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SAN LUIS VALLEY
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2018 Agriculture
January 17, 2018 719-852-3531 835 First Ave. Monte Vista, Colo.
Page 2
Agriculture Progress
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Lack of moisture a worry for hay farmers BY T ERESA L. BENNS CENTER — Alfalfa producers are waiting to see what 2018 brings in the way of moisture before speculating about how this coming hay season will progress. Typically, drought years result in decreased yield, although the experts observe that alfalfa — with its deeper root system — fares better than grass hay which puts down more shallow roots. Lack of moisture can affect the number of hay cuttings during a given season. Longtime alfalfa hay grower Dick Ramstetter, with acreage in the Center area, reported mixed results in the 2017 growing season because of all the rain, but overall estimates he had a decent harvest last year. In 2016 planting went better, he reported last fall, resulting in a pretty good cut. In 2017 the first cutting went very well and was selling at $180 per ton, he said. But the second cutting “wasn’t very good.� A total of six inches of rain reduced the worth of the crop to $50-80 a ton. He explained that tests are run on the nutritive content of the hay with each cutting, to measure the feed value for milk production. His second cutting ran 100-120 compared to the first cutting, which averaged 200-240. Ramstetter sells his hay to dairies and ranchers in New Mexico, Texas and Canon City. He estimated the majority of his third cutting would bring $180 per ton and the rest $120-130 per ton. Ramstetter says he is getting 5 to 5.5 tons per acre this year, which for him is “pretty close to average.� So both too much moisture and too little negatively impact hay crops. Just the right mix is needed for a good harvest. Still, Ramstetter was way ahead production-wise of most “average� yields, reports from 2017 show.
Photo by Teresa L. Benns
Drought years typically result in a decreased yield for alfalfa, but it fares better than grass hay.
Vista 81144 (719) 852-3014 vaentz@ 81125
(719) 850-2548 or
(719) 754-3782 alfalfa and oats. gmail.com Selling alfalfa with lab analysis moonlightfarmsllc@gmail.com Alfalfa with Saguache County, Ramstetter Farms available. lab analysis available. Richard Ramstetter 5519 E Rd. 9 N Center 81125
(719) 580-3329 ramfarm@gojade. Alamosa County, Ed Buhr Trucking Saguache County, Mineral Hot Springs org Alfalfa and oat hay with lab analysis 5030 S. 105 Rd.
Alamosa 81101
(719) Farm available; barley straw certified weed-free 589-4938
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(303) 444-4333 ext. 16 Jeremy@ Colorado Hay Report, available online in alfalfa and certified straw bouldervalleyre.com Certified organic PDF format.)
Conejos County, Salazar Ranches John Salazar
 20616 CR M
 Manassa 81141
 (719) 937-1591 (johntsalazar@ Hay statistics gmail.com www.salazarranches.com) AlfalColorado hay production statistics listed fa, native meadow grass, peas and oats, all below can be viewed in the entirety at certified organic with lab analysis available (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_ State/Colorado/Publications/Agriculture_ Rio Grande County, Matthew Farms Profile/Colorado_Hay_Facts_2017.pdf, the Steve Matthews
2350 W. CR 1 S.
Monte Colorado Hay Report). Vista 81144
(719) 852-5494 (and fax). The Colorado harvest for 2016 was 3.57 Alfalfa with lab analysis available. Also million tons, 17 percent less than the 2015 Brome/Garrison grass, grass/alfalfa mix total, approximately 2.38 million tons of hay grass, Sainfoin grass mix, grass/alfalfa was harvested from 680,000 acres. Average mix and Sainfoin grass mix available, (all crop yield per acre was 3.50 tons. varieties are barn stored). Alfalfa hay production was estimated Rio Grande County, Moonlight Farms at 2.38 million tons from 680,000 acres Will Albertson
 8101 CR 45
 Center harvested, down 490,000 tons from 2015. Average yield for the 2016 crop was 3.50 tons per acre, 0.60 tons per acre below last year. AgWeb reports Colorado alfalfa hay production is up 15 percent this year. New alfalfa and alfalfa mixture seedings in Colorado last year ran about 70,000 acres, 18 percent less than 2015. Last year Alamosa harvested 100,000 acres of alfalfa, Conejos County 196,000 acres, Rio Grande County 149,000 and Saguache County 158,000 acres. Weld County topped the list statewide with 406,000 acres harvested. The report states these San Luis Valley counties are among the top ten producing counties in the state, representing 75.8 percent of all hay grown in Colorado. This year the Prowers Journal report forecast, based on Aug. 1 conditions, that alfalfa and alfalfa mixture dry hay production for 2017 would be right at 56.2 million tons from 17.1 million acres nationwide, down slightly from last year. The final official figures for 2017 alfalfa production will not be available until later this year. Production of alfalfa and alfalfa mixture dry hay for 2017 is forecast at 56.2 million tons, down 4 percent from 2016. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 3.28 tons per acre, down 0.17 ton from last year, with harvested area slightly up from last year. If the journal’s estimated production statistics for the harvest of other hay is realized for this year, the average yield could set a record for the U.S. Local growers selling hay Alamosa County, Allen Entz Farm Allen Entz
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Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Agriculture Progress
Page 3
Reinke recognizes Central Pump with Diamond Pride Award
OMAHA, NEB.– Reinke has recognized Central Pump, LLC in Center with a Diamond Reinke Pride award in recognition of the company’s marketing year success. The Reinke dealership was honored during Reinke’s recent annual convention held in Omaha, Neb. “Congratulations to Central Pump on receiving this award,� said Reinke Vice President of North American Irrigation Sales Mark Mesloh. “We appreciate the dedication that they show to their agricultural community and are happy to have them representing Reinke.� Reinke dealerships from across the United States and Canada gather each year to attend the company’s sales convention. The convention awards ceremony recognizes select Reinke dealerships for their hard work and dedication to sales and marketing throughout the past year. The Reinke Pride awards are determined as part of an incentive program that distinguishes superior achievement levels according to an evaluation based on a dealership’s exterior and interior housekeeping and maintenance, indoor and outdoor displays, safety, retail environment, merchandising, professionalism, promotions and event participation, and market share.
