5.14.14 Country Life by Lynden Tribune

Country Life

Gardening • CL2 Rodeo • CL3 Plowing Match • CL6

Special Section • Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Dairy farms almost down to 100 in Whatcom Competition for available land is a key factor, but efficiency of farms is high

Dairy farm decrease 2002: 248 2007: 151 2012: 120 2013: 105

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

culture, Whatcom County had 120 dairy farms compared to 151 five years earlier and 248 in 2002. Number of milk cows was 45,562 in 2012 compared to 48,964 in 2007 and 61,457 in 2002. Chuck Timblin, who works with county dairies for the Whatcom Conservation District, recently put the tally of farm operators right at 100. Some of those farmers have more than one farm, however. By far, Whatcom still has the most dairy farms of any

WHATCOM — Sometime this year, if a trend holds true, Whatcom County will have fewer than 100 dairy farms. The number of local milk producers stood at 105 for last November, according to the latest report of William Wise, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s market administrator for the Pacific Northwest. Five years ago, the number was 126. Ten years ago, it was 185. Over time, it’s been on a steady drop. According to the recently released 2012 Census of Agri-

See Dairy on CL4

The new Lynden Christian greenhouse opened three weeks ago, at the start of the busy plant sale season. Here Curt DeHaan, LC’s FFA director, and Karen Hoogerhyde, plant sale manager, stand on either side of Will Vander Hage of the Mt. Baker Rotary Club, a group that donated $15,000 toward the greenhouse. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

Hi Hoe Nursery sells land, owners moving After 37 years on Northwood Road, May 30 is final day for Craig and Sharon Hougen

New LC greenhouse expands education

Craig and Sharon Hougen, owners of Hi Hoe Nursery on Northwood Road, have built does bring with it some rough thoughts. But it isn’t anything that a little sunshine and time with family can’t cure. The Hougens, who have run Hi Hoe for 40 years, 37 at the current Northwood Road location, will close the nursery for good on May 30. They will pack up and move to East Wenatchee to live near the

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — Leaving behind a 40-year-old business and pretty much everything

See HiHoe on CL3

Mt. Baker Rotary and student plant sales funded new structure

new 1,200-square-foot greenhouse about three weeks ago, more than doubling its greenhouse space and creating all kinds of new opportunities not only for the high schoolers, but also for students throughout the system. “We are expanding the growing opportunities and learning lab experiences,” said Curt DeHaan, the high school’s FFA director. Tossing up a new greenhouse was a learning opportunity in itself. Funded by a generous $15,000 donation from the local Mt. Baker Rotary Club — the same group that funded creation of

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — As Lynden Christian horticulture students design and create 175 hanging baskets and pots aplenty for their annual plant sale, they can now do so with plenty of elbow room. Lynden Christian School opened a

the original 800-square-foot greenhouse in the early 1990s — and proceeds from past year’s plant sales, the greenhouse parts shipped in late fall. Early in 2014 both horticulture and shop students at LCHS helped in the process, led by De Young & Roosma Construction. Along with the new greenhouse that sits adjacent to the already existing one, LC added a new plant sale area to replace the one that was displaced by the construction. See Greenhouse on CL2

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Country Life 2 • Wednesday, May 14, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Greenhouse: Creates space Continued from CL1 Every year, the spring horticulture students create 175 baskets, design pots and offer up premium annuals, basket stuffers and bedding plants from about midApril until at least mid-May, a roughly five-week process overseen by Karen Hoogerhyde that has seen a growth in community support, she said. An LC-only service allows customers to bring in empty pots and have the students design and fill those pots. Now there’s ample space

for the process. In a shift from decades ago, DeHaan said many of the students no longer have the opportunity to work with plants or vegetables at home, so creating more space on campus for that experience increases both practical lab scenarios and educational opportunities. Also, as the local agriculture economy continues to shift from dairy farming to raspberry and blueberry farming, there’s a natural interest in learning about horticulture, whether for that line

of work or for plenty other professions that can be more easily taught now at LC. Hoogerhyde said that already the LC preschoolers and second graders used the existing greenhouse for either Mother’s Day projects or small workshops. She now hopes to expand those opportunities to more grades, including a service-minded community garden idea with the junior high students. As the greenhouse at Lynden Christian has grown, so will the student opportunities to grow plants.

