October 2015, Volume 19, Issue 7

October 2015 • Volume 19, Issue 7

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Groups Meet to Discuss Wolf Depredation, Trends

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Fire Rehabilitation Underway

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Idaho Farm Bureau

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Idaho Preferred Celebrates Harvest

Good Times, Bad Times

By Bob Stallman

a lot of tough times.

AFBF President

Those record highs in farm income may have tempted folks to spend money instead of socking it away.

If farmers and ranchers were like many other Americans, they probably would have done just that. But that’s not how most of us reacted.

Sure, we may have bought some new iron, but much of that was a reinvestment in the business and was replac-

The last decade will almost certainly be remembered as a golden age of agriculture in the United States.

High global demand, a cheap dollar and bumper crops meant farming and ranching did better than many other parts of the economy. It was a welcome rebound for farmers and ranchers, who have worked through

SRM Conference Yields Surprising Advice for Ranchers

By Frank Priestley President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

A recent column published in Beef Magazine by noted author, autism activist and animal science professor Temple Grandin, shows signifi-

Immigration and Ag Labor

By Rick Keller CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

One of the leading U.S. presidential candidates thrust immigration into the 2016 campaign in a flashy, headline-grabbing fashion by declaring he would round up all 11 million or so immigrants who are in the United 2

The Ag Agenda

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

cant misunderstanding on livestock interaction with wolves.

Grandin is a well-known and respected consultant to the livestock industry who has done solid work on livestock handling and reducing livestock stress. However, her reporting on a recent meeting of the Society for Range Management (SRM) included a section titled “Four steps to coexist with predators,” that leaves us befuddled.

Step 1 recommending removal and disposal of all dead animal car-

ing some very well-used equipment.

As farmers, we know that lean times always come back.

USDA census numbers illustrate how farmers and ranchers have built our balance sheets. The department projects total U.S. farm equity will reach nearly $2.7 trillion by year’s end, up more than 20 percent from just $2.2 trillion in 2010. Debt as See STALLMAN, page 8

casses seems sensible. Step 4 recommends more human presence around herds. Both of those recommendations we can get behind.

Step 2 is where the confusion ensues. The panelists who spoke to the SRM conference included Kent Reeves of Whole Picture Consulting, Montana cattle rancher Hillary Zaranek and Matt Barnes of Keystone Conservation. They claim indiscriminate killing of wolves and coyotes is counterproductive. They See PRIESTLEY, page 16

States illegally and send them home.

for more than a decade.

Like it or not, the immigration debate will be with us throughout this campaign season. The rhetoric is confusing. Although the sound bites are catchy, the demagogy is not always centered on facts or practicality.

Existing federal agricultural workforce programs are not meeting farmers’ needs. Without a legal, stable supply of labor, U.S. farmers are challenged by worker shortages, lost crops and the inability to produce crops at a price that can compete with imported food. The American public faces the loss of economic activity from U.S. food production, as well as the risk that more of their food will come from countries with fewer food safety rules.

See KELLER, page 16

Farm workers’ labor is needed to produce much of the food we enjoy and the crops that bring billions of dollars each year into our nation’s economy. A workable, affordable and efficient agricultural labor program has been Farm Bureau’s goal

Volume 19, Issue 7

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.

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Cover: The Eastern Idaho State Fair ended in midSeptember. This pumpkin grown by Brian Christensen of Rexburg took home the blue ribbon.

Photo by John Thompson

Federal officials met with ranchers in Cambridge recently to discuss livestock depredation and wolf management. Photo by Steve Ritter

Ranchers Agitated with Wolf Management Efforts

By Jake Putnam Tensions ran high between ranchers and wolf managers in Cambridge on September 3.

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held a meeting to attempt to ease tensions and inform ranchers about wolf management efforts.

Valley County ranchers whom attended the meeting, said wolf kills are common and on the rise while compensation is paltry and mired in government red tape.

“We can only confirm 10 percent of our wolf-kill losses,” said Casey Anderson of the OX Ranch. “We have cattle that disappear and we never find them. On the compensation program, I think it’s inadequate. We need more funding and we need easier and quicker confirmation methods.”

Anderson says as depredation losses mount, state and federal managers are taking a Band-Aid approach.

“For the compensation we get back it’s almost not worth it,” Anderson said. There are too many things going on that aren’t being documented. In remote places where we operate, like Cuddy Mountain, you might find some hooves and a hide.

See WOLF MANAGEMENT page 4 Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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WOLF MANAGEMENT

Continued from page 3

You can’t prove a wolf kill and compensation is iffy at best. They know my frustrations, it’s very complicated and not worth the trouble. That’s my take.”

APHIS officials, responsible for resolving wildlife depredation issues in Idaho, offered a big picture perspective at the Cambridge meeting.

APHIS State Manager Todd Grimm told ranchers depredation numbers are near average this year. There have been four confirmed calf kills in Valley County, two in Custer County and one in Idaho County. But Grimm said depredation rates rise in late summer and 2015 totals are likely to increase.

“Most depredations occur in August and September, but when hunting season starts depredation numbers drop because the wolves go after hunting (gut) piles.

They stalk wounded animals and wolves clean up after hunters,” said Grimm.

Grimm says his office is charged with not only resolving conflicts between wildlife and agriculture, but managing statistics.

He says that in the past 20 years there have been 1,170 confirmed Idaho cases of depredation, with wolves killing 650 cattle, 75 dogs, over 200 sheep and several horses.

“We’re looking for bite marks and hemorrhage. Without that we can’t prove that the animal was alive when the wolf encountered it,” Grimm said. “We have to be careful about this so we must have bite marks. We do see walking wounded with the bigger animals and we look for clues to determine what caused the wounds. When we have some evidence but not enough to confirm, we’ll call it a probable.”

Grimm says resources are stretched to the limit and reports are widespread.

He says 31 of Idaho’s 44 counties have reported depredation, and 54 percent of the confirmed livestock kills occurred on private land.

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Idaho Fish and Game biologist Jim Hayden says the state wolf population changes every day. Last year they documented 770 wolves, with 127 documented packs. He says the Endangered Species Act requires at least 450 wolves.

“The wolves are here to stay,” Hayden said. “We’re past the point of elimination and we are kidding ourselves if we think anything different. Wolf packs are distributed across Idaho. Still, we harvest about 250 wolves a year in Idaho.”

Perhaps the foremost authority on wolves in Idaho is Cascade rancher Phil Davis.

Davis attended the meeting and has the distinct honor of having reported the first wolf kill back in the early 90’s. Davis has lost more cattle to wolves than any other Idaho livestock operator.

“I’ve had 44 killed and 4 probables,” he said. “We lost our first calf in 1996 and we had the second and third confirmed kills later that year, at a time when there were only 24 wolves in the wild.”

Davis said in the early days so little was known about wolves that wildlife managers assumed that the predators would just feed on deer, elk and moose.

“It’s a slaughter and I’m sick of it,” he says. “I’ve seen wolves run calves and cattle to total exhaustion, then wolves will just chew on them and not kill them.

The cattle die of trauma. I’m telling you wolves do not kill in a humane way, they kill for sport and they rarely eat them.”

Ranchers must not only live with the slaughter in the spring, but the burden of documenting the kills, often performing makeshift necropsies in the field.

In Wyoming, ranchers are compensated for three times the market value of depredation loss while Idaho still pays market value for confirmed kills.

Dustin Miller of the Idaho Office of Species Conservation agrees the program has its frustrations. However, Miller

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

vowed that the state is committed to helping ranchers and making payments but they need more rancher participation.

“The losses we pay for are solely based on confirmation from USDA-APHIS, and since I’ve started those payments are getting out faster. I think we’re having a measurable impact and we want to keep the compensation programs going. It’s all about staying the course and being aggressive when there’s conflict,” said Miller.

Jon Beals also of the Idaho Office of Species Conservation said the agency’s Livestock Indemnity Program helps with losses, but they need to have claims.

“To apply, contact any FSA office, report the loss then formally submit a claim.

Remember, there’s a 30-day window on a kill. We have livestock compensation for verified kills and some probable, but bottom line we must have a verified claim,” Beals said.

He added that there’s no guarantee that the program will stay funded and urged ranchers to call lawmakers and encourage them to keep the depredation program funded.

Ranchers see the wolf re-introduction plan as a federal Endangered Species Act experiment gone wrong while they’re footing the bill.

“We had no idea what wolves would do,” Valley County rancher Davis said.

“Back in the 30s we had a smaller wolf.

The native species here in Idaho didn’t kill like the Canadian Gray Wolf. They were eradicated by ranchers and hunters.

Then the government brought in a much larger species back in the 90s. So now we have non-native species feeding on nonnative elk. We’re messing with nature and thinking we’re doing the right thing.

There’s nothing majestic about wolves, they kill for sport.”

Idaho Fish and Game keeps tabs on wolves through the use of equipment like radio collars. Despite this technology, it is difficult to get an accurate count of the wolf population.

Photo courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game

Idaho’s Wolf Situation: 20 Years After Reintroduction

By Carrie Veselka

pate in the open season harvest as well.

Dealing with wolf depredation has become a cost of doing business in Idaho over the past 20 years.

Idaho’s 2015-2016 wolf hunting season kicked off August 30, with many hunters hoping to bag at least one of the predators.

Wolf hunting and trapping have helped thin the predator population but serious problems continue (see accompanying article).

Idaho State Code states Idaho livestock owners are not required to have a tag or permit to get rid of any wolves damaging property or livestock. Killing them is legal as long as they report the kill to Fish and Game within 72 hours. The carcass then becomes the property of the state.

Property owners are also free to partici-

According to the official state hunting rules, each hunter is allowed to harvest five wolves. Although this has rarely, if ever, happened, Idaho’s wolf-hunting season remains an outrage to many people.

The reintroduction of wolves has been an issue between federal agencies and ranchers for the past 20 years.

Ranchers’ objections were overridden when 35 wolves were released into the

central Idaho wilderness and 31 wolves into Yellowstone Park over the winters of 1995 and 1996.

