Country Life September 2014

Country Life A7• Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Learning how it is done

Self-guided Farm Tour is Saturday See local food bounty at 12 stops

Andy Enfield, right, explains the diverse berry operations of Enfield Farms Inc. west of Lynden to a visiting Farm Service Agency group on Sept. 3. From left are Gerri Richter, Dwaine Shettler, Rod Hamilton, all of FSA’s Spokane office, and Larry DeHaan, Lynden dairy farmer on the statewide FSA board. The group of about 12 also visited Cascade Mushrooms, BelleWood Acres apple farm and DeHaan’s dairy on Jackman Road. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

Decisions due, as new farm bill kicks in Margin protection program for dairy farmers explained U.S. dairy farmers face big decisions before the end of November regarding the government’s new “safety net,” the Margin Protection Program. Final details were announced by USDA last week.

The program is designed to help “small to medium size dairy operations” by protecting dairy margins as opposed to previous programs designed more to protect prices.

Sign-up will run through Nov. 28 for the last four months of 2014 and all of calendar year 2015. Future sign-ups will run from July 1 to Sept. 30 with the next available period not until the summer of 2015. Details are available from local Farm Service Agency offices or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool.

A National Milk Producers Federation press release adds that there is a $100 signup fee for each calendar year, which qualifies a farmer to receive free, basic margin insurance coverage. Once farmers pay that fee, they are enrolled in the MPP for its duration, through 2017, and must annually pay at least the $100 fee.

The MPP allows farmers to protect the margin between milk prices and feed costs.

Producers will insure their margins on a sliding scale.

They must decide annually both how much of their milk

production to cover (from 25 percent up to 90 percent) and the level of margin they wish to protect.

Basic coverage, at a margin of $4 per hundredweight, is offered at no cost. Above that level, coverage is available in 50-cent increments up to $8 per cwt. Premiums are fixed for five years, but will be discounted by 25 percent in 2014 and 2015 for annual farm production volumes up to 4 million pounds. Premium rates are higher at production levels above 4 million pounds.

“Importantly,” says National Milk, “USDA agreed that the lower premiums will apply to the first 4 million pounds of a farm’s enrolled annual milk production, regardless of the farm’s total production. For example, a farm with an an-

nual production history of 8 million pounds that elects to cover 50 percent of its production history would pay the lower rate on all 4 million pounds enrolled in the program. Farmers will be able to change their coverage (the percentage of milk insured, as well as margin level) on an annual basis, with USDA establishing a 90-day enrollment window of July 1 to Sept. 30 each year after 2014.”

The MPP’s margin definition is the national all-milk price, minus national average feed costs, computed by a formula NMPF developed using the prices of corn, soybean meal and alfalfa hay. Farms in the program will be assigned a production history consisting of their highest milk production in either 2011, 2012

or 2013. A farm’s production history will increase each year after the farm first signs up, based on the average growth in national milk production.

Any production expansion on an individual farm above the national average cannot be insured.

When the margins announced by USDA for the consecutive two-month periods (January-February, MarchApril, May-June, etc.) fall below the margin protection level selected by the producer (from $8/cwt. down to $4), the program will pay farmers the difference on one-sixth (or See Bill on A8

WHATCOM ­— The free and self-guided annual Whatcom County Farm Tour, a chance to see veggies grown, cheeses, heritage meats, wine and more in the local area, will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.

This is the participant list: • Appel Farms, 6605 Northwest Rd. — Now with a new cheese shop and fresh cheeses from a 900-cow dairy.

• BelleWood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian Rd. — Apples, cider, distillery, train rides and more.

• Bellingham Country Gardens, 2838 Kelly Rd. — Familygrown flowers, veggies and spray-free hand-picked berries.

• Bellingham Farmers Market — A meeting place for farmers, locals and entrepreneurs all about fresh produce, food and crafts.

Cascadia Mushrooms, 4771 Aldrich Rd. — Organically grown gourmet and medicinal mushrooms.

• Cloud Mountain Farm Center, 6906 Goodwin Rd. — Come see how they grow fruits, veggies, ornamentals and trials in this nursery, workshop and living laboratory.

• Everybody’s Store & Gar-

den, 5465 Potter Rd. — An exotic grocery store in Van Zandt, growing fresh produce out back and offering a selection of cheeses, wine, meats and baked goods.

• Ferndale Public Market ­ A quality, affordable and fun outdoor market with handselected farmers, artisans and crafters.

• Heritage Lane Farm, 9333 Guide Meridian Rd. — Raising local, sustainable, pesticidesfree heirloom veggies, rare breed lamb and pork.

