The State of Ag - Tri-City Herald by Tri-City Herald

2016

STATE OF

A LOOK AT WASHINGTON’S MOST IMPORTANT AG COMMODITIES APPLES • GRAPES • WHEAT • HOPS

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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High-Demand Training Opportunities Viticulture Sustainability Wine Business Entrepreneurship

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Tri-City Herald State of Ag

TABLE OF CONTENTS Apples �� 6 Blueberries ��7 Cherries �� 8 Wine grapes �� 9 Juice grapes ��10 Nectarines ��12 Peaches ��13 Pears ��14 Asparagus ��16 Carrots ��17 Onions ��18 Sweet corn ��19 Potatoes ��20 Pulses/lentils ��22 Canola ��23 Hay �� 24 Lavender ��26 Wheat ��27 Mint ��28 Dairy ��30 Honey ��32 Eggs ��34 ON THE COVER: The wheat harvest is underway out on eastern Washington’s Palouse.

Washington continues to produce wide variety of ag commodities BY LIBBY CAMPBELL Tri-City Herald

ake a stroll through any local farmers market and you’ll see an array of brightly colored produce: cherries, sweet corn, carrots, onions, blueberries, and, of course, apples. All of which are grown right here in the Mid-Columbia. Just like the cool, wet valleys west of the Cascades and eastern Washington’s dry shrub-steppe desert, the state’s crops and commodities are vastly varied. In fact, Washington falls behind only California in the number of agricultural commodities produced at nearly 300. Washington’s 2014 value of agricultural production reached $10.1 billion, setting a record high. The commodities with the top production value in the state are apples, milk, cattle/ calves, potatoes, wheat, hay, cherries, grapes, eggs and hops. Based on 2015 numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington is the top producing state in nine commodities: apples, hops,

Concord grapes, spearmint oil, wrinkled seed peas, green peas for processing, sweet cherries, pears and Niagara grapes. The most recent Census of Agriculture, conducted in 2012, counted 1,509 farms in Benton County, 883 in Franklin County, 943 in Walla Walla County and 3,143 in Yakima County. The USDA estimates there are close to 36,000 farms across the state, and most recent estimates show that 160,000 people in Washington are employed in agriculture. According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, agriculture accounts for 7.3 percent of total employment in the area. Average annual employment in the ag industry was up almost 6 percent in 2014 from the previous year. The agriculture industry doesn’t just stop at farming in Washington. Food processing in the state is a $17 billion dollar industry, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Regionally, Yakima, Benton, Franklin and

Walla Walla counties were all in the top 10 as far as gross sales and employment in the food processing industry in 2013. Those same four counties were also in the top 10 for value of agricultural products sold. The Tri-City Herald last published State of Ag in 2013, and it became a valuable tool in classrooms across the area. We hope by highlighting the significance of our region’s agricultural industry, we honor those who work hard to provide important commodities and inspire our community to recognize and appreciate the grand significance of what is right here in the Mid-Columbia.

Photo by Sara Nelson

Washington produces more mint than any other state in the nation.

Courtesy of Labbee Mint

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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HOW WASHINGTON RANKS

TOP PRODUCTION VALUE

- U.S. Department of Agriculture

No. 1

Apples Hops Concord grapes Spearmint oil Wrinkled seed peas Green peas (processing) Sweet cherries Pears Niagara grapes

No. 2

Peppermint oil Potatoes Nectarines Apricots Grapes (all) Prunes/plums Sweet corn (processing) Raspberries

No. 3

- U.S. Department of Agriculture

Lentils Dry edible peas Tart cherries Onions Asparagus Blueberries

1. Apples 2. Milk 3. Cattle/calves 4. Potatoes 5. Wheat 6. Hay 7. Cherries 8. Eggs 9. Grapes 10. Hops

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Apples remain top commodity BY ALICIA WALTERS For the Tri-City Herald

ashington state boasts nearly 15 million acres of farmland and ranks first in the United States for production in several different commodities. Apples were the No. 1 Washington commodity with a production value of nearly $2.4 billion in 2015, so it should be no surprise that the state’s apple industry accounts for 70 percent of U.S. apple production. Washington is considered a major producer of apples as well as stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. Harvest for the 2016-17 crop is currently underway. The estimated forecast for apples as of August was 132.9 million 40-pound boxes. That’s a staggering number, considering it only accounts for about 90 percent of good apples sold and does not include those that were sorted out. “Many of our growers have since reported that harvest has been a bit lighter and it may come in slightly lower,” said Jon DeVaney of the Washington Tree Fruit Association. However, all signs indicate a good harvest this year compared with last year’s 115 million 40-pound boxes harvest. Mark Rowley of Rowley and Hawkins Fruit Farm, a 900-acre farm in Basin City and Othello, believes that some of the farm’s success relies on the weather, but that “careful pruning and thinning” and management of the orchards on the part of the farmer lies at the heart of a good crop. Similar to last year, their crop was

APPLES AT A GLANCE ► Rank in nation: No. 1 ► Value of production: $2.4 billion ► Production in pounds: 5.95 billion ► State acreage: 148,000 6

two weeks ahead of schedule, and three to four days ahead of 2014’s schedule; however there was no decrease in apple production. In fact, the cooler summer made for better fruit as the young fruit was not subjected to sunburn; and then of course, a good harvest resulting from competent farm management. Rowley and Hawkins is a traditional farm, using integrated pest management. They keep their orchards clean and this year were able to yield plentiful apples with minimal damage despite several Photo by Rachael Cutler storms. On average 10 to 12 billion apples are harvested in Washington each year. Rowley and Hawkins apples many of Washington’s apples are grown grows 14 varieties of commercial apples are sorted into organically such as the apples grown at including Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith. four-foot by four-foot bins and they Empey Brothers’ Farms in Mesa. His apples are 93 percent certified organic report volume as “bins per acre.” They and he also grows 40 cider apple varieties Organic farmers like Nolan Empey grow 12 varieties of apples, with their used to make Sheffield Cider. Empey always have to find the balance between Red Delicious doing particularly well this Brothers’ Farms send 44 million apples pests and pesticide use. Obtaining a year at 85 bins per acre. The Gala apples all over the world each year. Their 849 pesticide license is considered by some produced 75 bins per acre—“a really good acre farm also produces cherries, peaches, farmers to be more of an investment yield,” Rowley said, and Golden at 45 nectarines, apricots and apriums. than obtaining a Washington driver’s bins per acre. The Honeycrisp did not license. You have to receive 20 continuing This year’s mild weather has been have as many bins per acre. education credits every five years to good for all Washington apple growers. Rowley and Hawkins’ fruit is made maintain your pesticide license. There have been no water restrictions available to consumers in grocery stores, this year and aside from the usual These requirements for pesticide farmers markets and fruit stands. They challenges with bugs, there haven’t been use are not unique to Washington state. also produce tart cherry juice from any particularly challenging circumstances “The [Environmental Protection Agency] concentrate, dried cherries and gourmet that could not be handled. reviews all chemicals and their proposed jams and jellies including apricot, cherry uses by commodity to set restrictions on “Mother Nature has been good to and blackberry cherry jam. how, when and in what amounts these us,” Empey said. “We haven’t had any Washington orchardists have been products can be applied,” DeVaney said. problems—no hail, perfect cold nights, a in the organic growing business for “Washington state’s primary role is in short summer, et cetera. To be honest, it’s decades due to consumer preference licensing qualified and trained applicators been pretty good for everyone.” and environmental responsibility. to oversee the use of these products and Apple picking should continue until The Organic Food Products Act was enforcing EPA label instructions.” early November. While it may not be passed by the state of Washington in Perhaps it is Washington farmers’ a record breaking year for apples, it has 1985 and certification is managed by commitment to these standards that certainly been a great year. the Washington State Department of make their apples so great. Nolan Empey Agriculture. You’re likely to notice that

