Spring 2012 Volume 12, Issue 2

Spring 2012 Volume 12, Issue 2

Famous Idaho Cows – pg. 4

Custer County Road Dispute – pg. 8

Marketbasket Survey – pg. 14

The Ag Agenda

USDA: Celebrating 150 years of Innovation

President Abraham Lincoln is known for many achievements during his lifetime, but a little known triumph of his—that affects farmers and ranchers greatly—was the establishment of the United States Department of Agriculture 150 years ago.

Department of Agriculture, which was specifically directed to acquire information through :practical and scientific experiments” and to collect and propagate “new and valuable seeds and plants” and distribute these to the nation’s agriculturists. It is clear, Lincoln was a man beyond his time.

On May 15, 1862, President Lincoln signed into law a bill establishing a new

Lincoln understood the importance of

Pink Slime. It’s another over-hyped, inaccurate catch phrase designed to scare consumers about the safety of our food supply.

One of the biggest challenges agriculture faces today is fighting back against what sometimes seems like a constant barrage of misinformation about our food supply and what goes into producing it.

supply often come under scrutiny, as they should. The act of putting food in one’s mouth is one of the most intimate things we do and scrutinizing the safety of food is very important. However, questions about the safety of our food supply can quickly become emotional and overblown, as is the case with so-called pink slime.

By Bob Stallman

President American Farm Bureau Federation

A Man with a Vision

See STALLMAN, page 6

The President’s Desk

Setting the Record Straight

By Frank Priestley President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

Questions and concerns about our food

To better understand this discussion let’s first define what we are talking about.

Lean finely textured beef (LFTB) is the See PRIESTLEY, page 7

Inside Farm Bureau

Vote in the Primary Elections

By Rick Keller CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

The upcoming Idaho primary elections on May 15 most likely will determine who Idaho’s legislators will be in November. Because of unique demographics, seventy-three percent or seventy-seven of Idaho’s 105 legislative races in 2010 were determined at the primary elections. In each of those races, the party nominee went on to win the general election with more than two-thirds of the votes cast. That

held true in both Democratic and Republican districts.

Primaries are elections which take place before the general Election Day. Primary elections in the United States are unique among many of the countries around the world. Primary elections originated as a result of the progressive movement in the early 20th century. The middle-class was tired of the corrupt political machines of the day, dictating who would be the poSee KELLER, page 6

Volume 12, Issue 2 IFBF OFFICERS President .................................. Frank Priestley, Franklin Vice President ..................................Mark Trupp, Driggs Executive Vice President .............................. Rick Keller

CONTENTS 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 Cody Chandler ..................................................... Weiser

Famous bovines: Power County farms produce top animals

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

PAGE 14

PAGE 4 Custer County enters court battle with BLM over road closure

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 Info and Member Services Assistant ... Dixie Ashton Dist. I Regional Manager .......................... Justin Patten 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 ................... Julie Christoffersen Member Services Manager ....................... Joel Benson Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID

Marketbasket Survey

A market gardener in Middleton got a wake-up call regarding use of certified seed recently from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

PAGE 10 Focus on Agriculture: Abraham Lincoln’s legacy and its connection to agriculture

PAGE 12

Women’s Leadership Committee sponsors annual art contest

PAGE 16 Forest Service nursery supplies native plants for fire rehabilitation

PAGE 24 Longtime Idaho rancher reflects on a life of hard work, determination and the people who have crossed his path

PAGE 32

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: Warm spring weather in mid-April brought out the cherry blossoms in an orchard near Emmett.

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

Photo by Steve Ritter

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Ammon Peachey Shauna is one of the top Holstein cows in the world. She is owned by the Andersen family who operate dairies in Power and Cassia counties. Photo Courtesy of Greg Andersen

Idaho’s Celebrity Bovines

By John Thompson

in Pennsylvania and comes from the Rudy Missy cow family.

Power County cattle from farms not much more than a stone’s throw apart, are making it big on the national scene.

For people familiar with Holstein genetics, Shauna’s bloodlines impress, but with modern genomic mapping, Andersen says it’s now possible to tell far more about a cow’s potential.

The Andersen family raises Holstein dairy cattle and has one of the best in the breed, while their neighbors, the Fehringers, are winning prestigious awards for raising some of the top Red Angus beef cattle in the U.S. Ammon-Peachey Shauna from Seagull Bay Dairy is one of the top Holstein dairy cows in the world. Utilizing cutting edge reproduction technology, this three-year old cow, is already responsible for 26 offspring with the top seller fetching $87,000.

Greg Andersen, who runs the family’s registered Holstein business, bought Shauna in a pick of flush auction for $21,000. In this type of auction a top cow is flushed and her embryos are fertilized with a top sire and then placed in surrogates. The top bidder then gets to pick the calf he wants once they are born. Andersen selected Shauna about four months after she was born. She was born 4

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

“They can now make genomic predictions by taking DNA and mapping it for the bovine genome,” he said. “They do it by identifying which genes show high milk production, longevity, confirmation, overall health and several other traits.”

This isn’t the Andersen family’s first foray into the registered Holstein business. In 2005 they sold some of the top animals in the breed deciding that the inherent risks of the dairy industry were big enough.

“It’s ironic that we sold some top animals in 2005 and then were able to get back into one of the best in the breed,” Andersen said.

“I guess it’s just karma. I knew she would be good but some cows underperform. She has exceeded our expectations.”

Scott Metzger of Trans Ova Genetics said the Andersen family has

Russell Fehringer, his wife Shauna and daughter Payton own some of the top Red Angus cattle in the nation. Photo by John Thompson

done a good job of maximizing its opportunities. “Ammon-Peachy Shauna is one of the most valuable young cows in the Holstein breed at this time, with her genetics being in extremely high demand. The Andersen family has very successfully utilized the advanced reproductive technologies of embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization to multiply her genetics and increase their marketing opportunities with her.”

Bull calves from Shauna are leased out and Andersen receives a royalty from the semen they produce. Currently, Shauna has seven sons producing semen, six at Select Sires in Ohio and one at ABS in Wisconsin. Semen production from top Holsteins can be more lucrative than embryo production due to volume, Andersen said. A bull can propagate far more pregnancies than a cow.

Andersen added that Shauna’s legacy would

be set in cement if she produces some good cows with all or most of her traits. Once she has some daughters milking that will prove out. Andersen said some cows can fizzle out over time. Good progeny is needed to verify the DNA predictions.

“I got lucky mostly, when I bought her,” he continued. “I knew a little but I was still lucky. A cow like Shauna doesn’t come along very often.” lakeview Cattle Co. Just a half mile down the road from Seagull Bay Dairy, a small Red Angus cattle operation is getting noticed in a big way. Russell Fehringer, along with his wife Shawna and daughter Payton are marketing some of the top cattle in the breed. At this year’s National Western Stock Show in Denver, known as the Super Bowl of stock shows, their pen of three Red Angus heifers won a

reserve championship.

A week later they won two more reserve champion trophies at the Black Hills Stock Show. The cattle they sold in South Dakota, a young bull and a heifer fetched $8,000 and $8,750 respectively.

In April Payton’s bull Pie Code Red won the Junior All-Breed Performance Bull award at the Midland Bull Sale in Columbus, Montana. The bull was also the leader in average daily gain for the Red Angus breed and Payton picked up a $500 scholarship for her efforts.

In addition to the cattle mentioned above, the family owns four of the top ten Red Angus bulls at the Midland Bull Test in the average daily gain category, two of which are also in the top ten for weight per day of See CELEBRITY BOVINES p. 27

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

5

sTAllmAN

Continued from page 2

agriculture to America, and, as importantly, he realized science and technology played a major role in the farming industry.

Without a doubt, I believe Lincoln today would embrace the many technological advancements farmers use on their farms, including biotechnology.

Lincoln once wrote: “Every blade of grass is a study, and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure. And not grass alone, but soils, seeds and seasons—hedges, ditches and fences, draining, droughts and irrigation— plowing, hoeing and harrowing—reaping, mowing and threshing—saving crops, pests of crops, diseases of crops and what will prevent or cure them … the thousand things of which these are specimens—each a world of study within itself.”

The federal government was, from the beginning of its involvement in agriculture, dedicated to scientific progress in farming.

This commitment continues today and is shared by farmers and ranchers across the country, regardless of the methods of food and fiber production they use—organic, conventional or biotechnology. They all

need science.

Full speed Ahead The importance of science and innovation (biotechnology in particular) to agriculture will be significant as we face several challenges in the years ahead. The world’s population just passed the 7 billion mark.

According to the World Food Program, the best estimate is that 1 billion people (one in seven) are hungry and food insecure. By 2050 the world’s population will rise to 9 billion people. This means we must double world food production by 2050 in order to meet this challenge.

Further, we must accomplish this hefty goal while realizing that our Earth is fragile. To take care of our environment, we must embrace agriculture research, science, innovation and biotechnology. When it comes to medical care, communication and transportation we accept the importance of innovation. We need to do the same when it comes to the production of food.

Earlier this year, the United Nations issued a special report recognizing that “new ‘green’ biotechnologies can….improve resistance to pests, restore soil fertility and

contribute to the diversification of the rural economy.” Sound familiar? Seems a lot like what Lincoln described as a goal 150 years ago.

Scientists have developed new seeds that can improve yields while resisting disease and requiring less water. That is critical as 70 percent of all fresh water is used by agriculture. American consumers and consumers all over the world can feel safe with this technology and confident it will improve our environment.

While meeting these quantitative challenges and meeting our environmental goals, we will strive to focus even greater attention on the qualitative side, to also meet the needs of consumers who express a preference for foods grown “their way.” Science is the answer for all these missions, and today’s USDA is helping to blaze that trail.

So, Happy Birthday USDA and best wishes as we continue down the road for another 150 years. America’s farmers, ranchers and research scientists can lead the way to a new 21st century Green Revolution if we follow the vision of Abraham Lincoln. As Honest Abe said, “Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”

Keller Continued from page 2 be the political party’s destined candidate.

