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SPRING 2022

It runs in the family 4-H is in Brenna Keene’s DNA

2 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| AG EDUCATION |

August Frank/Farms & Ranch

Brenna Keene poses for a photo with one of her 4-H goats, Dot. Keene’s other goat, Tank, stands in the background March 12 in Clarkston. Keene was recently named the 4-H Washington State Youth of the Month for February.

Clarkston eighth grader Brenna Keene, who has been involved with the program most of her life, was named 4-H Washington State Youth of the Month for February

By Kaylee Brewster For Farm & Ranch

I

f you ask Brenna Keene which 4-H animal is her favorite, don’t expect a straight answer.

She loves all of her animals, which include chickens, rabbits, goats, a cat and a dog. The eighth grader at

Lincoln Middle School is part of the Animal Crackers 4-H Club that deals with small animals. For her work, the Clarkston student was the 4-H Washington State Youth of the Month for February.

Keene’s sister nominated her for the award without telling her.

“She wanted to surprise me, but I’m thankful for it,” she said.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022 “I cried when I found out. I was so happy because 4-H is a really important part of my life.”

It’s been part of her life for as long as she can remember.

Her mom was involved in 4-H as a youngster, and Keene’s older siblings also participated and she went to meetings when they did. She started showing her guinea pig in kindergarten.

“I was kind of born into 4-H,” she said. “I wish everyone had the opportunity to do 4-H because it’s a really good program.”

The aspect of 4-H she enjoys the most is learning about her animals. She loves having veterinary knowledge and how to check for diseases. She also likes hanging out with the friends she’s made at 4-H when they participate at the fair. She then passes on her knowledge and enjoyment of 4-H to the younger kids in the program.

With all the animals Keene has worked with in 4-H, she has gained a wide range of knowledge.

She was the first person in her club to have wool-bearing goats, known as Angoras. While she is not selling the wool, its quality is judged at the fair.

Keene also works with a border collie for 4-H, which she said was challenging, but she has fun doing agility drills with her dog.

Then she has her cat and rabbits. And chickens with her family. Oh, and pigeons too.

“I have a lot of favorites,” she said. “I love them all a lot.”

Keene has managed to get used to all the differences between her animals, but notices some similarities too, which she said helps in taking care of the animals.

“Dogs and goats are actually really similar. You don’t realize you have to talk to your goats when you show them and I like talking with my goats,” Keene said. “I love my goats so much.”

But again, that doesn’t mean she has a favorite.

Even though she loves her animals, Keene is pursuing a career to help people. She wants to go to college to get a law degree to become a public interest lawyer and work in government.

“And maybe become the president; we don’t know,” she said, crossing her fingers.”

She’s hoping to have animals in her life going forward, but wants to keep it “as a side hustle.”

She’s already started her political pursuits by becoming the ASB

“

Dogs and goats are actually really similar. You don’t realize you have to talk to your goats when you show them and I like talking with my goats.”

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 3

LEFT: Keene poses for a photo with Tank March 12 in Clarkston.

BELOW: Keene hangs out with her goats outside their pen.

August Frank/ Farm & Ranch

president at Lincoln Middle School and she’s contacted Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers about issues like climate change and the mental health of students.

For now, she’s helping students at her school and taking care of her animals.

“All I do is I study a lot and learn about my animals,” she said.

“Which kind of makes me a nerd, but that’s OK, because I like it.”

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.

4 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| WEATHER |

This Whitman County field is seen during extreme summer drought conditions. After a brutally dry summer last year, farmers in the region are hoping for more favorable weather this year.

File photo

Farmers hoping to ditch drought Recent rains aside, most of region is still considered to be in drought; growers hope that changes come summer “We’re still considered in drought conditions … but conditions are improving and recent rains are helpWith spring field seedful. And we appreciate any ing not yet underway in moisture we can get.” the region, farmers are Although recent precautiously eyeing soil condicipitation has been slowly tions and hoping this year recharging the soil profile, won’t be a repeat of last Finkelnburg Finkelnburg said, it’s still a season’s scorching drought. ways away from normal.

“After last year, it’s As of March 10, the U.S. Drought top of mind,” said University of Monitor was continuing to list parts Idaho Nez Perce County Extension of Asotin, Nez Perce and Lewis counAgent Doug Finkelnburg.

