Spring 2011 Volume 11, Issue 2 by Matrix Digital Media Inc

Spring 2011 Volume 11, Issue 2

Art Contest Winners – pg. 16

Pulitzer Prize Winner Speaks in Idaho Falls – pg. 4

Andrus Appointed New House Ag Chair – pg. 8

The Ag Agenda

Trade Should Matter to all Farmers and Ranchers

Free Trade Agreements are the talk of the town, in Washington, D.C., that is, and among the leaders of agriculture organizations across the country. But for folks fortunate enough to have a life beyond the upsand-downs of national politics, the acronym “FTA” doesn’t really mean much.

By Bob Stallman

President American Farm Bureau Federation

Trade issues, understandably, seem to get pushed to the background of farmers’ thoughts. Foreign trade is not im-

mediately tangible. It doesn’t weigh in on day-to-day decision-making in farm operations, like cost increases and regulations do. And, many farmers assume trade issues are out of their hands. But, America’s farmers and ranchers have a huge stake in global trade and the current FTAs with Korea, Colombia and Panama that are pending before Congress. Combined, the three agreements represent nearly $2.5 billion in U.S. agriculture exports. These FTAs should be in the forefront of every farmer’s and See STALLMAN, page 6

The President’s Desk

Legislators Strengthen Right to Farm Law

Our hats are off to Idaho’s citizen legislators and the work accomplished during the 2011 session. They should be commended for passing several bills that will benefit Idaho residents without raising taxes during a difficult economic time period.

By Frank Priestley President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

One such bill that shows a lot of foresight strengthens Idaho’s Right to Farm Law, and demonstrates the continuing value of agriculture to the state’s

economy. At a time when many other states are wishing they would have done more to protect farm land and the open spaces it provides, Idaho’s legislature granted overwhelming support to a law protecting farms and ranches from nuisance lawsuits. Further, it protects expansion of agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits as long as they obtain necessary permits, comply with local planning and zoning regulations and operate in accordance with all state and local regulations. See PRIESTLEY, page 6

Inside Farm Bureau

The Ten Cannots By Rick Keller CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

With most Americans, I watched the discussion and reporting of the adoption of the 2011 Federal budget just weeks ago (which should have been done six months earlier). The possibility of shutting down government funneled the discussion to a contentious, bitter battle. A lastminute resolution averted a promised calamity, but sadly nothing

was resolved. The same battle will wage when deciding the U.S. debt limit and the 2012 Federal budget. One hundred fifty years earlier, another Congress and president faced many of the same issues and discussions. It was contentious then. Unshakable political polarization existed. As we would say growing up, “it was mean and ugly.” President Abraham Lincoln and his congress finally did pass a budget and did authorize a debt ceiling. See KELLER, page 7

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / WINTER 2011

Contents

Volume 11, Issue 2 IFBF OFFICERS President . ................................. Frank Priestley, Franklin Vice President ..................................Mark Trupp, Driggs Executive Vice President .............................. Rick Keller

Features

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bryan Searle ............................................................Shelley Scott Bird .......................................................... Pocatello Chris Dalley ....................................................... Blackfoot Dean Schwendiman ........................................... Newdale Danny Ferguson ........................................................Rigby Scott Steele ..................................................... Idaho Falls Gerald Marchant .................................................. Oakley Rick Pearson ................................................... Hagerman Mike Garner.............................................................. Declo Curt Krantz ............................................................ Parma Mike McEvoy..................................................... Middleton Tracy Walton ....................................................... Emmett Marjorie French .............................................. Princeton Bob Callihan . ...................................................... Potlatch Louis Kins ........................................................... Kootenai Carol Guthrie ......................................................... Inkom Austin Tubbs . .......................................................... Malad

The Big Burn: Author Timothy Egan visited eastern Idaho in April to talk about his new book.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY USPS #022-899, is published quarterly by the IDAHO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, 275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, ID 83201.

Page 15

Page 4 Rancher and Idaho Representative Ken Andrus of Lava Hot Springs, was recently named chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Page 8

STAFF Dir. of Admin. Services ....................... Nancy Shiozawa Dir. of Member Services ................................... Ray Poe Dir. of Commodities ............................ Dennis Brower Commodity Assistant ................................. Peggy Pratt Membership Assistant .............................. Peggy Moore Market Information Assistant ................ Dixie Ashton Dist. I Regional Manager ...................................... vacant Dist. II Regional Manager ....................... Kendall Keller Dist. III Regional Manager .................. Charles Garner Dist. IV Regional Manager ................... Russ Hendricks Dist.V Regional Manager ...................... Bob Smathers Dir. of Governmental Affairs ....................... Kent Lauer Asst. Dir. of Governmental Affairs ... Dennis Tanikuni Range/Livestock Specialist..........................Wally Butler Director of Public Relations ............. John Thompson Video Services Manager ............................ Steve Ritter Broadcast Services Manager .................... Jake Putnam Office Manager, Boise ............................ Shawna Yasuda Member Services Manager ........................ Joel Benson Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson believes it’s time for an “adult discussion” about the nation’s spiraling debt.

University of Idaho Forestry Column: Understanding forest regeneration.

Western Idaho ranchers are reporting an increase in cattle rustling over the past few months.

Page 10 Marketbasket Survey: A nationwide survey of grocery prices shows a slight increase in the cost of food during the first quarter of 2011.

Page 14

Page 18 Economic Analysis by American Farm Bureau Economist Bob Young.

Page 24 Q and A with Idaho Fish and Game’s new director, Virgil Moore.

Page 34

DEPARTMENTS

POSTMASTER send changes of address to: IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848. Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, ID and additional mailing offices. Subscription: $4 a year included in Farm Bureau dues. MAGAZINE CONTACTS: Idaho Farm Bureau Federation EDITOR (208) 239-4292 • ADS (208) 239-4279 E-MAIL: dashton@idahofb.org www.idahofb.org

Cover: Emily Gluch of Weiser Middle School won first place among District 4 entries in this year’s Idaho Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Art Contest. See the overall winners and winners from each district on page 16.

The Ag Agenda: Bob Stallman............................................................. 2 The President’s Desk: Frank Priestley.............................................. 2 Inside Farm Bureau: Rick Keller......................................................... 2 Insurance Matters............................................................................... 20 Crossword Puzzle............................................................................... 23 Farm Facts............................................................................................. 28 Classifieds ............................................................................................ 42

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Pulitzer Prize Winner Presents New Book in Idaho Falls By John Thompson

and took ten years to complete.

Author, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Spokane native Timothy Egan spoke in Idaho Falls recently about his new book, The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America, and many of his experiences covering the Pacific Northwest for the New York Times.

“There is nothing that can replace looking into the eyes of someone who lived through an event like that,” Egan said. Yet it’s an event in American history that is often overlooked. Egan said he looked in his son’s high school AP History book and could find only one paragraph about the Dust Bowl. However, a documentary about this untold story is in progress. Noted filmmaker Ken Burns is currently working on a Dust Bowl film and is searching for people who lived through the event.

As guest speaker for the Idaho Humanities Council’s Fourth Annual Eastern Idaho Distinguished Humanities Lecture, Egan said Idaho is rich with stories about the American West. His favorites pit man against nature. He approaches his work not as an academic or historian, but from a storyteller’s perspective. He said working for the New York Times has afforded him the opportunity to travel the West extensively and meet people with firsthand experiences of extreme hardship, desperation and success. As evidence of Idaho’s rich history, Egan mentioned the book Big Trouble by J. Anthony Lukas. Published in 1998, it’s a lengthy (880 pages), non-fiction account of the assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg in 1905, the compelling trial that followed, and the mining labor versus union disputes that took place in North Idaho. During his research for the book The Worst Hard Time, Egan met and interviewed five people who lived through the Dust Bowl, also known as the “Dirty 30’s. The Worst Hard Time is a non-fiction account of people who survived the Great Depression’s Dust Bowl, for which Egan won a 2006 National Book Award. He said one storm during the Dust Bowl carried away more soil than was excavated in the construction of the Panama Canal, which is 48 miles long 4

The Dust Bowl, which lasted ten years, was the greatest environmental disaster in American history and it triggered the Great Depression, the greatest economic disaster in American history. However, what storyteller Egan found most compelling about the Dust Bowl is two-thirds of its survivors never left the five-state region where it occurred. “In history what we heard about the Dust Bowl was the John Steinbeck version where everyone went to California,” Egan said. “But what I found compelling was that two-thirds of the people in that fivestate region stayed put. They were people who got a piece of dirt for the first time in their lives and they weren’t going to leave it.” In his preparation for writing The Big Burn, Egan had to rely on journals written by U.S. Forest Service rangers. The fire happened in 1910 and none of the people that lived through it are alive today. But the journals, mostly written in longhand, are full of ex-

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

tensive details about the forest rangers that worked in North Idaho and Northwest Montana at the turn of the century. Each ranger covered an area of 250,000 acres, by horseback. During a 36-hour period beginning August 20, 1910, the fire burned three million acres in North Idaho and Northwest Montana, making it the largest wildfire in American history. It was said that the fire moved faster than the fastest horse could run. Three million acres is roughly the size of Connecticut, Egan said. In comparison, the largest wildfire in the West last year burned 40,000 acres. Fires that burned Yellowstone National Park in 1988 started in late June and burned until mid-September consuming just short of 800,000 acres. The 1910 fire consumed five towns and killed about 100 people. Wallace was re-

Author and New York Times Journalist Timothy Egan spoke recently in Idaho Falls about his new book and his experiences growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Photo Courtesy of PBS

built but little remains of the other towns that burned. The 1910 fire was the first wildfire our nation ever attempted to fight. There were 10,000 firefighters recruited to battle the blaze, most of them immigrants. It was also the first wildfire covered by the media, making front page headlines all over the country and throughout the world, Egan said. The back story of the fire begins with an extremely wet winter. Avalanches knocked trains off tracks and snow remained in many areas through May. After that, there was no precipitation for three months and the forest became tinder dry. Egan said the ranger journals provided details of a wind storm they called a “Palouser” that brought hurricane-force winds up to 70 miles per hour that preceded the fire. The “Palouser” blew down enough timber to construct a city the size of Chicago, he said. Dry lightning ignited several small fires that quickly joined, creating a huge inferno. A second interesting aspect of Egan’s new book details the politics of the time.

