Klamath Basin Agriculture 2017

KLAMATH

BASIN AGRICULTURE

HERALD AND NEWS — SUMMER 2017 — WWW.HERALDANDNEWS.COM

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| BASIN AGRICULTURE | SUMMER 2017

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Inside: GOING ORGANIC: Lake alfalfa farmers weigh best methods.

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A BASIN MAINSTAY: Pelican Tractor at heart of Klamath community.

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SWEET UNION: Consumer Supported ag a way of life.

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THRIVING: Klamath extension center providing more.

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FFA FOR EVERYONE: National organization makes a local difference.

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This publication is copyrighted under Klamath Publishing LLC doing business as the Herald and News (c) 2017. All rights reserved.

SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

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n northern Lake County one crop rules above all others — alfalfa hay.

Some of the best alfalfa hay in the world is grown around the Christmas Valley and Silver Lake area. For those farmers, a decision whether to use conventional farming methods or turn to organic means balancing their economic and ethical considerations.

Lake County’s often erratic and extreme weather conditions can make farming in the region difficult, but that same environment produces a more resilient and richer product – coveted in national and foreign markets for its higher nutrient content. Unlike other agricultural producers whose products reach stores, alfalfa hay is a go-between, a stepping-stone product from farm to animals that in turn produce products for human consumption.

See Organic, page 4

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Going Organic Alfalfa farmers weigh options for best farming methods Story and photo by KURT LIEDTKE H&N Staff Reporter

Extra steps: Alfalfa farmers in Lake County

are implementing more organic methods into farming, and some have taken the step to become certified organic in their production, which prevents any synthetics from being used at any point.

| BASIN AGRICULTURE | SUMMER 2017

Organic, from page 3 While produce growers may have more pressure to produce organically due to increased interest in natural foods in grocery stores, many alfalfa farmers are considering organic methods to ensure value for their crop, as well as being good stewards of the land from which they continue to make their living.

“Niche markets and specialty hays are definitely the hottest market right now — small bales or alfalfa grass mixes or organic,” explained Scott Pierson, proprietor of a 500-acre alfalfa farm in Silver Lake. “We’re kind of a hybrid, we market a lot of organic hay and help haul to organic dairies. I call myself conventional, but I use a lot of organic processes in our operation.”

There are different tiers of what is considered organic — organic, made with organic and certified organic. Organic qualifies as products produced with 75 percent organic material or better, while the highest level of certified organic must be exclusively produced without any synthetic products whatsoever.

Overseeing organic regulation is Oregon Tilth, one of the oldest and most stringent organic certification regulatory agencies, which establishes rules for organics for Oregon as well as on a national and international scale. Oregon Tilth establishes strict rules for every step from production to marketplace to ensure that a true organic product avoids any contact with synthetics.

EDUCATING & ADVOCATING Oregon Tilth is a leading nonprofit certifier, educator and advocate for organic agriculture and products since 1974. Over the past 40 years, Oregon Tilth has helped lead the way on moving organic agriculture from a “fringe alternative” movement into a researchbased approach to sustainable food production.

It played an integral role in the formation of the USDA National Organic Program, helped found the Organic Materials Review Institute and pushed to expand organic sustainability beyond agriculture to textiles and other products.

Oregon Tilth works on four interconnected focal areas: Integrating conservation-minded approach es in organic practices Protecting public health from toxins expo sure

Developing a more sustainable marketplace Securing public investment in policies for  sustainable approaches

See Organic, page 5

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Organic, from page 4 “The effort is to make sure that organic means something in the public eye, not just a generic statement or seal of approval,” said Leon Baker, one of six certified organic alfalfa farmers in the Silver Lake area. “We want to make sure that when consumers make the decision to purchase an organic product they have the confidence that it has been produced organically with the utmost care as a trustworthy product.”

Organic alfalfa can fetch a higher price on the market, but organic farming methods can come with higher risks without the ability to spray herbicides or pesticides if a farmer’s field becomes inundated with pests or invasive species. Alfalfa notoriously is a crop that demands very

REGUL ATING ORGANIC

‘The effort is to make sure that organic means something in the public eye, not just a generic statement or seal of approval.’

— Leon Baker Silver Lake farmer

nutrient-rich soil, and without replenishing the soil with additives and rotating crops the land may become not as productive as it once was.

If a crop comes in contact with a synthetic product of any kind, whether intentional or not, according to Oregon Tilth by rule a six-month waiting period is triggered before harvest is possible. Otherwise it is considered a non-organic crop until pathogens of synthetics are allowed to dissipate.

This can include anything placed on the soil, from manures to even herbicides sprayed by a neighboring farm that were carried by prevailing winds onto an organic farmer’s field.

See Organic, page 6

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Organic, from page 5 In the case of the Baker Family Farm, when invasive grasses moved into their alfalfa fields, they were forced to give up their organic certification for three years.

Leon Baker voluntarily surrendered his certification to reluctantly use herbicides on his fields to remove the grasses.

Proactive methods for pest control include planting a very tight crop and crop rotation, but the inability to use pesticides makes growing a higher risk venture for organic farmers versus those utilizing conventional methods, with a likely smaller overall yield.

