Country Life A8 • lyndentribune.com • Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Lynden hosts part of Holstein USA convention in Bellevue Polinder farm shows 80 cows, hosts 350 for lunch; another stop is Markwell By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — The base may have been a Bellevue Hyatt, but it was to a classic Lynden farm that Holstein national conventioneers came for a view of 75 years of breeding by the Polinder family. On June 29 six buses delivered about 350 people to the Ronelee Farm just south of town to learn about the dairy cow families that have been bred there. Arriving about 11 a.m., the visitors could view about 80 cows clipped and washed and placed in eight small paddocks — with certainly the queen of the show, Dabble, located in the center pasture surrounded by three and four generations related to her. It was her 14th birthday exactly that day. This display and arrangement was appreciated because of the ease in viewing several cows with limited time and effort. Sherm and Jeff Polinder spoke to the gathered crowd from the elevated platform of their farm’s office. Sherm, who along with his father Henry served on the national Holstein Association board, welcomed the folks from throughout the country before sharing the farm’s story. At ground level, multiple panels gave a pictorial review of key cow families going back to the first family started by Henry Polinder in the 1940s. These panels por-
trayed Harriet, Fanny Fobes, Dolly, Dimple and Dabble, and Ronelee bulls that have been successful as well. The Polinder father and son could speak readily to their specialized audience about key cow families in which they played a part. Jeff has been the farm’s leader in breeding decisions the past several years. “The breeding goals have changed some over the years,” Jeff Polinder said. “We do not put as much emphasis on size and style, but more emphasis on fertility, durability and longevity. Dabble herself helped this transition because she is exceptionally strong in those qualities.” Sherm Polinder credited his father for having the vision to pursue registered Holsteins. “Dad was practical. He did not have patience for pretty cows that did not produce.” Sherm also thanked local breeders Ernie Nolte, Gerrrit Sterk and Ken Haak for selling exceptional genetics that helped establish a strong base. “Our most significant purchase was Dolly from Wes and Brad Kammerman. She was a very hardy cow that wanted to live. She was the grandmother of Dabble, who also exhibited these same qualities.” Both father and son said they admit breeding cows is an art and a science, but believe “the Lord makes the final DNA combination.” The visiting group partook of a Rose DeGroot-catered lunch across Polinder Road under a large tent before reboarding their buses and making a stop also at Markwell Farm north of Lynden where a number of animals of other Whatcom
Visitors at the Polinder farm look out toward the cow Dabble during the June 29 tour by national Holstein breeders and families. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
Kulshan coming soon to Ferndale
Announced via its Facebook page, Kulshan Veterinary Hospital of Lynden will open a Ferndale location sometime this fall. The location will be at 6220 Portal Way, pictured here. (Courtesy photo)
See Holstein on A10
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Wednesday, July 12, 2017 • lyndentribune.com • A9
FFA state winners
Field day July 22 helps owners of timberland WHATCOM — WSU Extension helps local property owners know what to do with stands of timber at a handson, out-in-the woods educational event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at 3783 Y Rd., Bellingham. The Forest Owners Field Day features a suite of out-
door workshops for people with forested property, from just a few acres to a large tract. Forestry specialists from around the region will provide classes, demonstrations, tours and resources on a variety of topics for forest owners of all skill levels, from “newbie” to seasoned veteran. The cost to attend (including lunch) is now $40 per person or $50 per couple until July 20. Participants can register at the event for $50/$60. Youth under 18 at-
tend for free. There is a special student and Master Gardener rate (call for details). To register or learn more, visit http://forestry. wsu.edu/nps/events/fieldday/ or contact WSU Extension Forestry at 425-3576023. Participants should dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear, and prepare to walk short distances in forested terrain. Parking, restrooms, coffee, refreshments, and drinking water are available on site.
