NW Farm & Ranch Spring 2012

Page 1

Pend Oreille Ferry

Stevens

Bonner

Spokane

Lincoln

Grant

Boundary

Kootenai

Benewah Adams

Whitman

Shoshone

Latah Clearwater

Franklin Yakima

Garfield Columbia

Benton

Walla Walla

Nez Perce Lewis Asotin

Klickitat Umatilla

Wallowa

Morrow Union

Idaho

Farm and Ranch Northwest

Baker

SPRING 2012

Inside this issue:

All the rules for farmers markets Helping vendors meet demand Produced quarterly by Tribune Publishing Company

2 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012 Pend Oreille Ferry

Stevens

Bonner

Spokane

Lincoln

Grant

Boundary

Kootenai

Benewah Adams

Whitman

Shoshone

Latah Clearwater

Franklin Yakima

Garfield Columbia

Benton

Walla Walla

Asotin

Nez Perce Lewis

Klickitat Umatilla

Wallowa

Morrow

Idaho

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 3

Cover Story: Buy local means farmers markets

Union

Farm and Ranch Northwest

Ask the vet

WSU library has info on pets and herd animals | 4

De-bugging

Natural pesticides help eliminate harsh chemicals | 11

Perennial wheat Farmers not ready to give up | 13

On the cover: Kelly Kingsland, left, of Affinity Farms, talks about her produce. Photo by Dean Hare of the Daily News.

Visitors to the Moscow Farmers Market check out fresh fruits and vegetables.

The book on farmers markets Good ideas, and all the Idaho rules needed to make the trip successful By Joel Mills for Northwest Farm and Ranch

Northwest Farm and Ranch is published quarterly by the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News and printed at the Tribune Publishing Co. Inc.’s printing facility at 505 Capital St. in Lewiston. To advertise in Northwest Farm and Ranch, contact the Moscow-Pullman Daily News advertising department at 208.882.5561 or Advertising Manager Craig Staszkow at cstaszkow@dnews.com, or the Lewiston Tribune advertising department at 208.848.2216 or Advertising Director Fred Board at fboard@lmtribune.com. Editorial suggestions and ideas can be sent to Lee Rozen at lrosen@dnews.com or Doug Bauer at dbauer@lmtribune.com

Steve Hanks/Tribune

W

ith trends of buying local and eating healthier foods on the rise, farmers markets have been growing in number and popularity around Idaho. There were 58 Idaho markets operating last year, up a whopping 190 percent over a decade ago. And the state Department of Agriculture has been there to help nurture their successes, says Lacey Menasco, a trade specialist with the department. “ISDA offers workshops across the state for farmers market managers and vendors,” Menasco said. “We also publish the Idaho Farmers Market Manual, a book guiding folks through starting and growing a market, and outlining all possible regulations that could

apply to a market.” Most of the regulations apply to the individual vendors. There are rules from the health department and the tax commission they need to follow. Licenses for nursery items, animal feed and plant seeds also may be required, depending on what the vendor is selling. Details on each regulation and requirement are in the manual, which is available online at www.agri.idaho.gov/Categories/Marketing/ FMmarketing.php. The website also lists when and where to find each market, plus information on pumpkin patches, corn mazes, harvest festivals and you-pick produce operations. Menasco said the department is there to help market operators and vendors because succeeding in the sector can be a tricky business. “I know of a couple new (markets) that are starting in 2012, but I also know of at least one

that is closing,” she said. “The growth in the past few years has been like that, maybe seven new markets, and three closing.” She said markets tend to struggle in very small towns, where the population is too scant to support a vendor’s bottom line. And small markets are usually managed entirely by volunteers, inviting a high burn-out rate. But there are ways even smaller markets can operate to alleviate those kinds of problems. One example is the Challis farmers market, which runs as a co-op. “Vendors can come and check in their produce, and one vendor stays each week,” Menasco said. The products are coded to track each vendor’s sales. “It’s a nice way to get more participation See MARKET, Page 5

4 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWďšşPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

Geoff Crimmins/Daily News

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By Holly Bowen for Northwest Farm and Ranch

F

armers, ranchers, veterinarians and others who work with animals in the Inland Northwest have a wealth of comprehensive, accurate information at their fingertips thanks to the Washington State University Animal Health Library and its longtime librarian, Vicki Croft. “Anyone can come in and use the library and its resources, and that includes using our books and our journals and accessing or using our computers to access the databases and journals,� Croft said. “We have the latest books on all aspects of veterinary medicine — cattle, sheep, cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, whatever.� The library, located in Wegner Hall on WSU’s Pullman campus, primarily serves WSU faculty, staff and students but is an untapped resource for many professionals and pet owners throughout the region who may not know of its existence. Croft said community members who use the library’s services include lawyers who need information for cases, veterinarians visiting the WSU campus and pet owners who want to learn more about their furry friends. “Sometimes they are people who have