Inside the new greenhouse sits remaining hanging baskets designed and filled by Lynden Christian horticulture students. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

Winning team

Lynden Christian FFA won the state Agriculture Mechanics contest April 17 and will represent the state of Washington at nationals in October. From left are: Dakotah Olcott (seventh place individual), Clayton Polinder (first), adviser Gerrit Van Weerdhuizen, Tim Huizenga (sixth), Cole Stump (14th) and Patrick Kelly. (Courtesy

In Bloom

Simple steps for gardening success By David Vos

We’ve all heard it a thousand times: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Nowhere is this truer than in gardening. From the basics of planting to proper nutrition to dealing with pests and disease, gardening is a hobby that is best enjoyed when done right. As you get going this month with planting and caring for your garden, here are some tips to make the season enjoyable. After you’ve made your decisions on what to plant — and admittedly, for gardeners, that can be the hardest part! — be sure to plant properly. Whether annuals, perennials, shrubs or trees, most plants will grow better if planted in a hole slightly shallower than the depth of the soil in the pot in which they were grown. Remember my grandma’s saying: “Plant it too high, it will not die; plant it too low, it will not grow.” Very few plants thrive when planted too deep (a major exception being tomatoes), so if anything, err on the side of planting too shallow and watch how much better your plants grow. Next, make an effort to give your plants the proper nutrition. With today’s smaller yards, hanging baskets and container gardens have become the norm in gardening. Unlike flowers planted in the ground, however, baskets and pots require more water and, consequently, more fertilizer. As you enjoy the beauty of the hanging baskets you’ve proudly hung outside your front door this month, remember to water and feed regularly.

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Plan to water hanging baskets daily until the basket begins to drip. The amount of water you’ll use will vary widely throughout the season, so don’t expect that the amount of water you give the basket on a cloudy day in June will be adequate on a hot August day. Feed your containers and hanging baskets once a week. Annuals are hungry plants and in order to keep growing and blooming they need to be fed regularly. Now, any fertilizer is better than none, but many gardeners who have tried products other than the ones coming in the famous green and yellow package will tell you there are better fertilizers out there. For the best results, I trust Jack’s Classic watersoluble fertilizer, alternating between an all-purpose blend and blossom-boosting blend each week. Doing so will not only keep your plants growing strong but also increase the quantity, size and vibrancy of your flowers. If you plant a lot of petunias or million bells, Jack’s Petunia Feed is another beneficial fertilizer to satisfy these iron-hungry plants. Looking ahead to summer, chances are you’ll have pests to deal with, so remember “an ounce of prevention...” and take some simple steps this month to deal with them preemptively. Before slugs get the best of your hostas, petunias and marigolds, spread some

organic slug bait like Sluggo. Nothing ruins a good day in gardening like discovering your prized plants eaten beyond recognition, so apply some bait before disaster strikes. Finally, keep your plants growing strong this season by treating to keep bugs away. For many flowering shrubs, a systemic insecticide like Bayer Rose & Flower Care will prevent infestations for six weeks; for the vegetable garden, a treatment of insect dust at the time of planting will safely keep the “extra protein” off your broccoli and lettuce and let your plants grow without bugs ruining the crop. As with any other worthwhile endeavor, gardening will give the most rewards when done right, so take some simple steps this month and enjoy a healthy, productive gardening season ahead. David Vos is the general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery in Lynden.

