Farm & Ranch North Central Idaho by Idaho County Free Press

farm & ranc h North Central Idaho

Direct seed farming catches on across Idaho

Hillco

develops new baling system

Trich Testing:

Northern Idaho exemption is out

Cover Crops:

rotations, soil health and grazing systems

Nezperce Ag Inc.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

is proud to have supported the Nezperce and surrounding communities for 17 years and is looking forward to many more.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

farm & ranc h

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

North Central Idaho

Contents

6H 10 T 11 T 12 Y 15 M 21 N 24 A 25 S 30 C 32 L 34 I

ILLCO DEVELOPS NEW BALING SYSTEM

RICHOMONIASIS TESTING NOW EXTENDS TO ALL OF IDAHO HE

We hope you find it informative, useful and entertaining.

2,000 BULL PROJECT

OUNG, INNOVATIVE, RANCHERS: THE

GRANING FAMILY

IXED GROWTH IN SIZE AND NUMBER OF

AG OPERATIONS

O TILL DIRECT SEED FARMING CATCHES ON ACROSS IDAHO

LFALFA VARIETIES TESTED IN

North Central Idaho’s premier publication of Farm & Ranch is offered to the farming and ranching families of North Central Idaho,

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TATE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORKING ON WILDLIFE PROBLEMS ONCERNING COVER CROPS

ABRADOR TO EXTEND AG EXEMPTION TO YOUNG LOGGERS

DAHOANS SUPPORT LIVESTOCK GRAZING ON PUBLIC LANDS

ANDREW J. MCNAB, PUBLISHER DAVID P. RAUZI, EDITOR

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DRAUZI@IDAHOCOUNTYFREEPRESS.COM

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The new single pass baling system is an asset across the Camas Prairie and beyond. HILLCO TECHNOLOGIES

A Single Pass System Hillco partners with John Deere and produces a timesaving,

“highly sustainable harvesting and baling method” By Lorie Palmer

NEZPERCE – Thanks in part to HillCo Technologies, harvesting

just got a little more efficient.

Hillco recently partnered with John Deere to create the Single Pass

Round Bale System. This is an attachment producers can buy for

John Deere S-Series combines and John Deere 569 Round Balers.

“This allows you to combine and bale at the same time without

stopping,” explained Shelbie Sigler, Hillco sales and marketing.

According to Lenny Hill, owner and president of Hillco

Technologies, Inc., “The ability to harvest and bale in one pass

speaks to farmers’ efficiencies and economics, requiring less

equipment, time and manpower.

The Hillco Single Pass Round Bale System Fully automated, continuous round baling with no stopping necessary. Harvesting and baling are accomplished in one pass, with less equipment, time and manpower required. This process maximizes overall efficiency and productivity while minimizing costs.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

7 harvesting and baling method. At removal rates of around one ton per acre, the SPRB System removes a lower

amount of essential nutrients from the soil, leaving the highest plant nutrients on the field,” Hill added.

Farmers and ranchers are already harvesting the grain

from their fields and this attachment allows them to

capitalize on another source of revenue, all in one pass.

“The Hillco single pass round bale system is the most

efficient way of collecting corn stover without slowing

down your harvest,” the Hillco website reads. “The Hillco

SPRB system produces quality bales with the lowest ash (dirt) content, highest digestibility, and densest material

of any other corn stover bales on the market. By removing

mostly the upper portion of the plant, SPRB System bales

remove minimal plant nutrients from the soil, making

single pass baling a sustainable option year after year.” Sigler explained this is a “complex product.”

“It requires a lot of education since it’s brand new to the

market,” Sigler explained. “Our main selling points are

that it creates a quality feedstock, provides sustainable

Single pass baling can save time and money. / HILLCO TECHNOLOGIES

removal rates in corn stover, and is an efficient way of

collecting material.”

Sigler graduated from the University of Idaho in 2013

Key features: • Low horsepower consumption • Full visibility – Three strategically located cameras provide easy viewing • Simple pintle style hitch for connecting and disconnecting • Spread to collect at the touch of a button • Even feeding creates dense, well-formed bales • Faster grinding times for bales The SPRB System’s bales consist of a high percentage of

cobs and husks and the feed quality is higher than other

cornstalk bales. Because the baled material comes directly

out of the back of the combine and the material never

touches the ground, SPRB System bales are cleaner and

contain far less ash, or “dirt,” than traditional stalk bales.

“Additionally, this system provides a highly sustainable

with a degree in agribusiness and started working at

Hillco soon after that. She said Hillco was her number one

option for employment because she believes it’s a high

quality agricultural company. It also allowed her and her

husband, Daniel, who works for CHS Primeland as a

serviceman, to move to the Camas Prairie and be closer to

family.

Sigler said Hillco’s innovative product line, extensive

dealership network and superior product support have

created a strong tradition of providing strategic and

economically sound products for the unique challenges

faced by farmers around the world.

Interested customers should contact their local John

Deere dealer or call Hillco for questions. Call Hillco at

937-2461 or log onto www.hillcotechnologies.com. E-mail info@hillcotechnologies.com.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

In Brief...

Maggie Creek Ranch joins membership of American Angus Association

Maggie Creek Ranch LLC, Kooskia, is a new member of the American Angus Association, the national breed organization headquartered in Saint Joseph, Mo. The American Angus Association, with nearly 24,000 active adult and junior members, is the largest beef breed association in the world. Its computerized records include detailed information on more than 17 million registered Angus.

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Watch, listen to AgPhD locally

Are you looking for current farm and ranch news? Watch AgPhD each Monday at 6 a.m. on KLEW channel 3 out of Lewiston (CBS affiliate). Also listen to the one-hour radio show weekdays from 2-3 p.m. central time on Rural Radio channel 80 on SiriusXM. The show features brothers Darren and Brian Hefty and offers information ranging from how to maximize your fertilizer program and tilling to stopping those yield-robbing insects and crop diseases.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

9 USDA Announces New Support for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA’s www.usda.gov/newfarmers has in-depth information for new farmers and ranchers, including: how to increase access to land and capital; build new market opportunities; participate in conservation opportunities; select and use the right risk management tools; and access USDA education, and technical support programs. These issues have been identified as top priorities by new farmers.

