Country Life Wednesday, December 9, 2020 • lyndentribune.com • ferndalerecord.com
Gardening • B2 Dairy • B3
From Germany to Lynden and back Stihl tractor produced in 1948 will soon reside at firm’s Canada headquarters in Toronto By Brent Lindquist brent@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — A piece of tractor history will soon be rolling out of Lynden. Stihl is best known for manufacturing chainsaws and other handheld equipment, but for a short time after World War II the company tried its hand at making tractors. One of those models produced is owned by Lynden’s Jim Hale. Hale spent 44 years with Washington Tractor — known as North Washington Implement across much of its Lynden history — before the company was acquired Oct. 1 by Papé Machinery. Hale retired with the sale to Papé, and with his retirement the tractor needs a new home.
That new showcase spot will be at Stihl’s Canadian headquarters. “(Stihl in) Germany’s buying it, but they’re sending it to Toronto,” Hale said. Hale first learned of the German company’s foray into tractor making in the 1990s while on a tour of the brand’s home factory. “They have a small reception area there like a museum with old chainsaws, and there was a tractor in there,” Hale said. “I remarked about that tractor.” Hale said that until then he had no idea Stihl had ever built a tractor. A little history Hale was sent a copy of “Stihl: From an Idea to a Brand” by Waldemar Schafer detailing the history of the company. The book provides a detailed look at Stihl’s early years, including its effort in tractor making. Andreas Stihl AG & Co. was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl in Stuttgart., Germany, Stihl worked as a mechanical engineer and often visited sawmills in his work as a dealer of wood
Jim Hale keeps framed photos of an original Stihl diesel tractor (above) and a group of camouflagecolored tractors outside the company’s Neustadt, Germany, office building (below left). processing machines. As made it difficult for Stihl’s since 1933 and since 1935 ing, meaning Stihl prodhe visited mills, he got an factories to continue oper- an honorary captain in the ucts weren’t in demand as idea that would be the ating, and several bomb- SS. The French arrested much. basis of the first portable ings in the war further af- Stihl and turned him over chainsaw. The idea was fected output. In 1941 the to the Americans. The com- To Lynden and back simple: bringing the saw to company turned to foreign pany was put under the During his time in Germany, Hale spoke with the tree instead of the other workers, including those control of a trustee. way around. His first prod- imprisoned by the Nazis, Soon after Stihl was an engineer about the uct was a two-man electric although it then came un- released from prison in company history and spesaw, with the first gasoline- der scrutiny by the local March 1948, the company cifically the entry into the powered saw coming out in authorities for the care tak- set to work creating a new tractor business. en to ensure the health and product: farm tractors. The “I kind of grew up in a 1929. However, when World safety of its foreign workers. chainsaw business wasn’t time just after the war was War II broke out in the late When the Nazis sur- doing very well, as the war over,” Hale said. “We used 1930s, the company was rendered in 1945, Stihl was ended up taking its toll to hear a lot about the war. I forced to produce saws imprisoned by the victori- on the Stihl brand. Other asked this guy, whose solely for the Nazi army. ous Allies for his involve- companies stole and used The conscription of Ger- ment with the Nazi Party. Stihl’s designs in their own manufacturman men into the army He had been a member chainsaw See Stihl on B3
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B O •Blyndentribune.com C A T . C O M • ferndalerecord.com B2 • Wednesday, December 9, 2020 IN BLOOM
A few of my favorite things B O B C A T. C O M
THE NEW BOBCAT COMPACT TRACTOR IS ALL YOU.