Left to their own devices, the wolves’ population grew quickly, multiplying to roughly 289 in 2002, reaching the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) goals for biological recovery.

In March of 2002, Idaho developed the Wolf Conservation and Management Program, which was accepted by USFWS in 2004. By 2006, the state of Idaho had assumed daily monitoring and management responsibilities.

See WOLVES IN IDAHO page 22

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Ted Blackstock (left) and other ranchers assist the ESR team in accounting for all damaged range improvements and identifying specific treatments for the burned area. Photo: Courtesy of the BLM

Fire Rehab Underway: Sage Grouse Habitat at Risk

By Carrie Veselka

specialists from Idaho and Oregon.

Ranchers and government officials are starting to pick up the pieces and take stock of damages in the aftermath of August’s Soda Fire in Owyhee County.

A final count of damage from the fire was released August 30 by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

An Emergency Rehabilitation and Stabilization (ERS) team of more than 40 working out of Marsing conducted an extensive analysis of the burned area. They spent five days out on the burned area taking stock of the damage and met with grazing permit holders on August 24 to collect damage reports and get any other information they could from the ranchers to help with reseeding and other rehabilitation efforts. Many on the ERS team are 6

Total acres burned were finalized at 279,144. Of this, 40,138 acres was private property. There were 41 BLM grazing allotments lost, along with 592 miles’ worth of fence, and 44 fenced springs. The fire also scorched 879 miles of roads and trails, including over 60 miles of highway.

Environmental resources lost included five watersheds, or areas of land that separate waters into different river systems; 208 springs and 140 miles of streams

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

containing Redband trout habitat, totaling almost 7,800 acres of river bank and wetland area.

Over 243,000 of the 279,144 acres burned in the fire were counted as priority or important sage grouse habitat—habitat which is now unusable for the foreseeable future. Rehabilitation of the sagebrushsteppe to full capacity will take several years, according to the BLM, which, in the meantime, are going to be hard on the sage grouse that depend on the protection of the sagebrush ecosystem to survive.

Sage grouse were under consideration for an endangered species listing but on September 23, the U.S. Department of Interi-

or announced it had decided against a listing that would have caused major changes in public land management.

where they were examined by veterinarians and treated for mild to moderate burns, according to a BLM news release.

According to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, over 100 species of animals depend on the sagebrush habitat for food, nesting ground and protection from predators. Nearly 100 species of birds alone live in the sagebrush ecosystem. Other larger animals that depend on the sage brush-steppe habitat for survival include three varieties of deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep and jack rabbits.

While a few horses were returned to their range, most horses will enter the BLM’s adoption, Trainer Incentive and Extreme Mustang Makeover programs or be transported to the Palomino Valley National Adoption Center in Nevada.

According to separate studies done by the USDA, sagebrush makes up 78 percent of the annual diet of the pronghorn antelope in Wyoming and 59 percent of the winter diet of deer and elk in Montana. Sagebrush also makes up to 100 percent of the sage grouse’s winter diet and over 60 percent of their annual diet.

Constant wildfires and the encroachment of cheat grass, an invasive weed, in the burned over areas, makes the recovery of the burned area questionable, along with the knowledge that it can take up to 15 or 30 years for a sagebrush habitat to fully mature, according to the BLM. The damage from the Soda Fire leaves the fate of wildlife in that area to BLM and other government agency officials who now find themselves responsible for the wildlife driven off their now-scorched range.

Wild horses, bighorn sheep, mule deer and pronghorn antelope sustained serious damage to their range as well, along with 68 destroyed golden eagle’s nests.

BLM officials organized an emergency wild horse gather that lasted from August 27 through September 4. Although more wild horses survived the fire than was originally supposed, the burned rangeland is unable to support their numbers.

To alleviate pressure on the remaining grazing ground, the BLM gathered 279 wild horses from the Sands Basin, Hardtrigger, and Black Mountain Herd Management Areas and transported them to the BLM Boise Wild Horse Corrals

BLM personnel are also working to remove tires and other debris from an illegal dump site that was burned over during the fire.

A staff of 10 people working for different agencies sifted through the data gathered by the ERS team in the early days following the fire and developed a comprehensive report. The report comprised damage totals from the fire, actions immediately taken by the BLM and other agencies to provide emergency stabilization in the burned areas, and included proposals for extended rehabilitation and restoration in the burned areas and a request for funds.

This report was submitted to the Idaho State BLM office and will be reviewed by the national BLM office before any funds for rehabilitation are released. The timeline for the report extends only to the next three years, in which most of the foundational rehabilitation work will be done. Recommended treatments may include specific areas for public hazard mitigation, herbicide, reseeding, planting seedlings, and building a larger network of fuel breaks, according to a BLM news release.

Putting these treatments into action will require a great deal of interagency cooperation and sharing of resources but will set the stage for full recovery in the burned areas in central Idaho, according to the news release.

The BLM is working with the ShoshonePaiute Tribes to identify and address cultural concerns. They are also cooperating with the State agencies of Idaho and Oregon, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and private land owners to manage ongoing response actions across property lines.

Despite warnings from the BLM and other agencies, recreationalists started encroaching on the burned area before the fires were even contained, sometimes with risk to their own safety.

Sierra Hellstrom, BLM Public Information Officer for the Soda Fire, said recreationalists returned to the burned area as early as August 20, well before the fire was controlled. “We continued to ask the public to stay out of the area for safety, as there was uncontained fire line and crews working, but on Thursday and Friday, target shooters were in the area of some crews and they had to stop working to avoid a potential accident with the shooters.”

Since the flames have been controlled, rehabilitation workers have been dealing with the renewed influx of hikers, bikers, campers, ATVs, and hunters, in the burned areas.

A USDA press release dated September 15 reminded farmers that the USDA offers programs that can aid them in their recovery efforts. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is in place to help those who have lost livestock, grazing ground, fences, and eligible trees, bushes and vines. Additionally, the Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers trying to rehabilitate their damaged land. They also provide low-interest loans to help farmers recoup their losses.

The National Resources Conservation Service is also in place to assist with damaged grazing range as well as to help farmers, ranchers and forestland owners confronted by emergency situations.

“After natural disasters such as wildfires, it is critical that farmers, ranchers and forestland owners have financial and technical resources available to protect their natural resources and operations,” said NRCS Chief Jason Weller in the press release. “Conservation practices protect the land and aid recovery, but can build the natural resource base and may help mitigate loss in future events.”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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STALLMAN

Continued from page 2

a percentage of farm assets should fall from 11.8 percent to 10.9 percent, while total assets likely will top $3 trillion, up from $2.5 trillion five years ago. These are some of the best financial ratios for agriculture.

Ever.

On the row crop side, we are bracing for what will clearly be tougher times. We know the sector as a whole will register a significant drop in income this year and, if the past is any indicator, very possibly in the next year or two.

USDA projects the nation’s net farm cash income will fall to $87.4 billion by year’s end, down more than a third from 2012’s $137.1 billion. Corn, once $7.63, is just over $3 a

bushel now. Wheat, $9.50 a bushel a few years back, is now about $4.50. And the dollar? It’s stronger than it’s been in years, which makes exports a lot harder to sell.

Even so, our ranching members who survived the worst of the western drought and fought through some of that $7 corn benefitted a couple of ways this past year. Not only were beef supplies tighter, but low prices for grain and alfalfa meant feeding those cattle was a lot easier than before. Calves that were going for $150 per hundredweight five or so years ago were touching $300 this summer. Yet even here, clouds are gathering: Forecasters say this fall will likely see the biggest herd expansion we’ve seen in 25 years. Prices are bound to fall as a result.

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

We’ve no one and nothing to blame for any of this but our own success. Bumper crop on bumper crop makes for a challenging oversupply. The rest of the world, too, has increased production thanks in no small part to the genius of American agronomy.

The bright side is most of us with row crops have insurance to help us manage. And unlike in decades past, the government no longer holds on to those huge mountains of grain. Given a weather event here or somewhere else around the world, grain prices can adjust rather than have us just watch tons of grain come back on the market and kill any price improvement.

We at Farm Bureau have celebrated successes with you and are prepared to face lean times

as well. We are working on trying to contain unnecessary regulatory creep. We are working to lower barriers to trade of our products. We are working to promote the story of how good a job farmers and ranchers are doing in being good stewards of our land and our animals. We are working to help keep our members on the cutting edge of technology, as well as at the cutting edge of what the consumer wants.

From a financial standpoint, the next few years are probably going to be a lot different than things were over the past few.

But Farm Bureau’s mission remains the same: “…to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.”

Eastern Idaho barley may set record yields this year while northern Idaho wheat yields and test weights were way off due to drought.

Photo by Steve Ritter

Wheat and Barley Harvest Closes with Scattered Results

By Carrie Veselka As an early harvest winds up, eastern Idaho farmers are relieved to have a solid yield after last year’s harvest catastrophe, while northern Idaho farmers are grieved at a smaller harvest due to drought.

Mark Trupp, a wheat and barley grower in Teton County said he was happy with his crop this season. “The weather was very cooperative,” said Trupp. “We had timely rains and heat, but not in excess. This year Mother Nature helped out.”

He, like many others, contracts his barley to the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Idaho Falls. Trupp said he was lucky and was able to save most of his barley crop last year. “I was one of the lucky few,” said Trupp. “It was discounted some, but at least it wasn’t trashed like a lot of guys.”

Ill-timed torrential rains decimated eastern Idaho’s grain crop last year, while farmers all over the state lost up to 90 percent of their crop. The extra rain caused

some grain to sprout before it could be harvested and other crops, including hay, to mold in the fields.

Idaho Barley Commission Administrator Kelly Olson said that the 2014 harvest was a huge loss of value due to both low production and low prices. Olson said that 58 million bushels of barley destined for breweries were downgraded to cheap animal feed due to the damage from extra rain.