IN BLOOM
Summer care to keep your plants healthy and vibrant The Lynden Christian FFA Milk Quality and Products team took first in state competition and will go on to nationals next fall. From left are Kase Lautenbach (second individually), Hailey Johnson, Tim VanDalen, Becca TeVelde (fifth) and Mason Rutgers (third). Coach Gerrit VanWeerdhuizen said this group, three of them freshmen, pushed to excel and their winning was the result. (Courtesy photo)
The Mount Baker FFA Agriculture Mechanics team took first in state in Yakima in April and will go on to nationals in the fall. From left are: students Anthony Hadeen, Lincoln Grimes, Kameron Kelley, Nick Tanis (fourth individually) and Noah Atchley (second), with coach Todd Rightmire. (Courtesy photo)
The Bread Lab in Burlington to be celebrated with WSU prez July 26 BURLINGTON — The grand opening of The Bread Lab happens on Wednesday, July 26, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 11768
Westar Lane, Burlington, with participation by Kirk Schulz, Washington State University president. Also participating are Ron Mittelhammer, dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences; Patricia Botsford-Martin, Port of Skagit executive director; and Stephen Jones, director of the Bread Lab. The Bread Lab represents deep connections
with the land, with communities, with partners, and with the food that nourishes us, according to publicity. At the new 12,000-square-foot home at the Port of Skagit, The Bread Lab is committed to researching and developing flavorful and nutritious crop varieties, rebuilding regional grain economies, and innovating in partnership with community and industry.
With summer in full swing, now is the time of year we can really enjoy the beauty that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. The flowers you planted in May and June are in full bloom and your vegetable garden is beginning to offer its bounty. Maybe, however, all is not perfect in paradise. Whether insects, fertilizer deficiency or disease issues — any number of problems could put your garden’s beauty at risk. If you’re beginning to struggle with plants looking less than stellar, here are some hints as to what might be wrong and how to fix it. First, a new pest has begun to show up in our area in the last year and, left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your flowers. Budworm, a small green caterpillar, attacks petunias, geraniums, calibrachoa and several other flowers, eating the flower buds on the plants before they have a chance to open. Last summer was the first year I’ve seen them in Whatcom County, and you might have seen the damage they cause, too, without realizing it. Because budworm prefers to eat only the flower buds on a plant, you might have noticed a hanging basket or other flowers in your garden suddenly stop blooming last year but re-
Media tour here Monday will spotlight ag budget cuts Local farms have used USDA Value Added Producer Grants WHATCOM — Media types will be led on a tour of three farms in the county on Monday, July 17, a project of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center to educate about USDA grants that are on the chopping block in President Trump’s proposed budget. NABC is a Mount Vernon-based nonprofit that partners with businesses and farms to make agriculture economically viable. The three operations to be visited are: Grace Harbor Farm on Birch BayLynden Road, Twin Brook Creamery on Double Ditch Road north of Lynden, and the Cloud Mountain Farm Center on Goodwin Road east of Everson. All three have been helped in the past by U.S. Department of Agriculture grants administered through NABC. Public relations specialist Sarah Lemmon is organizing the tour and speaking out about its goals. “These grants are on the chopping block in 2018 if the President’s proposed budget cuts pass,” she wrote. “While politics can be a dividing issue in farming, both sides are against these cuts because it will have drastic affects on small family farms. Through these grants, the farms have been able to purchase equipment and received services that allowed their business to grow dramatically. It is a local story, but also a na-
tional story.” A shuttle departs Seattle at 8:30 a.m. and arrives at Grace Harbor, a familyowned business making natural skin care and dairy products, about 10 a.m. Each stop will share information about that farm and how it works. The Northwest Agriculture Business Center says this about USDA support of value-added food production and rural economies: “In 1993, the ‘farm share’ of each dollar of farm products sold was 18.4 cents. This number has been below 16 cents since 2000, and was as low as 14.1 cents in 2010. Merger and consolidation in all levels of the food industry (retail, wholesale, and manufacturing) have continued to put intensive price pressure on commodity farm prices and force many mid-sized farms and families out of business. In the past 10 years, Whatcom County dairies have decreased by more than 30 percent.
