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Plants in Plastic:
Molecular plant scientists grow fruit trees, plants in a fraction of time — Page 3 Integrated farming — Page 8 Precision agriculture — Page 9
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Monday, June 30, 2014 | 3
‘Philling’ tall orders at Phytelligence WSU start-up quickly grows fruit rootstocks for Northwest nurseries By Lindsey Treffry for Northwest Farm & Ranch
Northwest Farm and Ranch is published quarterly by the Lewiston Tribune and MoscowPullman 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.
In a small, clear plastic container, a tissue culture grows. Pulled from the stem of an apple tree, the tissue will, in just one year, be transported to a nursery or farm with fruit ready to eat in no time. At least that’s the hope for molecular plant scientists Scott Schaeffer and Tyson Koepke. Schaeffer and Koepke are co-founders of Phytelligence, a plant tissue culture lab located in the Washington State University Research and Technology Park. They, along with WSU horticul-
ture associate professor Amit es,” Schaeffer said. Dhingra and a few other WSU And Phytelligence’s spegraduates, incorporated the cialty is speed. business in October 2011 and “In a standard nursery, opened the facility in January they take a branch, lay it 2013 after raising $235,000 to in the ground and get 10-15 get their seed money. trees in one year,” Koepke, Phytelligence does genetic director of operations, said. analysis of “We’re doing plants and, the same more comthing with 1 monly, works (to 4) inches on growing of stem and rootstocks for we get three apples and to four new pears, as well plants every as raspbermonth. From ries and cherone stem, ries. In fruit we can grow tree propaga250,000 in tion, a scion one calendar Tyson Koepke or variety of year.” fruit, such Phytelligence director of operations To grow as Golden so many rootDelicious, is grafted or budded stocks in just one year — it onto a rootstock. usually takes three to four “Rootstock controls the years for a farm to get the trees plant’s height and (ours have) it ordered from a nursery — good resistance to soil diseas- Phytelligence puts virus-free
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tissue cultures into a nutritional agar-based gel. Not to be confused with genetic modification, said Schaeffer, the director of research and development, the process allows the plant to get a perfect amount of vitamins, nutrients, hormones and water from the substance. “We will triple to quadruple our production every month. In the next three months, we will go from an inventory of 10,000 to 460,000 plants by the end of August,” Koepke said in May, expecting to lose about 60,000 of those to fungus or other natural occurrences. The idea for Phytelligence — a melding of the Latin, phyto, meaning plant, and the word intelligence — came together in professor Dhingra’s lab when Schaeffer and Koepke were testing
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Phytelligence from Page 3 apple and cherry plants in 2007 as part of their degrees. Now, one year after opening, Phytelligence is delivering raspberry plants to a client next month and, by spring 2015, they hope to deliver 400,000 apple and pear rootstocks. About one-third of those orders are already placed. After growing in a greenhouse, the plants will be delivered to local nurseries, such as Jack Snyder’s C&O Nursery in Wenatchee, Wash., who then can sell the fruit trees to farmers. While one year seems quick in the tree-growing industry, it doesn’t necessarily mean Phytelligence is getting paid. Not yet, at least. Koepke said the business will be profitable starting March 2015 when all their rootstocks sell at $2.50 each — 120,000 orders have been placed so far, but growers and nurseries only pay half the price up front. The other half will come on delivery next year. Their rootstock price is a bit spendier than similar businesses, such as North American Plants or MicroPlant in Oregon, but Koepke said their plants are genetically verified to succeed.
Geoff Crimmins/Daily News
Rachel Fox and Scott Schaeffer transfer cuttings of sweet cherry plants into agar gelatin media containing a proprietary blend of nutrients at Phytelligence. If all 400,000 rootstock orders go through, Koepke said that could amount to $1 million in revenue next year. “We don’t have a lot of capital infrastructure, because we’re leasing the place,” Koepke said. “But we’re just now starting to hire more people.”
Koepke and Schaeffer work fulltime and CEO Dhingra works parttime, while Phytelligence also employees a full-time production manager, part-time payroll manager, three parttime lab technicians and a part-time office manager. Next month, they will
be hiring a third intern and one more lab technician. “By our second year, we’ll have 1.6 million plants,” Koepke said. “From there we’re going to license out our media, which … allows us to focus on the research and development aspect and focus on knowing how to do that really well.” Their “media” may be the key for nurseries and other labs to grow rootstocks at their rate. This is why Koepke said Phytelligence is part of a “relationship industry” that has helped fund the business. By next year, Koepke expects to move to another facility, as 1.6 million prospective rootstocks won’t fit in their 3,000-square-foot work space. Still, that space will take up less acreage than traditional propagation methods. “By our methods, as opposed to growing on the field … we save 50 gallons of water for each plant produced,” Schaeffer said. “We’re not introducing pesticides or herbicides to the water.” “And it’s always good to plant a tree,” Koepke said. More on Phytelligence, including information on their DNA and genetic plant testing, is available online at phytelligence.com. Lindsey Treffry can be reached at (208) 883-4640 or by email to ltreffry@dnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTreffry.
