The Growers' Guide March 2024

YOU SAY POTATO

By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press

This is a quiz.

A potato is: a) a vegetable b) a grain c) something else.

The federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is considering reclassifying the potato from vegetable to something else — possibly a grain — raising concerns within the potato industry, which produces one of the most popular foods in the nation. Every man, woman and child eats more than 112 pounds of potatoes a year.

The committee’s report is due this fall to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and USDA, which will develop the 20252030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Reclassifying the potato could result in reduced usage in school and other federal nutrition programs, and even the loss of specialty-crop

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Here are some Easter recipes.

Easy spiral-cut ham

From the Iowa Pork Producers Association

Ingredients

One 10-pound spiral-cut, bone-in ham

¼ cup orange juice

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the ham from the packaging and place in a large shallow baking dish.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes.

While the ham is baking, add the orange juice, brown sugar, butter and mustard to a small saucepan. Whisk together and heat until it begins to boil; remove from the heat.

Remove and discard the foil. Brush the mixture liberally over the ham, giving it a chance to soak into each individual slice.

Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 F.

Let rest for a few minutes and serve warm. Serves about 12 people, depending on the size of the ham.

EASTER SPECIALS

Anchovy-garlic butter roasted lamb leg with potatoes

From the American Lamb Board.

Ingedients

1 (5 to 7 pound) bone-in whole American lamb leg, aitchbone removed by butcher

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons anchovy paste

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed Kosher salt, as needed 2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, halved 2 tablespoons extra-virgin

By Dana

olive oil

2 springs fresh rosemary

3 lemons, halved Directions

Using a sharp knife, remove the fell (a tough layer of fat) from lamb leg if necessary. Trim fat cap so that it is about 1/4-inch thick. Make 1/2-inch-deep incisions with

a sharp knife all over the meat so the rub can penetrate. In a small mixing bowl, stir together garlic, butter, anchovy paste and mustard. Season lamb all over with salt and pepper; rub the paste all over the lamb.

See

Anchovy-garlic butter roasted lamb leg with potatoes.

Easy spiral-cut ham

55

Kitchen

Continued from Page A4

Position lamb on a rack set in a roasting pan so the fat-cap side is down. Roast at 450°F until lamb is browned, about 15 minutes. Rotate the lamb so fat-side is up; reduce heat to 350°F. Roast lamb for 45 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss together potatoes, oil and rosemary; arrange under the rack holding the lamb. Con-

tinue roasting until internal temperature of the lamb reaches 130ºF, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove lamb from the pan to a large cutting board; let rest, tented with aluminum foil, 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat; add lemons cut-side down and cook until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Remove; set aside.

Carve lamb against the grain into 1/2-inch

slices; serve on a platter with potatoes and lemons arranged around the board.

Traditional slow cooker mashed potatoes

From the Idaho Potato Commission.

Ingredients

3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided

1 teaspoon salt or to

taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

1 cup whole milk

Directions:

Coat a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add potatoes and pour water over potatoes, stir, cover and cook on high setting 3 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Reduce heat to low; add all but 1 tablespoon of the butter, salt and pepper. Using a potato masher or a hand held electric

mixer, beat on medium speed until potatoes are thoroughly mashed (while potatoes are in the slow cooker). Slowly add the milk and beat until creamy. Do not overbeat or they will be stiff and have a gummy texture. Place the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small microwave bowl and cook on high setting 25-30 seconds or until just melted. Drizzle evenly over potatoes.

See Cookies, Page A7

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Iwas born and raised in hamburger heaven.

Four hours away was Lodi, Calif., where the oldest restaurant chain in America was founded by two guys named Allen and Wright, hence the name A & W.

Supposedly, they were also the first chain to introduce car hops and root beer served in frosted mugs that came straight from the

2007

freezer. In 1926 the chain evolved into a franchise operation and in the same year they invented the bacon double cheeseburger. For that I think we can all be eternally grateful.

They were also the first, I’m pretty sure, to open a franchise in Bangladesh! Really.

The small town where I grew up was two hours north of Los Angeles, and its many environs, where fast food was born.

2010

In 1937 the precursor to McDonalds was opened in Monrovia, by Patrick McDonald and his sons Richard and Maurice. It was called the “Airdrome” and its success led to their opening of a restaurant named McDonald’s along Route 66 in San Bernardino, Calif., in 1940.

After finding that hamburgers were 80% of their business they concentrated on burgers when they introduced the first fast food in 1948 which included burgers that were cooked and served in one minute.

A salesman of milk shake machines noticed that one restaurant was sending in orders for an inordinate number of machines and it piqued the salesman’s interest.

That salesman was Ray Kroc who would eventually become CEO of McDonalds and he expanded the chain and its first mascot, a hamburger-faced “Speedee”, across America. Their first hamburgers cost 15 cents and their fabulous fries were 12 cents.

Interestingly, Kroc supposedly copied the franchise system from the Singer Sewing Machine Corporation.

IT’S THE PITTS

By Lee Pitts

Hamburger heaven

McDonald’s success fostered a slew of competitors and copy cats and soon the average American was eating three burgers per week. After coming to California to see the secret to McDonald’s success two guys from Miami went home and started their first store in 1954 under the Insta-Burger King name, which later became Burger King.

Bob’s Big Boy was started in 1936 in Glendale, Calif., and would become famous, among other things, for introducing the first double deck cheeseburger. Jack In The Box was started in San Diego, with a giant clown perched on its roof and customers in their cars ordered by talking to a clown that had an intercom for guts. Interestingly, Jack in The Box had a clown for a mascot before Ronald McDonald came along.

Other chains that had their start in California included Foster Freeze in 1946 in Inglewood, Hot Dog on A Stick in Santa Monica in 1946 (originally called Party Puffs) and Carl’s Jr. also in 1956 in Anaheim that originally was a hot dog stand. Again, all these places were within two hours of my home but my mother never let us eat at a single one of them

because she thought fast food was the handiwork of the devil.

One of my favorite chains that used a lot of beef but didn’t sell hamburgers was Taco Bell which was started in 1962 in another suburb of LA: Downey. Taco Bell was an immediate success and it gave rise to Del Taco two years later in Yermo, Calif. Taco Bell got its name from the founder’s last name which was Bell.

Glen Bell and his wife gave encouragement and the name to the owner of Weinerschnitzil which also started in California and eventually became the largest hot dog chain in the world. Another chain started in California that didn’t serve hamburgers but did sell beef was Panda Express that went into business in 1972 in Glendale with its rendition of American Chinese food.

Perhaps not since McDonalds has a California chain caused so much commotion as In-N-Out Burger. This chain began with a single restaurant in Baldwin Park (not far from McDonald’s original location) and soon its drive up windows were overwhelmed by customers who wanted their Cheeseburger

Double-Doubles.

In-N-Out is the anti-McDonalds with all its burgers made from whole muscle cuts that are fresh, never frozen. Although it’s been mostly a California phenomenon until now, they’ve begun their march eastward.

Heaven forbid, if you ever tired of plain burgers there were other California beef delights developed in the Golden State like French Dip sandwiches and Chili burgers. For dessert you could go to other California-founded chains like Baskin Robbins, IHOP or Orange Julius.

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Cookies

Continued from Page A5

Easter Bunny carrot cookies

From the American Egg Board.

Ingredients

3 egg whites, room temperature ½ tsp cream of tartar

1 ½ cups powdered sugar, plus extra if needed

1 tsp vanilla

Orange and green food coloring

Directions

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer and a large

bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at a high speed until foamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is glossy and has stiff peaks, adding extra sugar if needed to get a stiff meringue. Add the vanilla.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray them with non-stick spray.

Divide the mixture –adding orange food color to 2/3rd of the meringue and adding green food color to 1/3rd of the meringue. Put them in separate piping bags. On the baking sheets, with a medium open tip,

pipe the orange meringue in the shape of a carrot about 2” long, starting at the base and pulling away from the paper for the tip

(you should get about 30).

With the green meringue and a leaf tip, make 2-3 carrot tops attached to the carrot. Bake both sheets

on two racks at 225°F for 40-50 minutes. They should be mostly dry. Turn off the oven and let them cool inside the oven.

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Easter Bunny carrot cookies

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Potato

Continued from Page A1

status — a qualifier for USDA grants that help pay for research and marketing.

“What we would see is a change in demand, and we don’t even know what that’s going to be as far as moving potatoes or not,” said Randy Hardy, board chairman of grower and packer-shipper Sun Valley Potatoes, based in south-central Idaho.

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Capital Press File

schools and institutions such as hospitals, according to the National Potato Council.

“Paying attention to things like dietary guidelines and other things is important,” Hardy said. “If we don’t, nobody else will.”

Popular crop

Last year, U.S. farmers grew about 44 billion pounds of potatoes. About 20% are exported, and the rest go into the domestic market.

About 60% of potatoes went to foodservice outlets such as restaurants,

Sun Valley Potatoes gets about 10% of its revenue from schools and other government nutrition programs, Hardy said. Changing the classification of potatoes could dramatically impact that market segment and others. He has followed previous regulatory efforts to limit potatoes in nutrition programs.

Farmers “don’t have a lot of voice in these decisions,” Hardy said. “We’ve got to pay attention and we’ve got to speak our minds.”

Defending potatoes

Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, is the point man for defending potatoes.

To the news stories, “a general reaction from a variety of different folks is: Why is the government involving itself in what

See Grain, Page A9

Randy Hardy

Jeff Miller of Miller Research in Rupert, Idaho.

Grain

Continued from Page A8

seems to be on some level a kind of comically absurd question on whether or not potatoes should be classified as a vegetable?” he said.

“Clearly they are.”

“There’s no scientific validity” to reclassifying potatoes, Quarles said. And lumping them in with rice and grains based on starch or carbohydrate content fails to consider potatoes’ unique nutrients.

Nevertheless, “we obviously want to be constructive in the way we engage with the Dietary Guidelines Committee,” he said.

The Potato Council is emphasizing the pota-

to’s nutrition profile, versatility, low cost and a well-documented ability to encourage school children and others to eat everything else on their plate.