USDA study shows most U.S. farms are family operations, family-run

A recently released USDA study found most U.S. farms—97 percent in 2015—are family operations, and even the largest farms are predominantly family-run. Midsize and large-scale family farms account for 8 percent of U.S. farms but 60 percent of the value of production. In contrast, small family farms make up 90 percent of the U.S. farm count but produce a 26-percent share of farm output.

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The website will also feature instructive case studies about beginning farmers who have successfully utilized USDA resources to start or expand their business operations.

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The National Agricultural Library (NAL) has unveiled

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9 USDA Announces New Support for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

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The website will also feature instructive case studies about beginning farmers who have successfully utilized USDA resources to start or expand their business operations.

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The 2,000 Bull Project: Targeting cattle traits U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are investigating methods to help beef cattle producers further improve genetic evaluations for routinely measured traits such as growth and calving ease. They are also targeting economically important traits like feed efficiency and disease resistance that are expensive or difficult to measure.

In 2007, scientists started the “2,000 Bull Project” at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska, to study relationships between genomic variation and economically important traits in 16 breeds. ARS is USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

USMARC geneticists Mark Thallman and Larry Kuehn and their colleagues worked with U.S. cattle breed associations to obtain genomic profiles of 2,000 bulls from those 16 breeds to promote the development of genomic predictions. For each breed, the project provided the first substantial set of highdensity genotypes, which are being used by breed associations as a starting point to incorporate genomic data into their breed improvement programs.

Growth is a routine and easily measured trait that is related to increased feed consumption, but an animal’s feed efficiency-how much feed is required to produce a unit of growth-is more economically important to producers. However, individual feed intake is not practical to measure on large numbers of animals in commercial operations.

Instead, a more feasible approach is to use research populations to develop genomic predictions for traits such as individual feed intake, disease resistance and meat tenderness that are expensive or difficult to measure.

At USMARC, thousands of cattle have been evaluated for such traits, and about 15,000 have been genotyped. The researchers’ goal is to detect genomic regions that affect these traits to improve the accuracy of genomic tests available to producers. Also, the scientists are sequencing the genomes of bulls that have the most descendants in the USMARC population, which may lead to more accurate predictions across breeds and benefit the industry.

As part of this effort, geneticist Warren Snelling is focusing on identifying DNA sequence variation that affects gene function to help predict important traits consistently across many breeds. Snelling has demonstrated that this technique can be used to identify genetic markers predictive of meat tenderness.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

Young. Innovative.

Ranchers. By Shelley Neal

Graning Family photo / JESTINE HENSLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

“We are all faced with the truth that not everyone can go back and manage a family ranch, so the next best thing is being in the cattle industry somewhere.” “I always thought the ultimate job in the whole world was to be a rancher,” Diana Graning said.

Growing up in Keuterville, Graning, nee Diana Geis, had a taste of the ranching lifestyle each time she and her cousins helped their grandpa, George Geis, on his ranch.

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To become a rancher one usually is born into the business or has enough money to buy into the business. If your goal is to become a rancher and you don’t have these luxuries, it takes determination and innovation to get a foothold in the ranching industry.

“We are all faced with the truth that not everyone can go back and manage a family ranch, so the next best thing is being in the cattle industry somewhere,” stated Graning.

Graning showed this determination by obtaining a degree in

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cows?”

The Granings moved back to Keuterville near the breaks of the Salmon River.

“From our house we can actually see Oregon where Cody grew up,” Graning said. Here the Granings are raising their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Mesa.

Their cow/calf operation started after Diana’s grandpa died.

JESTINE HENSLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

animal science from the University of Idaho, leading her to becoming a fulltime feed consultant for CHS Primeland.

“I worked at the Moscow store all through college, so it was easy and fun for me to apply my recent knowledge every day at work,” Graning said.

Now Graning travels throughout north Idaho visiting about feed and mineral programs with farmers and ranchers. “It’s a pretty fun job,” said Graning.

In 2006, Graning met someone to share her dreams, her husband, Cody.

“Ultimately I think ranching was always something my husband and I wanted to do,” said Graning. “Who doesn’t love newborn calves and trailing

“We had the opportunity to purchase just a handful of bred cows that my uncle was selling from my grandpa’s herd. I just couldn’t see these G7 (George Geis’ brand) cows going to the sale,” said Graning. “These cows are near and dear to my heart, so I convinced my husband that we needed them.”

Prior to this, Cody started a crop and rangeland spraying business.

Cody said, “I got started with my parents spraying weeds in Oregon and then saw it as an opportunity when I moved to Idaho.”

Cody holds a professional pesticide applicator license. According to the State of Idaho Agriculture website this license is valid for two years. An applicator is required to take testing and maintain yearly credits to keep a current applicator license. “I feel Rush skeleton is the worst weed,” said Cody. Rush skeletonweed is a perennial with dandelion-like rosettes that spreads easily and is quite difficult to control.

Being involved in the cattle industry is important to the Granings. Diana currently serves as vice president for the Idaho-Lewis County Cattlemans Association.

This past year, Graning took the lead in recreating a fund-raiser project for the association by designing brandanas. These large neckerchiefs printed with area rancher brands are for sale with proceeds benefitting the ILCCA.

“This was a bigger project than I anticipated, but was glad I could do it,” said Graning.

Diana also enjoys writing story posts for the Idaho CattleWomen’s blog. The Idaho CattleWomen Council’s primary focus is beef education and promotion through teamwork and fellowship. This group is actively involved with the Idaho Cattle Association.

“We have grown quite a bit from just a few short years ago. Some veteran ranchers have been very helpful in guiding us and allowing us the opportunity to purchase cattle and equipment,” Graning continues. “This year we added some exciting new facilities!”

A few cows, a few acres, this young, energetic couple have taken a big step toward living the agriculture life they dreamed of.

“It’s a good lifestyle and a great place to raise kids. I think it’s safe to say, no matter which way we turn it’s either, cattle, crops, or weeds,” Diana said.

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2012 Census of Ag:

North Central Idaho North Central Idaho has seen mixed growth in the size and number of agricultural operations.