“The benefit of organic farming is niche marketing, to produce for a special customer base that is either required to use organic or perceive it as a safer hay,” said Pierson. “Conventional hay is going to be as safe as organic hay, but the customer perception is that it is safer.”

Going Organic

See Organic, page 7

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For the Bakers, the decision to go organic was one made largely from an ethical standpoint. Deeply religious, Leon and Betty June Baker state that they are not necessarily environmentally oriented, but rather spiritually oriented in believing that they should be good stewards of the land while introducing a product that is the best and safest possible for the land, people, animals and environment.

“We are certified 100 percent organic, we want to have the best product for our customers’ animals and doing so according to rules and

etiquette established by the policy board,” said Baker. “We are inspected annually, the idea being that with synthetics we might wear out the land. With certified organic we are trying to put back into the ground the elements that have been bleached out, or were farmed out over the years. There are different ways to do that, but it all comes down to taking care of the land the best we can to make sure that the soil is healthy.”

According to Baker, hay customers desire organic alfalfa for the same reason grocery store shoppers accept higher prices for organic vegetables and meats. He explained recent studies have shown evidence that

different pesticides pool in the body rather than leave. Over the period of a normal person’s life they may eat 51 pounds of chemicals that have been added to foods or implemented at various stages of that product’s production.

For Pierson, creating the best overall crop is a matter of balancing organic philosophies with modern farming methods to cultivate the highest yield while sustaining the land long-term.

Pierson’s farm averages two cuttings per year at around 4.5 tons per acre, whereas across the street at the Baker Family Farm their yield may only be around 3 to 4 tons per acre.

See Organic, page 8

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Organic, from page 6

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Organic, from page 7 “If I’m mining the soil by growing alfalfa we’ll use a huge amount of calcium and potassium, and if you’re not replenishing that then the soil can suffer,” explained Pierson.

“Organic fields tend to lack a lot of nutrients. When it comes to Oregon Tilth dictating how to manage farms, they’re more interested that I’m not using sprays. I see what we do as best of both worlds. We’re educating our customers on safe practices, I support many of the organic practices, but in some situations our customers need a hay that is free from all weeds. Some of our growers are very much into herbicides, but I’m not.”

Whether or not farmers pursue certification, the increased market interest has led to more producers to consider the possibility of going organic, or at least implement organic methods into their operations. According to Baker, he receives inquiries from fellow farmers regarding costs, record-keeping and additional layers of work required for the Baker Family Farm to maintain its certified organic status.

“Organics cost more, but not necessarily on the farmer’s level,” said Baker. “Organics demand a higher price on

the marketplace, and people have become more interested in taking care of the land.

Organics have spawned more information about soils, crops and seeds. We do the best we can, it goes back to the philosophy of farming. We believe God made the animal the way he wanted, so if we treat it and feed it right that animal will serve us and many customers down the line. A conventional dairy a cow may hit its peak production for three years. At an organic dairy, production may not be maximized, but that cow can produce for six to eight years. Synthetics can be a detriment to that cow’s overall health, but give it good solid food and it will produce a cleaner product for longer.”

“Stewardship is a huge issue,” added Pierson. “All farmers care about their land and their product, and want what’s best. It’s not just cost, there’s ethics involved to take care of the land the best we can. I think we have a common goal. We want to be good stewards of the land and have sustainable agriculture for generations to come. That’s a common goal for both organic and conventional, and I’m confident that there will be a market for both for years to come.”

WHAT IS ORGANIC? Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. These methods integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.

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SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

The Sweet Union

OF COMMUNITY AND FARMING

Subscribing to a way of life: Community Supported Agriculture

By SAMANTHA TIPLER: For the Herald and News

City oasis: Ryan Miller, left, Katie Swanson and Liesel Swanson show the crops growing at the 1-acre Sweet Union Farm in Klamath Falls.

Photo by Samantha Tipler

W

hen Katie Swanson started life as a CSA farmer, she turned to the reason she loves agriculture in deciding what to name her farm.

“I like it because farming is a union of all the things I love. I love the physical part. I love the mental part. I love the business part. I love the community part. I love the health part,” she said. “I think farming solves all the problems of the world. It’s just a very sweet union of all these beautiful things.”

See CSA, page 11

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What's a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way for community members to have direct access to their farmer. Members buy a “share” of the season’s harvest and therefore become a partner in growing food in a sustainable way here in Klamath Falls.

Good food and farming happens in community and we are excited to grow delicious vegetables for you this season.

The Sweet Union CSA model A weekly share of vegetables harvested from our farm based on what is in season. The variety of vegetables will vary week to week.

Sweet Union's CSA season is 18 weeks long and runs from June to October.

Two cooking classes with chef Liz Arraj (head chef at Leap of Taste) using produce from the farm (This is unique to Sweet Union Farm, not typical of a CSA.)

The joy of knowing you farmer and where your food comes from! We love connecting people to the land and their food.

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CSA, from page 9 So, when she and her husband, Dallas, moved to Klamath Falls and bought an acre of land last October, they named it Sweet Union Farm.