According to the USDA, 50,000 acres of barley that were planted in 2014 were never harvested, while 78,000 acres of wheat planted in 2014 were never harvested.

The USDA granted disaster area status to several counties in Idaho affected by the untimely weather making farmers with damaged crops eligible for emergency loans to help recoup losses.

July production estimates from the USDA were not as high as farmers had hoped, but sunny skies and just the right amount

of moisture drove August’s production estimates up another 210,000 bushels from the July predictions, making the outlook better, though not spectacular. The USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand and Crop Production reports in August caused a dive in wheat prices, boding ill for farmers trying to sell their grain for a decent price.

But harvest is proving to be more fruitful than summer’s gloomy forebodings. Olson said barley production estimates are at a high. She anticipates an even higher yield than the USDA prediction.

“This year is going to break the state record for sure,” says Olson.

Quality is also back up to its normal standard, according to Olson. “This year there has been very little rejection, almost all of the barley has gone to the breweries.”

Although grain harvest in eastern Idaho proved successful this year, northern IdaSee GRAIN HARVEST page 25

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Leah Clark stands next to a display of Idaho Preferred products.

Idaho Preferred Month Comes to a Close

By Jake Putnam The fruit and vegetable display just outside of an East Boise supermarket is colorful and striking with its bright red apples, orange peaches, yellow and white onions and big brown potatoes.

A shopper passes, picks up a half dozen peaches and says, “I love this time of year!”

Supermarkets across the state have put up displays as part of Idaho Preferred month to honor the growing number of farmers, ranchers and gardeners that share a passion for selling fresh Idaho produce.

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“September is Idaho Preferred month and this is the reason you see here at this supermarket,” said Leah Clark, marketing specialist at the Idaho Department of Agriculture.

Otter has declared September Idaho Preferred month. And this Idaho Preferred campaign is proving to be a successful tool for farmers, according to Clark.

”This is the height of harvest season in Idaho, so our retailers have put up displays and done a good job of identifying and promoting local products while they’re in season,” said Clark.

“Consumers can look around, look for the signs and support farmers by buying local food.”

“It’s funded in part through membership fees,” said Clark.

“We provide the marketing opportunities, events and activities that producers use just for a membership fee,” added Clark.

Preferred month has become a part of the Idaho landscape, so much so that for the 9th year in a row Idaho Governor Butch

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

“The 2015 Fall Idaho Preferred campaign builds on past campaigns to increase consumer awareness,” said Mona Teffteller, an agency partner at the Drake Cooper ad agency in Boise. “We’re seeing more de-

mand and purchase of Idaho products.”

The ads hit the Gem State with supplemental funds from the USDA Specialty Crop grant program and ran August through September. The Preferred campaign proved successful, bringing in more than 600,000 consumer impressions, according to Clark. Supermarkets played a key role by not only putting up Preferred produce displays outside stores, but information about products and the farmers that grew them.

“It’s not just these live displays, we have print advertising, broadcast and social me-

Meyers’ Boise State brand onions not only display the blue Idaho Preferred label but BSU’s blue and orange, using Idaho Preferred marketing suggestions to the max.

dia properties like a Facebook page, along with food and trade shows and direct consumer events like this,” said Clark.

“There’s a lot of opportunity with the breadth of products and we take advantage of all our marketing opportunities.”

There was a time when Idaho was known for one thing, its famous potatoes, but that’s just one of a staggering 185 different agricultural products produced in Idaho.

“We’re really lucky here in Idaho that we have such a huge variety of produce; peaches, apples, plums, pears, peas, green beans and sweet corn,” said Clark. “It’s just endless.”

Idaho has a long growing season, starting in the spring with asparagus, strawberries, Bing cherries and apricots. Raspberries ripen in the summer while

peaches, plums, pears and corn are available in the fall along with apples, onions, dry beans and local meats harvested yearround.

And that’s not all. Idaho processors also specialize in breads, dairy products, wine, nursery plants and specialty foods like jams, jellies, pickled vegetables and more.

“We want people to start thinking about how easy it is in Idaho to have fresh produce and when they go to the grocery store their food is just a day off the family farm,” said Clark.

Onion farmer Shey Meyers is an Idaho Preferred member and says the program is a huge help for Idaho farmers.

“It allows us market exposure and opportunities that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Meyers. “I like to tell others

that it’s helpful because the programs push us. In other words it’s some of the marketing things we should do, but wouldn’t do because they’re not placed in front of us. Having Idaho Preferred help us with opportunities just makes it easier.”

The nearly 300 Idaho Preferred members are local farmers and companies that sell quality Idaho food and products. In order to use the blue and gold label, growers, producers and processors must meet strict criteria for their products, the most important being that all fresh fruits and vegetables must be grown in Idaho.

Consumers also benefit from Idaho Preferred because when they buy local, they get fresher, tastier food because it takes less time to get from the fields to the kitchen table. When peo-

ple buy Idaho nursery items, they get plants that are raised in our climate and are more likely to thrive in the backyard.

As more Idaho crops make it to market and appear on prominent display at local grocery stores, Clark says the Idaho Preferred programs makes food choices easy for shoppers.

A 2012 Consumer Market Research study conducted by the University of Idaho showed that over 50 percent of consumers are aware of the Idaho Preferred mark and 65 percent have seen the Idaho Preferred television ads.

“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be eating local produce right now,” said Clark, “It’s harvest, it’s Idaho-grown and all so good.”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Though many farm and ranch families rely on local markets, many participate in the worldwide market rather than going local.

Focus on Agriculture It’s Not All Local

By Katie Sawyer When I tell people my husband farms and raises cattle for a living, I am rarely met with disdain or insults. Most people genuinely appreciate the long hours and hard work that go into putting food on their plates. And right on cue it seems, they are quick to lend their support and follow up with an enthusiastic, “Oh, I always try to buy local.”

Buying local is great! There are thousands of farmers who rely on local farmers’ markets or food cooperatives to move their goods. But we aren’t one of them. You won’t find us at the town square on Saturday mornings, and we aren’t marketing our beef at the local grocery store. Yes, we do occasionally sell beef to family and friends and donate hamburger for nonprofit events. But all of our income is a result of national and international markets.

We raise corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat on our farm outside McPherson, 12

Kansas, each year. All four crops are commodities and traded on the national market. Competitive market prices and U.S. exports help bolster our crops’ value.

We make your $40 steaks and toasted rolls at your white-tablecloth, date-night restaurant possible. It’s our soybeans that go into hog feed for your family’s Saturday morning bacon-and-eggs breakfast at McDonald’s, and the milo that has allowed for the expansion of gluten-free products.

We are proud international farmers that grow crops used around the globe and raise beef that is coveted by red meat lovers on all continents. But having a large market for our farm products doesn’t mean we’re big, corporate farmers. Ours is a fourthgeneration farming family hoping to see the fifth generation return to follow in our footsteps. And we’re working hard to preserve our land for the next generation as we conserve water usage through new irrigation practices and use crop technologies to dramatically reduce our inputs and soil

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

erosion.

It takes farms of all types and sizes to meet the always-changing desires, demands and dishes found around the globe. Some choose to keep their products local. Others, like us, ship our products across the globe. It doesn’t mean we put any less time, energy or effort into raising those crops. It simply means our customers live a little farther away. That’s okay, as long as someone is enjoying the fruits of our labor.

So the next time you meet a farmer, remember, it’s not all local. Simply enjoying your next meal and understanding the time and energy it takes to get it from the pasture to your plate is support enough for this farm family.

Katie Sawyer is a farm blogger and advocate. She and her husband, Derek, farm and raise cattle on their fourth-generation family farm outside McPherson, Kansas.

Taken from the American Farm Bureau’s “Focus on Agriculture”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

13

State legislators and Farm Bureau members take a tour of the Seminis seed processing plant outside Nampa.

Corn Seed Harvested in Nampa, Lawmakers get Firsthand Look

By Jake Putnam Sweet corn seed harvest is going full speed ahead in Nampa.

At the Seminis seed processing plant in Nampa, trucks loaded with seed send up great clouds of dust as they drive through the gate at a dizzying pace. Workers here are putting in 12-hour days until the harvest is done.

The Idaho Farm Bureau hosted lawmak14

ers at Seminis seed for their annual “Harvesting with Idaho Farm Bureau” event on September 16.

“Our idea was to invite legislators from Treasure Valley urban areas to come and learn about all the different aspects of Idaho Agriculture,” said Idaho Farm Bureau Legislative Affairs Director Russ Hendricks.

Agriculture is big business in Idaho, with

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

cash receipts of $9.76 billion, and ranks as the third-largest agriculture state in the West. Economists say that agriculture is by far Idaho’s largest industry. Last year the state had a 17 percent increase over 2013.

“This year we focused on genetic modified organisms and lately that’s a hot topic of discussion,” said Hendricks. “We gave lawmakers a glimpse to see how the crops are processed from the seed to harvest.

More importantly, we gave them a chance

A guide answers lawmakers’ questions during the tour.

to talk to scientists and decide for themselves about GMO crops.”

The group of lawmakers from the Idaho House and Senate donned hard hats and toured the vast Seminis campus south of Nampa at the height of seed harvest. They watched the truckloads of seeds come through the gates, where crews unloaded, shucked the corn seed and then watched corn stripped from the cob and subsequently dried, cleaned, packaged and shipped.

Representative Joe Palmer of Meridian attended the annual harvest tour and came away impressed.

“I’ve been on several of these and it’s a great learning experience,” said Palmer.

“These tours remind us not only of the diversity of agriculture operations in Idaho

but all the supplemental industry that agriculture supports, why this is the seed capitol of the US and right in our backyard.”

Representative Gary Collins of Nampa has lived in Canyon County most of his life but has never seen seeds processed.

“The value of a tour like this is tremendous,” said Collins. “I was raised on a farm so I have roots here, but it’s changed so much and dramatically.”

Collins says the importance of agriculture continues to grow in Idaho.

“It’s staggering to think most of nation’s sweet corn seed comes from this facility,” said Collins. “But I’ve always known that Canyon County is important to the United States because of these seed crops.”