About Reinke Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc. is the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems. Family owned since 1954, and headquartered in Deshler, Neb., Reinke develops products designed to increase agriculture production while providing labor savings and environmental efficiencies. Reinke is a continued leader in industry advancements as the first to incorporate GPS, satellite-based communications and touchscreen panel capabilities into mechanized irrigation sysCourtesy Photo tem management. For more information on Pictured, left to right are: Reinke President Chris Roth, Joe Geiman of Central Pump Company, and Reinke West Central Territory Reinke or to locate a dealership, visit www. Manager Scott Yakel. reinke.com or call 402-365-7251.
Deadline approaching for inclusion in annual Farm Fresh publication COLORADO– Published by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and presented by Kaiser Permanente, the Colorado Farm Fresh Directory promotes Colorado farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-picks, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) producers, agritourism activities and farms and ranches that sell direct to the public.
The 2018 edition is being organized, and producers are encouraged to submit their information for inclusion. “Consumers love Farm Fresh and they look forward to the new edition every year,� said Wendy White, marketing specialist at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “It is a great publication to
market local agricultural products.� More than 100,000 copies of the publication will be distributed in June to consumers through libraries, extension offices, farmers’ markets, welcome centers, chambers of commerce, home milk delivery services and other businesses. In addition, Farm Fresh will be available as
a mobile app for smartphones and online at www.coloradoagriculture.com. The fee to be included in the directory is $25, and the listing deadline is Feb. 15, 2018. For more information or to request a listing form, contact Loretta Lopez at 303-869-9175 or visit www.coloradoagriculture.com.
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Agriculture Progress
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Biofuels nothing new, making inroads BY SYLVIA LOBATO
SAN LUIS VALLEY—Made by a process similar to the old moonshiner’s still, biofuels are designed to replace gasoline, diesel fuel and coal, which are called “fossil fuels� because they are made from animals and plants that died millions of years ago. Biofuels are made mostly from plants that have just been harvested. Wood was the first biofuel, though everything from non-edible parts of plants, to vegetable oil to coffee grounds and even exotic plants like Jatropha can be used to produce biodiesel. So long as the plant produces triglycerides, fats and oils, it can be used to produce biodiesvel. In the San Luis Valley, Costilla County has made its own blended biodiesel at a special refinery at Mesita, creating a market for such oil crops as small grains, sunflowers and canola and, possibly, industrial hemp. In other areas, ethanol is becoming common at the pump, where it is added to gasoline, while some vehicles are designed to operate on E85. The United States is the world’s largest producer of biofuel and thus the leading producer in North America. The U.S. primarily produces ethanol from corn, but also produces biodiesel from grain stock. It is also a leader in the development of advanced biofuels, particularly algae-based fuels. Most gasoline and diesel fuels in North America and Europe are blended with biofuel. Biodiesel accounts for about three percent of the German market and 0.15 percent of the U.S. market. About one billion gallons of biodiesel are produced annually. Bioethanol is more popular in the Americas, while biodiesel is more popular in Europe. The U.S. and Brazil produce 87percent of the world’s fuel ethanol. Ethanol is added to gasoline to improve octane and reduce emissions, while biodiesel is added to petroleum-based diesel to reduce emissions and improve engine life. The method used for producing ethanol is different than the method used for producing biodiesel. What they have in common is growth of the plant that will eventually be used to make the fuel. For ethanol, once the plant, such as corn or sugar cane for instance, has been harvested, bacteria are allowed to digest it. When they do this under special conditions where oxygen levels are kept low, it is called fermentation. Fermentation produces ethanol. Refining biodiesel requires chemical reactions. There are several different chemical reactions that can be used to produce a biodiesel, the most common of which is the process of breaking down fats in the presence of methanol, another type of alcohol. Biofuels are often broken into three generations. First generation biofuels, also called conventional biofuels, are made from things like sugar, starch or vegetable oil. Note that these are all food products. Any biofuel made from a feedstock that can also be consumed as a human food is first generation. Second generation biofuels are produced from sustainable feedstock. The sustainability of a feedstock is defined by its availability, its impact on greenhouse gas emissions, its impact on land use and by its potential to threaten the food supply. No second-generation biofuel is also a food crop, though certain food products can become
Photo courtesy of biofuel.com
Wood was the first biofuel and is still important to the industry. second generation fuels when they are no longer useful for consumption. Second generation biofuels are often called “advanced biofuels.� Biofuels to power engines have been around so long as internal combustion engines have. Henry Ford originally designed the Model T to run on hemp-based ethanol. Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, originally designed it to run on vegetable oil. At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1897, he had a diesel engine running on peanut oil. During World War II, the high demand of biofuels was due to the increased use as an alternative for imported fuel. In this period, Germany was one of the countries that underwent a serious shortage of fuel. It was during this period that various other inventions took place like the use of gasoline along with alcohol that was derived from potatoes. Britain was the second country which came up with the concept of grain alcohol mixed with petrol. The wars were the periods when the various major technological changes took place but, during the period of peace, cheap oil from the gulf countries as well as the Middle East again eased off the pressure. Petroleum-based fuel originally won out over biofuel due to cost and convenience; however, it is slowly turning around as fossil fuels become more expensive. Biofuel surged in popularity during the energy crisis of the 1970s. The most recent surge in biofuel popularity occurred in the 1990s in response to tougher emissions standards and increasing demands for enhanced fuel economy. It is holding on due to environmental concerns surrounding exploration and drilling for fossil fuels, as well as the emissions from petroleum burned in internal combustion engines.
