September 2015, Volume 19, Issue 6 by Matrix Digital Media Inc

September 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 19, Issue 6

Fires Displace Rural Residents and Livestock

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Idaho Farm Bureau

Monsanto Showcases New Wheat Research Center

Conservation Efforts Yield Big Dividends

Getting Rural America Online By Bob Stallman AFBF President

You can’t tell the story of American agriculture without looking at how farmers and ranchers have pioneered the use of cutting-edge tools on their land. Innovation and farming go hand in hand. And we’ve come a long way from the first gaspowered tractors a century ago to the state-of-the-art, self-steering

Forest Service Budget Wrecked by Firefighting Costs By Frank Priestley President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

The U.S. Forest Service circulated a strongly-worded press release recently stating the cost of firefighting has eclipsed half of the agen-

How Farm Bureau Develops Policy By Rick Keller CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

Just as each season brings with it a different type of work to be done on the farm, so Farm Bureau’s program of policy development and policy execution has an established cycle. 2

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

The Ag Agenda models available today. Farmers and ranchers are quick to embrace the best tools to get their work done — and to get it done well. Thanks to advanced farm equipment, better seeds and smarter digital tools, we are growing more while reducing our environmental impact. By 2050, we’ll have 9 billion mouths to feed. That’s no small task, and we can’t get the job done cy’s budget. The solution recommended by USFS is to throw more money at the problem, which is not a long term fix in our view. Every federal agency would like more money. What seems to have gotten lost in the Washington D.C. shuffle is the fact that our government is currently running a $17 trillion deficit. As a percentage of our gross domestic product (GDP), the U.S. debt load is about equal to the debt, which is better than There is a period of the year for proposing and planning policies — the planting season. There is another period for studying, fact finding and selecting — the growing season. Then there is a final period of putting the agreed-upon ideas into action — the harvest season. Farm Bureau has an original and highly effective system for developing its plans and carrying out its work. No other voluntary organization has a method which assures such effective control by its mem-

without important advances in technology. Farmers today can analyze weather data, manage nutrient application, map their crop yields and adjust planting for the next season with modern precision agriculture tools. Soon, we will be sending out drones to monitor fields with more speed and accuracy than generations before could have dreamed of. We’ll be able to zero in on fields See STALLMAN, page 8 Japan or Italy, but lags behind all other developed nations. The report from the Forest Service shows arrogance and a lack of understanding of common sense budgeting. Cutting budgets is what Washington needs to learn how to do rather than throwing money at problems that don’t lead to solutions. $17 trillion is a colossal amount of money – too much to comprehend. Time Magazine provided the following illustration in 2009, the first See PRIESTLEY, page 8

bers or is so practical and efficient. It has been tested by time, and Farm Bureau’s achievements over the years are proof of its success. Farm Bureau operates through policies — developed and carried out by its members. A policy is the statement of an idea, a belief, a method, or a plan. Added together, these policies are Farm Bureau’s goals for the year. They may be philosophical statements of ideals or they may be concrete blueprints for action. See KELLER, page 16

Volume 19, Issue 6

IFBF OFFICERS President ................................... Frank Priestley, Franklin Vice President ...................................Mark Trupp, Driggs Executive Vice President ............................... Rick Keller BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bryan Searle ............................................................Shelley Mark Harris ................................................. Soda Springs Chris Dalley ....................................................... Blackfoot Dean Schwendiman ........................................... Newdale Danny Ferguson ........................................................Rigby Scott Steele ..................................................... Idaho Falls Gerald Marchant .................................................. Oakley Rick Pearson ................................................... Hagerman Rick Brune............................................................Hazelton Luke Pearce ............................................. New Plymouth Cody Chandler....................................................... Weiser Tracy Walton ........................................................ Emmett Marjorie French ............................................... Princeton Alton Howell ................................................ Careywood Tom Daniel ............................................... Bonners Ferry Judy Woody ................................................................ Filer Cole Smith ...................................................... Montpelier STAFF Dir. of Organization............................... Dennis Brower Director of Admin. Services ........................ Cara Dyer Commodities & Marketing Assistant ........... Peg Pratt Member Services Assistant ..................... Peggy Moore Public Relations Assistant ........................ Dixie Ashton Dist. I Regional Manager ........................... Justin Patten Dist. II Regional Manager .............................. Zak Miller Dist. III Regional Manager .................. Charles Garner Dist. IV Regional Manager ..........................Brody Miller Dist. V Regional Manager ....................... Bob Smathers Dir. of Governmental Affairs ................Russ Hendricks Asst. Dir. of Governmental Affairs .... Dennis Tanikuni Director of Public Relations .............. John Thompson Video Services Manager ............................ Steve Ritter Broadcast Services Manager ..................... Jake Putnam Office Manager, Boise .......................... Julie Araquistain Member Services Manager ........................ Joel Benson Assistant Treasurer.................................. Tyler Zollinger Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID GEM STATE PRODUCER USPS #015-024, is published monthly except February, May, August and November by the IDAHO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, 275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, ID 83201. POSTMASTER send changes of address to: GEM STATE PRODUCER P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848. Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, Idaho, and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate: $6.00 per year included in Farm Bureau dues.

The Clearwater Complex Fire burned 100,000 acres of timber and rangeland, 42 homes, 79 outbuildings and claimed one life. Scattered fires started August 10 near Kamiah. The fire was caused by lightning and was still burning at press time for this magazine. Photo Courtesy of Sharlene Johnson

Fires Rage Throughout Idaho’s Panhandle By Carrie Veselka

Tom Mosman had no idea what was in store for him when he learned one of his pastures was on fire August 10. Over the next two weeks, the farmer / rancher from Craigmont, his two sons and their hired men battled the fast-moving fire that claimed 42 homes and caused widespread damage. The fire claimed one life. Cheryl Lee Wissler, 70, of Adams Grade died from a head injury she sustained when she fell while preparing to evacuate on August 14, according to the Idaho County Sherriff’s Office. Mosman and his crew moved their cattle out of harm’s way, but there were about six other fires burning in the area caused by a series of lightning strikes. Their neighbors needed help. Fires were burning on both sides of the Clearwater River, according to Idaho Farm Bureau North Idaho Regional Manager Bob Smathers.

MAGAZINE CONTACTS: Idaho Farm Bureau Federation EDITOR (208) 239-4292 • ADS (208) 239-4279 E-MAIL: dashton@idahofb.org www.idahofb.org

“When I came up to Kamiah Grade that night, we saw probably six or seven separate fires and it was still pretty chaotic at that time,” said Mosman, who is the Idaho Farm Bureau Clearwater / Lewis County president.

Cover: BLM firefighters cross Ted and Mary Blackstock’s ranch after battling the Soda Fire on August 14. The Blackstock Ranch is located about seven miles south of Homedale.

The next two weeks passed in a blur. Mosman took his bulldozer to the Kamiah fire, working for the next week with his son to protect homes and lands in the path of the fire. See CLEARWATER FIRE page 4

Photo by Steve Ritter

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

CLEARWATER FIRE

Continued from page 3

A home near Kamiah that burned in the Clearwater Complex Fire that started on August 10. Photo by Bob Smathers

He said there was no shortage of help on the fires. “There was an unbelievable number of people, with the volunteers and the hot shot crews. Everybody was working really hard.” Several farmers and ranchers shared their farming and heavy equipment to help fight fires in the area. After working on the Kamiah fire, Mosman brought his disk over to the Fisher Fire to help work on the fire lines there. He 4 #

and his sons spent the entire week working on the fires and moving their cattle out of its path. Smathers said the effort to save homes and property from the Fisher Fire was commendable. “The farmers that came in there and stopped that fire before it got out of the canyon was kind of an amazing thing,” he said. “I don’t know how many tractors were there, but there were a bunch of them pulling disks

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

and they did a good job of stopping that fire, keeping it from burning down any homes. I don’t think they lost any homes in that area.” Despite the efforts of Mosman and many others like him, no one has been able to stop the fires ravaging the Kamiah area, leaving over 100,000 acres burned, 42 homes and 79 outbuildings destroyed, and one person dead. The Clearwater Complex Fires

were sparked by 25 or more lightning strikes and have since separated into three large complexes with multiple fires in each complex: the Clearwater Complex, the Motorway Complex, and the Municipal Complex. The Clearwater Complex is the largest and most prominent of the fires, according to the BLM. The Complex is located near Kamiah and comprised of the Lawyer Fire, the Lolo Fires, and the Carrot Ridge Fire.

A home near Kamiah that had adequate defensible space around it was saved. Photo by Bob Smathers

Efforts against the fires are being run by a Type I Incident Management Team, headed by Greg Poncin. Type I teams are the most highly trained, most experienced response teams in the country, deployed at the national level in response to natural or manmade disasters; anything from floods to fires to riots, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The Clearwater Fire started August 10 and as of August 25 has scorched 47,260 acres of timber and range land. The number of outbuildings and other damage is expected to grow. Tom said that while most of the

farmland in the area was relatively safe, loss of private, public, and tribal land was widespread and potentially devastating to ranchers who normally run their cattle on public land and private pastures. Most grain was already harvested by the time the fires started and farmers were able to disk fire lines around their fields before the fires could do any major damage. Currently, 692 personnel are deployed on the Clearwater fires. Other resources include 52 fire engines, five bulldozers, 23 water tenders and six helicopters. To date, 245,000 gallons of retardant and 1.2

million gallons of water have been dropped on the Clearwater Complex fire. Idaho Department of Lands; U.S. Forest Service; Clearwater Potlatch Timber Protective Association; Lewis, Clearwater, and Idaho Counties; Nez Perce Tribe; City of Kamiah; Idaho Transportation Department; Idaho State Patrol; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office; Idaho County Sheriff’s Office; and nine rural fire departments are all working to evacuate residents, put the fire out, and save any private property that lies in its path. The fire perimeters are less

than two miles away from the communities of Kamiah, Woodland, Harrisburg and Fraser. Evacuations have been issued since the fire started, forcing hundreds, perhaps thousands to leave their homes and find safety elsewhere. The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center in Kamiah. The Salvation Army has set up a shelter in Orofino. Smoke from the fires has lingered in the air, decreasing visibility to one-quarter of a mile in the surrounding areas. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality classified the air quality as “Moderate” to See CLEARWATER FIRE page 10

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Ranchers work to separate cattle chased off the range by the Soda Fire in Owyhee County. Photo by Steve Ritter

Soda Fire Controlled: Nearly 300,000 Acres Burned in Owyhee County By Carrie Veselka Ranchers remain uncertain about livestock losses in the wake of a 280,000 acre fire that scorched Owyhee County in mid-August. Wildlife and wildlife habitat losses are also expected to be widespread with ranchers only recently being allowed into the burned areas to search for any remaining cattle. The Soda Fire burned 283,000 acres over two weeks. Fire officials declared the fire 100 percent contained on August 24. So far, there is no solid estimate of damag6

es. No homes were lost in the fire and only one structure, an unimproved cow camp building near Reynolds Creek, according to Michele McDaniel, assistant director at the BLM field office. Rancher Ted Blackstock said he and his neighbor Chris Johnstone counted 23 lost cattle so far. “Out of 550, that’s very good,” said Blackstock. “Some of our neighbors got hit a lot worse,” said Johnstone. The loss of grazing ground may prove to be a bigger obstacle than the loss of livestock.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

Blackstock said the lack of feeding ground is the main issue. “We’ve got a pretty good bunch of hay right now, but it’s going to take more if we don’t find some pasture because (the fire) took the rest of our summer pasture and our fall pasture, and all our winter pasture too,” he said. “We’ll be feeding hay 100 percent from now till spring for right now unless we find some place to go.” Flames spread rapidly on August 10 as the first reports started filtering in that a wildfire had sparked near Jackson Creek in Owyhee County. Fire officials suspect the fire was lightning-caused.