“It’s a shame that more people don’t come into use this, because we have a wealth of information and unique veterinary and animal health books. There are not many collections like this in the Pacific Northwest.� Vicki Croft Librarian an animal at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and they want to come here and find more information about their animal that’s being treated,� she said. “... We haven’t had a lot of cattlemen or ranchers, although we certainly welcome them.� The Animal Health Library’s website, located at libguides.wsulibs.wsu. edu/veterinarymedicine, features links to WSU’s databases — WSU WorldCat and Griffin — in addition to a plethora of links to free veterinary and animal healthSee PETS, Page 5

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribunee/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Popular rangeland event planned for 2013 Market from Page 3 Planning for the 2013 Intermountain Rangeland Livestock Symposium begins soon. The event, aimed at Idaho ranchers, covers the the realities of western livestock production. It’s also an example of a strong partnership among the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Natural Resources, and the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, the Idaho Cattle

Association, and producers. Gretchen Hyde, Emmett, Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission executive director, said she expects the next session will contain some perennial issues. Among them likely will be how ranchers can adapt to Endangered Species Act requirements and legal planning to ensure ranch succession, a session “so popular last time we couldn’t get them to leave the room.�

Pets from Page 4

into use this, because we have a wealth of information and unique veterinary and animal health books,� she said. “There are not many collections like this in the Pacific Northwest.� She said she’s available to answer questions via phone and email, but added that it’s better for members of the public to visit in-person. Visitors should call the library at (509) 335-5544 before stopping by to make sure Croft or someone else is available to help.

related websites and information hosted all across the Web. Only WSU faculty, staff and students can remotely access the two databases from their own computers, but Croft said, “Anyone is certainly welcome to come in and sit at our computers and acccess our databases and electronic journals and use our materials on-site.� She added that anyone can obtain a free WSU community user card and check out non-reference library books for up to 30 days. “It’s a shame that more people don’t come

– University of Idaho news service

Holly Bowen can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by email to hbowen@dnews.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DailyNewsHolly

in a small community,� she said. “Some people wouldn’t want to sit in the park for four hours to sell $20 worth of tomatoes, but all of their products combined are good enough to draw a crowd.� It generally takes a good mix of wares, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, to really keep shoppers interested, she said. Most farmers markets will start opening in May, with some in the northern regions com-

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 5

ing on line in June. They generally run through the end of the growing season, around October in most parts of the state. Boise has Idaho’s largest farmers market, but Moscow’s long-standing market has also been successful. Menasco said Lewiston’s Wednesday afternoon market near Brackenbury Square has been through some major changes in the last few years that should help it grow in the coming years.

Joel Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 883-0564.

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Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

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“Without that Canadian Wheat Board, we’ll be on equal footing,� Suess said. In theory, wheat could then be sold competitively both ways across the U.S.OLFAX, Wash. — Randy Suess, Canada border. And foreign markets, rather a longtime Palouse-area wheat than simply buying the cheaper Canadian farmer and current chairman of wheat, will be looking more at the quality U.S. Wheat Associates, said the expected of wheat since the cost demise of the Canadian will be virtually equal. Wheat Board will bode That, Suess said, well for farmers in both is good for American countries. wheat farmers, especially For decades, he those in border states explained, the CWB like North Dakota and bought wheat from Montana, but also for Canadian farmers at wheat growers on the less than world market Palouse. price, then sold the “Let’s really find wheat to overseas marout which kind of kets. wheat these foreign “They’re called state markets want,� Suess trading enterprises,� said, explaining Suess said. that Canadian and Randy Suess Some Canadian American wheat are Chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates farmers like the system slightly different. because the CWB takes “We’re predominately the wheat “off their a soft white grower, for use in cookies, hands� and handles marketing. But other crackers, pastries and flat breads around Canadian farmers opt to sell their wheat the world.� across the border in the United States The Palouse has an added advantage where they can get a better price. in its unique wheat-growing climate and Wheat farmers in the U.S., meansoils that hold moisture. while, grouse that the CWB, by under“Therefore,� Suess said, “we get some cutting world market prices, attracts pretty tremendous yields. In fact, we’re foreign buyers simply because the wheat the No. 1 producer of soft white wheat is artificially cheaper. in the world.� Canadian wheat prices were sometimes Suess, who was appointed chairman undercutting the U.S. market by $5 to $15 of USWA last summer, returned recently a metric ton. from the Philippines where the organiza“And that’s a big difference to a farmer’s tion has had an office for 50 years. bottom line,� Suess said. “They’re a No. 2 customer for U.S. Now USWA has joined ranks with the and the Pacific Northwest, right behind National Association of Wheat Growers Japan,� he said. and indirectly with disgruntled Canadian Once Canadian and American wheat wheat farmers, to call for an end to what growers are on the anticipated equal footthey call the Canadian Wheat Board ing, Suess said he’s confident current formonopoly. Both USWA and the NAWG eign markets for U.S. wheat will be even recently passed resolutions to open the more secure. border for what’s called “reciprocal bilateral� wheat trade. Canadian wheat farmers, David Johnson may be contacted at in the meantime, have been waging legal djohnson@lmtribune.com or (208) 883-0564. battles with the CWB.

