Spring
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Agriculture San Luis Valley in the
A SALUTE TO THE
HANDS THAT FEED US
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
W
e salute the dedicated men and women of the agriculture industry, who play such an important role in keeping our Valley’s economy strong. Their commitment to producing a thriving variety of crops and livestock requires long hours, risk and hard work. For all of their contributions and for all the fruits of their labor, we thank our farmers and ranchers for bringing so much to the table.
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Spring Agriculture in the San Luis Valley
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Tonso to lead Potatoes USA Colorado Farm Domestic Marketing Committee Bureau is voice of ag at capitol COLORADO– As the 2017 Colorado Legislative Session passes the midway mark, Colorado Farm Bureau is working diligently with legislators and industry groups representing Colorado’s farmers and ranchers. “Colorado Farm Bureau has reviewed every one of the nearly 462 bills that have been introduced,” said Don Shawcroft, president of Colorado Farm Bureau from the San Luis Valley. “We have taken positions on nearly 40 bills, many dealing with water. We continue to stand firm in protecting the Colorado Prior Appropriation Doctrine and continue to make our voice heard on all water legislation throughout the 2017 Legislative Session.” Prior to the start of the general assembly, Colorado Farm Bureau designated the following six areas as priorities for the legislative session: water, property rights, infrastructure, animal welfare, energy and wildlife. Midway through the 2017 legislative session, CFB has addressed bills concerning water, conservation easement landowner relief, autonomous vehicles,
Don Shawcroft broadband deployment, transportation funding, industrial hemp, and implementing Amendment 71. “Food, water and ag issues are non-partisan, so we work hard with the leaders and individual members of both parties in both chambers to promote and protect agriculture and rural Colorado,” Shawcroft stated.
USDA announces renewal options for CSP contracts
WASHINGTON – Acting Deputy Agriculture Secretary Michael Young announced that a contract renewal sign-up is underway for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), USDA’s largest working lands conservation program with more than 80 million acres enrolled. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) made several updates to the popular program last fall. These changes help producers better evaluate conservation options that benefit their operations while improving the health and productivity of private and Tribal working lands. “The changes made to CSP are providing even greater opportunities for stewardship-minded producers across the country to participate and bring their conservation efforts to a higher level,” said Young. “The new tools and methods for evaluating operations, expanded options to address the producer’s conservation and business objectives, and the focus on local resource priorities have resulted in a 30 percent increase in applications for this widely popular program.” Participants with existing CSP contracts that will expire on Dec. 31 can access the benefits of the recent program changes through
an option to renew their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their lands. Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by May 5. Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, buffer strips, pollinator and beneficial insect habitat, and soil health building activities – all while maintaining active agricultural production on their land. Benefits to producers can include: • Improved cattle gains per acre; • Increased crop yields; • Decreased inputs; • Wildlife population improvements; and • Better resilience to weather extremes. “CSP is for working lands,” said Young. “Thousands of people have made the choice to voluntarily enroll in the program because it helps them enhance natural resources and improve their business operation.” Producers interested in contract renewals or applying for CSP for the first time should visit www. nrcs.usda.gov/csp or contact their local USDA service center
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MONTE VISTA —David Tonso of Monte Vista was elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 16 at the organization’s 45th annual meeting in Denver. Tonso will be serving his fifth year on the board having previously served on the Domestic Marketing and Industry Outreach Committees. He will serve as cochairman with Jerry Tominaga from Idaho. Tonso has been involved with the potato industry in S outhern Colorado for the past 33 years. He is the regional sales manager for RPE-Colorado. RPE is headquartered in Wisconsin and is one of the largest fresh potato companies in the U.S. The primary objectives of the domestic marketing programs are to encourage more people to eat more potatoes in more ways, help consumers know potatoes for one key lifestyle benefit and supporting health claims, and to protect and enhance the good reputation of U.S. potatoes and the potato industry. Tominaga and Tonso will be leading their committee to work closely with Potatoes USA over the next year to inspire potato innovation across all channels, motivate the industry to innovate and cultivate strategic partnerships. The Domestic Marketing Committee leads the domestic consumer, foodservice, retail, ingredient, school foodservice, nutrition, re-
David Tonso
search and evaluation and reputa- cial potato growers operating in tion management programs. the United States. For more information on Potatoes USA’s mission About Potatoes USA to “Strengthen Demand for U.S. Potatoes USA is the federally Potatoes” and the programs in mandated marketing and promo- place to do so, please visit Potation Board of the 2,500 commer- toesUSA.com/grower.