Nearly 300,000 acres in Owyhee County and neighboring Jordan Valley, Oregon, burned in mid-August. Photo by Steve Ritter

The first report came in around 1 p.m. Later reports that day measured it at 2,000 acres and growing. Thanks to incoming thunderstorms and high temperatures in the valley and surrounding area, the fire spread quickly. Lightning is suspected to be the culprit, but investigators are still looking into the cause. The BLM set up an incident command post and brought in five fire engines, four bulldozers, one hot shot crew and one water tender. The Owyhee Rangeland Fire Protection Association, of which Blackstock and his wife Mary are members, assisted, along with the Vale, Oregon BLM, providing another two engines. Aerial resources included one air attack plane, one helicopter, one heavy engine air tanker and three single-engine air tankers. The Soda Fire burned extensive areas of grass and sage, prime habitat for sage grouse, candidates for the Endangered Species list due to loss of habitat from di-

sasters, mainly wildfires. Sage grouse were not the only wildlife affected by the fire. “Deer were running, elk, quail; the quail were all just looking, running up on the porch trying to find their babies,” said Mary Blackstock. “Not much out there now.” Thanks to the fire destroying premium sage grouse habitat, the Soda Fire became the top priority for the Great Basin and Boise BLM. It reached within one or two miles of the Idaho-Oregon border on August 11. Resources increased to 175 fire fighters, 17 engines, six dozers, four water tenders, two hot shot crews, and two Type II Initial Attack hand crews. Airborne resources increased to two air attacks, three helicopters, two heavy air tankers, five single engine air tankers and one lead aircraft. Later day, fire officials closed Highway 95 from Jordan Valley, Oregon to a few miles

south of Marsing. Gusty winds pushed the fire past the northern and eastern control lines. By the end of Tuesday August 11, fire officials estimated that the acreage had reached 78,720 acres. The number of fire fighters increased from 175 to 198 with another bulldozer to work on the fire lines. The Owyhee Rangeland Fire Protection Association and the Vale, Oregon BLM continued to offer assistance for the duration of the fire. The Soda Fire wasn’t the only fire in the area. A few smaller fires broke out and were quickly contained August 11. The Beeter Fire started near Mountain Home but was contained by 7 p.m., thanks to the prompt response of the Mountain Home Rural Fire Department. It burned three acres. The Wash Fire which also started August 11 near Grandview was contained by the See SODA FIRE page 10

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

STALLMAN

Continued from page 2

and crops down to the individual plant. We will spot diseases and pests almost the moment they appear, and target our water, pesticide and fertilizer applications to use the right amount at just the right time. This kind of precision is good for our businesses and our land. All we need is for the Federal Aviation Administration to act, and the sooner, the better. Farmers and ranchers are eager to unlock the full potential of these new technologies, but across rural America many are still without the broadband service needed to make many

of them practical. The Agriculture Department estimates just 67 percent of farmhouses had access to the Internet in 2013, which left one-third of America’s farm and ranch businesses offline. The Internet shouldn’t be a luxury. Farmers and ranchers rely on broadband access to connect with customers, access new markets and comply with new regulations. Rural broadband access is also critical to the communities surrounding our farmland: Online healthcare, education and government services can deliver opportunities and services rural Americans wouldn’t oth-

erwise have at their doorstep. However, with no affordable broadband, rural communities are isolated from these services and growth opportunities.

on and on . . .

while the number of firefighters has doubled.

Our communities and our economy are stronger when we have the tools we need to work together and prosper. We’re excited to see the Federal Communications Commission transition to the Connect America Program, which focuses attention on the need for broadband services in rural areas. We need all communications providers to be covered — not just telephone providers — to open

the door to all Americans in rural communities. And there’s much more that can be done. Farm Bureau supports tax incentives, grants and regulations for communications carriers so they can open up new markets that would otherwise prove unprofitable. Washington hears the outcry for high-speed Internet, but the solution is coming through slower than dial-up. Our rural communities shouldn’t have to wait any longer for the connections that broadband will give them.

Priestley

Continued from page 2

time our budget deficit eclipsed the $1 trillion mark. The article states that one million seconds is about 11.5 days. One billion seconds is about 32 years, and one trillion seconds is about 32,000 years. In order to get back to a balanced budget, there are only four areas of government spending that truly mean anything in the realm of a budget deficit this large. They include, military spending, Social Security, Medicare and servicing the debt, or in other words, paying interest on a giant load of debt. Everything else is just peanuts. So maybe that’s why the Forest Service thinks government can just slide them a billion or so to help them keep doing what they’re doing. Then in another few years, maybe the government can slide the Forest Service some more, and 8

The thinking that someone else will take care of the problem at some point in the future and that no one is accountable for the problem appears to have become pervasive in Washington D.C. But let’s take a closer look at how the Forest Service got into this mess. The Forest Service’s problems are real and we are in no way making light of them. But the bottom line is when forests aren’t managed they burn. The Forest Service press release states that millions of dollars are being re-routed from forest management and recreation to pay for firefighting. The same thing is happening with Forest Service personnel. The number of Forest Service employees who aren’t firefighters has dropped from 18,000 in 1998 to 11,000 today,

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

The press release states that climate change and “other factors” are causing the increase in firefighting costs. We will submit that the “other factors” referred to in the press release are environmental groups that choose to litigate nearly every single forest management activity that is proposed, to include controlled burns, logging, road building, insect control and many others. It’s come the point where the Forest Service can’t authorize the cutting of a single tree on public land without getting sued by an environmental group. This situation is ironic because the very people who are out to save the environment have created a scenario wherein our forests are being systematically destroyed by fire.

To sum things up, the Forest Service no longer wants to be responsible for the costs of fighting fires. They would rather that money came from somewhere else. The problem is, there isn’t any more money to spend. We don’t know how people in far-away cities may interpret this call for action by the Forest Service. But for people who live in rural areas near Forest Service lands, there is very little sympathy for an agency that refuses to coordinate forest management efforts or even acknowledge that economies in rural communities matter. If the Forest Service’s main charge becomes firefighting then its recreational aspects will have to take a back seat. We don’t see a good reason to appropriate more money to firefighting when proper forest management would solve the problem.

Rural Fire Districts Essential to Firefighting Efforts By Jake Putnam and Carrie Veselka Initial attack is crucial in bringing wildfire under control. Local farmers and ranchers answered the call on fires across the state last month picking up fire axes and chainsaws to battle wildfire, in some cases hours before federal responders arrived on scene. On August 10th a lightning strike started the Soda Fire in Owyhee County. Ranchers from the Owyhee Rural Fire District were first on the scene. “Our first responders did a great job on the Soda Fire, they nearly had that fire contained the first night,” said Owyhee County rancher Tim Lowry. “I’m glad that legislation passed a few years ago allowing understanding agreements, equipment and training. Our first responders know the land, live close by and have that advantage.” On August 11, the Beeter Fire broke out seven miles southeast of Mountain Home off Beet Dump Road. The Mountain Home Rural Fire Department, made up of locals, had the fire contained by 7 p.m., according to the Bureau of Land Management. The U.S. is in the midst of one of the worst fire seasons on record with some 11,600 square miles scorched so far. It’s the sixth-worst going back to 1960, but it’s the most acreage burned by this date in a decade, so the ranking should rise and 2015 could do down as the worst on record. Idaho has one of the highest rates of wildfires in the country. The dry grass and sagebrush that make up most of the rangeland vegetation are explosive fuel for wildfires especially in drought conditions, as demonstrated by last month’s devastating Soda Fire.

“Our district firefighters did a great job attacking the fire,” said volunteer fireman / rancher Ted Blackstock. “I’m not one to attend classes but I learned how to keep safe, what to watch for when the fire is raging and I think it saved lives. Some stayed and helped when the hotshots showed up. It was amazing, I learned a lot firsthand. We need to get the jump on the fires when we can.” Also on August 11th, the Wash Fire burned 10 acres seven miles southwest of Grandview. The Grandview Rural Fire Department, working with the BLM, controlled the fire before it reached homes. “Response to wildfires in rural areas is faster, at least in our county,” added Blackstock. He said he training and equipment is getting better in all the Rangeland Fire Protection Associations throughout Idaho. Rural volunteer firefighters get at least 40 hours of wildfire training from the BLM and Idaho Department of Lands, according to the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission. The ranchers are given Nomex fire gear, communication equipment along with chainsaws and other equipment needed to interface with BLM crews attacking wildfires. The BLM and the US Forest Service saw the value of quick response to wildfires this season. In North Idaho volunteers from the Moscow Rural Fire District and the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department successfully joined the fight against the Clearwater Complex Fire near Kamiah. Not only digging lines but running structure protection plans during the first 30 hours of the blaze. “When you think about it, farmers have the equipment. I’m talking bulldozers, tractors that are needed for fire line in

the initial attack,” said Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley. “Farmers want to use the equipment and stop fire at their doorstep. The Forest Service and the BLM are just defending real estate, but volunteer ranchers are protecting their homes and grazing, it’s a personal fight for them.” “Our fire district covers more than a million acres in Owyhee County,” said Doug Rutan, President of the Owyhee Rural Fire Protection Association. “We formed about two years ago with a memorandum of understanding with the BLM and we can do initial attack on public or private land. We’ve done about a dozen fires this year alone. Our goal is to get‘em out or hold them till we can get help.” Before 2012, ranchers were not allowed to fight wildfires on public lands in most cases, even if they had the means and training to contain a fire before BLM could get there. The BLM stance was that local farmers and ranchers may have the equipment to attack a fire but lack of training created unsafe situations. Ranchers were allowed to fight fire on their own property until the BLM arrived but fighting fire on their own was a citable offense. That all changed when a small fire broke out near the Blair Trail Reservoir in central Idaho back in 2011. Two ranchers responded to the fire and caught and contained the blaze until the BLM showed up. They were asked to leave, which they did, and the fire exploded from 15 to a 40,000 acre fire. After that fire in 2011, the BLM and the Idaho Department of Lands, along with support from the State Legislature and local ranchers, created the Rangeland Fire Protection Association to form a successful partnership and so far it’s working.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

CLEARWATER FIRE

Continued from page 7 “Very Unhealthy.”

The Motorway Complex is the second largest of the three complexes burning six miles from Pierce and 10 miles from Kooskia. The complex is comprised of over 35 small lightning-caused fires, the biggest of which are the Slide Fire, burning 8,586 acres; the Pete Forks Fire, burning 4,934 acres; the Snowy Summit Fire, burning 4,923 acres; and the Woodrat Fire, burning 4,100 acres. The entire complex is currently burning 30,404 acres, according to the BLM. Fire crews have currently put out 18 fires in the Motorway Complex. These fires are all handled by a Type II Incident Management team, headed by Rick Kusicko, out of Kooskia. More firefighters are arriving daily to help. There was so much smoke clogging the air that air operations were put on hold from August 24-26.