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Triticale becoming attractive crop Long-term crop study shows yields superior to winter wheat By Shanon Quinn for Northwest Farm & Ranch
Although triticale, a wheat-rye cross feed grain, has not been widely grown in eastern Washington due to the historically low market price of feed grains compared to wheat, that could be changing. Feed grain prices have increased in recent years, according to Bill Schillinger, who co-authored an article, “Late-Planted Winter Triticale Produces Equal Grain Yield As Early-Planted Winter Wheat In The Dry Region,” with Ron Jirava, John Jacobsen and Steve Schofstoll, presented June 12 at Lind Field Day. The price increase in feed-grain could make triticale, which is a big producer, more attractive. In a study by the Washington State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences on the Trimark
099 variety of triticale, researchers found early-seeded triticale consistently produced more bushels per acre than Xerpha winter wheat, according to the article. The study began in the fall of 2010 at the Ron Jirava farm near Ritzville, Wash. The researchers planted half of each Trimark 099 triticale and Xerpha winter wheat the first week in September and the second half in late October. Fertilizer and herbicide treatments were the same for all crops. The seeding rate was 40 pounds per acre for the early planted triticale and winter wheat and 60 pounds per acre for late planted triticale. The average during three crop years showed early planted winter wheat yields at 4,260 pounds per acre while early planted triticale yielded 5,225 pounds per acre. The report concluded, based on prices from April 23 in Wilbur, Wash., the price a grower would receive for triticale was $154 per ton versus $6.77 per bushel for soft white wheat. Therefore, the 71 bushels of soft white wheat was worth $481 per
acre and the early and late-planted winter triticale was worth $402 and $319 per acre, respectively. In several recent years, the article said, growers could have sold triticale for more than $200 per ton. Schillinger said late planted triticale behaves just like wheat, with seedlings at the same size and leaf stage as winter wheat in the fall and at spring thaw. Triticale, though, reacts differently from wheat as warm weather hits. “Unlike wheat, late planted triticale just takes off in the spring,” he said. “The price follows about $180 per ton, (and) it produces more than early planted wheat with no issues. You treat it just like wheat.” In addition, the study argues triticale is beneficial to long-term soil quality, due to its taller height and greater output of residue than winter wheat, making it a good choice for soils likely to be affected by wind erosion. Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4632 or by email at squinn@dnews.com.
Monday, June 30, 2014 | 5
Corn edges lower as good weather remains Associated Press
The price of corn dropped as weather conditions remain favorable for the crop. Corn for July delivery dropped 1.5 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $4.43 a bushel. The price of the grain has plunged in the last two months as rains in the corn growing regions of the U.S. have been light and temperatures remained moderate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting a record crop this year. “The main part of the corn belt looks very good,” said Todd Hultman, a grains analyst at DTN. In other trading of agricultural products, wheat and soybeans also fell. Wheat dropped 8.25 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $5.81 a bushel and soybeans fell 9.25 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $12.25 a bushel. Most metals climbed, led by platinum. Gold and silver also ended the day higher. Platinum for July climbed $15.30, or 1.1 percent, to $1,471.90 an ounce. Palladium for September rose $7.75, or 0.9 percent, to $830.40 an ounce. Gold rose $2.90, or 0.2 percent, to $1,321.30 an ounce.
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Environmental groups oppose Labrador’s bill to help ranchers
changed. Another provision would make people who challenge grazing permit renewals liable for ranchers’ court and attorney costs if the challenge is found to be frivolous. Brackett said the legislation “puts common sense back into grazing,” and makes life more predictable. But there is opposition to the bill. Environmental groups like the Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project, Wild Earth Guardians and the Sierra Club oppose the legislation. They contend the backlog exists because it is becoming more difficult for federal land managers to justify the renewal of many grazing permits. The groups are pushing alternative legislation, the Rural Economic Vitalization Act, which would allow ranchers to give up permits in exchange for payments by third parties.
Looking to streamline grazing permits By Eric Barker for Northwest Farm & Ranch
A bill before Congress that would lengthen federal grazing permits and streamline some of the environmental review necessary to renew them got its start in Idaho. The Grazing Improvement Act, sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, RIdaho, was born out of the frustration ranchers experienced when trying to renew grazing permits with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Jared Brackett, president of the Idaho Cattle Association, said the renewal process has become laden with red tape that has led to a backlog of
Barry Kough/Tribune file photo
A bill in Congress could streamline the process of getting grazing permits and getting them renewed. more than 4,200 permits waiting to be renewed. He blames litigation from environmental groups seeking to evict livestock from public land. Grazing permits are subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act. The law requires land managers to consider the environmental consequences of the actions they take. The review can be accomplished with a lower level
environmental assessment or a more lengthy environmental impact statement. What used to be a short and straightforward process to renew a 10-year grazing lease can now take several years, said Brackett, who is going through the process on land he leases south of Twin Falls. “They are taking at least two or three years before they can be renewed and that is if
no litigation happens, which is pretty unlikely,” he said. “It will probably be five or 10 years before my permit is renewed.” The legislation would extend the length of permits from 10 years to 20 and allow grazing to continue under old permits if there are delays during the renewal process. The bill would also let land managers renew some permits with little or no review, if conditions haven’t
Eric Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 8482273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.