By David Vos
I love Christmas songs — and frankly, with the year we’ve had, I think we could all use the extra joy that a ® good old-fashioned Christmas carol brings. Although not really a Christmas song, “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” musical has somehow worked its way into standard radio Christmas W BOBCAT COMPACT TRACTOR IS ALL YOU. repertoire, and hearing it lately has gotten me thinking A lettuce mix from the garden (above) can make it into today’s salad in the kitchen while a patio container of mixed flowers of some of my favorite things just exudes ment to the land is just one of the many things we haveits beauty right where it is. (Courtesy photo/David Vos) in gardening over the past (below) of either shade or partial sun, things with spindly, drab fo® So here are my top five: year. n. Bobcat equipment was born tohellebores work on are a farm easy to grow liage and droopy flowers, but 1. Hellebores. I know, and don’t need a lot of tend- today’s varieties have beauti60 yearsI ago. Today you canlast put this hard-working just mentioned them ful upright-facing blooms in month, but their cheerful ing. ork on your slice heaven:raynew compact Looking back as recently a variety of colors set above blooms are of a welcome of Bobcat eight or ten years ago, hel- richly hued foliage. ourBOBCAT otherwiseTHEinNEW IS ALL YOU. hey’re allsunshine Bobcat. They’re allCOMPACT you. asTRACTOR dreary Pacific Northwest lebores were yawn-inducing 2. Echinacea. Also complants that things tended toward monly called coneflowers, winters.AnWith theirto thick attachment the landevis just one of the many we have good homecoming. ® theborn downright these perennials are great common.and Bobcat equipment was to work on a ugly farm side of ergreeninleaves tolerance for color in the garden bemore than 60 years ago. Today you can put this hard-working brand to work on your slice of heaven: new Bobcat compact ginning in mid-summer They’re all you. B Otractors. B CThey’re A T all. Bobcat. COM and lasting through early autumn, and they come in a We love a good homecoming. wide array of colors. The echinacea in my garden typically starts blooming in mid-July and continues to put out fresh blooms until October. Few other perennials can boast of1460 blooming so risk Slater Rdrain water penetrating hanging baskets and patio all through summer and into long. And echinacea is about through the hollowed-out pots — although I’ll get to autumn. Ferndale as care-free as you can hope , WA remnants of stems into the vegetables next! Whether 5. New gardeners. In for with few insect or disease base of the plant over winter, you have an expansive yard this crazy year, I’m thankful 360-778-3511 Bobcat of Bellingham 1460 Slater Rd problems. causing rot. Rather, it’s best or just a balcony outside that so many people discovFerndale, WA of Bellingham The biggest issues you’ll to wait until early spring to your apartment, anyone can ered or rediscovered the joy Bobcat of Bellingham 360-778-3511 run into with echinacea in prune echinacea back, and enjoy the beauty that con- of gardening. Whether moti1460 Slater Rd our area pertain to our wet in the meantime birds can tainer gardens bring. vated by a real desire to grow Ferndale, WA of Bellingham winters. One, they don’t like enjoy the seeds in the dried Water daily and fertil- something for their family or 360-778-3511 wet feet — plant echinacea flower heads over winter. ize weekly and your hanging simply the sheer boredom in poorly-drained soils and 3. Container gardens. baskets or pots will bloom of being stuck at home this they’ll rot over winter. And I’m not talking so much freely all summer. Add to spring with nothing to do Sales • Service • Parts • Rentals two, don’t prune your echi- about vegetable gardens that the fact that so many of but work in the yard, I was nacea back in fall or you’ll here as flowers — think today’s plants for hanging encouraged to see so many Bobcat , the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries. baskets are self-deadhead- people getting their hands in ing and you’ve found one the dirt this year. more reason to love these Gardening is good for • Opt for a live Christmas tree over an artificial one. Not body and soul, and I hope flowers. 4. Fresh vegetables from that if you were new to the only will you not have to worry about storage after the the garden. I love America’s hobby this year you found Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are trademarks of Bobcat Company United tree States to be holidays, it registered could take up to 20 years forin the a fake farmers and the hard work success in your efforts and and various other countries. the greener option. they do to put food on our value in continuing the purtables, but is there anything suit of growing something nd the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States . • Do you still have incandescent lights? Opt for a string of that tastes as good as pro- beautiful or delicious. duce that traveled mere feet As Christmas draws LEDs and save on your electricity bill! from garden to table? I think near, may you find joy in reflecting on a few of your not — and my kids agree. • Consider getting one quality gift that will last over It’s rare for my first crop favorite things, and more several little gifts that won’t. of sugar snap peas to even importantly may you find joy make it into the house be- in the real reason for the sea• Shop local, not just to keep your money in your fore they’re devoured, and I son — our Savior’s birth! Don’t let it be the most wasteful community, but to cut down on carbon emissions spent in count myself blessed to eat David Vos is manager of time of the year; go green! fresh lettuce salads, cucum- Vander Giessen Nursery Inc. transportation. bers, green beans and more of Lynden.