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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Blueberries

are a growing business

BY RENEE POTTLE For the Tri-City Herald

magine a food crop in great demand. A crop that provides a tasty treat, but is healthy too. A crop that’s consumption increases nearly 13 percent annually. A crop with a hungry, worldwide following. A crop that you might be able to grow right here in the Mid-Columbia. It’s not a dream, it’s the current reality for blueberries. Sweet, tangy blueberries – we can’t get enough of them. It all started about 20 years ago. One of the few cultivated native North American berries, blueberries had always been less popular than raspberries and blackberries. Then scientists labeled blueberries a superfood. Blueberries, full of healthy antioxidants, help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and macular degeneration. We started eating more and more blueberries, and now their popularity only trails strawberries. Blueberries have been grown in Washington for a long time, but mostly in their native habitat west of the Cascades. But diseases and pests that affect blueberries also like the coastal environment. Mid-Columbia farmers quickly came to the rescue. “Washington is the largest blueberry producer in the United States,” said Alan Schreiber, chair of the Washington Blueberry Commission, “and we have been for the last few years.” The increase has been rapid. Washington ranked fourth in the nation just four years ago. Now we have 16,000 acres of blueberries, 3,500 of which are in eastern Washington. This year 110 million pounds of berries were harvested, for a market value approaching $200 million, while 10 years ago only 18 million pounds were harvested. “We also have the widest harvest range, a four-month window,” he said. Harvest in our area begins in June, and the statewide harvest wraps up in September. Seventy percent of the crop tricityherald.com

is processed, usually frozen or dried berries, but also as juice and fruit puree. The remainder is sold fresh, and most of the Mid-Columbia’s fresh crop

is organic. Since blueberries are not native to arid eastern Washington, we have no blueberry pests here, making it a good organic environment. Our warm, sunny summers foster some of the highest berry yields anywhere, which is good because demand continues to grow. When Julie and Bill Michener of Bill’s Berry Farm in Grandview decided to grow blueberries, it took 18 months for the plants to arrive. They have been growing blueberries on eight acres for the last nine years, including one acre of U-pick berries. “Our blueberries are all hand harvested and intended for the fresh market,” said Julie Michener. Their berries are grown using biological farming practices, which goes one step beyond organic. While organic assures that a product is free from synthetic pesticides, biological farming works more intently with the soil for an even healthier berry. It’s an approach embraced by their U-pick customers and by Whole Foods, which buys 100 percent of their commercial crop. It doesn’t look like blueberries’ popularity is going away anytime soon. Any product experiencing rapid growth is bound to face a few challenges. Processing and packaging facilities haven’t expanded as quickly as yields. “We ship about one-third out of state for processing and packing,” Schreiber said. Worker shortages continue to be a problem for the labor intensive harvest and cold spring weather has an effect on the crop. “We are still learning,” said Schreiber. Learning and planting to meet the ever expanding demand.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Sweet cherries reign supreme BY RAVEN SMITH For the Tri-City Herald

weet and succulent with just the slightest hint of tartness, sweet cherries are firm, glossy, deep red and undeniably desirable. With their unique set of antioxidants, the health benefits of sweet cherries are numerous, and research shows consuming sweet cherries can have a calming effect on the brain and nervous system, sooth irritability, insomnia and headaches and can even help to establish regular sleep patterns. That’s good news for residents of the Pacific Northwest, as Washington state ranks first in the United States for production of 11 commodities, one of those being sweet cherries. According to the 2015 State Agriculture Overview, 35,000 acres of sweet cherries were harvested in Washington state, which yielded 6.36 tons per acre. Matthew Whiting, associate scientist and professor in the department of horticulture, manages a research farm from Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center and runs the sweet cherry program in Prosser. He heads the team of experts in a study program that’s designed to help cherry growers be more profitable and more sustainable. “The biggest threat to the sweet cherry industry,” Whiting said, “has been its dependence on hand labor for harvest,” which has accounted for approximately 60 percent of annual production costs. To help with this issue, his research program focuses on incorporating mechanical and/or mechanically assisted harvest technologies. “We’ve utilized a total systems approach,” said Whiting, “looking at suitable cultivars, new ways to prune and train the trees, prototype harvest equipment, storage life and consumer preference studies for stem-free cherries.” The motivation of Whiting’s research has been the anticipation of harvest labor shortages, and the need for harvest efficiency to improve. 8

SWEET CHERRIES AT A GLANCE ► Rank in nation: No. 1 ► Rank among state’s crops: 221,900 tons ► Value of production: $437 million

“Our research has documented a three to four-fold increase in harvest efficiency with mechanically assisted harvest systems such as our handheld shake-andcatch system,” continued Whiting. “The fully mechanical harvester we have tested has the potential to improve harvest efficiency by more than 40-fold (pounds per minute) compared with traditional hand harvest.” This biggest roadblock so far to adopting these harvest technologies is the perception that stem-free cherries don’t store as well as cherries with the stems attached, and that consumers would prefer cherries with stems – of which neither opinion is true, said Whiting. “Our process of growing, shipping and marketing cherries has really evolved, and it keeps evolving,” he said, “and I believe we do it here better than anybody else in the world.” Statistics help back up his claim, as the United States is the third largest producer of cherries in the world, and Washington regularly leads the nation in the sweet cherry business. “I consider our region here to be the global leaders in the industry, certainly nationally, as we grow more than half our nation’s cherries right here.” So what makes Washington the perfect breeding ground for growing sweet cherries? “We have a very excellent climate that is really suitable for growing high quality fruit like cherries,” said Whiting. “Bright sunny days, cool nights, good soils and a well-developed irrigation system

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Photo by Bob Hubner, courtesy of Washington State University

Matthew Whiting, associate scientist and professor at Washington State University’s horticulture department, leads a team that works to help make cherry growers more profitable and sustainable. really lend themselves to successful production.” Bing cherries have been one of the most important varieties of sweet cherries grown in the Pacific Northwest as far back as the 1990s, and they are the leading sweet cherry in North America. Northwest cherries range in taste from the mild sweetness of Tietons (an early season mahogany red cherry) to the incredible sugar content of Rainiers (a premium niche cherry that ripens after the Bing). All cherries grown in the Northwest are known for their phenomenal and unmatched flavor and are exported internationally to markets including Canada, Taiwan and Japan. Traditionally in Washington, the main marketing season for sweet cherries is around the Fourth of July, where promotion is heavy then as the main tradition variety tends to ripen near the end of June. Something else Washington specializes in is taking sweet cherries and making them even sweeter. If “life is like a box of chocolates,” then a company called Chukar Cherries is leading the way.

Chukar Cherries is a family owned business in Prosser. They were launched in 1988 with the goal of being the go-to source for extraordinary Pacific Northwest foods and gifts crafted from locally grown cherries and berries. They have more than 50 products, but their chewy, semi-dried cherries rolled in oval nuggets of chocolate continue to be the company’s most popular product. In 1992, Chukar Cherries opened a second store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the Main Arcade. It draws local and international visitors alike wanting to taste the chocolate covered cherries, berries and nuts. They also have a third store in Leavenworth. Whether sweet or chocolate covered cherries are your thing, Washington will continue to deliver only the very best.

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Wine grapes continue to thrive BY KEVIN COLE For the Tri-City Herald

ashington’s wine grapes brought in $262 million in 2015, and early indications are that 2016’s wine grape harvest may be one of the biggest ever. The quality is harder to call, but even that could be among the best in years. Tom Thorsen manages Conner Lee Vineyards, suppliers of premium wine grapes to a number of well-respected wineries. He says that last year’s heat drove the brix (sugar level) higher than normal, quicker than usual. Thus, they were “sugar ripe” before they were “flavor ripe.” A cooler late summer this year has flavor and sugar levels ripening together. His clients are liking what they see of the bigger fruit (grapes) and bigger clusters. Caleb Foster made wine in New Zealand, South Africa and California before settling at John Bookwalter Wines – an iconic Tri-Cities winery. He’s one of Thorsen’s happy clients: “You can make wine a lot of different ways, depending on what harvest gives you to work with,” he said. “This year, a wide variety of flavors are developing beautifully, offering great opportunities to do interesting things. The quality is exceptionally high, as expressed in both color and intensity of flavor – not just sugar.” Foster is a Washington fan. “We (Eastern Washington) offer the very best quality fruit in the world. In time we can and will double the amount of wine we produce from grapes that we grow. It’s up to us as growers and producers to keep it exciting for consumers,” he said. Most of Washington’s wine grapes are grown on contract for Washington wineries, according to Vicky Scharlau of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG). Not coincidentally, most of Washington’s 900-plus wineries don’t grow their own grapes; they buy from Eastern Washington vineyards. A healthy wine industry merger and acquisition market has resulted in Washington vineyards and wineries more frequently being owned by big companies from elsewhere. Washington state’s biggest vineyard owner/operator tricityherald.com

Photo by Sara Nelson

More than 4,000 acres of grapes grow in the vineyards of the Red Mountain AVA, or American Viticulture Area. is Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, owned by Virginia-based Altria. Other big Washington growers are Precept, Constellation and Gallo. Of those, only Precept is Northwest-owned. The Tri-Cities’ biggest vineyard does happen to be locally-owned. The Monson family started out in cattle and fruit before developing Goose Ridge Vineyards, and has turned a unique property in Goose Gap into 2,200 acres of wine grapes. Goose Gap is a saddleshaped piece of land between Red Mountain, Candy Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills, southwest of West Richland. It’s a wide open area with great sun and “interesting” slopes that winemaker Andrew Wilson says provide a variety of opportunities for vineyard manager Glen Ward. “It’s a warm site where we can ripen a lot of different varietals,” Wilson said. “Even better, there are slopes to almost every direction, which give it a

tremendous variability and versatility.” Washington’s largest wine grape nursery is just west of Red Mountain, near Benton City. Inland Desert Nursery sells vines around the country but is particularly familiar with local vineyards. General Manager Kevin Judkins says red wines are the big dogs: “Our top five sold into Washington are all reds: cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec. Very few places in the world can you grow a really superpremium red wine grape... but we have a number of them.” The Mid-Columbia is perfectly capable of growing excellent white wine grapes as well, but it comes down to return. “Generally speaking, if a piece of land will grow a premium red wine grape, it will yield a bigger return than would most white wine grapes. So the vineyards tend to lean toward reds.” Decades ago, Washington’s postprohibition wine grape growers made an