By Kathy Hedberg For Farm & Ranch

ties in the severe drought throughout February, but range. The surrounding early March rains have ONLINE areas were ranked in the delayed spring seeding.  The drought moderate drought category.

“We’d need a good warm Despite the recent rains monitor map spell for people to start doing in the Pacific Northwest, can be found field work,” Finkelnburg precipitation was 25% here: said. “Right now condibelow average in some tions are too wet to get bit.ly/37CZgxo areas for this time of in the field and (it’s) cold. year. Dry conditions So we do not see spring along the Snake River in Idaho seeding occurring at the moment.” have degraded conditions to severe Finkelnburg said if the weather drought, the monitor reported. turns warmer and drier, farmers, The milder weather this winter especially those in the lower elebenefitted calving and lambing in vations, will likely be starting to Idaho and Washington, accordput seed into the ground soon. ing to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures Hedberg may be contacted at remained close to normal in the region khedberg@lmtribune.com.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 5

North Dakota farmers looking for a win

By Joel Crane KFYR-TV

BISMARCK, N.D. — Last year, North Dakota suffered one of the worst droughts the state has ever seen.

One bad year can be devastating for farmers and ranchers, who operate on a year-toyear basis. Now, coming off drought conditions not seen since the dust bowl and facing decades-high inflation, many in the industry can’t afford to have another bad year.

Russell and Bailie Graner ranch and farm south of Mandan. They say ag producers need a win this year, KFYR-TV reported.

“They need it real bad because you can get by one year, you can do a lot of things to make it work. But two years, that’s gonna put a lot of guys out of business,” he said.

Last year’s drought was difficult, but Russell Graner says this winter also has been challenging.

“It was tough; you just didn’t know if you’re gonna be able to keep your cows or not. Every day you’re worried about it. It kinda made you scared; you didn’t know what was gonna Kyle Martin/Dickinson Press happen to them,” said Graner.

Russell Graner, joined by his wife Bailie and daughters Hazel (in pink shirt) and Natalie, stand in their family’s drought-stricken Based on trends and precornfield south of Mandan, N.D. dictions from climatologists, there should be more preyou’re seeing better commodity prices, cipitation this year than in 2021. obviously, which is of course a concern “The hard part is nobody really from the consumer side with inflaknows what the weather is going tion. But that’s all eaten up in terms AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine committee. Donald Flannery, to do,” said Mark Watne, president of the farmer because of these high lawmakers are considering boosting executive director of the Maine of North Dakota Farmers Union. input costs,” said Sen. John Hoeven. the state’s agriculture sector in Potato Board, said potato farmers Watne says this year Something that’ll help in terms will be one to watch. the age of climate change by in the state saw a 25% decrease of drought relief? Federal funding “It’s really an interesting year. creating a new grant program to in harvested yield in 2019. for farmers and ranchers that comes We’ve got plenty of high-price supply help farmers survive droughts.

Nancy McBrady, the director of from WHIP+, a weather-related products, we’ve got good markets.

Droughts have hurt the state’s Maine’s Bureau of Agriculture, Food disaster relief program. Those payBut you’re seeding into dry soil in agriculture sector, which includes and Rural Resources, said farmers ments are set to be made soon. spots. It’s going to be an interesting a large potato industry, in recent in the state also need technical One bright spot going into this dilemma for them to determine if years. Senate President Troy support to help improve soil health. year’s planting season? With comthey’re going to fertilize at levels they Jackson has submitted a bill that Those practices will “help to modity prices as high as they’ve ever would expect or not,” said Watne. been, farmers have a “tremendous would create the grant program build resilience for farms in the face State officials are concerned amount of potential income,” which for all farmers in the state to help about the impact high enerof climate change, and projected is a much-needed change after last gy and fertilizer prices will have them find new water sources for incidences of excessive rainfall or year’s drought. Representatives from on farmers and ranchers. irrigation, Maine Public reported. prolonged periods of drought and Farmers Union say high commodity “When the costs of energy go up The proposal was the subject of temperature variability,” she said. prices could potentially offset all of the like they have, fertilizer goes through — ASSOCIATED PRESS a public hearing and a legislative extra costs farmers face this year. the roof. That drives up their costs, so

Maine eyes grants to help farmers cope with drought

6 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

| ANIMAL HEALTH |

Virus wreaking havoc on U.S. poultry Chicken and turkey farmers struggle to keep their birds safe from avian influenza

By David Pitt Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly 7 million chickens and turkeys in 13 states have been killed this year due to avian influenza, prompting officials and farmers to acknowledge that, despite their best efforts, stopping the disease from infecting poultry is incredibly difficult.