Crop revenues in Idaho are estimated at $3.8 billion, which is up slightly from last year’s $3.54 billion. Livestock revenues are estimated at $5.9 billion, which is up from 2013, and despite a national downward trend, cash receipts from milk are also up from 2013.

Hendricks said the tour was more than show and tell, it also drove home a few key points.

“These tours are great because not only do we showcase agriculture to our lawmakers, we get to show them what’s important to Idaho,” said Hendricks. “More importantly, we think that if farmers are to continue we all need to understand and know agriculture intimately.”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

15

KELLER

Continued from page 2 Over the last decade, various immigration or agricultural labor reform proposals have been introduced in Congress. However, those proposals have often fallen short or created other problems for agriculture. Some would have allowed current farm workers to transition to legal status without ensuring a future flow of farm workers. Some would have set up a program for new workers without giving current workers an opportunity to participate. Some proposals focused on solving just one part of the immigration reform puz-

Priestley

Continued from page 2

say because these animals form stable territories and individual packs develop tastes for specific foods, they shouldn’t be shot if seen among livestock herds. A wolf pack that prefers elk will leave cattle alone and keep other wolf packs out. The same principle applies to coyotes, they said.

This theory sounds humane and progressive in the context of an air-conditioned meeting room at a fancy hotel in front of a group of people with no financial risk in the livestock industry. But to believe a livestock owner should trust that the good wolves and coyotes will protect their herds from the bad wolves and coyotes is beyond foolish. Trying to tell a “good” wolf from a bad one is like looking into a box of chocolate covered candy. You might pick the delicious caramel center, but then again, you might pick the slimy cherry.

Our advice remains the same.

16

zle, such as enforcement, when a comprehensive solution was needed. Meanwhile, the political environment made it all but impossible to pass even these inadequate measures.

Some of Farm Bureau’s agricultural labor principles are: Creation of a new agricultural visa program that gives employers and employees the flexibility to agree on the employment terms that work for them.

Stability via an agricultural visa that lasts at least three years and can be renewed.

A way for farm workers who

Ranchers who plan on ranching next year and beyond don’t have the luxury of trusting one wolf and distrusting another. If you see a wolf – any wolf - among your herd, do not waste time attempting to determine what its intentions may be. Hold the rifle firmly against your shoulder, place the animal in the center of the crosshairs, inhale deeply, and then exhale slowly while applying steady pressure on the trigger. Repeat if necessary.

Step 3 is another that doesn’t seem to bode well for anyone thinking ranching could be a vocation with some longevity.

Cattle breeds today are too docile and independent. The experts that spoke at the SRM conference said cattle need to learn to stand together and rekindle the herd instinct that protects bison from wolves. To some readers this suggestion may seem like a step backwards. After all, we haven’t been breeding for traits that make cattle wilder all these years. Most livestock owners

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

are in the U.S. illegally to apply for legal status as they continue working in agriculture.

Enforcement and verification to ensure that agricultural visa holders are here legally and, in fact, working on farms.

A requirement that visa holders return to their home countries when their visas expire, but allows employers to continue to recruit eligible workers.

An alternative to and elimination of the H-2A temporary and seasonal visa program, which simply has not met agriculture’s needs.

appreciate cattle that are docile.

We wonder if these experts gave any thought to the longevity of the average cowboy before they adopted the “re-wilding” of cattle policy. How many Americans go to work and get advice like “Hey you need to find some ways to make your job more dangerous?”

In 1996 our government led by Bill Clinton and Bruce Babbitt, turned out wolves and started a war against ranchers in Montana and Idaho. Another perspective might be that reintroduction of wolves was just another battle in a long line of land and wildlife management decisions designed to ultimately ruin the economy of the rural West.

These suggestions for coexisting with predators presented in the Beef Magazine article are examples of how one dumb idea begets another. We’re way beyond fed up with being told to find another way to comply with the dumb decisions that get

A program that is available to all agricultural sectors, including dairy and livestock production.

These principles are developed by the rank and file of Farm Bureau, the members in the trenches, so to speak, from all across the nation. This common sense approach meets the requirements of legality and availability, both essential elements to a viable agricultural labor status.

So when the bloviating on agriculture labor gets loud and begins to shout above reason, remember and hold onto these level-headed principles.

passed west from Washington D.C. Idaho has the largest wolf population in the lower 48. The government’s count puts wolf numbers at around 800. We believe it could be double that.

The wolf population here has grown faster than anyone could have predicted. It’s grown to the point where it has arguably become the greatest success story in the history of the Endangered Species Act. We have complied and we have adapted to living with wolves.

If you take a realistic look at where we are today, according to this article we have a group of our most respected range management experts meeting to discuss ways to comply with dumb ideas foisted upon us by our government. Reintroducing wolves was a colossal mistake.

Compounding that mistake by changing management practices to better suit a vicious predator is not a solution to a problem that is much better solved with a hollow-point bullet.

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1/15/15 3:26 PM Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015 17

Hydrophobic Soils and Post-fire Erosion Control

By Yvonne Barkley Erosion and flooding are common concerns after wildfires. Post-fire erosion depends on many factors, but generally, ero- Straw applied to a recently burned area to prevent erosion. Photo: Karen Wattenmaker sion hazard increases as slope increases testing the soil by scraping away addition- to both soil and watershed resources. and vegetative cover decreases. To be safe, al layers of soils (half to one inch at a time) Mulch assume all drainages in steep, hilly areas until non-water repellent soil is reached. can carry debris flows and are vulnerable This will give you the location and depth Mulch covers the soil, thereby reducing after a wildfire. rain drop impact, overland flow, soil eroof water repellent layers. sion, and the effects of water repellent Hydrophobic soils Fallen logs can be placed across slopes to soils. Mulching is the only treatment that Hydrophobic, or water repellent, soils have slow runoff and intercept sediment (see consistently and significantly reduces eroa limited ability to retain or absorb water below). Hand rakes or hoes have been sion rates by immediately increasing the and are most common after moderate to used on gentle to moderate slopes to break percent ground cover. severe fires on dry, sandy soils. Generally, up water repellent layers and allow infilwater repellency weakens with each rain- tration. On steeper slopes, scatter straw There are many types of mulch to choose from. It is very important to use certified fall and does not persist longer than two to mulch to reduce soil erosion. weed free products or materials. four years after a burn.

Erosion control Straw is the most commonly used mulch.

To check for water repellent soils: Erosion control is one of the most comThis treatment is most effective on gentle 1. Scrape away the ash layer, exposing mon rehabilitation activities after a burn. slopes and in areas without high winds mineral soil.

Erosion is a natural process. The amount Mulch is best used in high-value areas, of erosion after a burn depends on storm 2. Place drops of water on the soil surface. such as above or below roads, above events, burn severity, slope, soil type, and If water droplets bead on the surface for 10 streams, or below ridge tops. condition of the post-fire watershed. Eroto 40 seconds, it is considered moderately sion may be immediate and continue over Slash can also be used on burned slopes water repellent. If it beads for more than several years as root systems of burnt veg- where dead vegetation is present, and on 40 seconds, it is considered strongly water etation decay, further decreasing soil sta- firebreaks and dozer lines. This treatment repellent. is most effective on gentle slopes. Slash bility.

3. Scrape away a half to one inch of soil provides many of the same benefits of Controlling erosion the first post-fire year and repeat the test to find the upper boundstraw, with the additional benefit of keepwill be important in minimizing damage ary of the water repellent layer. Continue ing and recycling nutrients back into the 18

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

may take one to two years to fill. Failures are common where water flows under logs. To be economically feasible, you must have adequate numbers of 15 to 20 foot-long logs that are four to 12 inches in diameter available on the site.

Straw wattles can provide an alternative to contour-felled logs and can also be used in small drainages and on side slopes to catch sediment. The last 2 to 3 feet of the straw wattle should be turned upslope to prevent water and sediment from going around the structure and increase storage capacity. Installed straw wattles cost about half as much as contour-felled logs.

Straw bale check dam. Photo: Karen Wattenmaker

site. Consult your state’s Forest Practices Act for allowable amounts of residual slash.

Geotextile fabric mulches are used to cover the ground and control erosion in high risk areas such as extremely steep slopes, above roads or structures, or along stream banks.

be viewed as a short-term fix.

Some structures fill in with sediment with the first storm event after a burn, while others

Sandbags stacked one to two feet high provide inexpensive temporary barriers and can be positioned to divert mud and small debris flows away from buildings and roads, but will not seal out water. Sandbags are a short-term fix because they deteriorate when exposed to continued wetting and drying.

Silt fences are made of woven wire and fabric filter cloth and

are used as temporary barriers to catch sediment-laden runoff from small drainages or along hillslopes. They provide temporary sediment storage and cannot handle large debris flows or heavy sediment loads.

Straw bale check dams are temporary sediment barriers constructed of straw bales located across small drainages, where they decrease water velocity and detain surface runoff.

Straw bale check dams will not provide protection longer than three months and work best in drier regions, on small drainage areas that have less than 30 percent gradients, and in channels that are not incised. They will not protect slopes from large storm events or control debris flows in larger creeks, streams, or rivers.

Yvonne Barkley is an Associate Extension Forester with the University of Idaho’s Forestry Extension program. She specializes in disturbance ecology (insects, diseases, wildfire), forest management, forest health, hardwoods, silviculture, nursery management.

Barriers Barriers are installed on hillslopes and in streams to slow water flow, increase infiltration, and trap sediment.

Contour-felled log barriers are anchored on burned slopes to provide immediate protection and are often used where erosion rates will be high. Appropriate for slopes of less than 40 percent, log barriers should

Checking for hydrophobic soils. Photo: Gary Chancey Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

Idaho Food Processing Marks Significant Growth Guest column by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo

Early innovations enabling long-term storage of potatoes and onions gave way to later processing methods that have enabled Idaho agricultural producers to feed people far beyond Idaho’s borders. Idahoans led the way in growing and processing the food necessary to nourish American troops fighting in World War II, and have fed Americans and consumers around the world for decades. Building on this productive history as a leading food processing state, Idaho is a hub for the expansion or relocation of food processing operations.