intentional choice to focus on premium wine grapes rather than compete for the high-quantity, low-price market segment. That’s paying off now, as California growers – under pressure from cheap imported wine – tear out thousands of acres that produced wine priced at less than $8 a bottle. At the same time, demand for premium grapes for more expensive wines continues to grow. The future of Washington’s wine grape crop isn’t easy to call, despite consistent, predictable growth in recent years. It takes a big investment and several years for vineyards to start to produce. Thus wine grape growers have to think years ahead. Even with an enviable position at the premium end of the spectrum, generational changes impact everything – including the future of wine. Silicon Valley Bank pays close attention to the wine industry – especially in California, Washington and Oregon. Their 2016 state of the wine industry report identifies four consumer groups by age: Boomers (50 – 67 years old) drink most of the wine, Gen X (38 – 49 years old) are in second place. Millennials (21 – 37 years old) and Matures (68+ years old) are much farther back. Why does that matter? Five years from now, Gen X will take over the top spot. Just five years after that, Millennials will be the dominant wine drinkers, although they are showing interest in alternatives such as craft ciders and spirits. Rob McMillan is the executive vice president of Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division. He says Washington growers are in a good situation. “A lot of California wineries looking for premium quality grapes find them in Washington and Oregon. That works out well for the Northwest, with its high quality and relatively low cost.” Things are looking good in the foreseeable future for eastern Washington’s wine grape growers, thanks to the foresight of the generations of vineyard owners and managers who maintained a focus on quality and put in the work to develop what has become Washington’s Wine Country.

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington No. 1 in juice grape production BY KENDRA WATERS For the Tri-City Herald

oll down the windows on a drive out of town during harvest season and you will most likely catch a whiff of ripe Concords; the vines, which stretch for miles, weave in and out of the low rolling hills. Due to the heat and a long growing season, the Mid-Columbia is a perfect place to grow grapes. What may come as a surprise, is that we are known for more than just our wine grapes. Concord grapes are a long standing tradition in the Mid-Columbia. According to Ron Irvine and Walt Clore’s “The Wine Project,” Concords were planted near Outlook, a small community in Yakima County, as early as 1904. Kennewick was also once home to a Welch’s bottling plant. The plant, which was on Railroad Avenue, was sold to J Lieb Foods and closed in 2007. However, a large majority of the grapes harvested locally are still processed by Welch’s. Once processed, the final products are sold around the world. Washington is the leading producer of juice grapes in the United States. Though our acreage has declined from 24,000 in 2013 to 22,000 in 2015, our yield was nearly 50,000 tons more at 230,000. Richard Boushey, owner of Boushey Vineyards five miles north of Grandview, grows both juice and wine grapes. “This will be a large crop for [Washington] with excellent quality because of the wonderful growing conditions this year,” he said. Boushey also explained that the characteristics that make the MidColumbia great for growing juice grapes are the same qualities that make it great for growing numerous other crops: “This dry, arid climate, with cold winters, keeps the pest populations down and limits disease.” It’s interesting to note that it takes nearly three times more acres of wine grapes to yield the same crop. Wine grapes, which have a European lineage, have been bred and selected for their wine attributes throughout the centuries. On the other hand, juice grapes, such as Concord and Niagara, originated on the East Coast. This has made them able to 10

withstand much colder temperatures, less susceptible to pests and diseases and more cost effective to grow. Because of their natural ability of being immune or tolerant to many pests and diseases, most juice grapes have never been sprayed with pesticides. Boushey, who has many years of experience, has only sprayed his Concord grapes with chemicals used to control weeds. The lack of pesticides used on grapes provides an environmentally friendly benefit to our local soil. Boushey believes that one of the strengths of the industry is its ability to grow and process the fruit locally. “There is a tremendous investment in plants, facilities and vineyards that create many full and part-time jobs year round,” he said. During the planting and harvest months, most often in the late spring, summer and early fall, the number of jobs rises. These numbers are also on a steady rise year after year. According to the Washington State Employment Security Department’s 2012 Agriculture Workforce Report, the average number of monthly agriculture workers rose 7 percent, from 81,573 workers to 87,249, from 2011 to 2012. The number of seasonal workers increased from 40,279 to 43,881, an 8.9 percent increase. Although juice grape production may be booming, consumption numbers are declining. Other juice products, such as apple, orange and cranberry are in constant competition with grape juice. In addition, numerous other beverages such as soda, energy drinks and coffee, which all provide a caffeinated boost to your day, are becoming common replacements to a glass of juice. If the market declines too much, and crop production reduces, it will begin to affect the number of jobs available throughout the year. At Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser, researchers like Markus Keller are working hard to cut production costs while maintaining or improving crop yield. One such way they are doing this is by studying and improving processing and irrigation. By minimizing the amount of labor involved in processing and relying on machines, farmers can cut

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Photo by Kendra Waters

Washington leads the nation in juice grape production. Nearly 230,000 tons of juice grapes were produced in the state in 2015. overhead costs. Living in the Mid-Columbia also means the amount of water available may change from year to year due to winter and summer droughts. The IAREC has been working on a drip irrigation system, rather than the traditional method of soaking the crop. Keller said that by employing both these tactics, the juice grapes grown at the IAREC have yielded 30 percent more crop than the farmers in our area produce using traditional practices to grow and harvest Concord grapes. Although other beverages are taking over the market, Concord grapes have many health benefits that are often overlooked. Like red wine, 100 percent grape juice made from Concord grapes

can benefit the heart. According to research provided on Welchs.com, “Concord grapes and grape juice can support a healthy heart by promoting healthy circulation, keeping blood pumping and energy flowing.” Boushey added, “The polyphenols found in grape’s skins not only give grapes their great color but act as antioxidants that may help high cholesterol, help clear arteries and can contribute to a healthy immune system.” The next time you’re driving out of town looking at the numerous vineyards surrounding the Tri-Cities, remember the importance they bring to our local economy and health.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington No. 2 in nectarines BY ALICIA WALTERS For the Tri-City Herald

he Mid-Columbia has the largest variety of crops in the Northwest, and stone fruits are no exception. One particular crop, nectarines, are gaining in popularity at such a pace that local farmers are having to reassess their nectarine production in order to keep customers satisfied. Washington is No. 2 in the U.S. for nectarine production. Last year, there were 1,200 acres of nectarines harvested at 8.08 tons per acre, producing 9,700 tons of nectarines. The value of production was $8.8 million. It may not have broken records, but it was a very good growing season for peaches and nectarines; the milder summer, cooler nights and plentiful water contributed to what is now an abundant harvest of peaches and nectarines. Nectarine season typically runs July

through September, although similar to last year, nectarines came on two weeks early, according to Mark Rowley of Rowley and Hawkins Fruit. Nectarines are a natural alternative for customers who prefer their smooth skin and their slightly stronger flavor over the fuzzy peach. But while many customers

still purchase peaches for canning, there are an increasing number of them who are just in it for the fruit, and nectarines are popular as a ready-to-eat alternative to the peach. Rowley indicated that while nectarines grow well in our area, there simply is not enough acreage of nectarines to meet the demand. This year, his one acre of nectarine trees yielded 2,500 20-pound boxes per acre or 50,000 pounds of fruit per acre. It is a high yield but he found that his nectarines were still in short supply for customer demand, and he plans on adding an additional five acres of nectarines to his farm. Orchardists manage nectarine trees in very much the same way that they care for peach trees; growers choose peach and nectarine varieties that ripen at staggered times to allow for a continual cash flow throughout the harvest season.

The one thing to be mindful of when growing nectarines is that because they do not have that denser, fuzzy skin, they are more susceptible to damage from wind and insects. The leaves on the nectarine tree can protect the fruit from sunburn and bruising from weather but if it is too windy, the leaves can also brush against the tender skin of the nectarine and blemish it. “Aphids like nectarines,” Robin French of Ray French Orchard said, probably for the same reason customers do: no fuzzy skin to deal with. So while he and others may be increasing their nectarine trees to meet a growing demand, farmers like to keep a close eye on those nectarines and make sure they don’t become infected. Local nectarines can be found at Ray French Orchard in Richland, Fresh Picks in Kennewick and Sanders Peaches in Kennewick.