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Monday, June 30, 2014 | 7
Multi-disciplinary skills that grow on you Aerial vehicles tested WSU Plant Health Management degree helps ag-business careers online By Anthony Kuipers for Northwest Farm & Ranch
Washington State University hopes its new online degree program will give Washington residents working in the agriculture industry a leg up in advancing their career. Starting this fall, WSU will offer its Plant Health Management master’s degree online. The 30credit program offers a multi-disciplinary education by combining agricultural sciences with business management courses. Some of the courses include weed science, biology, soil fertility management and pesticides, among others. It also offers education in eco-
nomics, project management and bioethics. “It’s a nice way for students to get exposure to all these disciplines,” said Lisa Lujan, academic coordinator for CAHNRS, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. Kim Kidwell, executive associate dean of CAHNRS, said the degree track is intended to help those in the agriculture business acquire the education and management skills they need to advance into leadership positions in their company. Or, she said, the variety of courses could help them pursue a different career within the agriculture industry. She said the program
can be customized to fit the student’s needs. “It’s not a cookie cutter formula where everyone comes out the same,” Kidwell said. Kidwell said the degree is equivalent to one earned by an on-campus student. Unlike other master’s programs, a thesis is not required for the Plant Health Management degree. Instead, students can choose to complete a capstone project in their discipline of interest. Students are encouraged to complete an internship or project within a company or with one of the WSU research and extension centers located in Puyallup, Mount Vernon, Wenatchee and Prosser. Through the capstone project, students across the state will be able to
network with WSU faculty and business professionals near where they live. “We want to build bridges with those neighboring industries,” Kidwell said. Lujan said projects could be wide-ranging, from technology application in an existing orchard, to introducing a crop into a new environment or investigating disease control options within an existing crop. Students can start any semester. Application requirements include a bachelor’s degree in a related area with a 3.0 or better GPA. WSU is currently accepting applications. For more information visit msag.wsu.edu/plant_ health. Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.
to check crop health Associated Press
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho State University has received a $150,000 federal grant to develop ways to use unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with specialized sensors to monitor crop health, providing much more than just a bird’s-eye view. The aircraft allow farmers to monitor a wide range of their fields more quickly, saving time and money, Advanced Aviation Solutions CEO Steve Edgar told the Post Register in a story published recently. The company is working to expand the use of the aerial vehicles in the state.
“A farmer can put a sensor on the (unmanned aerial vehicle) to tell them if there is a lack or water or what bug is eating their crops . then can adjust fertilizers, pesticide or water to combat stress,” he said. Typically, farmers would need to travel to different parts of a field to get that kind of information. The aircraft can provide greater advantages, said Donna Delparte, university project director. “Remote sensing technologies offer the potential to protect U.S. food security by providing rapid assessments of crop health over large areas,” she said.
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Organic: Better for the body and soil
Farm and Ranch
By Mary Stone for Northwest Farm and Ranch
The best incentive for farmers to consider going organic could be as basic as the ground beneath their feet. A Washington State University professor has been recognized for his efforts to share that message with current and future agriculture professionals. Just as consumers might choose organic produce in hopes it will be healthier for their bodies, WSU professor John Reganold said farmers are likely to choose organic methods because they are healthier for their soil. Reganold, a soil scientist specializing in land use, is one of four recipients of the 2014 Growing Green Award from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Berkeley Food Institute. Reganold has been teaching about and studying farming methods since coming to WSU in the early 1980s, when he started comparing organic and conventional farms on the Palouse.
ventional farmer show me their soil.” After years of research, Reganold began championing an organic agriculture major at WSU, and in 2006 it became a four-year degree. Around that time, his efforts to establish an organic teaching farm at the university came to fruition. The 4 acre site is to be replaced next year by a 30 acre organic teaching and research farm within walking distance of the WSU Pullman campus. The move will allow expansion of the Community Supported Agriculture, or “farm share” program that provides 90 to 100 subscribers — members of the John Reganold won a national award for public who sign up for the program his role in promoting organic agriculture. — with weekly baskets of produce from May to October. During his research Reganold has Reganold’s students at WSU study visited 1,000 farms on four continents, the effects of farming methods on soil and, he said, every farmer who has and the resulting effect on yield, qualtried sustainable methods, such as ity, profitability and energy efficiency. organic or no-till, has noticed improved When farmers participate in these soil health. studies, they see the results first-hand, “When you have these more inno- he said. vative systems, like integrated and “Farmers want their soils to be organic, they notice these changes in healthy, so if they learn there are certheir soil, and they want to tell me tain practices that are better for the about it,” he said. “I’ve never had a con- soil, they might adopt those practices,”
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What is integrated farming? n At least half, but often 60 to 70 percent, of the practices employed must meet organic farming standards, while the rest is conventional, Washington State University professor and soil scientist John Reganold said. “They reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides greatly, (and it) improves the quality of the soil by adding organic matter.”