“One proven strategy to help family farms succeed is to support their migration into valueadded food production. The USDA Value Added Producer Grant program has been instrumental in helping many farms do just that. “With this program participating farms gain working capital to process and market their own commodity product under a farm-branded name or label. They can turn commodity milk into bottled milk, yogurt or ice cream, or commodity blueberries into juice, jam or even branded packages of frozen whole berries. The burgeoning demand for locally produced food has increased the opportunity for favorable pricing and profit for these farms. “The VAPG working capital support enables the farm applicant to make investments of their own capital to build new or expand existing facilities and purchase equipment. These infrastructure proj-
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main otherwise healthy. My own hanging baskets at home did this, and until I began to research the possible reasons, I never stopped to look for caterpillars. Thankfully, budworms are relatively easy to control, and with a little spraying your plants can quickly rebound from the damage and resume blooming. To prevent budworm damage or eradicate an infestation, I highly recommend spraying your flowers in the next couple of weeks with Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew, an organic insecticide derived from bacteria discovered in an abandoned rum factory in the Caribbean. This insecticide affects the nervous system of insects, causing them to quickly cease eating and die. Thankfully, it’s very safe around animals and humans — and very effective on insects as well! Second, July is the time of year when your hanging baskets and other flowers begin to reach their mature size, and whether you just want to keep them blooming strong or help them recover from budworm damage and begin to bloom again, it’s important to begin fertilizing with a bloom-focused fertilizer. Jack’s Classic Blos-
ects provide rural communities work opportunities for local contractors and equipment providers as well as new jobs for community members.” Since 2011 the Northwest Agriculture Business Center has provided technical assistance to farmers to prepare business feasibility studies, business plans, and to prepare and submit VAPG grant projects and applications to the USDA. The program has provided clients $2.2 million in working capital resulting in more than $5.6 million in new sales and creating more than 40 new jobs. Four of these projects involved cooperatives or farmers markets positively impacting more than 80 farms.
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som Booster contains extra phosphorus to encourage more and larger flowers and can be alternated with Jack’s All Purpose to promote continued healthy plants and impressive blooms. Fertilize your hanging baskets and flowers once a week and they’ll continue to bloom and grow through the summer heat and well into autumn. Third, later this month is the time when some common plant diseases begin to show up in gardens — although with the cool, damp spring we had, I’ve seen plenty of issues already! Powdery mildew is one of the most common diseases to affect a wide range of plants, from annuals and perennials to shrubs, trees and even edibles. I’ve found Bon-Neem to be a very effective spray to control powdery mildew and other common diseases like black spot, as well as a wide range of insects including aphids and spider mites. And because it’s organic, it’s safe to use on edibles up to the day of harvest. Finally, if your garden could still use some extra color, now is a great time to plant perennials for latesummer blooms. Echinacea, or coneflowers, are beginning to bloom now and will continue into early autumn, and they’re available in a wide variety of colors. Blackeyed susans are also great for perennial blooms, ‘Little Goldstar’ being a dwarf variety well-suited for pots or flowerbeds. Enjoy the perfection that is a Pacific Northwest summer!