With Teddy Roosevelt leaving the office of President in 1909, a handful of senators with an extreme dislike for public land began defunding and dismantling the Forest Service, which was created by Roosevelt and fellow naturalist Gifford Pinchot. One of the senators bent on getting rid of the Forest Service was Idaho’s Weldon Heyburn. Egan said there was no bigger enemy of public land than Heyburn, who teamed with Montana Senator William A. Clark. Clark’s past was fraught with corruption and in order to get elected he bribed members of the Montana Legislature. The corruption of Clark’s election contributed to passage of the 17th Amendment. In a 1907 essay, Mark Twain pulled no punches in writing the following about Clark: “He is as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag; he is a shame to the American nation, and no one has helped to send him to the Senate who did not know that his proper place was the penitentiary, with a ball and chain on his legs.”

Obviously when Roosevelt was in office he was interested in seeing the Forest Service grow and public lands expand. But when the presidency was turned over to William Howard Taft in 1909, there were distinct changes in how the country’s affairs were managed. Roosevelt left the country on a year-long African safari and President Taft, or “Big Bill,” as he was known, was much less protective of Roosevelt’s beloved Forest Service. By the time the 1910 fire started the Forest Service was on its last legs. But after the fire, the Forest Service had a new mission, and so began a long period of American history wherein fighting fires was one of the agency’s main roles and highest priorities. “The fire made martyrs of the young men who died fighting it,” Egan said. “The Forest Service got its budget back and it had the ironic effect of saving the Forest Service and saving public lands in America. Had that not happened we may not have a Forest Service today.”

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Stallman

Continued from page 2 rancher’s thoughts.

Not Playground Politics I recently had the opportunity to visit Panama and Colombia with a delegation of Farm Bureau leaders to show support for the pending U.S. trade agreements with both of the countries. The trip coincided with Farm Bureau’s efforts to get Congress to pass the Panama, Colombia and Korea free trade agreements as quickly as possible. We met with government representatives, U.S. embassy officials, industry leaders and agricultural producers in Panama and Colombia to reinforce our support for the FTAs.

This is not only a trade issue, it’s an important economic issue, a global competition issue and a matter of how the U.S. is viewed by other countries. While emailing, texting, tweeting and video conferencing all have their place in the modern world, for me nothing is better than a face-to-face meeting and a firm handshake. Being in the same room with

the Colombians and Panamanians led to a fuller discussion on the challenges with the FTAs, while building trust with one another. Both countries feel frustration that they negotiated these trade agreements in good faith four-plus years ago. They don’t understand why the U.S. has held them up for so long. They want to be our trading partners, but, as one Colombian official told me, while they would rather source their agriculture products from the U.S., they can’t wait forever. In the meantime, our competition is going into these markets and establishing business and trade relations with Korea, Colombia and Panama, making it more difficult for us once our FTAs are passed. We won’t be able to swoop in and say “We’re ready now, drop those countries and trade with us instead.” This isn’t the schoolyard and Korea’s not biding its time with the European Union until America feels like playing. Blackfoot to Bocas del Toro Colombia is the top South American export market for the U.S. But, from 20082009, our exports dropped almost 50 percent because of the stalled FTA. The U.S.

market share peaked in Colombia in 2008 at 46 percent, but by 2010 it had fallen to 24 percent. Without a signed agreement, Korea (the fifth largest trade market in the world) and Panama are likely to follow suit. We’ve put ourselves in the position of fighting a defensive battle in markets that have already been negotiated for our products. This is not only a trade issue, it’s an important economic issue, a global competition issue and a matter of how the U.S. is viewed by other countries. It’s so important, that the American Farm Bureau has started a national campaign called “Trade Matters” urging Congress and the administration to pass all three FTAs by the end of summer. To learn more about the campaign and have your voice heard by Congress, visit: http:// capwiz.com/afb/home/. Tomorrow, when you are out tending to your beef cows, planting cotton or picking cherries, think about where your products could likely end up. From Blackfoot, Idaho, the self-described potato capital of the world, to Bocas del Toro in Panama, we are operating in a global market and the stakes are high for U.S. producers. Trade matters to American agriculture and affects all farmers and ranchers.

Priestley Continued from page 2 This legislation rose from the need to protect agriculture from increasing conflicts caused by urbanization. Conflicts between Idaho farmers and ranchers and folks who want a rural lifestyle but don’t understand all it entails, are on the rise. People who move out to Idaho’s abundant rural regions should first understand that farmers work all hours of the day and night during the growing season and many of the activities generate dust. Hay is often bailed in early morning hours to take advantage of the presence of dew. Livestock and the spreading of manure on fields can create odors and harbor flies. Anyone who wants to know more about rural living should read a publication titled “The Code of the West,” which can be found on the Internet or by 6

contacting the Idaho Farm Bureau Pocatello office. Several misperceptions about this new law, especially at the county level, arose. Following is an explanation of what the bill does and does not do: The legislation amends current law by adding a comprehensive list of generally recognized farming activities or agricultural operations that are protected from being declared a nuisance by a lawsuit or local ordinance. The current law only applies to a facility that produces or processes agricultural products. The legislation also extends the law’s nuisance protections to an expansion of an agricultural operation. The key provision of the law reads: “No

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

agricultural operation, agricultural facility or expansion thereof shall be or become a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in or about the surrounding nonagricultural activities after it has been in operation for more than one year, when the operation, facility or expansion was not a nuisance at the time it began or was constructed.” Here’s what the bill doesn’t do: It doesn’t provide protection for improper or negligent agricultural operations. It doesn’t impair a local government’s zoning and planning authority. An agricultural expansion still must go through the local permitting process and obtain any necessary permits.

Keller Continued from page 2 Lincoln is a great individual from the past. For being an “uneducated” man, he was wise. He led this nation during a dark era. He never gave up on people or his country. He maintained a deep-seated philosophy in his very core and led others to his convictions. It would be nice to have Lincoln again. That is not to be, but we do have his values.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

Lincoln cited “Ten Cannots” in building a strong country and independent individuals. Although these lessons are 150 years old, their application and principles are valid today.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence.

They are:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wagepayer.

You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they would and should do for themselves. Another great lesson taught by Lincoln was during his farewell address at Springfield, Illinois on February 11, 1861. He said, “Without the assistance of that Divine Being, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail.” May we learn the lessons taught by Lincoln. Let us not discard these verities of the past, but let us adopt and apply each for the present and future.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Sheep rancher Ken Andrus tends to livestock on his ranch near Lava Hot Springs.

Andrus Takes Over as Chair of House Agriculture Committee Article and photos by Jake Putnam The new Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee has left the marble hallways and Boise traffic behind and is back working on his Lava Hot Springs ranch. Speaker of the House Lawerence Denney recently named Ken Andrus chairman of the Idaho House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. The appointment was made on April 7th as the 2011 legislative session concluded. Andrus found out about the appointment just minutes before the House adjourned for the year. “About five minutes before we went on the 8

floor, I was sitting at my desk writing an email to a constituent and realized that the Speaker was standing in front of me,” Andrus said. “I stood up and we exchanged greetings and he said ‘there’s going to be a change and it’ll involve you.” Andrus says that there was a flurry of activity around them, fellow lawmakers were packing up boxes but the two friends talked a few more minutes before returning to the House floor to finish up the 2011 session. “My mind started working and I still didn’t know what was happening,” Andrus said. “Then in the 13th order the clerk read the names of the new chairmen of Transportation and Agriculture committees, and I

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

heard my name.” Andrus says he’s never been a chairman but wants to bring a new attitude to the committee. “Hopefully things will be done a little differently than what we’ve done in the past,” said Andrus. “Since I’ve been there we’ve spent too much time defending agriculture and agriculture issues. I think the mission of the committee should be to promote agriculture in Idaho. In fact, I think that should be our new mission statement - to promote and defend agriculture in our state. I don’t want to spend time defending what we do from environmentalists and animal rights people.”

Andrus said he is happy about the new position and the representatives he will be working with. “I don’t know how much influence I’ll have over what’s heard in committees but I do know that I’m absolutely delighted to have Representative Judy Boyle, as vice-chair,” he said. “She knows the issues, does research and is credible and I’m pleased that she’s serving as vice chair.

Just before the session ended, House Speaker Lawerence Denney axed two committee chairmen in the House: Transportation Chairman Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, and Ag Chairman Tom Trail, R-Moscow, as punishment for not voting with leadership. “I don’t ask anybody to vote a certain way on any issue, but I do expect them to support other committee chairmen and leadership on procedural issues, and there were several votes this year that they did not sup-

port us,” Denney said. Denney appointed second term Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, the new transportation chairman. Andrus, 75, is a Utah native. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1960 and served two years in the U.S. Army. He is in a business partnership with his brother Jim. They raise sheep and cattle. Andrus and his wife Colleen have eight children and ten grandchildren.