“I decided the best thing I could do for my community, it was so clear to me, was farming. Growing food sustainably,” Swanson said.

As of the end of May, their Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, was full up with 16 subscribers for the summer. In a CSA, families pay for a subscription to fresh produce. They pay in advance and come to the farm each week during the growing season (June to October) to pick up their box.

“I’m kind of obsessed with CSAs. I think they’re a beautiful thing. They build a community and a food culture in a way that no other form of the marketing does,” Swanson said. “I am feeding a family. Our CSA is feeding 16 families this year. That’s really fun. It’s providing a balanced vegetable diet for them.”

See CSA, page 12

Sustainability: Klamath Falls’ Sweet Union Farm is growing lettuce as part of its CSA operation.

Photo by Samantha Tipler

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CSA, from page 11 The farm includes kale, collards, green onions, turnips, arugula, salad mix, lettuce, spinach, peas, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, broccoli, onions, leeks, potatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash and corn — so far.

“With the CSA, diversity is really, really important. People don’t want to get the same thing every week,” Swanson said. “If I look at my seed order, I think I ordered about 100 different varieties of vegetable.”

Helping hands Last October Swanson and Dallas – who is a resident at Cascades East Family Medicine, a partnership between Sky Lakes and OHSU — bought an acre of land right in the heart of the South Suburbs, on South Sixth Street. They farm about a third of that acre.

“It’s pretty great. It’s amazing what you can do with such a small amount of space,” Swanson said.

“From the front — it doesn’t look like much.”

That first weekend, Swanson rented a tiller and ploughed immediately. She planted winter crops. Since then, Sweet Union Farm has set up a process for starting its crops: germination station indoors, a heated table outdoors and row crops and caterpillar tunnels in the field.

In the spring, Dallas’ sister, Liesel, and her boyfriend, Ryan Miller, came to help with the farm. Over the winter, Blue Zones Project Klamath Falls hired Swanson, and that along with a back injury, meant she needed more help at the farm. Liesel studied ecology in college and worked at a 60-acre farm in Corvallis and Ryan recently graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in horticulture.

“I really like working outside. That’s a huge draw to this work for me,” Liesel said. “At the end of the day your body feels tired. I like that.”

She finds it especially heartening when she thinks of friends she went to college with now working office jobs in Seattle.

“Thinking about what my day might look like and my fellow students’ lives look like now who are still in Seattle and have a harder time being connected to where their food comes from,” she said. “I find it a privilege to be able to do this. Not everybody has that privilege.”

“I’ve always been more interested in growing vegetables. I think there’s more nutritional variety out of them,” Ryan said. “However fun it is to eat a bunch of sugary fruit all the time, I like being able to provide people with this variety of food and stuff that’s healthy for the community.”

See CSA, page 13

Seasonal transitions: Sweet Union Farm grew kale over the winter and utilized heated beds to start plants this spring for its CSA. Photos by Samantha Tipler

SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

CSA, from page 12

Photo by Samantha Tipler

On the farm: The Swansons also raise chickens on their property for eggs and meat, though the chickens are not part of the CSA.

In a CSA the customers pay for an entire season, picking up food weekly from the farm. It provides consistency for them and for Sweet Union Farm.

Sweet Union Farm is not certified organic, but they do use organic processes. Being in its first year, Swanson and her cohorts are learning the way to farm in Klamath — including dealing with the unpredictable spring weather.

“Klamath Falls is really interesting, because you can scorch your tomatoes from getting too hot during the day, and they can have frost damage at night,” she said noting there can be a 40-degree difference between night and day.

That’s why she, Liesel and Ryan work to carefully time when to move crops from germination to the heated table to the field.

One thing that isn’t unpredictable is the consistency of a CSA, she said.

In a CSA the customers pay for an entire season, picking up food weekly from the farm.

It provides consistency for them and for Sweet Union Farm.

“A CSA, is in my opinion, is the best way for a farmer to go,” Swanson said. “My consumers pay at the beginning of the season for a full season’s worth of vegetables. I have that guaranteed income. … There’s consistency. I can plan my whole year out and say I need this many poundsor dollars-worth of vegetables every week.”

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Ron and Chuck Johnson are longtime owners of Pelican Tractor on South Sixth Street.

The business recently transferred to a Redmond ownership, but they remain the managers of the shop in Klamath Falls.

H&N photo by Gerry O’Brien

PELICAN TRACTOR COMPANY:

A mainstay in farm and ranch equipment

By GERRY O’BRIEN: H&N Editor

T

he phone never seems to stop ringing at Pelican Tractor farm and ranch equipment in Klamath Falls.

It’s the busy time of the season for the long-time supplier of farm equipment, large- and small-scale tractors and now, the ever popular side-by-side all-terrain vehicles or ATVs. Delivery people are shipping out tractors to other parts of the state, while ranchers are coming in to pick up new equipment. The dealership sells 10 to 15 tractor units and farm implements a month.

The Pelican Tractor dealership and maintenance shop has been at its original location, at 5629 S. Sixth St., as the community of Klamath Falls grew up around it. Now, it’s in the heart of the commercial district in Klamath Falls.