Laws were passed providing opportunities for the members of a political party or voters to select candidates for the next general election. Primaries take the power of candidate nomination from party leaders to the people.

Primaries allow us to choose who we will have on the ballot on Election Day. When you vote in a primary, you have a wider range of choices and are therefore more likely to find a candidate with whom you agree on more issues. In Idaho, 339 individuals have filed to run in the primary for the legislature this year. 268 are newcomers to the body to which they seek election.

The 2012 election will be dynamic. In 6

Idaho there will be at least twenty-two percent, or more than one in every five races, in which a newcomer will win. This is guaranteed because 33 legislative seats are open races; in other words, an incumbent is not running for the position.

The Idaho’s Secretary of State website declares: “The purpose of primary elections in the State of Idaho is to allow members of a recognized political party to select that party’s nominees to go on the general election ballot. For the 2012 Primary Election, the only electors who can vote on the Republican Ballot are those who have affiliated, including those who affiliate on Election Day, with the Republican Party.

Members of the Democratic, Republican, Constitution or Libertarian Parties and

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

those who do not affiliate with any party will be permitted to vote the Democratic Ballot if they so choose. An elector can vote only one party ballot however, and the poll book and registered voter history will reflect which ballot the elector voted.

Party registration requirements have no effect on general election procedures. At general elections, all voters receive exactly the same ballot and may vote for any candidate whose name appears on it, without regard to the political affiliation of the candidate or the voter.”

Vote on May 15th. Let your voice be heard.

If you do not vote during the primary, your elected representative will most likely be determined for you.

PrIesTley

Continued from page 2

product being referred to as pink slime. The phrase was first found in a USDA internal memo that was provided to the New York Times in 2009 resulting from a Freedom of Information Act request. What consumers should first understand is that LFTB is just plain old beef that is separated from the trimmings that result from the processing of cattle. Pieces of fat that are cut from carcasses contain small pieces of red meat. The meat that cannot be separated from fat with a knife is separated through a heating and centrifuge process. The meat is then treated with ammonia in gaseous state to kill bacteria and then mixed with beef that is ground into hamburger. This process makes beef processing plants more efficient and reduces the amount of waste left over. Before the process was adopted, this waste was used to make pet food and cooking oil.

Why use ammonia? We understand why consumers would be concerned about a cleaning product being used to treat food. Ammonia and water, both naturally occurring compounds, have been used to make food safe since 1974 when the Food and Drug Administration permitted its use. LFTB receives a puff of ammonia to eliminate bacteria safely and effectively. When combined with moisture naturally in beef, ammonia hydroxide is formed, a naturally occurring compound found in many foods, in our own bodies and the environment. Food safety experts and scientists agree it is an effective way to ensure safer ground beef and to reiterate, it’s been in use since 1974.

The U.S. has the safest, most abundant and affordable food supply of any country on the planet. This most recent blow-up over LFTB resulted in three beef processing plants being shut down and over 300 people losing their jobs. If consumers don’t want to purchase ground beef that contains LFTB, they have many options to choose from. But in our opinion, it’s wrong for the media to create a controversy over a product with a safety record that has been proven over the last 38 years.

Let’s also not lose sight of the facts that the United States has the safest, most abundant and affordable food supply of any nation on earth and that our global population is expected to double by 2050 which will put even more pressure on our ability to produce food for the masses. We expect an increasing demand for processes like the one developed to create LFTB will be needed to increase the efficiency of our food production system.

Following are a few quotes from experts discussing the quality and methods used to produce LFTB. More information can be found at www.beefisbeef.com

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“It’s safe, it’s leaner than other beef sources on the market, and it’s less costly.” - Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer sciences “Ammonium hydroxide itself is used in a multitude of different food products. It’s not a safety concern.” – Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, USDA undersecretary for food safety IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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A group of Custer County residents gathered near the top of Herd Creek on April 15 for a rally protesting closure of public lands.

County Challenges BLM Over Road Closure Article and photos by John Thompson Custer County commissioners staged a rally in protest of federal government land management policies in the upper reaches of Herd Creek in a remote area near the East Fork of the Salmon River in mid-April.

Commissioners, along with about 40 residents made the trip to the border of the Jerry Peak Wilderness Study Area to let the federal government, expressly the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), know that they are disgusted with road closures and other heavy-handed policies that block access to land in Custer County.

Commission Chairman Wayne Butts believes the county has a valid claim to open the Herd Creek Road by virtue of Revised Statute 2477 (R.S. 2477), a federal law established in 1866 to encourage settlement of western states. The road is blocked by 8

boulders and has been closed since 1999.

Custer County notified BLM last summer that they intended to open the road on April 15. They brought a Caterpillar 950 front end loader to the end of the road but chose not to move the boulders and violate a restraining order granted two days prior to the rally by Federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

“I think we have made a huge statement by going through this process,” said Butts, speaking to the group from the bed of a county sheriff’s pickup. “This is a case that will be recognized clear across the western states. Our county is 97 percent state and federally-owned land. That’s a higher percentage than any other county in the lower 48. While we know that we are right, we have deep respect for the USA and the Constitution that guides us. In the spirit of that respect we will let this issue play out

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

in the courts.”

A letter dated April 12, from BLM State Director Steven A. Ellis explains that the road was closed under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The BLM disputes the County’s claim to an RS 2477 right-of-way. The letter states that county proceedings (validation hearing) are not a forum for determining the merits of an RS 2477 and the County’s position is “unsustainable.”

Further, Custer County is relying on state law contending that RS 2477 claims can be determined by county commissioners.

However, BLM asserts that “no state law can contradict, override, limit or restrict Congress’ exclusive control of Federal property.”

In early April, Butts communicated his intentions to Ellis at a meeting in Boise. He

also informed Ellis that any federal agents attempting to block opening of the road would be handcuffed and arrested. “We believe it’s a slap in the face to our elderly, handicapped and veterans to continue to restrict access to these public lands,” Butts said. “We did this by state statute. We held a validation hearing. The BLM was invited to testify but they declined.”

Other contentions indicate that the County and BLM have not been communicating.

Butts said the County was not invited to attend the hearing with Judge Winmill when the restraining order was awarded. An administrator in Winmill’s court said minutes from the hearing place attorneys representing the U.S. Department of Justice, David Negri and Nicholas Woychick, as responsible for notifying Custer County about the hearing. It is noted in the court documents that the defendant, Custer County, was not present at the hearing. Winmill issued the temporary restraining order anyway.

Then, the court set a date for a hearing on Thursday, April 19 at 9 a.m. Butts said the County will seek a continuance because they haven’t been given time to prepare their arguments. The County is being represented by Fred Kelly Grant, a constitu-

This photograph shows boulders used to close the Herd Creek Road and documents taped to the boulders asserting Custer County’s intentions to open the road. The matter is now before the federal court.

tional lawyer from Nampa.

“Why didn’t they (BLM) come to the table a year ago instead of waiting until the last minute?” Butts asked. “We are extremely disappointed that BLM and the Department of Justice have decided to try and nullify an act of Congress, the Tenth Amendment and Idaho law all in one lawsuit. We are also

shocked that a federal judge would allow himself to be used as an arm of judicial activism of the worst sort.”

More coverage of this issue will be presented in the June edition of Gem State Producer Magazine and on the Idaho Farm Bureau website at www.idahofb.org

Custer County Commission Chairman Wayne Butts speaks to a gathering on April 15 in protest of federal land management policies.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Farmer Markets Come of Age, Face ‘A Year of Enforcement’

peril.

The Idaho Bean Commission and the Idaho Potato Commission wants the Idaho Department of Agriculture to strictly enforce trademark and certification rules for farmers and gardeners to protect the state’s agriculture industry.

As farmer markets open this month across the Gem State, this could be a milestone year. Karen Ellis the director of Capitol City Public Market calls the 2012 season “the year of enforcement.”

The laws have been on the books for years but new growth is spurring a new level of awareness by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

“People are just starting to pay attention to letters we sent out last summer,” said Lloyd Knight of the ISDA. “We don’t have new rules; we haven’t done anything different other than just reaching out to these folks in the last year or two. The small growers are just starting to be aware of what’s going on.”

Market potatoes grown in Idaho need to have trademark certification saying they’re Idaho potatoes. Vendors have to get a license from the Idaho Potato Commission.

It’s the same with bean seeds, gardeners and farmers must buy from approved been seed growers. It’s not a money issue; it’s a safeguard against disease.

Robin Caudill is the owner of Lazy Dog Gardens in Middleton.

By Jake Putnam MIDDLETON - The furthest thing from Robin Caudill’s mind was breaking the law.

The organic gardener was getting her garlic inspected when she froze with fear. The inspector took a look around the garden and asked if she had planted certified seed.

“He said, ‘everything is cool with the garlic but we need to talk about your potatoes, your grapes, your onions and your beans,’” recalled Caudill.

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Caudill went into a panic, being certified organic, she documents everything. Her grapes were fine, onions good, potatoes checked out, but questions about the beans remained. Panic gripped the gardener. “I told him I don’t know what you mean about the beans.”

As the popularity of farmers markets continues to grow across the Gem State, it has not gone unnoticed by production agriculture. They know that rapid growth has its

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

“Our commercial guys understand very well what the requirements are and always have,” said Knight. “We rarely have issues with them and have to send a warning or enforcement. It just doesn’t happen at all.

Sometimes you’ll find a company on a trial ground that planted seed that wasn’t certified, but it’s rare.”

Cuadill’s Lazy Dog Gardens has seen steady growth through the years. Just an acre, the small organic operation crosses the T’s and dot the I’s on just about everything. The bean seed scare was Cuadill’s closest brush with the law.

“I went and got a packet of my seeds which showed lots and things like that on it,” she said. “The inspector thought that I might be okay. So I was made aware and given a copy of the bean rules and I was fine with it.

I thought I was being legal and doing the right thing and being mindful of it. Last spring I got a letter from ISDA, saying that just because I was organic that I was not above the law that I had to follow all the rules and regulations.”