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Peaches are a sweet local treat BY ALICIA WALTERS For the Tri-City Herald

hat tastes better than a gorgeous, locally grown peach, peeled, sliced and drenched in real vanilla ice cream? Most people associate peaches with Georgia, but Washington is abundant in peach growers, including several in the MidColumbia: Fresh Picks, Empey Brothers’ Farms, Ray French Orchard and Sanders Peaches, to name a few. “Washington state produces over 1 million 20-pound boxes of peaches and nectarines and 600,000 20-pound boxes of apricots [annually],” said Tim Kovis, communications manager of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. In 2015 Washington’s peach production was valued at $13.6 million, an increase from $10.8 million in 2014. The fertile ground in the Mid-Columbia inspired a Cornell University transplant from Pennsylvania, Ray French, to build his

orchard growing dream here in the 1960s. A former county agent, French commuted from Kennewick to Prosser and passed by vacant land in Richland that is now Ray French Orchard. He and his wife Miriam purchased the property now farmed by their son, Robin. The farm includes 60 acres: 15 acres of cherries, 12 acres of peaches and nectarines and five acres of apples (Fuji, Golden and Gala). The family orchard produces 100,000 pounds of peaches every year. Ray French Orchard is a commercial orchard as well as a U-pick farm. The orchard welcomes families, including children. “It’s quite a family tradition,” said Robin French’s wife of 35 years, Sandra. “People come as families and they bring their children and even take photos of one another picking peaches in the orchard. We are quite used to families.” Sandra French told a story of an elderly widower who would come to the Tri-Cities to visit relatives in an old car. He would fill his trunk with as many

peaches as he could and take them back to his home in Montana to give to shut ins. Ray French Orchard had a good year for their peaches and are just wrapping up their sales. Located on 10th Avenue in Kennewick is Sanders Peaches, another local tradition for many peach lovers in the Tri-Cities. Unfortunately, while other orchards got along well this year with the cooler temperatures and adequate water supply, there was one fluke spring hail storm that really compromised their peach production. It was a rough storm with wind and golf ball-sized hail. Some Kennewick residents even reported seeing a funnel cloud. Anne Sanders of Sanders Peaches said that just as their peaches were coming in, they were hit with the hail that blemished their tender skin. The blemished skin made it difficult to keep the usual bugs at bay and over half of their crop was compromised due to that hail storm. At Sanders Peaches, the fruit was and is

always good, but this year much of it was blemished and customers aren’t looking for blemished peaches. Another critical element of peach season is pesticide use among growers. “We use softer chemicals now than we used to 30 years ago,” Sanders said, “and any resident can hire someone and then find out he is not licensed to spray.” She said that is it critical that residents who have fruit trees take the proper care to spray them because all it takes is for one tree in the area to become infected and it can be devastating to local farms. In fact, Robin and Sandra French recommend residents plant ornamental trees only and leave the fruit trees to the growers. Robin French says that they spray their fruit trees regularly beginning the first part of May. “Save your time and money spraying trees and buy your fruit from a grower,” Sandra French said. Robin and Sandra French appreciate their customers, especially those that come to pick peaches as a family tradition.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington produces plenty of pears BY RAVEN SMITH For the Tri-City Herald

ith an emphasis on more nutritious diets and overall healthier lifestyles, there’s no way to go wrong with the pear. Specifically, the fresh, delicious pears grown right here in the Pacific Northwest. More pears are grown in Washington than anywhere else in the nation, and in 2015, 451,000 tons of fresh pears were produced in Washington state. Kathy Stephenson is the marketing communications director for Pear Bureau Northwest, and she said Washington provides more than 80 percent of all fresh pears in the U.S. “We have 1,600 growers that are members of our non-profit organization,” said Stephenson, “with 60 percent of growers located in Washington and 40 percent located in Oregon. There are

other organizations that produce pears for canning or freeze drying, but we produce the fresh pears that make it to the grocer and restaurants.” Stephenson focuses on domestic communications to increase the demand of pears, whether that is through consumer advertising or media relations. “I’ll give information to food publications such as ‘Cooking Light’ or ‘Bon Appétit,’ talking about how wonderful pears are in desserts or snacks, or I’ll talk to nutritionists, bloggers or authors that write for ‘In Shape’ magazine, focusing on the more nutritious side of pears.” This year, the pear bureau will be conducting export promotions in 36 countries worldwide. The focus will be on the top export markets for pears including Colombia, Mexico and Canada, as well as India and China, which continue to be two of the strongest growth markets for the industry. “Our brand is USA Pears,” said

Stephenson, “so if you see that label at the grocery store, that is a product that is marketed through our collective efforts.” There are many varieties of pears in Washington that are commercially grown, but Stephenson says the Pear Bureau mainly focuses on 10 specific varieties — such as the green Anjou, red Anjou, Bartlett and Bosc — that are readily available at grocery stores. “You will also be able to find dozens more that are very small and boutique at local famers markets throughout the harvesting season.” Harvesting begins around the middle of August, with the first products that are pulled being the Bartlett and Starkrimson. “These are both wonderful, sweet juicy pears,” said Stephenson. Pears are unique as in they don’t ripen well on the tree. The ripening of a pear happens when starch converts to sugar — a process that isn’t activated for pears until after they’re picked from the tree — so picking pears when they are slightly immature is the best method for success.

Summer variety pears, such as the Bartlett and Starkrimson, can start ripening immediately after being pulled from the tree. You can put them on your counter in a paper bag and they will ripen within a few days at room temperature. Winter variety pears, such as the red and green Anjou, Bosc, Comice and Seckel, need to be taken to a cold storage first, where they must stay for two to six weeks before the ripening process activates and they can achieve optimal results. And since the Northwest is also know for their delicious wine, it’s a good thing that pears combine amazingly with wine and cheese. Experts say pears are best paired with cheeses such as brie, sharp cheddar or gorganzola, where Anjou pears work well with sauvignon blanc, Bartlett’s with brut champagne, and Bocs pair well with cabernet sauvignon.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Asparagus springing up all over BY RENEE POTTLE

ASPARAGUS AT A GLANCE

For the Tri-City Herald

sparagus, a plant native to southern Europe and northern Africa, has long been enjoyed by people all over the world. Ancient Egyptians harvested its wild shoots for both food and medicine, ancient Greeks dried the stalks in an effort to prolong the season and even the Sun King, France’s Louis XIV, considered asparagus a favorite dish. The Romans started cultivating asparagus during the first century. Farmers from western Asia to Iberia to northern Europe quickly followed their lead, meeting growing demand for the earthy tasting vegetable. Cultivated asparagus reached the United States in the 19th century and found a home in the Mid-Columbia region shortly thereafter. It was a perfect match. Asparagus flourished in our arid weather, sunny springs, and fertile soil. By the late 1980s there were 32,000 acres of commercially grown asparagus planted in the area, and Washington ranked first in the country. Today that figure is just under 5,000 acres. Although we still benefit from excellent weather, other factors have reduced the local and U.S. crop. Even so, Washington still ranks third in the country in acres grown, following California and Michigan. According to Gary Larsen, chair of the Washington Asparagus Commission and a local grower himself, 99 percent of Washington’s crop is grown here in Eastern Washington. There are signs that we may move up on that list again. “California acres are declining,” he said, “and Michigan is holding steady, but Washington has increased acreage over the past few years.” Those 5,000 acres produced nearly 22 million pounds of cut asparagus this year at a value of $35 million. About 80 percent of the harvest is sold fresh, much of it in the Northwest but some as far away as the eastern seaboard. The remainder is processed and sold as canned, frozen or pickled products. Several years ago this was reversed 16

► Rank in nation: No. 3 ► Value of production: $15.5 million ► State acreage: 4,000

Photo by Sarah Gordon

Washington state produced nearly 22 million pounds of asparagus in 2015. and the majority of the harvest was processed. Improved distribution and the increasing interest in fresh foods, along with most processing plants moving offshore, has flipped the percentage. Most local asparagus is the familiar green kind type, but about 150 acres of purple asparagus is also grown in the area. Purple asparagus is a specialty crop growing in popularity. It seems to be a bit sweeter than green asparagus, is higher in antioxidants and demands a higher price. Several hundred acres of organic asparagus are also grown locally. Unlike many agricultural crops, asparagus is a perennial that comes back year after year without re-planting. Harvest is early in the year, usually from April to June here in the Mid-Columbia and follows the California harvest. “It’s the only crop harvest in the spring,” said grower Keith Middleton. Middleton has been growing asparagus himself for about 10 years, and like many asparagus farmers is following a family tradition. His family has grown asparagus on their Middleton Farms east of Pasco for 40 years. Just as consumers embrace fresh green asparagus shoots

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

after a long winter, farmers look forward to the early crop to help start a profitable year. Asparagus usually isn’t affected by the vagaries of the weather. Wind and rain issues may delay harvest, but the delay is usually only short-term and seldom lasts longer than a week. Asparagus farming is not without obstacles though. It takes three to four years to establish a crop once planted, a fact that may cause potential farmers to hesitate before taking on asparagus. The biggest obstacle to growing asparagus is labor, according to Middleton. “Because asparagus has to be hand pickled, it’s back-breaking work and most people want to do something else,” he said. “It’s a dwindling labor force.” Although asparagus harvesting machines have been in trials since at least the 1970s, mechanized harvesting is not yet a viable option. Foreign competition has a significant effect on local, state and national asparagus growers. Imported asparagus from Mexico and Peru is available in most grocery stores, even during our own harvest season. To help educate consumers about this issue, the

Washington Asparagus Commission has been promoting special events like the Food Truck Friday campaign held this past spring. Free grilled asparagus samples were available and a month-long cooking competition was won by an Asparagus Slaw concoction and a quick bread-like Asparagus Roll. The commission also keeps its eye on the commercial aspects of growing asparagus, and is currently doing trials growing white asparagus. White asparagus is popular in Europe, and is basically green asparagus grown without light. Locally grown asparagus is sweeter than its imported cousins, due in part to our cool winters that provide the asparagus crown with a true dormancy period. Additionally, local asparagus is more nutritious than asparagus that has traveled thousands of miles as vegetables lose vitamin and mineral content each day after harvest. This is especially important since asparagus has many health benefits. Its many antioxidants, minerals, fiber and low calorie count helps reduce the rate of cancer, heart disease, birth defects and obesity. It also helps regulate blood sugar and may increase mental flexibility. “Be aware of where your asparagus is coming from. Ask your grocer,” said Larsen. “What is grown locally benefits the consumer and the farmer.”