he said. “What I’ve found is these more innovative systems, like integrated and organic and many no-till systems, is they tend to build the soil.” Reganold said he sees the Growing Green Award as a way to help spread the word about the benefits and feasibility of organic farming. “It’s a chance to share with other folks how important sustainable agriculture is to me,” he said. Mary Stone may be contacted at mstone@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2244. Follow her on Twitter @MarysSchoolNews.
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U.S. beef exports clear final hurdle Hong Kong agrees to full restart of imports following mad cow scare By Kathy Hedberg for Northwest Farm & Ranch
A recent announcement that the United States and Hong Kong have agreed on new terms that will allow the export of U.S. beef to that country is good news for Washington cattle producers. Patti Brumbach, executive director of the Washington State Beef Commission, said regaining markets lost more than a decade ago over fears that U.S. products might be contaminated is a huge gain for producers. “Any of our Pacific Rim countries are important to us, being in the Pacific Northwest,” Brumbach said. “We have two packing plants and exports are very impor-
tant to the economic wellbeing of farmers and ranchers in the Northwest.” In December 2003 Hong Kong banned U.S. beef and beef products following the discovery of a bovine spongiform encephalopathy-positive animal in the U.S. The disease is commonly called mad cow disease. Four cases of the fatal disease have been discovered in the U.S. Experts in the U.S. have since determined that the beef raised in this country is safe with low risk of contamination and there has never been a recorded case of transmission of the disease to a human through American beef, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2005 Hong Kong partially reopened its market to allow imports of de-boned U.S. beef. The market was expanded further in 2013. Under the new terms Hong Kong will permit the import of
the full range of U.S. beef and beef products, restoring trade as it was before December 2003. The new terms became effective immediately. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Hong Kong is the fourth largest market for U.S. beef and beef products with sales reaching a historic high of $823 million in 2013. “We look forward to expanded opportunities there for the U.S. beef industry now that all trade restrictions are lifted,” Vilsack said. Brumbach said U.S. beef producers have worked hard to recover the markets that were lost following the disease discovery. “So we’re very excited to be able to pursue further opportunities for the future in regards to selling beef in the Pacific Northwest,” Brumbach said. Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.
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UAV tech grows in agriculture But government ‘overthinking’ causes U.S. to lag behind China, says advocate By Samantha Malott for Northwest Farm & Ranch
Robert Blair has been flying a personal, unmanned aerial vehicle over his farm since 2006 to track crop health and detect any issues, before they become major problems. Blair is a fourth generation farmer, raising wheat, barley, peas, lentils, garbanzo beans and alfalfa on his farm outside Kendrick, Idaho. With so many different crops, keeping an eye on every inch is a difficult task, but with a simple camera attached to a small UAV, it has become much easier. “What we are doing at this point in time is very, very
simple and inexpensive,” he said. “It’s allowed me to make better decisions and have a visual history of my farm.” The UAV technology is part of a growing trend among farmers and researchers, called precision agriculture. These methods include a wide variety of techniques from auto-steering, boom control, yield monitoring and soil composition testing, Blair said. But it is not moving fast enough, he said. “This is the technology that could really help businesses in rural communities around the U.S.,” Blair said. Blair has travelled around See UAV, Page 10
10 | Monday, June 30, 2014
UAV from Page 9 the world on various fellowships and said that China has been using UAVs to apply pesticides to their fields for over 15 years now. “We are way behind, I mean we are seriously way behind,” he said. “It has been very, very disappointing and frustrating for us.” For the country making this technology, we cannot even use it, he said. There are too many people overthinking the technology and not letting the industry have a seat at the table to make rules, he said. The government is asking us to be economically and environmentally responsible, but are also holding the industry back, Blair said. There is a great opportunity on the Palouse for precision agriculture and the UAVs, University of Idaho associate professor, Dev Shrestha said. The fields on the Palouse can be hard to navigate because of uneven surfaces, he said, and
Farm and Ranch researchers, farm service providers and equipment manufacturers to benefit from these technologies, he said. The software needed for site specific treatment and detection are not quite there yet, he said, but there are simple steps that can be taken to prepare for the advancements later on. Less than 3 percent of farmers in the United States use these precision management techniques, Blair said. “Why they have not adopted precision agriculture stumps Geoff Crimmins/Daily News me,” he said. Kendrick farmer Robert Blair (second from right) talks about the An easy way to start is by remote-control aircraft he uses to take aerial photographs of his fields. using a yield monitor installed in the computer on a combine that that landscape causes varia- in less over-fertilization that can collect real time data about tions in sunlight, water and can pollute streams and under- moisture, temperature, elevation yield. Even regions that