Rancher Ken Andrus was recently appointed chairman of the Idaho House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Photo by Steve Ritter

Rustling on the Rise in Gem, Adams,Valley Counties by Jake Putnam At a crowded meeting hall in Ola, ranchers here are worried that modern day rustlers are stealing them blind. In the three county area of Gem, Adams, and Valley, more than 35 livestock owners have reported losses this year. One rancher lost 22 of the 150 cows turned out - a burning 14 percent loss. Ranchers say with high input costs this season, it’s too much loss to overcome. “I own just over a hundred head,” said Rancher Joe Kennedy. “I bring in another two hundred over the summer. When you’re small like me, lose six head that’s quite a bit of money for us, you know.” This time of year rustlers target calves because they can fit in a small horse trailer and be sold before they’re reported missing. 10

“There’s a few pairs missing and that raises a red flag in the county,” said Brand Inspector Lynn Gibson. “There are a lot of horse trailers running around up there that we don’t have any idea who they are, again that raises the flag. But we need you guys to tell us what you’re seeing and we’ll take care of it.” Gibson and the Sheriffs’ Departments from the tri-county area met with ranchers and urged them to help be the eyes and ears of law enforcement. “We need for you guys to tell us anything you see that’s out of place,” said Gibson. “It doesn’t matter what it is, if it doesn’t look right to you, if it’s somebody you don’t know, tell law enforcement. We can check it out follow it and see what goes on, then we’ll get to the bottom of it.” The most powerful anti-rustling tool is an effective, low tech device that lets

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

rustlers know they’re being watched: Windshield stickers. The stickers record the time, license plate number of vehicles parked at back country trailheads, hotspots where rustling is rampant. Idaho State Brand Inspector Larry Hayhurst told ranchers that the simple reporting technique pinpoints suspicious activity. “Write the license plate number down, send that information to me or Lynn, put the sticker on their windshield, it lets to lets them know they’ve been observed and you’ve been there,” he said. “You’re actually being a good neighbor, it says ‘hey, we believe in multiple use’, it’s a pretty good deal.” The ISP logs 300 to 500 reports of lost or missing cattle a year and authorities fear those numbers could double when the final number counts come in thanks to a sluggish Idaho economy. Because

of the high losses in the three-county area, Gibson says they’ve set up random road blocks and deputies are stopping all trucks and trailers carrying cattle in an attempt to slow the cattle traffic. “That all started the past two years,” Gibson said. “We put up the signs and the signs say that all livestock must stop. It’s random but effective; we can set up on any given morning in one place, move to another location in the afternoon, and then move to another place at night. We can stop all traffic that comes through and check who is going where. It’s been a good tool to track who has been doing what and when and where.” One rancher said that some of the cattle loss could come from normal attrition, wolf kills and cattle dying from eating poisonous plants, but with a large number of cattle missing he told the group its probably theft.

Rancher Tom Blessinger of Emmett told the group he’s convinced its modern day, high tech rustlers. “There were 191 cows missing last summer, some bulls, a horse and at least a hundred calves; someone is rustling our cattle,” he said Rancher Joe Kennedy is spreading the word to his neighbors. “Like they’re doing in this meeting today, call the brand department if you see anything strange if you don’t know people that are around. I use a game camera in the woods and it

lets me know a lot of things it helps a lot and friends out in the woods helps a lot.” Cattle rustling was a hanging offense a hundred years ago in Idaho. Thieves know it’s easier to steal a few calves than robbing a bank. The Brand Inspectors stress that rustlers are stealing because the chances of getting caught are small, and the rewards, great. Brand Inspector Gibson offers homespun advice for ranchers: “Trust your neighbor but branding your calves; is really important.

HOW TO FIGHT RUSTLERS:

-- Brand your animals. With a brand, they are more easily returned. -- Count your cattle as often as you can. The earlier you know they are missing, the better chance authorities have of finding them. -- Report suspicious vehicles. -- Get to know local law enforcement. -- Keep calves away from road access.

State Brand Inspector Larry Hayhurst, left, and Brand Inspector Lynn Gibson, speak with ranchers during a recent meeting in Ola. Photo by Steve Ritter

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Focus on Agriculture Fastballs and Farming Share Parallels of Spring

By Craig Fata

hitting .220) whether you succeed.

today’s farmers.

This time of year reminds one that baseball season is like farming. Now that Opening Day has come and gone and planters are starting to roll across much of the country, a number of parallels can be drawn.

And like baseball players, farmers hope for good weather. Too hot or too cold for too long and things can turn rough in a hurry. A good rain, especially during the dog days of August, is always welcomed by those with a crop in the field and season-weary ballplayers alike.

But, at the heart of all that is natural and good, baseball is still baseball, and farming is still farming. There is little doubt that Lou Gehrig could hit today, just as sure as our great-grandparents could be successful farmers if they were suddenly dropped in the middle of a fertile field and asked to tend a growing crop. It might take time to get used to the new equipment and some of the new rules and nuances of both occupations, but it all boils down to the natural part of getting a bat on a ball, and coaxing crops and animals to grow.

In the spring, baseball teams hope all the work they did in the off-season pays off, and everybody, the Chicago Cubs included, holds out hope for a successful summer and a great result in the fall. Farming is the same way. Growers put their seeds in the ground after lots of planning, preparation and scouting, and then they turn it over to nature—the same way a team’s fate is mostly in the hands of the players after Opening Day. There are certain things farmers can do to help their crops, in much the same manner there are certain strategic moves managers can make to help win baseball games. But, once you plant those seeds—or send the “hit-and-run” sign to the third-base coach—a lot of it is out of your control. It’s going to be up to Mother Nature (or a guy 12

One way in which farming differs from baseball is in the rules of the game. The rules don’t change very much in baseball. The game that’s played today is essentially the same one that was played by Babe Ruth and Shoeless Joe. Sure, there’s the designated hitter and the wild card, but if the Babe showed up at a sandlot or at Yankee Stadium today, he’d likely not miss a beat. Farming, though, seems to have to adapt to new rules every year. Whether it’s new permit requirements from a federal agency or new activist-driven state laws about how to care for animals, it seems like folks who farmed in the Babe’s era might be awfully confused about how to jump through some of the man-made obstacles that confront

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

And in farming, like in baseball, if all goes right, you’ll be successful in the fall. You might not have a champion harvest every year, but as long as you’re competitive, it’s usually a pretty good season. As of now, the corn crop and the Cubs both have a legitimate shot at a season to remember. Craig Fata, a recovering Cubs fan, is a media relations manager for the Illinois Farm Bureau.

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Marketbasket Survey

Retail Staple Food Prices Rise in First Quarter Retail food prices at the supermarket increased during the first quarter of 2011, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $49.07, up $2.10 or about 4 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. Of the 16 items surveyed, 13 increased, two decreased and one remained the same in average price compared to the prior quarter. The total average price for the 16 items was up $3.53 (about 8 percent) compared to one year ago. Shredded cheddar cheese, vegetable oil, ground chuck and flour increased the most in dollar value compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. Together, these four items accounted for the majority of the quartert o - q u a r t e r increase; shredded

cheese increased 47 cents to $4.63 per pound; vegetable oil increased 29 cents to $2.88 for a 32-ounce bottle; ground chuck increased 27 cents to $3.10 per pound; and flour increased 52 cents to $2.51 for a 5-pound bag. Other items that increased in price since the fourth quarter were boneless chicken breasts, up 22 cents to $3.32 per pound; orange juice, up 17 cents to $3.14 for a halfgallon; toasted oat cereal, up 17 cents to $3.05 for a 9-ounce box; Russet potatoes, up 14 cents to $2.64 for a 5-pound bag; bread, up 13 cents to $1.88 for a 20-ounce loaf; whole milk, up 11 cents to $3.46 per gallon; sliced deli ham, up 7 cents to $4.91 per pound; eggs, up 2 cents to $1.62 per dozen; and sirloin tip roast, up 1 cent to $3.96 per pound. “Home cooks shopping for staples to make their favorite shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie recipe will definitely leave the grocery store with lighter wallets this quarter,” said John Anderson, AFBF economist. “As anticipated, the increased consumer demand for meats and dairy products that began in 2009 and continued through 2010 remains evident as we look forward to the middle of 2011.” Most items showing an increase in retail price from quarter-to-quarter also showed year-to-year increases. Compared to one year ago, ground chuck was up 18 percent, potatoes were up 17 percent, chicken breasts were up 13 percent and flour was up 11 percent. “Retail price increases for some foods are likely to continue throughout the year, as it takes time for farmers to increase the size of their herds to accommodate increased demand,” Anderson explained.

Although bacon dropped 46 cents per pound (to $3.86) compared to the last quarter of 2010, it was 20 percent higher than a year ago. Bagged salad dropped 3 cents to $2.66 for a 1-pound bag compared to the prior quarter and Red Delicious apples remained the same in retail price from quarter-to-quarter, $1.45 per pound. The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (www. bls.gov/cpi) report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped. “In the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Anderson said. USDA’s Food Dollar Series may be found online at http://www.ers. usda.gov/Data/FoodDollar/app/. Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this quarter’s $49.07 marketbasket would be $7.85. AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, has been conducting the informal quarterly marketbasket survey of retail food price trends since 1989. The mix of foods in the marketbasket was updated during the first quarter of 2008. According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 71 shoppers in 29 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in February. Tracking Milk & Eggs - Page 33

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

An Adult Conversation about the Budget By Congressman Mike Simpson Following on the heels of his election, President Obama claimed he wanted to begin a serious conversation with Republicans that could lead to bipartisan consensus on issues facing our nation. At the 2010 Republican retreat in Baltimore, he asked; “At what point can we have a serious conversation about Medicare and its long-term liability, or a serious conversation about Social Security or a serious conversation about budget and debt where we’re not simply trying to position ourselves politically? That’s what I’m committed to doing.” If only he had meant what he said. After putting out an annual budget two months ago that did absolutely nothing to address the deficit threatening our nation’s future, on Thursday President Obama made a halfhearted attempt at a 180, putting forth an un-detailed deficit reduction plan in response to Chairman Paul Ryan’s FY2012 budget. He also completely reversed his previous commitment to finding bipartisan consensus, calling Mr. Ryan’s plan un-American and dishonest, and, incredibly, claiming that Republicans are committed not to deficit reduction but to pitting “children with autism or Down syndrome against every millionaire and billionaire in our society.” Americans have grown tired

of the constant bickering, politicking, and gridlock that have defined their government for the last several years. They know that the deficit is the greatest threat our nation faces, and they are ready to have an honest look at all possible solutions. We need to have this conversation now. Let’s ignore the politically divisive and patently false claims that one side wants to throw the elderly or poor under the bus, or that the other side wants to weaken our national defense and embolden terrorists. This debate is too important to get bogged down with that kind of rhetoric.