See Pelican, page 15

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H&N photo by Gerry O’Brien

Farm ready: Pelican Tractor of Klamath Falls can sell up to 15 pieces of farm equipment a month during the busy season. It is mainly a Kubota tractor dealership now.

Ron and Chuck Johnson are the mainstays of the business that sports some eight to 10 employees, including their sister, Carolyn Englebrecht.

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Pelican, from page 14

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Nearly 50 years in business, Pelican Tractor was initially owned and operated by Eddie Johnson.

Now his sons, Ron and Chuck Johnson are running the shop that specializes in Kubota tractors.

“Originally my dad, Eddie, Chuck and I started in the business in April 1969. We sold AllisChalmers back then, until about 1995,” said Ron Johnson, 69.

He and Chuck, 66, are the mainstays of the business that sports some eight to 10 employees, including their sister, Carolyn Englebrecht, a retired nurse, who runs the front desk.

The Johnsons came out West from Kansas after Carolyn, who attended the University of Kansas Medical Center, took a job in Redding, Calif. Eddie Johnson moved to Redding for medical treatments and eventually settled in Klamath Falls. The boys then followed.

See Pelican, page 17

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Pelican, from page 15

H&N photo by Gerry O’Brien

Busy season: The phone never stops ringing for Ron Johnson, manager of Pelican Tractor. He and his brother, Chuck, run the operation from their office decorated with 4-H and FAA sales certificates where the business has purchased show animals.

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The business sold in June 2015 to Frank and Monica Platt in Redmond and has been a Kubota dealership ever since. The Platts own Midstate Power Products in Redmond and a sales and repair shop in Burns, too. The firm offers Land Pride and Great Plains International farming implements, as well.

“We used to be an AllisChalmers dealership,” said Ron. “At the time, we were most busy when the farming season started. With Kubota, we stay busy all year, as we sell everything from lawnmowers on up.” When the snows hit last year, both Redmond and Klamath Falls were busy selling small plows to rural folks who were caught snowed in.

See Pelican, page 18

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The most popular piece of equipment is the sideby-side ATVs. “Ranchers can just drive them all over the place and save their trucks from getting beat up,” Johnson said. “Plus, they get 70 to 80 miles per gallon. Hunters really like them and the rides are pretty comfortable.”

Like all farm equipment, many of the Kubota tractors are computer-operated. Farmers can plow and plant by inputting grid coordinates from a cell phone. The result is more efficient use of equipment and fuel. However some farmers just like to drive the rigs themselves, Johnson said.

Any plans on retirement?

“Nope,” said Ron. “Not sure what I would do with myself if I wasn’t here.”

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SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

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Thriving with funding

Tax district allows extension center to expand staff, public offerings

By SAMANTHA TIPLER: For the Herald and News

I

n 2016, faculty at the Oregon State University Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center met with 18,000 people in learning environments, classes, lectures and tours.

Volunteers recorded almost 15,000 hours. The number of 4-H participants has increased by 120 to more than 450 participants and there are 66 new adult 4-H leaders.

Hands-on: Patty Case, top, with the KBREC watches young chefs at an Iron Kid Chef competition in February.

Lauren Cox, above, peels a mango during the competition.

H&N file photos

“We’re producing a lot more educational events and we’re reaching a lot more people,” said Willie Riggs, KBREC director. “We’re in the people business.”

See Extension, page 20

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‘We hit rock bottom and now we’re building back up to reach more and more people.

I think we’re trying to get where the voters wanted us to be.

We’ve still got a little ways to go. We’re moving forward, chipping away at it.’

— Willie Riggs, KBREC director

Extension, from page 19 This is a big step up from where KBREC was two years ago, Riggs said. In 2015, voters approved a dedicated tax district to support the extension center. After years of receiving decreased funding from Klamath County, KBREC asked taxpayers to support a 15-cent-per-$1,000 assessed value tax which amounted to about $24.60 a year for the owner of a $164,000 home in 2015. People approved with nearly 55 percent voting in favor. Since then, the tax has provided about $720,000 year to compliment state and federal funding for KBREC. Before the tax, KBREC had to ask the Klamath County Budget Committee for funding on an annual basis. Since 2009, funding decreased from $425,000 to $200,000 or $300,000, depending on the year.

Riggs said his center was doing less and less.

“We hit rock bottom and now we’re building back up to reach more and more people,” Riggs said. “I think we’re trying to get where the voters wanted us to be. We’ve still got a little ways to go. We’re moving forward, chipping away at it.”

See Extension, page 21

Tallying votes: KBREC supporters and employees check initial election results for the proposed tax district May 19, 2015.

Life lessons: Patty Case with the extension bandages a cut on Emma Rayes’ finger as friend Ashten Helms watches at an Iron Kid Chef competition in February.

H&N file photos

‘By investing in KBREC you are investing in healthy people, economies and environments in the community where all of us live, work and play.’

— Patty Case, KBREC associate professor of extension family and community health

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Forest lessons: Daniel Leavell, assistant professor of forestry, natural resources and fire science at the Oregon State University College of Forestry, gives a welcome to students during the 53rd annual Klamath County Forestry Tour at Spencer Creek Camp in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in September.