A council goal is to ensure that officials “respect those benefits and allow for the industry to deliver potatoes in nutritious form throughout all of these channels,” Quarles said.

“We feel the government shouldn’t be making decisions for folks,” he said.

Consumers should choose and the industry should continue to innovate based on the best information available, he said. Innovations include a lighter, baking approach

See Vegetable, Page A11

OPC

Gary Roth

National Potato Council

2017

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Vegetable

Continued from Page A9

to preparing foods that are typically fried.

It’s a vegetable

“From a botanical point of view, it is strictly a vegetable,” plant pathologist Jeff Miller of Miller Research in Rupert, Idaho, said of the potato.

“You are eating the veg-

etative part of the plant,” he said. For example, someone eating celery is eating the stalk, and someone eating a potato is eating a root.

Potatoes off er starchy carbohydrates and a slow release of energy, Miller said. They are rich in fi ber, potassium and — like other vegetables — a great source of Vitamin B1.

Nutritionists over the decades have determined

certain foods to be healthful and then changed their minds, he said. But removing a food just because it is high in carbohydrates may

ignore its other benefi ts, such as calcium and potassium content.

A better approach would be to “teach people to eat

in moderation and increase vegetables in the diet,” Miller said.

See Spuds, Page A12

head $800,000

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‘95 CASE IH 2188 LL, 2WD, 1010 header $15,500

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‘13 JOHN DEERE S680 STS, LL, 2WD, duals, 2387 sep., 2018 FD75-40 header $199,000

‘13

‘09

(3) ‘18 CASE IH 580 QUAD, PTO, big pump, 6-valve, 36”, 3200 hrs $375,000

‘13 CASE IH 550 QUAD, big pump, rebuilt axles, 7492 hrs $200,000

‘08 CASE IH STEIGER 435, dual 710/70x38, no PTO, 8267 hrs $102,000

‘92 CASE IH 9280, Triples, tanks $40,000

‘91 CASE IH 9280, 24.5 x 32 duals, 8900 hrs $40,000 ‘12 CHALLENGER MT865C, PTO, 36”, 8000 hrs $175,000

‘11 BOBCAT CT230, loader, 300 hrs $16,500

‘17 MAHINDRA 2538, loader, backhoe, extras, 320 hrs $36,500 ‘17 MAHINDRA MAX26 HST LOADER/BACKHOE, 103 hours $22,500

‘93 CAT 65C, 30”, no PTO, 4 valve, 16767 hrs $17,500

Matthew Weaver/Capital Press File Chris Voigt in the Washington State Potato Commission’s conference room in Moses Lake, Wash., on Sept. 3, 2010, as he embarked on an all-potato diet for two months.

Continued from Page A11

If reclassifi cation made the potato a whole grain, the potato would still meet school nutrition guidelines that emphasize whole grains and vegetables, said Pat Hatzenbuehler, a University of Idaho Extension specialist in crop economics.

Market impacts are diffi cult to predict, but “I just don’t think there would be much demand eff ect unless the potato is classifi ed as totally unhealthy, such as an ultra-processed food,” he said.

Many consumers do not follow dietary guidelines closely in making purchases, Hatzenbuehler said.

Janet de Jesus, nutrition adviser to the Offi ce of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the HHS Offi ce of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

The protocol asks about nutrient-intake implications when specifi c individual staple grains are emphasized or when grains are replaced with other staple carbohydrate foods such as starchy vegetables.

The committee is using food-pattern modeling analyses that ask questions such as whether someone following a particular diet can get adequate nutrients, de Jesus said. The analyses will examine the nutrient-intake implications of hypothetical modifi cations to the grain group.

Such modifi cations include analyses

Janet de Jesus

Pat Hatzenbuehler

Idaho

Continued from Page A12

Organizations speak up

Leaders of state potato organizations are concerned about a potential reclassifi cation.

The 2023 Oregon Legislature made the potato the state vegetable.

“They didn’t classify it as the state grain, because it’s a vegetable,” said Gary Roth, Oregon Potato Commission executive director.

“It’s one of the most nutritious and nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat.”

“We are certainly worked up about it,” Chris Voigt, Washington State Potato Commission executive director, said of the

idea to reclassify. Potential implications in addition to school lunch program access include specialty crop recognition hard-won in numerous federal farm bills.

“If you are going to reclassify the potato, reclassify it as what it is: a food you can truly live off of,” said Voigt, who ate potatoes exclusively for two months in 2010 to prove that potatoes provide a full array of nutrients that other foods do not.

Consumers probably would not be infl uenced much, said Dale Lathim, Potato Growers of Washington executive director.

“But my concern along the same line is that we make sure we have the

next generation coming up and knowing how good potato products are and

making them part of their diet,” he said. As it is now, “kids

love to eat potatoes,” said Shawn Boyle, Idaho

See Commission, Page A14

NCC101S is a very early maturity conventional non GM spring canola hybrid with exceptional yield potential in shorter season spring canola environments as evidenced by its consistency in yield trials in targeted growing regions since 2013. Suitable for both direct harvesting and swathing.

Shawn Boyle

Dale Lathim

Commission

Continued from Page A13

Grower Shippers Association president and counsel.

His 9-year-old eats school lunches because they offer “things he likes to eat” including

potatoes, he said. Removing or reducing them could “draw kids away from the meals that they like and enjoy, and that are healthy.”

“My initial reaction is shaking my head and thinking this is just silly,” said Idaho Potato Commission CEO Jamey

Higham. The idea to reclassify likely is “just part of fitting into a narrative.”

The potato’s healthy properties are at the center of the Idaho commission’s work with the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.

Although a reclassification

could shrink access to school nutrition programs and federal research funding, “everybody loves them,” Boyle said of potatoes.

No matter what happens, “the potato industry is extremely resourceful and will find a way to be successful,” he said.

National Potato Council

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles, left, at Potato Expo 24.

Jamey Higham

9283856-ROP-149152-WesternPackaging - Page 1 - Composite

9283856-ROP-149152-WesternPackaging

9283856-ROP-149152-WesternPackaging

Page 1

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1984 IH L10 CUMMINS, 13 spd., tandem axle, 62,311 miles with 1,000 miles on rebuilt engine, GVW 48,000, slip tank, auger, tarp $25,000

FORD 6640 3pt, PTO, mower good little tractor $14,000

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CAT 75C, newer tracks, 1500 hrs on new engine, PTO, rebuilt cylinder $35,000

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BRENT 974 $20,000

JD 9650 HILLSIDE W/930R HEADER & CART, approx. 4000 sep. hrs., good shape $55,000

JD 9750STS HILLSIDE COMBINE, Rayco leveler, 3600 sep hrs, JD 630 flex hdr

1996 CASE IH 2188, 6,276 engine hrs, only 381 hrs on rebuilt eng., new PTO drive, well maintained and completely field ready, in very good condition for an older machine. Also includes 1998 Case 1010 35’ header with cart................................................$30,000

‘98 JD 9610 HILLSIDE CONVERSION W/ JD 924 HEADER & CART, 4217 separator hrs. & 5540 engine hrs$35,000

JD 7722 TITAN, $3,500

2016 MORRIS PRO-AG STACKER, hgood tires, in really good shape, 9’10” wide $50,000

GOLDEN EAGLE 32-WHEEL RAKE $7,500

2013 CAT 13L, 18 spd., 475 hp, 287,250 miles, drop axle, wet kit $44,000

2002 WILSON PACESETTER 39’ & 21’, good shape, tires and brakes 50-60%, good tarps $70,000

1972 WHITE 4000, 230 Cummins, 10 spd Roadranger, 20’ bed, 30 ton Harsh hoist, slip tank, good rubber $6,500

1977 FORD 9000 $7,500

1974 IH FLEETSTAR 2070A, Detroit 671, 9 spd Eaton Fuller trans w/ Browning high/low. 20’ bed, hoist & slip tank. Has a tarp but is not currently on truck $15,000

2008 FORD F450 LARIAT, Super Duty, diesel, duals, 4x4, 85,235 miles, loaded, runs good, good condition $25,000

JD 625 RIGID HEADER, Stoess cart, completely overhauled, extra sickle $8,500

CASE IH 8010, 4400 hrs, 4WD, hillside, no header $100,00

14’ GREAT PLAINS SERIES II PLOW with fertilizer attachment, 4’ blades $2,500

‘42 FLEXI-COIL ST820 CHISEL W/ FERTILIZER $7,500

‘22

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(2) ‘21 CASE IH MAXXUM 125, Deluxe Radio w/Bluetooth, Telescoping Mirrors, Rotary Beacon, Call NezPerce...$134,900 EA.

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‘16 NEW HOLLAND BOOMER 24, 252 Hours, 540PTO, 3PT, 4’ Tebben Mower, 7’ Kind Kitter Back Blade, Cons $16,900 ‘15 NH BOOMER 33, 308 Hours, 4WD, Hydrostatic Transmission, Loader, R4 Tires, 72” Box Scraper, Consigned $19,900

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By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press

An irrigators association estimates it would cost as much as $1 billion to keep farming if the four lower Snake River dams are ever breached.

Washington state and the Bonneville Power Administration would need to pay irrigators about $750 million over four years to reconstruct about 25 pump stations in the event of breaching, and cover disruption to their farms as the dams are removed and replaced, according to the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association.

processing losses, and some on-farm employment revenues, said Darryll Olsen, board representative for the association.

Total regional income — the annual value of household income tied to the affected irrigation area — are estimated to range from $450 million to $464 million.

Darryll Olsen

“The overall regional, annual household income losses cannot be fully mitigated — a social welfare loss to society at large,” Olsen said.

An alternative scenario, building a main pipeline, is estimated to cost $500 million to $1 billion.

The estimate includes direct construction costs, potential decreases in land value, loss of direct farm revenues, some on-farm

“You’re flirting with $1 billion no matter what you do,” Olsen said, adding that

See Irrigator, Page B3

Irrigator

Continued from Page B2

CSRIA assumes the state and BPA would pay those costs as well.