may fertilization that hurts yields. and other factors, he said. not have as much variation in With software integrated “That’s where they need to their fields can still benefit from into the auto-steering pro- start, looking at getting that the technology, he said. grams on the combines, farm- data,” he said. One of the major focuses of ers can control how much ferThey may not be able to use precision agriculture is site- tilizer is released and where, it yet, but it will be helpful to specific treatments, meaning if allowing them to conserve have the history of information one section of a field requires resources, Shrestha said. in the future, he said. more fertilization or insecti“There is possibly the best Just by starting simple, cide to produce a good yield, return on investment here,” Shrestha said, they are going then that section is given more he said. to see variations in their fields than other sections that do not There is potential for not they have never seen before and require as much. This results only the farmers but also for be able to make initial changes
to their techniques that can produce tremendous results. Shrestha has not been able to fly the UI owned UAV for research purposes yet because the FAA has not approved their use, but he works with Blair to analyze the data collected from his fields. Blair has been able to use his UAV because it falls under a hobbyist category. “The only choice for farmers today is to do it on their own,” Shrestha said. Hobbyist regulations allow Blair to fly his UAV at least 50 miles away from airports and below 400 feet, he said. The FAA has six test sites around the country being used to evaluate the consequences and benefits of allowing the use of UAVs for research and commercial use, Shrestha said. He hopes by 2015 regulations will change and allow more widespread use of the technology. There is the potential for this to create a large number of jobs both in research and production of the equipment, he said. Samantha Malott can be reached at (208) 883-4639, or by email to smalott@dnews.com.
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Chef Dan Barber urges a reboot of our food system By Jocelyn Noveck Associated Press
NEW YORK — At Blue Hill, his intimate, understated restaurant in Greenwich Village famous for its locally sourced ingredients — not to mention having hosted Barack and Michelle Obama on a muchpublicized date night — chef and co-owner Dan Barber is featuring a Rotation Salad this week. Not the most inviting name for a dish, perhaps. But this salad epitomizes Barber’s new approach to food — not only how we prepare it, but how we farm, consume and even conceive of it. And so this particular salad includes soil-building crops: Barley, buckwheat, rye. And legumes, a natural soil fertilizer: Peas, kidney beans, peanuts. A so-called “cover crop,” meant to replenish soil — pea shoots — is used in the vinaigrette. Seed crops include benne and rapeseed.
Why is all this significant? Many know Barber based on his own farm, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, as a key champion of the farm-to-table movement. But now, he’s shifted his approach. In “The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food,” Barber argues that the farm-to-table philosophy, while wildly and increasingly popular, is fundamentally flawed, because it’s based on cherry-
picking ingredients. What we need instead, Barber said, is a cuisine based on what the land can provide — nothing more, nothing less. He recently sat down with The Associated Press to explain. AP: For starters, what the heck is “The Third Plate”? Barber: It’s not a specific plate of food. You could say it’s a metaphor for a way of eating. AP: Is there a First or Second Plate? Barber: The First Plate would be that 7-ounce (or 8- or 12-ounce) steak that becomes the paradigm of everyday dining. It’s protein-centric, with a few veggies to fill in, and maybe refined rice. The Second Plate is actually the same architecture, but you know where your ingredients are coming from a little more — hopefully you got them at the farmer’s market or they’re organic or sourced in a way that connects you to a farm or community. It’s tastier, but it’s not a way to think of our
future diets. AP: But with that Second Plate, aren’t we doing everything right? Barber: Yes, but we can’t support the system. That’s becoming abundantly clear from alarming forecasts about the future of the environment, soil, water. You know, with the farm-to-table movement, we feel good about what we’re eating; we’re lulled into thinking it’s the answer. The evidence is actually saying the opposite. It’s saying that in the last 10 years, big agriculture is getting bigger. AP: A harsh assessment. Barber: It sounds hardhearted. I mean to sound hardHEADED. The recent U.S. agricultural census that came out a few weeks ago said that, for the first time in history, nearly 45 percent of the money we spend on food is in the hands of 1 percent of the farmers. And in the last 10 years, corn and soy account for more than 50 percent of
the harvestable acres in the United States. AP: How did your new philosophy emerge? Barber: About 10 years ago, I really wanted good flour in the restaurant. I met an amazing farmer named Klaas and bought his emmer wheat. The bread was jaw-droppingly delicious, and I was really proud: it was sourced locally, organically and was an ancient grain, headed for extinction. I went up to visit his farm a few years later. I was standing in the middle of his field — 1,500 to 1,800 acres — and I didn’t see any wheat! He showed me buckwheat, barley, bean crops, mustard plants and clover. He described these meticulously timed rotations of cover crops to restore lost nutrients to the soil. He’s continually rotating them, to get his soil ready for the wheat. But, what was I doing? I was supporting the wheat but not the other crops. They go into bag feed, for animals.