The entire area is under an evacuation warning. Evacuations have been ongoing for the past two weeks. The Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter at Kooskia Elementary School. The Municipal Complex consists of the Fisher Fire, the Municipal Fire, and the Old Greer Fire, and has burned a total of 20,732 acres to date. The Fisher Fire has torched 18,889 acres and is 80 percent contained. The Municipal Fire has burned 1,770 acres and stands at 80 percent containment. The Old Greer Fire has burned only 73 acres and is 95 percent contained. The Gilbert Grade and the Harmony Heights Fires were reported on August 24. The Orofino Rural Fire Department and one crew from the Municipal Fire, aided by one bulldozer and two water tenders, extinguished the fire the next day. The

Harmony Heights fire burned less than one acre and was extinguished the same day. A total of 55 fires are burning throughout the Idaho Panhandle region and one fire is active near Challis. At press time for this magazine the entire state is facing extreme fire conditions. With so many fires active in the region, staff at the interagency fire information center were running out of names for all of them. One fire was dubbed “Not Creative.” Smathers added that the need for hay in the region is a definite. “That’s one of the big things they need right now is feed,” Smathers said. “I know there’s been a couple truck loads when we were up there last week from Utah, but they need a lot more than that. There is nothing left for the animals that are in those areas that burnt over. There’s a big need for feed.”

SODA FIRE

Continued from page 7

Grandview Rural Fire Department with the assistance of three BLM fire engines and a contract bulldozer. It burned about 10 acres. The Spring Fire started near Silver City that same day. A helicopter and two Smokejumpers responded and extinguished the flames. The Soda fire jumped Highway 95 on Tuesday evening, growing to an estimated 83,000 acres. By Wednesday morning, the fire had burned through 120,000 acres. Of that number, 25,000 acres were on the Oregon side and moving towards Homedale. High winds and low humidity created dangerous conditions that fire fighters could not keep up with. On August 17, fire officials issued a Red Flag Warning from noon to 9 p.m. due to predicted high winds. The Soda Fire was declared 70 percent con10

tained by BLM on August 17. At its peak, the Soda Fire employed 811 personnel.

still left without pasture, and some, without livestock as well.

A new BLM Type II Incident Management Team led by Nate Budd took control of fire operations on Wednesday August, 19.

“It’s going to be at least a year, two years probably,” said Ted Blackstock about returning to the burned range. “We’ve got some private ground we’ll be able to go onto next spring some, but it’s all been burned. You have to take it easy on it anyway, not overgraze the first year back.”

The next day the fire reached 90 percent containment, with crews focusing on preserving the fire lines and sage grouse habitat and investigating continued burning in the interior of the burned sections. By August 19, only 70 personnel remained on the fire doing cleanup and extinguishing the last of the flames. Officials declared the fire 95 percent contained. The Soda Fire was officially declared contained on August 24, with 55 personnel staying to finish cleanup efforts. After the last crew is gone and the last of the smoke has gone away, the ranchers are

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

The Blackstocks, like many ranchers across the state who have sustained losses from wild fires, look and plan for the hard times ahead with the same irrepressible optimism as when they plan for more prosperous times. “Job’s the same,” said Blackstock. “If you don’t have any money or if you have lots of money, it’s the same; just doing your job, working your cattle, trying to take care of them. It’s just what we do, I guess.”

Bob McKellip, a Canyon County farmer, explains his drip irrigation system on a peppermint field. He’s pleased with the results.

Groups Host Conservation Summit Article and Photos by Steve Stuebner During a week-long series of soil and water conservation tours in southern Idaho in the third week of July, Idaho conservation leaders and Environmental Protection Agency officials were impressed with the results. H. Norman Wright, chairman of the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission, attended the full week of tours, which included water-quality improvement projects on Pebble Creek and Whiskey Creek in Eastern Idaho as well as wetlands enhancement projects to catch sediment and filter phosphorous in Twin Falls and Boise. The group also toured drip-irrigation demonstration projects in Canyon County, among other stops. The voluntary projects are led by local farmers and conservation districts,

with assistance from partners such as the Conservation Commission, state and federal agencies and non-profit conservation groups. “These farmers and producers are doing way more than anybody could have imagined,” Wright said. “We only saw projects in southeast Idaho, the Magic Valley and Western Idaho, and I know that North Idaho and Eastern Idaho producers are doing very similar, exemplary work. “It just makes me want to thump my chest and say, it really makes me proud to be an Idahoan to see all of these things happening to improve our environment.” Added Jim Werntz, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency office in Idaho, “There were some really great projects with big results. It’s amazing how much gets done with those 319 funds in

Idaho.” After three days of tours, the Conservation Summit culminated with a keynote address by Amos Eno of the Resources First Foundation and an unprecedented round-table discussion by multiple state and federal agencies that are engaged in a wide diversity of conservation projects in Idaho and neighboring states. “Let’s start telling our stories together,” said Teri Murrison, administrator of the Conservation Commission. “We need to aggregate our successes and share that information with decision-makers and the public.” Lt. Gov. Brad Little opened the Conservation Summit by complimenting farmers, district officials, the Conservation Commission and Natural Resources See CONSERVATION SUMMIT page 20

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Focus on Agriculture

The Rural Route to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue By Jessica Wharton As the 2016 election nears, all eyes will be on presidential hopefuls as they debate, shake hands with constituents, kiss a baby or two and, perhaps most importantly, make their way through the well-traveled roads of rural America. This election cycle, Agri-Pulse is highlighting the agricultural perspective of the election and documenting candidates’ positions on key farming and ranching issues through its new series, “The Rural Route to the White House.” “We’d like to be your ‘go to’ source for information about the candidates and their positions on farm and rural issues,” Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse editor, said. The series will include a biography on every candidate, following them through the primaries and into the general election, as well as articles highlighting their positions on agricultural issues such as immigration, trade and farm programs. The American Farm Bureau Federation is the exclusive sponsor of the series, encouraging farmers and ranchers to become informed, active and engaged throughout the 2016 election cycle. “It’s incredibly important for our members, 12

and all rural voters, to know the candidates and how their positions would affect life on the farm and in rural communities,” said Cody Lyon, AFBF director of advocacy and political affairs. Year round, Farm Bureau focuses on advocating for agriculture from a grassroots level through issue campaigns, leadership training and social media engagement. The Farm Bureau advocacy page, www.fbadvocacy.com, is currently encouraging farmers and ranchers to reach out to their senators and representatives while they are home during the August recess. Lyon suggests that state fairs and farm shows provide a great opportunity for some “old-fashioned retail politics: hand shaking and in-person conversations about the importance of American agriculture.” These tried and true methods of grassroots advocacy can be applied to the upcoming 2016 election as well. Agri-Pulse urges rural constituents to “take a ‘selfie’ with a candidate at a local meet and greet” or “talk with a candidate at a local coffee shop or town hall and take a video.” Farm Bureau Advocacy, or FB Advocacy, also suggests rural voters stay constantly engaged during the election season, donating or volunteering on specific campaigns

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

when possible. Most important, however, is showing up on Election Day. The 2012 election saw lower voter turnout rates than in 2008, with rural community turnout dropping by twice the national average. James Gimpel, a University of Maryland political scientist, told the Daily Yonder that the voting turnout on Election Day suggests that “neither of the candidates inspired rural voters to go vote.” With Agri-Pulse’s new “Rural Route to the White House” series, rural voters can become engaged, informed and excited about 2016’s presidential hopefuls while they follow their campaign trail through the dusty back roads of the American countryside. For more information on the “Rural Route to the White House,” visit http://www. agri-pulse.com/Rural-Route-to-theWhite-House.asp. You can send your photos or videos to Sandi@Agri-Pulse.com. For all voting registration questions visit www.usa.gov/register-to-vote. Jessica Wharton is a communications assistant at the American Farm Bureau Federatio

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Wheat Technology Center Opens in Filer By Jake Putnam In a bright, modern, stainless steel greenhouse outside of Filer, Lieutenant Governor Brad Little cut the ribbon in July, opening Monsanto’s new Wheat Technology Center.

Monsanto’s world class wheat program breeds and markets varieties of the major classes of wheat and has hundreds of

seed suppliers nationwide. In addition to a high-profile market presence with its licensed wheat brands in the West,

“This is another Magic Valley miracle,” said Little. “The first was the building of the canals and irrigation system here opening up farm land. The water storage systems were the cutting edge of technology a hundred years ago, so it is fitting that we have another research and development breakthrough in Filer. This is another world class research and development operation and it seems fitting at this site.” Idaho wheat brings millions of dollars into the Idaho economy each year. Building a research facility in Filer shows that Monsanto is investing research dollars close to the agricultural center of the state. “It’s a big deal for us,” said Idaho Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould. “Wheat’s critical to what we do in Idaho. Idaho Farmers produce $750-million dollars a year of wheat alone in farm gate receipts, and we’re thrilled that Monsanto chose to expand here.” Monsanto’s Wheat Technology Center, will showcase the company’s cutting edge wheat breeding operations along with Research and Development in the US bringing together scientists and technology in wheat breeding operations. “The Wheat Technology Center gathers the nation’s top wheat researchers to maximize sharing and collaboration,” said Kristin Schneider, Monsanto’s global wheat breeding lead. “From a breeding perspective, this will help us respond more quickly and efficiently to some of the challenges wheat growers face on their farms here in Idaho and throughout the nation.” Monsanto officials show wheat trials during a recent tour and ribbon cutting for the company’s new Wheat Technology Center near Filer. Photo by Steve Ritter

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

Monsanto also licenses varieties to seed companies in the Eastern US. Monsanto thinks increasing breeding efficiency will help bring wheat varieties to market with potential for more genetic gain. “Wheat is one of the world’s most important crops,” said Robb Fraley, Monsanto Chief Technology Officer. “We grow more than 50-million acres of wheat each year in the U.S. and a half billion acres around the world. The tools we have in Filer will enable us to understand the microbes in the health of soils, then adding to that, the incredible data science tools and precision agriculture tools that will allow us to farm even better and more precisely on shrinking farmland across the world.” The Wheat Technology Center also has facilities for wheat seed cleaning. Crews built another area for trial preparation and seed storage and two large, climate controlled greenhouses. The campus expansion includes an ad-

ditional 14,000 square feet of growing and laboratory space. Monsanto added 17 full-time employees and more than 20 summer jobs at the Filer site, making it the second largest company facility in the state. The company has a huge presence in Idaho with more than 1,000 full-time employees. “No doubt, this is a big day in fostering research and development for agriculture, the wheat industry, and Idaho’s Magic Valley,” added Little. “Monsanto’s Wheat Technology Center adds to an already fast-growing, world-class cluster of food science and food industry research in the Twin Falls area.” Little and other Idaho officials were joined by academic experts and representatives from various agriculture organizations. Monsanto’s Fraley, added that collaboration throughout the industry is needed to bring forward new technologies in wheat to feed a growing, hungry world.