The ISDA’s Rule 02.06.06 regulates Idaho grown beans: “Bean seeds planted in Idaho shall be from an approved lot bearing an approved tag on each bag or container, stating the kind, variety and lot number.”

“Those have been on the books since 2003,” said Knight. “The industry put these rules in because we grow a lot of bean seed in Idaho. Again they’re making sure that were protected from new diseases.”

The Idaho Farm Bureau’s Russ Hendricks lobbies agriculture issues at the Idaho Statehouse and has followed the case. He was concerned by the penalty clause outlined in the letter.

“She received a letter from ISDA last summer informing her that she was in violation of the Idaho bean seed rules and could be liable for a civil penalty of up to $10,000 and/or a criminal penalty of a misdemeanor and $3,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail,” said Hendricks.

Caudill and many other growers are entering the farmer’s market business completely unaware of the bean seed rules requiring all bean seed planted in Idaho to be certified, disease free and accompanied by a “green tag” from ISDA. Hendricks points out that there is no exemption for gardeners.

“There are also rules for a number of other crops grown in Idaho including garlic, potatoes, onions, grapes even nursery

stock,” Hendricks said. “She was fortunately able to obtain the green tags from her seed supplier and avoid the penalties, but the concern remains that these rules are being enforced and the educational component is not keeping up with all the new growers that are coming on-line.”

One of the biggest problems facing small scale farms is that bean seed vendors only sell in bulk. Small garden operations only need 2-pounds of bean seed per year. They don’t want 50 pounds of beans, and they’re looking for ways to get certified beans in amounts they can afford.

“We reached out to the small growers sending them letters,” said Knight. “They told us that it was hard for them to do business because it’s hard to find small-batch certified bean seed for sale. So we met with the Bean Commission and they had members put together small bags of seed for sale, so they could comply.”

The ISDA says they’re continuing work on the bulk problem. “It’s a supply and demand thing,” said Knight. “It was just a matter of connecting the organic growers and others with seed producers asking what they need so they can comply.

The seed industry is on board and wants to help. They should be commended. They’re concerned about blight, and this is a way to keep it out of the state.”

This brush with the law sends shivers down Robin Caudill’s spine. “I planted my beans about five days before the green tags came and I got a call that I was going to be in trouble,” she said. “Sure enough I got a letter from the ISDA, it sounded like a folksy, heads up call; but later

a certified letter showed up.”

“ISDA said in the letter that I could go to jail and face $13,000 in fines over green beans? I’m a grandmother,” chuckled Caudill. “Can you imagine me in the Canyon County jail?

There are no records of errant gardeners serving time for planting uncertified seed in Idaho but the State does have enforcement authority on the books.

“We can quarantine or plow under a crop if it was planted with untagged seed,” added Knight.

“We do have that ability, if need be, but we’re realistic about how we enforce rules. We’re not going to go into neighborhood gardens to check out their bean seed and when they planted it.”

Through it all Caudill says it’s been a learning experience. She understands that the rules are

in place to protect commercial bean growers so that disease is not introduced into Idaho. She is concerned that more education needs to happen so that others do not end up going through stress and sleepless nights.

“It’s a cautionary tale for all gardeners,” she said. “Make sure you got certified, inspected seeds and keep the documentation. Our seed growers need to be protected. I’m totally on board with that.” She now buys certified seed and documents everything.

“The small growers may think that we are trying to put them down,” said Knight. “We are not just protecting our agriculture industry. Back in the day we had seed come in from other states and we had bacterial blight, now we don’t. A single outbreak could put the industry on its knees.”

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Focus on Agriculture 150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s Legacy to Agriculture the term has been misused by some to try to subordinate the needs of farmers and ranchers.

Before becoming president, Lincoln told a farm audience in Milwaukee, Wis., that farmers were neither better nor worse than other people, and added, “But farmers being the most numerous class, it follows that their interest is the largest interest.”

By stewart Truelsen Biographers and historians have written more about Abraham Lincoln than any other American president but never seem to pay much attention to his influence on American agriculture. If they are ever going to recognize his contributions, this would be an appropriate time.

One-hundred fifty years ago in 1862, the 37th Congress passed, and the president signed, three laws of great importance to agriculture. They were an act to establish a Department of Agriculture, the Homestead Act and the Morrill Land-Grant Act. The department did not immediately attain cabinet level status; that came more than two decades later.

It was Lincoln who referred to the Department of Agriculture as “The People’s Department.”

He undoubtedly called it that because half of the nation’s people were farmers. Recently 12

The Homestead Act to open up the West had been a platform plank of the fledgling Republican Party. It allowed a citizen to file for 160 acres of public land. All he had to do was pay a nominal fee, improve the land and settle there for five years.

If Lincoln needed another reason for the federal government to promote and encourage the success of American agriculture, he could have found it in the disastrous Irish Potato Famine that began in the summer of 1845. A million Irish died from the famine and millions more emigrated, many to America and Lincoln’s home state of Illinois.

The Irish famine may have impressed upon the president and other political leaders of his day the importance of having a stable, diverse food supply and the knowledge to pro-

The Morrill Act gave the states federal lands to establish landgrant colleges which formed a higher education framework for the nation and became centers of agricultural learning. After the Civil War, the act was extended to the Southern states.

Lincoln was raised on the frontier by parents who had limited success farming. He understood the importance of farmers obtaining knowledge to farm better. In fact, Lincoln thought farming was an ideal occupation for the “combination of labor with cultivated thought.”

“Every blade of grass is a study;” he said, “and to produce two where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure.” Those feelings still ring true with farmers today.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

duce enough food for a rapidly growing nation.

In any event, the laws signed 150 years ago transformed American agriculture, setting it on a course to become the envy of the rest of the world. It is only because Lincoln’s legacy is so large that we seldom recognize this part of it.

Stewart Truelsen is a regular contributor to the Focus on Agriculture series and is the author of a book marking the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 90th anniversary, Forward Farm Bureau.

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The lifeblood of America .

They’re the humble heroes who rise before dawn and battle the elements. They put clothes on our backs and food on our tables. Their genuine values and tireless work ethic are an inspiration to us all. We appreciate all that America’s farmers do and invite you to join us in saying thanks at www.fbfs.com/SayThanksToAFarmer.

FB02-ID (3-12)

ID-Tribute(3-12).indd 1

3/12/12 3:54 PM IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012 13

Marketbasket Survey Meats and Cheese Drive Slight Increase in Retail Food Prices WASHINGTON, D.C.—Retail food prices at the supermarket increased slightly during the first quarter of 2012 with protein staples—meats and cheese—showing the greatest increase in price, 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 $52.47, up $3.24 or about 7 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. Of the 16 items surveyed, 13 increased and three decreased in average price compared to the prior quarter.

The cost for the overall basket of foods increased about 7 percent compared to one year ago.

About two-thirds of the quarter-toquarter increase in the marketbasket of foods was due to higher retail prices for sliced deli ham, sirloin tip roast, ground chuck, bacon and cheddar cheese.

pound and bacon increased 16 cents to $4.21 per pound.

Other items that increased in price compared to the fourth quarter of last year were bagged salad, up 37 cents to $2.85 per pound; flour, up 27 cents to $2.65 for a 5-pound bag; Russet potatoes, up 26 cents to $3.01 for a 5-pound bag; orange juice, up 19 cents to $3.36 for a half-gallon; apples, up 19 cents to $1.59 per pound; toasted oat cereal, up 6 cents to $3.13 for a 9-ounce box; large eggs, up 5 cents to $1.77 per dozen; and vegetable oil, up 1 cent to $2.97 for a 32-ounce bottle.

Whole milk decreased 23 cents to $3.53 per gallon; white bread decreased 7 cents to $1.85 for a 20-ounce loaf and boneless chicken breasts decreased 5 cents to $3.19 per pound.

Several items showing an increase in retail

“Retail prices for meats and cheese were higher in the first quarter of the year due to generally strong demand and tight supplies, a situation that carried over from 2011,” said John Anderson, an AFBF senior economist. “According to Agriculture Department data, retail meat prices probably peaked sometime in the first quarter, and wholesale prices have declined noticeably in recent weeks. This suggests that retail meat prices may decline as 2012 progresses.”

Reversing a decline in the prior quarter, sliced deli ham increased 74 cents to $5.43 per pound; sirloin tip roast increased 60 cents to $4.75 per pound; ground chuck increased 36 cents to $3.53 per pound; shredded cheddar increased 33 cents to $4.65 per 14

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

price from quarter-to-quarter also showed year-to-year increases. Compared to one year ago sirloin tip roast increased 20 percent, ground chuck increased 14 percent and sliced deli ham increased 11 percent.

The year-to-year direction of the Marketbasket Survey tracks with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (http:// 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.

“Through 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 new 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 acrossthe-board, the farmer’s share of this quarter’s $52.47 marketbasket would be $8.40.

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 64 shoppers in 24 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.

Tracking Milk & Eggs - Page 36

Controlled Burns Turn Disastrous Photos by Jim Parker Six controlled burns turned into property-damaging fires in Bear Lake County in early April. They were all started by people burning ditch banks or fence lines. One hay shed with 80 tons of hay and various equipment was lost in one fire as well as another shed with two tractors and a haystack in another fire. Landowners are cautioned to be aware of changing wind and weather conditions.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Idaho Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Art Contest Winners This project promotes the arts and furthers the understanding of agriculture in our lives by using this contest in grades 6-8. Mediums to include water color, color pencil, ink, pastels, oil and pencil. Cash prizes are awarded.

District 3 First Place: Hannah Bybee, Buhl Middle School, Buhl

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

District 2 First Place: Ace Christensen, Kershaw Intermediate School, Sugar City

District 5 First Place Hailey Russell, Grangeville Elementary/Middle School, Grangeville

State & District 1 First Place: Bailey Chatterton, Harold B Lee Middle School, Dayton (Franklin County)

State 2nd Place & 1st Place District 4 Jace Robers, Weiser Middle School, Weiser

State 3rd Place & District 2 3rd Place: Katie Josephson, Sugar Salem Jr High, Sugar City IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Slowness is Deceptively Fast Tunbridge and Brighthelmstone.