Meeting slated Jan. 25 on disappearance of livestock LA JARA — A community meeting to hear concerns and seek solutions to the growing problem of disappearing livestock will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in the Centauri Band Room at La Jara. The San Luis Valley Cattlemen’s Association (SLVCA) is facilitating this meeting dealing with the growing disappearance of large amounts of livestock in and around the San Luis Valley and Northern New Mexico.
The Colorado Brand Commissioner, Colorado and New Mexico brand inspectors, law enforcement and federal agencies will be present to discuss this growing problem. For more information, contact Dylan Mortensen, Colorado brand inspector, at 298-2893, Chad Cochran president, SLVCA, 480-2096, Erin Nissen SLVCA secretary, 4802600 or Robert Middlemist of the SLVCA at 588-2548.
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Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Agriculture Progress
Page 5
Warm weather good for local livestock BY ANTHONY GUERRERO
SAN LUIS VALLEY— Dry weather has allowed Valley livestock producers to graze animals earlier and longer. However, this also means that grass and hay the animals feed on are not necessarily of the best quality. “Weather has had a big effect this year because it’s been so open. We’ve had no snow to speak of. What little bit we have had hasn’t stuck around and it’s melted quickly. A lot of ranchers have been able to graze longer this winter all the way through last year. We haven’t had to feed as much hay. They are starting to feed more now in the first of the year. They need a little better quality feed than what the dry grass gives them coming into calving season...for the livestock producers it’s been kind of nice to have to feed hay,� said Marvin Reynolds, area director for Colorado State University-San Luis Valley Extension. Calving season begins to pick up in the months of January and February. There’s already been a few early calves on the ground. “As long as it’s warm and dry it’s a phenomenal calving season. It’s better when it’s cold than when it’s muddy. Cold doesn’t affect them as bad as the mud. We also wouldn’t like 30 and 40 below zero weather during calving season though. Right now we expect to have a pretty good season and we’ll know after it’s over,� said Reynolds. The livestock being produced in the Valley this year is relatively similar to all other years. Livestock numbers are still very consistent. There are no known new species being introduced. Livestock that can be found in the area include sheep, cow, goats, horses, chickens,
elk, llamas and stock dogs. Reynolds said he was surprised by the amount of sheep produced. “We have more sheep than we realize. I keep thinking we have 18,000 sheep, and when we do the counts we usually come up with around 26,000 sheep in the Valley. It’s a bigger industry than what we may think about,� he said. Chicken and egg industry also is growing as in other years, according to Reynolds. “We have some people up in Saguache County putting up an operation there. There’s also been some talk about more operations in Rio Grande or Conejos County. We’ve got some bigger operations here. For us 10,000 birds is pretty big with the San Luis Valley’s climate. Some of these may be seasonal and not year-round.� There are no major diseases known to be significantly affecting any of the animals this year. Ranchers however do take precautions against West Nile Virus for animals, such as highly susceptible horses, by vaccinating them against the disease. Another item related to the livestock industry is hay. Hay prices this year are down compared to last year. “They’re not down much. I would say the prices are kind of holding steady,� said Reynolds. “It’s been kind of a quiet year overall. We had good grass this summer because of the rains in June and July. Those rains really brought the summer grass. It had looked like we were go- Calving season has begun throughout the Valley. ing to be short on grass over the summer but those rains kicked in and it was a good thing. It was hard on the hay production because a lot of hay got rained on after it was cut. Having more of that grass helped people graze more into the winter.�
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Colorado Farm Bureau proposes initiative to protect private property rights
COLORADO— The Colorado Farm Bureau has filed ballot measures to protect private property owners from lost income resulting from government bans on oil and natural gas drilling. The proposed initiatives are designed to ensure farmers, ranchers and other property owners are properly compensated if new laws or regulations prevent them from being able to benefit from the mineral rights attached to their property. The measures follow an initiative recently filed that sets random and increased setback requirements for oil and natural gas development from homes, parks, schools, rivers and many public places. “These measures are about protecting Colorado’s farmers and ranchers from extremist attempts to enforce random set back requirements for oil and natural gas development,� said Chad Vorthmann. “While these setbacks may on their face sound reasonable, they would essentially eliminate oil and natural gas development in Colorado and strip away Colorado landowners’ right to use their land the way they wish. “This is about protecting the Colorado way of life. Because taking private property is not the Colorado way.� In Colorado, more than 600,000 private land owners have mineral rights that paid more than $600 million in royalties in 2012. Many of them are farmers and ranchers who rely on royalty checks from their mineral rights to supplement their income and ride out natural disasters and the unpredictable highs and lows of agricultural commodity prices, he said. “These are checks that make a real impact,� Vorthmann said. “This is money that helps them through their lean years. It helps them put their kids through college. It guarantees they can make ends meet.� The checks are also preserving an important economic driver for Colorado. Agriculture employs hundreds of thousands of Coloradans and contributes more than $40 billion to the economy each year, he