By David Rauzi

Compared with the last survey in 2007, the latest USDA Census of Agriculture 2012 reported average farm sizes are up in Adams (1 percent, 582 acres) and Idaho (12 percent, 874 acres) counties. Average farm sizes decreased in Clearwater (2 percent, 284 acres) and Lewis (6 percent, 1,024 acres) counties. Nez Perce County remained unchanged at 749 acres.

In North Central Idaho overall, the number of farms from 2007 to 2012 has decreased: 9 percent in Adams for a total 234, and 4 percent in both Idaho (731) and Lewis (216) and 430 in Nez Perce (down 9 percent). Clearwater County farms increased 6 percent during this same time for a total 256 in 2012.

In three counties the total farm acreage during the five-year period went down: 136,227 acres in Adams (9 percent drop), Lewis had 221,280 acres (down 10 percent) and Nez Perce decreased 9 percent for a total 322,199 acres. Bucking the trend, Clearwater County saw a 4 percent increase for a total 72,615 acres, and in Idaho County the total farm acreage went up 8 percent (639,222 acres).

What else did the 2012 Census report? Total market value of products sold went up for all five counties from 2007 to 2012.

Clearwater County

Clearwater County sold 23 percent more for a total $9,748,000 in 2012. Of this, 75 percent was in crops and 25 percent in livestock. Average per farm increased 15 percent from $32,988 to $38,078. Idaho County

Adams County

Adams County sold $13,549,000 in 2012, up 48 percent from $9,128,000. Of that $13 million, 25 percent was in crop sales and 75 percent in livestock. Average market value sold per farm was up 64 percent: $35,379 to $57,902.

Idaho Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total sold in 2012 was $80,822,000, up 57 percent from $51,362,000 in 2007. Of that $80 million in 2012, 77 percent was in crop sales and 23 percent in livestock. The average market value sold per farm in Idaho County increased 64 percent: $67,582 to $110,564.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

16 Lewis County

Lewis county market value increased 43 percent for a total $62,487,000 in 2012, of which 95 percent ($59,641,000) was in crops and 5 percent in livestock. Farms on average increased market value 49 percent: $194,418 to $289,291. Nez Perce County

Market value increased by 38 percent in Nez Perce County for a total $81,174,000 in 2012. Of this, crops made up $72,273,000 (89 percent) and livestock at $8,900,000 (11 percent). Per farm, the change was by 52 percent for an average $188,776.

Largest commodity by sales for 2012 Adams County

Cattle and calves at $10 million; ranked 27th in the state.

Farm economics in 2012 Adams County

Reported total farm production expenses of $11,248,000; average per farm was $48,068. Net cash farm income of operation for the county was $3,532,000; average per farm was $15,093. Clearwater County

Reported total farm production expenses of $12,670,000; average per farm was $49,494. Net cash farm income of operation for the county reported a negative of $559,000; average per farm was a negative $2,185. Idaho County

Reported total farm production expenses of $57,133,000; average per farm was $78,157. Net cash farm income of operation for the county was $32,400,000, and the average per farm was $44,322. Lewis County

Clearwater County

Cattle and calves million; ranked 42.

$1.318

Idaho County

Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas at $54,980,000; ranked 13th. This is followed by $15.723 million for cattle and calves; ranked 19th in the state. Lewis County

Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys at $30,000; ranked 38th. Nez Perce County

Cattle and calves million; ranked 30th.

$6.418

Top crop items (according to acres) by county: Adams: forage-land used for all hay and haylage, grass silage and greenchop; Clearwater, Idaho, Lewis and Nez Perce: wheat for grain, all.

Top livestock inventory for all five counties was cattle and calves (by number): Adams: (13,875); Clearwater: (4,202); Idaho: (32,616); Lewis: (4,453); and Nez Perce: (12,550).

Reported total farm production expenses of $42,305,000; average per farm was $195,856. Net cash farm income of operation for the county was $26,361,000; average per farm was $122,041. Nez Perce County

Reported total farm production expenses of $67,626,000; average per farm was $157,270. Net cash farm income of operation for the county was $23,096,000; average per farm was $53,712.

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First Unmanned Aircraft Systems business in U.S. to fly as agriculture service

According to Empire Unmanned, most people traveling the highways and byways in the Pacific Northwest see crops and beautiful scenery, but to the farmers, ranchers and the agribusinesses that support them, they see high costs and risk. The information provided by Empire Unmanned, according to the company, is a new tool in the farmer’s management toolbox that will help increase yields, reduce costs and ultimately reduce risk.

“We are excited about this new opportunity in aviation,” said Tim Komberec, CEO of Empire Airlines. “Empire has a long tradition of providing quality solutions and service in the traditional aircraft market, and with the formation of Empire Unmanned we have expanded into the next generation of aviation.”

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HAYDEN — Empire Airlines of Hayden, Advanced Aviation Solutions (ADAVSO) of Star, and Blair Farms of Kendrick, have teamed up to create Empire Unmanned, LLC, the first commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) business in the United States authorized to legally fly UAS as a service for agriculture.

Empire Unmanned will provide timely, high resolution images to the farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington by utilizing the extensive knowledge and expertise this team brings in the aviation, unmanned, and agriculture industries.

“Partners like Steve Edgar and Brad Ward of ADAVSO have tremendous knowledge and experience from their military days in working with UAS. That knowledge allowed them to successfully apply for and receive the first agriculture exemption to fly UAS commercially in the United States.”

“Furthermore, partnering with Robert Blair, the first farmer in the U.S. to own and use a UAS in agriculture, provides us with the credibility agriculture customers will want. Empire Unmanned brings together a high level of expertise that I look forward to working with.” said Tim. Empire Unmanned’s goal is to be able to offer their service as early as March.

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19 responding to climate change.

In one project, the team determined the effects of seasonal weather variables on cow-calf production in Cheyenne, Wyo. The cattle production data they used were obtained from records kept from 1975 to 2012 on Herefords and Red Angus crossbreeds.

The scientists found up to two-thirds of the variation in Hereford cattle production could be explained by seasonal weather variations, with wet winters and springs increasing production.

Weather can be a factor in beef production/ USDA

Finding long-term links between weather, cattle production

(USDA) scientists are providing valuable information about how seasonal weather patterns affect cattle production.