H&N file photo

Extension, from page 20

More people to lend a hand With the stable funding employees at KBREC have security in their jobs. And it has allowed Riggs to hire more people in positions previously left vacant, or new positions specifically to serve the needs of the people in Klamath County.

See Extension, page 22

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KBREC is now in its third cycle of stable funding, and Riggs and the other employees at the center say it’s made a world of difference. With this funding, they’re able to do more for the people of Klamath County.

“By investing in KBREC you are investing in healthy people, economies and environments in the community where all of us live, work and play,” said Patty Case, associate professor of extension family and community health at KBREC. “I hope that anyone that has taken a class, been a volunteer, participated in a partnership with or simply called our office with a question knows that we care about the issues that are important to you.”

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Extension, from page 21 With the guidance of the KBREC Advisory Board (part of the taxing district), KBREC has hired a farm manager, a position that had not been filled for the past eight years, a faculty research assistant to help with field trials, a new 4-H agent, an extension program assistant to help with 4-H and a full-time horticulturalist to work with Master Gardeners, give community presentations and answer questions from the public.

There are still two vacancies at KBREC: a livestock agent and an agronomy research assistant.

Rich Roseberg, was the agronomy research agent for 12 years until May 2016, when he headed to the Southern Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in Central Point as its new director. He is continuing his research into Russian dandelion as a rubber substitute there, and his assistant Tom Silberstein is continuing the other trails.

Brian Charlton continues his work with potato trails as well, Riggs said.

Forestry agent Daniel Leavell said stable funding had paid for a part-time assistant in his division, as well as covering other expenses like travel and office supplies.

It’s allowed him to implement new programs such as the Klamath Lake forest Health Partnership, helping landowners implement forest health and fire risk reductions in Klamath and Lake counties. Leavell also coordinated the Klamath County Forestry Tour.

More public programs Another place where KBREC is expanding is in its offerings of classes and lectures to the public.

See Extension, page 23

Submitted photos

Knowledge & Know-how: Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center Associate Professor of Horticulture Nicole Sanchez, above, tends to tomatoes in the greenhouse. Sanchez, who has worked in horticulture for nearly three decades, taught a gardening lecture series earlier this year. A lesson on beekeeping, below, is given in the field.

SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

Extension, from page 22 “We’ve been able to do more cross programming such as nutrition staff teaching food prep for 4-H or Master Gardeners helping with our Farm to School project in the schools — we teach how to prepare foods and they teach how to grow it,” Case said.

An example was the first round of the Gardening Workshop Lecture Series done in cooperation with the Klamath County Library in February and March. A second round of the series starts in July and runs through August.

Master Gardeners are continuing classes, training more volunteers to help in the community.

Case and the nutrition

Submitted photo

In the field: Patty Case, KBREC associate professor of extension family and community health, shows students radish roots at the Klamath Community Garden.

division are offering classes in cooking, pestos, oils, vinegars, canned meats, dehydrat-

ed food, pickling and cheese making. Stacy Todd, the nutrition instructor, works on

23

Farm to School programs in the elementary schools.

The Klamath Basin Beekeepers hold regular meetings at KBREC. And 4-H holds mandatory division meetings on beef, swine, horse, sheep, small animals and other nonanimal divisions.

“Our learning center is almost always full,” Riggs said. “Sometimes we just have to book extra space because there’s a lot going on.”

Case said the stable funding has allowed for KBREC to work with its partners “Our strength has always been in partnerships and over the last three years we have strengthened and extended those partnerships with, for example, schools, health care, Oregon Tech, Tribes and businesses,” Case said.

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FFA for F Everyone

FA is an organization with 649,355 members nationwide in 7,859 chapters. One of those chapters is at Henley High School, with 232 students.

National organization makes a difference at a local level

By SAMANTHA TIPLER: For the Herald and News

Part of FFA is the blue corduroy jacket with FFA in yellow letters. For those who choose to wear the jacket, it means something.

“When you wear the blue corduroy jacket with our school and state on it, you aren’t just representing yourself at that point,” said Briana Wilkerson, 17. “You are a young public figure when you’re part of this organization.”

“I felt like I was part of something bigger,” said Maddie Shearer, 15. “Knowing that I’m supporting FFA as a whole. Every action I make is reflected on that organization.”

See FFA, page 25

Hands on: Henley High School FFA students adjust an irrigation wheel line at the school farm.

Photo by Samantha Tipler

SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

25

FFA, from page 24 Even though the jacket has remained a staple of FFA since 1933, other things have changed in its nearly 90-year history, evolving into the 21st century. Nationally, 341,251 people follow the FFA on Facebook, more than 10,000 people follow it on Twitter and more than 80,000 follow it on Instagram.

Another change, FFA students can keep track of records electronically on computers or phones.

“We can access it on our phones,” Briana said. “So when we’re working with our animals or anywhere else, we can just record it right there.”

And FFA recently changed its official dress to allow girls to wear slacks or skirts, rather than only the option of skirts.

“The organization is starting to use what is in society today to help it expand and become more known through all generations,” Briana said.

FFA is also for many different types of students, not just those who live on farms.