“Monsanto is committed to bringing innovations to wheat farmers, and we strive to do this in a way that helps farmers have better harvests while continuing to use resources like water, nutrients and land more efficiently,” said Fraley. “There are great opportunities that come with driving innovation in wheat, and the opening of the Wheat Technology Center is an example of our continued commitment to the industry.” Idaho Department of Agriculture Director Gould said that the State is proud of Monsanto’s investment in Idaho and offered thanks to farmers and ranchers that will use the technology. “Research and development is very critical in what farmers do,” said Gould. “We forget the time and effort they spend working the wheat and how much the crops mean to future generations after all better wheat today is food on the table tomorrow.”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

KELLER

Continued from page 2 What do policies cover? There may be problems of farmers and ranchers or problems of all citizens. They may be community problems or international problems. They may be goals or methods of reaching them. What is the aim of policies? Their aim is usually to solve problems of the community, county, state, nation, or even of the world, or they may represent an advance where there is no problem— a new discovery or step ahead. Are policies concerned with legislation? Policies are directed toward legislation only when members conclude that there is no better recourse or

remedy for the problem. Farm Bureau members face a problem squarely, analyze it, and generally work out a solution to the problem themselves. If no other solutions can be worked out, then they turn to legislation. Policies express Farm Bureau’s fundamental ideas on community, county, state, or national issues. These problems may be in the field of agriculture— seed certification for example; or in the field of government— the issue of centralized administration of government versus local government. Once determined and adopted, these policies become the plan for

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

the year’s work. They are the statement of what a majority of Farm Bureau members have voted, after prolonged study and discussion. The more basic policies state the philosophy of Farm Bureau— those principles which the members hold fundamental to the welfare of their country and Farm Bureau. They are the principles of the Christian faith, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States. These are the standards by which lesser proposed policies are measured. The members originate and develop Farm Bureau policies. Often a need gives birth

to a policy; several farmers feel strongly that “something must be done.” If you have only the seed of an idea which is not yet formulated, discuss it with some of your friends and neighbors. During discussion the idea begins to crystallize. Talking over your idea with others will help you to eliminate the bugs. Then you are in a better position to prepare a good recommendation for policy. If you have such an idea, need or recommendation, contact your county Farm Bureau. They will help your issue become a county Farm Bureau policy.

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Idaho’s Dominant Spruce By Chris Schnepf Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) was first formally identified by Dr. George Engelmann, a GermanAmerican physician and botanist, so the first part of the name is always capitalized. Because it is Idaho’s most dominant native spruce species, many Idahoans refer to this species as simply “spruce,” which is how we will refer to it in most of this article. Two other spruce species are found in very isolated Idaho locations: white spruce (Picea glauca) and blue spruce (Picea pungens). Identification Engelmann spruce is found through-

out the northern Rocky Mountains. The only thing you really need to distinguish Engelmann spruce from its most common neighbors is needles and buds. Engelmann spruce needles are attached singly rather than in bundles like a pine, so it is often confused with Douglas-fir or true firs, such as grand fir or subalpine fir. Engelmann spruce is quickly separated from these conifers as soon as you grab its needles, which are sharp and four-sided. Looking farther back on the twig, you will also see small, woody pegs on the stem, left when older needles fall off the twig. Spruce is also distinguished from other shorter needled conifers by its fuzzy, pointed buds, as contrasted

“Spruce (center right) has pointy buds, while grand fir and subalpine fir (left) have blunt buds. Douglas-fir (right) has pointy, smooth buds. Photo by Chris Schnepf

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

The cooley spruce gall adelgid attacks all spruce species in Idaho. Photo by Chris Schepf

with true fir buds which are round or blunted. Spruce is also distinctive in other ways. Spruce’s papery, tan cones hang down instead of pointing up as the true fir cones do. Spruce bark is thin and scaly. At higher elevations, spruce’s spire-shaped crown causes some confusion with subalpine fir, but at lower elevations, spruce can develop broader crowns than subalpine fir. Engelmann spruce, Norway spruce (Picea abies) and blue spruce (Picea pungens) are some of the most commonly planted conifers in Idaho landscapes and windbreaks. The differences between these species may seem subtle, but they are usually dis-

tinguished from each other by differences in cone shape. For example, Norway spruce has very long, skinny cones. Needle color is not a very effective way to differentiate spruces from each other. Blue spruces can sometimes be green and some Engelmann spruces can be quite blue. Ecology & Silviculture Spruce tends to be found on cold sites, so you see higher percentages of spruce at higher elevations, but it is also common at lower elevations near streams or other cold sites. Engelmann spruce is often one of the tallest trees visible on sites where it is common, particularly as you increase in elevation. Idaho’s current state record tree is found

in Boise County. It is also the national record tree for Engelmann spruce at 93 inches in diameter and 181 feet tall. Engelmann spruce is shade tolerant. As with most shade-tolerant species, Engelmann spruce can hang on in a shaded understory for a period of time and release, or start growing faster, when it gets more sun from the forest canopy opening up. However, spruce can be outlasted by associated species that are more shade tolerant, such as subalpine fir and mountain hemlock. Like other shade tolerants, spruce can be longlived – over 500 years. Spruce’s shade tolerance and sometimes abundant natural regeneration make it a good canSee UI FORESTRY page 23

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

CONSERVATION SUMMIT

Continued from page 11

Conservation Service for the many results yielded by conservation partnerships. “Endangered species issues get all the attention, but the most important thing is to protect the soil and water - you take care of those two things and everything else will follow.” Eno encouraged Idaho’s conservation leaders to step up investments in private land conservation because of the value of fish and wildlife resources and biodiversity on private lands. “Private lands are five times as important as other lands because they control all the water,” Eno said. “They host the vast majority of both wetlands (70%) and endangered species habitats (75%). Private lands are our reservoirs of biodiversity. These lands have our greatest potential for conservation.” Eno quoted Aldo Leopold, “The geography of conservation is such that most of the best land will always be held privately for agricultural production. The bulk of responsibility for conservation thus necessarily devolves upon the private custodian, especially the farmer.” Murrison observed that traditional Conservation partners’ (Commission, local conservation districts, and NRCS) efforts are proof that Conservation the Idaho Way is working. When the accomplishments of other conservation efforts are added, Idaho has a very impressive record of accomplishments, she said. It’s time to look beyond the traditional and incorporate new partners, she said. Accomplishments of Idaho’s traditional partners in 2014 included implementing conservation systems on 193,625 acres of cropland and on 107,090 acres of other land use types. Grazing and pasture management systems were implemented on over 539,000 acres, and 487 acres of riparian areas were protected, restored, enhanced, and created. Additionally, joint state and federal efforts on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (which conserves water by removing marginal farm ground from pro20

duction in exchange for $130 per acre annual payments by the Farm Service Agency to landowners) totaled almost 590,000 participating acres. Reporting on private land conservation efforts in Idaho via the Sect. 319 grant process, Jennifer Martin of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality said there were 35 projects completed in 2014 that reduced nitrogen by 60,000 pounds per year, phosphorous by 49,000 pounds per year, and sediment by 11,961 pounds per year. Enos, as well as numerous other participants in the Conservation Summit, pondered how to raise more funds for conservation projects on private land, since there is a large backlog of projects competing for $1.5 million in Sect. 319 grants statewide. Enos suggested that Idaho ranchers could create a “cattleman’s land trust” similar to the California Rangeland Trust, Colorado Cattleman’s Ag Land Trust, or the Texas Ag Land Trust. The Lemhi Regional Land Trust, founded a number of years ago in Salmon, is a positive example, he said. Dustin Miller of the Idaho Office of Species Conservation, noted that a recent conservation purchase had occurred in the Lemhi Valley in which a 5,000-acre conservation easement had been purchased along the Lemhi River, which, combined with existing easements on neighboring ranches, will protect 20 miles of the Chinook salmon spawning habitat on the river, or 60 percent of all the spawning habitat on the Lemhi River. “The land will stay as a working cattle ranch,” Miller said. “But these projects show the compatibility of ranching and fish conservation.” To form a statewide land trust would require a major fund-raising effort, Eno said. “You have to get out your tin cup!” Several other Idaho groups are exploring how to come up with more state or private funds for conservation projects. Stay tuned on that front. Everyone agreed that the NRCS’s Sage

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

Grouse Initiative represents the “gold standard” of private land conservation efforts to protect, enhance and preserve sage grouse habitat. From 2010-2014, there were 121 SGI contracts signed by property owners in Idaho, leading to the investment of $10 million in conservation actions protecting 459,000 acres of private land for sage grouse and 27 conservation easements protecting 54,000 acres. “This is huge!” Miller said. In visiting several drip irrigation projects in the Treasure Valley, conservation leaders were impressed with the results. Canyon County farmer Bob McKellip shared the outcome of a drip irrigation project on a field where he’s grown sugar beets, peppermint and wheat. On the mint crop, he got a 35 percent increase in yield with the drip system, while using half the water and half the fertilizer, compared to using conventional furrow irrigation. The $85,000 drip system was funded with a Sect. 319 water quality grant, cost-shared by the farmer. “This system would pay off in three years without the grant,” he said. Previously, the farm fields along Elm Road used to have an annual erosion rate of 3.32 tons of sediment per acre, which flowed into Five Mile Creek. There also was dissolved phosphorous runoff from the field. Under the drip system, “there is zero runoff,” McKellip said. “This system is working very well from a conservation and economic perspective,” said Delwyne Trefz, support services coordinator for the Conservation Commission. “This project is saving 24 tons of sediment per year, 48 pounds of phosphorous per year, plus 540 acre-feet of water savings per year. These drip projects are awesome projects!” The plastic tubes are buried seven inches deep in the soil, so it’s possible to harvest a sugar beet crop without disrupting the drip system, McKellip said. He hopes to keep it in the field for 8-10 years. Rodent control is key to preserve the plastic water lines, he said.

The Dixie Drain project, currently under construction, is for phosphorous reduction in the lower Boise River. The City of Boise is paying to reduce phosphorous in the Dixie Drain to compensate for phosphorous emissions at the West Boise Sewer Treatment Plant.

Ralph Fisher, former NRCS agronomist who works for the EPA in Idaho, said he thought the efficiency of the drip system is what may be needed to conserve water in times of drought in the future. “If you think about what’s happening with the drought in California, we should be starting to look at efficiencies to carry us through times of drought, and the drip systems are a good example of that.”

The project is designed to remove 140 pounds of phosphorous from the Dixie Drain return flow before cleaner water is released to the lower Boise River by running return flows through a series of settling ponds where chemicals are applied to reduce the phosphorous. EPA officials like the project because it’s possible to measure the results.

The only barrier to expanding drip irrigation systems are the cost. High-value crops like onions can support the cost of converting to drip irrigation, but it takes longer to pay off drip systems serving lower-value crops. “Sixty percent of the onion fields in Idaho are on drip irrigation,” McKellip said.

The $16 million Dixie Drain project benefits the lower Boise River water-quality effort. It is being paid for by Boise residents who are served by the Boise wastewater treatment plant. The goal is to remove 1.5 pounds of phosphorous from the Dixie Drain for every one pound of phosphorous released into the river from the Boise treatment plant.

Next, the conservation tour visited the Dixie Drain project near Parma, an innovative phosphorous reduction project that’s under construction. It will be operational in June 2016, according to Sean Wilson, a chemical engineer and project manager for the City of Boise Public Works.