So it is with humans. Quickness draws their eye. Entangles their attention. What they notice they call reality. But reality is a fence with many holes, a net with many tears. I walk through them slowly. My slowness is deceptively fast.”

By Timothy Prather Timothy has escaped! No, the excitement and concern did not refer to me but to another Timothy. While some might confuse us, the statement was about Timothy the Tortoise, a tortoise that lived in the garden of a nineteenth century naturalist, Gilbert White.

Verlyn Kinkenborg wrote a wonderful book about the tortoise called Timothy; Or, Notes of an Abject Reptile in one chapter he writes about a time when Timothy escaped from the garden. A couple of boys found Timothy in a field a few hundred yards away, 8 days after the great escape. It is obvious Timothy was moving in high gear to have gotten that far. So Timothy hears people talking about the escape and how did he do it? Timothy has an interesting perspective. Here are Timothy’s thoughts on the matter.

“Was it an escape? I was eighty-one years old at the time. Age and torpidity are against me. So humans think, who grow torpid with age.

A better question. How do I escape from that nimbletongued, fleet-footed race? It helps if they leave the wicket gate open.

The true secret? Walk through the holes in their attention. Easier at my speed than at any faster rate. At evening the larkers stalk the wheat fields, nets spread. Bits of mirror flash behind them. Larks fly into the glittering-and the nets. Larkers cage them. Off they go to wealthy tables, waiting mouths in

18

So why share this story? It just as well could have been written about many of the many weeds we have here in Idaho. First we leave the wicket gate open. Whether the weeds are creeping along roads, catching a ride on equipment or on animals, we leave the wicket gate open. Noticing something new along a road on your property or near to your property hopefully will catch your attention. After it catches your attention, please find out what it is.

So what is the best way to find out what a plant is that you don’t recognize? You can use your local county extension office for help and you can also ask your county weed superintendent. County extension offices and weed superintendents can send plants or photographs they don’t recognize to the Erickson Weed Identification Lab. The University of Idaho lab offers weed identification at no charge so take advantage of it when you need it.

Timothy the Tortoise explained that people were attracted to the quick. I suppose fast acting threats capture our attention. It might be an insect outbreak like gypsy moth or a pathogen like white pine blister rust. However the weed on the road side or at the edge of the property moves slowly.

One response I have heard is, “I noticed that plant but it doesn’t seem to be doing much and I have other things to worry about.” We often only pay

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

attention once weeds have become more common and take more effort to eradicate (Figure 1). Eradication is cost effective for species that are not widespread because eradication is the removal of that species and after eradication it is no longer there. So eradicate a weed in the short term or control a weed in the long term.

Weeds may creep slowly along, moving through holes in our consciousness. One example is yellow starthistle which was mapped in Lawyer’s Canyon and occupied 25 acres. We may have many small patches (Figure 2) initially but those patches grow and form new patches. In just six years the area infested increased to 150 acres and was over 270 acres in twelve years. “My slowness is deceptively fast.”

As the weeds continue to expand, the cost to control them and the effort require continue to increase. A study of Idahoans suggests they value wildlife and the habitat the wildlife live in. If we lose that habitat there is a loss of that value. The graph in Figure 3 shows the loss in value from yellow starthistle invasion within our example of Lawyer’s Canyon. The line marked A in Figure 3 shows the loss as yellow starthistle expands. If we work to control yellow

8000

6000

Effort (hours/ project) 4000

2000

0 0.25

2.5

25

250

Acres Infested

Figure 1 Eradication projects take time to complete. The larger the area infested, the longer it takes to remove completely.

starthistle (line marked B in Figure 3) we see the cost is higher than the loss in value initially but after the sixth year we actually see the costs drop below Line A showing we now have a benefit to wildlife habitat. The benefit is independent of any improvement in forage value and protection of forage value to livestock by that control so the overall benefit is likely greater.

The point of the example though is to show what happens if you delay just two years. Delaying two years is represented by Line C in Figure 3. We see that our cost of control stays higher than Line A across the entire graph.

The graph demonstrates that the cost of controlling additional acres means we don’t see our cost of control fall below the value of the habitat protected for wildlife. We would need a graph that extended many more years to show a benefit. So waiting to control has the affect of increasing our cost of control. Waiting just costs you more money.

What if we don’t leave the wicket gate open? Well some plant communities just are not going to be invaded by some weeds and if it can’t be invaded it is like having the wicket gate closed. If we know what the limits are then we can use that information to plan for our own property. If I have a small portion of my land that is susceptible to invasion by a weed then why look at the rest of my land for that weed. Just look where it might be able to establish. We are using the concept to look for rush skeletonweed (Figure 4) in the area north of the Salmon River, east of Riggins. The areas in red in Figure 5 are the areas that could be invaded most easily by rush skeletonweed. A closeup in the upper corner of Figure 5 shows actual infestations in black and those areas in

black lie within the most likely invaded category. We can see where crews need to look for new infestations by looking at this map. We can summarize the information in the map and show that most of the area on the map is not going to be invaded, 86%, in fact (Figure 6). We only have about 2% of the total area that is actually susceptible to invasion. If you know what your potential risk is, it helps to put the problem into perspective.

Knowing that only 2% of the area is highly susceptible keeps the manager from panicking and still allows for focus to survey areas to make sure that most of that 2% remains weed free.

For this issue of Private Forest I would like to leave you with a couple of points to think about.

First, Timothy the Tortoise understands human nature. We are attracted to the quick. We ignore the slowly encroaching weeds.

Second, we leave wicket gates open. Let’s not give weeds the opportunity to get established.

Further, our work shows that delaying control means higher costs later and it also means more work if it is a weed that could actually be eradicated.

And finally we are gettign better at knowing which areas are susceptible to invasion by weeds and that will help us plan. The snow is off, let’s enjoy getting out to work but please don’t get so busy you forget to look for weeds. Don’t let those weeds “slip through holes in their consciousness.”

Timothy S. Prather is an Associate Professor, Weed Ecology, Dept. of Plant, Soils, and Entomological Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, at the University of Idaho. He can be reached at tprather@ uidaho.edu

Figure 3. Line A is the damage to wildlife habitat by yellow starthistle invasion measured in dollars. Line B is the cost of starting to treat yellow starthistle in the first year. Line C is the cost of treating yellow starthistle if you delay starting treatment for 2 years.

Figure 5. Some of the area adjacent to the Salmon River, east of Riggins, is susceptible to invasion by rush skeletonweed. Knowing where susceptible land is allows plant survey crews who are looking for any new sites that contain rush skeletonweed to focus only on suceptible areas.

The steep terrain makes the work difficult so information like this makes the process efficient.

180,000 150,000

171,297 147,865

120,000 90,000 60,000 30,000 0

9,915

8,051

2,248

1,292

1,927

Figure 6. Within the area displayed in Figure 5, most land is not susceptible to rush skeletonweed, 147,865 acres out of 171,297 or 86%.

Areas that are highly susceptible to invasion constitute just 2% of the total area.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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INSURANCE MATTERS MIKE MYERS — Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho

Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho is celebrating its 65th Anniversary and 10 years at our Tierra Vista Drive location in Pocatello.

Celebrating 65 Years On May 1, 1947, a group of Idaho farmers and ranchers founded an insurance company that survived decades of change through the creation of a customer-centered culture grounded in the belief that neighbors should help neighbors.

That company, the Idaho Farm Insurance Company, (the company changed its name to Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho in the 1950s when it became a mutual company owned by its policyholders) offered one policy - auto insurance, from its downtown Pocatello office. Premiums for the first 60 days of business totaled $10,247.00.

Subsequent generations of employees and agents, guided by the founders’ beliefs, built the company into what it is today: one of Idaho’s leading auto insurers, the largest writer of 20

farm and ranch insurance in Idaho, and the largest insurance company wholly based in Idaho.

Recognizing customer needs has always been at the core of Farm Bureau Insurance’s success. In 1953, at the request of customers, life insurance was offered through an affiliate company. Fire insurance was offered in 1956, also in response to customer requests. In 1961, the company formed the Farm Bureau Finance Company (now Idaho Farm Bureau Financial Services) to make low-interest loans available to customers. In 1962, the company was the first to inaugurate a complete “package” policy that combined multiple insurance products into one convenient policy, typically at a discounted price.

This customer-centered focus still shapes Farm Bureau In-

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

surance today and inspires its employees and agents to get to know their customers. For example, Farm Bureau Insurance agents try to review their customers’ policies with them once a year. These reviews may take a little more time, but they can help make sure customers don’t have too little or too much insurance.

On reaching this special milestone of 65 years, Phil Joslin, Executive Vice President and CEO of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho, pledged the company’s renewed commitment to the ideals on which it was founded.

“Our longevity rests on our founders’ success in shaping a customer-driven company.

Their beliefs and values from the past can guide us into a promising future.” While Joslin says growth is important for Farm Bureau Insurance, he

also believes it’s important to achieve this growth ethically.

“The people of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho have been earning our customers’ trust and keeping promises for 65 years. But we know we can’t rely on what has been earned in the past. We are passionately committed to maintaining our reputation as a customer-centered company that helps its neighbors.”

Helping its neighbors, Joslin added, also means that Farm Bureau Insurance will carry on its long history of volunteerism and public service. “We can only do these things with the best people. I want to thank our employees – who live and work in communities of every size across the state – for the active roles they play in their hometowns and for the contributions they make to our success.”

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

Mountains & Ranges Crossword CROSSWORD PUZZLE: Mountains & Ranges

Across

Down

4. Highest point is Castle Peak. Proposed as a wilderness area

1. Named after the a small pink flower, runs from Pend Oreille Lake to Monida Pass

8. Most of the area isAcross private property, including the range’s tallest mountain, Taylor Mountain, also includes Wolverine Canyon.