Spread of the disease is largely blamed on the droppings of wild birds, such as ducks and geese, which often show no signs of illness. But studies suggest the virus can be tracked into secure chicken and turkey barns on equipment, workers, mice, small birds and even dust particles.

Infected wild birds have been found in at least 21 states, and the virus has been circulating in migrating waterfowl in Europe and Asia for nearly a year.

State and federal officials remain hopeful that the disease won’t spread as extensively as during an outbreak in 2015 that resulted in the deaths of about 50 million chickens and turkeys, causing egg and meat prices to soar.

Bird flu hit more than 200 farms in 15 states, costing the federal government about $1 billion and the poultry industry an estimated $3 billion.

Still, without certainty about how to stop the disease this time, officials can’t be sure it will peter out on its own.

Food prices already are elevated due to inflation and supply chain problems, and if the bird flu outbreak expands to enough farms, chicken, turkey and egg prices could surge even higher.

“We’re not seeing a massive

Associated Press file

In this photo taken July 23, 2015, Greg Langmo poses at one of his turkey farms near Litchfield, Minn. Nearly 7 million chickens and turkeys in 13 states have been killed this year after they contracted avian influenza, prompting officials and farmers to acknowledge that, despite their best efforts, stopping the disease from infecting poultry is proving to be incredibly difficult. outbreak on a large scale, so I think it’s too soon to be concerned about food impact or pricing impact at this point, but you have to acknowledge that can be an issue over time,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said.

This year, the first case was found in a commercial facility in Indiana in February. Since then, 6.6 million egg-laying and broiler chickens and 341,000 turkeys have been culled, typically buried in trenches on site.

The United States Department of Agriculture says the virus doesn’t present a food quality issue since birds on infected farms must be culled and do not enter the food processing system. Still, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to

an internal temperature of 165 degrees is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

Even though scientists feel confident that wild birds are spreading the disease, they remain unsure how the virus enters highly secure barns, which are typically equipped with modern ventilation systems and have strict protocols for people entering the buildings.

Asked about Iowa’s first case in a commercial turkey flock, Iowa State Veterinarian Dr. Jeff Kaisand noted, “We don’t know exactly how it got in.”

It’s an especially big question in Iowa, the leading egg-producing state with 49 million chickens. Iowa recently saw its first case this year in a commercial egg-laying

operation, leading to the killing of about 919,000 hens.

On March 14, the disease was confirmed at an egg-layer farm in Wisconsin with 3 million hens.

The USDA said in a 2017 report that studies of the 2015 outbreak were inconclusive but that spread between facilities occurred mostly on shared equipment, clothing or boots of employees, and on vehicles used for feed distribution and other purposes.

The disease can also be spread by small birds that squeeze into buildings, or tracked inside by mice.

“Even when you look at the final epidemiological analyses from 2015, there was no one source of introduction.

They were unable to make

a conclusion,” said Dr. Yuko Sato, a veterinarian and an associate professor at Iowa State University in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. “I would say each introduction is probably going to be independent. It’s not just one weak link.”

Minnesota turkey farmer Greg Langmo, who lost 90,000 turkeys in 2015, is thankful his state, the nation’s leading turkey grower, has been spared so far. He said farmers are following biosecurity protocols, going so far as to keep starling and barn swallow nests away from their barns.

“We’re very hopeful that some of the new strategies that we’re employing are going to be enough to stave it off,” he said. ”We’re doing the best we can and we’re going to play the cards we have.”

Studies in the U.S. and France since 2015 suggest the virus can be carried on windborne dust particles. This has led to new protocols to mitigate airborne transmission during outbreaks, including killing infected birds within 24 hours, increased testing and extra precautions within a 6-mile radius of infected facilities.

“The birds that do carry the virus typically are wild waterfowl — your ducks, your geese, your wigeons — so there’s no way those birds can get into the barns. It will be something else that’s bringing it in. But just knowing the outside’s not safe, that’s the only inference that we can make,” Sato said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the recent bird flu infections in flocks do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.