Photo by Anthony Guerrero
said. Much of that is sustainable in part because of the partnerships farmers and ranchers have forged with the oil and gas industry to let them tap into the rich minerals and natural resources below their fields. Michelle Smith, a farmer from Elbert, says she relies on income from oil and natural gas development to help sustain her family farming operations. “Mineral rights make all the difference to our small organic based farm,� Smith said. “Like many Colorado farm-to-table businesses, if we can’t offset operating costs with our minerals, then we’re out of business.�
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Agriculture Progress
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Cotten reports on water outlook BY R UTH HEIDE
ALAMOSA — With a basin-wide snowpack sitting at 31 percent of normal and the National Weather Service calling for dry conditions in coming months, “It’s not looking real great for us right now,� Colorado Division of Water Resources Division 3 Engineer Craig Cotten said during a water meeting in Alamosa on Tuesday, Jan. 9. “We are a little bit lower than 2002 at this point,� he said. That was one of the San Luis Valley’s worst drought years. However, Cotten said that last year looked about the same until storms came in December to boost levels. “We could get something like that happening again,� he said, adding that a storm was supposed to be coming in on Wednesday. “We have a storm coming in right now. Hopefully it will change the pattern,� he said. The National Weather Service forecasts for February, March and April show this region at below average for precipitation, with the extended forecasts through June looking pretty much the same, Cotten said. Although the Rio Grande Basin (San Luis Valley) is not the worst in terms of snowpack right now — the San Juan Basin is lower at 27 percent of normal — the snowpack as of Tuesday morning was only 31 percent of normal in the Rio Grande Basin. The basin with the highest snowpack on Tuesday was South Platte with only 82 percent of normal. “Nobody’s doing real good,� Cotten said. The current annual flow forecasts from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the Rio Grande and Conejos Rivers are 54 percent of the long-term average, Cotten told members of the Rio Grande Roundtable on Tuesday. The preliminary annual flow for the Rio Grande at Del Norte is 345,000 acre feet, or 54 percent of the long-term average and about half of what the river produced in 2017 (690,500 acre feet), while the NRCS is currently predicting an annual flow on the Conejos River system of 165,000 acre feet, also 54 percent of the long-term average and significantly below the 2017 total of 439,6000 acre feet. The only upside of those lower numbers, Cotten added, is that less would be required to be sent downriver to comply with the Rio Grande Compact. Of the currently predicted 345,000 acre feet on the Rio Grande, the state would only owe 85,000 acre feet to downstream states, and curtailment during the irrigation season would likely be nil. The same would be true on the Conejos River system, with no curtailment necessary during the irrigation season if the current prediction of 165,000 acre feet holds. The state would have to send 27,500 acre feet downstream to meet compact obligations, “which can be met without curtailment on the Conejos,� Cotten said. “We can use our water we have in the San Luis Valley,� he added, “but that’s not going to be a whole lot.� Cotten said Colorado ended 2017 in the black as far as Rio Grande Compact accounting on the Rio Grande, with about
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Photo by Ruth Heide
With temperatures in Alamosa pushing 60 degrees in mid-January, the Rio Grande was flowing freely beside Cole Park. Snowpack as of Tuesday, Jan. 9 for the Rio Grande Basin was only 31 percent of normal. 1,850 acre feet credit, while the Conejos River couldn’t keep up with its increased obligation due to higher flows and ended the year with about 3,050 acre feet in debt. “The Compact allows that,� Cotten explained. “It’s not a problem. You can go into debt and make it up the next year.� The Conejos experienced an aboveaverage year for the first year in a long time last year, Cotten said, at 143 percent of normal. It has a higher obligation to the compact than the Rio Grande and had to send 51 percent of its annual flow downstream, or 222,800 acre feet of the total 439,600 acre feet. The Rio Grande also experienced an above-average year in 2017 at 108 percent of normal, which was the third year in a row for an above-average year on the river, Cotten said. Its obligation to the compact was 29 percent, or 199,800 acre feet of the total 690,500 acre feet. On a legal note, Cotten said the trial over the groundwater rules/regulations will begin with opening arguments on January 29 and is currently scheduled for four weeks. He said five or six objectors are still in the case. The case will revolve around groundwater rules promulgated by the state engineer for water users in this basin. The case will present its arguments first, Cotten explained. Chief District/Water Judge Pattie Swift will preside over the case, which will be heard in the Rio Grande Water Conservation District’s building at 8805 Independence Way in south Alamosa.