These findings are the result of a series of studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers Justin Derner, Justin Reeves and others, and could help cattle producers improve management strategies for dealing with future production challenges associated with global climate change. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency, and this work supports the USDA priority of

The team also looked at 30 years of data from yearling steers at Cheyenne to determine if seasonal precipitation and temperature affected beef production at light, moderate, and heavy stocking rates. They found that cool, wet springs and warm, wet summers increased beef production at moderate and heavy stocking rates, with no strong weather effects seen for light stocking.

The scientists also used data collected at Mandan, N.D., from 1936 to 2005 on yearling Hereford steer production at light and heavy stocking rates both before and after the native rangeland vegetation was invaded by non-native Kentucky bluegrass in the 1980s. Models that the researchers developed with the Mandan data suggested that up to three-fourths of the variation in cattle production could be attributed to seasonal weather conditions. Interestingly, cattle production became more sensitive to seasonal weather fluctuations after the invasive grass arrived.

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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

21 was suffering from sheet erosion — 7.2 million acres had lost three-fourths of the topsoil, and wind erosion affected another 7.9 million acres.

Seventy-five years later, Idaho farmers and conservation districts work on a daily basis to reduce erosion, implement best management practices and install conservation projects. Great progress has been made in reducing soil erosion statewide, but work remains to be done, according to the latest soil erosion statistics from NRCS. On 5.1 million acres of cropland in Idaho:

Water erosion - average soil loss to sheet and rill erosion is 2.2 tons per acre per year or 11.4 million tons total.

Wind erosion - average soil loss is 2.7 tons per acre per year or 14 million tons total.

Steve Riggers examines the root base/ STEVE STUEBNER

No-till, direct-seed farming catches on across Idaho 2015 International Year of Soils

By Steve Stuebner

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization designated 2015 as the “International Year of Soils.” The Idaho Ag Summit theme is “Secrets of Soil: agriculture’s dirty little secret.” Combine these two themes with the NRCS’s ongoing Soil Health campaign, and we see a trifecta of forces coming together in 2015 to celebrate the earth’s precious, life-

giving soil in hopes that we can redouble our efforts to nurture it and preserve it.

The NRCS, Conservation Commission and Idaho’s 50 soil and water conservation districts all grew out of the Dust Bowl-era, when millions of acres of soil were lost to drought, over-cultivation and windstorms on a national scale. In Idaho, roughly half of the cropland in the state

Soil Health advocates see notill, direct-seed farming, including the use of cover crops, as a promising solution to not only curb soil erosion issues, but also “give back” to the soil. No-till farming allows a diverse set of microorganisms to thrive in the soil-profile layer, vastly increasing its ability to absorb and retain moisture, store nutrients and combat pests. “We all grew up thinking that the more we till, the more we fluff up the soil, like rototilling the garden in the spring,” said Marlon Winger, NRCS state agronomist.

Standing in a farm field in Kuna, Winger demonstrates what happens to the soil when it’s tilled. He raises his shovel over his head and slams it into the ground with extreme force.

“You see, the first thing is we can’t continue to pulverize the soil. It destroys the

microbial community that’s growing in the soil,” he said.

Winger got his “religion” about no-till farming from Gabe Brown, a North Dakota farmer who’s been no-till farming with cover crops for more than 20 years. Brown spoke at the 2014 Sustainable Agriculture Symposium in Nampa in November, and more than 375 people — many of them Idaho farmers — heard Brown’s message.

“It’s all about soil health and how much life we have in the soil,” Brown said. “Converting sunlight into dollars. If we have healthy soil, we’re going to have clean water, clean air, healthy plants, and healthy people. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

Winger has been preaching the benefits of no-till, directseed farming for three years statewide as part of NRCS’s Soil Health outreach campaign, and he’s starting to see the concept gain traction. “It’s amazing, it’s really starting to catch on,” he says. “We’re gaining momentum.”

The Ada Soil and Water Conservation District helped build on that momentum by buying a John Deere no-till seed drill that’s available for rent in the Ada and Canyon county area to producers who want to try it out. The $60,000 drill was purchased via a Sect. 319 water-quality grant from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

Since the spring of 2014, the drill has been in high demand. It has been used to plant about 1,600 acres in the two-county area. “It’s constantly being used — I’m a bit like an air traffic controller,” joked Paul Woods, manager of the Ada district. “Our intent is not to be an equipment rental business, but to allow our farmers to

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

the cover crops to add manure to the field. “We’re not only benefitting the soil — half of this is grazing, and the manure from the cows will help with fertilizing the ground and adding more inputs into the soil,” he said. “We’re looking for more biodiversity in the soil profile. By trying different mixes of cover crops, we’ll see what it’ll do for the biology in the ground.”

good for the resource. It’s been a whole new frontier for me.”

About 80 percent of the farmers in the Camas Prairie area are now practicing notill farming. “It’s not an easy deal, there’s a lot to learn,” said Kevin Seitz, NRCS district manager in Nezperce.

Diverse mix of cover crops add more nutrients to soil/

get some experience with the drill, no-till farming and cover crops.”

Brad McIntyre is a Marsingarea farmer who has jumped into no-till farming with both feet over the last several years. He’s rented the Ada County drill a lot in 2014, and he’s planning on purchasing a drill with his father and brother who run the farm with him. They raise corn, hay, wheat, peas and a variety of cover crops. The cover crops add nutrients to the soil and can be grazed by livestock between cash crops. Gabe Brown and other participants in the Sustainable Ag conference visited McIntyre’s place to hear about his experience.

“My point to everyone is do it as much as you can,” he said.

A big benefit that McIntyre sees with no-till farming is the time and fuel savings of

STEVE STUEBNER

not having to till his crop fields. “I’m a least-cost producer,” he said. As the organic matter increases in the soil, it retains moisture better. A diverse mix of cover crops add more nutrients to the soil, allowing the microorganisms in the soil profile to thrive. He checks the soil for worms and organic matter on a regular basis and likes what he sees. “Our worm population has increased dramatically,” he said.

Steve Riggers has been no-till farming in the Camas Prairie near Grangeville for more than 25 years. He got into notill farming because he also grew tired of tilling fields and spending so much money on fuel and inputs. “It brought the joy of farming back for me. We cut our fuel bill by 40 percent,” he said. “You’re not doing this senseless plowing over and over. Tillage is not

NRCS officials assist farmers with determining a diverse cover crop seed mix to plant between cash crops. “You need to know what you’re planting,” McIntyre said.