Idaho food production is a growing powerhouse. Valued at more than $1.5 billion, Idaho agricultural industry’s production is valued at nearly 20 times more than it was 40 years ago. This is according to statistics from the Idaho Department of Commerce that also reports Idaho ranking first among states in potato production, with 29 percent of the U.S. market; first among states in trout production, with 72 percent of the U.S. market; second in the produc-

tion of peas, hops and barley; and third in hay, sugar beets, mint, plums, prunes, cheese and milk products.

Idaho’s varied and abundant agricultural production has driven an expanding food processing industry that has a critical role in our economy. Idaho Commerce reports that the benefits of food processing and agriculture in Idaho include 33,769 jobs; $41,145 average yearly earnings; a 6.4 percent 10-year projected growth rate; and more than 185 different agriculture products. In a 2013 report, the University of Idaho Extension reported that Idaho food manufacturing accounts directly for $8.5 billion in sales and $1.2 billion of the Gross State Product (GSP). The University found that, “Together, the whole food processing industry and agricultural industry in Idaho account directly for 6 percent of jobs, 15 percent of sales and 7 percent of GSP.” Given Idaho’s production attributes, it is no surprise that the U.S. Department of Commerce recently designated Idaho’s Magic

Valley as a top 12 U.S. Manufacturing Community, a designation that has been described as an opportunity to draw additional resources, investments and talent to the area.

As we look to the future of our great state and consider the growing world population that will need food, work must continue to remove unnecessary barriers for food processing growth. Removing redundant federal regulatory and paperwork burdens on food producers is a priority. Addressing truck weights and other issues that help producers and processors get agricultural goods to manufactures and into markets and eliminating trade barriers that hinder Idaho food producers’ access to world markets are also priorities.

Bright and industrious Idahoans are feeding our nation and world. As Idaho producers innovate and grow, our federal policy must encourage, not hold back, this economic expansion.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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WOLVES IN IDAHO

Continued from page 5

Wolves were officially taken off the Endangered Species list in 2008 when the population grew to 849, but due to appeals from a coalition of animal rights groups, wolves were temporarily reinstated to the list.

Another attempt to delist the wolves in 2009 was successful despite appeals from animal rights groups. Idaho conducted its first regulated wolf hunting season from the fall of 2009 through the spring of 2010. The wolf population dropped for the first time since the 1995 reinstatement from 856 in 2009 to 777 in 2010, according to USFWS figures.

A federal judge restored endangered status in 2010, but that status was quickly overturned by Congress’ passing of the federal budget in 2011, which included a rider, backed by Sen. John Tester of Montana and Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, directing USFWS to reinstate the delisting rule of 2009 and turn wolf management back over to Idaho and Montana. Wyoming was involved in a lawsuit with the federal government at

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Over the years the wolf population has dramatically increased, reaching 856 at its peak in 2009, according to official statistics. Now the numbers have somewhat stabilized, averaging in the mid700s over the past six years. However, many ranchers speculate that wolf numbers far exceed the government figures.

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Scenes From the Eastern Idaho State Fair Photos by John Thompson

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Grain Marketing with Clark Johnston

Consider Futures, Options in Grain Marketing Strategy

By Clark Johnston Grain harvest is now completed and the fall work is moving forward with some areas completed. We had some timely rains in southern Idaho which was very helpful to the dry farmers in that region. Overall the grain crops turned out pretty good this year. Some areas the yields weren’t necessarily anything to write home about but, they were okay.

Prices for our commodities are still depressed when compared to earlier in the year but it does look like we have finally found some support. The carry charge in the wheat market has widened over the past few weeks indicating that there is a good supply of wheat in the market. There is currently a 36 cent per bushel carry from now into December 2016 Chicago wheat futures.

With this much carry in the futures we need to be looking at how we are able to take advantage of the carry in the market.

One is to see our commodities in the deferred months. The carry from December and March futures is currently 7 cents per bushel. We could sell today for delivery in December and the market will pay us storage from now to December.

than contracting for delivery downtown is that we now are able to take advantage of any basis strength in the local market.

The tradeoff is that the futures markets move higher limiting us to the level at which we sold in the market (margin calls). However we will be protected from the futures moving lower. This can be accomplished by using either futures and/or options.

I know that many of you are very uncomfortable using some of these tools that are available to us in marketing our commodities. Margin calls are very scary if we don’t have the confidence that what we have done is correct. This is why it is important now more than in the past to learn just how to use futures in our annual marketing plan.

We all watch the futures markets just to see if they are moving higher or lower but knowing what the movement is telling us and how to use the market to our advantage is the most important. Knowing how to use futures however is only half of the battle as we also need to know the local basis and how to also use the basis and basis movements in our plan.

The storage we are being paid may not be as much as we would like but, we should look at this type of contract in our marketing program this winter. The trade off to this contract is that you lock in the basis at the time of the contract and won’t be able to take advantage of any basis strength over the next couple of months.

In the past four years however, the cash bid was high enough that most producers weren’t interested in the basis. Well, obviously things have changed. Basis a very good indicator of the local supply/demand whether you are a buyer or seller. Using the futures will also give us a better opportunity to watch, track and trade the local basis.

Another was to lock in the futures without locking in the basis is to simply sell futures contracts. By selling futures rather

For instance, since the first part of August the local basis in Southeast for soft white has strengthened from 30 under the Chi-

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

Clark Johnston cago December futures to 20 over for a basis move of 50 points. This is close to the average move for this time frame over the past four years. How could we use this movement to our advantage?

When used properly hedging will help us manage our risk in the market. At this time I feel that I need to clarify something, Hedging isn’t speculating! When we are actually dealing in the cash commodities and take the opposite position in the futures markets we are hedgers.

This Fall and Winter the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau will be sponsoring a series of three classis on hedging and trading the local basis. The focus for the class will be using futures and the local basis in marketing your commodities. There will be one class in November and two in January.

These won’t be just lectures but an actual hands on program.

For Information on dates and times contact Elizabeth Kohtz at 208-420-5400 or emqk@hotmail.com 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

Grain Harvest

Continued from page 9

ho’s grain producers were not impressed with the harvest numbers this year.

Northern Idaho farmers are dealing with a serious drought.

Tom Daniel, a wheat and barley grower near Bonner’s Ferry, said the winter wheat yields were about average but the spring wheat and spring barley yields were low due to a lack of moisture.

Northern Idaho is 100 percent dryland farming, so producers depend on rainfall for irrigation needs. “We count on the rains coming when they come,” said Daniel. “Our average rainfall up here is 27 inches, if the rain comes right we have no problem at all.”

Daniel said this season was one of the worst he’s ever seen, with the lack of spring rains combining with weather 10 degrees hotter than usual for a 17 to 18-

day period when what they really needed was rain and some cooler weather.

“There’s not much you can do about Mother Nature,” said Daniel. “You do the best you can; she just does what she wants to.”

Bob Konen, a wheat grower near Lewiston said the quality of grain in northern Idaho is low as well as the yield.

“The crop just dried up too early,” said Konen Konen said first-rate wheat must have a test weight of 60 pounds per bushel.

He said some test weights this season weighed in as low as 48 pounds.

Daniel said wheat prices were down from where they need to be. “They’re down $2.40 from what they were last year right now.”

Konen said the abundance of wheat from other countries isn’t helping US grain prices. “We’re competing against a world market.”

The coming year is starting off shaky for Daniel and other farmers in his situation.

The ground is so dry that the winter wheat they’ve already planted can’t germinate.

“We’re too dry yet to even get a crop established for next year,” said Daniel.

He hasn’t given up hope yet. “If everything works right, we’ll get some rains and the sprouts will come up and we’ll be good for next year.”

Daniel says farming always has a chance of success or failure. Some years are good, some are bad; you never can tell.

“We’re gamblers,” said Daniel. “Las Vegas has nothing on us.”

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Top Farm Bureau Agents

Rookie of the Month:

Casey Faulkner Reilly Agency

Agent of the Month:

Darin Pfost Biggs Agency

Agency of the Month:

Biggs Agency

26

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

American farm bureau federation news

Farm Bureau, Caterpillar Announce New Partnership WASHINGTON, D.C., September 1, 2015 – American Farm Bureau Federation and Caterpillar Inc. announce a new partnership that will provide members up to $2,000 in purchase incentives on Cat machines. In addition, Caterpillar plans to support Farm Bureau programs in 2016 and coordinate with Farm Bureau on other efforts.

“Our extensive product line, with more than 300 Cat machines, reflects our commitment to the ongoing success of American agriculture and rural businesses,” said Dustin Johansen, Caterpillar Agriculture Industry Manager. “We’re proud to partner with the American Farm Bureau Federation and help members get their jobs done with the highest quality, best value equipment, attachments and integrated solutions in the industry.”

Eligible equipment includes Cat skid steer loaders, compact and multiterrain loaders, wheel loaders, telehandlers, backhoe loaders, hydraulic excavators and track-type tractors. A range of incentives are offered: Small Wheel Loaders: $2,000 Compact Wheel Loaders: $1,000 Small Dozers: $1,000 Backhoe Loaders: $500 - $1,000 Compact Track Loaders: $500 $1,000 Multi Terrain Loaders: $500 - $1,000 Skid Steer Loaders: $500 - $1,000 Telehandlers: $500 - $1,000 Mini Hydraulic Excavators: $250 $500 “Farm Bureau’s commitment to pro-

viding members with exclusive access to superior, high-quality brands, programs and products continues with this new partnership,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Caterpillar and agriculture have a shared history that goes back more than a hundred years. Our new partnership will make it easier for our members to improve productivity and efficiency to maintain profit margins,” he added.

In addition to providing reliable, fuelefficient equipment that is more economical for farmers, ranchers and rural business people to own and operate, Caterpillar is also committed to the safety of operators and to ongoing innovation in design and engineering.