• Inspiration Farm, 619 E. Laurel Rd. — A beyond organic farm working to co-create an environment for holistic and sustainable living for trees, plants, animals, worms, bugs and humans.

• Samson Estates Winery, 1861 Van Dyk Rd. — A small family-owned winery using berries grown on the Samson Farm.

• Triple Wren Farm, 1197 Willey’s Lake Rd. — Committed to growing the highest quality fresh flowers and vegetables, right in the middle of Sm’apples orchard.

Pick up a tour guide with stop descriptions and a map at Whatcom Farmers Co-op stores or any Whatcom County library or visitor center.

For details, visit sustainableconnections.org.

Reaching a new audience

Translated, it means that Maberry Packing needs more workers for the job of pruning raspberry canes. Several of the signs, in Spanish, will be up near company fields to try to get enough of a crew for the wintertime task, said the Maberry office. Increasingly, the pruning skill is in high demand for the 9,000 acres of raspberries in Whatcom County. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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A8 • Wednesday, September 10, 2014 • lyndentribune.com

In Bloom

Make the most of fall and winter color

By David Vos

The Feddema dairy farm on Double Ditch Road north of Lynden rests quietly in a sunset glow on Monday. The farm of brothers Ted and Arnold is where current Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador Amanda Howe gained her dairying skills and knowledge. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

MiElkE Market

Milk price jumps 65 cents

By Lee Mielke lkmielke@juno.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the August Federal Order Class III benchmark milk price at $22.25 per hundredweight (cwt.), up 65 cents from July, $4.34 above August 2013 and $2.29 above the comparable California 4b cheese milk price. It equates to about $1.91 per gallon.

And more profit is likely to come next month as the September futures contract settled Sept. 4 at $24.28 before heading back down in its seasonal descent.

The 2014 Class III average now stands at $22.49, up in this remarkable run from $17.72 a year ago and $16.23 in 2012.

Looking beyond September, the October contract price settled at $22.67; November, $20.49; and December, $19.47. That would result in a 2014 average of $22.24, up from $17.99 in 2013 and $17.44 in 2012.

The superlative prices are bringing back some profit to dairy producers and making 2014 a banner year.

The August Class IV price is a record-high $23.89 per cwt., up 11 cents from July and $4.82 above a year ago.

The Class IV eight-month average now stands at $23.28, up from $18.37 a year ago and $14.95 in 2012.

The four-week National Dairy Products Sales Reportsurveyed cheese price average used to calculate this month’s class prices was $2.1074 per pound, up 5.9 cents from July.

Butter averaged $2.5206, up 17.3 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.7887, down 7.3 cents, and dry whey averaged 68.80 cents per pound, down fractionally.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced August cheese and butter-powder prices similarly high.

Meanwhile, milk prices should remain strong nation-

wide for awhile as cash cheese prices strengthened in the shortened Labor Day week, a sixth week of gain while cash butter set a new record high.

Forty-pound block cheddar closed that Friday at $2.35 per pound, up 2 cents on the week and 54 cents above a year ago.

Five hundred-pound cheddar barrels were up and down and closed Friday at $2.3250 per pound. Only four cars of barrel traded hands on the week.

Cash butter sustained last week’s rebound and then some, setting a new record high Thursday at $2.84 per pound, only to add another half-cent on Friday. Seventeen cars were sold on the week.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Labor Day week at $1.3325 per pound, up .75 cent on the week but still at a two-year low. Only one car was sold on the spot market.

While dairy prices have skyrocketed in the U.S., world prices continue to fall as evidenced in last week’s Global Dairy Trade. Contributing to the world weakness is Russia’s reaction to sanctions placed on it over its dealings with the Ukraine. It has banned food imports from Europe and that is contributing to the fall in dairy prices, according to economists. Prices fell 6 percent in a Sept. 2 auction. Fortunately, the U.S. dairy market has long pulled away from the world market.

Speaking on Friday’s “DairyLine” show, HighGround Dairy’s Eric Meyer acknowledged that the Russian ban will have an impact in Europe where prices, particularly for powder, are declining rapidly. That leaves the U.S., more or less, on an island when it comes to competitiveness in the global market, he said.

“Dairymen should appreciate and enjoy the high times that we’re having here in the United States,” Meyer said.

But, he added, “We did get to this point because of record levels of exports and the fact

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that we are now uncompetitive in that market should be a bit of a warning sign, perhaps a canary in the coal mine of what may be coming ahead.”

Pointing to a 4 percent increase in U.S. milk production in July, Meyer predicts, “Those types of levels will by and large continue for the coming months with feed costs rapidly declining.