“Anyone can be involved in it. They don’t have to just be a third-generation farmer to be in it or want to be a future farmer,” Briana said. “It can be anybody that just gets placed in an ag class that ends up falling in love with the program.”

Alison Lawver, 17, lives in the suburbs, not on a farm.

She enjoys FFA competitions and has found a love of welding.

“It seemed interesting. It pulls you out of your comfort zone,” Alison said. “It’s really interactive. Instead of sitting in a class you get to venture out and go out to the farm.”

Photo by Samantha Tipler

In the field: Henley FFA students adjust an irrigation wheel line at the school farm in late May.

FFA activities FFA covers many different aspects of the farming industry.

As a senior, Alison plans to either pursue a career in law enforcement or diesel mechanics.

See FFA, page 26

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FFA, from page 25 “The feeling of making a good weld, it puts a big smile on your face knowing you know how to do something and make it look good,” Alison said.

“My family is not really the farming type,” said Briana Wilkerson, 17, even though she has raised market steers since joining 4-H in fourth grade.

“With cattle, they have more personality,” Briana said. “People say pigs are the most intelligent. I think that steers, they have a strong personality. I’ve always connected with that.”

Her steer, Ace, has his own quirks.

“He has figured out how to dump his water trough so that

he can use our water spigot as a scratching post instead of the scratching post we have,” Briana said.

Maddie Shearer, 15, would argue that hogs have the most personality.

“Their personalities are greater than a dog’s. They’re friendly animals,” Maddie said, talking about her pig, Pike, that runs in circles really fast. “They’re easy to train and they’re like family, almost.”

FFA Lessons Taking care of animals and projects means taking time, and responsibility. Throughout its history FFA has been about teaching students how to work hard, and that hard work pays off.

See FFA, page 27

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649,355 Members in grades seven through 12

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FFA mission FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education

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SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve 1928

1929 Blue and gold become official colors of FFA

33 students from 18 states gathered in Kansas City, Mo., to form the Future Farmers of America

1930 FFA adopts official creed

1933 Official dress of blue corduroy jackets adopted

1950 The 81st U.S. Congress granted FFA a federal charter and President Harry Truman signed the bill

1965 New Farmers of America combines with FFA “in recognition of shared mission for agricultural education”

1971 National FFA Alumni Association chartered as an affiliate of the National FFA Organization.

1988 Future Farmers of America changed its name to the National FFA Organization to reflect the growing diversity in the industry of agriculture.

Seventh and eighth grade students permitted to become FFA members

2007 Membership broke a half million mark with 500,823 members in 7,358 chapters

*Information from National FFA website’s history page

1935 New Farmers of America formed for African American youth

1959 First National FFA Center dedicated in Alexandria, Va., on land that had originally been used as the national FFA camp

1969 Young women gain full FFA membership and privileges. FFA had formerly been an organization for young men.

Many states had female members before this time

1973 FFA Official Dress standards created

27

‘It’s something you can take through all of your life.’

— Briana Wilkerson, FFA member

FFA, from page 26 “You really have to go out and feed them every day, work their hair, get them halter broke and show broke,” said Payton Bustos, 17, who raises steers. “That teaches you a lot of responsibility.”

“Responsibility is a huge one. It’s taught me how to work hard,” said Alison, who worked as the Henley farm manager for seven weeks putting in 41 hours of work. “You have to be responsible for feeding them and making sure everything is OK with them, making sure they didn’t get into something they shouldn’t be into.”

“It’s something you can take through all of your life,” Briana said. “The life lessons you’ll learn by doing different competitions or by taking the classes seriously and pursuing the different classes they have to offer after the

first year. There’s countless things you can do and stuff you learn through this organization.”

Those who are involved urge freshmen to take on the challenge and join FFA. “I think it’s important to get younger kids involved right off the get-go, instead of joining FFA your senior year,” Payton said. “It just gives you more experience when you start younger and work your way up.”

“Join immediately if you can,” Alison said. “It helps you get involved in a group of friends, but I consider FFA like my family. You get to know people. You’re always with them all the time.”

“So what I would say to a freshman is don’t judge the program until you’ve completed the program, until you’ve competed in something and at least worn the blue jacket once,” Briana said.

1996 Official website, www.FFA.org debuted

2002

Official dress standards revised

2004 First live webcast of national FFA convention

2016 Membership hits all-time high with 649,355 members in 7,859 chapters

learn more at FFA.org

Photo by Samantha Tipler

At the farm: The Henley High School FFA farm includes chickens for egg production.

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| BASIN AGRICULTURE | SUMMER 2017

ADVERTISER PROFILE

Strictly organic products

Basin Fertilizer converts Stronghold Fertilizer Plant Provided by Basin Fertilizer & Chemical Co.

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oil biology. It’s been a buzz word throughout agriculture circles for the past decade.

Years ago, crop advisors at Basin Fertilizer & Chemical Co. realized our soils had lost something over time. The original Tulelake homesteaders used to comment that the Tulelake soils were so mellow when first farmed in the ’40s and ’50s that a man could shove his arm up to his elbow in unworked soils. Was it the soil’s biology — the lack of soil fungi and live organisms — that reduced the soil tilth?