2. Located in central Idaho near Arco and includes Borah Peak and Upper Pahimeroi Valley

4. Highest point is Castle Peak. Proposed as a wilderness area

11. 120 miles long and boundaries are usually defined by a river of 3. Highest point in the range is Ryan Peak and stretch from a few miles north of Ketchum the same name. White Mountain is the highest peak with 5 peaks to north to near Challis 8.

Most of the area is private property, including the range's tallest mountain, Taylor Mountain, also over 10,000 feet 5. The highest peaks are Snowshoe Peak, A Peak, Bockman Peak, and Elephant Peak Wolverine 15. Highest peaks areincludes Thompson Peak and MountCanyon.

Cramer. Redfish 6. Located in northeastern Latah County and southeastern Benewah County. The high point Lake is located in this range Bald Mountain 11. 120 miles long and boundaries areisusually defined by a river of the same name. White Mountain is 16. Highest point is Naomi Peak, located in northeastern Utah and 7.

Bordered by the Palisades Reservoir and the Teton Range. Highest point is Mount Baird southeastern Idaho highest peak with 5 peaks over 10,000 feet 9. Located in the panhandle of Idaho and lies between the Salmon River and the Bitterroot 19. Highest peaks are Cherry Peak and Patricks Knob. It’s named and Mount Cramer.

Redfish Lake is located in this range Highest point is Stripe Mountain after an Indian tribe 15. Highest peaks are Thompson PeakRange.

20. Named after an Earl, Douglas.

Home to the onlyPeak, 16.Thomas Highest point is Naomi extisting woodland caribou population in the contiguous United States

the

10. Major summits include Garfield Mountain and Eighteenmile Peak located in northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho

12. Spans Blaine, Butte and Custer counties. Two highest peaks are Hyndman Peak and

MountainKnob. It’s named after an Indian tribe 19. Highest peaks are Cherry Peak andGoat Patricks

21. Highest peak in the range is Mount Jefferson. About 100,000 acres of them are roadless 20. Named after an Earl, Thomas 22. Located on the west side of the Wood River States Valley , highest contiguous United point in the range is Saviers Peak

13. Extends along the Idaho/Oregon border for roughly 40 miles between the Idaho towns

Douglas.

Home the only extisting woodland of Whitebird and to Council.

The state’s most precipitous range caribou population in the 14. Highest point is Hayden Peak, Geology: Lava rocks and thundereggs

The mountain range that stretches from British Columbia to New Mexico 21. Highest peak in the range is Mount17.Jefferson.

About 100,000 acres of them are roadless

ANSWERS ON PAGE 29

18. Highest point is Smoky Dome. Includes Iron Mountain with an old Forest Service fire lookout on its summit IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

23

Lucky Peak Nursery helps Fire Rehabilitation across the West

By Jake Putnam A wildfire near Glens Ferry last August sent chills down Steve Grupe’s spine.

Grupe is Idaho Fish and Game volunteer and helplessly watched the bitterbrush and sage burn.

The fire raged in unit 45 just north of Glens Ferry and is renowned for its lush bitterbrush. In just a few days more than 35,000 acres of prime habitat went up in smoke.

When the first snows came in November the deer and elk migrated out of the mountains but could find little to eat in their traditional wintering areas. “As you can imagine it was quite a shock for the deer to come down when winter set in and find nothing to eat,” said Grupe.

Rehab began after the fire, but the first stage is designed to stop soil erosion, replacing bitterbrush and sage takes years and is much more tricky. Crews have to literally drill holes in the scorched earth for the seedlings, then just over half will survive.

There’s only a few places in the United States that grow native plants for revegetation projects. One such place is the Boise National Forest’s Lucky Peak Nursery off Highway 21 North of Boise.

“We grow seedlings for reforestation on public lands, and whatever the demand is,” said Clark Fleege of the Boise National Forest. “That demand can vary from 2-6 million seedlings a year. For the 2012 season we’re producing 2-million plants about a million and half conifers and a half million dryland shrubs.”

On cold days there’s no place like the Lucky Peak Nursery. The greenhouse could house a football field. It’s a lush sea of green and many forests and rangeland across the United States get a second start here.

“The conifers we produce are mostly used for revegitating fires,” said Fleege. “Like 24

the fire we had a couple of years ago near Cascade. We’re still shipping seedlings down to New Mexico and Arizona following the Wallow fire from a couple of years ago. ” The nursery operations are diverse, driven by demand, and vary from year to years. Last year range fires in the Southwest were big, two years ago it was range fires in Texas, there’s no way to predict what the next year will bring.

“So the big species this year is the Ponderosa Pine; to the tune of a half million seedlings. We also have Douglas fir, Englemann spruce, and few other varieties of pine,” said Fleege. The nurseries are going 24/7 and we’re still growing brush for the range fires mainly dryland shrubs like sage and bitter- Clark Fleege of the Boise National Forest shows off brush,” said Fleege. thousands of sprouting trees and brush destined for

fire ravaged rangelands.

Having a world class nursery in helping Photo by Steve Ritter Idaho benefits the state. Each year the Boise National Forest has a surplus seedling sale designed for “We really lucked out this past winter belandowners that are rehabbing scorched cause we had a mild winter. But my conearth on their property. The projects en- cerns are for next year because if they find hance wildlife habitat on private land and nothing to eat they’ll cross Interstate 84 in dress up the ravaged landscape. search of food. We need to get the area rehabbed so the game has something to eat “A minimum order is usually 50 plants,” especially during the harsh winters ahead,” explains Fleege, “and it’s a deal at $25. So said Grupe. that’s what 50-cents a piece? This year we have Ponderosa Pine, sage and bitterbrush Each year, the Lucky Peak Nursery producand we always make the sale available es over two million trees and shrubs. When from the first of March till we run out of the Nursery produces more seedlings than seedlings.” its customers need, the surplus trees and brush are available to local landowners for On this day Grupe was picking up truckload home conservation projects. Each tree and of seedlings, a mix of sage and bitterbrush. brush comes complete with planting in“I’m picking up several thousand plants to structions and and phone number for techstart this spring’s planting program. Volnical assistance if needed. unteers will spend the next few weekends planting. It’s a real worthy endeavor.”

The Lucky Peak Nursery is located 16 miles northeast of Boise on Highway 21.

Losing 35-thousand acres of habitat last For more information call (208) 343-1977. year still worries Fish and Game biologists.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

Walter Johnson, ‘The Big Train’ got his start in Idaho

By Jake Putnam One of the most dominating major league pitchers to play the game got his start in Weiser 106 years ago this spring.

Nineteen year old Walter “Big Train” Johnson got off the train in Caldwell back in the spring of 1906. After a stellar high school career the 18 year old was offered the pitching job by the Weiser Kids, a marquee team in Idaho’s Interstate League.

“I’ve seen towns get steamed up over baseball,” Johnson reminisced in 1924, ‘but the place that went craziest was Weiser, Idaho, where I first earned money for pitching.”

Pitching for the Weiser Kids back in 190607, Johnson threw an astonishing 77 consecutive scoreless innings and racked up a 14-2 record. Scouts started showing up from major league teams because Johnson was striking out at least two hitters per inning.

At a time when prime agricultural farm land was selling for $40 per acre in Washington County, Johnson was pulling down the handsome sum of $150 a month. Not one to rest on his laurels, the big strong kid from Kansas dug post holes for the phone company during the day for additional cash.

Baseball was serious business in Idaho at the time. Town rivalries were fueled by beer and fights in the stands were common.

In his first game pitching against Caldwell a riot broke out in the 4th inning. He was saved from hooligans by the Canyon County sheriff who told him:“We ain’t going to let you get into a jam and hurt your arm on some worthless coyote.”

Johnson’s best year came in 1907 when he pitched seven straight shutouts topped by a perfect game against the Emmett Prune Pickers. Then there was the no-hitter off the Mountain Home Dudes in mid July.

The Weiser Kids were unbeatable whenever ‘Big Train’ Johnson took the mound.

By the end of summer arch-rivals Weiser and Caldwell tied for the pennant. John-

son was sitting pretty, he leased a house at 49 West Park Street in Weiser, (it’s still there) and planned on staying a while. That is until Washington Senators scout Cliff Blankenship showed up to see the “phenom” pitch.

“What I found when I got to Weiser was a boy,” recalled Blankenship. “A big, husky boy and a green one too! He knew nothing of the fine points of baseball but he could put more smoke on that old baseball than I ever dreamed possible.”

Blankenship signed Johnson for $350 a month, a $100 bonus, and train fare back to Washington.

By August the lanky kid was in the Senators pitching rotation. Fellow Hall Walter Johnson got his start in Idaho and went on to an illustrious of Famer Ty Cobb of the career with the Washington Senators Detroit Tigers squared off against the hayseed from We couldn’t touch him, every one of us Idaho: knew we’d met the most powerful arm ever “On August 2, 1907, I encountered the turned loose in a ball park.” most threatening sight I ever saw in the During his 20 year career with ball field. He was a rookie, and we licked Senators,Johnson amassed 3,508 strikeour lips as we warmed up for the first game outs, a record that stood until 1983. No of a doubleheader in Washington. Evidentpitcher since has topped his shutout record ly, manager Joe Cantilon of the Nats had of 110 games. He once pitched 55 straight picked a rube out of the cornfields of the scoreless innings and is still second in the deepest bushes to pitch against us. He was major leagues with 416 wins. Johnson was a tall, shambling galoot of about twenty, one of the first five players elected to the with arms so long they hung far out of his Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. sleeves, and with a sidearm delivery that looked unimpressive at first glance. One Johnson passed away in 1946 at the age of of the Tigers imitated a cow mooing, and 59. The baseball field at Memorial Park, in we hollered at Cantillon: ‘Get the pitchfork Weiser is called Walter Johnson Field. ready, Joe, your hayseed’s on his way back Sources for this article include “Cobb”, a to the barn.’ The first time I faced him, I biography by Al Stump, Wikipedia and the watched him take that easy windup. Then Idaho Daily Statesman something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

25

XTREME SIDE x SIDE PERFORMANCE.