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Carrots remain an important commodity BY KEVIN COLE For the Tri-City Herald Ask a non-farmer what grows around Benton and Franklin counties and you’ll hear, “Grapes, corn, fruit...” They’re easy to recognize when driving by. But one of the biggest crops probably won’t be mentioned. The Mid-Columbia tops the nation in carrots. Or, at least, processed carrots. Washington grows some fresh as well, but California owns that niche. From the 1980s until the last few years, two families were primarily responsible for Washington’s place at the top of the processed carrot chart: the Mercers and the Klaustermeyers. The Mercer family came west to the Horse Heaven Hills about the time that Washington became a state. They started out in livestock, expanded into row crops and today own 12,000 acres that include wine grapes, a winery and almost every other kind of crop you can grow along the Columbia River.

In the early 1980s, the Mercers went heavily into carrots – enough so that they built their own packing facility in the middle of their Horse Heaven Hills fields. In 2004, they sold that plant to Bolthouse Farms but kept growing carrots. In the late 1980s, Klaustermeyer Farms began growing vegetables at the north end of Franklin County. As many as 1,800 of their acres have been dedicated to growing carrots in recent years, and they grow enough that they supply several processors around the Northwest. Recently, a third major player has come to town: Grimmway Farms. WSU Extension Regional Vegetable Specialist Tim Waters says they make a difference. “They both raise and pack carrots here. When they expanded, they needed more growers growing more acres to keep their plant busy, so they went to local growers and said, ‘Hey, we need carrots!’ With all of their experience growing

carrots in California, they can provide a precise formula to growers here who might be new to the crop.” According to Middleton Six Son’s Farms Operations Manager Keith Middleton, that’s why they are into carrots, among a number of crops. “Grimmway makes it easy to grow and takes the risk out of it; they rent the land and pay us to grow the crop for them.” Middleton estimates that Grimmway currently grows about a third of the Benton and Franklin County carrot crop. Waters understands why huge California farm operations are coming north: “When you’re in a droughtstricken area like California, with perennial crops like almonds and annual crops like carrots, when water gets rationed, where are you going to put it? You’re going to keep the trees alive! A lot of California companies are getting very nervous that their eggs are in one basket so they’re diversifying – both what they grow and where they grow it.

We see more bell peppers than we used to. More leaf spinach, too. I saw a couple of fields of zucchini...” “Carrot production is growing nationally, but not because we’re eating more,” Waters continued. “Other uses are developing, from juices and dyes to animal foods. In one product, water chestnuts were replaced with processed white carrot slices – much cheaper and more nutritional. The industry is getting good at finding niches in which they can expand the market in places that would surprise you.” The Mid-Columbia is a great area both to grow things and to process and ship them. Electricity is cheap. There is great access to clean water. There are excellent roads, rail and barges – though barges aren’t used as much as they used to be – easy and quick access to the Pacific Rim for export. All that, plus the ability to grow an amazing variety of crops.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Onions still a staple BY JAMES POWELL For the Tri-City Herald

he book of onion history is an ancient one, with the first page written on the walls of primeval caves. Another page is inscribed inside Egyptian pyramids. Some speculate its origins in the Garden of Eden. However, in our corner of the world, commercially grown onions date back to the late 1800s, when they were first grown by Italian settlers in Walla Walla County. The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project of the 1950s stimulated the commodity’s expansion, and further rapid growth occurred in the 80s and ‘90s. According to Washington State University, onion varieties produced in the state are a mix of 85 percent yellow, 10 percent red and 5 percent white varieties.

Today’s onion industry around the Mid-Columbia is like its namesake. Each layer has features of equal importance and flavors the whole. Knowledge about growing technology, processing facilities, market and distribution venues, land sustainability, and governmental guidelines contribute to what keeps onion farmers on the cutting edge. In recent years, Washington consistently ranked second in the nation in annual onion production value. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s vegetables summary released in February, it achieved the top spot in 2015 with a production value exceeding $212.5 million. According to the summary, Washington produced better yields per acre and overall production for acres planted than all other states. Higher prices per hundred pounds also contributed to the favorable statistics.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Jason Walker, vice president of sales and marketing at Bybee Produce, LLC in Prosser, a Bybee Farms company, said the stronger market last year was due to the heat. It reduced the quality of a significant portion of the harvest and drove up the price for the remaining better produce. Achieving strong results year after year in agribusiness involves attention to detail and hard work; it’s the heart of farming. Onions as a commodity is always changing according to Walker. “Customers are becoming (increasingly) picky about quality, size and packaging. There are definitely some challenges out there as far as selling the product.” Food safety is an issue with domestic and export customers. Consumers and buyers want to know who grew the onions, where they were grown, what the water resource is, plus any usage of chemicals and fertilizers. “Most U.S. farmers are keen on safety, quality and keeping the laws,” Walker said. “They don’t want to put anything on their crop that’s going to damage the environment, or harm the consumer. They know what it takes to raise a crop and make a living.” The export market is a good chunk of that living every season; 11 to 14 million 50-pound bags nationally. Four of the biggest customers are Mexico, Canada, Japan and Taiwan, according to the National Onion Association. Pricing is highly competitive. With China and India as the largest global growers, there’s strong competition. “While China will always beat us on price,” Walker pointed out, “they’ll come to the U.S. over China nine times out of 10 for a quality, safe onion.” Good soil health insures a successful onion crop. Crop rotation, cull management and resistant cultivars are contributing factors. Field scouting assesses pest and disease problems. Cull management is the process of removing onions from the growing area that are not market quality or left in the field during harvest. If the culls are not disposed of, they will attract pests. Disposal is not difficult but it is regulated by the state.

Pit burial and other means of composting the culls returns organic nutrients to the soil. Colorado State University Extension reports cull onions as a supplemental feed for sheep, goats and cattle in major onion producing areas. Washington State Department of Ecology in association with Washington State University has evaluated cull usage as an organic material resource for bioenergy. Dairy cow manure is successfully used on the west coast to generate electricity. The process is called anaerobic methane digestion; a process that keeps the manure digesting as if it is still in the cow’s stomach. The resulting methane fuels the generators. Onions can add to the biomass. Onions are not grown in the same field year after year. Green peas, sweet corn, green beans, carrots, grass seed, wheat and potatoes are rotated at regular intervals. Each farm has particular rotators and typical cycles would be three to four years. Rotating crops in planned sequence is a farming design that is both art and science. It factors soil properties, weed habits, insect cycles, disease organisms, seed and harvest times, equipment requirements, water use patterns, weather cycles, market demands and even personal preferences to optimize efficient management and reduce risk. The principle of crop rotation concerns more than soil health, it’s a systematic approach to sustainability and profitability. “On the growing side, labor is becoming an issue,” Walker acknowledged. The minimum wage is on the rise and labor resource is not what it once was; there are not enough people to do the work. Whether the reasons for the lack of workers are behavioral or financial can be argued. But it stands that there are farm jobs available. And a higher minimum wage means the cost of farming will also rise, which raises prices on consumer levels in short order. The cost of farming has changed which foods get served at the dinner table. But, it is doubtful that onions will diminish as a staple.