By David Johnson for Northwest Farm and Ranch

SPRING WHITE WHEAT

“Let’s really find out which kind of wheat these foreign markets want. We’re predominately a soft white grower, for use in cookies, crackers, pastries and flat breads around the world.�

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Early wheat planting possible

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 7

Abundant world supply could drive down prices By Kathy Hedberg for Northwest Farm and Ranch

I

f the warm, dry weather patterns of this winter continue, farmers in the region could be only weeks away from spring seeding, one grain industry official says. But early market projections show farmers may be dealing with lower prices this year because of abundant harvests, both in the U.S. and worldwide. “It does look like right now we do have lots of wheat,� said Sam White, chief operating officer of the Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative in Genesee. “There’s been some speculation the weather has been bitterly cold in parts of Russia and eastern Europe and the concerns are that part of that wheat crop has been damaged by winter kill.� But it’s too early to tell for certain, White said. If the Russian and Eastern Europe crops fall below expectation that would boost prices for U.S. growers as demand would grow. “You wouldn’t see that production in the world growing,� White added. “It would start to shrink a little bit. But it’s pretty speculative as to how much damage there is there.�

It’s also too early to tell how the mild winter has affected crops in the Pacific Northwest, he said. “Typically I would say everybody in the Northwest is behind normal moisture. We haven’t had a lot of snowfall and rain, so things are down. But the Palouse can be pretty forgiving if we get rains at the right time. So it’s very early to try to predict harvest. But looking at what we’re seeing today, without some type of production problem in the world, it looks like prices could slide backward.� Although there has been little snow to cover the crops this year, it’s unlikely they have suffered much damage because the temperatures have remained relatively high. White said if the current pattern continues, farmers may be able to start getting seed in the ground in less than a month. “As dry as it is, it won’t be too long, if the weather were to warm up a little bit,� he said. “Last year we had no chance to seed until late April or early May because things were so wet. But with the current weather, we could seed in March.�

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8 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/moscow-Pullman Daily News

He fights plum pox

T

And the 120 other viruses that attack fruit trees By Kevin Gaboury for Northwest Farm and Ranch

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for feeding the world! We want to express our appreciation to the regional agricultural community, the hard working people who fill our nation’s pantries. Your hard work and concern for the environment keeps our land fertile, productive and safe. It is through 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.

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ith the wide variety of diseases that can wreak havoc on crop production, Ken Eastwell has his work cut out for him. Eastwell was appointed director of the Clean Plant Center of the Northwest at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser when it was established by the university last year. The program is a collaborative effort of scientists, researchers, nurseries and growers that works to manage the diseases that affect crops and increase the economic sustainability of specialty crop production in the U.S. “Our mission is to provide propagation material for perennial specialty crops that are free of economically harmful diseases,” Eastwell said. The center has programs for grapes, fruit trees and boasts the only program for hops in the country. It’s also the only site in the U.S. with a permit that allows it to import fruit trees from all over the world. “There are about six locations globally that do the work we do with fruit trees,” Eastwell said. Many of the apple varieties available in supermarkets — such as gala and Fuji — are bred in foreign countries, he said. “Before they can be grown by U.S. growers, they’re tested here for viruses,” he said. “If we detect a pathogen, then we eliminate it.” Grapes and hops are not imported from outside the country, but the same processes are applied to them, he said. After testing, the plants and planting material are distributed to growers, nurseries and researchers, Eastwell said. “It primarily goes from us to a producer, like a hop grower or fruit tree grower, and later winds up in the hands of the consumer,” he said. “This program is really quite important, particularly with perennial crops. If you get a virus into a perennial crop, it impacts yield year after year.”

WSU photo

Ken Eastwell is the director of the Clean Plant Center of the Northwest at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Wash.

Approximately 120 viruses affect fruit trees, and some of the nastiest are little cherry disease and plum pox, Eastwell said. A 1999 outbreak of plum pox in Pennsylvania took 10 years to eradicate at a cost of $120 million, he said. With more varieties of produce available in supermarkets than ever before, the standards of consumers have increased, Eastwell said, making virus management extremely important in agriculture. According to the plant center’s website, viruses cause smaller yields and lower-quality fruits, nuts and vegetables, drain growers of time and money and mean fewer choices in the produce aisle for consumers. “We’ve improved the general plant health of the industries we serve,” Eastwell said. On the Web For more information about the Clean Plant Center of the Northwest, visit www.healthyplants.wsu.edu

Kevin Gaboury may be contacted at kgaboury@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275.

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 9

Building farmers in the West

Three-year program designed for growing group of new, small-scale farmers

J

By Katie Roenigk For Northwest Farm and Ranch

illian Greenawalt, owner of the Green Goat Dairy in Shoshone, Idaho, did not grow up in the farm and ranch industry. In fact, she did not officially enter the goat trade until 2011, her first year in production. She had been planning the career move for some time before that, however, building her herd and purchasing the equipment necessary to run a dairy. But in addition to learning the ins and outs of her new trade, Greenawalt also had to develop a business plan — something she had not yet completed by early 2011. “I had kind of written down some Photo courtesy Jillian Greenwalt stuff … but it wasn’t completely orgaJillian Greenwalt and her son, Newton, at the Capital City Farmers Market in summer 2011.