Reconstruction timelines from design to operations are estimated to be two to fi ve years.

Disruption would be unavoidable, the study found.

“We’ve reached the conclusion (avoiding disruption) cannot be done — you’re going to have some impact,” Olsen said.

The impact on some pump stations would be at least one year of disruption. Building and reconstruction would take longer than that, Olsen said.

“No matter what you do, you’re going to end up with one or two years of disruption to production,” he said. “We just don’t see any way around that.”

CSRIA prepared the report on the economic impacts of dam breaching for the state Department of Ecology’s Offi ce of the Columbia River and the state legislature.

Association members irrigate about 300,000 acres of prime row crop, vineyard and orchard land in Eastern Washington. The majority of the 92,500 acres that would be aff ected by dam breaching are CSRIA members, Olsen said.

See Stakeholders, Page B4

Continued from Page B3

Under the association’s proposed plan, the state and BPA would share the cost of the mitigation, using long-term bonds to borrow the money used to pay the irrigators.

The study covers 99.9% of irrigation affected by the four dams, Olsen said.

There would be no additional costs other than further potential impacts on asset value, such as distressed land values below baseline market value, he said. The distressed asset value risk would be assumed by the irrigators.

CSRIA would form a trust and allocate the funding to irrigators.

a report — it photocopied a bunch of stuff.”

Other stakeholders

Other agricultural stakeholders say they prefer the Corps’ four-year CRSO study, which they say is “based in science” compared to later studies.

THE REPORT ONLY CONSIDERS IRRIGATION

IMPACTS, BUT THE ASSOCIATION HAS “COGENT THINKING” ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IMPACTS.

“It makes sense, in our view, to have one point in which you’re dealing with the financial transaction,” Olsen said. “Whether you’re a member or not, you would receive mitigation payment on an equitable, dollar-per-acre approach. Everybody gets the same dollar amount per acre, unless there was some obvious structural difference.”

The report only considers irrigation impacts, but the association has “cogent thinking” about how to deal with the transportation sector impacts, he said.

Previous studies

Olsen said the association wanted to give the state an accurate portrayal of the total range of impact on irrigators.

CSRIA members believed previous studies were lacking. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Columbia River System Operations environmental impact statement, was done “incorrectly and wrong. They had the wrong numbers,” Olsen said.

Also, the Kramer report commissioned by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee “really wasn’t even

“What concerns me is the reported ecological damage caused by dam removal with the high cost to family job losses in the region,” said Matt Harris, director of government affairs at the Washington State Potato Commission, of CSRIA’s report. “We could see a decade of recovery and billions of dollars needed from the federal government supporting those who would be devastated from this tragic loss — all with no guarantee salmon would ever recover in the lower Snake River.”

Anthony Pena, government relations manager for the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, isn’t certain how feasible or realistic CSRIA’s projected timeline is.

“That’s in a perfect scenario, you’re going to get something built in two years,” he said. “The current regulatory environment we’re living in, let alone in the Columbia River Gorge area, you’re lucky if you’re going to get a permit within two years for that substantial amount of infrastructure you need to build.”

While the report is “well-prepared,” Pena still sees “glaring questions that are kind of glossed over and not really addressed.”

“I do think there are some really big questions when you’re talking about what happens to farmers in those two years,” he said. “It’s the farmer, it’s our agricultural communities who are left holding the bucket, not Olympia or other regulators.”

Breaching outlook

Olsen said he doesn’t foresee all four dams being

See Impact, Page B7

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911 Hay Equipment

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Balewagons: All Models New Holland 2&3 wide bought and sold. Parts, tires, manuals, pumps, etc. Diagnostic and mobile service available.

40 Years Experience Greenleaf, ID. Luke: 208-880-2889

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2011HesstonRound Baler2856A $19,900,bales8900 Burns,OR, 541-589-2360, annbill7477@gmail.com

New Holland Big Bailer

New Holland Big Bailer 340 with a Bail count of 16819. No known mechanical issues and ready for 1st cut. Fort Bidwell, CA. 530-526-7609; Raym@outback-inc.com

917 Orchard/Vineyard Equipment

Macro Plastic Fruit Bins: 4ftx4ftx30in tall. Truckload minimum 40 bins. Silver Lake, OR. Call 541-4803371

CompostSpreaderand Misc.Equipment: WhatcomMfgModel650 compostspreader,hydraulicdrive,doubleaxel, frontdualconveyordischarge$13,500.Millcreek50compost spreader,$3500.Econoline9T3axletiltdeck trailer,$4500.Rears100 gallonsPak-Blast,like new,$3500.OrchardExtendayapplicator,$2500. (2)Bluelineworkplatforms,$2500each. DUALmod115frontend loader,$2500.288gal propanetankonTrailer, $1500.1000galpropane tankwithpumponTrailer, $5000.3000galpropane tank,$7500.Wonder Weedercultivator, $3500.Rinierifront mountcultivator,$3000. WeedBadger,$1000. Grandview,WA.509-840 -1453;ARCHIEDH @BENTONREA.COM

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Cat 9U, 7U, RD6, prefer running or not for parts. I come to you, pick up at your farm. Pay in cash. Athol, ID BILL (208) 651-8698

JohnDeere4040S:Good running,easystarting, MFWD4WDtractor.If youarelookingforareliable,simple,115hp 4WD,thisonefillsthebill. Seneca,OR.541-5422558;jackandteresa@so uthworthbros.com

920 Tractors

2010 John Deere 8270R

This 2010 John Deere 8270 7022 hours on it. This has been great tractor and we hate to see go. Please call for details, $150,000. Canby, CA. 530-5267609; Raym@outback-inc.com

2010 John Deere 8270R This 2010 John Deere 8270 has 7022 hours on it. This has been a great tractor and we hate to see it go. Please call for details, $150,000. Canby, CA. 530-526-7609; Raym@outback-in.com

1983STEIGERPANTHER111ST310

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923 Farm Equipment

Gleaner R62 combine: RWA, 27ft header w/ cart, Cummins engine, good tires. $25,000. Pomeroy, WA. 509-751-7609

Looking for two used 20.8 x 38 tractor tires with 50%+ tread. Also looking for Alloway 3-30 Flail mower. Walla Walla, WA 509-520-5560

WANTED: GRAIN

DRILLS JD MODELS 450, 8300, 8200 ALSO International & Case IH Drills Call Chris Visser: 559-269-1951

Massey Ferguson Loaders: #946, $3,900; 921X, $3,000; OBO. New condition and never used, old stock. No tractor mounting brackets, loader frames only. Auburn, WA 253405-2759

Massey Ferguson Loaders: #946, $3,900; 921X, $3,000; OBO. New condition and never used, old stock. No tractor mounting brackets, loader frames only. Auburn, WA 253405-2759

No-Till&Seed/Fert PlantingDrillsForSale 213'JohnDeere450 drillsonadoublefolding hitch$16k&2,13'John Deere8350drillssetin2 customno-tillframes $22kExcellentcondition. Halsey,OR.541-9744501

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758 Cattle Beef

804

743 Alpacas & Llamas

of four dams on the Lower Snake River.

Continued from Page B4

breached. It will likely be one or two in the upper projects within a 15- to 20-year timeframe, he said.

The association encouraged plaintiffs to seriously review another alternative to four-dam breaching during the mediation process, Olsen noted.

CSRIA “fully” supports the litigation settlement agreement and the likely 10-year period it takes dam breaching off the table, he said.

“We’ve never supported four-dam breaching,” Olsen said. But “we knew for certain the status quo was totally unacceptable.”

CSRIA is talking with the state about other options for direct construction impacts and has been asked to submit another proposal for a more detailed, technical study examining the main pipeline scenario.

“We’re definitely pleased with the level of credibility we have with the governor’s office and Senator Murray,” Olsen said.

Murray in 2022 called for more information about the impacts and the replacement services of dam breaching. Olsen says the report fulfills Murray’s request.

“We know the impact, we know how to do the infrastructure changes and

we are prepared to receive the mitigation to make that go forward,” he said. “If you make the decision today or tomorrow, then you just need to send the mitigation asset check to us and we will take it from there.”

CSRIA could proceed at any time if decision-makers call for four-dam breaching, Olsen said.

“If the powers that be say ‘OK, we’re going to do four-dam breaching,’ we’re just saying ‘OK, here’s the deal, ready to go,’” he said. “We’re looking at it and saying, ‘We’re not going to argue with you. We’re beyond that. If you do this, we’ll move forward.’”

Little Goose Dam near Starbuck, Wash., one

USDA expects robust demand for dairy products

By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press

The European Union and New Zealand are likely to produce less milk in 2024, and that’s going to translate into fewer dairy product exports for those nations.

On the flip side, major importers of dairy products — China, Russia and Mexico — are projected to increase their consumption in the coming year.

“We’re going to have relatively … tighter markets for dairy products in 2024, which should be supportive of prices,” said Michael McConnell, commodity analyst at the World Agricultural Outlook Board in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist.

U.S. dairy product prices have remained competitive even though they rose toward the end of 2023, he said in a livestream event at USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Dairy, Page B9

Export prices

This has been particularly notable for butter, whose market has had strong spikes into the winter holiday season for the past two years.

“Cheese prices are also competitive relative to Oceania at least in part due to the increased production capacity built in the United States over the past five or 10 years,” he said.

U.S. prices have come up from recent lows the past few years, and international prices have come up to meet U.S. prices rather than pulling them down.

It’s a similar story with nonfat dry milk and whey prices, although whey prices had a steep decline in the U.S. and internationally.

Domestic markets

The main story for domestic use is it’s been carrying dairy markets in recent months, he said.

U.S. butter production increased and exports decreased but ending stocks

still fell.

“That means the product is being absorbed into the domestic market,” he said.

The story is similar for American cheese, but stocks increased relative to a year ago and might explain some of the downward pressure

on cheese prices in recent months.

“Whey prices fell sharply at points during 2023, particularly due to weak international demand. However, this seemed to have spurred domestic users to step in for both dry whey and protein

“That is likely going to be a broader theme that we see throughout the dairy market in the year coming up: price competition driving use,” he said.