While it can be transmitted to humans, it is unusual and typically due to close contact with infected birds.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

LODI, Calif. — A Northern California pesticide spraying company was negligent on at least five occasions its helicopter pilots allowed the toxic chemicals to drift onto neighboring orchards, children playing soccer and a woman standing in her backyard, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Alpine Helicopter Service, Inc. violated the law when it carelessly released the harmful chemicals on at least five occasions between 2014 and 2020, endangering the public’s health and safety, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Barbara Kronlund ruled.

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 7

toxic chemicals landed on a special education school in Lodi. Turner Academy staff discovered corrosive pesticides on school buildings, grass fields, playground equipment, picnic benches and sidewalks.

In 2019, pesticides being sprayed by a company’s pilot on a pumpkin field drifted onto children playing “Defendants have had the soccer at a sports complex proper training to apply aeriin Stockton. Another pesal pesticides, yet repeatedly ticide drift happened on acted irresponsibly in applythe same site days later. ing the harmful substances, A year later, pesticides despite knowing the law, from an aerial application rules, risks and established drifted onto a woman standprotocols,” Kronlund wrote. ing in her backyard in Isleton The decision found LodiAssociated Press file in Sacramento County. based Alpine, its owner, “We have a duty to hold In this photo taken May 13, 2004, a foreman watches workers accountable Joel Dozhier, and three of those who act pick fruit in an orchard in Arvin, Calif. its employee pilots liable. with reckless disregard for Phone messages left by The the safety and health of during the second phase of solidated into one case that Associated Press at the compa- the trial, Kronlund said. our community,” said San included five pesticide drift ny’s voicemail were not immeJoaquin County District The California Department incidents, including one in diately returned March 15.

Attorney Tori Verber Salazar. of Justice and the California 2014 when a pesticide drift Pesticide drift is pro“Responsible applicaDepartment of Pesticide in San Joaquin County’s hibited under Food and tions of pesticides are parRegulation and San Joaquin Boulding Island caused at Agricultural Code. Civil amount to protecting our County officials filed two law- least five people to report penalties and a permanent environment while sustainsuits against the company, health problems and led to ing a vibrant agricultural injunction against the defenDozhier and three employees. substantial crop losses.

The suits were later conIn 2017, the company’s economy,” he added. dants will be determined

Pesticide spraying company found liable for chemical drifts Associated Press

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

8 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

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Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 9

| POULTRY |

Why are cage-free eggs becoming the norm?

IT’S WHAT CONSUMERS

WANT

ABOVE: Gregg Fath, of Des Moines, Iowa, looks at eggs in a grocery store cooler on Feb. 4, in Des Moines, Iowa.

LEFT: This photo, taken in 2017, shows cage-free chickens on a Versova farm in Iowa. The nation’s egg producers are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar shift to cage-free eggs that is dramatically changing the lives of millions of hens in response to new laws and demands from restaurant chains.

In a decade, the percentage of hens in cage-free housing has soared from 4% in 2010 to 28% in 2020, and that figure is expected to more than double to about 70% in the next four years

By Scott Mcfetridge Associated Press

D

ES MOINES, Iowa — Without much fuss and even less public attention, the nation’s egg producers are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar shift to cage-free eggs that is dramatically changing the lives of millions of hens in response to new laws and demands from restaurant chains.

The change marks one of the animal welfare movement’s biggest successes after years of battles with the food industry.

The transition has cost billions of dollars for producers who initially resisted calls for more humane treatment of chickens but have since fully embraced

the new reality. Pushed by voter initiatives in California and other states as well as pressure from fast food restaurant chains and major grocers, egg producers are freeing chickens from cages and letting them move throughout hen houses.

“What we producers failed to realize early on was that the people funding all the animal rights activist groups, they were our customers. And at the end of the day, we have to listen to our customers,” said Marcus Rust, the CEO of Indiana-based Rose Acre Farms, the nation’s second-largest egg producer.

Josh Balk, vice president for farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, noted the abruptness of the about face. This is “an entire industry that at one

BELOW: Eggs are displayed in a grocery store cooler earlier this year in Des Moines, Iowa. The shift to eggs from cage-free chickens marks one of the animal welfare movement’s biggest successes after years of battles with the food industry.