Basin Fertilizer’s crop advisors are committed to learning new ways to improve crop health. Several of Basin Fertilizer’s crop advisors attended multiple soil biology seminars and realized we were not only losing soil organic matter, but also soil biology. It seems through common cultural practices, that we have lost the soil fungi and living organisms that make soils breathe, hold water, and hold nutrients. One

method to replace soil biology and some organic matter is to apply composted green manure made from agricultural waste material (straw, yard waste, etc.) and cattle manure to supply nitrogen to break down the carbon chains. If composting is done correctly, it also produces a large quantity of beneficial soil organisms that feed on the organic matter. When compost is spread on fields at 2,000 pounds plus per acre, the soil organisms naturally explode within the existing soil, promoting the desired soil tilth.

Initially, this soil biology discussion with local farmers was a hard sell as a means to improve soil tilth.

A few farmers tried high-quality compost in 2008 and 2009 with great results. From initial field trials of a few hundred ton, we increased to applying over 8,000 tons of highquality compost by 2012. This timing coincided with the beginning of the organic crop boom in the Klamath-Tulelake Basins. Organic alfalfa, wheat, and potato crops throughout the Basin were requiring a supply of organic nutrients to maximize yields and quality. Different soils and crops require different nutrient quantities and various timing of applications. Our crop advisors researched manufacturers and appropriate products from around the world and performed numerous field trials and compared results.

Basin Fertilizer finally settled on quality products that fit our grow-

ers’ needs.

Organic crops are only certified under strict guidelines. In 2016, with Basin Fertilizer’s expanding organic products list and more farmers converting their acres to organic production, we converted our Stronghold plant to handle only organic products. Our building has four 200-ton bins in which we now handle a meat, blood and poultry manure pellet with an analysis of 4-5-3, along with sulfated potash, and organic sulfur. With our Ranco blender, we can blend these products with organic zinc, copper, manganese, boron and a bit of mycorrhizal fungi as a prescription organic blend in 5 ton or greater batches.

The organic liquid mix plant can blend Agro Thrive LFK and LFP liquid compost, Tru Organics 4-1-3 fish fertilizer, WISErganic liquid compost, liquid kelp fertilizer, mycorrhizal fungi, Solu-Piks humic acid, Soil Medic nitrogen fixing bacteria, Soyaplex high protein nitrogen, and others in 250 gallon or greater batches. During the summer months, we also brew live foliar biology compost tea in 1,500 gallon batches.

Basin Fertilizer & Chemical Co., LLC is committed to production agriculture throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon.

The conversion and expansion of our Stronghold plant for organic farming exemplifies that commitment.

SUMMER 2017 | BASIN AGRICULTURE |

VIEWPOINTS ON AG

Agriculture solutions don’t belong in the cheap seats I love sports. I love the competition, the behind the scene storylines, the commitment of the athletes. Although much of professional and even collegiate sport is dramatized due to the high-dollar industry that it has become, I still believe in the athlete and I will still pay to watch them play.

My career has not revolved around sport, yet I find interesting parallels to sports in my work. For example, I was recently at a fish science workshop where fish biologists from around the region gathered to discuss the wants and needs for an utopianesque fishery on the Klamath River system. I was the only one there representing irrigated agriculture.

Countless times I had to remind the group that there are other species that must be considered in developing a viable fishery plan on the Klamath.

The human species, for one. My comments were disregarded as if I was just a spectator welcomed for my attendance, but not my participation.

It was then that I learned about newly developed science identifying causes (Klamath Reclamation Project, apparently) and solutions (Surprise!

More water from farmers) for the disease epidemic of salmon in the Klamath River. I began to ask questions about this science (that we were supposed be a part of developing), and I was told, that we could talk about it at another place and time. In other words, “We’re in the middle of a game, I’ll tell you the ground rules later.”

In this era of finding comprehensive solutions to the natural resource problems we face in the Klamath Basin, farmers and ranchers have been treated like spectators. Seldom

THE AUTHOR

Scott White is the Executive Director of the Klamath Water Users Association

are they offered a locker room tour or even an opportunity to throw out the first pitch. It’s as if the agricultural community is recognized as an integral part of developing science to solve our problems, but only as paying season ticket holders.

Science and technology have never been more beneficial for understanding our natural resources and for producing positive results. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of that environmental friendly innovation and they are not slowing down.

Producers are plagued with further regulations, yet are continuously asked to produce more as populations increase. Agriculture has risen to that challenge and is far exceeding the bar by incorporating some of the brightest minds in the science and technology field.

There are countless examples where science and technology has made agriculture more sustainable, economical, and environmentally

friendly. The technology being used is eye opening and involves everything from using less farm inputs to doing more with less water. The list of these tools — mobile computing, soil and crop sensors, biological pest control, tractor automation, drones, and more — is impressive and interesting, but I will save that for another time.

Many of the family farms and ranches in this area are already utilizing these technologies and irrigation districts are beginning to embrace some of this technology as well. The time has come to recognize agriculture’s innovation in identifying solutions that actually work. Farmers and ranchers are resilient and adaptive.