The forecast for 2024 is that stocks of U.S. products will further tighten by the end of the year, which would support prices, he said.

“We’re also projecting higher exports, particularly on a fat basis, while domestic use on a skim solids basis is lower year over year,” he said.

Solid demand

“Overall, demand both domestic and for exports, we’re expecting to be relatively robust in the upcoming year,” he said.

concentrate products,” he said.

Buyer competition

The question for 2024 is how the competition for whey between international and domestic buyers will shake out, he said.

“We’re forecasting prices coming off of the recent lows that we saw in 2023 and increasing a bit,” he said.

Cheese is the one product USDA is projecting will have a lower price year over year but to come up a bit from the recent lows in the last couple of months, he said.

Getty Images

Cheese is the one product USDA is projecting will have a lower price year over year but to come up a bit from the recent lows in the last couple of months, he said.

Expanded exports could add $1 billion to potato industry

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

“Moderate and achievable” expansions in foreign market access could eventually generate an additional $1 billion in exports and 5,600 more jobs for the U.S. potato industry, the National Potato Council says.

From July 2022 to June 2023, the U.S. exported $2.2 billion in potatoes and potato products, generating $4.78 billion in economic activity.

The council’s report estimates a 10% increase in exports to Canada, Japan and South Korea; a 25% increase in exports to other East Asia markets, Mexico and select countries in the Middle East; and an additional $100 million in fresh exports to Mexico and Japan.

“We all know potatoes are America’s favorite vegetable, now we

know that potatoes also hold the key to unlocking some further job growth and economic development,” said Bob Mattive, a Colorado potato farmer and incoming council president, during a press conference.

The report follows the council’s economic impact study released last year. It found that the farm gate value of U.S. potato production is more than $10 billion a year.

See Exports, Page B12

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McCain Foods French fries are produced at the McCain Foods plant in Burley, Idaho. Fries are among the potato products that are exported to customers around the world.

Exports

Continued from Page B11

Best potential

The council is eyeing a lot of the markets that were included in the original Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

“Some of our best markets for processed potatoes also have a lot of potential to

accept other channels of our trade,” council CEO Kam Quarles said. “Like Mexico, like Japan – we really want to build those out for fresh.”

“Often the customers you have are the most valuable ones, rather than the ones you’re seeking to have in the future,” Quarles said.

See Industry, Page B14

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Potatoes harvested and stacked in a eld. Japan could be a “massive” market for fresh potatoes, representing $150 million to $200 million annually, said Idaho Falls farmer RJ Andrus.

Industry

Continued from Page B12

Obstacles

The biggest obstacles are tariffs, fluctuating exchange rates and sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

Not being included in TPP put U.S. potato farmers at a trade disadvantage due to tariffs, said Ted Tschirky, council vice president of trade affairs and a Pasco, Wash., potato farmer.

Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the original TPP in 2017, while the remaining countries established the Comprehensive and Progress Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP.

“Robust” sanitary standards are reasonable, Quarles said.

“You’re not talking about reasonable mitigation, you’re talking about countries utilizing pest and disease excuses as reasons not to negotiate, not to open their markets, not to consider the possibility of foreign imports coming in,” he said. “It’s when a very reasonable standard tips

over into a weapon that’s used essentially to protect a market....”

The U.S. will use all mechanisms available to break past such stonewalling techniques, Quarles said.

Japan

Japan could be a “massive” market for fresh potatoes, representing $150 million to $200 million annually, said Idaho Falls farmer RJ Andrus, whose term as council president is ending.

“They have a small, but very politically active domestic industry,” Quarles said. “They import no fresh table stock potatoes from anywhere right now.”

The U.S. has been shut out for decades, but has ramped up efforts to enter the market in the last five years.

There was no positive movement from Japan during a bilateral agreement discussion last September, Quarles said.

“The Japanese government has just dug their heels in,” Quarles said. “It’s a big stalling exercise right now by the Japanese, and we’re trying to pry that open.”

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USDA: Northwest vegetable data a mixed bag in 2023

By KYLE ODEGARD Capital Press

U.S. vegetable production and value were both up in 2023, according to the USDA. For the Pacifi c Northwest, the data showed mixed results.

Onion production rose but values were down throughout the Northwest compared to 2022.

Washington state’s sweet corn and green pea sales increased, while the value of the state’s pumpkin production plummeted.

For Oregon, pea sales cratered, snap beans and sweet corn dipped slightly in value and squash surged.

Onions

Onion utilized production was up 6% from the previous year in the Northwest, but the value dropped sharply due to a price down $4 per hundredweight in Oregon, $5 in Idaho and $7 in Washington.

Washington onions were valued at $384 million, down 24% from 2022. The harvest was 20.4 million cwt., up 3.9%.

Oregon onions had a total value of utilized production of $171 million, down 24%. The crop weighed in at 13.8 million cwt., up 1%.

Idaho onions were valued at $110 million, down 15% from 2022. Production increased 17% to 8.3 million cwt.

Acreage planted and area harvested increased in both Washington and Idaho, but dipped for Oregon. All three states saw yield per acre gains.

The Pacific Northwest accounts for 58% of the national utilized production for onions.

Sweet corn

Washington’s sweet corn utilized production was valued at $123 million, up 8% over the previous year.

While acreage planted was unchanged, area harvested increased and yield per acre increased. Price per cwt. was down slightly.

Production rose 8% to 15.7 million cwt.

Oregon’s corn was valued at $39.5 million, down 2% as production, area planted and area harvested dipped.

The two states combine for 32% of national utilized production.

Green peas

Washington’s green peas were valued at $39.1 million, up 9% over 2022. The increase was driven by strong prices, up nearly $7 per cwt. Area planted, area harvested and yield per acre all decreased.

Oregon had a total utilized value of production of $3.8 million for green peas, down 46%.

The two states account for 39% of U.S. utilized production.

See Crops, Page B16

Onions drying in a eld. Onion utilized production was up 6% from the previous year in the Northwest, but the value dropped sharply due to a price down $4 per hundredweight in Oregon, $5 in Idaho and $7 in Washington.

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Combines dump sweet corn into a truck in a eld near George, Wash. Washington is a major producer of sweet corn.

Crops

Continued from Page B15

Other crops

Washington’s pumpkin value was smashed in 2023, dropping 50% to $15.9 million. The Evergreen state captured 3% of national uti-

lized pumpkin production.

Oregon’s snap beans value dropped slightly from 2022, hitting $15.6 million.

The Beaver state accounted for 6% of U.S. production.

Oregon squash jumped in value to $12.4 million, up 32% from 2022. That represented 10% of the national

utilized production.

National details

U.S. vegetable and melon production for 26 estimated crops reached 758 million hundredweight, up 6% from 2022.

The utilized production totaled 754 million cwt., also

up 6%. Area harvested in 2023 was 2.33 million acres, down 3% from 2022.

The top three vegetables in the country in terms of total production were tomatoes, onions and sweet corn, which accounted for 54% of total vegetables.

Capital Press File

The value of utilized production for 2023 vegetable crops was $19.5 billion, up less than 1% from the previous year.

Tomatoes, romaine lettuce and carrots had the most impact, combining for 34% of the utilized value of production.

Washington moves to link with California on cap-and-trade

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

OLYMPIA — House Democrats cleared the way Feb. 29 for the Washington Department of Ecology to negotiate with California and Quebec, Canada, to combine cap-and-trade programs.

The two-state, one-province alliance could lower cap-and-trade taxes by creating a larger pool of carbon allowances for energy suppliers and investors to bid for, according to Democrats.

Republicans said forming a partnership with California was unlikely to lower energy costs and highlighted official reports indicating California regulators will act to drive up cap-and-

trade taxes to achieve climate goals.

Democrats rejected a Republican proposal that staying in cap-and-trade auctions not result in higher taxes.

“There should most definitely be a cap to protect the taxpayers, the ratepayers and drivers,” said Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama.

California cap-and-trade

Senate Bill 6058 doesn’t commit Washington to a merger, but it authorizes Ecology to align details of Washington’s cap-and-trade program with California’s and enter into an agreement without legislative approval.

The House and Senate

must reconcile minor differences before the bill goes to Gov. Jay Inslee to sign. California and Quebec have held joint cap-and-trade auctions since 2014.

Ecology Director Laura Watson announced last year her department would pursue linking with California and Quebec and said she expected a merger to ease inflation caused by Washington’s stand-alone program.

Inslee said in September he wanted to reduce the cost of carbon allowances and that a merger might do that.

Washington’s cap-andtrade tax on gasoline is currently 41.5 cents per gallon, compared to 33.4 cents in

Washington House Democrats on Feb. 29 gave the Department of Ecology the green light to negotiate with California to combine cap-and-trade programs.

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Cap-and-trade

Continued from Page C2

California, based on a formula widely used by economists. The tax changes with each quarterly auction.

California has a less stringent cap on carbon emissions, accounting for the difference in the states’ cap-and-trade taxes. California, however, is closing the gap.

California’s capand-trade tax has increased by 50% in the past year. The California Air Resources Board is considering ways to drive the tax even higher by shrinking the pool of allowances available to bidders.

the AAA car club, and the highest electric rates in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration.

California adopted cap-and-trade in 2006 and regulators acknowledge it raises energy prices. Its impact on carbon output is unknown, according to a report last fall by the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

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The scenarios presented by the board suggest allowances prices will increase, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office reported in February.

California is not on pace to achieve carbon-reduction goals, according to the report. Making cap-and-trade more stringent would presumably force down carbon emissions, but drive up energy costs, the report stated.

California already has the highest gasoline prices in the U.S., according to

“To our knowledge, no studies have produced a reliable estimate of the emission reductions achieved by the cap-andtrade program so far,” the report reads.

The House spent three hours debating the merger bill. Republicans dominated the floor speeches, but majority Democrats dominated the voting, rejecting all GOP amendments and then passing the bill on a party-line vote.