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Fruit Research and Extension to find the best one,” Evans Center said it was actually said. pretty speedy. It may take five or six “Compared to new grain years to get the first fruit varieties, tree fruit is really from a newly planted seed, slow — and apples are one she said, so with three rounds of the slowest,” said Evans, of selection, development of who joined the WSU faculty the Cosmic Crisp “was really in 2008. “It’s all about how quite fast.” quickly you can get a seedling It will take another five to bloom and years or so fruit.” before the The Cosmic variety is Crisp was available derived from a in grocery cross between stores, Evans Honeycrisp said. WSU a n d held a drawEnterprise ing June 6 apple varieties for growers done in 1997. interested Kate Evans Breeders in purchasWSU Tree Fruit Research and spent years ing the first Extension Center evaluating seedlings fruit from the for commeroriginal trees cial producbefore decidtion. About ing to collect seeds and prop- 300,000 trees were made agate them. Those seedlings available. then went through two more The Tree Fruit Research rounds of evaluation and and Extension Center is selection. focused on developing new “We start off with thou- apple varieties that grow sands of seedlings and have well in Washington’s climate.
“
(Cosmic Crisp is) a great variety. We have high hopes.”
Production of the Cosmic Crisp will be restricted to instate growers for 10 years. Apples “are similar to humans,” Evans said. “They’re a very diverse species. Some (human) parents are better than others, and that’s absolutely the case with apples. Some are very good at passing on their best traits.” That turned out to be the case with the Cosmic Crisp’s parents. The Honeycrisp, developed at the University of Minnesota, “is raising the bar in terms of the qualities consumers expect,” Evans said. “It has great fruit quality attributes. The Enterprise is also quite attractive.” Initially designated variety WA 38, the Cosmic Crisp got its name earlier this year, following a series of consumer focus group meetings headed up by WSU food science professor Carolyn Ross. One of the features that focus group participants picked up on was the “lenticules,” or star burst-shaped spots on the apple, Evans
said. The “crisp” part of the name ties back to the Honeycrisp and highlights a major feature of the new variety itself. “We also wanted a name we could register and protect, so it’s not as easy as you might think,” she said. WSU will receive a royalty from Cosmic Crisp tree sales and production levels. That money will help offset the costs of the apple breeding program and pay for expenses like patent protection. Evans wasn’t sure how much a new apple variety might be worth, but popular varieties clearly generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity. The Red Delicious, for example, accounts for about a third of Washington state’s total apple production, which topped $2.25 billion in value in 2012. New varieties are treated much like product brands, with professional marketing campaigns, websites — even Twitter accounts. Growers also take a finan-
cial risk when choosing a new variety. “I’ve heard costs-per-acre of $25,000 to $45,000, and some growers plant several hundred acres per year,” Evans said. The June 6 Cosmic Crisp drawing focused on two levels of growers: those who wanted to plant around 5,000 trees, and those interested in about 20,000 trees. “A thousand to 1,200 trees per acre is pretty typical for a modern orchard, so it’s a pretty big investment,” Evans said. “But these guys do it all the time. They replant orchards on an annual basis, and variety decisions is part of that.” Given its taste, storage and disease resistance qualities, she said, the Cosmic Crisp should be a good addition to Washington’s apple industry. “It’s a great variety. We have high hopes,” she said. William Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.
14 | Monday, June 30, 2014
An experiment in cheese making Rebeccah Salmeri (right) and Hannah May wrap brie cheese at the Brush Creek Creamery near Deary, one of several cheeses made from fresh milk from Jersey cows grazing nearby.
By Elizabeth Rudd for Northwest Farm & Ranch
DEARY, Idaho — Rebeccah Salmeri taught herself how to make cheese with a do-it-yourself book and a 4-gallon pot on her stove. Sixteen years later, she has expanded her skills and is part owner of two different cheese manufacturing companies, including a creamery located just outside Deary. Salmeri, along with her husband, Brian, and another family, own and operate Brush Creek Creamery, which is nestled at the end of Brush Creek Road on a 500-acre farm shared among about six different families. That includes the French family, who are also shareholders in the Deary creamery that produces two 50-gallon vats of cheese per week in the summer. Originally from Waco, Texas, Salmeri said her interest in cheese making started
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Creamery’s owner first learned craft on stove top in Texas
because the dairy cows her family owned — along with several others who lived on the same property — produced so much milk that it was being thrown out. That’s when Salmeri said she started experimenting with making butter, hard cheeses and cream cheese. She then began selling the cheese on a small scale at various farmers markets in the area. Her experimenting turned into Brazos Valley Cheese, a business that is now 15 years old. She went from making 4-gallon pots of cheese to a 36-gallon vat, then 200 gallons and, eventually, to a 400-gallon vat. As the company grew, Salmeri said, they have sold their cheeses to restaurants and grocery stores, in addition to the farmers markets, as well as shipping it across the country. The company has also won several awards for its various cheeses from the American Cheese Society.