Along with providing unparalleled parts availability, Cat Dealer service helps ensure the long-term reliability of equipment.

“Our product solutions are designed and built for maximum performance and safety,” said Johansen. “We are constantly developing and refining advanced power and hydraulic technologies to ensure that our products provide Farm Bureau members with the power, versatility, efficiency, ease of operations and reliability they have come to expect.”

The Farm Bureau Member Benefit discount on Cat machines can be combined with any current retail discounts, promotions, rebates or offers available through Caterpillar or its dealers, with the exception of other membership purchase incentives (such as the NCBA discount).

All participating state Farm Bureau members are eligible. Discounts cannot be applied to past purchases.

Members must provide a valid Mem-

ber Verification Certificate to the Cat dealer at the time of quote to receive the discount. Certificates may be obtained at www.fbadvantage.com/cat as of September 1, 2015.

About Caterpillar For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2014 sales and revenues of $55.184 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit www.caterpillar.com About the American Farm Bureau Federation With family members at the county or parish level in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the American Farm Bureau Federation is the unified national “Voice of Agriculture,” working to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.

AFBF is the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots organization of farm and ranch families. Additional information may be found at www. fb.org. Follow AFBF on Twitter: @ FarmBureau

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

27

Addressing challenges at the forefront of rangeland wildfire management.

Combining science with local knowledge. Leave with actionable information.

Agenda on Oct. 22

8am-5pm Mountain View Barn | Jerome Before Fires: Managing Fuels  Getting Ahead of the Next Fire  When Can Grazing Make a Difference?  FireWise on the Ranch: Reducing Property Losses Due to Wildfire During Fires: Preparation and Coordination for Fire Suppression  When are RFPAs Likely to Succeed?  Benefits and Challenges of RFPA Members on the Fire Line  Pros and Cons of RFPAs from a Rancher’s Perspective

After Fires: Restoration and Creating Landscapes that Will Survive the Next Fire  Post-fire Effects and Restoration Opportunities  Understanding Wildfire  Lessons Learned and Facing the Future

Field Tour on Oct. 23 Departs Castleford Community Center at 9am

Hear from the people who serve on the local Rangeland Fire Protection Association (RFPA). University of Idaho rangeland professors will tell about new grazing guidelines to reduce fuels on rangelands.

Register today! rangelandfallforum.org Or call the Rangeland Center at 208-885-6536 $25 for Rangeland Fall Forum | $10 for Field Tour

In collaboration with the Idaho Section Society for Range Management, Three Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, and 71 Livestock Association.

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

Ranchers participate in a range monitoring exercise near Oreana.

Partnership Allows Range Monitoring Opportunity Article and photos by Steve Stuebner More Idaho ranchers are getting involved in range monitoring than ever before.

Ranchers understand that it’s important to document rangeland conditions on a consistent basis and provide the Bureau of Land Management with relevant data on rangeland health. But many of them didn’t necessarily know how to monitor rangelands effectively until a new program came along to provide education, field training and BLM protocols to follow.

Tony and Brenda Richards, who run cattle in the Owyhee Mountains, are two of more than 100 ranchers in southern Idaho who are jumping on board this year.

“We look at this as an investment in keeping our business healthy and thriving, and keeping the resource healthy and thriving,” said Brenda Richards, who also chairs the Owyhee Initiative Committee and is president of the national Public Lands Council.

Jason Nettleton, who also ranches in the Owyhees, says it’s great to put more attention on range monitoring and management.

“I think every rancher does that as a steward

of the land. First, and foremost, I don’t consider myself a rancher. I consider myself as a vegetation monitor because really, we’re not raising cows, we’re raising grass. We use the cows to harvest that.

“We would like to certainly be a little more accountable for what we’re doing and know what impacts that we’re having on the range as well as being able to be one step ahead of the game in case we do see some issues that arise.”

The new range monitoring program is a cooperative effort by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management, University of Idaho Extension Service and the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission. A Memorandum of Understanding between ISDA and the BLM sets the protocols on how to gather monitoring data so the information is readily accepted by the BLM. Under the new program, 27 photo points were taken on 125,000 acres of public rangeland in 2014. This year, at least 135 photo points are being taken on 300,000 acres of public rangeland.

Amanda Gearhart taught 16 range-monitoring educational workshops across southern Idaho this spring, from Idaho Falls to Marsing. About 100 ranchers attended, plus an equal number of BLM, Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands employees. The workshops feature classroom and field sessions to teach people how to gather monitoring data.

University of Idaho extension professionals across southern Idaho helped publicize the workshops to increase participation. “I just think it’s a great program,” said Scott Jensen, University of Idaho Extension Educator in Owyhee County. “It provides ranchers with the tools they need to collect data – not only collect it, but have credible data so they can have that included in their allotment files and utilized in the whole decision-making process.”

Then, as a follow up, experts from Idaho State Department of Agriculture help ranchers get started with photo-monitoring on a one-to-one basis in the field, using the protocols agreed upon by the BLM and ISDA. See RANGE MONITORING, page 32

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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RANGE MONITORING

Continued from page 31

“I don’t think it’s too early to say this is working,” says Gretchen Hyde, executive director of the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission. “I think Idaho is a leader on this. That’s really awesome.”

Hyde grew up on her family’s Van Deusen Ranch in Emmett, where range monitoring photo points were set up long ago.

“Back in the 70s, my grandfather worked with Gus Hormay to set up a rest-rotation system, and at the same time, a monitoring program,” Hyde explains.

“Over the years, having that data, having those photos, we were able to impact some of the decision-making, because we knew more about how things were being impacted in a positive way.

“My dad always said that it’s a gift to the future. And having that data will be beneficial in the long term. “Healthy lands equal healthy livestock. It’s important for them to share the data and work together on that.”

A key advantage for ranchers to get involved is the data they gather will supplement existing photo data and notes in BLM files. MOU protocols call for photo-monitoring data to be collected in the same location at the same time each year for continuity. BLM photo points already have been established in most areas.

John Biar, who recently retired from ISDA, was a key partner in creating the new range monitoring program. “What we wanted to do was find a tool that we could help the federal agencies with in getting good monitoring data that would support the 32

Rancher Jason Nettleton is one of many ranchers learning more about the importance of range monitoring.

BLM and help in grazing permit renewal decisions,” Biar said.

“Monitoring is important, I believe, because it’s going to be the future of rangeland management in Idaho. The federal agencies are very short-handed due to budget reductions, their work loads are very significant, and they have more litigation than they’ve had in the past.

They are our partners in land management.”

Nika Lepak, a Rangeland Management Specialist in the BLM State Office, said, “The MOU is valuable for BLM because we know that when a permittee is working with ISDA that they’re following all the correct protocols for completing photo monitoring, and we know that they’re doing that work over the

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

lifespan of the grazing permit.

“And we also know they’ll be submitting those photos on a regular basis.”

Adds Biar, “For BLM, it gives them consistent, year to year, photo monitoring data. What that does, is captures the good years, the dry years, it captures everything that happens at these key sites going on out there. For the rancher, it helps the rancher keep and have their own data.

They will have data that supports their ranching operation, their grazing management systems. It’s a very cheap insurance policy for them when it’s permit renewal time or their grazing permit is litigated.”

The range monitoring workshops explain the BLM protocols in the classroom and the

field. But before Amanda Gearhart goes into that detail, she explains what range monitoring is, and why it’s important at a workshop in Oreana in Owyhee County.

“Monitoring is defined as the orderly, repeated collection, analysis and interpretation of resource information. It is designed to detect change over time,” she says.

Indeed, photo monitoring tells a story about the land over time.

It also shows how changing weather conditions or livestock management may affect the land over time.

Owyhee County Rancher Tony Richards sees a lot of value in documenting those changes.

“From my point of view, it’s

really important that I know what my management is doing,” Richards says. “We have different kinds of years, from wet years to dry years. The long term will tell what’s going on more accurately. I think when it comes to this permit renewal, that’s the kind of information you have to have to truly know what’s going with your allotment.”

The BLM protocols require the following information to be collected: 1. Take landscape photos from existing BLM photo points from several different directions.

2. Fill out a photo board with pertinent information prior to taking the landscape photos.

3. Place a 3-foot-square frame on the ground, and take a closeup photo of the vegetation in the frame.

Locating the existing BLM photo points can be most challenging, even with the GPS coordinates. At the Oreana field workshop, several groups had difficulty finding BLM yellow or orange markers on the ground in a sea of sagebrush. But once they found the spot, they set up the photo monitoring picture.

They used previous BLM monitoring photos to orient the photo in the same direction.

ISDA Rangeland Specialist Brooke Jacobsen explains what information should be on the photo board to meet BLM protocol. “It has the date, and the site name, the field office, the allotment and the pasture. Other information you can include is the direction the photo is taken, the GPS location.”

Upon request, Jacobsen goes out and assists ranchers in gathering monitoring data for the first time on BLM grazing al-

lotments to walk them through the process. She’s been working with Tony and Brenda Richards to get their field work completed.

through their files, and see what’s in there, and understand how it relates to the conditions on their grazing allotment,” says Nika Lepak.

“The key to the program here in Idaho, there’s several other states that have monitoring programs, DVD’s or books or information out there, but it’s a little intimidating,” Richards says. “But the beauty about this goes back to the partnership is there, and the simplicity within that partnership, but still getting the protocol that’s going to be acceptable to get that data into your file.”

“It’s going to be beneficial to the BLM because they have a tremendous workload,” Brenda Richards says. “So with this program, it’s a true partnership that is actually something on the ground, helping the resource and the businesses out here.

Being able to contribute to the BLM’s files on range conditions is another key benefit. The MOU encourages ranchers to check out the files and contribute data on a regular basis.

“It’s kind of a good place to crack the door, come in, go

“The habitat is the way it is -- one of the key components is properly managed grazing -- and keeping those plant communities that way. With the training, that will only make things better.”