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Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Agriculture Progress
Page 7
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Agriculture Progress
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
ASU announces Industrial Hemp Initiative ALAMOSA— With the goal of supporting economic development in the San Luis Valley (SLV), Adams State University launched its Industrial Hemp Initiative, July 25, 2017. The Adams State University Industrial Hemp Initiative aims to create an SLV Viable Hemp Seed Program and to develop a large-scale, hemp-based economy in the SLV. Adams State is partnering on the project with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Denver-based International Hemp Solutions (IHS) and Bija Hemp. Noting that Colorado Governor Hickenlooper encourages hemp industry development because of its potential for positive economic impact, Adams State President Beverlee J. McClure said, “This is rural development at its best. I believe the valley can position itself to be a leader in the hemp industry. We can have the complete supply chain, from seed production to hemp cultivation to manufacturing products made from hemp.� She said the initiative focuses on four E’s: Economy, Environment, Education, and Entrepreneurship. “The overarching goal is to improve the San Luis Valley’s economy. Because hemp requires very little water and is completely biodegradable, it is good for the environment and for farmers. Hemp can also be grown at high altitudes and in short growing seasons. The education component will be provided by Adams State, and new businesses can be developed to produce hemp products.� Tim Gordon, CEO of Bija Hemp, said, “At Bija Hemp, we are really excited to start the hemp initiative for the San Luis Valley. We believe building a hemp industry in the SLV will spur an economic revitalization, and we’re very proud to be working with Adams State on this endeavor.� Growth potential In 2014, the U.S. Farm Bill outlined an Agricultural Pilot Program that allows higher education institutions in states that permit it to cultivate hemp for research. Early in her tenure as Adams State’s president, McClure followed up on requests from the agricultural community to explore possibilities for hemp in the San Luis Valley. Adams State, in partnership with IHS and Bija Hemp, recently received 30 metric tons of industrial hemp seed from the Ukraine – enough to plant up to 3,000 acres. This shipment marks the largest intercontinental import of viable hemp seed in over 80 years. The seed is stored in a secured, climate-controlled facility, in compliance with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations. Adams State is one of only a handful of higher education institutions in the U.S. to conduct hemp research as part of the pilot program. “This is very exciting for valley farmers. This is a great first step, as it makes it easier for them to get into a new industry,� said Randy Wright, director of the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce. “From a farming standpoint, a big plus is that hemp requires very little water. This may allow us to put back into production farmland that has gone uncultivated because of water shortages. Eventually, we would like for hemp to go from farmer to finished product completely in the SLV.� He added that International Hemp Solutions is
providing difficult-to-obtain seed and guaranteeing it meets the requirements to be considered a hemp crop. It also guarantees it will purchase seeds produced through the initiative. Growers would be paid approximately $1,000 an acre for their hemp crops. McClure said a number of area farmers have expressed interest in the project. Marty Asplin, executive director of URGED (Upper Rio Grande Economic Development) said, “The biggest thing is that right out of the gate we can start getting businesses here. The hemp plant is 100 percent usable and has amazing versatility. Any number of ancillary businesses can come out of the hemp industry. This creates opportunities for small and entrepreneurial businesses. It doesn’t require large factories, large water use, large utility costs, a large workforce, or a specific geographic location. It will be tremendous for economies in the valley.�
About hemp Hemp is legally grown in 30 countries, and the U.S. imports about $500 million worth of hemp products annually. “Our research will explore which hemp products make sense for production in the valley and identify markets for those goods. The research component may also expand to a study of the hemp cultivation process,� McClure said. Adams State will conduct market research for the hemp industry and develop a hemp curriculum. “Part of Adams State’s role will be to educate people about what hemp is and is not,� McClure added. Adams State hosted the first SLV Hemp Symposium last November. More Courtesy Photo than 300 people from Colorado and beyond Adams State University President Beverlee J. McClure (left) and Robert Hoban of Interattended to learn about the benefits and poten- national Hemp Solutions display hemp seed to be used in the Adams State University tial of hemp. The second annual symposium is Industrial Hemp Initiative. planned for November 9. For details, contact 719-587-7341. To qualify as hemp, cannabis must have a THC content of less than 0.3 percent – too little to cause any psychoactive effects. It is considered marijuana if it exceeds that level. THC levels in medical marijuana typically range from 12 to 28 percent. In addition to providing oil and seeds for food and medical use, hemp can be used to manufacture a wide range of products: plastics, paper, clothing, and construction materials such as hemp insulation and hempcrete. Hemp fiber is extremely durable, fire resistant, and antimicrobial. Every part of the plant can be used in some form. As stipulated in the Farm Bill, Adams State has partnered with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which obtained the necessary permit from the DEA to import and cultivate hemp seed.
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Ag water webinar planned COLORADO— Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s Ag Water NetWORK has created an online tool that helps agricultural water right holders assess the potential of leasing their water rights for other uses. The supporting webinar describes the features of the lease screening tool, which generates a description of a water right’s lease potential based on user-inputted information about the water right, including location, seniority, acres irrigated and other criteria. Both the webinar and the lease Decision Support Tool are available at https://www.agwaternetwork.org/. The state water plan, released in 2015, calls for more water storage, conservation and alternative transfer mechanisms (ie. ag water leasing) to help minimize ‘buying and drying’ of irrigated farm land in Colorado. Under a lease program, farmers are compensated for sharing a portion of their irrigation water with municipal, industrial, or other water interests to help them meet their
respective water needs. Ag water right holders retain full ownership of their water rights and land. Irrigated fields may be fallowed or deficit-irrigated to ‘free up’ consumptive use water for temporary leasing. An ag water right holder can use the Decision Support Tool to find out the key considerations of an ag water lease and how suitable his or her water right(s) might be for leasing. The Ag Water NetWORK website includes a map which also shows locations around the Colorado where leases are occurring. Colorado’s population of 5.4 million could nearly double to 10 million by 2050 according to the state water plan. The plan estimates that as much as one-fourth of Colorado’s irrigated agricultural land could be lost through the purchase and transfer of water rights from agriculture to urban areas. Such large-scale dry-up of irrigated agriculture would have permanent adverse economic, environmental and food security impacts.