Associated Press

point fought tooth and nail not to make any changes,” he said.

To a great extent, the industry concluded it didn’t have another choice.

Beginning in about 2015, McDonald’s, Burger King and other national restaurant chains as well as dozens of grocers and food manufacturers responded to pressure from animal welfare groups by announcing their commitment to cage-free eggs.

That was followed by laws requiring cage-free housing in California and similar rules in at least seven other states — Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon,

Utah and Washington.

McDonald’s, which buys about 2 billion eggs annually, said it gradually shifted to cagefree after concluding it was desired by customers.

Many companies widely promoted their move to cage-free as good for their brand’s image.

Earlier, animal welfare groups, especially the Humane Society, had organized shareholder campaigns, conducted undercover investigations of chicken farms and filed federal complaints.

A Gallup poll from

2015 found that nearly twothirds of Americans thought animals deserved protection from harm and exploitation.

Animal rights groups have made allowing animals room to move a priority in their campaigns, but the results have been mixed.

The pork industry is fighting to block the California initiative that required more space for breeding pigs and veal calves, and a state judge recently delayed implementation of new rules.

The egg industry also initially sought national standards that would allow larger cages but ultimately

relented, said J.T. Dean, president of Iowa-based Versova, a leading egg producer.

Egg companies house about 325 million laying hens, so shifting many out of cages where they couldn’t move and into spaces where they could walk and roost was an expensive proposition, Dean said.

Besides building structures with more space, companies had to figure out how to feed birds that could move about and how to collect their eggs.

More workers and more feed were also needed because hens moving around would work up more of an appetite.

The key, said Dean, was

getting long-term commitments for guaranteed buyers of eggs at a higher price and then finding financing that would work for his company.

“When you start talking about needing billions of dollars, you have to try every avenue you can,” Dean said.

The exact cost of the switch on egg producers is hard to estimate, in part because some updating of buildings and equipment is done periodically anyway. The cost to people at grocery stores is clearer.

Jayson Lusk, who heads the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University, found that after

a mandatory shift on Jan. 1 to cage-free in California, the price of a dozen eggs in the state jumped by 72 cents — or 103% — over the average U.S. price, although the gap could shrink as the market adapts.

At Des Moines’ Gateway Market, which specializes in organic and specialty food, shoppers said they think it’s worth paying more for eggs if it improves lives for hens.

“I feel as though I want the chicken to be happy,” said Mary Skinner of Des Moines. “How would we feel if we were stuck in a cage?”

Gregg Fath, a Des Moines resident who enjoys eating three eggs for breakfast, said he thinks “people are learning to be more aware.”

Looking years into the future, egg company leaders said they think the demand for cheaper eggs from caged hens will remain roughly 25% or more of the market, but Balk at the Humane Society said he expects it to become a tiny percentage of overall sales.

Balk notes that hundreds of national retailers, restaurants, grocers and food manufacturers either have implemented cagefree requirements or plan to do so within a few years.

“This is the future of every state in America,” he said.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| AG EDUCATION |

A new scholarship for Native American students at WSU Fund is for students enrolling in College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences

By Elaine Williams For Farm & Ranch

A new scholarship fund at Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences is intended to help

make higher education more accessible for Native American students.

Northwest Farm Credit Services has donated $50,000 for scholarships for incoming students who are enrolled or are descendants of a tribe at CAHNRS, where 57 of its roughly 2,000 undergraduate students identify as Native American, said Elizabeth Perez, director of recruitment and retention at the college.

The money will help defray the expenses of college, said Perez, noting a single year at WSU for in-state students costs about $25,000 including

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(Tribes) have a deep and abiding connection to our land and our natural resources.”

— ELIZABETH PEREZ, DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT WSU tuition, food, housing, fees and books.

“I just thought this is a missing piece we need to be able to not reach out to communities just to inform, but to also say here are the resources — substantial tangible resources that we can begin to offer to be able to build that bridge,” she said.

Students who meet the criteria and have completed WSU’s general scholarship application form that was due Jan. 31 will be considered, as well as others through a process that is still being established.

Additional information about applying is available by emailing Perez at elizabeth.e.perez@wsu.edu.

The amounts of the scholarships and the number of students who receive them will be determined by the needs of the applicants, she said.