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Country Life 3 • Wednesday, May 14, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Dry beans come to local schools’ menu They’re also being planted in school gardens this spring MOUNT VERNON — May is Dry Bean Month in the Whatcom Farm-toSchool program and, as part of the focus on nutrition, a WSU Mount Vernon graduate student is giving several fourthgrade classes a taste of what that colorful pulse crop is all about. “We’re offering our lessons as part of the enhanced curriculum the Farm-toSchool program provides to teachers with regard to the crop of the month,” said Kelly Ann Atterberry, who is in her second year of her master’s degree project at WSU Mount Vernon. In her first year, she worked with students in Ferndale and Bellingham. This year, she is working with Kendall and Anacortes students. “This is all about bringing awareness to the schools, where through the National School Lunch Program many children are served meals that must comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition Standards for School Meals,” Atterberry said. The USDA healthy food standards include serving one-half cup of pulses per student each week. Pulses are part of the legume family — plants which have seeds enclosed in a pod — and include dried peas, edible beans, lentils and chickpeas. Pulses are high in protein and fiber (approximately six times that of brown rice) and low in fat content, according to Atterberry. “Dry beans are wonderful because they are a vegetable and a source of protein, and the bean seeds come in a rainbow of colors, which are not only beautiful to look at but provide various phytonutrients,” said Atterberry. “But not many children are familiar with them as a

food choice. Through the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum for fourth graders, the Farm-toSchool program is able to demonstrate to students, teachers and parents that dried beans are inexpensive, taste good and are easy to grow, she said. Under the tutelage of her WSU Mount Vernon faculty advisor, Vegetable Horticulture Program leader Carol Miles, Atterberry has developed the School Garden-Based Education Program as part of her M.S. thesis. It is titled “Nutrition Education and School Garden Projects with K-12 Students to Promote Consumption of Pulses.” According to Miles, the WSU Mount Vernon school garden curriculum is the only one in the United States that focuses on pulses. “Utilizing dry beans in a school garden-based education program provides a unique opportunity to focus on improving the health of our school children, many of whom are suffering from dietrelated conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” Miles said. “The challenge is, how do you get kids to eat what’s good for them?” The school garden-based education program takes on that challenge, starting with three lessons geared to the summer dry bean planting season May 15 through June 1. In Lesson 1, Predicting Germination, the students plant and observe the bean seeds. In Lesson 2, The Bean Life Cycle in the School Garden, students calculate the percentage of germinated seeds. Lesson 3, Classroom Activity on Dietary Fiber, includes nutrition education in the classroom and focuses on measuring and graphing plant height in the school garden. The curriculum is comprised of those hands-on lessons as well as a cooking video; recipes including a Midnight

Black Bean Cake that got an A-plus grade from faculty, staff, and student taste testers; and a WSU Extension fact sheet geared to parents and teachers on “Growing Dry Beans in Home Gardens.” “Our curriculum combines nutrition education with math and biology activities that get the students excited about trying something new outside the traditional classroom setting,” Atterberry said. “What’s great about the pulse cooking demonstration video (available on YouTube) is that the kids can use it at home and get their parents involved. “The more times the students are introduced to a new food, and the more familiar they become with it, the more likely they are to try it when it’s offered to them through the school lunch program,” she said. This month, Atterberry is presenting the curriculum materials to a total of five fourth-grade classrooms — two classes in the Mount Baker School District at Kendall Elementary School, where according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Washington State Report Card almost all students receive free or reduced-price meals; and three classes in the Anacortes School District at Mount Erie Elementary School, where over 30 percent of students receive free or reduced-price meals. Although Mount Erie Elementary is not part of the Whatcom Farm-to-School program, Atterberry said, she was invited to share her curriculum there after a master gardener with the Anacortes Community Gardens recommended it to one of the fourth-grade teachers. “Our goal by fall is to have 10 classrooms working on the next phase: harvesting and threshing,” Atterberry said. “What’s really important is that we’re getting the word out that beans are really nutritious, and they taste good.”