Cover crops also protect the soil from blowing away and losing moisture in between cash crops, adds Glen Edwards, chairman of the Ada Soil and Water Conservation District.

Drew Leitch, a longtime notill farmer, is one of five farmers participating in a Cover Crop Demonstration Project in Lewis County. Last May, he provided a tour of his cover crops. He had three different test strips planted next to each other with different seed mixes. The cover crop mix includes spring lentils, common vetch, rapeseed, flax (not phlox), radish, peas, millet, barley, clover, triticale, soybean, sunflower and oats.

“I’ve been doing that myself for years,” he said. Even planting just turnips can help. “You’re putting a lot of nitrogen back in the soil. Plus, you’re holding the soil in place. You can get a lot of wind erosion in the winter if you don’t have a cover crop in place,” Edwards said.

Edwards has experimented with no-till farming using the rental drill, and he likes the results so far. He wasn’t sure how the direct-seed drill would work on gravityirrigated fields. And that hasn’t been a problem. In one instance, he planted oats over the top of cornstalks, and the oats grew up as high as his chest. “It was heavy,” he said. “I think I got a really good yield.”

“The clovers, soybeans, vetches, peas and lentils are legumes that will fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil,” said Seitz of the NRCS. “Turnips, radishes, rapeseed and canola were planted to help break the compaction layer in the soil from many years of tillage.” Leitch has beef cattle on his farm, and he plans to graze

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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015 No-till, direct-seed farming will catch on more in southern Idaho as farmers see it in use by their neighbors. “People try it, and then their neighbor sees it, and they want to try it, too,” Edwards said.

Gem County has a small direct-seed drill that’s available to local producers, Malheur County, Ore., has a drill for local producers, Minidoka and Cassia districts are planning on buying drills for local producers, and the Madison district bought a drill for local producers.

“Almost every conservation district is trying to get a drill,” said Winger. “There are innovators in every one of our counties, showing how it’s done. The word is getting out.”

Three direct-seed drills in Fremont and Madison counties allowed multiple producers to plant 3,772 acres to cover crops through the NRCS EQIP program in 2014, and another 1,000 acres were planted into cover crops by individual farmers acting on their own, Winger said. Statewide, there were 29 soil health contracts through EQIP covering 8,900 acres, he said. “That number is going to keep going up.”

After 20 years of no-till farming, Gabe Brown has seen his input costs continue to go down while his yields go up.

“Every acre of our cropland, and we have approximately 2,000 acres of cropland, has a cover crop growing before the cash crop, after the cash crop, or with the cash crop,” Brown says in a YouTube video. “Our goal is to have a living root in the ground as long as possible.

“We haven’t used synthetic fertilizer since 2008, we use no fungicide, no pesticide, we are using one herbicide every 2-3 years, and we’re getting close to eliminating that also,” he said.

Brown’s corn yield is running 25 percent higher than the county average, without all the input costs he used to incur. “Our cost to produce a bushel of corn was $1.42 per bushel,” he said. “It all about the system, and thinking holistically. We’re not in this to make the most profit this year. We’re in it to regenerate our soils and long-term profitability.”

These are the kinds of results that Idaho farmers should expect over the long haul, but it takes a long-term commitment, Winger and McIntyre point out. “You have to make at least a five-year commitment,” McIntyre says.

“Soil health is a journey,” Winger added. “This won’t be solved overnight.”

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The table below lists the varieties and the yield from both locations and both years. The varieties are listed top to bottom in order of highest yielding to lowest yielding:

Trials were seeded in May 2012 / JIM CHURCH

Alfalfa varieties tested in North Central Idaho By Jim Church, U of I Extension Educator, Idaho County

An alfalfa variety trial is being conducted by the University of Idaho Extension System at two locations in North Central Idaho. The trials are analyzing the yield potential of 33 dryland alfalfa varieties and one sanfoin mixture. The trials are located on the Joe Baerlocher farm near Greencreek in Idaho County and on the Mart Thompson farm near Nezperce in Lewis County. The alfalfa varieties being tested were provided by seed companies in Idaho, Montana, Washington, California, Wisconsin and North Carolina. The trials were seeded in May of 2012 with the varieties seeded in small plots that are replicated four times at each location in order to be statistically viable. Yield data was collected on each variety in June of 2013 and again in June of 2014. The varieties were also analyzed for protein content which is an indicator of nutrient quality for livestock feed.

Top 10 varieties - Percent Crude Protein 1. FG 46M126 2. TS 4013 3. PGI 424 4. Whitney 5. Rugged 6. MsSunstra – 803 7. PGI 215 8. Magnum – 7 9. WL 354HQ 10. Tie - WL 355RR Tie – BB-10-11

For a complete list, contact the Idaho County Extension Office.

This trial will continue for an additional two years. For information on the trial or to obtain specific information on an alfalfa variety, contact the Idaho County Extension Office at 983-2667.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

25 in 2001, while growers of fruits, vegetables and nuts took a $146 million hit. The total damage to U.S. agriculture in 2001 – the year most recently studied by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) and National Agricultural Statistics (NASS) services – amounted to nearly a billion dollars. In Idaho, the state legislature took an extra step last year to bolster the defenses for livestock.

On account of the iron logic of scale, any given predatorcaused kill – as with any unexpected loss – hits the smallest operation hardest. But according to the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) branch of APHIS, predators also took calves from the smallest cattle operations about twice as frequently as predators hit bigger ones. (In 2012, its most recent nationwide study of the issue, NAHMS found a sharp difference in this rate when comparing operations with fewer than 50 cows to those with more: the smaller operations lost 95 calves to predators per 10,000 born, while the larger operations lost about 50 per 10,000 born.)

The problems wildlife cause for producers go far beyond wolves.

State, federal government working to check wildlife problems By Andrew Ottoson

Like an operation of any size, one that runs a thousand head of cattle might plan around having to absorb a two percent loss, figuring in problems caused by sickness, weather and calving complications. That might be a typical rate in the absence of a predator problem, but earlier this year, Outside Magazine talked to a Sawtooths-area ranching family that lost 20 percent of its stock in 2014. Through all their years, only one of their cattle losses was ever confirmed as a wolf kill.