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Sweet corn not just for the Midwest RAVEN SMITH For the Tri-City Herald

nice hearty meal never seems quite complete without an ear or two of delicious sweet corn. It’s a good thing then that Washington state is among the top ranking states in the nation when it comes to the production of sweet corn. “In terms of acreage, Wisconsin and Minnesota are the leading states for the number of acres of sweet corn,” said Tim Waters, vegetable specialist with Washington State University Extension in Franklin County, “but we actually outproduce them in terms of tons because we have higher yielding sweet corn here than in the Midwest.” In 2015, 79,100 acres were harvested for processing, producing 9.17 tons per acre, and 25,300 acres were harvested for fresh market, producing 7.6 tons per acre. An extremely favorable climate, warm

soils and a sophisticated irrigation system help keep Washington state’s production of sweet corn at a premium. “When they started putting processing plants in the Columbia Basin is when sweet corn acreage really took off,” said Waters. “Originally, corn was grown in the area to supply the local markets. Now we grow more sweet corn than we can eat in Washington state, so the majority that is grown is either canned or frozen and then distributed throughout the world.” Local growers get a contract from a processing company, plant the corn, and when it’s ready to harvest, the processing company brings in their own harvesters, and they can harvest the field in a matter of hours and load all the corn onto their trucks. Since the cost of land for either purchase or rent in this area is so high, farmers need to maximize every inch of land they have. One way they do so is by double-cropping, which involves planting

two crops on the same piece of ground. “When you have a processing plant, you want it to be running as much as it can,” said Waters. “Just growing sweet corn in and of itself may not be enough to make sufficient profit on that ground, so growers will plant an early season vegetable crop and then once that gets harvested, they will immediately plant the sweet corn. They want those processing plants running 24/7.” Clayton Voss, a local farmer for over 11 years, agrees. He grows approximately 1,000 acres of sweet corn each year and finds that double-cropping yields the best outcome. “Peas and sweet corn work well to double-crop together,” said Voss. “They bring in a decent amount of money and I can double-up on the land.” According to the National Corn Growers Association, an early Department of Agriculture report based upon survey data is forecasting increased demand from both the ethanol and export markets. The national average

SWEET CORN AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 2 ‣‣State acreage: 104,600 ‣‣Value of production: $98 million yield forecast was raised 7.1 bushels per acre, and if achieved, would set a new record. Therefore, production would also break previous records at 15.2 billion bushels in the 2016/17 crop year. Ending stocks are forecast to hit the highest level seen since 1987/88 at 2.4 billion bushels. That’s a lot of corn, and with Washington state among the leaders of sweet corn production in the nation, we can foresee the farming community having continued success.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington ranks second in potato production KEVIN COLE For the Tri-City Herald

t doesn’t often come up in conversation, but the MidColumbia really is the best place in the world to grow potatoes, and for many of the same reasons that it’s among the best places to grow many other things: great soil, clean water, lots of sun, excellent transportation and more. Washington isn’t the “Famous Potato State” – Idaho is. In acreage it isn’t even close; 323,000 in Idaho versus 170,000 in Washington (2015), according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. But Washington averages about 50 percent more spuds per acre than does Idaho, and the competition in crop value is thus much closer. Potatoes are a $912 million crop in Idaho and $770 million in Washington, according to 2015 figures. The world’s biggest potato processor, McCain Foods, has a plant in Othello. Two major processors, Lamb Weston and J. R. Simplot, each have multiple plants throughout the Mid-Columbia. The Reser’s Fine Foods plant in Pasco turns potatoes into potato salad. Down the Columbia to Vancouver and up I-5 to Tacoma, Frito Lay and Tim’s Cascade Chips, respectively, turn Washington potatoes into millions of bags of chips. A processing plant is an expensive thing to have sit idle. They need to operate year-round. Eastern Washington growers are blessed with a climate that allows planting as early as February – much earlier than most potato growing regions. Harvest usually begins the first week of July. That crop goes straight to the processing plants. A second crop, planted later and harvested into October, feeds area potato storage sheds, where they wait for processors to finish up the early crop. According to Washington State Potato Commission Executive Director Chris Voigt, Northwest growers have a 20

challenge, going forward: “Lamb Weston recently added a new line to their Pasco plant. They need more potatoes to keep it busy in the future. But for all practical purposes, we’re growing about all the potatoes we can grow without finding some kind of productivity breakthrough.” Voigt continued, “Because of the need to rotate potato fields with other crops, for every acre you have in potatoes, you need three more in something else. You can come back to a potato crop on a given piece of land about every four years. If we can’t find a way to either shorten the rotation to three years or less, or get more water to irrigate more ground, we’re about maxed out.” Voigt thinks that one place to look to for more efficiency is the soil. “There’s so little we understand there. There are millions of micro-organisms in the soil, and we don’t know how they all work. They’re doing research in the Midwest states, but their soil is so radically different that it may not help us much. WSU is looking at developing a multidisciplinary approach to the study – and we need it! Microbiology, nematology, pathology and other disciplines need to work together on this.” Potatoes are big money. Washington State University Extension Regional Vegetable Specialist Tim Waters says that split among field rent, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, water, electricity getting water to the fields, diesel fuel and seed, it’s easy to put $3,000 to $3,800 an acre into a crop. That’s $360,000 to $456,000 into a 120-acre field. There are roughly 60,000 acres of potatoes in Benton County and Franklin County alone. That’s $180,000,000 to $228,000,000 of investment in these two counties. Potatoes are largely a contracted crop. If all goes well and the harvest meets the quality benchmarks established in a contract, growers have a pretty good idea even before they start to work in a year what they’ll be paid, given a good

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

feel for the number of tons per acre they can grow. Careful farming goes a long way, but isn’t a guarantee. There are wild cards. Weather and disease are the biggest. As was learned in the last few years, labor conditions at Pacific ports can figure in as well. As one of Washington’s top Pacific Rim exports, potatoes are a big contributor to the economy on both sides of the state. In 2015, $721 Million of processed potatoes departed Northwest ports, the last year for which numbers are available. That puts potatoes among the state’s top few ag exports, along with soybeans, wheat, corn and apples. Big foreign potato buyers are Japan, Canada, China and Mexico. The state’s Potato Commission website says 36,000 Washington jobs and $7.4 billion of “economic impact” can be credited to the lowly spud. The future of that chunk of the economy depends in great part upon the continued availability of water to keep this desert irrigated into the future.

POTATOES AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 2 ‣‣State acreage: 170,000 ‣‣Value of production: $757 million Use of water from the Columbia River is governed in part by the 52-yearold Columbia River Treaty. That agreement is currently undergoing a multi-year review process involving federal agencies, state governments and tribal governments. Those interested in following that process can find the “U. S. Entity” website at http://www.crt20142024review.gov.

Photo by Sara Nelson

Washington trails only Idaho in potato production. The 2015 crop value was $770 million in Washington.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Palouse pulses feed the world RENEE POTTLE For the Tri-City Herald

hat do a Mediterranean appetizer, an Indian dinner staple and British Navy fare have in common? Pulses. Chickpea hummus, lentil dal and split pea soup are all made from members of the nutritious pulse family. Pulses may have an international following, but a significant portion of them are proudly grown here in the Pacific Northwest. Washington state currently ranks third in United States acres planted, trailing Montana and North Dakota. Idaho rounds out the list at fourth. This year, about 300,000 acres of lentils, chickpeas and dry peas were planted in the Palouse and adjacent areas. Two hundred and seventy thousand acres of pulses and dry beans were harvested statewide at a value of nearly $88 million in 2015. Washington’s lentils thrive in the deep, fertile loess soil that is devoid of

large rocks and bedrock. Lentils aren’t really close together grown in the MidColumbia as the plants prefer cool nights in the heat of summer. But the Palouse’s dry summers help prevent disease, keeping fungal issues at bay. Dry peas and chickpeas have a longer taproot than lentils, making them more heat tolerant and thus suitable for the greater Tri-Cities region. Harvest production can vary wildly from year to year though. “This was a really good year,” said Greg Ferrell, who grows chickpeas in the Walla Walla area. “It’s been above average. Last year was terrible. It was just too hot in June. Chickpeas like June rains.” Ferrell grows between 100 and 400 acres of chickpeas. His family has grown them since 1986, only five years after chickpeas were first introduced in the state. According to Todd Scholz, vice president of research for the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council based in Moscow, Idaho, this has been a good year for the lentil harvest too. Both lentil yield and quality are above average, producing 12

to 15 pounds of lentils per acre. Scholz says that pulses are classified according to size and color. There are small, medium and large green or brown lentils, and red lentils that have had the skin removed. Pardina, a small brown specialty lentil, is also grown in the Palouse. Chickpea classifications are small or large, and dry peas are either yellow or green. “About 75 percent of our harvest is exported,” Scholz said. India is a large market for lentils, and even though they grow their own, they have a 25 percent shortfall annually. “Spain takes about 90 percent of our Pardina harvest, and Turkey is a large lentil market.” Other pulse importers include Europe, Peru and Ecuador, with China positioned as an emerging market. In the Palouse and the Northern Plains, pulses are grown as a rotation crop with wheat, barley and other cereal crops. Pulse plants fix nitrogen, helping to return fertility to depleted soils. This rotation reduces the need for commercial fertilizer and fallow fields, while providing an additional cash crop. Although chickpeas are a relative newcomer to the area, lentils and dry peas have been grown in Eastern Washington for 100 years. One hundred years may seem like a long time, but pulses have been cultivated in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region since at least 8,000 B.C. The Biblical Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage – a lentil dish. According to legend, Cicero got

his name from the chickpea-shaped wart on his nose. And the nursery rhyme “Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,” refers to a common Medieval pudding made from dry peas. Pulses have long been known as peasant food, or food of the poor, because they are an inexpensive source of protein. Once eschewed by chefs and middle class homemakers everywhere, pulses are enjoying a resurgence. The United Nations named 2016 as International Year of Pulses, drawing attention to pulses’ affordability, high nutritive qualities and potential to help alleviate global malnutrition. Lentils, chickpeas, dry peas and dry beans are a good source of plant based protein, are low-fat and high in fiber. Their high mineral and vitamin content works to lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce obesity and control high blood pressure. The versatility of lentils, chickpeas and dry peas is showing up in other ways as well. Hummus, once nearly unknown in the United States, can now be purchased at the corner market. Elite chefs serve braised lentils with salmon or combine lentils with bacon and herbs for a cold salad. Pea protein can be found in everything from protein powder mixes to nutrition bars to new generation meat analogs. “A surprising use for pulses is in pet food,” said Scholz. “Pet food is now 25 percent of the domestic pea market.” Pulses have been quietly feeding us for eons, but they are finally receiving their due recognition. Their affordability, versatility, ability to help foster sustainable agriculture, health benefits and now international recognition from the United Nations gives reason to be optimistic. In the words of Todd Scholz, “This is certainly the most exciting time to be in this industry.”