The goal of the TMDL plan for the lower Boise River is to reach a phosphorous standard of .07 micrograms per liter of total phosphorous in the lower Boise River, compared to .5 today. That is a big step forward that’d be hard to achieve through any other means, officials said.

“This is the project that broke the logjam for the lower Boise TMDL,” Werntz said. “You have to credit the City of Boise for forging ahead. They’ve gotten through a lot of hurdles to get it done. We’re pretty excited about it.” Barry Burnell, administrator of the water quality division at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, said he sees big opportunities for additional cooperative projects that benefit farmers in the lower Boise River and cities upstream. Cities could partner with farmers to reduce phosphorous on ag return flows to receive credits for phosphorous loading upstream, he said. “I’m really excited about the prospects of pollution trading in the Treasure Valley,” he said. Steve Stuebner focuses on conservation success stories for the Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Commission.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

U I Forestry

Continued from page 19

didate for partial-cut forest regeneration systems such as selection, but it can also grow quite well in even-aged silvicultural systems. In Idaho, spruce is commonly managed together with associated species such as lodgepole pine and subalpine fir. One of the most difficult challenges with growing spruce is its shallow root system. This characteristic is pronounced on sites with thin soils. Shallow roots make spruce vulnerable to windthrow, which can exacerbate issues with bark beetles. Giving spruce adequate space to develop larger root systems and more stem taper may help counter this, but on wind-prone sites with thin soils, it may be smart to favor other adapted species. Engelmann spruce is not particularly fire resistant, as its bark is relatively thin and its shade tolerance allows it to keep branches growing fairly close to the ground. Surface fires can climb into the crown and kill the tree with relative ease. Insects and Disease of Engelmann Spruce Spruce is one of the most common genuses across the entire northern end of the planet, so a variety of insects and diseases feed on them. One of the most common insects on both planted and wild spruces in Idaho is the cooley spruce gall adelgid (Adelges cooleyi). In the spring, the small nymphs of this aphid-like insect feed on the expanding needles in spruce buds. Their saliva makes the tree produce green to purple, pinecone-shaped galls on branch tips, where the insects continue their development in small chambers inside the expanding gall. In late summer, these galls dry out, turn brown, and develop small holes, from which the adults fly out to continue their life cycle on Douglas fir. These insects

do not kill the tree, but many dislike or worry about the persistent brown galls, so University of Idaho Extension offices get many calls on this insect every year. Spruce also has a bark beetle dedicated to it called “spruce beetle” (Dendroctonus rufipennis). In the last two decades, this insect has killed extensive stands of spruce in Alaska and Canada, but can also attack spruce here. They tend to attack larger trees, and will also attack spruces downed by wind storms or logging. An insect called white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) attacks and kills the top foot or two of spruce trees. While this insect does not usually cause sufficient damage to forest spruce trees to warrant control measures, it is a concern for landowners who grow spruces commercially for woody ornamental plantings. The same insect can also kill white pine leaders, though this is a much bigger problem with eastern white pine than with western white pine. Engelmann spruce is moderately susceptible to root diseases and is vulnerable to defoliating insects, notably western spruce budworm and tussock moth. Uses Engelmann spruce can be used for dimensional lumber, plywood, and shelving. Spruce’s long fibers also make excellent pulp for paper. Because its wood is relatively light and not particularly resinous, spruce has also been used for food containers. Spruce’s shade tolerance causes it to hang on to branches longer than other species, so spruce boards often have many small knots. If, however, spruces are pruned, either naturally or artificially, spruce is a preferred wood for stringed musical instruments such as

guitars, violins and cellos, particularly wood from slow growing, or tightringed trees. Conclusion Many Idahoans enjoy Engelmann spruce for a whole host of reasons. It is not necessarily the first species people think of planting, but on moist, cool microsites, many family forest owners will consider planting some spruce for species diversity. In addition to its value for wood products, Engelmann spruce is used by a variety of wildlife species, particularly those which frequent high elevations such as spruce grouse. Because this species also tends to occur in places where we get the deepest snow pack, Engelmann spruce could become even more important – as a keystone species in future efforts to manage high elevation forests so they catch and keep as much snow pack as possible. For more information: Marvin W. Foiles, Russell T. Graham, and David F. Olson, Jr.. 1990. Silvics of North America. Agriculture Handbook 654. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. vol.2, 877p. (see section on Engelmann spruce at: http://www.na.fs.fed. us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/picea/engelmannii.htm Johnson, Fred D. 1996. Wild Trees of Idaho. 212 p. http://www.cals.uidaho. edu/edcomm/pdf/CNR/WildTreesOfIdaho.pdf Arno, S.F. & R.P. Hammerly. 1977. Northwest Trees. The Mountaineers Books. Seattle. 222 p. Chris Schnepf is an area extension educator – forestry – for the University of Idaho in Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Benewah counties. He can be reached at cschnepf@uidaho.edu.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Grain Marketing with Clark Johnston

Diversified Marketing Plans Create Competitive Advantages The lyrics of an old Willie Nelson song said, “Turn out the lights the party’s over” could apply to marketing our commodities this year. However, maybe, just maybe the party is just beginning. Commodity prices are certainly depressed and so are a number of producers but, this could be the beginning of new thoughts and ideas as to how we merchandise our products. In years past we followed the market and then contracted when we thought the cash prices were right and we moved our commodities to town. Well, it just could be time for us to expand our merchandising area. Maybe town isn’t just a few miles away but rather a hundred or two hundred miles down the road. This could take a little more patience as well as work and it probably won’t be as convenient but, it could be worthwhile. When commodity prices are low the potential to contract for an additional 10 to 20 cents per bushel is huge and could be the difference between being profitable or not. In the past we have talked about looking for and using niche markets for some of our bushels. These are still viable alternatives to conventional markets although the amount of the demand is limited. It could also be beneficial to diversify our marketing plan to include several markets. We know that bids change daily and one market can have the best bid every day. This is why it is good to nurture more than one relationship as well as spending at least a little time daily studying the local markets and how each company could benefit you in your specific operation. When we look at the futures market this year we see that it has followed the same historical pattern we have experienced 24

over the past four years, with exception of 2012 when we had a short corn crop. Futures have moved lower to levels that could give us some support and the carry in the market from December wheat futures into July is currently only a total of 8 cents. This really isn’t giving traders much of an incentive to hold wheat off of the market except for the possibility of basis appreciation. Basis has strengthened recently and historically we see that it should continue to strengthen into the end of the year. We have visited about this in previous articles and it is becoming more and more relevant (especially in soft white) than in years past. Over the past three years the basis for soft white in southeast Idaho has strengthened by 88 points (on average) from the first of July through the end of November. The basis on soft white moved 30 points higher just during the month of August this year. The average move over the past three years for the month of August has been 21 points. For now it looks as though we are on track to once again follow the historical trend into Thanksgiving. In a merchandising program it would be safe to say that now is probably not a good time to sell futures against our farm stored grain. However, it is a good time to watch the basis. A basis level of 50 or 60 over the Chicago December futures in southeast Idaho could be a good level to contract some soft white. Since harvest began, demand for hard red winter has been almost non-existent. This is evident as the basis continues to weaken even after the crop is harvested. At this time it looks as though the low protein HRW will need to work into the feed market as the flour mills just aren’t interested in wheat that is less than 11 percent

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

Clark Johnston protein. Hard white basis has found a little strength since the middle of July and demand should increase when the mills grind through their current inventory. The dark northern spring wheat market should be as usual with the wheat that is 14 plus protein having a good market while the lower protein will once again have its challenges to move to market. In the feed barley market we could see some strength if the corn crop deteriorates between now and harvest. There are some in the trade that feel the increased production in the western corn belt will more than offset the possibility of lower production in the eastern belt. The production reports for both September and October could show lower numbers as the trade gets a better idea of actual bushels per acre. This marketing year is just like all of the other years in the fact that it is different. We will have opportunities to market our commodities at decent levels this year if we know our breakeven level and our price objective to make a profit. Clark Johnston is a grain marketing specialist who is on contract with the Idaho Farm Bureau. He is the owner of JC Management Company in Northern Utah. He can be reached at clark@jcmanagement. net

School Funding: A Private vs Public Comparison Opinion by Briana LeClaire

There are a few things everybody knows about living in Idaho: 1. When someone asks, “Where’d you go to school?” they mean high school. 2. “Open range” doesn’t mean watch out for a stove with the door ajar. 3. Our public schools are woefully underfunded. To address item three, school districts more-or-less continually urge local taxpayers to increase their property taxes via levies and bonds. If only it were that simple. In reality, all the money the public schools could ever ask for would never fix the Throughthe-Looking-Glass world of K-12 education funding. Public education finance defies rationality because public schools are funded according to inputs. School districts receive state funding according to a Byzantine formula with three primary factors: the number of students in a district, its types of students, and its mix of personnel. Smaller districts receive more money per pupil than larger ones. Districts with many high school, special education, and/or English Language Learners receive more money than districts with many kindergarteners. Districts with experienced teachers holding post-graduate degrees receive more money than districts with young teachers having only bachelor’s degrees. What it actually costs to teach students is not a public school funding factor. Private schools, on the other hand, must be sensitive to costs and customers, so they use a

more rational model for funding and providing education. If costs get out of control, or if services suffer, then the private school will lose students and possibly have to shut down. Byzantine, irrational formulas would lead to private schools’ demise. The difference between private and public education spending is stark. Compare private school tuition to what is spent to educate public school students. The median tuition for Idaho’s private schools is $3,550 per year for elementary schools, and slightly more than $5,000 per year for high schools. (Source: The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.) In contrast, these were the perpupil spending amounts of various Idaho school districts in 2012-13, which is the most recent school year for which information is available at the Idaho Department of Education website: 10,000 or more students: Idaho Falls, $6,810 Pocatello, $7,152 Boise, $9,067 Nampa, $6,479 Coeur d’Alene, $7,341 1,000 – 9,999 students: Blackfoot, $7,120 Bear Lake County, $7,828 Mountain Home, $7,032 Lewiston, $9,127 Lake Pend Oreille, $8,962 Fewer than 1,000 students: Clark County, $14,685 Castleford, $11,203

Midvale, $16,781 Culdesac, $16,166 Plummer/Worley, $14,802 It’s true you can’t put a price on some things, but as every parent of a college student knows, an education isn’t one of them. District per-pupil spending is a critical performance measure because it’s the only measure that comes close to the price of educating one child. Price is supposed to convey value. A private school’s price and Briana LeClaire its value must match, or nobody would send their children there. education entitlement monies The perverse incentives that are at non-district schools, but no built into the public school fund- bank, grocery store or church is ing formula mean what districts entitled to one’s patronage. No get is what education costs – and school should be, either. it’s never enough. In the future, knowing that famiK-12 education should be pub- lies have money ready to spend licly-funded, but like Pell Grants on education, entrepreneurs or GI Bill benefits which can be would build schools that don’t used at public or private univer- yet exist. A true market for K-12 sities, publicly-funded shouldn’t education would come into benecessarily mean publicly- ing, like the market that already delivered. Like food stamps, exists for college. Medicare and other entitlements, Sometimes what everybody those who qualify for education knows “ain’t necessarily so.” services should be free to choose There is an alternative to metasfor themselves where to spend tasizing property taxes. Choice their education dollars. People and competition work everyspending their own money on where else in the world. Whether their own children would neces- it is through vouchers, tax credit sarily be an improvement upon tuition scholarships, education lawmakers and bureaucrats in spending accounts, or something Boise deciding how to spend else, school choice and competiother people’s money on other tion can make Idaho K-12 educapeople’s children. tion work, too. Funding students, not schools, Briana LeClaire is the executive would prompt increased paren- director of the Idaho Federation tal involvement as well as fami- of Independent Schools, a statelies began to act like customers, wide private school association. rather than as passive receivers She lives with her family in Meof district offerings. Undoubt- ridian. edly, some education customers would choose to spend their Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Top Farm Bureau Agents

Rookie of the Month:

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Agent of the Month: Kendon Perry Open Agency Agency of the Month:

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

County Happenings

Kevin Permann, left, of Power County, receives a scholarship check from County President Lamar Isaak. Permann is a student at BYU-Idaho.