The problems wildlife cause for producers go far beyond wolves.

Wildlife damages half of all farms and ranches each year, and the United States Department of Agriculture helps producers meet that threat with technical assistance – and by paying government specialists to intervene directly. Nationwide, wildlife costs those who tend field crops nearly $620 million

Since 2000, the number of operators turning to the available non-lethal control has increased nationwide. During the decade leading up to 2010, NAHMS saw a doubling in the number of beef operations using any of the common methods, from five percent to 12 percent. This count included operations deploying guard dogs, employing range riders or maintaining fences.

The federal government, through its USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) arm, provides cost-effective lethal control – and so much of it that the agency’s detractors are suing to try to force WS to reconsider the environmental impacts involved with its programs. The plaintiffs allege WS spent $116 million in 2013, taking out more than 201,000 problem animals, including 2,739 coyotes and 79 wolves. Since 2006, according to the complaint, WS has killed 33,000 coyotes and 537 wolves in Idaho. (This lawsuit has been ongoing in federal district court since Feb. 11.)

Starting last year, the state of Idaho began contracting with WS to have problem wolves removed. That’s carried out through the Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board, which is chaired by the state’s Fish and Game and Agriculture department directors, Virgil Moore and Celia Gould. Sportsmen, stockmen and the general public also have seats at the table. Former Idaho Fish and Game commissioner Tony McDermott is slated to represent hunters and trappers through July 2016. Former Idaho Cattle Association president Richard Savage was also appointed to serve through July 2016. Carl Rey of Meridian was appointed to represent the general public through July 2017. These appointments are made by Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, who signed off on the wolf control law in 2014. So far, the state’s wolf control board has funded the removal of 31 wolves by WS at a cost of about $140,000, which is covered by a hike in wool and brand fees the sheep and cattle industries pay in the course of bringing products to market. The board has contracted to spend another $235,000 this fiscal year, leaving a $130,000 year-end balance.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

Images show increasing levels of conservation buffers on one of the four Palouse landscape study sites. Residents preferred images with more conservation elements trees and shrubs that protect the environment and reduce erosion. LINDA KLEIN, WSU

Study shows

Conservation buffers please the eye, protect landscape PULLMAN, Wash. - Researchers know that adding natural buffers to the farm landscape can stop soil from vanishing. Now a scientist at Washington State University has found that more buffers are better, both for pleasing the eye and slowing erosion.

Linda Klein, a recent doctoral graduate in WSU’s School of the Environment, worked with six other researchers at the university, plus one at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Moscow (Idaho) Forestry Sciences Laboratory, to explore the role that buffers - strips or clumps of shrubs, trees and natural vegetation - play in the landscape and in people’s visual preferences.

Klein surveyed Whitman County residents to see if conservation features made for more scenic fields and valleys. She found that Palouse residents prefer more nature with their wheat fields. Finding the best buffer

Whitman County’s rolling hills have some of the highest wheat yields in the world, but they are also prone to erosion.

Conservation efforts have helped stop some of the loss, but a mix of factors, including economics, means most farmers haven’t adopted broad measures.

Plenty of data exist on the benefits of buffers on the small scale. To find out how they affect wider landscapes, Klein chose four sites along the Palouse Scenic Byway and used soil erosion modeling to measure how buffers stabilize steam banks, trap pollution and slow erosion.

Results showed that trees and shrubs on hillside drainages shallow channels between hill slopes - have the greatest potential to slow erosion, compared to buffers along streams or on the steepest slopes. Conservation’s visual punch

To gauge visual appeal, Klein used image simulation technology and mailed survey booklets to 1,200 rural and urban residents of Whitman County. Respondents were asked to rate landscape images, starting with a baseline of mostly monoculture grain fields, then gradually altered to show more buffers - first on stream banks, then adding hill slope drainages and finally adding steep slope vegetation.

Klein found people preferred more buffers in the landscape. However, she found no statistically significant difference between their preference for landscapes with both stream and hill slope buffers - the second highest amount of natural vegetation - and those with buffers added to steep slopes.

“That surprised me a little bit,” she said. That might mean

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015 that the differences were too subtle, she said: “I wanted the landscape to be realistic. I wasn’t turning it into a forest.”

Past research shows that people prefer park-like landscapes. Klein suspected respondents would lean that way - in spite of the Palouse landscape’s iconic status. “I did the study in a landscape that’s renowned for being beautiful,” she said. Next step: Consider demographics

One implication of Klein’s findings is that visually appealing agricultural land

may also be ecologically better.

“By looking at a landscape and seeing these buffers, you could imply the landscape is healthier,” she said.

She plans to go deeper into the data, teasing out connections between demographics and scenic preference.

Implications for recreation, wildlife management

Her study could open the door for exploration of buffers in recreation, agrotourism and wildlife habitat. Research farms and landowners could put findings to work in the real world,

27 spurring increased conservation efforts.

“Agricultural sustainability is not only providing food to feed people, but also protecting the resources we depend on to produce the food: the soil, the water,” Klein said.

However, buffers are not a magic bullet, she added.

“Even with all three buffers in place, we still have erosion in excess of what’s considered sustainable,” Klein said. “Buffers are never intended as the sole conservation practice. They’re tools in the toolbox.”

Acidic Soils Costing Money extreme cases.

By Doug Finkelnburg, University of Idaho Extension Educator, Certified Crop Advisor, Nez Perce County

Our soils are becoming more acidic and it’s costing us money. Commonly used nitrogen fertilizers have caused our soil pH’s (below 7 is acidic) to drop in the top half foot or so of area soils under production.

A number of negative things happen when soil pH’s drop, especially below pH 5.5. Some soil-based fungal diseases become more common. Some herbicides are active longer than they’re supposed to be and others don’t work as well. Many essential plant nutrients become less available. To compensate we fertilize at greater rates - spending more for a similar return and speeding up the rate of soil acidification in the process. In very acidic soils, those with pH’s at or below 5, aluminum toxicity can result in poor root health or plant death in

Fortunately, many of our soils, especially our historically prairie soils, are well-buffered. This is a trait that makes them resistant to toxicity associated with acidification. On the other hand, our cut-over timber soils are less well-buffered and more likely to develop acidity related problems sooner.