Hi Hoe: Saying farewell to the west side Continued from CL1 couple’s three children and four grandchildren. “I’m leaving behind everything I’ve ever done,” Craig said. “That is the hard part. It was a cornfield when we bought the property years back. Everything here we put here.” But he has no regrets about anything. “The people have all been good, except for two,” he said, and whether or not he was joking was hard to tell. “It is hard to leave. It really is. We are really excited for the next challenge. It is important and we are at the age that now is the time to go if we are going to do it. And we need to do it.” The Hougens have sold the Hi Hoe land. And while Craig wouldn’t disclose who the buyer is, it won’t remain a nursery. Annexed into Lynden city limits in recent years, the land is in the path of residential development that is already changing the area. Craig and Sharon are building a home in East Wenatchee, something that has been in the works for some time. The Hougens

started telling customers about the move last fall, but will use the next two weeks to clear as many plants from the property as possible. Craig even took 20-year-old stock plants and potted them up for sale, saying there are still plenty of products to sell. As far as the next step, Craig won’t say the couple is retiring, just that they will enjoy the break from the intensity of running a nursery. “I’m really looking forward to no clock,” he said. “This is our life. We have winters off, but all we do is building something for the next year.” But even with the thought of freeing up time, Craig admits it is rough to close it out. “It really is, I won’t try to sweeten that any,” he said. “It has been a good ride. If I had family here, then we’d just continue on. That is the long and short of it. We better do this way before we have to use walkers. We are well blessed to have the opportunity to do it. I’ve met some wonderful people here and I’ll miss that. I can play with my plants elsewhere.”

Kayla Tjoelker named 2014 Miss Lynden Rodeo

Kayla Tjoelker grew up in the Lynden area. LYNDEN — Kayla Tjoelker, a lifelong Whatcom County resident, was named 2014 Miss Lynden Rodeo. Tjoelker was raised on a dairy farm on West Badger Road by Larry and DeeDee Tjoelker with her two older brothers, Kyle and Kory. She is a 2010 graduate of Lynden Christian High School. She grew up learning the western way of life, a lifestyle where faith and family cross trails, according to her rodeo bio. Growing up, she enjoyed cow shows, horseback riding and an annual bike-a-thon benefitting research for Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that she shares with her brother. Kayla’s true passion is competing in gaming events on her horse Emmett. She is an aspiring barrel racer and dreams joining the ranks of the professional cowgirls of the PRCA. Kayla’s mission is to be a role model. She wants to reach out to those who may never own a horse and promote the values of the western lifestyle so dear to her and she said it is an honor and a dream come true to serve and represent Lynden and the PRCA as Miss Lynden Rodeo. Tjoelker said she “can’t wait to begin my journey as Miss Lynden Rodeo” and is looking forward to representing her hometown in the sport she loves. — Tim Newcomb

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Country Life 4 • Wednesday, May 14, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Dairy: The farm decline doesn’t mean an efficiency drop Continued from CL1 county in the state — over a quarter of the total 382. But it’s a far cry from the hundreds that once peppered the north county agricultural crescent from Ferndale to Sumas. “The 1990s were when we saw a lot of farms go out,” said Timblin. At the fringes, he noted, only five dairy farms are left west of Interstate 5 and only four remain east of Sumas. Darigold is the dominant processor of all that

about 70 dairies but produces almost three times as much milk as Whatcom. Dairy farming in general has seen a shift to drier climates. Although Whatcom is blessed with “good cow weather,” said Lynden dairyman Rod DeJong — and therefore has always had high production per cow, topping 23,000 pounds per year — several factors operate as minuses. One is demand for available land, especially by another booming aspect of local agriculture — raspber-

Like others in Whatcom, the DeJongs keep heifers near Quincy in drier eastern Washington. All three sons went to liberal-arts college, getting degrees in business, engineering and geology. But there are good reasons to come back to Whatcom County, be on a farm and raise families here, their dad believes. “There’s still something about the independence of being your own owner and operator,” DeJong said. A downside can be the

Statewide Comparison Months of January

Year

Dairy Farms

Milk Production (million pounds)