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nized or readable by other people,” she said this month. With production set to begin in March 2011, Greenawalt said it was the perfect time for her to take advantage of Building Farmers in the West, a multistate collaborative project that helps beginning farmers and ranchers acquire the skills necessary to launch or grow a successful operation. The program was designed with new, small-scale farmers like Greenawalt in mind, said Bart Eleveld, associate professor and extension economist in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics at Oregon State University, who has worked with county agencies to put on

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workshops through BFW for the past several years. “The small farmers producing specialized or niche-type commodities is a growing segment in U.S. agriculture,� Eleveld said this month. “Many of these people are coming from either nonfarm or nonbusiness backgrounds. They’re just kind of getting into it.� The trend can be attributed to many factors, Eleveld said, including the “local food movement.� “People want to buy fresh, locally produced products close to home,� he said. “So there are quite a few people getting into producing those kinds of things for local or regional markets.� The beginning farmers often are enthusiastic about the new endeavor, and Eleveld said they tend to focus on their product more than marketing and finances. Through BFW’s two-month course of weekly workshops, he said they learn to think about where and how they will sell their goods and whether their new business will be profitable right away. “A large emphasis in the workshop is financial analysis and planning,� Eleveld said. “It’s kind of vital.� There are many options for small farmers looking for distribution methods, he said. Some people offer their goods at annual farmers markets, while others sell shares of their businesses to community members who receive regular shipments of local produce in return for their support. Ranchers can take orders for sides of beef or whole cows from individual consumers, he said, and restaurants and grocery stores often are interested in stocking their kitchens and shelves with locally grown produce. He also teaches students how to prepare their taxes and helps them write business plans. Greenawalt said she already has revised her business plan since last year, but she was glad she had a base from which to begin the process anew. “I’d say it was definitely helpful,� she said, adding that she was able to get to know other producers in her area through BFW. “Getting to watch the other people in the class go from beginning to end, completing business plans and forming ideas and goals for their business that actually

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

“The small farmers producing specialized or niche-type commodities is a growing segment in U.S. agriculture. ...� Bart Eleveld Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics at Oregon State University seemed realistic and doable, was quite exciting,� she said. Jo Ann Warner, assistant director and grants specialist at the Western Center for Risk Management Education at Washington State University, said about half of the people who participated in BFW completed business plans. Twentytwo beginning farmers were involved in the first round of workshops in Idaho, with 14 attending in Oregon and 19 in Washington. Most students had one to three years of experience, Warner said. The three-year project, funded through the United States Department of Agriculture Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program and sponsored by WSU’s Western Center for Risk Management Education, is coming to an end, but Warner said it is possible the work will continue at a more local level. “The hope is that there’s enough interest generated that there will continue to be classroom sessions offered for this group of farmers,� Warner said. Considering the state of the economy, however, Eleveld said the effort might be a struggle for county and state governments. “All states are having funding challenges in their extension services,� he said. “There are cutbacks in budgets and cutbacks in personnel. So each state’s continuation of work in this area will be variable depending on their priorities and staffing needs.� For more information, visit buildingfarmersinthewest.org.

Katie Roenigk can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by email to kroenigk@dnews.com.

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWďšşPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 11

WSU photo

WSU graduate student Lessando Gontijo goes surfing for syrphids to quantify their attraction to sweet alyssum plant.

Bugs working hard, so farmers don’t have to By Kristen Whitney for Northwest Farm and Ranch

W

ashington State University researchers are trying to mimic the pest control practices of nature by increasing the complexity of their tactics. Bill Snyder, a biocontrol specialist at WSU, said that in the past, people often used just one specialized species at a time but that takes too simplistic a view of nature. For nearly 200 years, farmers have used natural predators, parasites and pathogens to control destructive organisms and reduce the effects of hungry herbivore pests. Snyder works with conventional and organic farmers to help them improve natural pest control on their farms. “We know in reality, many species that are out there are interacting together, so what we’re interested in is, when you

increase the number of species of natural enemies, do you improve the control overall?� Snyder said. “What we’ve been finding is that when you look across large numbers of species, you do see a very positive effect in increasing the number of species that are present.� Snyder said that adding more species works because each species does things in different ways, at different times. “They’re active at different times of the day, or at different parts of the plant, and these are the sorts of things that may complement one another,� Snyder said. “Basically when you have more species, you have more things being done that are good for biological control, and we find really very little evidence that the natural enemies are killing one another all that often.� WSU entomologist Betsy Beers said the biggest challenge with integrated pest See BUGS, Page 12

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Lewiston tribune/moscow-Pullman Daily News

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Bugs from Page 11 management, biocontol included, is creating a balanced system. “Agriculture by its very nature is not natural,” Beers said. “It’s unbalanced, because you’ve taken a plant that might be rare or not grown normally, and you put it into nice little rows, and that’s not natural for a pest. You’re setting the table and laying out napkins for the pests.” To compensate for the metaphoric “laying of the table” farmers must react to control unwanted visitors.