“So winning the awards just really helped promote our cheese,� she said. Unlike Brazos Valley Cheese, Salmeri said, Brush Creek Creamery is still on a smaller scale. Salmeri moved to Idaho about five years ago when her family friends, the Frenches, got a cow and asked if she would come help them turn it into a cheese-making business. Her cousin now runs Brazos Valley Cheese in Texas. Brush Creek Creamery milks three Jersey cows twice a day — once at 6:30 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. — to produce about 10 gallons per day, said Benny French. Ten gallons of milk translates to either 1 pound of hard cheese, like cheddar or Parmesan, or 2 pounds of soft cheese, like Brie or labneh, which is a yogurt cheese. Once the cows are milked, See cheese, Page 16
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Farm and Ranch
from Page 14
Dean Hare/Daily News
Webb French scratches the chin of Butterscotch after she was milked at the Brush Creek Creamery outside Deary in 2012. French said Butterscotch likes a bit of individual attention after being milked.
French said, the family strains the milk and stores it in a cooler so the milk cools properly and doesn’t spoil. From there, Salmeri said the cheese-making process is simple. All cheese is made with four ingredients: milk, starter culture, rennet and salt. The various kinds of cheeses are a result of the different types of cultures and rennet used when the salt is added and how long the cheese ages. After the ingredients are mixed, the cheese curds are separated from the whey — the mix’s liquid portion — and pressed together in varioussized molds. Salmeri said the cheese is put in an aging cooler that is kept at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 percent humidity. Brush Creek has a specific cooler for its Brie because the cheese is made with a white mold, which cannot interact with the bleu mold used to create bleu cheese. The white mold used in Brie is what forms the rind on the
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outside of the cheese, Salmeri said. This process differs from that of bleu cheese, which is made by soaking the cheese in salt brine for 20 hours, then puncturing the cheese block so the bleu mold is able to grow in the holes as it ages. Salmeri said Brush Creek Creamery uses raw milk, which is not pasteurized, to make its cheese, which means all of their cheeses are required by law to age for at least 60 days. The milk from the Jersey cows is also creamier than that from the traditional black and white Holstein cows used by large factories that sell milk products. “The milk is better for cheese making,” French said. Brush Creek also makes cheddar, Parmesan, feta and montasio, another hard cheese. Their cheeses are sold in Idaho at the Moscow and Coeur d’Alene farmers markets on Saturdays, the Moscow Food Co-op and the Wine Company of Moscow. Elizabeth Rudd may be contacted at erudd@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-8465. Follow her on Twitter @ elizabeth_rudd.
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Conferring on sustainable forestry Small tree farmers find education, networking and unusual collaborations increasingly important By Terri Harber for Northwest Farm & Ranch
Steve and Janet Funk, owners of a 370-acre tree farm east of Coeur d’Alene, recently were preparing for an event in late June that would provide instruction about such things as forestry, silviculture, environmental concerns, habitat preservation and even what types of consumer goods contain wood products. The Funks have hosted large numbers of these workshops during the years for students, teachers, and others who want to learn about sustainable forestry. The family wants to show how well-managed forests provide clean air and water, support a strong wildlife habitat, offer people recreational out-
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lets, and produce timber and an array of wood products. They also want to illustrate how economic opportunities are available to those who diligently plan for the future and stress long term forest sustainability, said Steve Funk. He said it’s important for tree farmers to make sure their point-of-view is understood by as many people as possible. It could only help improve and sustain the nation’s forests. A lot more private forest owners are also seeking education on how to do business better and are actively looking for events that provide them with an opportunity to “schmooze,” he said. Events, such as the Family Forest Landowners and Managers Conference and Exposition held in March
at the Best Western Plus University Inn in Moscow, Idaho, allowed participants to “talk to like-minded people with different ideas how to do certain tasks,” Steve said. Janet was among presenters during a workshop titled “Showcasing Your Forest Land: How to Do It Best.” The Funks also operate a small sawmill. Turning logs into lumber helps pay for logging projects that keep their trees from growing too thick and other forest management tasks. Steve also does custom milling. The Funks were recipients of the 2011 Tree Farmer of the Year Award from the American Tree Farm System, which represents 96,000 family forest owners across the
nation. The organization stresses in promotional materials that more than 25 percent of the nation’s fresh water flows from private forests and 60 percent of at-risk wildlife use private forests for habitat. The Funks participate in the Forest Stewardship Program and are members of the Idaho Forest Owners Association. Steve also serves on that group’s board and is involved with the University of Idaho’s experimental nursery program. Chris Schnapf, the University of Idaho extension educator in forestry for Bonner, Benewah, Boundary and Kootenai counties, highlighted the Funks as family tree farmers to emulate if landowners want their own farm to be viable well into the future. Family forest owners, such as the Funks, usually “don’t
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hesitate in putting sweat equity into making improvements to their land,” Schnapf said. Most continue seeking ways to reduce forest fire risks in effective ways, at reasonable costs. Guarding one’s trees against widespread damage from such problems as root diseases and insect infestations is another constant worry. More than 2 million acres of Idaho’s forests, about 11 percent, are owned and managed by private landowners. And in Schnapf’s forestry region, 44 percent of the private forests are operated by families. “These people are really passionate about managing their land. They want to leave something for the next generation,” Schnapf said. The federal government continues struggling to carry out active forestry projects as