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A10 • Wednesday, July 12, 2017 • lyndentribune.com
Milk price up 87 cents The June Dairy Month Federal Order Class III benchmark milk price was announced by U.S. Department of Agriculture at $16.44 per hundredweight (cwt.), up 87 cents from May and $3.22 above June 2016. It is the highest Class III price since February and equates to about $1.41 per gallon. The half-year Class III average stands at $16.12, up from $13.48 at this time a year ago and $15.99 in 2015. The June Class IV milk price is $15.89, up $1.40 from May and $2.12 above a year ago. The mid-year average is $15.08, up from $13.18 a year ago and $13.70 in 2015. Cash block cheddar cheese closed June at $1.5250 per pound, down 1.5 cents on the week and the fifth consecutive week
Holsteins Continued from A8 breeders had been brought together for viewing. The Bellevue convention was co-chaired by three locals: Grant (Bud) and Susan Van Dyk of Lynden, and Ron Boon of Sumas. It all went “amazingly well” after five years of planning, Susan Van Dyk said. “It all came together. The weather cooperated. So we were really thankful.” The hotel “bent over backwards to get all the permits and make sure it ran smoothly,” she said. Registration topped 1,000, with some driving for just parts of the convention. The five-day event featured unique Northwest touches such as whale watch sailings, a Seattle City Light tour and a trip to the Space
Lee Mielke of loss, 10 cents below a year ago and 21.25 cents lower than on June 1. The cheddar barrels closed at $1.3525, down 1.75 cents on the week, 31. 75 cents below a year ago, 18 cents lower on the month, and a stilltoo-high 17.25 cents below the blocks. Extra loads of milk may not be as prevalent as they were in the last few weeks,
Needle as well as emphases for younger members of the association, the National Dairy Bowl Contest and a sale of top dairy stock. The average price in the Friday sale of about 100 consignments — including 28 live animals in the Hyatt parking lot — was around $20,000. Tops was the $106,000 price paid for a genomics calf that, according to sale promotion, had the highest net merit dollar (NM$) index of over $1,000 for any Holstein animal ever. On the final awards night July 1, longtime Holstein photographer and publisher Jerry Strandlund, of Bellingham, was honored with this year’s Distingished Leadership Award of the Holstein Association USA. “It was quite a surprise, that’s for sure,” said Strandlund, who was also on the organizing committee. Jerry grew up on a Minnesota family dairy farm
but some Midwest cheese makers report distressed milk is still available at $1 to $3 below class price, according to Dairy Market News. Storage capacity concern is pressuring cheese prices. Western cheese inventories also continue to be long. Butter ended the week at $2.6425 per pound, up 5.25 cents. That is also 29.25 cents above a year ago and up 23.25 cents on the month. Butter at $3 a pound may be on the horizon. The European Union price was reportedly averaging about $3.14, according to FC Stone Dairy Brokers. DMN says the market is preparing for lower trending milk production and butterfat declines to deter available cream. Hence, in the next few weeks, producers expect that cream will
Sandy and Jerry Strandlund milking 19 cows. He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1962 with a degree in animal husbandry. He wanted to expand his horizons in the purebred dairy world and completed internships with notable herds such as Carnation, Pinehurst, Pineyhill and Elmwood. In 1967 the National Holstein Association hired Jerry as a fieldman. Covering seven Pacific Northwest states, he kept busy traveling between farm visits, shows,
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be readily absorbed into ice cream, prompting reductions in churning rates, typical for this time of year. Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed June 30 at 84.5 cents per pound, down a quarter-cent on the week but a penny above a year ago. The Northwest Dairy Association made these price projections for the Class III price and Pacific Northwest blend price: Month Class PNW III Blend June $16.44 $16.40 (current) July $16.55 $16.60 Aug. $16.25 $16.90 Sept. $16.55 $17.10 Oct. $16.80 $17.05 Nov. $16.85 $17.00 Dec. $16.70 $16.75 Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly. Whatcom County has about 100 dairy farms.
sales and meetings. Moving to Washington, Jerry began working as marketing manager for All West Breeders. After four years with All West Breeders, Jerry started Bovagraph, a cattle photography business. He merged his cattle photography business with his love of advertising and took over the quarterly newspaper Northwest Holstein News. Today, Jerry continues to publish an inclusive directory called the Northwest Holstein Annual that covers the six states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, plus British Columbia. “As editor of the Northwest Holstein News for over 40 years, Jerry has been an integral part of many events. His desire for breeders to succeed is evident in each quarterly and annual publication,” stated a July 10 press release from Holstein Association USA offices.