An orchardist’s story Dain Craver, an organic farmer and consultant in Royal City, Wash., has been organic farming for 19 years and has used biocontrol for the past 10. He first learned of IPM while attending college at WSU. “When I got out I started looking at IPM, so to not just spray to kill everything,” Craver said. Craver sprays beneficial bacteria, rather than harsh chemicals, onto his pear trees to help fight fire blight. Fire blight is a disease that is instigated by a bacteria that gets into the plant through the fruit’s flower. Craver also uses lots of insects to control his crops’ enemies and every year releases praying mantises, predator mites and millions of lady bugs to help combat pest populations. Traditionally, conventional farmers use antibiotics to kill fire blight, Craver said. This worked well in the past, but bacteria are becoming resistant to the antibiotics. “Spraying antibiotics on a tree just doesn’t sound too good,” Clever said. “In fact in the organic industry right now... we’re having discussion about getting rid of those and using more biocontrol.” Although Craver prefers to let bugs do the work for him, rather than spray, he said that sometimes it is necessary. To determine if a field needs to be sprayed, Craver or one of his nine employees in his consulting company survey the plants to determine what kinds of pests are present and how many are there. “If the population is just building, biocontrol can go in there and take care of things,” Craver said. “However, if there is such a high population of pests already that it’s impacting your fruit, then you have a problem and you have to use some kind of spray to get that under control.”

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012 Craver said it’s important for farmers who use biocontrol to do it early. “There’s got to be enough out there for them to feed on, but they’re can’t be too many out there or else they won’t be able to get it under control,” Craver said. “We have trigger amounts we will put up with before we just come in and spray.”

Spud pest sampling Sampling is such an effective method to determine whether or not to spray that the USDA has provided a nearly $2 million grant to WSU researchers sampling potato fields. “What we’re trying to do is help potato farmers figure out just how often must they spray to keep the pests under control, and basically how many sprays can be avoided,” Snyder said. “We hope to, as much as possible, put farmers in a position where they can rely on biological control and don’t have the need to use insecticides.” Snyder said in his experience farmers are always eager to adopt new methods. “The insecticides cost money, it takes time, it takes fuel from the tractor to put the chemical down and for a lot of reasons farmers would like to not use insecticides as much as possible... Farmers need to make a profit, they need to have a crop they can sell... I think some of this pressure from consumers makes it a little easier on them to adopt new technology.” The pressure from consumers Snyder speaks of is the ever-increasing demand for organic goods. “It’s very important to consumers to have safe fruit. ... Most of these are mothers in their late twenties, early thirties. They’ve got kids, they’re smart, educated and they don’t want to have pesticides on their food,” Craver said. “We need to have traceability of what’s being sprayed on our food. That’s why I think organic has become a strong selection. “ Craver added that as the U.S. economy declined in the last decade several people told him that organic sales were going to drop as well. “They haven’t dropped, we’re actually selling more and more every year,” Craver said.

Kristen Whitney can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 236, or by email to briefs@dnews.com.

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWďšşPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 13

Getting closer with perennial wheat Researchers, farmers in the Northwest not ready to call it quits By Kelli Hadley for Northwest Farm and Ranch

P

erennial wheat, which will regrow for several years without being replanted, could find a place in Northwest fields that are classified as highly erodable and along waterways and edges of fields, say researchers. Still, its yields have never exceeded 70 percent of annual wheat and get weaker each year. Plants can harbor disease. So, researchers are hoping to create hybrids that will produce more consistently and resist disease. It’s been discussed and researched around the world for decades, but the concept of perennial wheat has found its niche in the Northwest and isn’t going

away any time soon. Tim Murray, plant pathologist at Washington State University, said research on perennial wheat at WSU started in the 1990s, but it wasn’t a new idea. Murray collaborated with Stephen Jones, a plant breeder and the director of the WSU Research and Extension Center at Mount Vernon, Wash. Their perennial wheat research began by accident. They were seeking resistance to a plant disease that required looking at lines that were a hybrid between wheat and wheat grass. After transferring plant lines and growing them in a field, Murray said they discovered that the source of resistance regrew in the fall. Though Murray and Jones stumbled upon a way to get the wheat to regrow

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A car travels through fields of wheat, including perennial wheat, in eastern Washington. without replanting, Murray said they have since been challenged with finding the right combination of genes to generate consistent regrowth. “Typically in the first year we get pretty good regrowth, but it’s the second and third years that are where things get separated out,� Murray said. “So that’s what we’ve been doing over the years, is looking at a number of other wild species for consistent regrowth.� “The best percentage we ever did with perennial wheat was 70 percent of an annual wheat crop, and that’s in the first year of regrowth,� Murray said of the grain yield. “It’s never been a direct replacement for annual wheat, but more for these areas where there’s marginal production or highly erodable soils.� Ideally, Murray said, they’d like to get to a point where perennial wheat will regrow for three to five years after the initial seeding. The biggest advantage

for various areas of the Northwest is the soil erosion control that perennial wheat would provide. “Perennial wheat will have a fit in fields that are classified as highly erodable, or what they call buffers and borders, like waterways, edges of fields and things like that,� Murray said. “We’ve been working on this for more than a decade, so I would hope we’ll see something in the next decade.� Murray said one of his major roles as a plant pathologist is keeping plots of perennial wheat disease-free, since the plant regrows from the same root and does not perish at the end of a season. Of particular concern is a virus known as wheat streak mosaic, which is transmitted by mites and fairly common in the Northwest, he said. “The disease is very destructive, so it’s See WHEAT, Page 15