At times, legislators previewed the debate over cap-and-trade’s future, with or without California and Quebec. If Initiative 2117 passes in November, cap-andtrade will be repealed.

“We have a climate crisis and this state has risen to the challenge to address it with the passage of the Climate Commitment Act,” said House Environment and Energy Committee Chairwoman Beth Doglio, D-Olympia.

Doglio, D-Olympia, House Environment and Energy Committee Chairwoman

Submit upcoming ag-related events on www.capitalpress.com or by email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. All times re ect the local time zone unless otherwise noted.

TUESDAY-THURSDAY MARCH 19-21

Outlook 2024 Agribusiness Conference: Bakers eld Marriott at the Convention Center, 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakers eld, Calif. The program includes sessions on ag land trends and release of the newest ag land report, pistachio industry outlook and the water outlook. Sponsored by the California chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Website: http://tinyurl.com/3ap7hdve

THURSDAY-SUNDAY MARCH 21-24

Oregon FFA State Convention: Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond, Ore. FFA members from across Oregon will meet to learn about and celebrate all things agriculture. Website: https://oregon a.com/state-convention/

California FFA State Leadership Conference: Golden 1 Center, 500 David Stern Walk, Sacramento. More than 7,000 California FFA members will converge on Sacramento to learn about all things agriculture. Website: http://tinyurl.com/y5nyfpm5

FRIDAY-SUNDAY MARCH 22-24

Northwest Horse Fair and Expo: Opens at 10 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E, Albany, Ore. This event combines rst rate education, entertainment and shopping for all things involving horses. Website: https:// tinyurl.com/mstcwycr

TUESDAY MARCH 26

California Dairy Sustainability Summit: University of California-Davis. Speakers will highlight progress, policies and partnerships that support the advancement of planet-smart dairy farm practices. Website: https:// www.cadairysummit.com

TUESDAY APRIL 2

NRCS Palouse Local Working Group: 9:30 a.m.-noon. Plant Materials Center, 4900 SE Terre View Dr., Bld 195A, Pullman, Wash. Local Working Group meetings allow the public to provide thoughts, opinions, and ideas directly to NRCS to improve their support of locally led conservation. Website: https://tinyurl.com/mt6uy3tp

See Calendar, Page C5

Calendar

Continued from Page C4

THURSDAY APRIL 4

NRCS Northeast Local Working Group: 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Stevens County Conservation District Conference Room, 232 Williams Lake Road, Colville, Wash. Local Working Group meetings allow the public to provide thoughts, opinions, and ideas directly to NRCS to improve their support of locally led conservation. Website: https://tinyurl.com/ mt6uy3tp

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY APRIL 3-6

Idaho State FFA Convention: College of Southern Idaho, 315 Falls Ave., Twin Falls. Idaho State FFA Convention is a four-day celebration of members’ leadership, personal growth and career success through competitive events, workshops, large group sessions, keynote speakers, talent exhibitions, community service and agricultural industry tours. Website: https://www.idaho a.org/convention-overview

SATURDAY-SUNDAY APRIL 6-7

Central Oregon Ag Show: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond, Ore. Keep your small, medium or large scale farming or ranching operation running at peak performance by visiting with our over 80-plus exhibitors o ering the latest innovations in farm equipment, machinery, irrigation technology, real estate and nancial and insurance services. Website: http://tinyurl.com/39uj2b42

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY MAY 1-2

Western Food Safety Conference 2024: Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif. The two-day conference provides information on produce safety, research and regulatory development. Website: https://tinyurl. com/4sa24vkx

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY MAY 8-9

Animal Agriculture Alliance 2024 Stakeholder Summit: Intercontinental at the Plaza Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. The summit brings together each link of the food supply chain to discuss emerging issues and advance animal agriculture. Website: http://tinyurl.com/ya53txh6

SATURDAY-MONDAY MAY 11-13

93rd Washington FFA Convention and Expo: Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, Wash. Approximately 2,000 FFA members and guests from across the state will gather to learn about careers in the agriculture industry, compete in state Career and Leadership Development Events, and shape the future of the Washington FFA Association. Website: https://washington a.org/93rd-convention

MONDAY-THURSDAY MAY 20-23

Ag Transportation Coalition Meeting: Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma, Wash. The event features speakers, panels and networking. Website: www.agtrans.org

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY JUNE 10-12

Western Governors Association Annual Meeting: Olympic Valley, Calif. The 2024 Annual Meeting will feature the Western Governors and their special guests in public conversations about the most signi cant issues facing the region. Website: https://westgov.org/

A Kittitas Reclamation District project adds pipes to conserve water. The district manager anticipates irrigators will get less than their full allotments of water this year.

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Washington’s snowpack small; warm spring in forecast

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

El Nino likely will fade away by late spring, but will make the Pacific Northwest unseasonably warm and dry until then, the National Weather Service predicted Thursday.

The outlook for March, April and May offers little hope for improved snowpacks, particularly in Washington, where the snowpack Thursday was 60% of average.

Urban Eberhart, manager of the Kittitas Reclamation District in Central Washington, said he expects farmers will have water supplies trimmed. “Anything can happen from here on out, but it will take a lot to pull us out of it.”

El Nino continues to dominate seasonal forecasts by the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center. Because of El Nino, the weather service predicts the northern U.S. will have a mild spring.

The chances for above-normal temperatures are highest in Washington and Oregon, where El Nino’s influence is the strongest. Above-average temperatures are expected to extend into Idaho and Northern California.

Kittitas Reclamation District

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Washington, the Idaho Panhandle and most of Oregon also are expected to be drier than normal for the three months.

Oregon’s snowpack was 91% of average and California’s was 85% of normal Thursday. In Idaho, the snowpack was 60% north of Salmon River and 91% to the south.

Reservoirs low

The Bureau of Reclamation’s five Yakima River basin reservoirs Thursday held 62% of their usual volume for the date. The bureau will make its first water-supply forecast March 4. Farmers with junior water rights are subject to cutbacks.

Roza Irrigation District manager Scott Revell said the district has been telling irrigators “there are not good omens out there.” The district has been through mild droughts recently, but not a severe drought since 2015, when irrigators received 47% of their full allotments.

Since then, the district and farmers have invested in water-saving projects, such as replacing canals with pipes and sprinklers with drip lines, Revell said. The district typically uses 80% of the water it’s entitled to, he said.

The Kittitas Reclamation District will install 11,843 feet of new pipes or canal liners this winter to conserve water, Eberhart said. If the district gets 75% of its full water allotment, “we can

TRACTORS

VERSATILE 1150, power shift, 5,900 hrs., diff. locks front & rear, KTA-1150, 525-hp., triples, 4 remotes $55,000

JD 8640, PTO, 3-point hitch, 4-remotes, new crank, rods & main bearings, Papé Machinery rework on engine, 8-heavy cast wheels, rack & pinion axles $18,500

JD 8630, 8100-hours, 3-remotes, PTO, 8-excellent 24.5x32 matching tires, 50 Series engine $15,500

JD 544, articulating loader $17,500

CASE 4890, 4-remotes, 4594-original hrs, tank optional, 30.5LRx32 radials inside, 24.5x32 bias outside $17,500

TRUCKS & TRAILERS

MILLER 20-TON TILT DECK TRAILER, air brakes $12,500

OSHKOSH M747 60-TON TRAILER, 11’ wide deck, 4-axle, 16-wheels , ramp $29,700

FEED/SEED TANK, mounted on semi-trailer, 5-compartment, retractable unloading leg $2,500

kind of get by. Once it drops below that, things get real difficult,” said.

La Nina in forecast

Higher sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean trigger an El Nino. This winter, the seas were warm enough to trigger the first strong El Nino since the winter of 2015-16.

Below-surface waters are starting to cool and signal that the sea surface will cool soon, too. By late spring, the ocean temperature probably will be near normal, according to the weather service.

Historically, a La Nina follows an El Nino, and the weather service expects that will be the case this time. A La Nina is likely to develop by late summer or early fall, the weather service predicted.

Northwest winters are typically colder and wetter during La Nina, the opposite of El Nino.

The cold spell in January was atypical for an El Nino. More typical was December, which was the third-warmest in Washington’s history, according to records dating back to 1895.

The Washington Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency in 12 watersheds last year. The declaration is in effect until June 30.

The department’s Water Supply Availability Committee was to meet Feb. 28 to review conditions around the state.

HAY & FEED

NH 1048, self-propelled bale wagon, auto trans. $6,500

NH 1046, self-propelled bale wagon, 6-cyl. gas $1,950

NH 595, 3x4 baler, Excellent! $12,700

KNEIB POP-UP HAY BALE LOADER, field ready. $1,250

BALE WAGON PARTS, auto & stick transmissions, rear ends, 460-V8, auto. transmission CALL

MISCELLANEOUS

1900 LBS. PARKER HYDR. FITTINGS $3,800

JD 250 LIQUID NURSE TANK, tag axle style with liquid pump $1,500

WANTED, PTO T-Box, 1¾”x21-spline, 1000-RPM CALL!

ATTACHMENTS

BARBER 1307, turf rake, hydraulic dump $2,500

BARBER, 45’ granular spreader, center load $2,000

BARBER, 45’ granular spreader, center load. Good! $4,750

with dry fert. /seed box combo, packer wheels, single hydraulic $5,500

3-JD 9350, 8’x7” hoe drills, factory movers, packer wheels, grass seed/fertilizer $6,500

KRAUSE 5436, folding drill, minimum till, with liquid tank applications $27,700

LEON, 10’ front mount blade $2,500 ENGINES

CAT 3126, 190-hp PARTS

AC 3500, diesel $3,850

JD 404, turboed diesel $2,000

JD 303, gas engine head, complete $600

JD 466 TURBO DIESEL $3,950

LAMINATED WOOD BEAMS 24’ TO 40’ $25/ft.

HESSTON 4655, in-line style baler $12,500

ALLEN 8827, rake $5,500

JD, 12-wheel V-rake $4,750

HESSTON, StackMover trailer $1,100

HAY GRAPPLE, 3-big bales, 4-round bales, or many small bales, Cat telehandler mounts (can be changed) with 2 hydraulic cylinders $2,900/ea.