Our acid soil situation is not unique or uncommon. Much of the agriculture around the world occurs in naturally acidic soils with similar fertilizer inputs. What farmers in many of these places do differently from us is regularly apply agricultural lime. Some apply enough lime each season to counter the amount of acidity their fertilizer adds. Others amend their fields every three to five years to keep pH’s closer to a neutral condition.

In contrast, we’ve been slow to adopt regular liming or pH maintenance as a management strategy in the inland northwest. The reason is simple: cost. Transport is the biggest expense associated with lime application and regional producers do not have a multitude of cheap local sources like are found in the Midwest US or much of Europe and elsewhere. Also, our

well-buffered soils have soaked up so much acidity at this point that many fields would require multiple tons of lime to neutralize the topsoil. Seeing the “lime requirement” recommendation on a soil test can be a shock – and a deterrent.

So, why the fuss? Wheat is king and yields have been improving steadily across our region while our pH’s dropped. I’m fussing because we seem to be farming ourselves into a corner. Wheat grows best in a rotation and common rotation crops like legumes (alfalfa, peas, lentils and garbanzos) are sensitive to acid soils. Barley is less sensitive but more so than wheat. Even wheat yields start dropping as pH’s get closer to 5. The more we let our soils acidify the fewer crops we can grow, or grow well, and as a result production becomes a riskier activity.

What should you do? First don’t panic. We do have beautifully buffered soils for the most part. Better agronomics, technology improved crop protection products and better plant genetics are keeping our yields going upward. However, we should keep an eye on our pH’s with the clear knowledge that inaction has costs. Lost rotation opportunities, increased input costs, and more disease and weed pressure are the potential consequences of ignoring your soil’s acidity.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

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Concerning

(L-R) Doug Finkelnburg and Jim Church discussing cover crops/ KEN HART

Cover Crops: Soil health, rotations and grazing systems. Ken Hart, Jim Church and Doug Finkelnburg have teamed up with area soil conservation districts and cooperators to study cover crops. By Ken Hart

Cover crops used in cropping systems around this area are nothing new. Sweetclover was used as a green manure cover crop at Washington and Idaho Agricultural Experiment Stations in 1921 and 1923 and in demonstration projects in 1934 and later. Sweetclover was studied as a rotation crop to influence conservation and farming enterprises. It was also grazed in the late spring followed by soil incorporation in the summer for green manure.

They say “there is nothing new under the sun” and I guess it might be true. Here we are, almost 100 years later, experimenting with cover crops and their uses on the prairie area of north central Idaho. Of course, there are differences and times have changed. Today, University of Idaho Extension is studying a wide array of cover crop plants for their role in soil health, crop rotations and livestock grazing systems.

Jim Church and Doug Finkelnburg and I, all University of Idaho Extension educators, have teamed up with area soil conservation districts and cooperators to study cover crops,

primarily in direct seed rotations with winter wheat as the primary crop. Cover crops have been widely adopted in the south and midwest U.S. for soil health and grazing purposes. Growers are interested in cover crop potential in our area.

We began to study cover crops used in direct seed rotation cropping systems in 2012. That fall we direct seeded cover crops into wheat stubble. Direct seeding refers to the process where a hoe- or disk- drill is used to direct seed the crop into stubble without any previous tillage operations, except perhaps a heavy harrow application. This first study was an on-farm test, utilizing plots that were 45-feet wide and 800feet long. We used two cover crop mixes to compare against a no cover crop control.

Nitrogen mix (winter peas, winter oats, common vetch, red clover, and winter lentil)

Soil enhancement mix (Crimson clover, red clover, winter pea, hairy vetch, winter lentil, winter triticale, spring barley, winter oats, purple top turnip, nitro radish, winter canola)

The next spring we sprayed out the cover crop and seeded spring canola. When we harvested the spring canola there was no difference in yields between the treatments of cover crops. This told us that in this field the cover crops did not take moisture or nutrients from the succeeding spring crop to an extent that caused any yield loss.

In the spring of 2013 we started another study, this time working with spring sown cover crops. These were again onfarm tests utilizing plots that were 45 feet wide and 1,200 feet long. We set up grazing paddocks on one-half of the plot length, with additional paddocks around the plot site. The

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

Cattle grazing cover crops / KEN HART

other half of the plot length was not grazed. Measurements were taken on soil fertility, forage production and forage quality. We used three cover crop mixes to compare against a chem-fallow control. Nitrogen mix (Lentils, common vetch, spring forage peas, rapeseed, flax)

Grazing mix (Common vetch, spring forage peas, crimson clover, spring oats, spring barley, rapeseed, forage turnips, forage radish, pearl millet)

Soil enhancement mix (Crimson clover, soybean, winter pea, hairy vetch, spring forage peas, spring triticale, spring barley, pearl millet, oats, purple top turnip, rapeseed, nitro radish, forage brassicas, sunflower, buckwheat)

The cover crop forage value averaged about 10.5 percent crude protein which was lower than expected, mostly due to a late testing date. The cattle gained 1.5 lbs./day during a five-week grazing period.

In the fall, winter wheat was direct seeded into the plots and each plot was harvested and measured for yield in the fall of 2014. There was no difference in yield between the treatments on the grazed portion and the same held true on the not grazed part of the trial. This again told us that in this field, in this season, the cover crops did not use enough moisture or nutrients to make any difference in yield in the following crop.

There was a measurable difference between the treatments of the grazed and not grazed parts of the trial. The grazed side had higher yields. We attribute this to the nutrient cycling benefit from the cattle as well as the reduced total growth impact from the cover crops since they were grazed off instead off growing to maturity.