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No beef about cattle prices this year BY SYLVIA LOBATO SAN LUIS VALLEY—For more than 150 years, Colorado’s cattle ranching and feeding families have been committed to a tradition of providing consumers a safe and wholesome food supply while caring for Colorado’s land, water and wildlife resources.
The total package Cattle naturally harness solar power, converting grass and forage into valuable products for consumers - everything from leather and life-saving medical products to high quality beef. They feed their cattle distillers’ grains, potato and other vegetable by-products — all of which would otherwise go to waste and be hauled into landfills. Cattle manure is converted into compost, which is spread onto pastures and fields, as well as sold to consumers to improve soils and nutrients for plant growth. Finally, their pastures, range and farmland act as carbon filters around Colorado’s towns and cities, scrubbing the air of carbon and other greenhouse gases emitted by cars, factories and other urban activities. In fact, U.S. agriculture contributes less than six percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and preserves range, open spaces and farmland to protect the environmental sustainability of Colorado.
CSU Extension Colorado State University Extension assists livestock producers with nutrition, breeding, marketing, ranch management planning, feed analysis, emergency planning and other livestock management techniques to help ranchers be efficient and profitable. Costs and prices
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The calving season is a bright picture for cattle ranching. When 2016 drew to a close, there were 531 million pounds of beef in cold storage, 0.3 percent less than the month before, but 4.1 percent more than the same time in 2015. Beef production in 2016 was up 6 percent from the year before, but slaughter steer prices were down 18 percent at $27/cwt. According to CSU Extension, herds continue to expand. Preliminary data indicate average daily steer and bull slaughter was up 7.1 percent and cow and heifer slaughter up 4.4 percent in 2016. Females made up 43.5 percent of cattle slaughter, the lowest share since 1972. As of Friday, April 7, 2017, Colorado Direct cattle receipts, 12,203, compared to 2,998 last week and 5,894 last year. Feeder
BLM and Forest Service announce 2017 grazing fee SAN LUIS VALLEY — The federal grazing fee for 2017 will be $1.87 per animal unit month (AUM) for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.87 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2016 public land grazing fee was $2.11. An AUM or HM – treated as equivalent measures for fee purposes – is the use of public lands by one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. The newly calculated grazing fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and nearly 6,500 permits administered by the Forest Service. The formula used for calculating the grazing fee, which was established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a presidential Executive Order issued in 1986. Under that order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, and any increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level. The annually determined grazing fee is computed by using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM/HM for livestock grazing on public lands in Western states.
The figure is then calculated according to three factors – current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. In effect, the fee rises, falls, or stays the same based on market conditions, with livestock operators paying more when conditions are better and less when conditions have declined. The 2017 grazing fee of $1.87 per AUM/HM applies to 16 Western states on public lands administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Permit holders and lessees may contact their local BLM or U.S. Forest Service office for additional information. The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land – over 245 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages approximately 193 million acres of federal lands in 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
steers and heifers weren’t tested for Cattle slaughter totaled 507,000 week, but up 15.2 percent from the current FOB delivery. Demand was head, down 11.4 percent from last same week last year. moderate to good. The total supply was over 600 lbs, with 48 percent heifers. Fed cattle prices were higher on moderate sales volume. The fivearea average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $117.08/cwt, up $1.94 from last week’s average, but down $16.91 from a year ago. The 5-area dressed steer price averaged $188.85/cwt, up $9.06 for the rating period and down $22.67 from a year ago. Beef cutout value was also higher at $203.31/cwt, up $4.30 from the previous period but $7.52 lower than a year before. The select carcass cutout was $193.68/cwt, up $6.61 from the last recording period.