Whatcom

State

Whatcom

State

2004

179

576

106.7

438.2

2014

105

383

83.7

531.8

milk from Whatcom County’s dairy farms. Company spokeswoman Michelle Carter is quick to point out that while the number of farms has gone down over the years, the efficiency of milk production from farms has gone up. For instance, she said, while 576 state dairy farms in January 2004 produced 438 million pounds of milk, nearly one-quarter fewer farms, 383, produced nearly 21.5 percent more milk, 532 million pounds, in January 2014. Much of the statewide increase comes from Yakima County, which has only

ries and blueberries. “Who knew that we’d be competing for the land with berries like we are? That is a big thing in Whatcom County in terms of putting out (dairy) farms. A lot of this is there is just not the land base,” DeJong said. The soil here is ideal for berry growing, with more cash return per acre, while dairy farmers can look elsewhere for land. In drier areas, the environmental regulations on manure management, for instance, are not as burdensome as in a wet climate. Also, the cost of and access to feed for cattle is often better.

amount of time that needs to be put in, as owner-operators, away from family and compared to friends who are in more conventional hourly jobs. The milking schedule is round the clock at the large DeJong Eaglemill farm. Even if not directly involved in milking, there is always much to do. “There’s just so much that you have to do all the time. You just have to be around,” DeJong said. Matt Eldridge has a different story. He chose to enter into Whatcom dairying from a background of working around dairies in northern California.

Whatcom County Dairy Industry Months of November, 1997-2013

Year

Dairy Farms

Milk Production

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

255 240 228 --202 193 185 178 164 150 135 126 119 119 119 112 105

97.6 106.3 109.6 --109.8 103.2 100.6 97.5 94.0 89.4 90.5 87.0 82.3 80.7 80.9 80.2 76.6

(million pounds)

Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service He and his wife Robyn, now with two young sons, turned a rundown 30-acre farm on Leibrant Road east of Everson into a 170-cow state-of-the-art operation that produces milk for Or-

ganic Valley and is featured on the company website. “I always liked farms. It looked like something we could do,” he says. The dairying lifestyle offers both challenge and

fulfillment for work and family, Matt said. “The demands of the job and what it takes to be a farmer — cows, equipment, plants — it’s just a great challenge,” he said.

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Country Life 5 • Wednesday, May 14, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

MiElkE Market

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10 counties in Washington represented

Base April price will be $24.31 per hundred pounds

LYNDEN — The 26th Whatcom County Youth Fair was held at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds April 4-5 with 644 participants representing Whatcom and 10 other counties in the state. These special awards, trophies and rosettes were given out: Rich Waldemar, Sr. Inspirational Award — Kaylee Cain of Everson and Zach Placzek of Sunnyside. Bob Veenstra Inspirational Award — Tyler Robinson of Lynden and Aimee Raynor ofFerndale. Black and White Ribbon, presented by a commissioner from the Washington State Fairs Association — Gwynne Top for the Country Crafts and Horticulture Division. Special Division Awards, judged and presented by Whatcom North Rotary members — Edith Valdez and Kristin Cain for the Dog Division, Ally Bagley and Still Life Division for the Entrepreneurs. Jay Paul Memorial Scholarship for $500 — Ally Bagley of Ferndale for further education in an agriculture-related field. Mark Stap Memorial Scholarship for $200 — Amy Judge of Custer for help with her livestock project. Mark Stap Project Animal Grant — Elizabeth Fuller of Blaine to help buy a project animal. 4-H Livestock Judging Contest winners, Senior — Zach Wilson of Stanwood; Intermediate — Zane Gavette of Everson; Junior — Isaac Shaw of Friday Harbor; and Top Oral Reasons — Juan Gavette Trophies and Rosettes were awarded in divisions as follows: Best Alpacas/Llamas: showman — Cameron Park of Bellingham and Emily Schneider of Bellingham. Most improved — Abby Hays of Bellingham. Beef Showmanship: Ad-