Photo courtesy of USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council

Pulses and dry beans brought in nearly $88 million in Washington in 2015. 22

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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Canola takes time and patience JENNIFER COLTON-JONES For the Tri-City Herald

anola stands out among the crops grown in Eastern Washington – brilliant yellow blossoms over a sea of green. Named after a combination of the words Canadian, oil, low and acid canola was bred in the 1970s. The plant belongs to the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, but unlike its relatives, is used for its oil. Canola seeds are almost half oil, and the oil produced from canola has the least saturated fat of all culinary oils, but the dark seeds are tiny, about the size of poppy seeds. “A canola seed is only about the size of the head of a pin. It’s a tiny little black seed that gets crushed for oil,” grower Jake Madison said. “It’s one of those crops that is low income and can

be grown pretty cheap, but it will root pretty deep and allows the soil to see something different.” While canola is mainly grown and crushed for oil as an oil seed crop, the remainder of the plant is turned into a meal and used for cattle feed. Canola oil can either be sold directly to consumers or to the food-processing industry, where its high smoke point makes it ideal for frying foods on a large scale. Michael Stubbs, president of the Washington Oilseed Commission, says the meal is highly sought after in the dairy industry. “It’s a multi-use crop, from the biofuel industry to the cooking industry to the dairy industry,” he said. “Canola can be a difficult crop to grow, although it can be a very rewarding crop because of its yield potential and the benefits above and below ground.” By production, canola is the 30th most

valuable crop in the state of Washington. In 2015, 37,000 acres were planted, leading to a value of $6.5 million. Just across the Oregon border, Madison Ranches is growing about 850 acres of canola in the 2016 season. “It doesn’t take much water, and it is a good rotation crop with wheat, so it gives us a chance to diversify a bit,” Madison said. Stubbs says a difficult part of growing dryland canola is stand establishment. With such a small seed, canola will not emerge from a deep seeding depth as is done with wheat in some of the drier areas in our region. “There is great benefit to the soil from growing canola,” Stubbs said. “It’s a great scavenger of nutrients, along with providing diversity in our crop rotation.” For farmers, canola provides benefits that go past the production value and into

CANOLA AT A GLANCE ► Rank in nation: No. 5 ► State acreage: 37,000 ► Value of production: $6.5 million the soil itself, although the challenges of starting and maintaining fields of canola make the product a crop grown out of passion, not profit. Stubbs says canola crops can help everyone appreciate agriculture a little more, even just for a moment. “As you’re driving by and you see the beautiful yellow canola fields, stop and take the time to take a picture.”

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Despite market challenges, hay remains strong in Washington ELSIE PUIG For the Tri-City Herald

cott and Matt Middleton of Middleton Six Sons Farm were preparing to harvest hay the second weekend of September. Days prior they checked the weather forecast, and it was not looking good. The reports forecasted rain at 4 p.m. that Saturday. If they got up early, they could take advantage of the early morning hours to harvest the remaining hay. They had worked the field until midnight the night before, trying to harvest as much they could. But Saturday morning came and the rain had already beat them to it. It’s a scene that’s played out across hay farms in the Columbia Basin. Middleton Six Sons Farm has about 3,000 acres on the outskirts of Pasco. “You’re just throwing the dice every year. Hay is kind of a high risk, high reward crop,” said Scott Middleton, who along with his twin brother Matt handle hay sales for their family farm. Low humidity can be a good thing for hay, usually somewhere around 15 percent, but too much of it can be devastating

and can make the hay moldy. On the other hand, if it’s too dry the leaves may start falling off. Rain can affect the quality of the hay by stripping the hay of its signature green color and of its essential nutrients. Growers can still sell the hay, but usually at a much lower price than before. “Hay farmers take tremendous risks,” said Steve Norberg, regional forage and irrigated cropping systems specialist for Washington State University. “They have a lot of money invested in machinery and land. They are counting on a profit or they will lose their farm. Right now the overall price of hay is down, so it’s really hard for everyone.” Alfalfa, timothy and teff are the three main forages grown in Washington. Alfalfa, high in protein, is the most nutritious of all the hay varieties and is used by dairies and feedlots. Teff is a fastgrowing, high-yielding crop low in water soluble carbohydrates and low in protein, which makes it perfect for horses since it’s easier to digest. Raising hay for export is also a challenge, said Norberg. Middleton’s hay is purchased by local dairy farmers and

Matt, Jim and Scott Middleton of Middleton Six Sons Farm have about 3,000 acres of hay outside Pasco. 24

Photo by Elsie Puig

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

horse keepers – but Washington’s hay is a big contender in the international market, especially the timothy and alfalfa variety. “We’re competing globally for exports so we’ve got to provide a weed-free, clean hay that is of high quality at a reasonable price,” said Norberg. International hay exports have been a growing market for Washington, with China’s demand increasing, and countries like Japan looking to Washington as a reliable supplier of horse-grade timothy, said Norberg. Alfalfa also gets exported to China, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. But with that comes challenges. The recent bankruptcy of South Korean company Hanjin, the world’s seventhlargest container shipping company, created a surplus of hay being sold locally, pushing overall prices down. The port slowdown that occurred in 2014 and virtually stalled all outgoing exports in 29 seaports on the West Coast also had devastating effects on hay exports, which are still being felt today. Hay is one of the highest valued agricultural commodities in Washington, valued at $517 million in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2015, Washington farmers harvested 750,000 acres of hay, with about 390,000 acres dedicated to alfalfa. In 2015, about 2.8 million tons of hay was produced in Washington. Benton County harvests nearly 17,000 acres of hay and Franklin County harvests 67,000 acres. “One of the biggest challenges we face is that people don’t realize when they go to the store and see their milk for $4 or $5 a gallon, sometimes less, they don’t understand that the price is impacting us as well. It doesn’t provide the dairymen enough cash flow for them to buy hay so they try and find the cheapest hay,” said Scott Middleton. “Sometimes they can’t pay us.” Washington hay farmers usually cut their first hay crop in early June and the last one in September. Each year they get an average of five cuttings. It takes about

HAY AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 17 ‣‣State acreage: 750,000 with 390,000 of them alfalfa ‣‣Value of production: $517 million 30 to 45 days before the hay is ready for cutting, depending on the variety. The hay is cut using a swather and then left to dry for about four days. Then it’s raked to get it dry underneath, baled, stacked and readied for shipping. The Middletons test each bale for quality before sending it out to a testing lab where each bale is tested for nutritional value and stamped with a relative feed value (RFV), which is the ultimate indicator of how much it can sell for. An RFV of 190 is considered supreme quality, an RFV of 100 is usually only good for keeping the horses full but provides very little nutritional value. The Middletons use the RFV report to market their hay to dairies and brokers. The hay is then sold in two-tie bales weighing approximately 75 pounds, three-tie bales at 120 pounds and large-size bales which weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds, depending how densely the hay is packed. They’re known for selling 18 two-tie bales in a bundle as a convenient package for farmers. Middleton said it’s easier and costs less, since it’s less time consuming to load into a truck and transport to its final destination. The average value of each ton is $174. Although alfalfa and timothy are perennials, farmers tend to rotate with another crop about every three years. Middleton said he uses crops like potatoes and corn because they help bring nutrients back into the soil. tricityherald.com

Can’t stop Washington’s hops LIBBY CAMPBELL For the Tri-City Herald

hether your palate prefers a smooth, robust stout or a refreshing, citrusy pale ale, one thing is for certain: you can thank Washington state for producing 73 percent of the nation’s hops, a crucial ingredient in beer production. With more than 37,000 acres of hops strung for harvest across the state, Washington is No. 1 in hop production. A huge majority of the nation’s hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon has 7,669 acres planted and Idaho is looking to harvest 5,971. As of late 2015, all other states combined accounted for 1,249 total acres. The Yakima Valley has uniquely ideal conditions that allow hops to flourish. Abundant irrigation, fertile volcanic soil and a desert-like climate result in a hop grower’s dream conditions. “An old saying in the hop industry is, ‘The hops like to have their feet wet and their heads dry,’” said Ann George, executive director of Hop Growers of America and president of the Washington Hops Commission. Hops are the flowering cone of a perennial climbing vine that grows up trellises. Harvest begins toward the end of August and generally runs through early October. The tall hop vines are cut twice by large machinery, once near the ground and once at the top of the support wires. Vines are then transported to picking machines that are able to strip the hop cones and leaves, which are sent through cleaning devices to remove debris. The cones are transported by conveyor belt over to the kiln, where they are dried out. Hops are then cooled for 24 hours, compressed into bales, wrapped in burlap and inspected for quality. Commercial hop growing in the Pacific Northwest dates back to the 19th century, according to the American Hop Museum, in Toppenish. By the 1890s Yakima County was considered the principal hop growing area of the tricityherald.com