14 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

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the appropriate instruction and supervision we can protect young workers while educating them to become competent members of our industry,” Prescott said. The proposed rule aimed to prevent youth younger than age 15 from working on farms or ranches unless the operation was owned by their parents. The proposed rule would restrict youth from working on farms or ranches owned by other relatives or neighbors, limiting their ability to find work in agriculture. The cattle association submitted comments against the restriction in November. The department has said it expects to propose new rules this summer and will open another comment period.

Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com (208) 983-2326.

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Wheat from Page 13 going to have a direct impact on a perennial wheat yield,” Murray said. “We also don’t want the Pacific Northwest to become a reservoir for pests and diseases surrounding annual wheat and affecting those as well.” Research at WSU has been funded for several years by a special federal grant, sometimes called earmarks, Murray said. They received about $100,000 a year for several years to work on perennial wheat, but this year is the last that they’ll receive money, as many earmarks have been eliminated from the federal budget. “We’re going to try to carry on with what we can, just at a lower level,” Murray said. “We don’t have any current grants. We’re obviously interested in finding new sources but finding a good target for these has been kind of a challenge.” State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-

Lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Ritzville, got involved in Northwest perennial wheat development early on in Jones and Murray’s research. Over the years, he has written letters of recommendation for grants and has hosted three different plots, in addition regular research trials hosted there. “Early in the trend I liked what they were dong, so I offered to get involved,” Schoesler said. “Steve Jones and Tim Murray have always wanted to get this program out of Pullman and around the district, they know research doesn’t end in the city.” For example, Schoesler said, Asotin deals with wind erosion just as much as water. It’s also a low rainfall area, like Kahlotus, Wash., where a farmer named Jim Moore is hosting another perennial wheat plot. “We don’t have the steep slopes that Kahlotus has, but we share their low rainfall problems,” Schoesler said. “In Pullman, moisture isn’t usually the limiting factor. So it’s good to have those different geographic varieties.”

Schoesler said rising fuel prices and a poor economy have given perennial wheat the potential to catch on with more researchers and farmers. “Everybody had an interest in it at one point, but when nitrogen was cheap, diesel was cheap, labor was cheap, the economics of it didn’t work very well,” Schoesler said. “Now, we start looking good from the whole spectrum of the economy, sustainability, wildlife conservation … we have the potential to solve a lot of problems.” Though the research process has taken longer than they’d originally hoped, Schoesler said he has no plans to stop supporting perennial wheat efforts. “Unfortunately it’s not the highest priority of research by anybody, but I think the end goal is so worthy,” he said. “We could become very efficient with perennial wheat as a choice.”

Kelli Hadley can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by email to khadley@dnews.com.

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 15

Agriculture Brief Idaho Grants available to fund conservation projects The Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service set aside $200,000 this year for its Conservation Innovation Grant program which funds projects that stimulate new strategies for resource conservation on agricultural lands. Pre-proposal applications are due to the Idaho NRCS State Office by 4 p.m. March 9. The purpose of this program is to fund leading-edge, onthe-ground conservation projects on agricultural land. The application process is a two-phase process which includes a pre-proposal application followed by a full proposal package for selected applicants. Grants may not exceed $75,000 and will be awarded through a statewide competitive process. Pre-proposal applications can be sent to Idaho NRCS State Office, 9173 W. Barnes Drive, Suite C, Boise, Idaho, 83709 or electronically at www.grants.gov. Projects must take place in Idaho and address resource concerns related to nutrient management, energy conservations, soil health, wildlife or additional resource concerns. The complete application requirements, along with application materials, are posted on the Idaho NRCS website, www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/state.html.

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Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

LEWISTON TRIBUNE/MOSCOWďšşPULLMAN DAILY NEWS

25th year for 4-H’s Conference examines Know Your Government dairy operations

Nearly 200 Idaho 4-H eighth and ninth grade students know more about how Idaho’s government works after they debated bills, argued legal cases, and lobbied teen legislators in the state capitol. During the 25th annual Know Your Government Conference Feb. 18-20 in Boise’s capitol and judicial buildings, participants got face time with Idaho Gov. C. L. “Butch� Otter, Supreme Court Justice Daniel Eismann and 30 state legislators who mentored the teens in legislative and judicial processes. “KYG adds another dimension to the training in 4-H,� said Idaho State Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell. “It helps our teens learn about state government and the role that elected citizens have in making it work effectively for all.� Bolz is a former 4-H member and UI Extension educator who, since he became a legislator, has supported many KYG conferences. “I have often told the teens that following their weekend experience they will know more about the workings of the state legislature than many adults,� said Bolz. “The challenges and experience of debating a bill become a reality.� Legislative bill debates included whether dirt bikers must stay on designated public trails; whether youths under age 18 can ride a motorcycle without a helmet; and whether Internet classes for Idaho students must be taught by Idaho teachers. The 4-Hers’ judicial case involved one male who threatened to shoot another male at a school site. Source: Erika Thiel, University of Idaho, ethiel@uidaho.edu