The House Republican plan prevents President Obama’s pending tax increases and reforms our outdated and complicated tax code. President Obama would raise taxes by more than $1 trillion. The House Republican plan reforms our ailing Medicare program so that it will be there for future generations without impacting the current benefits of anyone 55 or older. These programs are crucially important,

but they are going bankrupt. They are also the main drivers of our debt. President Obama’s plan offers no substantive solutions to this looming problem. The American people are demanding real solutions to our debt crisis, and we need a plan that offers more than partisan platitudes. While the Republican plan may not be perfect, it is a first step toward facing down our challenges.

That said the differences between President Obama’s plan and House Republicans’ plan to tackle the debt are vast. The House Republican plan reduces the deficit by $4.4 trillion by cutting $6.2 trillion over the next ten years and lays out a path to pay off the national debt. President Obama’s plan postpones any spending cuts until after 2013, after his reelection campaign.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Idaho Farm Bureau Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leadership Committee Art Contest Winners The contest is for students in grades six through eight. Mediums allowed are water color, color pencil, ink, pastels and oils.

State 1st Bailey Klinger, Sugar Salem Junior High, Sugar City, ID

State 2nd Jose NuĂąez, McCain Middle School, Payette, ID 16

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

State 3rd Meagan Haworth, Sugar Salem Junior High, Sugar City, ID

District 1 Kristen Taysom, Inkom Elementary, Inkom, ID

District 2 Makayla Halversen, Midway Middle School, Rigby, ID

District 4 Emily Gluch, Weiser Middle School, Weiser, ID

District 3 Ricio Reyes, Castleford Junior High, Castleford, ID Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

The fate of forest seed By Chris Schnepf

Conifer seed production

You may have noticed many new tree seedlings as a result of a recent good seed year and favorable weather conditions the following spring. When witnessing such bounty, it is tempting to assume that mother nature will automatically reforest your site after a harvest or fire. Not necessarily. If you are counting on natural regeneration (natural seeding) to restock your forest, it is important to understand some basic natural regeneration processes.

Trees can produce a lot of seed, but they do not always do this predictably. Most conifersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seed production varies by species, climate, and other factors. For example, ponderosa pine normally produces good cone crops every 4-5 years, while lodgepole pine produces good cone crops every 1-2 years. Even if cones have formed, it may not be a good seed year. Conditions may not have favored seed development within

cones. This phenomenon is very common with larch in Idaho. Also, a variety of animals and insects feed on cones and seeds at several stages of their development on the tree. Even if you get lots of viable seed falling to the forest floor, conifer seeds are food for rodents, insects, and many other forest organisms. For the viable seed that remains, germination conditions must be right. Most conifers (especially shade intolerant species, such as larch and pines) germinate best on bare

Seed from poor trees left after a high-grade will likely degrade seedling genetics. Photos courtesy University of Idaho

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

mineral soil (a minimum of duff -- decaying needles, twigs, and other litter). Tree seed: Stored in the forest floor?

Some believe the forest floor is always chock-full of tree seed, just waiting for someone to do a timber harvest — then tree seedlings will spontaneously appear after a few years from stored seed. Trees do store seed in a “seed bank” in the forest floor. But, most Inland Northwest conifer seed does not last longer than 1 or 2 years after reaching the ground (it will remain viable longer if stored in an environmentally controlled room). If you recently had good seed years from desired species, the seed may be there — otherwise it won’t. Brush seed lasts a long time (and seed isn’t their only alternative!) Many shrub seeds last much longer than tree seeds. For example, Ceanothus seed can remain viable in the forest floor for decades or longer. Furthermore, shrubs, as contrasted to most coniferous trees, have an alternative to seed — they can grow vegetatively. When these species are burned or cut they often send up vigorous new shoots. If you do not get prompt, viable seed fall and successful establishment from desired tree species, these shrubs may take over the site, and delay reforestation - possibly for decades or longer (100200 years on some old burns).

herbicides in the event the brush chokes naturally regenerated seedlings. Seed Trees? Since conifer seed on the forest floor may not be adequate, do you have enough seed trees within or at the edges of the unit? Do they have good seed crops timed correctly for your timber harvest? Seed Source Quality? Natural seeding may be desirable, but do you want seed from the trees left on or near the site? Are they the best species for the site? Do they have good growth and form characteristics, or are they the poor-formed leftovers from a harvest which took the best genetic material? Suitable Seed Bed? Seed requires a suitable seed bed to successfully germinate.

Historically, bare mineral soil was most commonly created by wildfire. Now it’s also done through prescribed burning or with mechanical equipment (often in conjunction with logging). If you rely on the latter methods, try to balance between creating a good seed bed and minimizing soil erosion, compaction, or displacement. Note: This article was updated from an article that first appeared in 1996 in UI Extension’s newsletter titled Woodland Notes. Chris Schnepf is an area extension educator – forestry – for the University of Idaho in Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Benewah counties. He can be reached at cschnepf@uidaho.edu.

Natural regeneration pointers With this gauntlet of barriers, it may seem a wonder we have new, naturally seeded forests at all. Successful natural regeneration is often the result of: 1) trees producing so much seed on good years that they overcome these obstacles, or 2) minimizing the impact of those obstacles through carefully planned and timed management activities. Adequate natural regeneration may not happen soon enough for you to meet forest practice act reforestation requirements, or beat brush to taking over the site. If you want to rely on natural regeneration, consider: Threat of brush? How quickly is brush likely to dominate the site after disturbance? How have similar, neighboring properties behaved after disturbance? If heavy brush is likely, you may want to consider planting seedlings, to ensure the trees get a head start, or plan on suppressing the brush with

Successful natural regeneration requires careful planning. Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Insurance Matters Mike Myers — Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho

Living on the Edge

An example of a home with a survivable space.

More and more Idahoans are choosing to live in wildland-urban interfaces (areas where wildland vegetation meets urban development). Unfortunately, along with the trees, wildlife, and recreational opportunities available at the edge of these wildlands, wildfires also come with the territory. When the smoke cleared from the 984 wildfires that blackened Idaho last year, Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho customers living in these interface areas emerged relatively unscathed. According to Gordon Crystal, Vice President of Claims for Farm Bureau Insurance,

“Our customers were fortunate. Although two homes were lost to wildfires, no lives were lost.” One reason homeowners living on the edge of Idaho’s wildlands were so fortunate was the heroic efforts of thousands of firefighters. However, interface residents shouldn’t expect firefighters to serve as their first line of defense against wildfires. Jim Smalley, Manager of Wildland Fire Protection at the National Fire Protection Association, says on the NFPA’s website, (www.nfpa. org) that “If the expectancy is that firefighters will arrive in sufficient time and

number with a sufficient quantity of hose, water and equipment to protect one’s structure when as many as 100 or more structures are burning, the interface resident would be well advised to understand how the management procedures and resources are best deployed during widespread interface fires.” Instead of relying on firefighters to protect their property, interface residents should also take action to help ensure their property has a better chance of surviving a wildfire. What can you do to protect your home and property from wildfires? See LIVING ON THE EDGE p.27

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Foods Grown in aFoods Garden CROSSWORD PUZZLE: Grown in a Garden Across 1. Cultivated for its pungent compound bulbs used in cookery 4. New growth of a plant 6. Orange summer squash, carving 7. Long green pods containing edible green seeds 8. Pungent usually crisp root of the mustard family usually eaten raw 9. White cylindrical bulb and flat darkgreen leaves 11. A common garden vegetable whose succulent leaves are used especially in salads 13. Juicy edible usually red fruit of any of several low-growing temperate herbs

24. Shiny skin typically dark purple

12. Large flashy edible white or yellow root

Down

14. Perennial having hollow cylindrical leaves used for seasoning

14. An orange spindle-shaped edible root

2. Red edible berries that are rounder and smaller than blackberries

16. A smooth cylindrical usually dark green summer squash

3. Sweet potato with deep orange flesh

17. An edible tuber

5. Mildly acid red or yellow pulpy fruit

19. Brassica oleracea grown for their edible leaves or flowers

6. Aromatic herb with flat or curly leaves

21. Edible seeds of plants of the family leguminosae

20. Round red root vegetable

7. The principal salad peppers

22. An Asian herb cultivated for its edible leaves which form a dense basal rosette

10. Plant with dense clusters of tight green flower buds

23. Tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels

19. Compact edible head of usually white undeveloped flowers

15. Cylindrical green fruit with thin green rind and white flesh 18. Rounded edible bulb

ANSWERS ON PAGE 29

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Economic Analysis and Energy Update: Federal Budget Discussions Getting Underway By Bob Young The General Economy We’ve certainly heard lot about the federal budget in the last few weeks. Frankly, we’re just getting started. Over the next several months we will all get very tired of budget discussions, of hearing about mandatory versus discretionary spending, of entitlement reform, restructuring the tax code and debate about the debt ceiling. Numbers with lots of zeros are going to be bandied about and while discussion of trillions of dollars this and hundreds of billions of dollars that are all well and good, those figures are so large they don’t really mean anything to most of us. So let’s take a moment or two and do some division. Over the 12 months from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012, the Congressional Budget Office projects the United States Government will spend $3,654,544,000,000. The Census Bureau pegs the United States population at 311,146,721 as of April 11, 2011. Doing the division leaves $11,745 as federal spending on every man, woman and child in the country. Does it feel like you’re getting $11,745 worth of benefits? Let’s take that $11,745 apart. The biggest piece goes to Medicare/Medicaid together at $3,354 for every individual in the country. Social Security is a close second at $2,452. The Defense Department for operations spends $895, with another $468 going to military pay and $249 for new equipment for those same branches of service. Your costs associated with interest on the national debt - $1,439. The Internal Revenue Service costs us $249, with your share of food stamps and school lunch coming in at $316. If we just stop there, we have accounted for 80 percent of all government spend24

ing. And we haven’t talked about a single road, bridge, school, air traffic controller or national park.

taxes of $6,391. A little simple arithmetic – subtract $6,391 from $11,745 – and you have $5,353 per capita.