An attachment to the land is just one of the many things we have in common. Bobcat equipment was born to work on a farm more than 60 years ago. Today you can put this hard-working brand to work on your slice of heaven: new Bobcat compact tractors. They’re all Bobcat. They’re all you. We love a good homecoming.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2020 • lyndentribune.com • ferndalerecord.com • B3
Stihl Continued from B1
father fought in the war. He was kind of a flamboyant personality in the Stihl organization. I just asked him, ‘What do you remember?’ He said, ‘My father, a German, fought for the Nazis in World War II and he was killed in the Battle of the Bulge.’ He lost something in the war too. It was just an interesting connection back to those days.” The engineer also told him that Stihl was imprisoned along with a fellow engineer, and that they had started the design work on the Stihl farm tractor while imprisoned. He also told Hale that there were a few tractors around, some still seeing use. In fact, many companies produced tractors in the postwar era. Hale said at the time that he would love to have one of these vintage pieces of machinery. Six to eight months later, the one he purchased showed up in a shipping container in Chehalis
Andreas Stihl stands with one of the last Stihlbrand tractors ever manufactured.
Jim Hale’s restored Stihl tractor still sits in the lobby of Papé Machinery as it awaits shipment to Toronto. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)
surrounded by a bunch of Stihl chainsaws. That was some time after 1998 — Hale does not recall the exact date. The tractor that Hale bought was part of the first-ever batch of farm tractors manufactured by Stihl in the late 1940s. Then-Washington Tractor employee Dave Haggerty did the overhaul and restoration work on the tractor, which spent time in the local dealership’s showroom as well as making its way all over the United States for Stihl events. It runs on a singlecylinder, air-cooled two-
stroke diesel designed by Stihl himself. “It’s been around the country. Stihl has borrowed it for a series of dealer meetings at different points,” Hale said. The tractor will soon depart Lynden for the Toronto office, where the company will display it. Hale said his favorite part about owning the tractor has been the uniqueness of it. “I love history,” he said. “It dates back to the end of World War II, and also kind of the roots of Stihl and how they got started.”
MIELKE MARKET
Is it time to restructure farmgate milk pricing?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Dec. 4 announced the November 2020 Federal Order Class III milk price at $23.34 per hundredweight, up $1.73 from October and $2.89 above November 2019. The Class III average for the year now stands at $18.39, up from $16.74 a year ago. The December Class III futures contract settled Friday at $15.35, which would work out to an $18.13 average for all of 2020, up from $16.96 in 2019. The Class IV price is $13.30, down 17 cents from October and $3.30 below a year ago. That puts the 11-month average at $13.50, down from $16.26 a year ago. The large gap between October and November Class III and Class I prices again likely led to processor de-pooling and huge producer price differentials (PPDs), with the net effect upon dairy farmers in many regions of the country being to lose millions of dollars in revenue. So what’s with volatile farmgate milk prices? (see also projections at the end of this column). I asked Lucas Fuess of HighGround Dairy on the Dec. 7 Dairy Radio Now broadcast if it’s time to restructure how we
By Lee Mielke price milk in this country. He said it’s a decades-old question and one of the issues is the complexity of the Federal Order program. “When dairy farmers don’t understand exactly how their milk is being priced, there is some resistance to the system,” he said. Federal Orders also make export contracts more difficult, according to Fuess. “Exports will be a key driver of dairy product disappearance and higher prices for farmers, hopefully in the future, if federal orders can be tweaked to allow longer-term contracts to happen,” he said. As to negative PPDs,
they’re “a reflection of volatility in milk,” Fuess said, but for some farmers who are not necessarily seeing those negative PPDS, depending on region, “they have been extremely thankful for record high cheese prices. “Ultimately it’s the hope, and the system is designed, so PPDs average out close to the zero mark over the long term,” he reasoned. “If there’s something that can be done to even those out better on a month-to-month basis and allow farmers to receive the higher value of that cheese milk, maybe there is something that could be looked at there.” The system has been around since the 1930s, and has prioritized Class I milk, Fuess said. “Perhaps a discussion can be had around having just one manufacturing class to allow milk to move to its highest value overall. “Federal Orders have not been revised in any sort for more than 10 years,” he said, “with ‘make allowances’ being the same since prior to 2010, and there’s a question there as to what those numbers should be as well.” Market bulls got some fodder in the Dec. 1 Global Dairy Trade auction. The event’s weighted average was up 4.3%, the