Steve Stuebner is the writer and producer of Life on the Range, an educational project sponsored by the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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IDAHO FFA MEMBERS—THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE Why FFA With the world population expected to near 10 billion by the year 2050, every facet of agriculture must grow to meet the increasing demands for the world’s food supply. FFA members are students who are preparing to help meet local and global challenges through careers in agricultural sciences, business and technology to through their participation in high school agricultural education and FFA. FFA has been an integral part of agriculture programs in Idaho high schools since 1929, currently with over 12,000 Idaho agricultural education students, 89 active chartered Idaho FFA chapters, and over 4,300 Idaho FFA members. Agricultural Education is delivered through classroom and laboratory instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experience programs or work-based learning, and student leadership through the FFA organization.

FFA has provided a formal structure for thousands of members over the years to acquire leadership and public speaking skills, and learn the importance of goal setting, the value of hard work, honesty and community service. Many of our current leaders in education, business, agriculture and government got their start in FFA. The Idaho FFA Foundation was established in 1980 as the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for the Idaho FFA Association and is proud to provide ongoing financial support to career development events and leadership activities that help students develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success.

www.idffafoundation.org

Support Idaho FFA members with your contribution to the Idaho FFA Foundation today!

I/We would like to contribute $_____________ to the Idaho FFA Foundation to support Idaho FFA members: Name _________________________________________ Address _______________________________________ City/State/Zip _________________________________ _________________________________ Phone ________________________________________ Email _________________________________________  General Contribution Memorial Contribution in honor and memory of: _________________________________________ Send notification to ________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Check Enclosed  Please bill my:  Visa or  Mastercard Name on card: _____________________________________________ Card Number and Expiration Date: __________________________________Exp________ Signature ____________________________________ Please mail to:

Idaho FFA Foundation P.O. Box 870 Meridian, ID 83680 Questions? Phone: 208-861-2467, or Email: lwilder@idffafoundation.org

www.idffafoundation.org

501(c)3 Non-Profit

FFA—Premier Leadership, Personal Growth and Career Success through Agricultural Education 34

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

First Farmland Landlord Survey Since 1999 Released for Idaho

There were 3,639,738 acres of farmland rented out by landlords in Idaho, according to the results of the 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey released August 31 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

NASS conducted the survey in cooperation with the USDA’s Economic Research Service to get a better insight into who owns U.S. farmland. TOTAL was the first time NASS surveyed farmland landlords since 1999. The survey results provide analysis of rented farmlands by acreage, as well as by landlords, which include individuals, as well as ownership arrangements such as partnerships, corporations, trusts, and other types of ownership.

According to TOTAL findings, there were 17,909 farmland landlords in Idaho. Of these,

‘All About Beef’ App Features Two New Games

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has released a new educational app, “All About Beef,” funded in part by the Beef Checkoff. App versions of “The Steaks are High” and “Grocery Grab” are

3,439 were farmers, while 14,470 were non-farming landlords. Cropland made up 70 percent of all Idaho farmland rented, while 28 percent was rented pasture. The rest of the rented farmland was forests and other land uses.

In the next five years, Idaho farmland landlords expect to transfer 1,990,118 acres to different owners. Of these, 247,546 acres are expected to be sold to non-relatives, and 404,368 are expected to be put in trust.

For complete TOTAL results, visit agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/TOTAL.

USDA Commodity Loans Available

(BOISE, IDAHO), – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Idaho Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Mark Samson reminds producers that USDA offers interim financing at harvest time to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell commodities when market prices are at harvest-time lows. The programs, known as

STEM-based games funded by the Beef Checkoff Program and geared toward students in grades 3-5. In addition to teaching nutrition and environmental facts, the apps also feature kid-friendly beef recipes.

The My American Farm games, including “The Steaks are High” and “Grocery Grab”

Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs), were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill for the 2014-2018 crop years.

“These are among the many tools offered by the Farm Service Agency to help farmers navigate price and market conditions. They can also provide for a more orderly marketing of Idaho commodities. As we approach the harvest season I encourage producers to consider these programs as a helpful option,” said Samson.

A producer who is eligible to obtain a marketing loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain a loan deficiency payment if such a payment is available. In Idaho these programs provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans and other oilseeds, pulse crops such as lentils and chick peas, wool and honey. For eligibility, producers must control the commodity or a title to the commodity until the loan is repaid.

FSA is now accepting applications for all eligible commodities. For expedited service, interested producers are encouraged to schedule an are available on the iTunes store for iPhone and iPad, at Google Play for Android devices, on Amazon for the Kindle Fire and on www.MyAmericanFarm.org.

Dairy Margin Protection Program Deadline Extended

WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the deadline to enroll for the dairy Margin

appointment. Other program restrictions may apply, including limits on total payments or gross income thresholds.

Consult your local FSA office for further details. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda. gov/pricesupport. To find your local USDA Service Center, go to http://offices.usda.gov.

MALs and LDPs were reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for ruralmade products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Protection Program for coverage in 2016 has been extended until Nov. 20, 2015. The voluntary program, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides financial assistance to participating farmers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer.

(FSA) online Web resource at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool to calculate the best levels of coverage

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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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)

8/25/2015

9/21/2015

Trend

5.61 5.31-5.66 6.06 250.00

5.45 5.76-5.90 6.41 260.00

- .16 + .45 to + .24 + .35 + 10.00

5.40 4.46 5.46 6.35

5.51 4.60 5.68 6.35

+ .11 + .14 + .22 Steady

5.05 4.10 4.80 4.50

5.20 4.15 5.30 4.75

+ + + +

4.94 4.03 4.78 6.00

5.19 4.25 4.98 6.00

+ .25 + .22 + .20 Steady

8.91 5.35

9.53 5.72

+ .62 + .37

Lewiston:

White Wheat 5.33 5.35 H. Red Winter 5.36 5.70 Dark N. Spring 5.76 6.18 Barley 141.50 136.50

.15 .05 .50 .25

+ .02 + .34 + .42 Steady

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

8/25/2015

9/21/2015

Trend

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

220-305 170-247 150-211 146-180

-

10 27 16 14

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

220-265 165-232 145-198 145-165

-

20 to - 57 5 to + 2 18 to - 7 15 to - 34

140-200 130-172

120-182 120-154

- 20 to - 18 - 10 to -18

85-113 75-101

75-105 68-97

- 10 to - 8 - 7 to - 4

1175-2600

1200-2300

- 25 to - 300

98-143

93-136

- 5 to - 7

Not Not Not Not

22.00-24.00 Not Established Not Established 30.00

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 / OCTOBER 2015

to to to to

-

25 8 10 17

IDaho Hay Report

USDA Market News, Moses Lake, WA September 18, 2015

Tons: 1395 Last Week: 2625 Last Year: 4600 Compared to last Friday, Premium and Good Alfalfa weak. Trade slow this week as areas of the trade area received thunderstorms this week. Demand light to moderate with heavy supplies of feeder hay. Retail/feed store/horse steady. All prices are dollars per ton and FOB the farm or ranch unless otherwise stated.

Tons Price Wtd Avg Comments Alfalfa Large Square

Premium 620 150.00-170.00 156.45 Tarped Good 100 110.00-110.00 110.00 Tarped

Fair

400 140.00-140.00 140.00 Organic Alfalfa Small Square Premium 275 220.00-220.00 220.00 Retail/Stable

Potatoes Potatoes

UNITED STATES---Shipments (not including imports) 1655*-1697-1686---The top shipping states, in order, were Idaho, Columbia Basin Washington/Umatilla Basin Oregon, Wisconsin, Big Lake Minnesota and Colorado. The Market News Service survey of over 28,000 retail stores had 22,610 ads for potatoes last week, which is a 9 percent increase from the prior week’s ads of 20,689. *revised.

UPPER VALLEY, TWIN FALLS-BURLEY DISTRICT, IDAHO---Shipments 2015 crop 544-624-539 (includes exports of 1-2-2, Movement expected to increase on a full week of trading. Trading carton 40-70s slow, others active. Prices carton 40-60s

5 Year Grain Comparison

Grain Prices.................09/21/2011...................09/24/2012................... 9/26/2013...................9/23/2014...................9/21/2015 Portland: White Wheat..................... 6.58 .............................8.77................................7.13 ...........................6.69 ...........................5.45 11% Winter...................7.66-7.86 ............9.43-9.48 ..............No Bid ...... 6.78-7.08......................5.76-5.90 14% Spring........................ 9.46 ..........................No Bid.............................8.24...............................7.97...............................6.41 Corn.....................................N/A ........311-312.50 ....................No Bid ...........No Bid ..............260.00 Ogden: White Wheat..................... 6.55.............................. 7.95..............................

11% Winter....................... 6.65 ............................ 8.29..............................

14 % Spring......................8.30 ............................ 8.91..............................

Barley.................................12.10..............................12.20..............................

6.53.............................

7.17.............................

7.98.............................

7.95.............................

6.11............................. 5.51 5.80............................ 4.60 6.82............................ 5.68 4.90............................ 6.35

Pocatello: White Wheat..................... 6.45...............................8.00...............................6.30...............................5.75.............................. 5.20 11% Winter....................... 6.40 .............................8.36................................7.42...............................5.75...............................4.15 14% Spring.........................7.95 ..............................8.68................................7.32...............................6.09.............................. 5.30 Barley.................................11.67..............................12.92.............................No Bid...........................No Bid............................ 4.75

lower, others generally unchanged. Norkotah Russet U.S. One baled 10-5 pound film bags non size A mostly 5.50-6.00; 50-pound carton 40-60s mostly 7.00, 70s mostly 7.00-7.50, 80s 8.00, 90s mostly 8.00, 100s mostly 7.00.

Potatoes for Processing

September 18 2015 IDAHO---Open-market trading by processors with growers was inactive.