Polaris would like to congratulate Jake Andersen the winner of this year’s Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet as well as Greg and Gwen Andersen for being presented with the Idaho Farm Bureau’s 2011 Young Farmer and Rancher Achiever Award. We hope you enjoy your new Polaris Trail Boss 330 and RGR 400 and thank you for your continued contributions to the Idaho Farming and Ranching Community.

A big thank you to those Idaho Polaris dealers who continue to support the Idaho Farm Bureau and Young Farmer and Rancher Program:

Farm Bureau members pay 20% less off of “Best Available Rate”.

Farm Bureau Discount ID# 61810 Call Toll-Free: 877-670-7088

Vehicles shown with optional accessories. Avoid operating Polaris RANGERs on paved surfaces or public roads. Riders and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts.

Always use cab nets. Drivers of RANGER vehicles must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license.

Warning: ATV’s can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Avoid operating Polaris ATV’s on paved surfaces or public roads. Riders and passengers should wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts. Polaris ATV models are for riders aged 16 and older. Be sure to take a safety training course.

For safety training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887, see your dealer, or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764. In Canada, see your local dealer. ©2011 Polaris Industries Inc.

26

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

For Super 8 call 800-889-9706

CeleBrITy BoVINes Continued from page 5 age. On top of that they are the only family in the history of the Midland Bull Test (48 years) to own the top Red Angus bull and top Black Angus bull for average daily gain in the same year.

Their new herd sire, Trooper 21Y, was purchased in Canada last fall. So far he has been recognized as Red Roundup 2011 Bull Calf Champion, Farm Fair 2011 Intermediate Bull Calf Champion, and Agribition 2011 Intermediate Bull Calf Champion.

That’s a fairly impressive resume considering they have only been in the purebred cattle business nine years and their base

“Our goal is to raise kids in a successful agriculture operation and I believe if they can thrive in this lifestyle they can go out and do anything they want,”

herd is only 30 mother cows. Russell explained that with the limited acreage base of their farm they knew they would never be in the cattle business at a scale where they would be able to ship a semi-load of calves to market each fall. So when an opportunity to purchase a small herd of red Angus cows came long, they added it to their farming operation.

“We don’t have the land base to support a large herd,” Russell said. “Our goal in this operation, we raise potatoes, wheat, silage corn, sugar snap peas and cattle, is to make it a full circle operation.”

Helping keep the circle whole, they have four full-time employees, Payton has her own show cattle business (Rib Eye Ranch) and competes on the junior show circuit and Shawna does the accounting and marketing.

The Fehringers diverse operation keeps them busy all year long. In the spring as calving begins they also cut potato seed for several Power County growers. After that

they begin planning cattle breeding schedules utilizing artificial insemination and embryo transfer to surrogate cattle. From their 30 cows, and some surrogates borrowed from their veterinarian, they produce 60 to 70 calves per year.

For Shawna, a lot of the time is spent marketing cattle. She put together a website lakeviewcattlecompany.com that is definitely worth a look for anyone interested in knowing more about their operation. They are also on Facebook.

“We are trying to educate our youth and give them responsibility,” said Russell.

“She (Payton) can sell her cattle if and when she wants and we hope she will set aside some money for college but we want her to be in charge of making those decisions.”

“Our goal is to raise kids in a successful agriculture operation and I believe if they can thrive in this lifestyle they can go out and do anything they want,” Shawna added.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Farm Facts

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

CROSSWORD ANSWERS - From p. 23

Top Farm Bureau agenTs

Agent of the Month:

Across: 4. White Cloud, Salmon Across: 4. White Cloud,8.

8. Blackfoot, Blackfoot, 11.11.

Salmon River, River, 15. Sawtooth, 16. Bear River, 19. Coeur 15. Sawtooth, 16.

Bear21.

River, 19. Coeur d’Alene, 20. Selkirk, d'Alene, 20.

Selkirk, Centennial, 22. Smoky.

Wayne Hungate 21. Centennial, 22. Smoky.

Down: 1. Bitterroot, 2. Lost River, 3. Boulder, 5. Cabinet, 6. Hoodoo, 7. Snake River, 9. Clearwater, 10.

Newell Agency Beaverhead, 12. Pioneer, 13. Seven Devils, 14. Owyhee, 17. Rockies, 18. Soldier.

Agency of the Month: Mike Newell Newell Agency

Down: 1. Bitterroot, 2. Lost River, 3. Boulder, 5. Cabinet, 6. Hoodoo, 7. Snake River, 9. Clearwater, 10. Beaverhead, 12. Pioneer, 13. Seven Devils, 14. Owyhee, 17. Rockies, 18. Soldier.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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A Taste of Idaho: Steak Dinner

By Julie Christoffersen Backyard grills see more use as the weather begins to warm. With so many wonderful grilling recipes to choose from grilling decisions may take some time. In the end my favorite, a well-seasoned grilled steak was my choice. It’s hard to beat a good steak when grilled to the desired doneness, not to mention the smell. So I’m featuring a marinated sirloin steak paired with garlicky potatoes, green beans and cauliflower.

There are many different ways to cook a good steak, but I prefer the grill. When marinated and seasoned correctly, it is hard to mess up a grilled steak if you follow a few grilling tips.

In the meat section at the supermarket there are a variety of cuts to choose from varying in price. You don’t have to buy the top cuts to have a good steak. The sirloin is a reasonably priced steak to grill.

Remember to look for fresh steaks with a fair amount of marbling. The marbling with produce the most flavor and give you a tender steak.

Keep in mind the thickness of your steak, a steak less than an inch is more likely to be tougher than a thicker steak and is easier to overcook. So when possible choose a steak no less than one inch thick.

I will use a tenderizer on my steaks before 30

putting them on the grill. This really helps some of the tougher cuts of beef. The tenderizer breaks down the tough fibers thus making a tender steak. There are too many tenderizers on the market to say one is better than another. A marinade will also help tenderize your steak if you don’t have a tenderizer.

The main reason I use a marinade is to aid in the flavor of my steak. And again, there are numerous marinades on the market. A homemade marinade is easy to do if you follow a few guidelines for making one. A marinade should have an acidic ingredient as well as herbs and spices.

Once you have your marinade, make sure you have enough to completely cover the meat to work best. I place the steak and marinade in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and flip the bag two or three times during the process. If you have a tougher cut of beef you will want to marinade the steak all day or overnight. Otherwise two or so hours are sufficient for a tender cut of beef. The marinade should not be used more than once; rinse it down the sink when you take the steak out of it.

And remember Idaho producers know their stuff; you can’t go wrong with a grilled steak, garlic, potatoes, green beans and cauliflower for a great dinner.

marinated sirloin steak ¾ cup apple juice ¾ cup soy sauce ¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 beef top sirloin steak (1 – 1 1/2 pounds feeds 4) Directions In a large plastic bag, combine the apple juice, soy sauce, oil and seasonings. Add the beef, coat well and refrigerate for 1 or more hours.

Grill the steak over medium heat for 8 – The cooking time will vary with the thick10 minutes per side or until desired doneness of your steak and the type of grill ness. Grill with the lid closed. Slice thinly used. When using a gas grill the cooking against the grain. time for a one inch steak should be 13-16 minutes. For the charcoal grill the time should be 11-15 minutes.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

Garlicky Potatoes, Green Beans and Cauliflower 1 pound fingerling potatoes, cleaned not peeled pinch salt 3 cups cauliflower florets 1 pound green beans 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with 2 inches of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add the cauliflower and green beans to the pot and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the paprika and a large pinch of salt, and remove from the heat.

Drain the vegetables well and transfer to a serving bowl. Season with salt, drizzle with garlic oil and sprinkle with the vinegar, toss well and serve.

Serves 6-8

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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Bud Purdy - Progressive Rancher and a Legend By steve stuebner There’s a man in Picabo, Idaho, who’s been a true leader in the ranching and business industry, who also hunted ducks with Ernest Hemingway, and is still flying his own airplane at age 94. His name is Bud Purdy. In ranching circles, he’s considered an Idaho legend.

“Bud Purdy is one of my heroes,” says Bert Brackett, a Rogerson cattle rancher who has worked with Bud for years on many projects. “He’s been an integral part of the range and beef industry forever. He exemplifies what a lot of us would aspire to be.”

Adds Lt. Gov. Brad Little, a lifelong rancher from Emmett, “He always wants to learn. I bet Bud Purdy has been on thousands of range tours. He sits in the front of the bus; he’s often one of the first ones off the bus; he wants to kick the clods, look at the creeks, look at the grass.

He’s continually interested in range science and resources.”

Bud Purdy was born in Beatrice, Nebraska. After a divorce, his mother moved Bud and her three other children to Redlands, Calif., to live with her family.

Soon after, her father, W.H. Kilpatrick, sent Bud and his brother, Bill, to work on the family sheep ranch in Picabo in the summer of 1928. The boys were 10 and 11 years old at the time. A family friend, Elmer Cox, drove them to Picabo in a Chevy two-door coupe. It took them four days to get there.

“There weren’t very many paved roads then, I’ll tell you that,” Purdy quips. “We went through Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and a lot of the area in between wasn’t paved.”

Bud and Bill got paid 10 cents a load to spread manure in the hay fields. They each had a team of horses to work with.

“We only worked half a day at a time, and then we’d go swimming or something, you know how kids are,” Purdy said with a smile.

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When he got a little older, Bud ran a derrick cart to pick up hay and stack it in big hay piles with the assistance of the ranch crew. The boys also helped tend to the sheep in the mountains. The K-K Ranch, as it was known then, was primarily a sheep operation.

“We had some range up in the East Fork of the Wood River, and we’d spend maybe a week up there, and one day, I think I was 11, we decided to climb Hyndman Peak,” Purdy says. Hyndman is one of Idaho’s tallest peaks at 12,009 feet. Obviously, Purdy got his mountain legs pretty quick. “It was a pretty good way for a little kid to have fun.”

Bud got a business degree from Washington State University in 1938. He didn’t expect to return to the ranch in Picabo.