The $50,000 contributed by Northwest Farm Credit Services is anticipated to provide scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year, but the hope is to get more donors so that the scholarships can be offered every year.

“We’re definitely hoping to have this become a long-term commitment to be able to continue to offer

these resources to Native students,” she said. “That’s the intent.”

While WSU has scholarships for Native American students, this appears to be the first time CAHNRS has offered one, she said.

Having a CAHNRS Native American scholarship is important for a variety of reasons, she said.

A number of CAHNRS undergraduate degrees align with interests of tribes, such as those in forest ecology and management and organic and sustainable agriculture, Perez said.

“They tend to consider themselves stewards of the land,” she said, noting the interests of tribes are not monolithic. “They have a deep and abiding connection to our land and our natural resources.”

The addition of the scholarship fund grew from a number of conversations with WSU colleagues, all of whom are eager for it to grow and move forward, Perez said.

“They really care,” she said. “They want to be able to create these opportunities.”

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@ lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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| TECHNOLOGY |

Bill Krzyzanowski of John Deere via Associated Press

This photo, taken in 2021 and provided by John Deere, shows an autonomous tractor plowing a field, without a driver, on a farm in Blue Earth, Minn.

Ahead of D the curve

By Scott McFetridge Associated Press

Tired of waiting for driverless vehicles? Head to a farm

ES MOINES, Iowa — For years Americans have been told autonomous technology was improving and that driverless vehicles were just around the corner.

Finally they’re here, but to catch a glimpse of them, you’ll need to go to a farm rather than look along city streets.

Beginning this fall, green 14-ton tractors that can plow day or night with no one sitting in the cab, or even watching nearby, will come off the John Deere factory assembly line in Waterloo, Iowa, harkening the age of autonomous farming.

The development follows more than a decadelong effort by the world’s largest farm equipment manufacturer,

and marks a milestone for automation advocates, who for years have been explaining why driverless cars aren’t quite ready for prime time.

“I’m glad to see they’re coming out and will stimulate the other technologies,” said Raj Rajkumar, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert in autonomous cars.

Deere isn’t saying yet how much the autonomous tractors will cost but the new technology will be added onto tractors that sell for about $500,000, said Ben Haber, a company spokesman. The company plans to operate the autonomous tractors on 10 to 50 farms by this fall before significantly increasing the number in following years.

For the past decade, the See CURVE, Page 12

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

Curve from Page 11 supposedly imminent debut of autonomous vehicles on city streets and freeways has been repeatedly pushed off as companies struggled to guarantee their safety.

But, Rajkumar notes, tractors have it easier because they don’t need to contend with other vehicles, pedestrians or the complexities of an urban scene. Tractors can make use of consistent GPS data, unlike cars that can lose contact traveling through tunnels or amid tall buildings.

Or as Joel Dawson, a Deere production director, put it, “You aren’t going to see a crosswalk in most cornfields in Iowa or Nebraska.”

Modern tractors already have GPS guides that handle steering and turning to ensure optimum plowing, seeding and harvesting. They also use real-time streams of data to make changes if needed because of soil conditions, the amount of fertilizer applied or other factors.

The autonomous tractor will now let farmers hook up a plow behind a tractor, start the machine with a swipe of a smart phone and then leave it to rumble up and down a field on its own.

The driverless tractors are equipped with six pairs of cameras that work like human eyes and can provide a 360-degree image. When filtered through computer algorithms, the tractor is able to determine where it is in the field and will abruptly stop if there is anything unfamiliar in its path.

Farmers often grow crops on different parcels of land that are miles apart, so while the tractor plows in one field farmers can work at another, drive into town for supplies or spend time with their families at home. Given that less than 2% of Americans work on farms and rural populations have dwindled for decades, the autonomous tractors also are expected to help with

ABOVE and LEFT: These photos, taken in 2021, shows an autonomous tractor plowing a field without a driver, on a farm in Blue Earth, Minn.

The autonomous tractor will now let farmers hook up a plow behind a tractor, start the machine with a swipe of a smart phone and then leave it to rumble up and down a field on its own.

Bill Krzyzanowski of John Deere via Associated Press

chronic labor shortages.