A few other things: Foreign Aid - $45, Meat Inspection - $3, Student aid programs - $134, Customs and Border Protection - $32, Environmental Protection Agency - $27, National Parks Service - $9, Farm Programs - $30, the House of Representatives - $4, and the Senate - $3.

This is just another way of backing into the number several have heard me use in presentations on the deficit that say that if you want to get rid of a $1.5 trillion deficit, given roughly 300 million people living in this country, you need to cut government benefits or raise revenues by roughly $5,000 per capita.

There are literally hundreds of other programs that would fall in the less than $5 category ranging from the Army Corps of Engineers to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, from the Small Business Administration to the Fish and Wildlife Service. And yet, these smaller programs are probably more of what people consider as “the government” than they do when the other 80 percent is laid on the table.

A look at the distribution of taxes paid is also interesting. Of all the returns filed in 2007, 46 percent had incomes of less than $40,000. The cumulative tax revenue generated by these same income groups came to only 6 percent of the income tax receipts. One needed to file a return in the $200k-$500k income bracket to be paying more in income and social security taxes than the average citizen receives in federal spending. The break probably occurs in the $100k-$200k bracket, but the data is not sufficiently detailed to exactly nail the figure.

So let’s turn to the revenue side of the picture. How much do we pay in taxes? Of course the answer is too much! Total amount of income tax revenue generated divided by the total number of tax returns filed in 2007 (effects of the recession cloud the 2008 data – the latest available with income and number of returns down relative to 2007 data) is $1.155 trillion divided by 110 million returns filed or $10,454 per return filed. Add to that Social Security taxes (don’t forget Social Security outlays were part of the $11,745 we talked about above) at an average of $3,401 from the employee’s paycheck and another $3,401 that the employer pays, that we’ll assume would otherwise go to the wage earner, and you have average federal taxes paid of $17,256. But the average household has 2.7 people and our $11,745 was per capita, not per household. So take the $17,256, divide by 2.7 and you end up with average per capita

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Again, if $11,745 is our target, somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of the population is paying less in taxes than what the government is spending on their behalf. Sounds like we have a long way to go. Energy Update: High Energy Costs Becoming No April fool’s Joke Bullish behavior was a common theme hitting the marketing landscape in the first quarter 2011. Energy markets have certainly followed suit and are continuing to do so. At the beginning of 2011, if suggested oil prices would increase by 17 percent, retail gasoline prices by 19 percent, farm diesel prices by 20 percent, and anhydrous ammonia prices would run approximately $800 per ton by the end of the first quarter of 2011, many individuals would have believed [or hoped] this to

be classic April fool’s joke. However, this reality has unfolded due in large part to heightened uncertainty in the global market for oil. We continue to be forced to live with the consequences of not having developed a comprehensive energy policy that includes domestic sources such as development of our own oil and natural gas resources as well as renewable fuels in order to decrease our dependence on foreign energy sources. Ethanol/Gasoline Spread: Keep Bringing the Discount May gasoline futures prices (RBOB) closed at $3.19 per gallon last week (ending April 7, 2011), up $0.04 per gallon week-over-week. Price increases continue to be caused by the turmoil taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, creating continued supply disruption uncertainty within the market. Ethanol prices last week (ending April 7, 2011) closed at $2.69 per gallon, up $0.03 per gallon week-over-week. Including the $0.45 ethanol tax credit, implies ethanol prices traded at $2.24 per gallon. For most of 2011, ethanol has been trading at a discount to gasoline. This past week (ending April 7, 2011), ethanol traded at a $0.49 per gallon discount to gasoline, and a hefty $0.94 per gallon discount when including the $0.45 ethanol blending tax credit. The week-ending $0.94 per gallon discount for ethanol is creating an increased incentive for ethanol blending demand. With tensions in the North African and Middle Eastern regions continuing, blending demand for ethanol should continue to remain strong in the foreseeable future. Ethanol Production and WASDE The April 2011 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report indicated that the corn stocks-to-use ratio for 2010/11 remains at 5 percent, the same as in 1995/1996. However, the story has changed regarding corn use for ethanol. The estimate of corn use for ethanol

increased 50 million bushels relative to the March 2011 report as strong blender incentives and positive ethanol margins are encouraging increased use of ethanol. Corn used for ethanol is now projected to be 5 billion bushels. It is important to note that the 2011/12 projections for this up-coming crop year will not come out until May.

Currently, weekly ethanol margins are in the black due to strong blending demand for ethanol. For Iowa and Illinois, weekly margins over fixed costs were approximately $0.22 per gallon and $0.20 per gallon, respectively. Moreover, returns over variable costs (week ending April 1, 2011) were over $0.40 per gallon for both Iowa and Illinois.

As for ethanol production, higher oil prices and increased blending demand for ethanol continue to support production. Ethanol production for week ending April 1 fell 1,000 barrels to 902,000 barrels per day, but is only 2.2 percent below the 2011 record high of 922,000 barrels per day posted from week ending January 21. Annualized production for 2011 is currently on pace for approximately 13.8 billion gallons, well above the 12.6 billion gallon mandate for 2011. Meanwhile, week-over-week ethanol inventories decreased slightly from the previous week’s record high of 20.092 million barrels down to 20.060 million barrels.

The key message is that profits will continue to remain in the black for ethanol producers if ethanol prices continue to rally as much over the price for corn. With corn prices recent rally, profit risk has certainly increased for ethanol producers.

Ethanol Margins Ethanol operating margins have been in the black over the past month. With the increase in gasoline prices due to the conflict in North Africa and the Middle East, ethanol prices had room to rise. Over the past month, corn prices had a minor stint of bearish behavior due to the crisis in Japan rattling commodity markets. However, since the Japan crisis, nearby weekly corn futures prices rebounded 6.7 percent. Prior to the disaster, Japan was projected to account for 17 percent of global corn imports in the current marketing year. With corn being the number one input expense and ethanol being the number one source of revenue for ethanol plants, ethanol prices over the past month outpaced corn prices which increased profit margins. However, with corn regaining bullish price momentum, further corn price gains will eat into any positive margins ethanol producers have been operating under of late.

Oil vs. Corn: A Historical Value Perspective Historically, corn has been cheap relative to oil. In many cases, corn was better served for burning than any other use. Previous newsletters have compared the “heating value” between corn and oil to make the point that higher oil prices should result in higher corn prices. With oil trading around $110 per barrel this week (week ending April 8), the price for corn on a heating value basis (Btu equivalent) is expected to be around $7.15 per bushel. Moreover, nearby corn futures were trading over $7.60 per bushel. Another approach is to analyze historical corn prices relative to historical crude oil prices. Dating back to 1990, the price of corn was 9.7 percent of the price for a barrel of oil. Taking that into account, if oil is trading at $110 per barrel, corn would have to be $10.67 per bushel to equal its 20 year average of corn being 9.7 percent of a barrel of oil. So, what does this all mean? The moral of the story is that it should not come as a surprise that higher oil prices are one reason causing higher corn prices. Bob Young is the chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington D.C.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

LIVING ON THE EDGE Continued from page 20 The Institute for Business & Home Safety (www.ibhs.org) offers the following tips to help reduce an interface home’s vulnerability to wildfires: Your first line of defense should be a “survivable space” around your home that can slow down the wildfire and possibly redirect it around your home. To create this survivable space you must remove the fuel fire needs to reach your home. This fuel can be your landscaping, woodpiles, decks, etc. Take the following steps within 50 feet of your home if you live in a heavily forested area, or 100 feet if your home is on a hillside. • Plant more native vegetation. • Space trees at least 10 feet apart • Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Branches should be a minimum of six feet from the ground and shrubs under trees should be

no more than 18 inches high.

• Install spark arresters in chimneys.

• Mow your lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.

• Enclose the underside of decks with fireresistant materials.

• Maintain your irrigation system.

• Cover exterior walls with fire resistant materials like stucco, stone, or brick. (Vinyl siding can melt and is not recommended.)

• Clear your roof, gutters and eaves of debris. • Trim branches so they do not extend over your roof or grow near your chimney • Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from your home and clear areas at least 10 feet around them. • Use only non-combustible roofing materials. • Box in eaves, fascias, soffits and subfloors with fire-resistant materials like treated wood, reducing the vent sizes.

• Use double-paned or tempered glass for all exterior windows. • Install noncombustible street signs. • Make sure your street address is visible from the street. While there are no guarantees that a home will be fireproof, creating a survivable space and taking the other steps above can increase the chances that your home will withstand a wildfire.

• Apply ¼” noncombustible screening to all vent or eave openings.

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

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Across: Garlic, 4. Sprout, 6. Pumpkin, 7. Pea, 8. Radish, 9.13. Strawberr Across: 1. 1. Garlic, 4. Sprout, 6. Pumpkin, 7. Pea, 8. Radish, 9. Leek, 11. Lettuce, Leek, 11. Lettuce, 13. Strawberry, 14. Carrot, 16. Zucchini, 17. 14. Carrot, 16. Zucchini, 17. Potato, 19. Cauliflower, 20. Beet, 22. Spinach, 24. Eggplant. Down: 2. 19. Raspberry, 3. Yam, 5.20. Tomato, 6. Parsley, 7. Pimento, Broccoli, 12. Turnip, 14. Potato, Cauliflower, Beet, 22. Spinach, 24.10.Eggplant. 15. Cucumber, 18. Onion, 19. Cabbage, 21. Bean, 23. Corn. Down: 2. Raspberry, 3. Yam, 5. Tomato, 6. Parsley, 7. Pimento, 10. Broccoli, 12. Turnip, 14. Chive, 15. Cucumber, 18. Onion, 19. Cabbage, 21. Bean, 23. Corn. Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Idaho Farm Bureau News Apps now available on Droid Boise—The Idaho Farm Bureau recently completed work on its second smart-phone application in less than six months. On Friday April 15th, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation went live with a new Droid Application. Last fall the Federation released an I-Phone App. The Droid and I-Phone Apps are available worldwide in the Droid Store and in I-Tunes. The Idaho Farm Bureau News App on both platforms features daily news stories from the organization’s blog, Twitter tweets, latest IFBF photos from Flickr and video news stories from the Idaho Farm Bureau Channel on YouTube. There’s also a feature on the App called the Buzz where any news story that mentions the Farm Bureau is gleaned from the nation’s newspapers and websites. “We’re the first Farm Bureau in the nation to offer these services to our members,” said Idaho Farm Bureau media manager, Jake Putnam. “Research show that there’s an appetite for smart phone Apps. Our farmers want to access to market and news information in the field and they want it now.” 30