PUBLIC NOTICES Lynden LEGAL CITY OF LYNDEN LEGAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE PARK AND TRAIL MASTER PLAN NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Lynden City Council will be holding a public hearing and will be accepting public input regarding the proposed 2020 update to the City of Lynden Park and Trail Master Plan. A virtual public hearing with the
Council has been tentatively scheduled for December 21, 2020. A draft of the proposed update is available on the City of Lynden website or by contacting the Planning Department at 360-354-5532. Any persons wishing to comment on the application or the proposal may do by submitting their written comments to Heidi Gudde, Planning Director, 300 4th Street, Lynden 98264, by December 21, 2020, or by attending the virtual public hearing to be held at 7:00 P.M. December 21, 2020. Please Note: Those interested in participating in the meeting remotely should contact Heidi Gudde at guddeh@lyndenwa.org or
biggest gain since July 7, following the 1.8% rise on Nov. 17 and a 2.0% descent Nov. 3. Every product offered saw strong gains. Back home, Chicago Mercantile Exchange dairy prices, except for cheese, entered December a little stronger. The cheddar blocks closed the first Friday of the month at $1.5850 per pound, lowest since Aug. 11, down 9.5 cents on the week and 38.5 cents below a year ago. The barrels finished at $1.40, down 2.25 cents, 82.75 cents below a year ago and 18.5 cents below the blocks. Dairy Market News reported Midwest milk is “wholly discounted.” Cheese producers say demand is steady to intermittent, with concern expressed that further restrictions on food service establishments due to COVID-19 will have further impact on sales. Western cheese output is also active. Heavy milk volumes from the week of Thanksgiving kept facilities full, and most plants were already at or near capacity. Manufacturers are hesitant to add much to their inventories while milk prices are strong and cheese prices are falling. Demand for cheese from retail and pizza sectors is steady and
solid, but food service demand is lacking. Butter closed at $1.48 per pound, up 12 cents on the week, highest since Oct. 20, but 43.5 cents below a year ago. Some Central butter producers report fall volumes are moving quickly. Government orders have receded, so butter makers are focusing more on retail customers. Food service remains slow and contacts are still waiting for the full impact of COVID restaurant closures and restrictions. Grade A nonfat dry milk climbed to $1.1575 per pound Thursday, highest since Feb. 21, but closed Friday at $1.15, still 5.5 cents higher on the week and 11.75 cents below a year ago. Dry whey climbed to a 46.25 cents per pound, up 3.25 cents on the week, highest since Jan. 22, 2019, and 9.5 cents above a year ago. A sharp jump in the U.S. All Milk Price offset higher corn and soybean prices to push the October milk-feed price ratio higher. The latest Ag Prices report has the ratio at 2.50, up from 2.28 in September, and 2.42 in October 2019. The U.S. All-Milk Price averaged $20.20 per hundredweight (cwt.), up $2.30 from September and
20 cents above the October 2019 average. The national corn price averaged $3.61 per bushel, up 21 cents per bushel from September but 24 cents per bushel below October 2019. Soybeans averaged $9.63 per bushel, up 39 cents from September and $1.03 per bushel above a year ago. Alfalfa hay averaged $171 per ton, unchanged from September but $6 per ton below a year ago. The October cull price for beef and dairy combined averaged $60 per cwt., down $6.60 from September, 90 cents below October 2019 and $11.60 below the 2011 base average of $71.60 per cwt. The Northwest Dairy Association makes these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend Nov. $23.34 $17.22 (current) Dec. $15.41 $15.48 Jan. $16.13 $15.17 Feb. $16.86 $15.70 March $17.04 $16.09 April $17.04 $16.37 May $16.98 $16.87 June $17.11 $17.00 July $17.151 $17.12 Aug. $17.26 $17.24 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 70 dairy farms.
Your right to know and be informed of the functions of your government are embodied in public notices. In that selfgovernment charges all citizens to be informed, this newspaper urges every citizen to read and study these notices. We strongly advise those citizens seeking further information to exercise their right of access to public records and public meetings.
(360) 354-5532 before noon on December 21, 2020. Due to concerns related to the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, all comments received through the mail or submitted electronically will be included as part of the meeting record. Please feel free to contact the Planning Department for more meeting details. Published December 9, 2020
LEGAL ORDINANCE NO. 1611 AN ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF LYNDEN ADOPTING THE
2021 BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF LYNDEN, WASHINGTON A complete copy of this Ordinance is available during regular business hours at the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 300 4th Street, Lynden, Washington. The Ordinance will be mailed upon request without cost. This publication by title is made pursuant to RCW 35A.12.160. Adopted December 7, 2020. Published December 9, 2020
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