vanced — Brynne Wilson of Stanwood, Intermediate — Gracie Johnson of Stanwood and Maria Gobbato of Blaine; Novice — Emily Kooiman of Bellingham and Abby Schroeder of Sequim. Cavy: Overall Showman — Abby Mangum of Bellingham; Reserve — Zion Bowers of Ferndale. Chess: Dusty and Houston Conley of Mount Vernon. Country Crafts & Horticulture: Molly Lenssen of Deming, Abigail Thompson of Bellingham, Alissa Vander Haak of Lynden and Bret VanderVeen of Everson. Dairy Fitting and Showing: Class 1 — Allysen Snell of Ferndale and Maya Armacost of Moses Lake; Class 2 — Joe VanderHaak of Lynden, Briggs Snell of Ferndale; Class 3 — Braxton Van Loo of Lynden and Jewell Plagerman; Class 4 — Ruby Vander Haak of Lynden and Kolton Meek of Rochester; Class 5 — Helena VanEss of Snoqualamie and Chelsea Zender of Deming; Class 6 — Kara Teachman of SeaTac and Micah Oostra of Blaine; Class 7 — Amanda Rittgers of Everson and Caitlin Meek of Rochester. Dairy Type: Best of Show — a Jersey, Haak-Haven Tequila Nola, shown by Ruby Vander Haak of Lynden. Entrepreneurship: Emmy and Grace Krontje of Lynden and Rosalyn Wollman of Lynden. Homemaking: Damara Gerbrant of Lynden and Rachel Einfeld of Blaine. Horses: Herdsmanship — Hannah McDonald’s team of Rebekah McDonald of Bellingham, Clara Lund of Bellingham, Olivia Wieringa of Burlington and Hailey Wikstrom of Lake Stevens; Rachel BeBee’s team of Rachel Pierson, Skyleigh James of Bellingham and Martha Lum of Orcas. Top Teen Leaders: Emma McKay of Lynden, Hannah McDonald of Bellingham and Riley Edmonds of Blaine. Top Teen Leader, Fitting and Showing: Aimee Henderson. Lawn Mower Pulling: 500# Class — Joshua Price of

Lynden, 750# Class — Aric Vander Haak of Lynden, 1000# Class – Ethan Heutink-Chamness of Ferndale. Jay Paul Inspirational Trophy — Aric Vander Haak. Management: Owen Moles of Bellingham. Photography: Olivia Shannon of Bellingham, Micah Moeller of Everson, Daniel Greer of Lynden. Posters and Educational Displays: Primary — Hale VanDyk of Lynden, Junior — Jewell Plagerman of Lynden; intermediate — Tyler Anderson of Bellingham and Bion Phelps of Friday Harbor; Senior — Julianne Leclaire of Mount Vernon and Kolby Williams of Bellingham, Educational Trifold Display — Kara Teachman of SeaTac. Poultry: trophy and medal winners — Jamie Kness of Burlington, Suzanne Moles of Bellingham, Tina Raynor of Ferndale, Maggie McCraken of Burlington and Haley Reed of Bellingham. Top Teen Leader — Aimee Raynor of Ferndale. Rodeo: Belt Buckles to Anna Johner of Blaine, David Karber of Custer, Jeremiah Pahlka of Ferndale and Walker DeWaard of Lynden. Rosettes to Shay Knutson of Sedro Woolley, Canyon James of Bellingham and Daniel Enfeld of Blaine. Round Robin: Overall winner — Zane Gavette of Everson. Sheep: Laura England of Custer, Micah Kooiman of Bellingham, Tanner Mezo of Deming and Sophia. Teen Leaders: Lindsay Elred of Bellingham, Isaac Placzek of Camano Island, and Kody Tiemersma of Lynden. Weaving: Thomas LebitzBraden of Ferndale. No names available at press time for Cats, Dogs, Goats, Knitting, Rabbits, Swine and Woolcrafts. Thank you, Lynden Tribune, for printing Youth Fair information and pictures! — from board and manager Chris Paul

included in the 2012 Ag Census data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here is some of the data: • Whatcom ranks eighth in the state for value of agricultural production and is easily the largest county on the west side of the state. • Whatcom’s ag value

grew by 9.5 percent between 2007 and 2012. • Land in farms totaled 115,831 acres, which indicates a dramatic slowdown in the erosion of farmed acres that had been seen in previous decades. — May 2014 Whatcom Farm Friends’ Farm Friends E-News

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2012 Census: Whatcom’s ag value grew 9.5 percent in 5 years LYNDEN — Farming data specific to Whatcom County is