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Winter’s generosity paints water promise—for now BY S YLVIA LOBATO
SAN LUIS VALLEY— Snowpack in the Upper Rio Grande River basin is above normal at 136 percent of median. Precipitation for February was 90 percent of average, which brings the water year to date precipitation to 114 percent of average. For the third year in a row, local water officials are predicting more water may come down the Rio Grande and Conejos River than winter snowpack measurements predicted. For the first time in years, the Rio Grande may experience an above-average year. Reservoir storage at the end of February was 91 percent of average compared to 93 percent last year. Stream flow forecasts range from 160 percent of average for the San Antonio River at Ortiz to 110 percent of average for the Alamosa Creek above Terrace Reservoir Water year 2017 began Oct. 1, 2016 and got off to an extremely slow start. According to the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), snowpack accumulation, so crucial to agricultural and municipal water supplies, had been off to its worst start in more than 32 years in Colorado, at 6 percent of normal as of Nov. 17. Then a series of storms began, resulting in a statewide gain of 7.4 inches of snow water equivalent through the end of the year, the fastest rate of gain over that time period since 1986. The recent string of storms dumped so much heavy, wet snow that avalanches — or fears of sliding snow — closed several high mountain passes as the new year began. Colorado Division of Water Resources Division 3 Engineer Craig Cotten recently said the Rio Grande Basin exceeded 100 percent of average for this time of year — 117 percent of average on Jan. 4 — even before the current storm was factored in. Water storage is looking good as well, according to the NRCS. Given current reservoir capacity, the collective storage in the majority of Colorado’s river basins will be well poised to provide adequate water supply if the above normal precipitation and snowpack trends
FSA offers supervised credit SAN LUIS VALLEY—Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan programs are considered supervised credit. Unlike loans from a commercial lender, FSA loans are intended to be temporary in nature. Therefore, it is their goal to help borrowers graduate to commercial credit, and the FSA farm loan staff is available to help borrowers through training and credit counseling. The FSA team will help borrowers identify their goals to ensure financial success. Through this process, FSA staff will advise borrowers in developing strategies and a plan to meet your operation’s goals and graduate to commercial credit. Ultimately, the borrower is responsible for the success of the farming operation, but FSA’s staff will help in an advisory role to provide the tools necessary to help you achieve your operational goals and manage your finances. For more information on FSA farm loan programs, visit www.fsa. usda.gov.
This chart shows the Rio Grande Basin snowpack is in good shape. experienced during December do not continue for the remainder of the water year, according to a water supply outlook for Colorado. No matter what Mother Nature decides to do, the weather continues to pose challenges to San Luis Valley farmers and ranchers, although 2016 proved to be more of an average water year than some in recent history. The primary land use of more than 600,000 acres of irrigated land is in agricultural operations in the central portion of the basin. The rivers deliver the melted snow in the typical high spring runoff pattern. There is also significant groundwater pumping to support agricultural production.
While February brought substantially less precipitation to Colorado than the previous two months, snowpack and precipitation accumulations were near normal, leaving well above normal snow water equivalent (SWE) and water year precipitation amounts. As of March 1, statewide snowpack was at 139 percent of the 1981-2010 median value. Mountain precipitation at Colorado SNOTEL sites averaged out to be exactly 100 percent of the normal accumulation this February. This forced a drop in the percent of average water year to date precipitation over last month from 129 to 123 percent, still well above normal values. Reservoir
storage experienced a small net gain over the past month across the state, with only the basins of Southwest Colorado experiencing any loss in storage, relative to normal. Statewide reservoir storage is 107 percent of average as of March . Despite areas that experienced below normal monthly snow accumulations during February and localized periods of unseasonably warm temperatures, the exceptional snowpack that fell during January allowed the mountains to remain at least 120 percent above normal in all areas. Ten SNOTEL sites across the state had record snow water equivalent March 1. The Upper Rio Grande and
Colorado River basins were both near 135 percent of the median. The combined Yampa, White, and North Platte River basins currently hold the lowest snowpack with respect to normal, but are still at a healthy 126 percent of the median. Most of the major river basins typically reach their maximum snow accumulations for the winter in early spring. With most of the primary snow accumulation season behind us and above normal snow packs across the state in combination with these, near normal reservoir storages and water supply shortages in Colorado are looking less and less likely for the upcoming summer months.