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University of Idaho Extension JEROME, Idaho – Presentations on a promising technology to reduce dairy odors, on “designer manures� and on using animal wastes and fertilizers will be the focus of the 2012 Idaho Nutrient Management Conference planned March 6. Sponsored by University of Idaho Extension, the conference offers updates on the latest federal and state agency rules and University of Idaho research. Lide Chen, a UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences faculty member assigned to the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, will address the use of biofilters to reduce dairy odors. Chen, who also serves as Twin Fallsbased Extension waste management engineer, will review projects to outfit a hog farm and a dairy farm with biofilters to reduce odors. Mario E. de Haro-Marti of UI Extension’s Gooding County office said conference organizers have expanded the original focus from those preparing and managing nutrient plans to farmers and others who make the plans reality. The conference offers information to help farmers and others learn the ins and outs of nutrient management, including designer manures and cover crops. Most dairies, for example, have three diets they routinely feed cows in different

stages of the milking cycle, from shortly after they freshen with the birth of a calf to the peak of milk production to when they’re dry. Reviewing the nutrient content of each diet to strike a balance between proper cow nutrition and excess nutrients can significantly reduce emissions, de Haro-Marti said. Other conference topics will include: ď Ž Managing chaff and nitrogen fertilizer in strip-till sugar beet production ď Ž Efficiency of corn crops in taking up nutrients from manure and fertilizers in calcium-rich soils ď Ž Using cover crops and green manures to manage soil fertility ď Ž Managing nitrogen to enhance irrigated barley value ď Ž Managing water during the growing season on fields with manure applications Additional information about the conference is available from Amber Moore, Extension soil specialist at the Twin Falls Research and Extension Center at (208) 736-3629, amberm@uidaho.edu; or de Haro-Marti at the University of Idaho Gooding County Extension office at (208) 934-4417 or mdeharo@uidaho. edu. Conference registration is $50. Checks made out to University of Idaho Bursar may be mailed to the UI Nutrient Management Conference 2012, Twin Falls R&E Center, PO Box 1827, Twin Falls, ID 83303.

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Lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

| Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | 17

Organic milk low as demand up and farmers struggle Supermarkets struggle to keep organic milk on shelf as demand grows By Michael Hill Associated Press

W

ESTVILLE, N.Y. — “Got milk?” is getting to be a difficult question when it comes to organic. Because even as more consumers are willing to pay premium prices for organic milk, supermarkets are having trouble keeping it on the shelves as high feed and fuel prices have left some organic dairy farmers unable to keep up with demand. “The market has surged faster than supply,” said George Siemon, CEO of Wisconsin-based Organic Valley, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers, “and at the same time we had high feed costs reduce supply, so we had a double hit here.” Organic milk shortages are nothing new. As the milk — which federal regulations require be from cows fed organic feed and free from production-boosting synthetic hormones — rose in popularity during the past decade, there haven’t always been enough farmers to meet demand (it can take three years to transition a conventional dairy farm to organic). The shortages have been serious enough that major chains like Hannaford Supermarkets in the Northeast and Publix Super Markets in the South recently posted signs in the milk aisle advising shoppers of reduced supply. Some relief is expected with the seasonal spring boost in production. But industry watchers say this shortage is more worrisome because of the alarming jumps in the price of organic corn and other feed coupled with higher fuel costs. “It’s kind of like a treadmill thing,” said Siobhan Griffin, an upstate New York organic farmer whose cows chomp hay in a hilly pasture. “If you make less milk you make less money, and then you can’t afford to make more milk.” After a recent dip during the recession, sales of organic milk — which can sell for twice as much or more as conventional milk — are strong again. Sales for organic whole milk were up 16 percent from

January through November of last year compared with a year earlier, even as sales of conventional milk declined, according to federal agricultural statistics. Molly Keveney, a spokeswoman for Horizon Organic, the No. 1 selling organic milk-brand, estimated a 7 percent growth in organic milk demand in a time of flat supply. Some farmers have switched to less expensive feed, but that reduced production. Griffin, who runs Raindance Organic Farm 55 miles west of Albany, is losing money as costs outrun prices. She sold 15 cows in the fall so she could afford to buy feed for her remaining cows. In Elko, Minn., Tim Zweber of Zweber Farms said his family sold about 20 milking cows since the fall because of the feed costs, leaving them with about 100. Zweber — who like Griffin is a member of the Organic Valley cooperative— said the price his family receives for its milk versus the high costs of producing it results in margins that are very tight. “If you can’t make any money doing it, take the word ‘sustainable’ out of organic,” Zweber said with a laugh. In fact, some struggling farms are switching back to conventional milk or leaving the dairy business entirely. Milk Thistle Farm, a Hudson Valley farm that was a popular vendor at New York City farmers markets, recently announced that it no longer could afford to continue production. Horizon and Organic Valley say they have more dairy farmers making the transition to organic. But Ed Maltby of the Northeast Organic Producers Alliance said not as many farmers are making the switch because of the economics. The farmers’ plight illuminates an unusual feature of the U.S. dairy economy: Most farmers do not set their own milk prices. Organic farmers typically enter into contracts with processors. This provides stability compared with the month-to-month pricing of conventional milk, but it has caused problems once food and fuel costs took off.