Income-over-feed margins should look great and eventually we will lose our market share in the globe unless our prices become more competitive.”

He added this realistic note: “We do see by the end of fourth quarter the potential for U.S. prices to make a dramatic move to the down side and futures are somewhat forecasting that.”

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 Aug. $22.25 $23.90 (current) Sept. $24.10 $23.80 Oct. $22.40 $22.10 Nov. $20.50 $20.10 Dec. $19.50 $18.70 $18.30 $17.60 Jan. Feb. $17.80 $17.50 March $17.75 $17.50 April $17.90 $17.60 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly and associate editor of DairyBusiness Update. Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.

September is here, and with it a new season begins.

Although we’re continuing to enjoy sunny, warm weather, nighttime temperatures are starting to dip and a glance out the window on a foggy early morning is all the hint you need to know that autumn is just around the corner. As fall sets in, here are some tips and a few of my favorite plants for a new season.

I’m going to go out on a limb (pun intended!) and predict that trees in our area are going to show beautiful fall color this year. After a long, hot summer, deciduous trees and shrubs should put on quite a show of golds, oranges and reds this fall. Of course, if we get an ill-timed windstorm or heavy rain, the colors may be fleeting, but I have my fingers crossed for a colorful autumn. people plant Many shrubs or trees in their yards for the beautiful fall color they offer and then experience year after year of disappointing color. If you’ve planted maples, burning bushes or spirea and have been disappointed with lackluster fall color, you may be loving your plants too much.

To bring out the best color in these plants, now is the time to cut back on watering.

If you water your shrubs and trees regularly, you may be able to cut back by half — or more — the amount of water

Continued from A1 two months’ worth) of their production history at the percentage of coverage they elected to insure. Premiums must be paid either in full at sign-up, or 25 percent by Feb. 1, with the remaining 75 percent balance to be paid by June 1.

NMPF had sought greater flexibility on producer premium payment, such as through milk check deductions, and will continue to press for that.

Still, said Jim Mulhern, NMPF president and CEO, “The new Margin Protection Program is more flexible, comprehensive and equitable than any safety net program dairy farmers have had in the past. It is risk management for the 21st century, and we strongly encourage farmers to invest in using it going forward.”

A second part of the MPP is a dairy product donation program that is triggered when margins collapse.

The program purchases dairy products to give to food banks and, unlike the previous dairy price support program, does not store dairy products but purchases them to give away.

The program also provides export and marketing incentives.

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Mulhern said in a teleconference that this bill represents “four years of consensus building” and that he is “pleased with the result,” but he added that “there’s still more work ahead.” He said the biggest focus now is outreach to farmers to help them understand and use this new program and NMPF will develop a variety of tools to that end.

National Milk has launched an online down-

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winter, but as a flower lover, I have a hard time not mentioning winter pansies. After all, what’s not to love? They bloom all winter and well into next spring — yes, you read that right! — they need minimal maintenance, and as far as flowers go, they’ll give you the most bang for your buck.

Whether you choose traditional winter pansies or the increasingly popular Cool Wave trailing pansy for hanging baskets, they’ll bloom like crazy until a hard freeze, wilt down, and then bounce right back once the weather warms above freezing.

September is a beautiful month in the Pacific Northwest, and as the seasons begin to change, it’s a great time to rediscover the beauty of your garden. Visit a local garden center this month and get inspired for autumn.

David Vos is the general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery in Lynden.

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you give your plants. Decreasing the amount of water you provide these plants will signal that it’s time to begin shutting down for the season, and in a few weeks you’ll see the leaves begin to change color.

September is the time when many plants begin to go dormant for winter, but if you’re looking for some fresh winter-long color for your pots or flower beds, there are plenty of great options. One of my favorite plants is heuchera, and while many people think of it as a deciduous perennial, the truth is that it’s an evergreen.

For fall and winter interest, try planting Solar Eclipse heucherella, a nearly identical plant species to heuchera.

Solar Eclipse boasts copperybrown leaf centers with limegreen edges, grows vigorously and keeps its stunning color year-round. Whether in containers or a flower bed, it will pair well with fall flowers and provide winter-long interest.

A second evergreen for fall and winter color I’m fond of is Wickwar Flame heather.

Unlike the picture that comes to mind when you think of heather, Wickwar Flame has yellow foliage, blooms in summer and has scale-like leaves.

Most interesting, though, is its gorgeous winter color. After the first frost, the foliage will transition to shades of bright orange and even red.

Foliage plants are great for color through fall and

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