Burley: White Wheat..................... 6.55...............................7.82................................6.30...............................5.65...............................5.19 11% Winter....................... 6.43 ..............................8.00...............................6.77...............................5.25.............................. 4.25 14% Spring........................ 8.03 .............................8.43................................7.00...............................6.11.............................. 4.98 Barley.................................11.50..............................13.00...............................8.00...............................5.20.............................. 6.00 Nampa: White Wheat (cwt)......... 10.42.............................13.08..............................10.33..............................9.75...............................9.53 (bushel)......... 6.25...............................7.85................................6.20...............................5.85.............................. 5.72 Lewiston: White Wheat..................... 6.30...............................8.55................................6.84...............................6.20.............................. 5.35 Barley................................211.50............................236.50...........................144.50...........................136.50 ........................ 136.50 Bean Prices: Pintos...........................42.00-45.00 .......... 38.00-40.00..................40.00-42.00.................40.00-42.00.................22.00-24.00 Pinks............................44.00-45.00 .......... 40.00-42.00.......................No Bid .....................No Bid ....................No Bid Small Reds...................42.00-45.00 ................ 40.00-42.00.......................No Bid...........................No Bid........................... 30.00 ***

AUGUST MILK PRODUCTION UP 0.8 percent September 18, 2015 August Milk Production up 0.8 Percent Milk production in the 23 major States during August totaled 16.3 billion pounds, up 0.8 percent from August 2014. July revised production at 16.6 billion pounds, was up 1.3 percent from July 2014. The July revision represented an increase of 5.0 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month’s preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,891 pounds for August, 6 pounds above August 2014.This is the highest production per cow for the month of August 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, 43,000 head more than August 2014, but unchanged from July 2015.

August Milk Production in the United States up 0.8 Percent Milk production in the United States during August totaled 17.4 billion pounds, up 0.8 percent from August 2014.

Production per cow in the United States averaged 1,863 pounds for August, 5 pounds above August 2014.

The number of milk cows on farms in the United States was 9.32 million head, 53,000 head more than August 2014, but unchanged from July 2015.

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

37

5 Year livestock comparison

Cattle on Feed September 18, 2015

..................................... 09/21/2011...................09/24/2012....................9/25/2013.................... 9/22/2014.................... 9/21/2015 Under 500 lbs................128-181 .....................126-187.........................148-198........................ 250-390........................220-305 500-700 lbs.................... 116-160.........................116-170..........................130-174.........................210-288........................ 170-247 700-900 lbs.................... 101-133......................... 115-151..........................119-157........................ 180-245........................ 150-211 Over 900 lbs...................101-118..........................110-129..........................105-138.........................160-212........................146-180 Feeder Heifers Under 500 lbs................ 119-170.......................... 117-174..........................142-186........................ 235-340........................220-265 500-700 lbs.................... 114-144.........................116-155..........................121-160........................ 190-287........................165-232 700-900 lbs....................103-125.........................110-133..........................102-144.........................167-230........................ 145-198 Over 900 lbs................... 90-114...........................98-120...........................90-133......................... 150-207........................ 145-165 Holstein Steers Under 700 lbs..................78-92 ..........................75-118............................71-113......................... 150-234........................120-182 Over 700 lbs....................74-92 ..........................63-103...........................75-102..........................135-206........................120-154 Cows Utility/Commercial........... 51-71..............................54-78.............................58-86...........................89-124..........................75-105 Canner & Cutter..............42-67.............................55-72.............................50-73........................... 80-109...........................68-97 Stock Cows..........................N/A .......................N/A ........................N/A......................... 1300-2100....................1200-2300 Bulls – Slaughter............61-89 ...........................70-90.............................69-95...........................104-151......................... 93-136

United States Cattle on Feed Up 3 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 9.99 million head on September 1, 2015. The inventory was 3 percent above September 1, 2014.

Placements in feedlots during August totaled 1.63 million head, 5 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.57 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 215,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 362,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 660,000 head. Placements are the lowest for August since the series began in 1996.

Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.59 million head, 6 percent below 2014. Marketings are the lowest for August since the series began in 1996.

Other disappearance totaled 60,000 head during August, 9 percent below 2014.

Cattle Outlook September 18, 2015 The September cattle on feed report said there were 2.7% more cattle on feed September 1 than a year ago. USDA said August placements were down 5.4% and August marketings were down 6.1% compared to a year ago.The number placed and the number on feed were smaller than expected.

The average price of fresh beef at retail was $6.097 per pound during August. That was down 5.3 cents from the record high set the month before, but up 29.8 cents from August 2014. Both the farmers’ share and the packers’ share of grocery store beef prices were lower in August than a year ago with the gain going to retailers.

The average price for slaughter steers in August was $149.50/cwt. That was up 70 cents from the month before, but down $7.60 from August 2014. Domestic beef demand continues to be strong.The problem is with export demand, and some heavy cattle.

The average steer dressed weight for the week ending on September 5 set a new record at 914 pounds, up 8 pounds from the week before, up 25 pounds compared to the same week last year, above the year-ago level for the 64th consecutive week.

Cattle slaughter this week totaled 576,000 head, up 15.0% from the week before, which was light because of Labor Day, and up 0.3% from the same week last year.

This is the first non-holiday related week with slaughter above the year-ago level since February.

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Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

Fed cattle prices this week were sharply lower on good volume. Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $135.07/ cwt, down $4.91 from last week’s average and down $18.68 from a year ago. The 5 area average dressed price this week for steers was $213.25/cwt, down $6.84 for the week and down $31.98 compared to the same week last year.

This morning the choice boxed beef cutout value was $227.19/cwt, down $10.79 from the previous Friday and down $23.34 from a year ago.The select carcass cutout was $219.73/cwt this morning, down $7.40 from last week.

Feeder cattle prices at Oklahoma City were $5 to $15 lower this week. Prices for medium and large frame #1 steers by weight group were: 400-450# $236-$268, 450-500# $237-$259, 500-550# $210-$239.75, 550-600# $203-$224.50, 600-650# $205-$229, 650-700# $190-$220, 700-750# $190.25-$212, 750-800# $186-$203.50, 800-900# $185-$197.50 and 900-1000#, $184-$185/cwt.

Like the cash market, cattle futures were lower this week. The October live cattle futures contract settled at $136.00/cwt today, down $4.60 for the week. December fed cattle settled at $138.37/cwt, down $4.00 from the previous week. September feeder cattle ended the week at $192.80/cwt, down $7.90 from seven days earlier.

The October feeder cattle contract lost $9.28 to close at $185.82/cwt.

University of Missouri

Classifieds

Animals

Help Wanted

Vehicles

Wanted

Purebred Scottish Highland silver dun bull calf and red heifer calf - 6 mo-nice head and shoulder, level topline, stout hind quarter, correct conformation, black sire, red dams, tattoo, vaccinations, wormed, $1500 ea. Hot Springs Highlands, Melba, ID 208896-5529 hotspringshighlands@gmail.com

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

2012 Ford 250 Super Duty 4WD. King Ranch Crew Cab. 6.7 V8 diesel Powerstroke Engine, 87,000 miles. Tonneau bed cover. Remote start, heated seats. Rearview camera/leather interior. Tow Camper package. $37,499.

Pocatello, Id 208-521-2803.

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.

Farm Equipment

Carpet - 2 sizes. Blue/Grey. Gently used. $200. Shelley. Call 528-5337.

1965 Chrysler New Port Convertible. New Top, Cover and Upholstery. Partially Restored. $6500. Shelley. Call 528-5337.

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.

1952 model 60 John Deere. American Falls, Id 208-479-4464.

Milk transport tank. 2600 gallon Brenner insulated stainless steel tank. Licensed by ISDA to haul milk or other grade material.

240 volt pump to load or unload tank. For mounting on truck or trailer. $6,000. Rupert, Id. Call 208-436-3496.

John Deere tractor wheel and tire, older but hardly used. BF Goodrich, 6 ply, 1142. $200 or best offer. Paul area. 208-219-9034 or 312-1365.

Massey Ferguson tractor and blade. Also a camp wagon. Hagerman, Id 208-731-5936.

Bale elevator, 20 ft., perfect chain with 1 h.p. electric motor. Malad, ID. 208-766-6157.

New Squeeze chute, green, hand pull, $1,300.

Midvale, Id 208-355-3780.

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.

Hay and Feed Alfalfa hay. 4 by 4 big bales. $130/ton. New Plymouth, Id 208-739-2145.

Barley Straw small bales for sell. $1.15 per bale. Idaho Falls, Id. Call/text 208-705-4055 or 522-8595.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd crop hay for sale. Big 3x4x8 bales, and small 14”x18” bales.

Blackfoot area. Call 208-785-7837.

Household

Yamaha 305 Electone Spinet Organ, includes padded bench and music books. Cabinet in good condition. $200 OBO. Orofino, Id. Call 208-908-1544

Miscellaneous Miller Dialarc welder/ 250 ac/dc $500.00.

Twin Falls, ID 208-733-8308 WoodMaster outdoor wood stove for sale.

Sits outside and heats home, hot water, shop or barn. Works for small homes or large ones. Can burn either wood or pellets. Safe and efficient way to heat your home. Sweet, Id. John 208-781-0691.

1972 GMC ¾ ton 2 wheel drive $1,000.

American Falls, Id 208-479-4464.

2010 Dodge Ram Bighorn with 20” wheels. Quad cab 2 wheel drive, fog lights, all the bells and whistles, mp3 with CD, tow package, stabling, heated mirrors, all power windows, $17,995 without extended warranty, $19,995 with extended warranty.

Pocatello, Id. 208-317-9443.

Paying cash for old cork top bottles and some telephone insulators. Call Randy.

Payette, Id. 208-740-0178.

DEADLINE DATES:

ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY

OCTOBER 20 FOR NEXT ISSUE.

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 @ 208-4253225.

Real Estate/Acreage

dashton@idahofb.org

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

Trailers 1982 18’ livestock trailer. Has front side door, middle squeeze door, rear door that opens and slides. Asking $3,500 obo. Twin Falls, Id. 208-293-4458.

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

Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2015

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