CASE IH, hay dry preserver applicator, ea $250

TILLAGE

HESSTON 54 CULTIVATOR, 5-section, walking beam axles, sweeps, hard faced $18,500

JD KILLIFER 15’ OFFSET DISK, $2,800

MORRIS, 19’ chisel plow, 2-section PARTS

ACE, orchard heater/blower, LP gas, 3-point, 540-PTO, 4-tanks, Massive Space Heater! $800

KUBOTA 350-SP, lawn mower, diesel, hydro, 5-reel $3,300

IRRIGATION T TAPE, 5,000 ft. rolls, ¾” with 24” spacing, metered water outlets $85/per roll

TARP TIE DOWNS, new, choice of rope with Ny-Locks CALL

4-NEW MICHELIN TIRES, radials, 265/70R19.5 $850

COOK, 6’ offset disk, 24” blades $950

DU-AL 345 LOADER, for 60-100 hp tractor $1,800

PARTING OUT, several 2-ton trucks and bale wagons..CALL

NH 515 BALER, w/ Deutz diesel engine, 3-twine$12,500

CALKINS 4TM 45’ RODWEEDER, Ritzville area $1,750

BROME GRASS BIG BALE HAY,, 3x4x8 , 1140 bales

Retired FFA adviser receives Excellence in Ag award

By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press

SPOKANE — For Jennie Wagner, a retired FFA advi-

sor, the most important thing was teaching her students to understand and advocate for agriculture.

“They’re all going to vote, eventually, and they’re going to shape this country,” Wagner said. “So I want them to under-

stand where their food comes from and the people that produce it.”

Wagner received the Excel-

SWATHERS

lence in Agriculture Award during this week’s Spokane Ag Show.

Wagner grew up in Reardan, Wash., and still lives there. She lived on a wheat, barley, cattle and hog farm for 32 years.

She has a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Washington State University. She became a high school teacher at 45 at Medical Lake High School in Medical Lake, Wash., teaching special education and science, and spent the last 12 years of her career as an FFA and agriculture teacher.

“They asked me to,” she said. “My principal believed in me and said, ‘You can do this job. We want you to do it.’”

She knew she had found her niche.

“I like teenagers a lot, and I love agriculture, so that was a good fit for me,” she said. “Taking a kid, getting them to try something, do something, and be successful at it — there’s nothing like it.”

Wagner appreciated the industry support she received, noting that her students got to make presentations in front of “some pretty powerful people.”

“There’s nobody that won’t help kids,” she said. “I love that about the rural community — that people will help, anything with kids.”

The first line in the FFA creed is “I believe in the future of agriculture,” Wagner noted.

“Any time you invest with kids and teach them, it’s going to further the future of agriculture,” she said.

Wagner retired in June. She intends to spend more time with her six grandchildren. She has two children.

She substitute teaches in Reardan, helps with financial aid and other things at Medical Lake and supervises student teachers for WSU.

Wagner taught about 125 students a year for 20 years.

“No other teacher gets to build a relationship with kids like an ag teacher does,” she said. “Because we spend so much time in the car with them, traveling with them. There’s just not a way you don’t get to know a kid when you’re both trying to hold onto a lamb and trying to shear the wool off of it, or treating a sick animal. You learn a lot about them that you wouldn’t as they come and go in and out of your classroom.”

Jennie Wagner

1981

Washington ranch sues state over canceled grazing leases

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

An Eastern Washington ranch sued the state Department of Natural Resources on March 1, claiming the agency wrongly canceled two grazing leases. BALERS

An Eastern Washington ranch has sued the state Department of Natural Resources, claiming the agency kowtowed to the Department of Ecology and wrongly canceled two grazing leases the ranch had held for more than 60 years.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Grant County Superior Court, stems from a $267,540 fine Ecology levied a year ago against Wade and Theresa King for allegedly damaging landlocked wetlands on DNR land on the hot and dry Columbia Plateau.

The Kings are appealing the fine and have a lawsuit pending against Ecology, claiming the department exceeded its authority by fining the Kings for maintaining watering holes for livestock.

The new lawsuit targets DNR’s response to Ecology’s allegations. DNR showed “inappropriate deference” to Ecology and joined the rush to penalize the Kings for standard agricultural practices, the lawsuit claims.

DNR ended the ranch’s 12,833-acre lease in Grant County and declined to renew a 637-acre lease in Douglas County.

DNR also signed an agreement last April giving Ecology a role in setting conditions for ranchers to lease DNR land. The lawsuit alleges the agreement violated a state law requiring rules to be circulated for public comment.

DNR declined to comment on the lawsuit. Efforts to obtain comment from Ecology were unsuccessful.

Ecology accused the Kings of excavating at least 22 shallow alkali wetlands, a type of wetlands found on arid lands east of the Cascade Range. The state attorney general’s office is continuing to conduct a criminal investigation, according to court records.

Relationship soured

The King Ranch has leased land from DNR for 68 years and had a good relationship with the department until Ecology made the accusations, according to the lawsuit.

DNR had never required the Kings to get permission to excavate stock-watering ponds, which also benefited birds and wildlife, and sheltered 100 cow-calf pairs from a raging fire in 2018, the lawsuit states.

“DNR has known about and has approved of the Kings’ practices and management of the leased lands for decades,” the lawsuit reads.

“The Kings have always conducted their agricultural operations consistent with standard industry practices designed to provide stock water and benefit wildlife in this arid part of the state,” according to the lawsuit.

The agreement commits DNR to insert language into leases regarding wetlands, consult with Ecology when reviewing leases and to notify Ecology of disturbance to wetlands.

(31)

• PASCO, WA (509) 547-1795

•

•

BALERS – LARGE SQUARE

(31) NH BB340SPLUS 3x4 BALERS IN STOCK!! Some Single Axles, lots of Tandem Axles, Several Different Packages, Most with LoopMaster Knotters, Price Points

$79,900 to $134,000!!

NH BB9080, 2012, 18,723 bales, single axle $49,900 -$44,900

NH BB9080R, 2009, Rotocut, tandem axle, 67,000 bales, bale chamber extensio $29,900- $22,900

Case IH LB434XL, 2019, 21,779 bales, large tandem axles $84,900 $74,900

Case IH LB434XL, 2019, 29,126 bales, single axle $65,900 $59,900

•

•

•

SWATHERS

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 642 hours, 2 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $149,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 679 hours, 2 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $149,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2022, 500 hours, 2 speed, standard cab, 416 Plus header $178,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 577 hours, 3 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $159,900

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 594 hours, large monitor, 416 header, steel rolls $159,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2017, 1,657 hours, new tires, deluxe cab $109,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2016, 3 speed, deluxe cab, 518 hours $150,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 642 hours, 2 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $149,000

NH 750HD rotary header $4750

(2) MF 2234XD’s, 2023, Large Tandems, 5,003 & 5,059 bales, new monitors $175,000 ea.

$69,000 $59,000 (2) MF 2270’s, 2015’s, 29,272 & 28,883 bales, clean, stored indoors $81,000 ea. (2) MF 2170’s, 2012’s, 49,000 bales, single axle, roller chute $59,900 ea.

MF 2270, 2021, 17,283 bales, tandem axle, crop preservative kit $135,000

BALERS – ROUND

MF 2270, 2020, 19,868 bales, tandem axle, crop preservative kit $130,000

NH BR780A, 2007, extremely good condition, extra parts, twine wrap $22,900

(2) MF 2270’s, 2015’s, 29,272 & 28,883 bales, clean, stored indoors $81,000 ea.

NH BR7060, 2011, more details coming $24,000

NH 450U, 2021, less than 100 bales, like new!! $28,000

(2) MF 2170’s, 2012’s, 49,000 bales, single axle, roller chute $59,900 ea.

BALERS – SMALL SQUARE

NH BC5080, 2016 commercial 16x18 $25,500 -$22,500

NH BR780A, 2007, extremely good condition, extra parts, twine wrap $22,900

NH BC5080, 2016, commercial 16x18, new knotters, new floor $29,000

NH BC5070, 2016, commercial 14x18, more details coming $21,700

NH 450U, 2021, less than 100 bales, like new!! $28,000 BALERS – SMALL SQUARE

NH 580, 2007, commercial 16 x 18 $12,000

NH BC5080, 2016 commercial 16x18 $25,500 -$22,500

Freeman 370 engine baler $15,000

NH BC5080, 2016, commercial 16x18, new knotters, new floor $29,000

Freeman 330 engine baler $11,000

NH BC5070, 2016, commercial 14x18, more details coming $21,700

BALE WAGONS / STACKERS

NH 580, 2007, commercial 16 x 18 $12,000

NH BW28, 2004, 4,313

Freeman 370 engine baler

Freeman 330 engine baler

(7)

NH 1075, diesel, meter shows 1,154 hours, freshly serviced, 2-tie kit $34,900 Pro-Ag Bale Titan, 2019, great shape

needs a few teeth $21,900

(7) NH 216’s, $6,900 to $17,900 Allen 8827, cable controls $9,900 $7,500

Twinstar

Twinstar 2030 G2-6, 2016, good shape $26,700

Twinstar 2030 G2-5, 2015, 3rd tines, straight

Hustler

Supreme 900T, 2018, AR wall kit last year, new knives, hard surfaced augers, scales, flat conveyor $49,400

Supreme 900T, 2016, new liner, flat conveyor $49,900 $44,900

Supreme 900T, 2016, DG Scale Head, Hard Surfaced Auger $42,500

NH

NH

Hydralada

Hydralada

NH

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 577 hours, 3 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $159,900

CONSTRUCTION

NH C238 track loader, 2017, cab, heat, A/C, high flow, only 668 hours $62,900

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 545 hours, 2 speed, standard cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $149,000

NH H8080, 2008, 416 header, 1,966 hours $74,800

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 679 hours, 2 speed, deluxe cab, 416 header w/ “plus” upgrades $149,000