“There weren’t any jobs,” he recalls.

“We were still in the Depression then.

But Grandpa says, you go to Picabo and I’ll pay you $60 a month plus room and board. Well that sounded like a pretty good deal, so I came to Picabo, and I’ve pretty much been here ever since.”

Bud was fortunate to have ties to the Kilpatrick family. The Kilpatrick Brothers Company had done well in the logging, mining and railroad business across the United States, helping build the nation.

The K-K Ranch had been established in Picabo by the Kilpatrick Brothers in 1889 at the same time the company was working on building the Oregon Short Line railroad from Shoshone to Ketchum.

When Bud returned to Picabo after college at age 21, the K-K Ranch was focused primarily on raising sheep. They had four bands, or 8,000 sheep, and several hundred beef cattle. In the mid-1950s, Bud and his siblings bought the K-K Ranch.

His sister and brother took the sheep operation, and Bud and his brother, Bill, decided to grow the cattle side of the business.

“There was a big transition going on at the time (from sheep to cattle),” Purdy

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

says. “I decided the cattle were the best deal, and it turned out that way.”

Purdy notes that there were 2.5 million sheep in Idaho at the time, and today there are only 250,000. “Can you believe that?”

Bud also acquired the Lava Lake Ranch, the Picabo store, and the Kilpatrick feed and grain elevator business. He named his ranching business Picabo Livestock.

Bud was in love with the ranching lifestyle by then.

“Once you get started in it, and get in it, you’re hooked,” he says. “Every morning, you get up and do something different. You turn out on the range and ride a horse every day. Even now, I go out and make sure the water is OK, check the fences and make sure the gates are closed. It’s just a constant going out there and doing it.

“I was never a cowboy, but I’ve ridden a million miles.”

Certainly part of the mystique had to be living on the banks of Silver Creek, a spring-fed blue-ribbon trout stream that winds through the Purdy Ranch. Bud can go fishing or hunt ducks right out the back door. The local fishing and hunting was one reason Ernest Hemingway moved to Ketchum in 1959. He’d already been duck hunting with Bud on Silver Creek for years.

“We were pretty good friends,” Purdy says. “He really liked bird hunting. I just looked on Hemingway as just another guy. I knew he was kind of a prominent person, but still, he didn’t throw his weight around, he was just another guy.”

The Hemingways were fond of Bud. They sent him several guns as a gift, and Hemingway signed his books.

“My favorite is The Green Hills of Africa, which is about hunting in Kenya and Tanzania, too,” Purdy says. Hemingway signed the book, “To Ruth and Bud - Best See BUD PURDY, page 34

Bud Purdy works cattle on his ranch near Picabo.

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

33

BuD PurDy

Continued from page 32

Always, Love, your friend and fellow shooter.”

As Bud developed the cattle business, Purdy Livestock encompassed 6,000 acres of private land next to Silver Creek and the Lava Lake Ranch property, and 50,000 acres of BLM and Forest Service grazing leases. They raised grain, barley, corn, potatoes and alfalfa on the private land. They wintered more than 2,500

head of cattle at the home ranch, using some of the original barns built in the late 1800s, and a 50,000-gallon water tank built by the Kilpatricks, which also provided drinking water to the town of Picabo. They always had a ranch foreman and several employees to stay on top of things. “It’s a big operation,” Purdy says.

Bud and his first wife, Maxine, had three

An aerial view of Silver Creek.

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

children, Nick, Christine and Mark. After a divorce in 1950, Bud got remarried to Ruth Eckles, to whom he was married for 51 years. Ruth also had a son, Gordon Eckles, who became part of the blended family.

In the 1970s, Bud tried some new cattle grazing management techniques. He credits Gus Hormay, the father of restrotation grazing, with educating ranch-

ers about doing things right. Hormay worked for the Forest Service and spread the word about rest-rotation grazing with ranchers throughout the western United States.

“After listening to that guy, you start realizing we’ve got to take care of the plants, the soil, and the water,” Purdy says. “And then my son went to work for us in the 1960s, and he was even more gung ho than I was about it. And so we just started in and tried to make things a little better all the time.”

Being located next to world-class fishing stream made the Purdys sensitive to the impacts of cattle on stream banks. They provided off-site water for livestock to keep them out of the river. They also adopted rest-rotation grazing systems on public lands. Range tours helped with the education, Purdy says.

“I’ve got to give the agencies, and the universities and extension credit for calling that stuff to our attention,” he says.

“The tours, they’re the best thing in the world. See what someone else is doing.”

In the 1990s, the Purdys took the next step in their conservation legacy and donated a 3,500-acre conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy. Bud’s son, Nick Purdy explains.

“The easement is on the whole ranch. It’s a non-developable easement. You can’t subdivide. Essentially, there’s a 100-foot strip on either side of the creek that’s restricted in terms of grazing and spraying and different practices. I’m glad we did it. Our easement was a gift with no intention of taking any money for it or tax advantage taken.”

The conservation easement has been valued at $7 million, according to some sources, as was reported in a history of the Kilpatrick family.

“It’s such a special piece of property,” Nick Purdy says. “There’s hardly any land like it because of Silver Creek. I feel we’re just holding it for the generations and passing it on ... it isn’t really ours,

and it’s really too special to really belong to you, so we’re just kind of in charge of it, and it’ll go down through the generations.”

Nick Purdy says it’s important for ranchers to have a strong conservation ethic. “I think you have to have that if you’re going to stay in business,” he says. “You’ve got to protect the land, protect the water, and make it better all the time because it’s good business sense, but morally, you’ve got to do it too.”

Education is important to Bud Purdy.

He was one of the founders of the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, a state agency with a mission to educate urban dwellers about the importance of rangelands, a land classification of open shrub-steppe grasslands that make up 44 percent of Idaho.

“We need to get the word out to the school kids about rangeland,” Bud Purdy says.

“Not particularly the cattle or the sheep, but the rangeland. It’s unbelievable what it supports -- watershed, wildlife. It supports everything!”

Bud Purdy also served in many leadership posts in education and business circles. He was chairman of the University of Idaho Foundation, president of the Idaho Cattle Association, and chairman of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry (IACI), the state’s most influential business lobby.

When Purdy was chairman of IACI in 1982-83, he flew around Idaho with IACI President Pat Harwood to help recruit members. Another one of Purdy’s talents is being a private pilot. He still flies his own plane -- a Piper 235 Cherokee.

“I fly it all the time,” Purdy says. “It flies like a dream.”

Purdy’s been flying since 1941, checking on his cattle, finding strays, flying to business meetings, and even flying with son Nick to Mexico to go dove hunting.

The Purdys have a turbo-charged, pressurized Cessna 210 with a Rolls Royce engine. Nick flies that plane.

“There’s something about flying that you like to fly,” he says. “If a band of sheep gets lost, you can get in the airplane and spot them real quick. I like to fly for recreation, too. Hell, for 50 years, we flew into the Root Ranch and hunted elk.”

Purdy doesn’t have any particular advice for living a long and full life. “Just take it one day at a time, that’s all you can do,” he says. “I don’t do anything special, you know. I don’t abuse myself ... I’ll take a drink but I don’t smoke, I’m careful.”

Most of all, Bud believes that growing up on a ranch teaches kids to have a strong work ethic, just like it did for him.

“You couldn’t beat it, could you? No way.

Nick’s boys were raised on the ranch, and they’re real workers,” Purdy says. “Boy those are the best kids you ever saw. Unbelievable. That’s what it does, they learn to work. “ Here is a list of awards that Bud Purdy received over the years: • U.S. Forest Service 75th anniversary award, 1980.

• Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service) 50th anniversary award, 1985.

• Idaho Cattleman of the Year, 1987.

• National Environmental Stewardship Award, National Cattlemen’s Association, 1994.

• Pat Harwood Award for Distinguished Service to Idaho Business, 1999, presented by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry.

• Distinguished Service Award, College of Southern Idaho.

• Outstanding Achievement Award, Society of Range Management.

Steve Stuebner is the writer and producer of Life on the Range, a public education project sponsored by the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission. www. lifeontherange.org

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Tracking Milk and Egg Trends For the first quarter of 2012, shoppers reported the average price for a halfgallon of regular whole milk was $2.46, up 9 cents from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole milk was $3.53, down 23 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 halfgallon of rBST-free milk was

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$3.42, up 8 cents from the last quarter, about 40 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.46).

The average price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $4.19, up 28 cents compared to the prior quarter, about 70 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.46).

Compared to a year ago (first quarter of 2011), the retail price for regular milk in gallon containers was up about 2 percent, while regular milk in half-gallon containers rose 9 percent. The average retail price for rBST-free milk increased 6 percent compared to the prior year, while organic milk was up 13 percent.

For the first quarter of 2012, the average price for one dozen regular eggs was

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

$1.77, up 5 cents compared to the prior quarter. The average price for a dozen “cage-free” eggs was $3.39, up 42 cents compared to the prior quarter but nearly double (90 percent higher) the price of regular eggs. Compared to a year ago (first quarter of 2011), regular eggs increased 8 percent while “cage-free” eggs increased 6 percent.

Don’t Take Unnecessary Risks with Spill Prevention

By Terry Kristof The overall Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) concept is about reducing risk. An SPCC plan is required by law, enforced under the Clean Water Act and by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Those who store a minimum volume of 1,320 gallons of fuel must have a plan in place and on site. Farmers handling up to 10,000 gallons can write their own plan, and selfcertify it. Those who handle over 10,000 gallons need an engineer to write and certify their plans.

Before you start any plan at all, consider your fuel tanks, and your use of them. Do they generate a profit? If so, you would consider them an asset. If not, why do you have them? There is nothing inherently wrong in keeping fuel tanks for convenience; it simply begs the question “how much unnecessary risk do you want?”