PUBLIC AUCTION
We will hold our 28th Annual SLV Machinery & Equipment Consignment Sale at the Monte Vista Co-op
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 10:00 o’clock a.m.
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Tuesday, February 13th Deadline to have items listed on Sale Bill. 588-1812 All vehicles must have proof of title.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Agriculture Progress
Page 9
Cattleman of the Year
Photo by Lyndsie Ferrell
Solar continues to light the way with several projects all over the Valley.
Solar continues to light the way BY LYNDSIE FERRELL
SAN LUIS VALLEY— In the past year, a new solar farm project broke ground in Costilla County spearheaded by a company known as Clean Energy Collective’s (CEC) with funding from Xcel Energy that was distributed in 2015. According to the project description, CEC would be able to offer discounted rates to customers of Xcel Energy if county officials agreed to the project terms. In a meeting held in Rio Grande County in June of last year, CEC representative Mike Malone provided information to commissioners about the new field, benefits and the project. “Clean Energy Collective’s (CEC) RooflessSolar projects make Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards® available to commercial, government and non-profit entities, all without having to install solar panels on roofs or properties; even organizations that lease can participate. Unlike other renewable energy alternatives, CEC’s RooflessSolar, provides long-term financial savings and an effective hedge against rising energy costs because it locks in a defined rate of inflation below industry averages for 20 years.” The proposal was described as follows, “Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards® are an effective means to reduce your monthly electrical expenses without any capital expenditure, and they are the only solution that allows you to apply those savings against all your electricity costs including demand charge costs. Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards® – fi nancial credits, which are purchased at a discount, are applied directly to your monthly Xcel Energy bill in exchange for the power produced by a distributed power generation system, such as a RooflessSolar array.” Malone explained that Adams State University as well as other neighboring counties were participating in the proposal and that they had some time to consider their options. It continues, explaining that, “The key
benefi t of CEC’s Roofl essSolar is that as your utility rates increase, your solar bill credits rise at the same rate to meet escalating energy prices. Roofl essSolar will deliver Solar*Rewards credits which provide a defined energy cost over the length of the contract. With no upfront investment, RooflessSolar delivers energy cost savings from the first month.” In addition to the field in Costilla, Wolf Creek Ski Resort also announced at the beginning of their 2017-18 season that they would be 100 percent clean energy. In the announcement made by Owner Rosanne Haidorfer-Pitcher, she stated that, while the resort spent a majority of the summer working on streamlining their online presence, they also spent time negotiating with a company in La Garita, Colo. to procure solar energy services that would make the resort 100 percent clean energy. Previously, the resort used energy reserves from the wind substations located throughout the Valley, but will now be dependent on a mixture of the two, making them 100 percent reusable energy based. Haidorfer-Pitcher explained that in the past, they have had issues during strong winter storms, losing power whenever an above ground line went down across from the resort on Fox Mountain. Over the course of the summer, crews from SLVREC worked to place the troublesome lines below ground, minimizing the effect it had on the resort. “We had to use our backup systems whenever a line went down, which is what they are there for, but it will be nice not to have to rely so much on the backup systems from now on,” she finished. The Valley sees an average of 350 days of sunshine per year, creating the perfect conditions for solar farms to continue to spring up in prime locations like Costilla and La Garita.
Photo courtesy of Larry Crowder
Lee and Grace Bagwell are recipients of the Cattleman of the Year for 2017 for the San Luis Valley Cattlemen’s Association at the Cattlemen’s annual meeting held in Alamosa. Also pictured is son Jim Bagwell. The Bagwells reside in Manassa, and Lee was the 2007 president of the organization. “It is a great honor to receive this from my peers. The strength of the industry lies with people who take interest in making the food source the safest and of the highest quality possible,” Lee Bagwell said. GL Bagwell & Sons is a multi-generational farm/ranch in Conejos County and truly represents the spirit of the cattle industry.
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Page 10
Agriculture Progress
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Lettuce harvest could be impacted by drought
CENTER — According to the Colorado Drought Monitor report for Jan. 11, 2018, Southern Colorado is experiencing moderate drought conditions, a concern for those planning crops like lettuce, spinach etc. In the past, drought has meant a downward turn in lettuce production. While the verdict is still out on whether Colorado can catch up on its lack of moisture in 2017, failure to do so will impact ag producers of all types, not just lettuce growers. Lettuce acreage has not changed much over the past five years, but Southern Colorado Farms General Manager Amy Kunugi reported in 2017 that 950 acres of lettuce were harvested at the from the farm’s various acreages, a little better than average. Southern Colorado Farms is the primary lettuce grower in the Valley. Some 820 acres of iceberg and some romaine lettuce were planted at the farm near Center, Mike Jones with Skyview Cooling in Center said last spring. Wind and a spring frost “was tough on the fields,� Kunugi said, “but we find ways to make it up.� Kunugi explained that while some of the crop may have been lost in the spring, “It’s just like when you have a garden. When you lose plants you sow them back in; it’s just more work to do.� Summer weather was favorable in 2017 and the yields were good. Some 200 seasonal laborers were brought in with the federal H2A program, “so we had plenty of help,� Kunugi reported last fall. According to its website, Southern Colorado Farms was founded in 1977 to focus on key specialty crops for regional eastern markets. Major crops grown are lettuce, romaine, spinach and organic carrots in its California, Arizona and Colorado locations. The farms grow organic carrots for Gerber Baby Foods and Hain Celestial, as well as other organic food suppliers. Southern Colorado Farms also is a contract grower for Fresh Express, Dole, and Taylor Farms pre-packaged lettuce and spinach products.