NH 499, 12’ hydro-swing, rubber rolls $7,700

NH 416 rotary header, 2020, good rolls, needs a few things $15,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2019, 594 hours, large monitor, 416 header, steelrolls $159,000 SPEEDROWER 260, 2017, 1,657 hours, new tires, deluxe cab $109,000

NH HS16 sickle header, 2016, average condition $10,000

NH SPEEDROWER 260, 2016, 3 speed, deluxe cab, 518 hours $150,000

NH 210R, 2020, rubber rolls $24,000

NH 210S 10’ pull type rotary, 2020, steel rolls, swivel hitch $22,000

NH 750HD rotary header $4750 499, 12’ hydro-swing, rubber rolls $7,700

NH 416 rotary header, 2020, good rolls, needs a few things $15,000

NH HS16 sickle header, 2016, average condition $10,000

CaseIH WD2505, 2022, 328 hours, GPS, high speed, NH 416 PLUS header, steel rolls $195,000

CaseIH WD2505, 2022, 375 hours, GPS, high speed, NH 416 PLUS header, steel rolls $193,000

NH 210R, 2020, rubber rolls $24,000

NH 210S 10’ pull type rotary, 2020, steel rolls, swivel hitch $22,000 CaseIH WD2505, 2022, 328 hours, GPS, high speed, NH 416 PLUS header, steel rolls $195,000

JD 4990, 14’ 990 Rotary header, steel rolls, 2,378 hours $43,700 MacDon M1240, 2022, Only 51 hours!!!, R216 rotary grass seed header w/ only 30 hours!! $200,000

CaseIH WD2505, 2022, 375 hours, GPS, high speed, NH 416 PLUS header, steel rolls $193,000

COMBINES

Used CX 840 spike tooth with model year 2018 790cp 12ft header $47,000

JD 4990, 14’ 990 Rotary header, steel rolls, 2,378 hours $43,700

MacDon M1240, 2022, Only 51 hours!!!, R216 rotary grass seed header w/ only 30 hours!! $200,000

NH CX8070, 2011, 2,012 threshing hours, 2009 model 76C pickup header $120,000

MF WR9980, 2020, 857 hours $159,000

NH CX8070, 2009, 1,426 threshing hours, 12’ Swathmaster pick-up header $92,000

COMBINES

Used CX 84 0 spike tooth with model year 2018 790cp 12ft header $47,000

NH CX8070, 2008, 2,101 threshing hours, 12’ Swathmaster pick-up header $87,000 (2) NH 76C 12’ pick-up headers, 2007’s $10,800 ea.

NH CX8070, 2011, 1,959 threshing hours, 2009 model 76C pickup header $120,000

NH CX8070, 2011, 2,012 threshing hours, 2009 model 76C pickup header $120,000 CX8070, 2009, 1,426 threshing hours, 12’ Swathmaster pick-up header $92,000

NH 974 6-row corn header $6,500

TRACTORS

NH CX8070, 2008, 2,101 threshing hours, 12’ Swathmaster pick-up header $87,000 (2) NH 76C 12’ pick-up headers, 2007’s $10,800 ea.

NH Boomer 50C, 2020, cab, 4wd, hydro, loader, only 179 hours $42,900

NH CX8070, 2011, 1,959 threshing hours, 2009 model 76C pickup header $120,000

NH 974 6-row corn header $6,500

NH T9 600, 2016, 3,352 hours, high idler smart tracks, GPS, 6 remotes, NEW TRACKS!! $275,000

TRACTORS

NH T7 270, 2017, 1,599 hours, auto-command trans, 18 4 duals, GPS $171,000

NH T7 260, 2019, 1186 hours, deluxe cab, autocommand cvt, 20 8R42 singles $186,000 -$179,000

NH T9 600, 2016, 3,352 hours, high idler smart tracks, GPS, 6 remotes, NEW TRACKS!! $275,000

NH T7 270, 2017, 1,599 hours, auto-command trans, 18 4 duals, GPS $171,000

NH T7 260, 2019, 1213 hours, deluxe cab, autocommand cvt, 20 8R42 singles $186,000 -$179,000

NH T6050, 2009, cab, 4wd, 3,400 hours, semi powershift $51,000

NH T7 260, 2019, 1186 hours, deluxe cab, autocommand cvt, 20 8R42 singles $186,000 -$179,000

NH T7 260, 2019, 1213 hours, deluxe cab, autocommand cvt, 20 8R42 singles $186,000 -$179,000

NH T1520, 2008, 631 hours, 35HP, gear drive, rops, loader, backhoe $21,000

NH TG305, 2007, duals, new rubber, suspended front axle, 8,800 hours $79,900 -$74,900

NH T6050, 2009, cab, 4wd, 3,400 hours, semi powershift, completely serviced $56,000

NH T1520, 2008, 631 hours, 35HP, gear drive, rops, loader, backhoe $21,000

NH TC29DA, 2006, 4wd, loader w/ SSL QA, 1,956 hours, supersteer, fully serviced $15,900 -$14,900

NH Workmaster 25S, 2022, only 80 hours!!, loader, backhoe $21,000

NH Workmaster 25S, 2021, hydro, loader, only 55 hours!! $17,000

NH TG305, 2007, duals, new rubber, suspended front axle, 8,800 hours $79,900 -$74,900

AGCO 6690A, 1991, cab, 4wd, loader, 4,180 hours, 87 HP $29,000

NH Workmaster 60, 2020, only 356 hours, 12 x 12 trans, 4wd, loader $35,000

NH Workmaster 25S, 2021, hydro, loader, only 55

CaseIH Farmall 120C, 2021, Cab, 4WD, 3,195 hours, 24x24 trans, MSL loader $62,000

Case 2090, 1980, cab, 2wd, meter shows 3,754 hours $13,700

Ford 5610, 1984, 2wd, loader, reman engine $12,900

International 400, gas, wide front end, great bend loader, TA $5,370

JD 4030, 1976, cab, 2wd, 8,400 hours, synchro-mesh trans, 158 loader w/ bucket $19,700

JD 4020, 1967, ROPS, 2wd, powershift, lots of recent work $13,750

Mitsubishi ST1840, 1980, diesel, 4WD, 18HP, 72” woods blade included $5,500

Washington drifts into ‘snow drought’

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

Washington’s snowpack was only 64% of normal Feb. 28 and is unlikely to build enough in the next two months to avoid water shortages this summer, offi cials said.

The Cascade Range was expected to receive heavy snow Feb. 28 and Feb. 29.

Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrologist Matt Warbritton said

he doubted the storm will erase concerns about signifi cant water shortages.

“Snowpack conditions (are) extremely poor across the state,” he said. “The state is in a snow drought.”

The Department of Ecology convened its water-supply committee to hear reports from state and federal offi cials watching for drought. The outlook was generally pessimistic.

Basin snowpacks low

Basin snowpacks range from 82% in the Lower Snake River basin to 35% in the Olympic Mountains. Snowpacks in three other basins — North Puget Sound, Lower Yakima and Spokane — were under 60% of normal.

The snowpack typically peaks in April, so it could still rally, but it’s unlikely, National Weather Service hydrologist Brent Bower said.

An El Nino reigns, triggered by warmer than average sea-surface temperatures. Because of the El Nino, the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts Washington will have a warm and dry spring.

“It’s not a very good setup to have one of those March miracles,” Bower said.

La Nina expected

Washington’s snowpack started slow and hasn’t recovered, despite some snow storms. The state had its third-warmest December in 129 years of record-keeping. Washington’s warmest Decembers were in 1900 and 1939.

The winter has been generally typical for an El Nino year, Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond said.

The Climate Prediction Center forecasts the El Nino will yield this spring to neutral conditions and an La Nino will form in the fall. Washington winters are typically colder and wetter than average during a La Nina.

“If we can get through this winter, maybe we’ll be in better shape in that there’s a good chance that once again we’ll have La Nina,” Bond said.

The five Yakima River basin reservoirs Wednesday held 64% of their normal amount of water for the date. The reservoirs store irrigation water for Central Washington farmers.

The Bureau of Reclamation will provide an early forecast March 4 of how much water irrigators with junior-water rights will receive for the upcoming growing season.

Courtesy of Roza Irrigation District Lake Keechelus, shown here in October 2023, and four other Yakima River basin reservoirs are low, one sign of developing water shortages in Washington.

Oregon’s snowpack gets a wintry boost

By KYLE ODEGARD Capital Press

As snow fell on much of Oregon March 1, the state’s snowpack looked to be in good shape, causing early-season water worries to evaporate.

The average snow-water equivalent for the state’s 12 regions was 106% of the median for the years 1991 to 2020, according to the USDA National Resources Conservation Service.

Only two regions had a snow-water equivalent below 90% of normal for that date, and half of the other regions were above 100%.

The health of the snowpack will be defined by measurements a month away on April 1, when it should be at its peak.

“Right now, we’re on track for a good, normal snowpack season,” said Larry O’Neill, state climatologist.

But the snowpack needs to keep building, as many areas are only at 70% of the total needed by next month, O’Neill said.

Even if Oregon’s snowpack reaches normal levels April 1, it’s still vulnerable to a dry and warm spring. In 2021 and 2023, a strong snowpack melted out early in many regions.

Though the outlook has improved, including for river flow forecasts, areas including Central Oregon and the Klamath basin still have the potential for drought this sum-

mer, O’Neill said.

Weather forecast

The storm hitting Oregon this weekend could stick around, with snow predicted near Cascade ski resorts through March 7, and a wintry mix of precipitation forecast for the Willamette Valley through March 5.

The National Weather Service on March 1 issued a winter storm warning through the morning of March 2 for the Coast Range and much of Southern Oregon, predicting 3 to 7 inches of snow above 1,000 feet of elevation.

A winter weather advisory for the Cascade Range pre-

dicted 6 to 10 inches of snow above 2,500 feet before 4 p.m. March 2, as well as gusts of 35 mph.

Early concerns

Snowmelt helps to fill streams and rivers for farms and fish. In general, less snowpack means earlier low summer flows, which could result in earlier water restrictions.