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Spring Agriculture in the San Luis Valley
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Proximity Malt plans to ‘get rolling’ soon STAFF REPORT
MONTE VISTA — Proximity Malt, setting up shop in the former Staley starch plant near Monte Vista, will be drawing on area barley farmers for much of its raw materials. This is one of the main reasons the company chose the Valley to build a plant, Proximity Malt Regional Manager Jack Capron told attendees at the 2017 Southern Rocky Mountain Agricultural Conference and Trade Fair in February. As the company’s name indicates, he said, Proximity Malt chose Monte Vista to be “in proximity” to the raw materials of the region, namely barley. “It’s no surprise that we ended up in the San Luis Valley,” Capron said. “There’s a lot of barley in the San Luis Valley … We keep our costs down by being where the barley is.” The company, headquartered in Milwaukee, is in the process of repurposing the old starch plant into a modern malting facility. “We will really plan on getting rolling in April,” Capron said. “We will start commissioning in the second quarter of this year.” He said Proximity is working with Rio Grande Commodities to get contracts going. In full operation Proximity will require 28,000 metric tons of barley and will employ about 21 workers at the plant, according to Capron. He said Proximity focuses on quality and flexibility. “If there’s something out there that customers want, we have the flexibility to provide specific malts,” Capron said. He said any grain can be malted,
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This is an aerial photo of the Proxmity Malt site near Monte Vista. but Proximity will primarily be usCapron described the malting ing barley. Barley provides the right process from removing the chaff and balance between protein and starch, cleaning the barley kernels to steephe explained. ing, which takes about 30 hours, to Capron discussed the character- germination, which takes about 96 istics Proximity is looking for in hours, to kilning, which takes about the barley it will use in the malting 24 hours. process, such as pure, clean and disease free. “It is a food process we are doing, so we have to keep it clean.”
County allows malting company expansion S TAFF R EPORT ALAMOSA — In November Alamosa may be home to Colorado’s first farm brewery. On Wednesday, April 12 Alamosa County Commissioners approved Colorado Malting Company’s proposal to have their own brewery and vineyard-style tasting room. The company first started in 2007 when the Cody family converted their dairy farm to a malting facility. Breweries of various sizes throughout the country use their malt. “Essentially a vineyard tour for beer enthusiasts, the experience will expose tourists to the agricultural practices required to grow and malt the barley, the brewing process, and allow them to taste and purchase the finished product,” said Alamosa County Land Use Administrator Rachel Baird. The brewhouse is planned to a capacity of three to five barrels and a nine-tap tasting room that seats an estimated 35 to 45 people. It will be opened 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
Unlike other taprooms and bars, this is a tasting room that only gives out small amounts of beer. When done tasting guests are encouraged to purchase the packaged product to enjoy in the comfort of their own home. However, like bars, the Colorado Malting Company is subject to the Dram Shop Act “which makes establishments licensed to serve alcohol liable for damages if they serve underage or visibly intoxicated patrons which results in injury to a third party,” Baird said. Because the serving of alcohol is limited there will be no kitchen or food sold on site. Bottled water will also be available to drink. Since it was a public hearing, Alamosa County resident Ron Brink expressed his enthusiasm. “Tourism is something that’s really near and dear to my heart,” Brink said. “As most of you know I spent my whole life in the tourism business in Colorado. It’ll be good for the economy of Alamosa County and for the San Luis Valley.”
The barley is then roasted. Proximity Malt’s roaster can handle a metric ton an hour, Capron explained. He added that Proximity Malt will also market the malting byproducts, for example for animal feed.
In addition to providing another market for local barley growers, the plant itself will permanently employ more than 20 people when it is operational, Proximity Malt, LLC spokesperson Amy Germershausen had said last fall.
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San Luis Valley potato crops expect decent year BY LYNDSIE FERRELL
SAN LUIS VALLEY—Over the last year, local potato crops have remained steady through both marketing prices and crop growth. The Valley has experienced higher than normal levels of precipitation that have been beneficial to the growing season and kept the crops on an even growing path throughout the year. Most crops in the Valley have been successful in comparison to previous years when precipitation levels reached all-time lows. According to Skyline Potato representative Les Alderete, growers are expecting the same for the coming season. “Even though we have water, we don’t foresee any major increases in potato crops,” stated Alderete. He continued to explain that demand for the crop remains low and that the market for small sack potatoes is staying steady for the time being. “It’s pretty early to tell one way or the other, but it’s looking like it’s going to be a normal year for us.” The San Luis Valley produces several varieties of potatoes— Russet, Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty and many more. Over 100 varieties are grown locally throughout the Valley and are shipped throughout the world. Seeds for Valley potatoes come from local crops as much as possible; it remains difficult to import seeds into the Valley. Seeds brought in or sold outside of the Valley have specifications that must meet guidelines set by the Colorado Seed Potato Act. According to the definition of a qualifying seed it states, “Qualified seed
means potatoes derived from certified potatoes which have been inspected by Colorado Potato Certification Service which meet all applicable rules and regulations for certification and are eligible for planting to meet official disease control standards. Qualified seed is not eligible for sale as certified seed and no tags or bulk certificates will be issued” which minimalizes exposure to pests and other diseases. The Colorado Potato Administration reports progress in the early blight quarantine requirements. In placing these restrictions on any potatoes coming or leaving the Valley, it ensures that seedlings or those meant for consumption are free of disease and recent numbers show a significant decrease in the infection. “There has not been an increase in pest or disease issues in the Valley so far. Again, it is early in the year, but the last amount of moisture we got was very beneficial,” stated Alderete. Alderete continued stating that the coming year looked like it was going to be, what he referred to as a “normal year.” Precipitation levels remain higher than normal with recent snowstorms that dropped a significant amount of snow around the region in late March. Snowpack in the surrounding mountains remains higher than normal and snowmelt is expected to begin in June. “The rotation of our crops remains steady and we have water. It is hard to say how the weather will go this spring, but so far things are looking like a normal year,” said Alderete.