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Forestry from Page 17 private farmers worry about how neighboring federal forests might affect their land — especially if there were to be a forest fire, he said. This is why extension offers a lengthy selection of courses on forest stewardship. Along with networking and education, tree farmers, environmentalists, government officials and others with an interest in how forestry affects one’s region have been more willing to work together to solve problems than they have in the past. Bob Parker, forester with Oregon State University extension based in Baker City, Ore., pointed to an example of collaboration that seemed improbable 15 or 20 years ago. He described it as a “sea change.” Blue Mountains Forest Partners will receive $2.5 million for Malheur National Forest restoration through
the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. The goal is to restore nearly 272,000 acres of wildlife habitat and create and retain local high-paying restoration jobs. The funding began in 2012 for this endeavor and will be awarded over a 10-year period. In May, Malheur Lumber Company announced it was adding a second shift of workers to keep pace with demand for milling. There had been no second work shift there since 1996. Susan Jane Brown, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center in Portland, spearheaded the collaborative in 2006. It brought together ranchers, timber companies, local governments and conservationists. “It’s taken a lot of work but now the effort is paying off,” Parker said about the program. “And there wasn’t any litigation.” Terri Harber can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to tharber@ dnews.com.
Dairy farmers step up for those in need Monthlong food drive in Washington and Oregon proves successful By Kathy Hedberg for Northwest Farm & Ranch
A monthlong project partnering dairy farmers in Washington and Oregon with a private retailer and the state departments of agriculture to benefit food banks in the states has proven hugely successful. Kirk Robinson, assistant director of the Washington Department of Agriculture, said response from the public for the second annual food assistance program that ran through the month of June, has been gratifying. “It’s a great example of the private sector and nonprofits and also government getting together for a common cause,” Robinson said. “It was very successful last year. Washington
was the winner in a friendly competition, so we did get a big response this year.” Robinson said June is typically when food banks and pantries see increased need, partly because families lose access to free or reduced-cost school lunches for children. In response the Northwest Dairy Farmers and Fred Meyer stores have teamed to raise food and donations for food assistance programs in Washington and Oregon. Rallying events were held throughout the month to encourage support and food bins were set up at Fred Meyer stores in both states to accept donations of canned or nonperishable food and other items like baby diapers. Last year 7,751 pounds of food were raised in Washington and 6,500 pounds were collected in Oregon. The Washington Department of Agriculture distributes food and money to food banks, pantries, meal pro-
grams and tribes in the state. In Washington, one in five residents last year visited a food bank that received support from the department’s program. Robinson said dairy farmers have been longtime supporters of local food banks and pantries and several of them have refrigeration units to be able to accept and store dairy products. In eastern Washington the Second Harvest food bank has been the primary recipient of the program. Darigold dairies is one of the main supporters. “We’ve really been pushing hard to get the word out on this,” Robinson said. “It’s a really great partnership. Farmers all across Oregon and Washington are being involved in this and partnering up with food banks and food pantries and other folks to come together for a common cause.” Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.
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Farm and Ranch
Traps checking Washington vineyards for bad moths By Krisiti Pihl Tri-City Herald
PASCO, Wash. — Nate Roberge wrestled a white, tent-like trap into position Monday on the wires of a trellis, hiding it behind the leaves and grape clusters in a Pasco vineyard. The Washington State University Tri-Cities viticulture and enology student is helping set 1,800 traps for four moth species in vineyards in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties. The traps are meant to act as an early warning system for four species of moths that have the potential to significantly harm the state’s grape and wine industries. The invasive moths will chow down on grapes or leavess if they manage to sneak into the state. So far, the state doesn’t have them, and that’s the way state officials and farmers want to keep it. “We hope we don’t find them,” said Michael Klaus, an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture. “But if we do, we want to find them as soon as
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possible.” Detecting the pests early is key and gives the state and its farmers a shot at decimating them before they set up a permanent population. “We greatly appreciate the focus of the grape pest survey from WSDA,” said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers in a statement. “The damage potential from these pests, and all pests and diseases, is a huge concern to us and we have to stay vigilant or pay the price.” With about 800 licensed wineries, Washington is the second-largest U.S. producer of premium wines. The wine industry’s economic impact in Washington was estimated at $8.6 billion in 2011, the state wine commission said. The moths being hunted include the European grapevine moth, European grape berry moth, grape tortrix and grapevine leafroller tortrix. The European grapevine moth and grapevine leafroller tortrix feed on leaves and clusters of fruit, Klaus said.
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