Macy Hagler, center, recently received a scholarship from Ada County Farm Bureau. At left is Ada County Board Member Beth Carter, and at the right is Ada County Farm Bureau President Don Sonke. Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Trailing of the Sheep Festival Celebrates 19th Year HAILEY, Idaho. The annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival is Idaho’s premier cultural event honoring the arts, history and culture of the west. The five-day event, beginning October 7, celebrates the rich & colorful history and cultures of sheepherding in the Wood River Valley, Idaho & the West. It isn’t easy being a family farmer or rancher in 2015. It is estimated that only 1 percent of Americans are involved in farming or ranching today. Most young people are a generation or two away from living life on the land. Last year, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival started a three-year program called “Celebrating Generations.” The goal is to listen, learn, share and save the memories of our western families – dreamers, all of them, who live and work the land and are the keepers of open space. We first honored the visionaries; those first families who found a piece of western land that matched their dreams. They made it home, made it their life’s work, cared for it and fed the country from its bounty. In 2015 we follow families into today’s hardworking second and third generations, the landowners of today who survive depressions, droughts, fires, pressures of a rapidly developing west that can put them out of business in a heartbeat. Can they hold onto the family vision of open spaces and working landscapes around them against demands their parents could never have foreseen? What are their stories of triumphs and loss? The third year we look at the next and future generation. Will they hold onto the dream of their parents and grandparents or find an easier life for themselves? In 2015, during the SheepTales Gathering four of Idaho’s most influential sheep ranching families will share their stories. Laird and John Noh represent 5th and 6th generations sheep ranching family. Laird Noh served in the Idaho legislature for over 20 years. Henry Etcheverry operates his sheep business on 700,000 acres between 28

Rupert and Lava Hot Springs in Idaho. Henry’s father came from the French Pyrenees in 1929 and his story is a tale from the “what America is made of” archives. Hard work, risks and creativity continue to make America the best country in the world. Mike Guerry will also be on stage sharing his stories of working to save the rangelands and sheep ranching in southern Idaho. Mike has an authentic sense of humor that audiences adore. Until now agriculture was a unique experience of generations working side by side, grandfathers and grandsons moving sheep to new meadows in spring, feeding and lambing in winter, haying in summer. They did it together. That’s not possible for many families. 2015 marks the 19th year of the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival. It has grown into a 5-day event including sheep storytelling and readings, music, a full day Folklife Fair with sheep shearing, wool spinning and sheep arts and crafts, and the National Point Qualifying Sheepdog Trials. There is dancing, singing, music and food honoring the tradition of welcoming fathers, brothers, sons, animals and family home from a long summer of grazing in the mountains. This Festival honors the colorful history, heritage and cultures of Idaho and the west. The 2015 Festival will also feature expanded and unique multicultural experiences, beautiful woolen creations, Basque, Scottish, Peruvian and Polish musicians, dancers and storytellers, culinary events at each main venue, the Sheep Tales Gathering – focusing on Storytelling, an expanded Fiber Festival with public and industry events, demonstrations, artists, displays, championship sheepdog trials and a host of other activities culminating in the annual Big Sheep Parade with 1,500 sheep prancing down Main Street in Ketchum. In addition to more gourmet cooking classes featuring top local chefs, the extremely popular free lamb tasting event, For the Love of Lamb in association with

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

local restaurants and chefs will take place on Friday, October 9 starting at 4:30 p.m. Lamb tastings will be featured at several restaurants and other venues with famous local chefs and restaurants presenting their best lamb recipes. The Lamb Feast will take place on Saturday, October 10th, during the Sheep Folklife Fair. Eight chefs will be preparing the best in lamb and Basque food to benefit the Festival Sunday, before and after the Parade, Festival Board members are hosting their annual authentic lamb barbecue as a fundraiser for the Festival. The Festival weekend includes: Trailing of the Sheep Parade – 1,500 sheep parade down Main Street Ketchum, Idaho SheepTales gathering featuring Hank Vogler, one of the most beloved and funniest sheep ranchers in the west. Gourmet cooking workshops Felting and fiber workshops Peruvian musicians and dancers Polish Tatra musicians, storytellers and dancers Oinkari Basque dancers Boise Highlanders, bagpipers and drummers Zions Bank Sheep Folklife Fair Sheep shearing demonstrations Sheep wagon displays Spinning and weaving demonstrations Children’s activities Wool and craft shops • Trailing of the sheepdog Championship Trials (Sat and Sun) For a complete schedule, see the website, www.trailingofthesheep.org Contact Mary Austin Crofts, 208-720-0585 or email mary@trailingofthesheep.org.

FB1000

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

There are Many Ways to Milk a Cow Andrew David Junkin By Andrew David Junkin It’s easy to discuss an idea, but it can be hard to decide how good it is. It’s even harder to make sure the decision gets implemented. Implementation of a change is actually one of the most difficult challenges a family business can face. A farm meeting chairman can help hold family members accountable for doing what they say they will do, which means no one in the family has to act as an enforcer. It takes the pressure off family members and really diffuses tensions. It’s one thing to come up with ideas for improvements, but it’s another for everyone within the family to buy into those changes and actually make them a reality. Ken and his sons owned and operated a family dairy operation. One day, the sons decided to change the milking procedures to incorporate a suggestion from a veterinarian. Ken was made aware of the new procedure but nonetheless continued to milk the cows his way. In his mind nobody

was going to tell him how to milk his cows. Not surprisingly, a pattern developed. Every few days after Ken did the milking, the number of mastitis cases spiked because Dad refused to conform to the farm’s new milking procedures.

ible. Being a stick-in-the-mud creates a dysfunctional business environment and strains relationships.

There are many ways to milk a cow. It doesn’t matter how you milk them; what matters is that everyone milks the same cows in the same way. The same principle is true for farm management in general. There are many ways to run a farm, but everyone has to follow the same methods to succeed.

There is no “I” in team. Putting your team’s decisions before your own ego will make your farm successful in the long run.

Getting everyone to agree on a standard milking procedure results in more milk in the tank and less milk dumped on the floor. Not everyone in a family business is going to agree with every decision made. But refusing to “go along with the team,” even though the decision was reached fairly creates a culture of conflict and gives the holdout a reputation of being stubborn and inflex-

Of course, there has to be an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of a suggestion before it becomes a de-

cision, but once a decision is made, you’ve got to do your best to follow through, regardless of your reservations. There is no “I” in team. Putting your team’s decisions before your own ego will make your farm successful in the long run. It is how well people implement ideas, not the ideas themselves that will determine whether your farm will prosper. Don’t be self-centered. Be a team player.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

Nine Counties Now Eligible for Emergency Haying and Grazing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Idaho Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently announced nine Idaho counties have been authorized for emergency haying and grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres due to drought. The following counties are approved for emergency CRP haying until Aug. 31, 2015 and for grazing through Sept. 30, 2015: Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Benewah, Latah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, Lewis and Idaho Counties. The CRP emergency haying and grazing authorization for 2015 went into effect on Aug. 12, 2015. Haying must be completed by Aug. 31, 2015 and grazing livestock must be removed from the CRP acres by Sept. 30, 2015. Producers who wish to hay or graze their CRP contract acres must sign up and be approved in their local FSA office prior to any emergency haying or grazing activities occurring. There is no payment reduction for CRP acres used for haying and grazing under these emergency provisions. To take advantage of the emergency haying and grazing provisions, authorized producers can use the CRP acreage for their own 32

livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. CRP participants can donate but are not allowed to sell the hay. For questions, contact your local FSA office and visit Idaho Farm Service Agency online at www.fsa.usda.gov.id To take advantage of the emergency haying and grazing provisions, authorized producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. CRP participants can donate but are not allowed to sell the hay. For questions, contact your local FSA office and visit Idaho Farm Service Agency online at www.fsa.usda.gov/id.

UI Extension Uses $37,000 Grant to Protect Water Systems

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The University of Idaho Extension water education program has received a $37,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to educate the public on the vulnerability of the Lake Coeur d’Alene and Spokane River water systems.

The project, overseen by program director Jim Ekins, will use native plants to create natural storm water pollution treatment and install signage

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

along 60 miles of shoreline to educate visitors about how to protect the region’s pristine waters. An outdoor classroom will be built near the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho College to teach school children and college students about water quality. College students will help plant the areas and conduct research. A service learning part of the project follows the efforts senior-level University of Idaho English technical writing class. A student team helped write an additional $3,000 grant from The Mountaineers Foundation to add to the project. As part of the project, Ekins is working with 24 local and national partners — including all of the cities along the waterway, Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Lake Management Division, and the North Idaho and Washington Centennial Trail Associations — to plant 1,000 native plants in waterside gardens along Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River. The gardens create natural storm water pollution treatment. The resulting bio infiltration swales and riparian buffers will filter sediment, petroleum, metals, and other impurities from storm water before it can reach lake or river. The areas will act as demonstration and educational sites for the public.

Signs with QR codes at the sites will help passersby connect to online information about the project. The signs will also act as virtual geocaches, offering an educational scavenger hunt for kids, Ekins said. The project began in August 2015 and will be completed over the next two years.

UI Researcher Leads National Project to Combat Potato Nematodes

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho will lead a $3.2 million project to combat microscopic worms that threaten potato production.

The project, which focuses on the pale cyst nematode and golden nematode, relies on university, federal and industry efforts. These nematodes can reduce potato production by up to 80 percent by infecting the plant’s roots, draining energy that would otherwise create tubers. One of the nematode’s worst qualities for farmers is that its cysts or egg clusters can survive up to 30 years in the soil. The $3.2 million grant from the USDA Food Security Challenge Area program is one of only three projects funded nationally this year. Briefs continued on page 34

2015-16 Idaho FFA Foundation Tractor Raffle Underway Win this Beautifully Restored

1975 Massey Ferguson 275 and support Idaho FFA members with your

$10 raffle ticket donation 2nd Prize—Traeger Grill 3rd Prize—$250 Carhartt Gift Card Proceeds benefit Idaho FFA Members through post-secondary education scholarships and support of Idaho FFA programs statewide through the Idaho FFA Foundation. $73,000 in scholarships has been awarded to date and another $14,000 in scholarships will be awarded in April 2016. In addition, the local FFA chapters designated on the winning tickets will receive a portion of the total ticket proceeds. Tickets may be purchased from your local FFA chapter or the Idaho FFA Foundation. The drawing will be on April 8, 2016 at the Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference in Twin Falls. Need not be present to win.