If your tanks are an asset, a necessary liability or you just want to keep them, consider the risk. Fuel is toxic, explosive and expensive. Handling fuel is only a small part of your overall operation. Honestly, how long has it been since you’ve given your tanks a long, slow thought? Safety planning

is underrated until some human being is gone in a flash….literally. Loss of fuel is costly. Costs of a cleanup dramatically increase with the period of time it takes to contain and control the spill. Check your insurance coverage. How long are you planning to buy and use fuel for your farm? Each farmer will have different answers; some will decide either the tanks or themselves are too old to fuss with any more.

Some will see that there is a better spot; some will purchase newer tanks and some will expand.

rain. With this nightmare scenario in mind answer each question in the template. Would a ditch or berm come in handy? Supplies?

Spark sources? Where is your well? Most importantly, what would be best? At each step consider the risk.

This won’t be easy; nothing good is. Some questions will require that you look up the section of law the template references,(shown to the right of each section number ie (§112.7(a)(3)(i)).When you

have finished your plan, go back to that first question.

Now, you may find that you have a plan that meets the code and that you are comfortable certifying.

Terry Kristof has over 20 years continuous experience writing SPCC Plans for facilities ranging from large petroleum storage and distribution sites to remote school districts to airports; including over 60 plans for farms.

If you handle less than 10,000 gallons you can download a SPCC plan template at www.epa.gov/ osweroe1/content/spcc/tier1temp.htm. The template is confusing. If you use this template, start by making your map. Ignore the certification section until you have finished the plan.

The map is really the “heart” of your plan. Download an aerial photo of your farm, (Google Earth). Before you zoom in closely, notice the overall drainage in your area. Draw in the location of your tanks. Inventory includes every petroleum product stored in 55 gallon drums and larger. Now, visualize the worst possible spill, frozen ground, in the

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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County Happenings

The Idaho Potato Commission’s latest promotion was in Pocatello in early April. The giant spud is being trucked across country with stops in several states. The spud weighs over 12,000 pounds and if it were a real potato it would make over 30,000 servings of mashed potatoes. Find more information at www.bigidahopotato.com

The North Idaho Hay Growers Workshop was held on March 20 at the Worley Grange Hall. It was sponsored by University of Idaho Extension, Primeland Cooperatives, Kootenai County Farm Bureau and IHFA. There were 82 in attendance and speakers were Dr. Glenn Shewmaker from UI speaking on forage crop establishment, Steve Fansen from WSU speaking on Timothy Hay Production, Dr. Timothy Prather from UI speaking on weeds in forage crops. Dr. Shewmaker also spoke on growing hay for horses and what the marketing opportunities were. In the photo is Dr. Tim Prather speaking on Ventenata.

Photo by Bob Smathers

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

Idaho Farm Bureau’s Moving Agriculture to the Classroom (MAC) project visited several North Idaho schools in early April. This photo is of students eating pancakes they made from flour they ground at a school in Orofino.

Photo by Bob Smathers

More County Happenings on Page 41

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

County Happenings

John Quintana recently won an ag basket from the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau.

Edna Sparrow recently won an ag basket from the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau.

Dean Kohntopp recently won an ag basket from the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau.

Idaho’s Farm to School Program Continues to Grow Farm to School is a broad term that encompasses efforts to bring more local foods to schools cafeterias, increase nutrition and agriculture literacy, and establish school gardens. A survey of Idaho school districts found that over 70 percent report doing some type of Farm to School program at select schools within their districts. School participation varies from buying local foods like trout, tortillas and apples from regular foodservice distributors, to schools who buy fresh fruits directly from growers.

Schools may also have school gardens or host special events to increase awareness of local foods and agriculture.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s Idaho Preferred program works collaboratively with the Idaho State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Services to coordinate statewide Farm to School efforts. This year, a Farm to School Advisory Committee was formed to help expand the depth and scope of the program. As a result, the first Idaho Farm to School Conference will be held this summer in Boise. Farmers, school foodservice directors, educators and others interested in working collaboratively to increase agricultural literacy, school gardens and local food use in cafeterias will meet July 23-24, 2012. Workshops, success stories, learning from a recent pilot program, and local field trips will provide hands on-learning opportunities in procurement, production, regulations and other issues affecting schools Farm to School efforts.

For more information, go to http://idahopreferred.com/farm-to-school/farmtoschoolconference.htm

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

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CLASSIFIEDS

DEADLINE DATES:

Animals

Household

Real Estate/Acreage

Vehicles

2 year old Blk/white paint gelding.

Halter broke. Lunges, feet trimming, no problem to catch. $1500.

Sandpoint, Id. 208-263-5549

Restored antique oak furniture washstand, dressers, desks, tables, chairs, lawyer bookcases, hall tree, Victorian fireplace mantel from the 1800’s. Burley, Id. Call Don at 208678-2036 or 431-2036

1974 Marlette 14x70 Tip-out.

Near new furnace. $6,500. 1973 Academy 14x60 $3,500. Good Condition. Upgrades required by State before moving. Sold AS IS Condition. Shelley area. For more details call 528-5337. Leave message.

1987 Chev. Crew Cab 1 ton. 512 cu. in. New T-400, G.V. OD. 4:56 Posi. Weld Wheels, Bridgestone tires 80%, extra 120 gallon tank.

Previous race car hauler. $6,500.

Would trade for nice gas forklift 6,000 lb capacity. Northern, Id. Questions? Call 208-826-3240

Beautiful, small southeast Idaho ranch near Lava Hot Springs.

Abound with wildlife, springs and ponds. Modern, well-appointed ranch house, surrounded by groomed parklike outdoors and patios. Nice set of outbuildings and fences. Call Jeff 208-254-3331

Wanted

ISSUE OF THE

Used farm panels 5 ft or larger; 3 pt 540 PTO rototiller; Rotary 3pt mower, used green houses and white king pigeons. Call Cecil at 208-316-4522

QUARTERLY

Morgan horses for sale, saddle trained. Stallion service offered. www.creamridgemorgans.com or 208-476-7221 ASCA registered Australian Shepherd pups. Working line since 1968. Full satisfaction guaranteed.

All four colors available now. Boise, Id 208-484-9802

Farm Equipment Hotsy pressure washer MD 1065 SS, like new, 60 hr running time $4,800; Suitcase wirefeed, like new, $800; Lincoln LN25 $1,200.

Salmon, Id 208-756-4414 Bale Wagon, pull behind, Ne Holland 1032 just completely rebuilt. Firm $9,965. Emmett, Id. Email wfbrinkley@gmail.com or Call 208-908-1418 Irrigation pipe: 3” alum. hook & latch handline, 140’ mainline w/ shut-offs. Approx. 1700’ sprinkler pipe, some center, some end sprinklers. Lots of misc. fittings, 50+ extra sprinklers. All for $3500.00. Call Mike: 208-8764073 Challenger MT 755, 2209 hrs, annual service checks by Western States, 1000 hrs on 25” tracks, Trimble auto steer and sprayer control, clean one owner, $152,000.00; John Deere Combine 9610, 2208 hrs, 1629 separator hrs, 25’ platform, JD Grain GPS monitoring system, $85,000.00. e-mail: deegt@aol.com or call 208-220-3335 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

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Miscellaneous Mobile self-propelled Jazzy electric chair. Must Sell. Will accept offers.

Blackfoot, Id. 208-681-0405 Horse Carriage, Naughahide top with fringe and seat, custom built, no harness, excellent condition, kept under cover. Middleton, Id. $900. Red and black. Like new.

208-585-2030

Estate Sale: 105 pine hollow road, Stevensville, Montana. 18 irrigated acres, 1980 3 bdrm, 2 bath house with 1 car garage and deck, hay shed, 2110 sq. ft. shop. Was asking $495,000. Price reduced to $295,000. 208-232-8796

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.

Real Estate/Acreage

Great Home on 18 acres, fantastic view, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath. Home sits on 6 acres with two additional 6 acre parcels to keep or sell.

Close to hunting and fishing. NO CC&R’s. Between Horseshoe Bend & Sweet. Price: $229,900. Call Jackie 208-793-3685

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.

Log home, 20 acres, overlooks lg. cattle ranch, near Blackfoot reservoir, Nat’l forest, 1 hour from Jackson. 2200 s.f., 2 bedroom, 2 bath, huge loft, 2 story rock fireplace, trex porches, radiant heat, wood floors, built-in vac, all appliances. 350K 970-764-4343

70 acre Idaho ranch in the Lava/ McCammon area. Nice home and outbuildings in a beautiful secluded area just 2 miles off I-15.

Plenty of water -- springs & ponds hosting abundant fowl & wildlife.

Great opportunity for guest ranch. $590,000. 208-254-3331

Top quality cedar fence posts.

Lewiston, Id. 208-798-8802 Improved health using Whole Body Vibration machine 10 minutes each day. Oxygenates every cell, increases blood flow, flushes the lymphatic system, increases the Human Growth Hormone, build muscle and bone, plus more. View videos: www.platniumlifesolutions. com Diane 208-407-2406

Build Your Dream Home Here.

10 acres on gentle rolling land.

County paved and maintained roads. Views Of CDA Lake. Close to Cave Bay Public Marina. Easy Drive To CDA Casino, CDA And Spokane.

Can Be Subdivided. $125k. Call Dennis@208-771-4524

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2012

Recreational Equipment 29’ Wellcraft Flybridge Cruiser Twin 260 hp Mercruiser inboards fully equipped dual station helms, head, galley and bunks. tri axle trailer. more.$29,000. American Falls, Id. Call for info. 208-226-5131

ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JULY 20 FOR NEXT

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

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FREE CLASSIFIEDS Non commercial classified ads are free to Idaho Farm Bureau members.

Must include membership number for free ad. Forty (40) words maximum.

Non-member cost- 50 cents per word. You may advertise your own crops, livestock, used machinery, household items, vehicles, etc. Ads will not be accepted by phone. Ads run one time only and must be re-submitted in each subsequent issue. We reserve the right to refuse to run any ad. Please type or print clearly. Proof-read your ad.

Mail ad copy to: P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848 or email Dixie at DASHTON@IDAHOFB.ORG Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________ City / State / Zip: __________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________

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