Photos by Teresa L. Benns
FSA announces enrollment period for Safety Net Coverage in 2017 SAN LUIS VALLEY—FSA reminds producers on farms with base acres under the safety net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, can visit their local FSA office to sign contracts and enroll for the 2017 crop year. The enrollment period will continue until Aug. 1, 2017. Since shares and ownership of a farm can change year-to-year, producers on the farm must enroll by signing a contract each program year. If a farm is not enrolled during the 2017 enrollment period, the producers on that farm will not be eligible
for financial assistance from the ARC or PLC programs for the 2017 crop should crop prices or farm revenues fall below the historical price or revenue benchmarks established by the program. Producers who made their elections in 2015 must still enroll during the 2017 enrollment period. The ARC and PLC programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in prices or revenues for covered commodities. Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rape-
seed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity. For more details regarding these programs, go to www.fsa. usda.gov/arc-plc. For more information, producers are encouraged to visit their local FSA office. To find a local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.
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Lettuce acreage holding at previous levels BY TERESA L. BENNS
CENTER— Lettuce acreage has not changed over the past five years, financial officer Mike Jones with Skyline in Center said Thursday, and everything seems to be pointing to an average year for the crop. Some 820 acres of iceberg and some romaine lettuce will be planted near Center this year. “Our water supply seems good and we have adequate labor,” Jones said. Southern Colorado Farms is the primary lettuce grower in the Valley. 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. 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
Photo by Teresa L. Benns
Lettuce straight from the field is prepared for cooling in Center while waiting to be shipped to various locations. 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 information 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 directly to farmers, ranchers and Eastern markets. agricultural businesses in Colorado. CoBank is a regional bank providing loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. Together, they represent a part of the Farm Credit System, which has been dedicated to agriculture and rural communities for over 100 years. To learn more, visit farmcreditnetwork.com (Farm Credit System), premieraca.com (Premier Farm Credit), agloan.com (American AgCredit), aglending.com (Farm Credit of Southern Colorado), cobank.com (CoBank). To make a donation to the CFB Disaster Relief Fund, visit coloradofarmbureau.com.
Colorado Farm Credit Associations, CoBank donate $25,000 to Northeast Colorado Fire Disaster Relief Fund; continued support urged STERLING, Colo. - Premier Farm Credit, American AgCredit, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado and CoBank today announced they will donate a total of $25,000 to the Colorado Farm Bureau’s Disaster Relief Fund to help the farmers and ranchers impacted by the recent fire in Logan and Phillips counties. “Agriculture is the backbone of Northeast Colorado; both the short and long-term impacts of this fire are tremendous,” said Rick Sanger, President and CEO of Premier Farm Credit, based in Sterling. “We’re grateful that together with CoBank, American AgCredit and Farm Credit of Southern Colorado we can make a meaningful contribution to the Colorado Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund.” Alan Woodard, President and CEO Farm Credit of Southern Colorado, said, “Farm Credit of Southern Colorado is committed to working cooperatively with other Farm Credit Associations and industry partners to assist farmers and ranchers who have been impacted by these devastating events.” American AgCredit CEO Byron Enix added, “It is our honor to assist in the relief efforts, and we are deeply concerned for all who were impacted by the devastating wildfire.” “Farm Credit and CoBank have a history of standing by our customers and the rural communities we serve in good times and in bad,” said Travis Ball, regional vice president, CoBank. “The recent wildfires in Colorado have created a tremendous need and we are committed to doing our part to support the industry and the people of Colorado in their recovery efforts.” The fast-moving grass fire consumed more than 30,000 acres, killing livestock, damaging crops, and destroying homes, equipment, and farmsteads in its path. The fire is out, but the short and long-term impacts to agriculture and life in the area will be felt for years to come. A visit to the area reveals some of the immediate and obvious challenges locals are facing. With the vegetative cover gone on much of
the land, the dirt is drifting and extensive erosion is occurring. Farmers are racing to plant cover crops where possible, but conditions have been less than favorable. Experts have indicated it will likely be at least 2 years before grazing will resume on the rangeland in the area, and it could take between 25 and 100 years for it to fully recover. Those who lost homes, structures, equipment, fences, and animals are now dealing with the aftermath, as they plan to rebuild and replace valuable buildings and livestock. This is an extreme financial strain, in addition to being physically and emotionally challenging. “We’ll continue to search for ways to support our customers, friends and neighbors,” said Rick Sanger. “As we move forward, we encourage others to do the same.” Premier Farm Credit, American AgCredit, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado are associations that lend
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, then back to New Mexico and back to Yuma, Ariz., for the winter.