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4-H Reports BARNYARD KIDS Reporter: Luke Wolfisberg On Thursday, May 1, Barnyard Kids 4-H Club held its annual meeting. As president Liam Kroontje was absent, vicepresident Per Wolfisberg led the meeting, calling it to order at 7:12 p.m. Kai Wolfisberg and Michael Bareman led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H Pledge. As there were no minutes or treasurer’s report, we moved on to project reports. Rafe Wolfisberg, Caleb Bareman and Juli Dickinson told about themselves and their main project,

and took questions. Luke Wolfisberg then talked about the Whatcom County Youth Fair, which was held on April 4-5. Juli, Rafe and Michael reported on the Milk Makers Fest, State Quiz Bowl and Evergreen Junior Dairy Show, respectively. In old business, members said which Youth Fair class they enjoyed the most. We then had an open discussion on what to do about our late May/early June meeting. We decided to have a hot dog barbecue combined with flower box planting on May 29. Our leader, Joanne Odens, then mentioned

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nature wines. All proceeds raised will go toward programs for students at the pre-K through sixth grade school at 2377 Douglas Rd. For tickets or more information, call the school at 778-3681.

on the week and 42.5 cents above a year ago. Only one rail car sold on the week, with the gains all coming on unfilled bids. NDPSR butter fell a dime, to $1.8631 per pound. Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed May 2 at $1.7775, down 3.25 cents on the week. NDPSR powder averaged $2.0173, up 0.6 cent, and dry whey averaged 68.72 cents, up 0.8 cent. Dan McBride of the Northwest Dairy Association made these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend April $24.31 $23.50 (current) May $22.90 $23.20 June $21.50 $22.25 July $20.40 $21.20 Aug. $20.00 $20.80 Sept. $19.80 $20.60 Oct. $19.50 $20.20 Nov. $19.10 $19.60 Dec. $18.60 $19.30 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly and associate editor of DairyBusiness Update.

that a few people still had to reenroll for the 2013-14 4-H year. The Farmers Day Parade will be held on June 7. We will have a tractor-pulled float with several animals, along with candy for spectators. The Dickinson, Oostra and Odens families will take care of the float preparation. We were then reminded that dairy certificates will be due by June 1. To finish up the meeting, Mrs. Odens handed out awards to all who participated in the 84th Hoard’s Dairyman Judging Contest.

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FERNDALE — The June 7 Spring Farm to Table event benefitting Pioneer Meadows Montessori School will feature appetizers prepared by award-winning Willows Inn chef Blaine Wetzel. This full-meal, limitedseating event will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at beautiful Loganita Farm on scenic Lummi Island. Tickets are on sale now for $90 each. The meal will feature pasture-raised lamb, locally grown seasonal vegetables, artesian breads, handmade desserts (courtesy of Scratch Desserts), all paired with sig-

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on April 30 announced an all-time record high price of $24.31 per hundredweight (cwt.) for the April Federal Order Class III milk price. That’s up 98 cents from March and $6.72 above April 2013, equating to about $2.09 per gallon to the farmer. That will likely be the peak for 2014 as Class III futures settled Friday afternoon, May 2, as follows: May, $22.75; June, $21.55; July, $20.55; August, $19.94; September, $19.87; October, $19.51; November, $19.05; and December, $18.62. The Class III average for 2014 now stands at $23.04 per cwt., far above the $17.48 at this time a year ago, $16.14 in 2012 and $16.69 in 2011. The April Class IV price is $23.34 per cwt., down 32 cents from March but $5.24 above a year ago. Its 2014 average now stands at $23.19, up from $17.81 a year ago, $15.66 in 2012 and $18.50 in 2011. The four-week cheese price, as surveyed by the National Dairy Products Sales Report and used in calculating these milk prices, was $2.3547 per pound, up 8.6 cents from March. Butter averaged $1.9227, up 6.7 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $2.0191, down 7.1 cents, and dry whey averaged 67.74 cents, up 2.2