They’ve had to be. I guarantee that, if asked, agriculture interests would be able to aid in finding real solutions for the recovery of listed fish species as well.

No longer should irrigators be treated as spectators in seeking solutions for fish recovery. They’ve got a stake in that game and have been training for the moment to play. Agriculture has as much to gain from the recovery of listed fish species as those who directly rely on them.

With the pressure of the expected lowest salmon returns in history and sucker recovery remaining stagnant at best, perhaps it’s time to recognize that simply adding more water isn’t working.

Fish scientists, and other fishery interests may want to consider calling agriculture down from the cheap seats and into the bullpen for relief. Let’s close this game out and finally get a win!

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| BASIN AGRICULTURE | SUMMER 2017

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REPORT ON THE SOUTHEAST OREGON GROWING REGION

Ag is not just an industry, it’s a lifestyle Report Introduction

by TRACEY LISKEY

About the author: Tracey Liskey is a third-generation Klamath Basin farmer and is a board member on the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Board of Agriculture.

This part of the state is home to several of Oregon’s top producing agricultural commodities.

Cattle, hay, dairy cows, potatoes, and onions — five out of the top 10 Oregon agricultural commodities — are prominent in this region.

Malheur County is ranked eighth in the country for number of beef cattle (USDA NASS, 2015). Sugar beets, strawberry plants, and garlic

are also grown here. Success for the agricultural community, and the community as a whole, is hinged on the success of the industries that support farming and ranching. Onion and potato packing sheds, implement companies, and inspection and certification services, to name a few, are critical components to the region’s health and economy. For southeast Oregon agriculture is not just an industry, it is a lifestyle.

Not only is the southeastern part of Oregon a beautiful place to live; it is a beautiful

place to visit. The area is mainly high desert with little annual rainfall, making the scenery more sagebrush and bare mountains than trees.

The climate can make it a challenging place to earn a living, even with a lot of land.

However, farmers and ranchers are finding themselves in competition for this invaluable resource as more and more of the ground becomes owned by the government.

As people learn of the beauty of this area, conflicts have also increased.

See Report, page 31

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ODA REPORT DISCUSSION Working partnerships, water predictability, and transportation not only touch Southeast Oregon but the entire Oregon agricultural community.

For an agricultural region that has more livestock than people, it has been the focus of some significant issues. Ranging from negotiations of the Klamath water agreement, to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation near Burns, to discussions of a national monument in the Owyhee and Siskiyou areas, this natural resource community has had, and continues to have, difficult conversations. As the world watches, farmers and ranchers in this rural part of the state must navigate traditional agricultural challenges under unique circumstances.

Farmers and ranchers are used to dealing with water issues in “the dry part of the state.” However, as drought conditions continue to linger for years instead of months, farmers and ranchers are increasingly anxious to find long-term solutions and stability. Uncertainty about water availability creates unpredictability for farmers. Crop rota-

tion — a common Southeast Oregon management practice used to ensure soil fertility, control pest pressures, and boost crop productivity — becomes a new challenge to deal with. Not knowing if, or what, water will be available limits a farmer’s choices as to what can be grown on the landscape.

Some farmers are foregoing crop rotation altogether, hoping the perennial crop will have a productive yield one last time, or they are substituting other costly management practices that may not yield the same benefits as crop rotation.

Even regions farthest away from Portland have felt the impact of shipping issues experienced by the Port of Portland in recent years. As perishable commodities rotted in containers at the port, agricultural goods that have a longer shelflife destined for an export market were displaced into the domestic and local markets, disrupting the supply chain.

Affordable options for reliable domestic transportation are also needed. Nyssa onion growers have determined that is it cheaper for a New York buyer to ship onions from Peru than it is to purchase onions grown on the other side of the US. Agriculture is a high-value, low margin commodity. Affordable domestic and international transportation solutions are needed to keep Oregon agriculture competitive. There is not a single product that Oregon agriculture produces that cannot be produced elsewhere, so it is important that transportation remains competitive for Oregon agriculture to remain viable.

From the publication, “2017 State of Oregon Agriculture Industry Report from the State Board of Agriculture”

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND INVESTMENTS Key recommendations for southeast Oregon, including Klamath, Lake, Harney and Malheur counties, and the Oregon agricultural community, are: • The local agricultural community must be consulted and needs to be considered as decisions made by outside interests impact the farming and ranching community.

• State lawmakers should support plans that provide long-terms solutions for water availability to provide stability to the agricultural community.

• State lawmakers should support solutions that address domestic and international transportation needs for Oregon agricultural goods.

KEY FACTS

 Total land area: 22.2 million acres Source: Oregon Secretary of State, 2014

 Number of farms: 2,938  Land in farms: 3.9 million acres  Irrigated land: 657,400 acres  2012 market value of agricultural products sold: $715 million Source: USDA NASS, 2014

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Report, from page 30 Farmers and ranchers rely on this land to make a living for their families, their employees and the businesses that support them. But the public wants the land to vacation, hunt and play.

As our agricultural community continues to be pressured with the ever-growing changing atmosphere of the public opinion, the western way of life in southeastern Oregon is threatened.

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