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18 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/moscow-Pullman Daily News

Agriculture Briefs Idaho 4-H seeks 100 ‘century’ families Many alumni of Idaho’s 4-H programs can trace their roots back through three or four generations of 4-H activity. As part of its 2012 centennial celebration, 4-H hopes at least 100 such families will fill out an application by July 15 so they can be honored at a fall 2012 dinner celebration. These intergenerational 4-H families have experience the value of Idaho’s 4-H youth development programs and their impacts on their own lives. “I was probably 9 or 10 when I entered my first calf project in our county fair,� recalls Idaho State Sen. Bert Brackett, RRogerson, who lives on his family’s cattle ranch near Twin Falls. He and his siblings all earned their share of blue ribbons, as did his five children. He says he still uses leadership skills learned from 4-H. Now it’s his grandchildren’s turn. “Judging was important to me,� said Brackett during a break in his legislative duties. “I learned a lot from livestock evaluation and giving oral reasons on why some cattle were better than others.�

“Those oral reason skills have helped me with critical thinking, organizing my thoughts, speaking, and thinking on my feet,� he added. “It’s all good training.� Brackett sees 4-H as still being relevant and important to his grandchildren’s generation. “Kids have so many opportunities today. But for sure, if they get involved in 4-H, it keeps them occupied with worthwhile activities,� he said. Fill out the “century� family application that can be found from this shortened address: http://goo.gl/0j1hK

Tim Prather uses high tech to help weed warriors Idaho weed warriors rarely ace Tim Prather’s test to identify Idaho’s newest noxious weeds. But recently, his well-attended weed photo quiz at the Idaho Weed Conference in Boise proved to be a popular way to learn. A professor of weed ecology at the University of Idaho, Prather doubles as the UI Extension scientist responsible for sharing the newest weed-fighting strategies

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statewide with weed associations and public agencies. They spend some $300 million a year fighting Idaho’s invasive weeds. More than 60 noxious weeds degrade Idaho’s wildlife habitat and agricultural and recreational lands. Prather’s design of computer models to strategically battle invaders recently won him induction to the Idaho Weed Control Association’s Hall of Fame. Their tribute credits Prather’s technology with “showing us all how to think about weed inventory in a new way.� “How does the weed seed travel? What is the likelihood the weed is adapted to the site? How likely is it that the weed will spread and how fast? All this can be explained through computer models,� the tribute continues. Prather’s focus on new weed threats “is a great resource. Tim does the hard work and can show us (teams on the ground) a map of where to look first.� Prather also helped research Ventenata dubia, a wiregrass now degrading Idaho’s pastures and hayfields statewide. Infested timothy hay fields are excluded from export markets and devalued at home from $350 per ton for pure hay to $150 per infected ton. Prather and colleagues have found herbicides that kill Ventenata, but approval for their use in hay may still be two years away. Meanwhile, Prather is assisting a Nez Perce tribal team in the Frank Church Wilderness trying to prevent rush skeletonweed from crossing into Idaho’s SelwayBitterroot Wilderness and Montana. Prather helps the team to locate infestations and estimate where the weed will spread, based on wind currents and susceptible plant communities. “Supporting Tim is money well spent,� says U.S. Forest Service’s Lynn Burton, Grangeville, who hired the Nez Perce team. “We spend $1 million a year just in Nez Perce National Forest fighting weeds. We

hope Tim can help us hold the line. If this weed spreads into Montana, there’s nothing stopping it from reaching even the Dakotas.�

UI Rangeland Center, Idaho ranchers meet on critical issues The University of Idaho Rangeland Center, formally established in August 2011 with 23 faculty members participating, is still in launch mode. But already faculty and staff have hosted dialogues between the center’s staff and area ranchers in five locations — Moscow, Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Salmon. “Those seem to be a good mix of locations for connecting with ranchers statewide,� said Karen Launchbaugh, center director and College of Natural Resources professor, who partners with scientists from her college plus the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and UI Extension. “Rangeland research is ongoing, but we’re still getting infrastructure in place so our collaboration can address the biggest range issues. We want this to be a grassroots organization where those living on or near rangelands tell us how we can best meet their needs,� she said. “We want to know their biggest concerns: Energy corridors and impacts of wind generation? Noxious weeds? Wildfires? These priorities for study will be decided with input from managing agencies and Idaho citizens who are most impacted.� Rangelands cover half of Idaho, half of the West, and half of the globe. More than half of Idaho’s 22 million acres of rangelands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management—52.7 percent; 20.9 percent is privately owned; 17.7 percent is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and Idaho manages the remaining 8.6 percent.

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Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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20 | Wednesday, February 29, 2012 |

Farm and Ranch | Spring 2012

Lewiston tribune/moscow-Pullman Daily News

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