Idaho FFA Alumni

This restored tractor has only 3,994 original hours on it and includes new tires and blade. NOTE: This tractor does not include a sprayer tank. Contact your local Idaho FFA Chapter for Tractor Raffle tickets, or call Idaho FFA Foundation Tractor Raffle Chairman Sid Freeman at 208-941-3584. For more information about the Tractor Raffle, visit: www.idffafoundation.org

2015 Tractor Raffle Scholarships Winners—$14,000 Total $2,000 Agricultural Education Scholarships: Kirsten Forster, Meridian FFA Chapter Brianna Reed, Gooding FFA Chapter $1,000 Scholarships: Jordan Cates, Filer FFA Chapter Jarek Crossley, Preston FFA Chapter Riely Geritz, American Falls FFA Chapter Samantha Daniels, Malad FFA Chapter Laurel Howe, New Plymouth FFA Chapter Mary Kate Myers, Genesee FFA Chapter Taylor Sanderson, Troy FFA Chapter

Kelsey Stimpson, Melba FFA Chapter Kaitlyn Warner, Mackay FFA Chapter Dustin Winston, Middleton FFA Chapter

THANK YOU! Idaho Farm Bureau for your support of Idaho FFA and the Tractor Raffle! For a full list of Tractor Raffle sponsors and more information about the Tractor Raffle program, please visit: www.idffafoundation.org A ticket order form is available on the website.

FFA—Premier Leadership, Personal Growth and Career Success through Agricultural Education Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

The project’s research and extension team of eighteen scientists includes six UI faculty members in the areas of nematology, plant pathology, plant molecular biology, Extension, and agricultural economics. UI professor Louise-Marie Dandurand will lead the project that includes researchers from the University of Idaho, Oregon State University and Cornell University, as well as the USDA Agricultural Research Service and international experts. The team’s goal is to reduce the threat of these invasive nematodes to the U.S. potato industry. The GLOBAL project — short for the Globodera Alliance in a nod to the nematodes’ scientific name —has strong support from the potato industry, Dandurand said. A nematologist, she has directed UI’s pale cyst nematode project since 2011. Pat Kole, the Idaho Potato Commission’s vice president for legal and government affairs, wrote a letter supporting the grant for the project. He stressed the importance of developing nematode-resistant potato varieties. The presence of the pale cyst nematode in Idaho, the golden nematode in New York, and a newly discovered Globodera species in Oregon and Idaho in 2012 “all highlight the threat that this group of nematodes poses to the $45 billion U.S. potato industry,” Kole wrote. The discovery of the pale cyst nematode in southeastern Idaho in 2006 led to a cooperative U.S. Department 34

of Agriculture and Idaho State Department of Agriculture response program that includes aggressive movement restrictions, sanitation requirements and an eradication program that bans potato planting in PCN infested fields spanning a 7.5-mile radius in Bingham and Bonneville Counties. The area, which is less than 3,000 acres, represents less than 1 percent of Idaho’s more than 300,000 acres used to grow potatoes, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The agencies acted swiftly to reassure potato buyers beyond Idaho that the pest would not spread. In the nine years since the discovery, comprehensive USDA, ISDA, industry, and university efforts have reduced Idaho’s pale cyst nematode infestation. Live nematodes are no longer found in over half of the infested fields, Dandurand said. Potato production resumed in a previously PCN infested field this year for the first time and will be monitored after each of the next three potato crops. The University of Idaho is the U.S. center of pale cyst nematode research, most of it conducted on the Moscow campus far from the state’s potato fields The GLOBAL team will employ molecular genetics to better understand the threat posed by these nematodes, develop nematode-resistant potato varieties, and enlist the potato industry and use the nematode threat as a way to teach about agricultural impacts of invasive plant

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

pests. Another main goal of this project is to try to move forward with developing resistant potatoes that are suitable for this region, suchas russet potatoes. European potato growers have developed resistant potato varieties to contend with pale cyst nematode infestations there, Dandurand noted. The U.S. project will try to bring those resistance genes into new varieties suitable for the Northwest. New York potato growers who have contended with the golden nematode for decades have had resistant potato varieties. However, a new pathotype of the nematode has developed that can infest

even the formerly resistant varieties, meaning researchers must find new forms of resistance. The Extension component of the project will help potato growers learn more about how to apply research discoveries to their operations, including spotting potential nematode problems. “Understanding the factors which contribute to the risk of this invasive pest, and development of resistant cultivars that are suitable for U.S. markets, will better equip the potato industry and regulatory agencies to deal with current infestations, and minimize impacts of possible future introductions,” Dandurand said.

New Learning Kit Targets Pre-K to 1st Graders

“Farm a Month: Where Does Our Food Come From?” is a new learning kit developed by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture for pre-K to first-grade students. The Farm a Month kit provides an exciting way for teachers, families and classroom volunteers to engage preschool and elementary-aged students in agricultural-based lessons throughout the year. The kit was developed with the goal of helping foster conversations about where food and fiber comes from. Farm a Month kits are equipped with 12 activities, each focus-

ing on a different commodity. The Farm a Month kit is available for purchase for $25 online at http://bit.ly/FarmaMonth.

AFBF’s Immigration Resources Web Page

AFBF has created a collection of information resources to help users understand Farm Bureau’s position on agricultural labor and immigration reform. Resources to help Farm Bureau members advocate for reform also are available. The Web page includes information about the economic impacts of farm labor shortages and a short Q&A on why immigration reform matters to farmers and ranchers. http://www. fb.org/issues/immigration/

USDA Announces New Malting Barley Endorsement

units. The endorsement provides quality coverage based on the producer’s contract specifications and uses projected and harvest prices to determine the producer’s contract price.

SPOKANE, Wash., USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), recently announced the availability of a new malting barley endorsement to the Small Grains Crop Provisions for the 2016 crop year. The endorsement provides revenue coverage on malting barley and is available in all counties where barley is insured in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Producers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2016 crop year. Crop insurance coverage decisions must be made on or before the sales closing date. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online.

Revenue Coverage Now Available for Malting Barley Producers

The new malting barley endorsement includes revenue coverage for malting barley and basic, optional, and enterprise

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

FARM BUREAU COMMODITY REPORT GRAIN PRICES

Portland:

White Wheat 11% Winter 14% Spring Oats

Ogden:

White Wheat 11% Winter 14% Spring Barley

Blackfoot/ Idaho Falls

White Wheat 11.5% Winter 14% Spring Hard White

Burley:

White Wheat 11% Winter 14% Spring Barley

Nampa:

White Wheat (cwt) (Bushel)

Lewiston:

White Wheat H. Red Winter Dark N. Spring Barley

7/21/2015

8/25/2015

Trend

No Bid 5.69-5.79 6.46 265.00

5.61 5.31-5.66 6.06 250.00

N/A - .38 to - .13 - .40 - .15.00

5.74 4.78 6.16 6.00

5.40 4.46 5.46 6.35

- .34 - .32 - .70 + .35

5.25 5.10 5.60 5.20

5.05 4.10 4.80 4.50

5.14 4.34 5.37 5.95

4.94 4.03 4.78 6.00

- .20 - .31 - .59 + .05

9.40 5.64

8.91 5.35

- .49 - .29

5.60 5.53 6.21 141.50

5.33 5.36 5.76 141.50

- .27 - .17 - .45 Steady

.20 1.00 .80 .70

LIVESTOCK PRICES

Feeder Steers

Under 500 lbs 500-700 lbs 700-900 lbs Over 900 lbs

Feeder Heifers Under 500 lbs 500-700 lbs 700-900 lbs Over 900 lbs

Holstein Steers Under 700 lbs Over 700 lbs

Cows

Utility/Commercial Canner & Cutter

Stock Cows

Bulls

Slaughter

BEAN PRICES: Pinto Pink Small Red Garbanzo

7/22/2015

7/25/2015

Trend

241-314 210-282 170-223 165-197

230-330 197-255 166-221 160-197

214-278 204-265 165-208 140-184

200-322 170-230 163-205 160-199

- 14 to + 44 - 34 to - 35 - 2 to - 3 + 20 to + 15

185-197 130-189

140-200 130-172

- 45 to + 3 Steady to -17

85-112 75-102

85-113 75-101

steady to + 1 steady to - 1

1400-1950

1175-2600

- 225 to + 650

107-159

98-143

- 9 to - 16

24.00-25.00 Not Established 40.00 30.00

Not Not Not Not

N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.

Established Established Established Established

Compiled by the Idaho Farm Bureau Commodity Division 36

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

11 to + 16 13 to - 27 4 to - 2 5 to steady

Idaho:

IDaho Hay Report

USDA Market News, Moses Lake, WA August 21, 2015

Tons: 670 Last Week: 7400 Last Year: 15,651 Compared to last Friday, Premium and Good Alfalfa continue to be weak. Trade was slow this week. Retail/feed store/horse not tested this week. All prices are dollars per ton and FOB the farm or ranch unless otherwise stated.

Potatoes

TWIN FALLS, BURLEY AND WESTERN IDAHO DISTRICT, IDAHO---20-178-427 (includes exports of 0-3-0) Movement expected to decrease seasonally as harvest is reportedly complete in Western Idaho and moves east into Upper Valley fields. Prices baled higher, Carton 40-70s lower, others generally unchanged. Norkotah Russet U.S. One baled 5-10-pound film bags non size A mostly 4.00-4.50, 50-pound cartons 40-70s mostly 11.00-12.00, 80s 10.00, 90s mostly 8.00, and 100s mostly 7.00. The last Norkotah Russet has reportedly been harvested in Western Idaho. Tuesday August 25, 2015 expected to be the last report out of this district.

5 Year Grain Comparison

Grain Prices.................08/24/2011...................08/22/2012................... 8/21/2013...................8/25/2014...................8/25/2015 Portland: White Wheat......................N/A ............................8.90................................7.34 ...........................6.93 ...........................5.61 11% Winter...................8.25-8.44 ...........9.35-9.60 ............8.05-8.11..................... 7.08-7.23......................5.31-5.66 14% Spring......................No Bid.............................9.90................................8.36...............................7.96.............................. 6.06 Corn...............................316-319.25 .............. 342-346.50 ..........265-267.25 .................. No Bid..........................250.00 Ogden: White Wheat..................... 7.25.............................. 8.00.............................. 11% Winter........................7.45 ............................. 8.05 ............................ 14 % Spring...................... 9.02 ............................. 8.68.............................. Barley................................ 12.45..............................13.50..............................

6.32............................. 6.87............................. 7.58............................. 8.30.............................