Farm workers process and package the lettuce on conveyor/processing plants brought right to the fields. The vegetables are then immediately transported to the Skyview Cooling warehouse in Center for refrigeration until it is shipped. Lettuce is usually planted in stages starting May 1 and harvested beginning in mid-July. After the heads are cut, the boxes are transported on special trucks to a vacuum cooler. Head lettuce is then shipped in refrigerated trucks to Midwest and Eastern markets. The cold winters and dry climate minimizes disease and insect problems. Sprinkler irrigation produces a more uniform and higher quality head of lettuce. Lettuce production is centered in Center because of the location of the vacuum cooler plant. The vacuum cooler, trucks and crews move seasonally from Yuma, Ariz., to southern New Mexico to the San Luis Valley for the summer, Drought could mean a downward turn in lettuce. then back to New Mexico and back to Yuma, Ariz., for the winter. Colorado lettuce history An article in Colorado Central magazine in 2013 chronicled the decline of the once-booming lettuce industry in Colorado, which in the 1920s and into the 1940s proliferated across the state, but especially in central Colorado. Lettuce grew in Routt County, Eagle County, Buena Vista, Salida and Westcliffe as well as the San Luis Valley. Fairplay held its first annual lettuce celebration in September, 1922. There was plenty of ice to stock the rail cars carrying the crop back east and producers are estimated to have made about $500 an acre on the crop, (http:// cozine.com/2014-june/lettuce-harvest/) But like alfalfa and many other crops, popular demand, drought and water issues caused the lettuce economy to turn downward, and production has declined ever since. Today Southern Colorado Farms in Center is one of the major local lettuce producers in the area, and over the past few years the farm’s production has seemed to stay fairly level at about 800 acres of Iceberg and 100 or so in Romaine.
Green Acres Hemp Farm to grow again in 2018 BY LYNDSIE FERRELL
ALAMOSA— Jim and Lisa Strang have been one of the main suppliers of hemp products in the Valley for the past several years and with the help of a new well, may be able to produce a four-acre crop in the next year. Last year, the business hit a snag when they were asked by the bank that owned the land they were using to grow the crop to stop. Jim Strang then decided to grow indoors for the year, creating a stronger strain for his online clients and the results were exceptional. “We had a client that was 14 years old out of Florida that was having anywhere from four to five seizures a day. Her parents and doctors reached out to us for help and they purchased our new olive oil infused CBD capsules. Within a week, we heard back and the girl’s seizures went down from four to barely one to two a day. It was amazing to hear their story. We get to hear so many like it and we are just going to keep moving forward,� said Strang. In addition to the olive oil infused CBD capsules, Green Acres Hemp Farm now offers several types of bottles of their tried and true lotions and ointments. “One of the things we kept hearing from people was that it was hard to squeeze the lotion bottle that we were using so we came up with a roll-on ointment and a pump bottle for those who have arthritis or other ailments that cause weakness in their hands. The pump bottle has flown off the shelves,� explained Strang. Another testimony that came through this past year was from a gentleman that was struggling with cancer. The customer reached out and was again given the CBD infused capsules and within days called to tell Strang that he was up and cleaning his house. “We don’t really know how to react when we get calls like that. We had to remove the option to buy our product directly from the website because of the cost of processing we were being charged, but the result has been wonderful. People have to call to place their orders and because of that we get to be personal with our clients. We get
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Green Acres Hemp farm produced several acres of hemp in 2016 that grew to a staggering 12 to 15 feet in height.The local hemp farm is hoping to produce more this year to meet the high demand for their products. to hear these stories and get to know our people,â&#x20AC;? explained Strang. Strang hopes to have his well at the farm fixed by April and to plant at least four acres of CBD hemp this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of industrial hemp seeds, but because of the current laws, there is not a high demand for that yet. So, this year we will focus on the CBD hemp, and we hope to have a least the four acres if not more.â&#x20AC;? In the past year, Green Acres Hemp Farm went through a 55-gallon drum of CBD hemp to make their products, which was almost triple what they have gone through in the past. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We send it in for testing to make sure our THC levels are at the legal limit. This year, we are almost out, so we have to grow in order to meet the demand,â&#x20AC;? said Strang. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are here to help people and we will always find a way to continue to do just that,â&#x20AC;? finished Strang. Products produced by the farm are 100 percent naturally grown and tested hemp. For more information, visit www.greenacreshempfarm.com or call 941-782-7307.