4H Reports PAILS-N-TRAILS Charles Johnson, reporter It is now all about preparing for the Northwest Washington Fair for Pails-n-Trails these days! We had our parent meeting at which all the details were talked about and we started signing up for stall duty shifts. While our parents worked out details, we were able to work on team building through games organized by some of our former alumni, Rosie Kerkvliet, Cassidy Kettlestrings and Edith Valdez. It was a lot of fun. They are also going to come back and help us out at the fair. Our club is also helping pilot 4H Global Citizenship Lessons with WSU 4H. We have started learning about the Burundi 4H Sister School Garden Program. On a map we had to find Burundi, which is located in Africa. In our first lesson we learned about how children in Burundi live and we compared our lives to theirs. Our whole club wants to learn more and try to help the Burundi Garden Program. We have only been able to do one lesson so far, but will do more after the fair. That’s all for now! I will have more to report about our fair preparations next month. BARN BUDDIES Tabitha Revak, reporter ‘Tis the season, not of snowflakes and evergreen branches and attending Christmas parties, but of irrigation sprinklers and hay bales and planning for the Northwest Washington Fair. It seems that school just got out the other day, and that we just had the whole summer ahead of us, but now we find ourselves with only 33 days remaining (as of this writing) until the first day of the Northwest Washington Fair, the focal point of the year for many Whatcom County 4-H clubs. There is much to do to prepare in that short amount of time: clipping the fur of show animals, turning in 4H photography entries and market sale agreements, setting up stall and exhibit decorations, mentally preparing for the rewarding, but long, hours that will be spent at the fair in August. Barn Buddies will be spending time this month dusting off and repainting decorations for the Small Animal Experience, reviewing basic fair
biosecurity practices, signing up for shifts in the Small Animal Experience during fair week, and building up our knowledge of animal facts. As a Barn Buddies member, I have been reviewing some of the answers to FAQs in the Small Animal Experience recently and here is some information: • the gestation period of a rabbit is approximately equal to the time remaining until the fair. • rabbits are not rodents, they are lagomorphs. • alpacas do not spit, llamas are the ones that spit. • cavies usually live around 4-8 years. We want to be prepared to share our knowledge with our Small Animal Experience guests! THUNDERBIRDS Simeon Leavitt, reporter We are a racing pigeons club, and I have some exciting news. Our 2017 pigeon races are coming up, starting this weekend! There are three races. Our first race is from Arlington, and that is going to be on the 15th. The second race is going to be from Northgate, Seattle, on the 22nd. Our third and final race is going to be on the 29th, and that will be from Southcenter, just south of Seattle. And now I want to explain what training for a pigeon race is. A pigeon is a type of bird that was used in World War I and World War II. Now our pigeons are homing pigeons. The ones they used in the wars were carrier pigeons, and all types of pigeons are very smart. To train pigeons for a pigeon race, you put them in boxes and take them down the road (once you’ve walked them around the area, preferably in your yard). Once they get used to going from the distance you start from (about two miles), you take them further (to about five miles), then eight, then 10, then about 15 and keep on going until you go about 40 miles. Then you can race them from about 70 miles. After you have raced them several times, going further and further to about 150-200 miles, you can start racing them from 300 or 400 miles. Pigeons can fly up to 600 miles in a day. It is amazing! And if you would like to join the 4H Thunderbirds Racing Pigeons Club, contact Vicki Strand at 360-9664796, or visit us in the poultry barn at the Northwest Washington Fair!
Save Your Summer Spoils by Canning and Preserving
Here are a few tips to get you started. Types of canning: • Water bath canning: Perfect for fruits, jams, salsas, pickles, relishes, chutneys, and vinegars. This method uses low temperature to can foods that are high in acidity. • Pressure canning: Perfect for green beans, potatoes, corn, carrots, beets, pumpkins, and meats. Using a pressure canner allows you to can foods that are low in acidity. What you’ll need: A pressure canner/water bath, jars, lids, screw bands, a jar lifter, a funnel, a plastic knife/spatula, and clean cloths. Prep your jars and lids by washing and sterilizing them, then find a canning recipe to get started.
JUNE - SEPTEMBER Mon-Sat 9-6 • Sun 10-4
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Family owned and operated since 1985. Farm stand open 10am to 6pm, seven days a week, - May 1st to October 1st Vegetable starts, hanging baskets, vegetables and blueberries available in season. (Blueberries avail. Aug. 1st) Kevin & Bianca Maddux - kamaddux@hotmail.com
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