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cents. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced that state’s April Class 4b cheese milk price at $21.73 per cwt., down 43 cents from March but $4.81 above April 2013. It is also a stunning $2.58 below the comparable Federal Order Class III price, the largest gap since January 2012, despite California’s mandated milk price increases due to end in July. This gap is sure to fuel the Federal Order fires in the Golden State. The 4b average now stands at $21.34, up from $15.80 at this time a year ago, $13.69 in 2012 and $15.13 in 2011. The April 4a butterpowder milk price is $23.31 per cwt., down 6 cents from March but $5.29 above a year ago. The 4a 2014 average is now at $22.97, up from $17.75 a year ago, $15.44 in 2012 and $18.22 in 2011. Western cheese production is steady to building slowly, depending on local milk intakes. Manufacturers report that production is in balance with current orders. Blocks and barrels are not at burdensome levels. Export orders have slowed, but continue to be a factor in managing stocks. Buyers are keeping a close eye on price fluctuations and taking advantage of lower prices. The overall market tone is for anticipated lower prices, but uncertainty remains concerning at what level. Cash butter saw a second week of gain, soaring above $2 per pound for the first time since April 1, and closed Friday at $2.0750, up 16.5 cents

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Horse-drawn plowers at Berthusen Saturday Four generations of Shagrens have participated Grandpa Bill, riding, and two grandsons will plow this year By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

CUSTER — One household is definitely getting ready this week for the annual plowing event. The Shagren family has been participating for four generations. “It’s a family thing,” Craig Shagren acknowledged. Craig was helping out — but not much — on Monday as son Dak, 19, drove a team of 5-year-old Belgian draft horses named Maverick and Jet through some conditioning on the family property off Stein Road. Parts of the practice field had already been plowed up.

This was meant to be an easier day on the horses, dragging just a sled alongside the furrows. That way, the team gets a feel for their routine and what’s expected of them and Dak can sense how they’re working together, father explained. It is much more difficult when the plowman’s hands must be on the plow and he manages any control of the horses just by a tug on the reins from his waist. But the well-trained horse team “knows” the driver’s slightest signals, Craig said. This will be the first year Dak will compete in the adult class. Younger brother Trey will be in the youth class. And for a first time, dad or grandpa Bill Shagren Jr. — who has been in plenty of Lynden International Plowing Matches in his own right — will compete in the riding

Dak Shagren guides two of the family’s Belgian draft horses through some conditioning on Monday. (Calvin Bratt/ Lynden Tribune)

plow class at age 70. Craig himself has won five or six of the competitions. So it’s time to help his

From left, Cauy, Craig, Bill Jr. and Dak Shagren, also brother Trey, keep up the family horsing tradition. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

three sons do it. “That’s what I like to see. It’s a tradition to keep going if they’re willing to do it,” he said. This could be considered the kickoff of the busy season for a draft horseowning family. From now through September, there will be shows and fairs and parades to go to, from Chilliwack, B.C., to Puyallup. The Shagren Belgians are sponsored by Northwest Propane. A six-horse hitch pulling the sponsor’s colorful wagon is attention-getting anytime. Craig is thankful that dad Bill Jr. is around home daytime to do a lot of the regular duties with the farm’s 10 Belgians, which can each consume 40 to 50 pounds of hay per day. It so happens that all of the 10 are purchased geld-

Cable TV’s ‘RFD’ to film at Lynden plowing match More eyes will be seeing the beautiful draft horse plowing action that Lynden hosts each year. A film crew from cable TV’s RFD channel is planning to come to the 73rd annual International Plowing Match this Saturday, May 17, at Berthusen Park. The airing will be titled “Gentle Giants.” The channel features rural lifestyle programming, with Pam Minick hosting the American Rancher segments. The plowing action starts at 10 a.m. Enter to parking off West Badger Road on the west end of the park. Admission is free.

ings off of Midwest Amish farms at age 2 or 3 after they have been lightly broken in to harnesses. That seems to suit Shagren’s purposes best, and so there are no horse babies on the farm. As for Bill Jr., he says he

is happy just to be the helper now. “I love this, helping the kids out so they can go to college and play basketball,” he said. That is, until the plowing match rolls around again.

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