The shift to ever-more sophisticated tractors is part of a movement that emphasizes planting, fertilizing and harvesting during narrow windows of time when conditions are perfect. If new technology can help farmers complete a job when soil and air temperatures are just right ahead of approaching wet

weather, for example, it can mean more plentiful crops months later.

“If I don’t get this field tilled today and it rains tonight, that could mean we don’t get the field planted for another week and that has real cost implications in a lot of operations,” said Ryan Berman, who works on agricultural technology issues at Iowa State University.

“If you can move an extra 80 or 100 acres into that optimal window, that can be worth thousands of dollars every year, probably tens of thousands.

Still, the tractor won’t be for everyone.

Ed Anderson, director of research for the Iowa Soybean Association, cited the substantial cost, and noted that some farmers

prefer hands-on work rather than overseeing operations via a smartphone.

Another industry giant, CNH Industrial, also is developing autonomous capabilities for its Case and New Holland tractors, and other companies are exploring using numerous smaller autonomous machines to handle other farm work.

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 13

Here for hard workers, early risers, and extra milers.

p1fcu.org | 208.746.8900

Let

Idaho Forest Group

help you

achieve your forestry goals.

With our state-of-the-art facilities in Grangeville and Lewiston, we are always in the market for delivered logs.

Glenn Poxleitner 208-983-4190 Grangeville- Lewiston Mac Lefebvre 208-946-6128 Grangeville- Salmon River Jake Keck 208-669-0023 Lewiston Mike Schwartz 208-507-0783 Orofino Mike Reggear 208-755-4476 Orofino

608611

Fire hazard reduction. Forest health. Timber growth. Improved pasture.

14 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

Don’t Throttle Your Yield

% NITROGEN UPTAKE

100

PEAK NITROGEN DEMAND

80

60

40

20

0

37TH ANNUAL QUILT SHOW When the plant NEEDS it most, Rally™ accelerates your crop UP the yield curve with critical foliar nutrition.

Demonstrations • 12 Vendors Raffle Baskets April 23-24, 2022 Saturday 9am-5pm | Sunday 10am-3pm Clarkston High School - 401 Chestnut St., Clarkston Admission is $5 - Raffle Quilt & Basket tickets are $1 ea. or 6 for $5

Feed the NEED. YOUR CROP.

Normal Hill Campus Auditorium (Old LHS) April 1, 2, 8 & 9 7:00 pm April 3 & 10 2:00 pm For tickets and information, visit us at www.lctheatre.org or call 208.746.3401

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

Being a customermember means a lot. This year it pays even more.

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

MORE HAY IN A DAY.

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 15

Vermeer equipment is built tough and known for dependability and value among hay producers who want consistency and smooth performance in all crops and conditions.

It’s no secret that it pays to be a Northwest Farm Credit Services customer-member. This year patronage dividends total $165.2 million. Because when we do well, our customers benefit.

That’s the Northwest Farm Credit difference.

800.743.2125 | northwestfcs.com U E M O U N TA I N

620 Thain Road, Lewiston

(208) 746-6447 2275 Nursery St., Moscow

AGRI-SUPPORT, INC.

(208) 883-3007

Vermeer forage equipment is built tough and known for dependability and value among hay producers Vermeer, the Vermeer logo and Equipped Do More areperformance trademarks of Vermeer in theand U.S. and/or other countries. © 2014 Vermeer who want consistency andtosmooth inManufacturing a variety Company of crops conditions.

Designed for Corporation. ease All Rights Reserved.

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16 | Saturday, March 26, 2022 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | SPRING 2022

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

SPRING SPECIALS FIRE SKIDS & 3-POINT SPRAYERS PUMPS & ENGINES • POLY TANKS • HOSES & FITTINGS

Stor

™

through

AGPRO CONSERVATION DRILLS CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION.

SAVE ON PARTS HERE! Adjuvants containing Stor ™ Technology deliver faster and greater uptake of active ingredient to the target.

The MOST COMPLETE line of liquid storage tanks & material handling supplies IN THE AREA

Marketing & Manufacturing Inc. CHEMICAL & FERTILIZER APPLICATION EQUIPMENT Proudly Serving Our Customers Since 1987 1112 Airway Ave., Lewiston • 800-492-2212 • (208) 746-2212 • agproinc.com

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Defend every acre with

Found in Conform™ and Downrigger™, exclusively at The McGregor Company