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Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Agriculture Progress
Page 11
Low snowpack balanced by reservoir storage â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for now BY SYLVIA LOBATO
SAN LUIS VALLEY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The start to the 2018 water year has been one of the driest on record. Water year 2017 was the warmest on record and the 30th wettest year on record. However, when snows usually begin, the precipitation was low. In October and November, the southern half of the state recorded below normal precipitation at SNOTEL stations. Southern basins such as the Southwest and Rio Grande basins are well below normal precipitation at 21 percent and 38 percent respectively. It is still early in the water year and a dry time of the year historically, so a current precipitation deficit can be made up with one or two decent snow storms. On the bright side, reservoir storage statewide is at 116 percent of normal, with all basins above average. The Rio Grande Basin is reporting the highest average storage at 130 percent since 2008 short term forecasts show that it will be warmer and drier than average for much of the state. A weak La NiĂąa has emerged and forecasters predict these conditions will continue through the spring of next year. La NiĂąa conditions typically mean mountain snows are often enhanced during the winter season, but fall and spring tend to be dry for Colorado Current data paints a gloomy picture so far of the snowpack for the 2018 water year. However, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t unprecedented, even in more recent times: The 1990 water year was even worse at this point and 2000 was about the same as this year. Snowpack for the 2002 water year, which turned out to be the driest year on record, was actually tracking at about average at SNOTEL sites as of the beginning of January. The drought didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really hit until the later, usually more abundant, part of winter, leaving the region desiccated and aflame. The 1990 water year also started out terribly, but some big snows later in the winter brought the pre-spring runoff snowpack to close-toaverage levels. On the Rio Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;historically the wellspring for more than five million people in Colo-
rado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;coping with scarcity has become a reality and water management and use in the region may be a leading example of how to adapt to drier times. Streamflow in the headwaters above Del Norte, where most of the water in the Rio Grande originates, has been declining over the long term. In the last 110 years, the Rio Grande has been ferrying about 14,000 acre-feet less per decade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the past decade, dry conditions have been acute. Since 2002, precipitation has been about 83 percent of the historical average with rain and snow falling below average in eight of the last 10 years. Today, with record high temperatures common, farmers are again reminded of the severe droughts of the recent past, despite record precipitation. Many globally important groundwater aquifers are under considerable stress as withdrawals, predominantly for irrigation, outpace recharge. The San Luis Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aquifer has recharged a great deal, while groundwater policy is still in its early stages, but the experts suggest drought will again raise its ugly head. The CU Boulder research suggests the price intervention has been effective, leading to a 33 percent reduction in groundwater use, predominantly through reduced irrigation intensity. It also found limited movement away from water-thirsty crops and reduced overall irrigated acreage. Historically, farmers have relied primarily on surface water from streams and run-off, but as population growth and climate change have strained supplies, agriculture has grown increasingly reliant on water pumped from underground. Two aquifers lie beneath the Valley floor. One is the confined aquifer, trapped below a series of clay lenses deep below the Valley floor. The other is the unconfined aquifer that is generally found within the first 100 feet of the surface. Without the water from these aquifers, the San Luis Valley would very likely not be the agricultural success we know today. The Historic Alamosa Lake is likely respon-
The latest SNOTEL map shows bleak snowpack across most of the state. sible for the formation of these layers. Water beneath the surface is heavily relied upon by area agriculture. There are also differences in how each of the aquifers react. There is also the Rio Grande Rift that contributes to when and where water travels under the Valley subsurface the study suggests that aquifers are key, particularly the unconfined, which operates very much like surface water. Recharge comes from the mountains and the snow that contributes to the runoff, while any well in the San Luis Valley impacts the river flow at some point. Because the gap between the water and the surface has increased, the study suggests it is possible that there is potential for the Valley floor to begin sinking if the aquifer is not replenished, suggest water engineers. Rebuilding the aquifer system has now become even more necessary than many once thought.
Colorado Potatoes holds video contest COLORADOâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; This fall two more salad bars were donated by the Colorado potato industry as part of their prize for winning the 2017 Colorado Potatoes Video Contest. Potatoes USA matched each donation, resulting in four salad bar donations total. The schools that received the salad bars were Elbert School and Mary Blair Elementary, Centennial Elementary and B. F. Kitchen Elementary in Loveland. Colorado Potatoes is a proud supporter of the Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Move Salad Bars to Schools is an initiative created with the goal of providing healthy eating opportunities for students in schools. Potatoes USA, the national potato marketing organizing, was inspired by this effort to create the Salad Bar Challenge, calling on the entire potato industry to get involved in the campaign. Potatoes USA also committed
to matching each donation from the potato industry one-for one. The potato industry has now donated more salad bars to the program than any other sector of the produce industry. To date, Colorado potato growers have donated 16 salad bars. With the Potatoes USA matches, this has resulted in 32 salad bar donations. Many of these salad bars went to Colorado schools including several in the San Luis Valley. Colorado Potatoes will continue â&#x20AC;&#x153;Raising the Barâ&#x20AC;? at schools across the nation and ensure students have access to fruits and vegetables during lunch time! The aim of Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Move Salad Bars to Schools is to positively impact nutrition in schools. Having healthy foods easily accessible to students helps them make healthy choices at lunchtime. Colorado Potatoes is proud to be a part of this program, which is promoting nutrition and helping students develop healthy
eating habits early on. Due to the success of the first video contest, Colorado Potatoes will be conducting it again in 2018. Entries are being accepted now through March 1, 2018. Please visit ColoradoPotato.org/VideoContest for complete rules and information.
The future remains to be seen. There is certainly a great deal of importance in this matter when considering the agriculture, the people and the future of the San Luis Valley and both the scientific and agricultural community is working on it.
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Agriculture Progress
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