With high-tech farming practices, the number of agriculture Apps has exploded, as has the use of smart phones. “Today’s farmers are technology savvy, plugged in and looking for ways that benefit the bottomline. At first we thought we were targeting the 20-something generation, but most of our subscribers so far are in the 45-55 age group,” said Putnam The

I-Phone,

Blackberry, Droid smart phones are dominating the mobile market in the United States. According to A.C. Nielsen, the average smart phone user has 30 applications on their phone. R e searchers say that the United States is at the crest of a new wireless era where smart phones are the standard tool people use to connect to friends, family and causes. Further research shows the smart phone market-share has skyrocketed 29 percent in the last six months with 45 percent of buyers saying their next phone will be a smart phone. For the first time ever, smart phone shipments over took personal computers sales.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Smart phones now come with multi-core microchips and are closer to matching PC processor speeds. But they also do a whole lot more: Smart phones have cameras, HD video, 3G connectivity, the ability to download apps and web content from anywhere, not to mention GPS capabilities. Whenever farmer Robert Blair of Kendrick, takes to the field this spring, it’s certain he’ll have a smart phone in hand. He uses his Android for a wide set of applications, including Facebook and the new Idaho Farm Bureau News App.

than the general public. About one-third of all mobile phone users in the U.S. own smart phones, according to Nielsen. Blair uses his smart phone to check market prices, weather reports, email and phone calls. He downloaded the Android link and keeps up with Farm Bureau issues through the phone. “It’s all in one place; I don’t have time to go looking for it.” Downloads are free! Android Link: https://market.android.com/ search?q=Idaho+Farm+Bur eau+news&so=1&c=apps

In its latest poll of Agriculture. com members, 43 percent of I-Phone download link: farmers with a mobile phone said they own a smart phone. http://www.apple.com/ipThat’s a higher adoption rate hone/apps-for-iphone/

Celebrating 50 years with low-interest rate loans.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU FINANCIAL SERVICES

To celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2011, we’ve reduced interest rates on new (and many other) loan products. Ask us today about loans for:

Cars Motorcycles Boats ATVs Home Improvements More! Call us toll-free at 1-888-566-3276 or contact the IDFBFS office nearest you: Pocatello: 239-4259 Boise: 947-2521 Caldwell: 455-1526. Apply for a loan anytime online by visiting www.idfbfs.com.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Bicyclists enjoy riding on the Pocatello Greenway Trail. Photo by Jake Putnam

Bike Paths or Private Property?

Eminent Domain Bill Stalls in Senate By Jake Putnam Representative Jim Guthrie of McCammon loves Pocatello, but a few in the Gate City might debate the fact. Guthrie recently introduced legislation at the Idaho Statehouse that would prevent cities and counties from using the eminent domain doctrine to establish recreational paths. The legislation is in response to a dispute between a local non-profit organization that is attempting to establish a rec32

reational path through Pocatello along the Portneuf River. “I sponsored that legislation,” said Guthrie, “and basically it said that it’s not appropriate to use eminent domain to take people’s property for a bike path. We tweaked it, got it worded right and brought it forward.” Guthrie’s bill caused a sensation when it was introduced and easily passed the House 56-14, but insiders killed it in the Senate a week later.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

“I found out later that some manipulating was done,” Guthrie said. “It was sent to the Local Government Committee and then outside influences asked the committee chairman to hold it. That’s the political process. It stalled out because of those who have influence and power. That’s the way it is, its politics.” For two decades advocates of the Portneuf Greenway set out to connect the Valley by a 23-mile bike and recreational path, but 19 years later they’ve connected just 8 miles.

Last summer the group took their efforts to a new level, hiring attorneys and set out on bold aggressive strategy, eminent domain. They got the Pocatello City Council to pass a resolution and targeted 27 individual pieces of land to make the path a reality.

ton, D.C.-based Institute for Justice. “But the denial made it crystal clear that since the Supreme Court will not protect home and small business owners, it’s up to state legislatures and state courts to protect people from eminent domain abuse.”

saying, “We don’t need to pass a bill in search of a problem.” Rep. Higgins then remarked “I think we’re presenting a solution when there’s no problem.” Higgins added that city officials should build cities as they see fit.

A landowner along the Portneuf contacted Guthrie worried that he could lose his river front land. “Eminent Domain has been an issue in Idaho and around the country,” said Guthrie. “When the issue came forward, I thought this is going to be a controversial.”

In 1998, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer built a plant next to Fort Trumbull and the City of New London, Connecticut. The city fathers determined that someone else could bring in more property tax money and make better use of the land than modest homeowners of Fort Trumbull.

The comments struck a ‘big brother’ chord with Republican Gayle Batt who argued that city officials can use the threat of eminent domain as a club to beat private landowners into submission. “These are in no way good faith negotiations,” said Batt.

As a former Bannock County Commissioner, Guthrie found himself in a delicate political position. “I don’t have anything against Pocatello and nothing against the Greenway, in fact I favor those kinds of opportunities,” he said. “But this was important enough get involved.”

During House committee hearings on the bill, Guthrie told his fellow lawmakers that he favored the greenbelt concept, but not at the expense of private property rights. Representative Elfreda Higgins, a Democrat from Garden City asked Guthrie if he knew of instances of eminent domain being used in Idaho to take property for recreational purposes, to which Guthrie replied, “No.”

As Guthrie crafted the legislation he read up on the controversial Kelo case. Back in 2005 the U.S Supreme Court rejected a petition from Connecticut homeowners asking the court to review a 5-4 ruling that allowed developers to use eminent domain doctrine to tear down homes in favor of a private development. “It wasn’t a huge surprise,” recalled Scott Bullock, senior attorney at the Washing-

Democrat Elaine Smith stood in opposition of Guthrie’s bill, saying that the plan violated the principle of local control for cities and counties. “Let each city decide, instead of a state mandate, what cities cannot do,” she said. Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, agreed

Guthrie got an earful in that committee meeting and it left him more committed than ever to get the legislation passed. “When you think that there are people out there who think it’s okay to take land that belongs to someone else and use it for recreational purposes that just didn’t seem right and it still doesn’t,” said Guthrie. The Idaho Farm Bureau supported Guthrie’s legislation. President Frank Priestley said the greenway project and the threat of eminent domain being used in this case to take private property sends a chilling message to landowners across the state. “If governments or private entities are allowed to strip private property rights away for dubious purposes, who’s to say what’ll happen next,” Priestley asked.

Tracking Milk and Egg Trends For the first quarter of 2011, shoppers reported the average price for a half-gallon of regular whole milk was $2.25, up 1 cent from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole milk was $3.46, up 11 cents. Comparing per-quart prices, the retail price for whole milk sold in gallon containers was about 25 percent lower compared to half-gallon containers, a typical volume discount long employed by retailers. The average price for a half-gallon of rBST-

free milk was $3.23, up 13 cents from the last quarter, about 40 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.25). The average price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $3.70, up 10 cents compared to the prior quarter—about 60 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.25). Compared to a year ago (first quarter of 2010), the retail price for regular milk in gallon containers was up about 3 percent while regular milk in half-gallon containers was unchanged. The average retail

price for rBST-free milk decreased about 10 percent compared to the prior year while organic milk was up about 1 percent. For the first quarter of 2011, the average price for one dozen regular eggs was $1.62. The average price for a dozen “cage-free” eggs was $3.20, nearly double the price of regular eggs. Compared to a year ago (first quarter of 2010), regular eggs decreased 7 percent while “cage-free” eggs increased 10 percent.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Moore Assumes Reins at Idaho Fish and Game Editor’s Note: Following is a verbatim conversation with the new director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department, Virgil Moore. By Jake Putnam Boise--Longtime Idaho Fish and Game staffer Virgil Moore recently replaced retiring director Cal Groen as Director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department. Moore, 59, has worked 34 years in wildlife management, mostly in Idaho, and has been deputy director for field operations since 2007. He served as the director of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2006. Moore leads an agency with a $78 million annual budget and 567 full-time employees that manages the state’s fish and wildlife, as well as regulates fishing and hunting seasons. The Idaho Farm Bureau’s Jake Putnam talked to Moore about his appointment and the direction of the agency. You took the job without any on-the-job training, but you already know the ropes? That’s what the commission was looking for when they filled the position. They wanted Cal Groen to pass the baton as if it was a relay race and they wanted it done without losing a step and a clean hand off. So now we’re up and running, ready to go and we hit the ground running. Before taking the job you knew the wolf issue inside and out. Is the State in a good place right now? I think our Congressional delegation did a good job managing it, especially Congressman Simpson. He did a good job moving the ball forward. We went around a judicial roadblock and that’s the job of Congress when we run into these kinds of problems. Do you see any changes in wolf management at this point? We will do a few things differently, but essentially the process of moving forward is our priority. When the rule is published 34

in the Federal Register we’ll take control. It’s our understanding that there’s no 30 day waiting period for the rule to become effective, when its public it’s done. So the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has a maximum 60-day period set to get that done. We were told by them that it would be a matter of weeks. As soon as it’s complete we’ll make the transfer to the Department with primary interaction with the Wildlife Services on livestock depredation issues. We’ve done it before and our regional supervisors and staff are well versed in the process of handling livestock depredation and they’ll take it on as aggressively. There are predator hunt programs in already in place, you’ll use that frame work for wolves? The depredation activities will follow the protocols we have in place. When we get documentation of depredation or a call from a rancher, we’ll get in touch with Wildlife Services, have it verified and we issue a field permit to Wildlife Services for the offending animal. Last time around we had a few areas of high level depredation. We removed offending packs and as we learned more it was the right thing to do in many parts of the state. We will likely do it again. Under former Director Groen the theme at Idaho Fish and Game was pay to play. Will that continue under your watch? It’s a theme we can pick up and can run with. It’s a commission direction, a department direction and essentially its part of the North American Wildlife Management strategy: Those who benefit, pay and those who pay, benefit. We look at the model in terms of those who are not paying to determine if they benefit and see if there is a willingness for those folks to pay up for activities they have. The best example of that are the folks that use our wildlife management areas that don’t have hunting and fishing licenses. We have an understanding that in some parts of the state that there’s a willingness to pay, just no mechanism in