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Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Carrot planting season will begin in May BY TERESA L. BENNS
SAN LUIS VALLEY — Melvin Martinez at Grimmway Farms says at this time his company plans to plant 1,200 acres in carrots in the Center, Sargent and other locations this May, and he is hopeful that it will be another good season for carrots. Rain was plentiful in the Valley the last few years, resulting in plentiful carrot crops in 2015 and 2016. Grimmway Farms is the primary producer of carrots in the Valley In 2013, fresh carrots in the U.S. sold for $28.50 per cwt, up seven percent more than previous two years ago and 26 percent higher than 10 years ago. The average sale price is estimated between $20-25 per cwt, but may have been impacted last year by the California drought. In 2015 Grimmway planted 1,076 acres of carrots along roads 6N and 7N, in the Meadows area and in other locations. The carrots are brought to the plant, washed, cut into proper lengths then placed on refrigerated trucks for the trip west. Grimmway is headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif. The San Joaquin Valley there is considered “the “Mecca” of carrot production,” Grimmway’s website explains. “The consistent mild weather of the spring and fall months combined with [the Valley’s] sandy loamy soils is our only growing region that provides two harvest seasons spring and fall.” The California drought of 1990 brought Grimmway’s carrot operation to the Valley. Baby carrots are shipped to the main plant where they are packaged then sent to outlets nationwide.
Carrot facts Carrots became a popular item in the produce section beginning in 1986, when baby carrots became the rage. “Baby” carrots are really just carrots harvested while he plant is still young. Carrot consumption peaked in 1997 according to one report, which estimated that about 14.1 pounds of carrots were consumed per household that year. Carrots are the seventh most consumed vegetable in the U.S. High in
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Carrots, rich in Vitamin A, freshly picked from the field are a sweet and nutritious treat. beta carotene, the vegetable also is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber. Carrots not only come in the usual orange color but also in reds, yellows and even purples, depending on the variety planted. Carrots are planted in stages to spread out the harvest dates. Planting begins in early May and the carrots are harvested from August through October. Long, thin baby carrots are encouraged to grow by planting carrots thickly in narrow rows, several rows on one wide bed. Sunny days and cool
nights help produce a carrot that is very sweet and crisp. Carrots are dug mechanically and trucked to the processing plant where they are washed, graded, and cut. They are then trucked to the processing plant in California where whey are stored, then peeled and bagged just prior to shipping. Merlin Dillon of the Colorado State University Research facility in Center contributed material for this article. See also the article at http://www. agmrc.org/commodities-products/ vegetables/carrots/
Farm Credit of Southern Colorado to distribute four million dollars
and was approved by the Board of COLORADO—Farm Credit of customer owners.” The amount is based on the co- Directors. Eligible customers will Southern Colorado, a rural lending cooperative serving southern op’s solid 2016 financial results receive their check in April. Colorado, will distribute a $4 million cash patronage to its customer owners. “Our associates fully understand the challenges that are currently being faced, and the Farm Credit Mission of serving rural America in good times and bad has never been more important to all of us at Farm Credit of Southern Colorado than it is now,” said Alan Woodard, President and CEO. “Our Board of Directors also shares in this vision, which is why they declared a $4 million patronage payout this year eclipsing what was distributed last year to give back to our customer owners in the cooperative spirit.” “Farm Credit of Southern Colorado is proud to distribute four million dollars in cash patronage during 2017,” said Gary Pautler, Board Chairman. “In the midst of a challenging ag economy, we are excited to deliver these checks to