6.07............................. 5.40 6.12............................. 4.46 6.82............................. 5.46 6.35............................ 6.35

Pocatello: White Wheat..................... 6.90............................... 7.70............................... 5.90........................... No Bid.......................... 5.05 11% Winter....................... 7.44 .............................. 7.91............................... 6.44........................... No Bid........................... 4.10 14% Spring........................ 8.67 .............................8.39............................... 6.89........................... No Bid.......................... 4.80 Barley.................................11.67..............................12.81............................ No Bid......................... No Bid.......................... 4.50

Alfalfa Large Square Supreme Premium/Supreme Good/Premium Good

Timothy Grass Large Square Good

Tons Price Range

Wtd Avg

200 150 60 200

170.00 155.00 130.00 130.00

170.00-170.00 155.00-155.00 130.00-130.00 130.00-130.00

60 120.00-120.00 120.00

Comments

Old Crop

UPPER VALLEY, TWIN FALLS-BURLEY DISTRICT, IDAHO---Shipments 569-450-170(includes exports of 7-10-7) ---Movement expected to decrease seasonally as old crop Burbank continues to wind down. Supplies in too few hands to establish a market. The first Eastern Idaho Norkotah Russet acres were reportedly harvested August 24, 2015

Potatoes for Processing

August 25, 2015 IDAHO---Open-market trading by processors with growers was inactive.

Burley: White Wheat..................... 7.00............................... 7.97.............................. 11% Winter........................7.18 .............................. 7.93.............................. 14% Spring........................ 8.65 .............................8.30.............................. Barley................................ 12.50.............................13.00.............................

6.16......................... 6.51......................... 7.00......................... 8.75.........................

No Bid......................... No Bid......................... No Bid......................... No Bid........................

4.94 4.03 4.78 6.00

Nampa: White Wheat (cwt)......... 10.50.............................13.08..............................10.58........................... 10.25.......................... 8.91 (bushel)........... 6.30...............................7.85.............................. 6.35........................... 6.15........................... 5.35 Lewiston: White Wheat..................... 6.85...............................8.62.............................. 7.12........................... 6.70........................... 5.33 Barley............................... 221.50...........................246.50......................... 181.50....................... 156.50....................... 141.50 Bean Prices: Pintos..................................N/A Pinks.................................30.00 Small Reds........................30.00 ***

.N/A ............N/A ..................N/A

..40.00-42.00.................34.00-35.00........................N/A ..................N/A .................... N/A ....................N/A ................N/A .................... N/A ....................N/A

JULY MILK PRODUCTION UP 1.2 percent August 19, 2015 Milk production in the 23 major States during July totaled 16.6 billion pounds, up 1.2 percent from July 2014. June revised production at 16.4 billion pounds, was up 0.9 percent from June 2014. The June revision represented an increase of 40.0 million pounds or 0.2 percent from last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preliminary production estimate. Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,921 pounds for July, 12 pounds above July 2014. This is the highest production per cow for the month of July since the 23 State series began in 2003.

The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.63 million head, 47,000 head more than July 2014, and 2,000 head more than June 2015. July Milk Production in the United States up 1.2 Percent Milk production in the United States during July totaled 17.7 billion pounds, up 1.2 percent from July 2014. Production per cow in the United States averaged 1,893 pounds for July, 12 pounds above July 2014. The number of milk cows on farms in the United States was 9.32 million head, 54,000 head more than July 2014, and 1,000 head more than June 2015. Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015

5 Year livestock comparison .....................................08/23/2011...................08/20/2012....................8/20/2013.................... 8/22/2014....................8/25/2015 Under 500 lbs................130-188 .....................126-180.........................140-195........................ 200-360........................230-330 500-700 lbs.................... 119-153..........................116-164..........................129-190.........................172-310........................ 197-255 700-900 lbs.................... 107-137.........................115-144..........................120-149.........................175-239........................166-221 Over 900 lbs.................. 110-121.........................101-130...........................97-138......................... 148-207........................160-197 Feeder Heifers Under 500 lbs................ 115-167......................... 117-171..........................125-179........................ 208-309........................200-322 500-700 lbs.................... 112-148..........................110-157..........................123-158.........................172-280........................170-230 700-900 lbs....................103-130.........................105-134.........................115-140.........................172-245........................163-205 Over 900 lbs...................85-109............................92-12.............................83-135......................... 166-204........................160-199 Holstein Steers Under 700 lbs................. 75-110...........................75-110............................67-115..........................150-216........................140-200 Over 700 lbs...................70-104...........................75-100...........................81-105..........................149-190........................ 130-172 Cows Utility/Commercial...........63-84.............................60-83.............................62-84...........................91-128.......................... 85-113 Canner & Cutter..............55-74.............................53-77.............................60-82...........................83-112.......................... 75-101 Stock Cows.....................675-1200.......................800-1200............................N/A.........................1440-1900....................1175-2600 Bulls – Slaughter............60-94 ...........................72-93............................70-109..........................110-149.........................98-143

Cattle on Feed August 23, 2015

Idaho Cattle on Feed down 3 Percent from Previous Year

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Idaho from feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head on August 1, 2013 totaled 185,000 head, down 3 percent from the previous year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The cattle on feed inventory is down 5 percent from July 1, 2013. Placements of cattle in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during July totaled 39,000 head, up 11 percent from July 2012 placements. Marketings of cattle from feedlots with 1,000 head or more during July totaled 48,000 head, up 4,000 head from last year. Other disappearance totaled 1,000 head during July. Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.0 million head on August 1, 2013. The inventory was 6 percent below August 1, 2012. Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.72 million, 10 percent below 2012. Net placements were 1.66 million head. During July, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 390,000, 600-699 pounds were 275,000, 700-799 pounds were 455,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 602,000. Marketings of fed cattle during July totaled 2.00 million, 5 percent above 2012. Other disappearance totaled 64,000 during July, 2 percent above 2012.

Cattle Outlook August 21, 2015 This month’s cattle on feed report noted 2.6% more cattle in 1,000+ head capacity feedlots than last August 1. On feed inventory has been up vs. year ago every month except for March this year, yet commercial beef production for the first seven months of the year trails last year’s pace by 4.1%. Slaughter weights continue to run well ahead of last year’s level, with the July federally inspected dressed cattle weight of 825 pounds eclipsing last year’s number by 19 pounds.Weights have now been at least 14 pounds above the previous year for 12 consecutive months. The July choice retail beef price declined for the second consecutive month to $6.37 per pound. This is only the second time that the retail price has declined in consecutive months since September 2012. The choice beef retail price was 1.69 times larger than the pork retail price in July, and 3.24 times larger than the composite chicken retail price. Though the U.S. beef cow industry continues its expansion phase, the same cannot be said for Canada. July 1 beef cows in Canada numbered 3.79 million head, 3.4% lower than the prior year. The very slight increases in the July beef cow herd that took place from 2011 to 2013 have now been replaced by two consecutive years of decline. Cattle slaughter for the week was 540 thousand head, unchanged from last week but 9.4% lower than the same week last year. Year to date cattle slaughter trails 2014 by 7.0%. The average dressed weight for steers slaughtered the week ending August 8 was 895 pounds, a jump of 9 pounds above the prior week and 20 pounds heavier than the same week last year.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2015

Boxed beef cutout values treaded water this week, with the choice carcass cutout value this morning registering $244.77/cwt, up just 16 cents from last Friday and $5.43 below a year ago. The select cutout inched upward to $234.82/cwt, up 4 cents for the week.The choice-select spread remained just shy of $10 at $9.95/cwt. Fed cattle prices lost the gains of last week and more.Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $147.27/cwt, down $5.46 from last week and $5.55 lower than a year ago. The 5 area average dressed price for steers dropped $6.74 for the week to $232.55/cwt. This is $9.30 lower than last year’s dressed price average. Feeder steer and steer calf prices at Oklahoma City this week were steady to $5 lower. Prices for medium and large frame #1 steers by weight group were: 400450# $289-$319.75, 450-500# $269-$285, 500-550# $250-$261, 550-600# $238255, 600-650# $228-$244, 650-700# $220-$233, 700-750# $209-$228, 750-800# $210-$219, 800-900# $202.25-$213.50 and 900-1000#, $197-$202.50/cwt. The August live cattle futures contract lost $3.72 for the week, closing at $145.00/ cwt today. October fed cattle finished at $143.62/cwt and December at $145.85. The September feeder cattle contract lost $7.08 this week to end at $202.32/cwt. September corn closed today at $3.65/bu, up 1 cent from last Friday. December closed at $3.77.

University of Missouri

Classifieds

Animals

Real Estate/Acreage

Male, Persian, six months, Cream/white. Beautiful long hair. Could deliver part way for a fee. $250.00. Paul, Id 208-670-2893.

Lot for Sale - 3/4 Acre Country Lot. City water, Gas, Utilities. $25,000. Shelley. Call 528-5337.

2 bunnies. These pets need a good home with children. They come with a hutch, bunny food, bedding, & water bottles (1 heated for winter). Email Marci at gmgolay@q.com with inquiries. 208-733-9441.

Vehicles 1992 Dodge Dakota Sport pickup w/shell. $2,500, V6, low miles, auto, AC, Cruise, good condition. Boise, Id 208-344-1898

Farm Equipment

Wanted

New Squeeze chute, green, hand pull, $1,300. Midvale, Id 208-355-3780.

Want 12 foot aluminum boat. 701-2406808.

Balewagons: New Holland self-propelled or pull-type models. Also interested in buying balewagons. Will consider any model. Call Jim Wilhite at 208-880-2889 anytime

Looking for Oliver model 880 tractor for parts machine to aid in restoration project, Need good rear-end and transmission. 208835-4106.

Hay and Feed

Want: older feed grinder/mixer; tractor mower- 10 to 15 ft wide; great plains 13 ft grain drill; tractor 3 pt mounted sprayer; tractor- john deere 70 to 130 hp (about 20 years old). American Falls, Id. 208-317-7858.

Hay for Sale - 1st & 2nd Crop. Small Bales. Shelley. Call 528-5337.

Help Wanted Agricultural Appraiser. Our top part-time livestock and Equipment appraisers earn 60,000/year. Agricultural Background Required. Call 800-488-7570 www. amagappraisers.com.

Household Oak table, four chairs. Excellent condition. $200. Twin Falls, Id 208-735-2470.

Miscellaneous Carpet - 2 sizes. Blue/Grey. Gently used. $200. Shelley. Call 528-5337. Pickup tailgate, new condition, 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4. Almond color, $750. Kamiah, Id 208-816-3140. WoodMaster outdoor wood stove for sale. Sits outside and heats home, hot water heater, shop or barn. Works for small homes or large ones. Can burn either wood or pellets. Safe and efficient way to heat your home. John 208-781-0691

Wood Barn Wanted: Our Idaho family loves old wood barns and would like to restore/ rebuild your barn on our Idaho farm. Would you like to see your barn restored/rebuilt rather than rot and fall down? Call Ken & Corrie @ 208-425-3225.

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ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY

SEPTEMBER 20 FOR NEXT ISSUE.

dashton@idahofb.org

Paying cash for German & Japanese war relics/souvenirs! Pistols, rifles, swords, daggers, flags, scopes, optical equipment, uniforms, helmets, machine guns (ATF rules apply) medals, flags, etc. 549-3841 (evenings) or 208-405-9338. Old License Plates Wanted: Also key chain license plates, old signs, light fixtures. Will pay cash. Please email, call or write. Gary Peterson, 130 E Pecan, Genesee, Id 83832. gearlep@gmail.com. 208-285-1258

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS FOR IDAHO FARM BUREAU MEMBERS send to: dashton@idahofb.org

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / september 2015