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Idaho Fish and Game veteran Virgil Moore recently took over as director of the agency. Photo Courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game

place yet to collect revenues. We will be looking very close at that. We’ve had legislative help in the past that would have helped. We didn’t take it on this session, but will in 2012. In terms of State Budgets, this had to be one of the toughest in recent years for agencies. Idaho Fish and Game was already running lean from previous cuts, what does the future hold for Idaho Fish and Game? You’re correct, we’re running lean. We didn’t benefit from the good economic times when state revenues went up and the other agencies got increases. When the legislature approves an increase in personnel benefits for all state employees, we have to pay and absorb that in our existing revenue stream or we have to ask for an increase. Three years ago we asked for a fee increase across the board. The legislature approved a non-resident fee increase and we did not pass that increase onto the residents. That was the beginning of this economic downturn and that increase has resulted in fewer

non-resident license sales. That’s hurt us. But under Cal’s leadership we implemented some internal business practices that let us know how we spend virtually every dime. We want to see if we can tighten things down, and we have. It’s the little things like cell phones and criteria on who gets those. We are looking at how we pay benefits to temporary workers, and taking a closer look at all internal operations in terms of cost to bring out as much benefit as we can. We have a declining revenue stream so we’re going to figure out how to adjust to that revenue, like any business. We are solely supported by license revenue and other dedicated funds and in some cases federally driven. Those revenues are down as well. We’ll be fine, we’re in good shape, our staff is holding the spending down and we’re staying with the revenue stream and

we haven’t had to dip into our rainy day fund for the last two years. Idaho is in good shape in terms of the Endangered Species Act. We have a good water year for the fish, the wolf situation is stable, the only trouble spot seems to be sage grouse? My thoughts on sage grouse parallel where we’re at statewide. The big issue with sage grouse is that it’s on BLM lands; that’s the primary issue out there. In discussions with BLM leadership at the state level, regulatory mechanisms are okay. We need to look at activities and accumulative impacts. The real biggies out there are things like energy development on BLM land, and fire. Fire is the biggest threat to safety, also the biggest threat to habitat. The BLM is working on a fire management plan and strategy that

will pass muster to show that grouse don’t need to be listed. Of course there are smaller pieces like the agricultural community, specifically grazers. But I believe that after reading the Jarbidge plan that grazing is compatible with sage grouse habitat and it can be part of the solution if we can incorporate it into fire management, it can reduce frequency of fire in critical habitat. Are lands are a big part of the listing? More than private land. We could use every bit of private land in the state and turn it into sage grouse habitat and it wouldn’t add up to much. But cumulatively every little bit helps take care of the problem and will one day show we can show that we don’t need to list the grouse.

Presents The 16th Annual Tour Hosted by: Gary & Sandy Fuhriman

Hawaiian Island Cruise December 31, 2011- January 7, 2012 Join us onboard the Norwegian Pride of America for an exciting cruise around Hawaii. This unique 7-day itinerary will overnight in Maui and Kauai as well as visit the islands of Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. With this agenda we will have nearly 100 hours in port to discover waterfalls, active volcanoes, black, green, and white sand beaches, historic sites and unspoiled nature. This cruise will take place the week prior to the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting that will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 8-10, 2012. For more information and to register for this exciting cruise, call:

Gary Fuhriman - (208) 241-0243 Launa Walquist - (208) 232-4812

Space is limited with rates starting at: Inside $1,808.00 Obstructed Oceanview $1,769.00 Balcony (BF Category) $2,319.00 Balcony (BC Category) $2,379.00 Balcony (BB Category) $2,399.00 Balcony (BA Category) $2,419.00 All rates are per person double occupancy and include: cruise fare, port charges, government taxes and Hawaii Taxes.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Actual email received by the Farm Bureau Member Benefits Department: I just wanted to share my success story that I had with the Sears Commercial benefit from my Federation discount. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m remodeling my kitchen which means new appliances. My husband and I were able rack up savings of about $700.00 off the list prices of our appliances. On top of this savings we are also getting a nice sum of cash back as a rebate from Sears Commercial. The process was simple and the shipping very affordable ($65 total). I just wanted to let you know that I found great value in this benefit and thanks for the work you do coordinating these benefits! Thanks. Erica Catt Step 1

Members go to sears.com and find the product(s) they are interested in and write down the product/model number(s).

Step 2

Members email the product number(s) to Farm Bureauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designated contact at Sears Appliance Select: wgill03@searshc.com for a quote. To receive this pricing a member must include their Farm Bureau membership number and Farm Bureau discount code CU068062 in the email.

Step 3

After receiving a quote (allow 2-3 business days), members can then choose to use a credit card to purchase the discounted item(s) and it will be delivered via a custom freight company.

THIS OFFER IS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH SEARS RETAIL OR DEALER STORES. All manufacturer warranties apply with the option to purchase extended Sears Protection Agreements. Installation is not included with delivery.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

For more information call (208) 239-4289

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Workers load sugarbeets into train cars near Weston, Idaho sometime around the turn of the century. Photo Courtesy of Downs Printing.

New Book Details History of Weston, Idaho Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: The History ofÂ Weston, Idaho (2011) by Jay D. Schvaneveldt, Ph.D. has been published and is available to the public. The new history covers events in the community from founding days in 1865 through 2010. Following is an excerpt from the book and information about the author.

Crossing the Bear River was a major challenge for many years, and insects, including grasshoppers and Mormon Crickets, have plagued the community right from that first summer of 1865 and through many other seasons in the past 145 years. This new 718 page comprehensive history contains 41 chapters and has photo and newspaper clipping sections. Chapters cover diverse topics such as: settlement struggles, the grist mill, can-

yons, fence building, opera and music, school activities, politics and church, how Weston got its name, death and dying, and Weston as a place to live. Weston was originally settled by 15 families from Richmond, Utah that came across the Bear River on April 15, 1865. They made crude dugouts and laid out a town site in the Cedarville Meadows, about three miles west of the present town of Weston.

Irrigation ditches were made and crops planted, but it was a stressful summer with the new land, rather poor crops, invasive crickets and grasshoppers, and some pressure from native Americans. These reluctant settlers went back to Richmond for

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Author Jay D. Schvaneveldt, PhD, is a history professor at Utah State University.

the winter, but returned the next spring. James Mack started a grist mill on Weston Creek south of the present town site in the summer of 1866. In the fall of 1866, the settlers once again returned to Richmond for the winter, but returned again in the spring of 1867 and moved the town site to the bench over looking Cache Valley. The new town was now in the shadow of the new grist mill and also very close to the “gold road” that was already operating on the east borders of the struggling town. Insects were a problem for the next several years; in fact, the Weston community has had many problems with grasshoppers and Mormon Crickets over the past 145 years. And the annual insect problem coupled with the drifting snow in the area created many challenges. Depth of snow in Weston was not insurmountable, but the wind drives the snow and roads are often filled with drifts. Crossing the Bear River was a major challenge for many years, but efficient bridges have largely done away with this river problem which literally made a prison of this new town on the west side of the valley for many years. Other important notes on agriculture and water challenges: Water access was one of the most pressing problems in the settlement of Weston. The amount of water was always in short supply, and the distribution of water was an engineering headache. As noted earlier, providing water for livestock was a constant chore. In the winter, ice had to be broken in order for animals to drink. Cold weather also created challenges for culinary water; and, in many cases, snow water was melted for drinking, cooking, and washing. In this context it should come as no surprise that hand washing was a rare event and bathing was practically nonexistent. It simply was too much work to heat water for bathing. The cultural belief of the time was that frequent bathing was bad for one’s health. Soap, when available, was homemade. It is hard for modern-day citizens to visualize their ancestors as

rather dirty, smelly people. In fact, if the typical Weston settler of 1865-1870 were to enter one of our schools, churches, or homes today, he would be stared at in disbelief and it would be very hard for most people to embrace him. The Weston Flour Mill operated for about a hundred years and changed from water power and steam to electricity in the 1920s. The mill was upgraded, remodeled, and refurbished many times. It operated in a modern world with steel rollers and had the latest technology, but it could not survive for very long in the post-World war II era. The wheat growing acres lessened over time. Big trucks and the railroad made a small, isolated mill extremely vulnerable. By the 1950s, American families no longer took wheat in for grist and left the “miller’s toll.” Housewives greatly reduced their baking, and large stashes of flour were no longer needed. From 1865 to 1950, breadstuffs were central to every household in Weston and Cache Valley, and that has clearly not been the case for the past 60 years. Bread is mostly a condiment to a meal, not the central part of a modern dinner. The dairy industry, like other industries in

the Weston area, has gone through many stages. In the settlement days, the dairy industry was very simple. Families had one or two family cows. They produced milk, butter, and cheese for their own needs. If they had a surplus, it was in the form of butter, which was used as a commodity to trade for other things needed by the family. The next stage was a small milking operation with as few as four or five cows and as many as 12 or 15 cows. Farms with ten or more cows were considered to be major producers. The milk was stored in ten-gallon cans and picked up daily and hauled to the Sego Milk Plant in Preston. It was the cash crop that enabled farms to have money, and it came every two weeks in the form of a milk check. Some farmers lived in town but traveled in the evening and in the morning to their farms to milk and care for their dairy cows. One such farmer was Alvin Maughan. His family traveled nearly three miles to tend their cows. He used a gaspowered system to run the milking machines. Records show that the Maughan family did not view this travel or mode of operation as a big burden at all. Smallscale dairy operations ended in the late 1960s.