El Nino years tend to be warmer than usual, which can melt snow earlier.

Heading into 2024, the snowpack was near record lows in Oregon, but January storms dumped feet of snow in mountain ranges.

The snowpack declined

rapidly afterward and the long range forecast was looking for warmer and drier conditions than usual.

However, atmospheric rivers swept down from Alaska.

“It’s not what’s expected, but we’ll take it,” O’Neill said.

Washington has been left out of the colder, wet weather patterns and its snowpack remains lean, spawning concerns about intensifying drought, O’Neill said.

Region by region

Oregon’s Owyhee River region, which stretches into Idaho and Nevada — several basins dip into neighboring states — was at 146% of nor-

mal snow-water equivalent for March 1.

The Harney region was at 134%, followed by:

• Malheur basin, 124%.

• John Day basin, 112%.

• Upper Deschutes and Crooked River basins, 106%.

• Willamette River basin, 101%.

• Rogue and Umpqua basins, 99%.

• Klamath region, 95%.

• Mount Hood, Sandy River and Lower Deschutes region, 93%.

• Lake County and Goose Lake area, 90%.

• Grande Ronde, Burnt, Powder and Imnaha region, 89%.

• Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow region, 86%.

Easterday sentence cut by 27 months

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

U.S. District Judge

Grangeville: (208) 983-1730

118 West South St., Grangeville, ID 83530

erday’s 11-year sentence for fraud by 27 months, a reduction that

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falls between what Easterday’s attorneys sought and federal prosecutors recommended.

Bastian’s sentence was consistent with the term he handed Easterday in 2021, falling between the low and high ends of the standard sentencing range.

The range was revised under new federal sentencing guidelines.

Easterday has worked on the prison farm and taken courses in mechanics and agri-business while incarcerated, according to his attorneys.

Cody Easterday

The new guidelines for first-time offenders, which apply retroactively, made Easterday eligible for a sentence of between 97 and 121 months, rather than 121 and 151 months.

Bastian revised the original 132-month sentence proportionately to arrive at 105 months.

Easterday’s attorneys sought the minimum sentence, while federal prosecutors argued for the maximum.

Easterday is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Lompoc, Calif. Easterday is now scheduled to be released in December 2029. Before the resentencing, Easterday’s release date was in November 2031.

Federal inmates can earn credit toward earlier release dates by good behavior and participating in prison programs.

Easterday supplied cattle to Tyson Fresh Meats’ beef plant in Pasco, Wash. Easterday defrauded Tyson out of $233 million by billing for more than 265,000 head of cattle that didn’t exist.

A second victim in the “ghost cattle” scheme, Segale Properties of Tukwila, Wash., was defrauded out of $11 million.

Easterday’s attorneys had sought a hearing on the motion to reduce the sentence. Bastian chose to issue a ruling based on written arguments.

Easterday’s attorneys asked Bastian to consider Easterday’s actions once his fraud came to light.

Easterday admitted guilt and sold his family’s ranching and farming empire to start repaying Tyson and Segale and will continue to work to pay restitution when free, his lawyers argued. Federal prosecutors acknowledged Easterday’s postfraud deeds, but said the size of the theft merited a stiff sentence.

Stanley Bastian in Eastern Washington cut ex-cattleman Cody East-

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Cattle groups agree on hiking beef checkoff

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

OLYMPIA — Washington cattle groups resolved their conflict over the beef checkoff, uniting behind a Senate bill to hike the per-head tax on cattle sales, but offering refunds to ranchers who oppose paying the higher fee.

The Cattle Producers of Washington has dropped its longtime opposition to raising the checkoff, which funds promotions by the Washington Beef Commission and was last raised in 2001.

The Washington Cattlemen’s Association, Washington Cattle Feeders Association and Washington State Dairy Federation already favored raising the fee.

With backing from the Cattle Producers, the beef checkoff legislation, Senate Bill 5150, has a strong chance of passing this session.

“As long as the refund option stays in the bill, we are in support of it,” Cattle Producers President Josslinn Schoelser told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week.

The checkoff has been a divisive issue among cattlemen. The Beef Commission collects about $1 million a year. Supporters argue inflation has eroded its ability to reach consumers. Detractors question the commission’s value.

Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses

Lake, said he met with cattlemen’s groups before the session began. “I wasn’t too sure how productive it would be or whether it would turn into a boxing match. It all turned out well,” he said. “We’ve got a great compromise here.”

Fee raised in steps

SB 5150 proposes to phase in the fee hike, while giving cattle sellers the option of filing for refunds and paying less than they are now.

“Everybody had to give a little bit,” Cattle Feeders executive director Jack Field said.

Currently, the state Beef Commission collects $1 for every cow sold in Washington. The fee would increase to $1.50 on July 1, to $2 on Jan. 1, 2025, and finally $2.50 on Jan. 1, 2026.

The fee increases would not apply to bull calves sold by dairies. The national Beef Board would continue to receive an additional 50 cents per head, so the per-head fee would total $3 in 2026. Cattle sellers would be able to file to get $2 back.

Some 19 state beef commissions offer refunds, according to the USDA. “We believe it will work in Washington state as well,” Cattlemen’s Association lobbyist Mark Streuli said.

House agriculture committee Chairman Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, said he planned to pass the bill from his committee on Friday.

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By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press

The 2022 Census of Agriculture, released Feb. 13, reveals fewer farms and less farmland in the U.S.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack focused on those two points during a press conference “because I’m concerned about the state of agriculture and food production in this country,” he said.

The U.S. has lost 142,000 farms and 20 million acres since the last census in 2017, he said.

“This survey … is a wakeup call,” he said.

farmland

“This survey is essentially … asking the critical question of whether as a country are we OK with losing that many farms, are we OK with losing that much farmland or is there a better way,” he said.

Farm policy

The survey raises question about the policy formation or direction the country needs to take to correct or deal with some of the challenges, he said.

“Fortunately, we’ve begun that process, and this survey reinforces some of the steps that we’ve begun to take,” he said.

“Rather than focusing solely on productiv-

ity, as important as that is, it’s important as well to create new ways for farmers to make a living,” he said.

The majority of U.S. farmers require off-farm income to keep the farm. A better way would be creating multiple revenue streams on the farm, he said.

“That’s why it’s important for us to invest in climate smart agriculture because that creates an opportunity for farms to qualify potentially for ecosystem service market credits, which is cash coming into the farm for environmental results that can occur only on the farm,” he said.

Bioproducts

It’s important to continue to promote bioproduct production to transition agricultural waste into its own commodity such as sustainable aviation fuel, he said.

Another revenue stream might be direct-to-consumer sales. Farmers get less than 15 cents of every retail dollar for groceries. Accounting for the cost of production, the farmer ends up with 7 cents, he said.

Vilsack said he appreciates the hard work that went into the census and the number of farmers – more than 1 million – who responded.

The question now is what will policymakers, USDA and Congress do with the information and what they should do, he said.

Opportunity

“My hope is that what we do … is we send a strong message that we think there is an opportunity if they will join with us in creating a different model, one that acknowledges and recognizes the importance of production agriculture,” he said.

That message should acknowledge the

investment people have made in very large farms. But it should also be a message of hope and opportunity to smaller and midsized operations by giving them multiple sources of revenue coming in from the farm, he said.

The benefits of preserving small and mid-sized farm operations go beyond agriculture, supporting small town schools, businesses and hospitals, he said.

Associate

Cattle numbers drop in Washington wolf territory

By DON JENKINS Capital Press

Three northeast Washington counties blanketed by wolf packs saw a 29% decline in cattle inventory between 2017 and 2022, a much steeper drop than in the state as a whole, according to the Census of Agriculture.

Drought, wildfires and rising production costs may have contributed to smaller herds in Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties, but wolves are likely a reason, too, Washington State University livestock professor Shannon Neibergs said Friday.

“I believe very strongly that is a factor, but to claim it’s the sole factor would be an overstatement,” he said.

The USDA counted 1.12 million head of cattle in Washington, or 2.7% fewer than five years earlier. Only about 2%, a little more than 20,500 head, were in Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties.

The region, however, is saturated with wolf packs and ranchers there have borne losses as wolves recolonize Washington.

The cattle count declined by 21.3% in Pend Oreille County, 25.9% in Stevens County and 48.4% in Ferry County, the highest percentage among the 21 counties that reported fewer cattle.

Cattle numbers increased in 16 counties. Two counties did not have counts for total cattle.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s endangered species manager, Julia Smith, said wolves could cause ranchers to consider getting out of the business, but cautioned against assuming wolves are driving producers off the land.

“Wolves are always the easy culprit, but show me the data,” she said.

Rancher gives up lease

Ferry County rancher Kathy McKay told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in Olympia in January that her ranch gave up its federal grazing lease after losing 17 out of 100

Colville National Forest Cows graze in the Colville National Forest in northeast Washington. The number of cattle in the wolf pack-blanketed region has declined, according to the Census of Agriculture.

cows and calves to wolves.

Historically, cattle losses were 2%, she said. “We are no longer able to graze the rangeland because the challenges and losses have become too great,” she said.

Fish and Wildlife confirmed eight attacks on cattle in the three counties in 2023. Investigators look for wolf bites. Ranchers say far more cattle are not found, or if found are only scattered bones.

Fish and Wildlife removed two wolves in Asotin County in southeast Washington in 2023 to curb attacks on livestock, but no wolves in Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties.

Wolves: A tipping point

Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association President Scott Nielsen said ranchers face a combination of problems, some of them economic and unrelated to wolves.

“I think predators are the tipping point,” he said. “It’s a tough business anyway and then you put wolves of top of that. ... It’s not a success story. It’s a feeling of utter hopelessness.”

A decline in the ranching industry means a rise in 20-acre parcels with weed-control problems, said Ferry County Conservation District Manager Dave Hedrick, who serves on a panel that awards grants to range-riding programs.

Range-riding has helped, but is “more of a band-aid than a solution,” he said. “From a landscape level, it has not been difficult to see this coming for a long time.”

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