them, don’t expect a be available. Again, with trees planted sweet apple.” this year, widespread availability is a As more First Kiss apples are harvest- few years off.

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Huge squirrel population chomps crops, driving farmers nuts By David Sharp Associated Press

There’s a bumper crop of squirrels in New England, and the frenetic critters are frustrating farmers by chomping their way through apple orchards, pumpkin patches and corn fields. The varmints are fattening themselves for winter while destroying the crops with bite marks. Robert Randall, who has a 60-acre orchard in Standish, Maine, said he’s never seen anything like it. “They’re eating the pumpkins. They’re eating the apples. They’re raising some hell this year. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” he said. Evidence of the squirrel population explosion is plain to see along New England’s highways, where the critters are becoming roadkill. Last year, there was a bumper crop of acorns and other food that contributed to a larger-than-normal squirrel population this summer across the region, said Rob Calvert, wildlife biologist from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. This summer, there’s not as much food, so the squirrels are looking for nutrition wherever they can find it, including farms, Calvert said. New England is home to both red and gray squirrels. Known for their bushy tails, the rodents are a common sight in city parks and backyards, and people enjoy watching their frenetic

movements. They eat everything from beechnuts and acorns to berries and seeds. And, apparently, apples, peaches, high-bush blueberries, pumpkins and gourds. In New Hampshire, squirrels have been raiding corn fields, dragging away ears. “It is crazy. You see squirrel tails everywhere,” said Greg Sweetser, who has a boutique apple orchard in Cumberland Center, Maine. In the past, he said, squirrels have sometimes nibbled on apples that had fallen to the ground. But this season they’re skittering into the trees, scurrying to and fro, and making their mark. Oftentimes, the squirrels will take a single bite, then move on. But a single bite is all it takes to ruin fruit. In Vermont, where the harvest is just beginning in earnest, farmers are keeping a watchful eye because rodent damage has been a growing problem for its apple producers, said Eric Boire, the president of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association. The good news for farmers is that boom years for both acorns and squirrels are uncommon. Thus, it’s likely that populations will return to normal soon. The fact that squirrels are hustling to find food, and getting run over in prodigious numbers on highways, suggests the culling already has begun, Calvert said.

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| Saturday, September 29, 2018 | 19

Associated Press

A squirrel carries a walnut Sept. 11 in Portland, Maine. A bumper crop of acorns, pine cones and other staples last year led to a population boom of squirrels.

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A squirrel walks between puddles Sept. 11 in Portland, Maine. A bumper crop of acorns, pine cones and other staples last year led to a population boom of squirrels.

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