Harvesting hay in the early days of Weston, Idaho. Photo Courtesy of Downs Printing.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

County Happenings

The Kootenai/Shoshone County Farm Bureau met in their new building for the first time on March 10. The Board of Directors discussed the fair booth for the upcoming North Idaho Regional fair in August. The Board also approved a donation of $1,000 to the Children’s Village in Coeur d’Alene Spring Charity Auction. Photo by Bob Smathers

The Idaho Farm Bureau’s Collegiate Farm Bureau sponsored a Spring Social at the University of Idaho recently. About 25 students attended for an evening of fun, food, and games. The top three competitors were awarded gift cards to Tri-State Distributors and all were encouraged to get involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau. Collegiate Farm Bureau is planning a local agriculture tour for its next event and also planning a joint bowling/pizza party with the Washington State Collegiate Farm Bureau in Pullman, Washington. Photo by Bob Smathers

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Andy Pierce was a recent winner of an Ag Basket donated by the Buhl office of the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau Federation.

Vinetu Dragicevic was a recent winner of an Ag Basket donated by the Twin Falls South Office of the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau Federation.

The Twin Falls County Farm Bureau Ag Baby for 2011 is Taytum Lee Coggins. Her mother is Kyndal Coggins of Twin Falls

Jeff Bloomsburg, Kootenai/Shoshone County Farm Bureau board member presents a $1,000 check on behalf of Kootenai County Farm Bureau to Coeur d’Alene Children’s Village at their annual dinner auction. Photo by Bob Smathers

The Clearwater/Lewis County Farm Bureau recently met with County

Commissioner Carole Galloway and Mike Hanna from Senator Risch’s office. Along with County business, there was a discussion on County Coordination Planning, Oil prices, Idaho Department of Lands, and legislative issues. Photo by Bob Smathers

The Benewah County Farm Bureau recently met to conduct board member training. State Rep. Dick Harwood was present to give a legislative report and participated in the activity.

Twin Falls County Farm Bureau President Jim Pearson, right, recently awarded a Friend of Agriculture plaque to John Pitz.

Photo by Bob Smathers

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

Classifieds

Animals Chinchillas. Breeding head of about 60. Rare mutation colors: Beige, blacks, whites, violets. $2,500. Caging, watering system, feeders available for $1,000 extra. Will sell single animals for $50-$80, or breeding pairs $120 to $150. Parma, Id. 208-674-1110. America’s oldest breed. Morgan horse stock for sale and stallion service. Our foundation stallion is a Western Working National Champion. 208-476-7221 Boer Goat kids born Jan. 2011. Top quality, healthy, robust kids. Weithers $100 each. Does $150 each, 1 purebred 3 month old doe parents are registered $300. 2 pigmy cross does due in June $75.00 each. 1 pigmy buck cross $50. Blackfoot, Id. 208-681-7930 Our alpaca herd has grown! We’ve been raising them for 17 years. Will consider all decent offers. Purchase a female and breed her to one of our males. We’ll deliver for the cost of the fuel. 208-407-2406 Young sheep including ewes, FinnTunis cross. Gentle, small breed, nice fleeces for spinning, color in flock. Make good pets. Rams for sale, Finn-Tunis cross. Black or White. $75. Gentle, nice fleeces for spinning. Hagerman, Calicofarm@ gmail.com 208-837-6028

Farm Equipment Idaho ‘Spud Darner’ used in TF Globe Seed. Paid $100 from shed. Needs museum. Age proof via parts-postal stamp & instructions. Repairman verified and works. Good on Antique Roadshow or Spud Museum in Blackfoot. Condition shows importance earned. Phone 208-934-5912, 539-2090 or 8376213 Round Baler, pull type. Bellevue, Id. 208-720-2960 Balewagons: New Holland selfpropelled or pull-type models. Also interested in buying balewagons. Will consider any model. Call Jim Wilhite at 208-880-2889 anytime

GEHL Chopper, pull type, overhauled and great condition. Pocatello, Id 208-237-1135 Wanted: Implements for a 1946 2N Ford Tractor w/3point hitch. Such as disk, harrow, plow or etc. reasonable prices please. South Idaho. 208-436-9985 ‘84 Freightliner, a beautiful farm tractor, guaranteed newly rebuilt 13 speed Big Cam 400 Cummins engine, transmission; new electrical harness, brakes and wheel seals; air ride suspension. $12,500. 208-9267077 Also have a ‘98 GreatDane reefer; works fine, Kooskia, ID. $7,500. Equipment for 48’ TrailerBed: lumber and metal tarps, straps, load and tire chains, bungies, dunnage, much more, all in good condition - $1500 Kooskia, ID 208926-7077 Help Wanted

Earn $60,000/yr Part-Time in the livestock or equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Classroom or home study courses available. 800-488-7570. www.amagappraisers.com

Household Dividing perennials and might have the color you want. I have orange tiger lilies, purple mallow, blue spitica, white queen Ann’s lace, purple iris, orange calendula, and striped vinca. You dig for $1 per gallon container. Nampa. Call 4665917.

Miscellaneous ‘Sleeper’ cab shell w/floor fits into front 1/3 Std PU bed. Windows on sides, back door & front slider. Wire to truck for int/ext lights. $400 (Cost $1,000) Pocatello, Id. 208238-3625 Flag poles by Old Sarge. Custom made from 2” galvanized poles. Any length, 16-30 ft. Check us out. Wilford Green, 2618 N. Inkom Rd. Inkom, Id 208-775-3490

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2011

8 large Western Bronze Sculptures by Frederic Remington, marble bases, signed in mold, with paper work, 1982. $400.00 to $600.00 each, $3200.00 for all/ offer. Jerome ID. 208-324-4464 For sale by retired nursery owners Bouldin and Lawson Potting Tagger. Unit used for brief period and stored. Setup for John Henry tags but can be changed. Can be used for various types of containers. Best offer. Idaho Falls, Id. 208-5246050 Two Plant Propagation Mats for seed germination. Electric with thermostat. $50. Idaho Falls, Id. 208-524-6050 New Snow Blower 36” fits riding lawn mower. Lawn Chief or Murray. Take mower deck off and snow blower on. Single Stage. $350. Grangeville, Id. 208-983-2333

Real Estate/Acreage 256 acres, outbuildings, Dairy-Beef, $450,000. Offer considered, 200 sprinkled 80 acres irrigated pasture 120 acres hay ground. Good water rights 190 shares, weight room, two-level Brick home, attached garage, recreational vehicle shed. 2home 3bed 2b, Contact Marvin Jones 208.487.2151 Turn key horse property, 25 acres. Indoor insulated arena 120x200, large outdoor arena. Large shop 50x125. 15 indoor stalls – 10 stall mare motel. Residence home: 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Rental trailer home rents for $475 per month. Lots of landscaping. New automatic watering system for landscaping. New domestic well motor and pump. New irrigation pump and motor. American Falls, Id. $595,000 Contact Bill Vickers 208-251-5700 10 to 50 acres, many building sights at $5500 per acre, or 20 acres with 1200 sq ft cabin with power, 2 pole buildings and large pond for $350,000 or all for $625,000. Kendrick, ID 208-791-0501 Great summer home. Paul, ID. 3 bdrm, 1 bath. 1150 sq.ft. Total remodel in and out. Vinyl siding and windows. ½ acre, rural. Mt. View. Great skiing and fishing. 4 sale-owner contract or lease opt. Al Woodward 253-279-2320

1977 Mobile Home. 1680 square feet, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, new carpet, new roof, built in oven, cook top, dishwasher, disposal, window coverings, storage she, fireplace. Full deck Forced air electric heat, air conditioning. In good condition. $12,000. Twin Falls, Id. 208-4203922 Beautiful land for sale. 3 acres in Sedalia MO. 5 minutes from town. Great to build house on, no permit needed. $30,000 obo. Call 208284-1387 20 acres pasture or cropland near Silver Creek, in Blaine County. No irrigation cost, sub-irrigated, seasonal creek. Beautiful location in valley. Great for horses &/or cattle. 208-788-5160, please leave message. Henry, ID. Beautiful log home. 20 acres. 2200 S.F. 10 inch logs. Two bedroom, 2 bath, loft, double garage, laundry, etc. Masonry 2 story fireplace, radiant heat, hickory floors, built-in vac., softener. No expense spared. $379,000. alpinegirl.diana@ gmail.com 970-764-4343.

Recreational Equipment Must sell for health reasons, 2005 Wildwood RV, 25’ long, sleeps 6, excellent condition, all extras. $11,500. Obo. Blackfoot, Id. 6800256 or 785-5207

Vehicles Like new 2009 Ford Super Duty 4x4. Air cond, auto trans, 5.4 liter, v/8 motor, low miles-2,180, am/ fm radio, cd player, chrome nerf bar steps, air sensor tires, full size spare, receiver hitch, never wrecked. $26,000 OBO Boise, Id. 208-3761199

Wanted Wanted: Implements for a 1946 2N Ford Tractor w/3point hitch. Ie: disk, harrow, plow or etc. reasonable prices please. South Idaho. 208-436-9985 Buying U.S. gold coins, proof and mint sets, silver dollars, rolls and bags. PCGS/NGC certified coins, estates, accumulations, large collections, investment portfolios, bullion, platinum. Will travel, all transactions confidential. Please call 208-859-7168 Paying cash for German & Japanese war relics/souvenirs! Pistols, rifles, swords, daggers, flags, scopes, optical equipment, uniforms, helmets, machine guns (ATF rules apply) medals, flags, etc. 549-3841 (evenings) or 208-405-9338. Old License Plates Wanted: Also key chain license plates, old signs, light fixtures. Will pay cash. Please email, call or write. Gary Peterson, 130 E Pecan, Genesee, Id 83832. gearlep@gmail.com. 208-2851258

DEADLINE DATES:

ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JULY 20 FOR NEXT ISSUE OF THE QUARTERLY

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