The 2014 growing season gave the opportunity to study several other aspects of cover crops. Working with two cooperators, Drew Leitch and Mart Thompson, we conducted two cover crop grazing demonstrations. One of the sites featured larger paddocks that provided four days of grazing. The other site was more intensively managed with cattle moved daily. The cover crop mix included oats, turnips, radishes, forage peas, triticale, crimson clover, and canola. This mix produced forage that tested at 19.2 percent crude protein and 58.5 percent total digestible nutrient. This is really good feed. Parts of the field were swathed and baled, and then grazed on these. These treatments tested at 16.3 percent crude protein and 56.8 percent total digestible nutrient. The cattle gained more than two lbs./day on cover crop grazing and the cooperators estimated a net return of $300/acre. Our work also included a site that featured traditional small plot studies. We had 40 single species cover crop demonstration strips and

31 demonstration plots featuring two, five, eight and 12 species cover crop mixes. Two replicated scientific studies were conducted at this site. The first was a seeding date study. The question we were trying to answer is whether growers sacrifice yield or quality in cover crops by waiting to plant until a later date in order to provide a forage source later in the season. We seeded five treatments (Oats, two-species (oats, forage pea), five-species (add radish, sorghum sudan grass, soybean), eightspecies (add buckwheat, turnip, flax), and 12-species (add proso millet, crimson clover, sunflower, lentil)) on two dates, May 15 and June 8. These were harvested on Aug. 1 and 26, respectively, and measured for yield and protein. For this year at this site, there was no difference between the yields of early and late seeded treatments. The crude protein levels were higher in the late seeded treatments, ranging from 12.7 percent to 13.7 percent.

We also initiated a five-year crop rotation study with cover crops. The purpose of this study is to understand how cover crops might work in a crop rotation without grazing. The cover crop mixes used are the same two, five, eight and 12-way mixes used in the seeding date study. There are two fertility regimes: a full fertility and a 50 percent treatment, both based on soil testing and U of I soil fertility recommendations. Two management levels will be used during the five-year study. Both management plans have cover crops planted between the harvest of crops and seeding of the following crop, but one plan is traditional spray out of plants before seeding while the other features direct seeding into standing cover crops. The rotation is cover crops (2014) followed by winter wheat, spring barley, spring peas, and winter wheat. This work in 2014-2015 has been funded by a grant from REACCH (Regional Approaches to Climate Change).

For questions about this project call

Ken Hart at 937-2311,

Jim Church at 983-2667, or

Doug Finkelnburg at 799-3096.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015

prompted Labrador to introduce the same bill last year. Labrador met with Tim Christopherson of Kamiah and Mark Mahon of Council in April 2014.

Christopherson, the third generation of the family-owned DABCO Inc., began working before he turned 18, thinking the ag exemption applied to logging.

“If I hadn’t been able to work in the woods when I was young, I wouldn’t have chosen this career,” said Christopherson, whose company employs 18 workers.

Two years ago, Mahon’s son, J.T., was working for his dad when a U.S. Forest Service employee sent him home because of the lack of an exemption. Third-generation Tom Mahon Logging employs 12 people in Adams County, where unemployment reached 16 percent during the Great Recession.

U.S. Representative Raul Labrador talks at a 2014 public meeting in Cotonwood/ICFP

Local stories help:

Labrador bill proposed to extend ag exemption to young loggers WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, has introduced the Future Logging Careers Act, a bill that would help family-owned timber harvesters train the next generation in one of Idaho’s most important natural resource industries. The bill concept was generated with help by regional logging families. H.R. 1215, would extend an exemption already applied to agriculture and allow 16- and 17-year-old children to work for

their parents in the woods.

“Like farming and ranching, timber harvesting is often a family business where the practice of felling and transporting timber from the forest to the mill is passed from generation to generation,” Labrador said. “It’s only fair that the exemption in the Fair Labor Standards Act for agriculture be applied to the timber industry.” The stories of two Idaho timber families

“There are easier ways to make a living, but for us it’s a labor of love,” Mark Mahon said. “It’s who we are – loggers.”

The Future Logging Careers Act is endorsed by the American Loggers Council, which represents harvesters in 30 states, including Idaho.

“We strive to operate safely and want to be able to pass along this generation’s skills in professional harvesting to our next generation,” said Shawn Keough, executive director of the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho. “This bill will allow us to train those who wish to follow in their family’s proud tradition. We applaud Congressman Labrador for his leadership.”

Rep. Labrador’s bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work in mechanized logging operations under parental supervision. H.R. 1215 has nine original cosponsors from eight states, including Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho.

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The new survey conducted by the University of Idaho Social Science Research Unit for the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission (IRRC) was based on 585 telephone surveys with Idaho residents. The poll was completed in December 2014. More than half of the survey participants have lived in Idaho for more than 30 years, and participants represent a diverse cross-section of political ideology, U of I officials said.

Public support for livestock grazing was approximately 20 percent higher than it was for logging, which had a 71 percent approval rating. Using public lands for energy development and transmission lines received the lowest level of support at 62 percent. Public approval of livestock grazing on public lands went up 1 percent since 2010, and 10 points since 2001, according to previous polls conducted for IRRC by the University of Idaho.

Idahoans support livestock grazing on public lands

A new statewide poll found that 90 percent of Idaho residents approve of livestock grazing as a legitimate use of public lands, the same percentage as guided recreation and mountain biking. Ninety-eight of the respondents approve of hiking and camping on public lands, and 65 percent approve of the use of motorized recreation such as ATVs and motorbikes.

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“We’re pleased to see public support for livestock grazing on public lands increasing,” said Chris Black, IRRC board chairman and a Bruneau rancher who has received a BLM national stewardship award for exemplary livestock management on public lands. “We think Idahoans are seeing improved range management when they’re out recreating on rangelands and forests. And during the last five years, we’ve highlighted more than 30 stories of ranchers engaged in rangeland stewardship through the Commission’s “Life on the Range” website and video series.

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things to improve public lands, the environment and threatened and endangered species, including candidate species such as sage grouse,” Black continued. “That’s what is expected in 21st Century public lands management.”

In a wildlife-related question, the poll found that 84 percent of the respondents recognize that private ranchlands provide important wildlife habitat. On a scale of 1-7, 68 percent of the respondents rated the value of private farms and ranches for wildlife as being a 5 or higher.

Seventy-nine percent believe that sheep and cattle ranchers manage rangelands in a responsible manner, and 82 percent

believe that livestock grazing should continue to be part of public lands management.

In a series of questions rating the credibility or reliability of information provided to the public, ranchers and scientists rated 84 percent and 83 percent reliable, while BLM officials received a reliability rating of 80 percent and environmentalists received a rating of 55 percent.

The poll is statistically valid, sampling a broad cross-section of Idaho’s rural and urban residents, an equal number of males and females, and mobile phone users as well as landline users, U of I officials said.

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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FARM & RANCH | SPRING 2015