HOPS AT A GLANCE ► Rank in nation: No. 1 ► State acreage: : 32,158 in 2015 ► Value of production: $280 million ► Yield per acre: 1,849 pounds state, with Toppenish and Moxee City becoming major market centers. The low humidity in the Yakima Valley is ideal because hops are easily susceptible to disease. “The more moisture you have in the air and the higher amount of leaf wetness you have, the more it exacerbates disease issues, in particular downy mildew,” George said. In addition, the Yakima Valley’s proximity to the 45th parallel means more sunshine and optimal day length to ensure the vines get the sun they need to thrive. The hop industry is certainly thriving; the 2015 value of production of the U.S. hop crop was estimated at $345.4 million, an increase of 33 percent of 2014’s value. Growers received record high prices in Idaho and Washington. Increased production, higher value hop varieties and increase in demand from craft brewing can be attributed to the record prices. Record prices aren’t the only big numbers hop growers are facing: 2016 is on track to be a record year for hop production. All three Northwest states have increased hop acreage from 2015. The recent growth of the craft beer industry has hugely impacted the need for quality hops. “That’s been the big driver in acreage increase that we’ve seen over the past four years,” George said. Taylor Swofford handles marketing for Puterbaugh Farms, Hops Direct near Mabton. The fifth generation hop farmers grow 19 different varieties of hops on

1,000 acres, with 100 additional acres dedicated to growing fruit. They have seen a higher demand for hops as well. “There is a high demand for hops, which could be a direct reflection of the growth within the craft beer industry,” Swofford said. “We are always looking to the future in ways of expansion here on the farm, how to serve the industry to the best of our ability as a grower. Creating and maintaining personal relationships and constant communication between grower and brewer has always been a priority for us, but it is more important now than ever before.” Area growers feel the pressure of increased demand. The team at Puterbaugh Farms recently added a third hop picking facility which will help expedite processing and accommodate for additional acreage. “This facility has been a challenge to get going, but will eventually allow us to cut back on manual labor as the hops will not be handled by hand but predominantly machine-operated,” Swofford said. “Lastly, with the efficiency of this machine, we are able to eliminate our hop harvest night shift.” Most hop growers raise a

combination of aroma and alpha variety hops. Aroma hops add exactly that – aroma to the beer. They have a lower concentration of alpha acid and nonbitter flavor. Alpha hops, or bittering hops, have higher concentrations of alpha acids and are what give beer its bitter flavor. George estimates 70 percent of hops grown in the area are of aroma variety, while 30 percent are alpha varieties. Cascade, centennial and simcoe hop varieties account for the types with most acreage in Washington. “The growth we’ve seen in the various varieties paints the picture of what impact the craft sector has had on the U.S. hop industry over the last half a decade to decade,” she said. With U.S. hop acreage in its fifth consecutive year of growth, the industry shows no signs of slowing down. “It is very rewarding working in such an innovative industry that continues to grow, constantly looking toward the future,” Swofford said. “As a grower, it is a humbling experience to see our hops go full circle — a field to glass perspective.”

Photo courtesy of Taylor Swofford The Pacific Northwest grows most of the nation’s hops, with more than 37,000 acres in Washington alone. Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington an up-and-coming contender in fragrant lavender market ELSIE PUIG For the Tri-City Herald

n April, lavender grower Scott Gerrits, owner of Trinidad Lavender in Quincy, visited South Korea on a trade mission. Next year, he’ll start selling pure lavender oil wholesale directly to producers in Southeast Asia. It’s a big opportunity, he said, as it signals the first time he will begin exporting his products to international markets. Although a relatively small agricultural product in the state, companies like Gerrits’ are helping put Washington on the map as an up-and-coming grower of lavender and producer of lavender-based products. This year he produced 200 gallons of pure lavender oil. Next year he hopes to take that number to 1,000 gallons. An ounce of pure lavender oil can retail for up to $20, a gallon will cost $1,600. There are two main varieties of lavenders, angustifolia and lavandins. The lavandins, especially the Grosso and Provence varieties, are a sterile English

hybrid cross known for their plentiful blooms, rich fragrance and high oil yields. The oils are mostly used for commercial purposes or sold as dried flower bundles. The angustifolia, or English lavender, is the most valued of varieties, especially the Folgate, because of the quality of oil produced by the plants. The oils can be used in perfume, aromatherapy, cosmetics, lotions and as a cooking herb. Gerrits currently grows 15 acres of lavender on his farm, but he also buys lavender directly from other farmers in a cooperative model. “We’re trying to compete with bigger companies and have more of a presence in the market,” said Gerrits, “but we’re still in that growing phase. We’re still making mistakes and trying to make it work.” Gerrits not only grows available varieties of lavender — 95, in fact — but he also crossbreeds in order to create his own. By doing that kind of genetic experimentation he hopes to find the variety that will produce larger yields of

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

high quality oils. But not all lavender is used for its oil yield, and not all lavender growers are like Gerrits. Blue Mountain Lavender in Lowden is a smaller operation — they grow about two acres of 25 lavender varieties — but they are the place to go if you want a countryside lavender experience in the heart of Walla Walla Valley. The farm is open to the public during lavender season, which runs from June to July for about six weeks. “Because of how versatile lavender is, if you visit 10 different lavender farms, you’ll probably get 10 very different experiences, as each one has a niche,” said Karen Grimaud, owner of Blue Mountain Lavender. Some farms will focus on selling lavender-based retail products like eye pillows, oils, candles and lotions, while others like Grimaud’s sell loose, dry lavender leaves in bulk to local cottage crafters and in small sachets for cooking or fragrance.

Although she said the focus for Washington lavender growers still remains on small boutique farmers, retail and agritourism, businesses can be really profitable, and lavender is an enjoyable plant to work with. “The green foliage of the plant is fragrant all year around. There is definitely something to the aromatherapy aspect of lavender, it lifts your spirit just being around it,” she said. “It’s becoming a main staple in kitchens everywhere.” Barbara Lauby, her husband Jim Macica and her sister, Gerry Lauby — owners of Bywater Farm Lavender in Prosser — began growing eight to nine varieties of lavender commercially in 2005. “Lavender is also a big tourist attraction here in Washington,” Gerry Lauby said. “Although it’s originally from the Mediterranean, lavender likes the same growing conditions as grapes, so it does very well here because it can take the hot summers.”

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Washington No. 4 in wheat production KEVIN COLE For the Tri-City Herald

he year 2016 was looking good for Washington’s wheat farmers and then the falling numbers started, well, falling.

Most of Washington’s roughly 2.2 million acres of wheat is raised for export. Almost all of that is soft white wheat headed to Asia – Japan, South Korea and Philippines being among the top few customers. A few years ago, the “Falling Numbers” test was conceived as a way to quantify the quality of soft white wheat. Leaving out the technical detail, if wheat has begun to come out of dormancy and started to change starch into sugar within the kernel, it’s not considered to be quite as good. And that can result in the price paid to farmers taking a hit. The Washington Grain Commission’s Scott Yates says that Eastern Washington’s 2016 soft white crop got a great start. “An El Nino system in the Pacific Ocean sent more moisture than usual our way last autumn, when this current crop was planted,” he said. “Throughout the growing season conditions remained excellent.” In June, warm days and cool nights started to affect the wheat’s development, and just before harvest, in mid-July, the rains came, which caused the kernels to start to sprout. As test results have come in from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the “Falling Numbers” results mean that this bumper crop of wheat will fetch near record low prices. Even with a big crop, wheat farmers will lose money this year. Literally, they will have spent more to grow the wheat than they will be paid for it. Most farmers who have been in the business for a while can tricityherald.com

survive an occasional hit – but not very often. Wheat prices have been down for several years and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) doesn’t expect them back up anytime soon. Coming out of several drought years, a price drop resulting from a quality problem is making it hard, according to fourth generation farmer Nicole Berg, a partner in the familyowned Berg Farm. “We’re eternal optimists, farmers have to be,” she said. “But year after year of drought and now nearrecord low prices are making it hard. Nobody gets rich on crop insurance. With that, you just hope to pay the bills and stay in the business through times like this. There are some big, wide holes in the so-called ‘Food Safety Net’ that’s supposed to ensure that we as a nation always have the ability to at least feed ourselves.” Benton and Franklin counties have both irrigated and dryland wheat, about a half-million acres of it. The irrigated crops are usually a part of a farmer’s crop rotation. Dryland wheat grown locally alternates between a year in crop and a year lying fallow. Most of the local dryland wheat is up on the Horse Heaven Hills and on the side of Rattlesnake Ridge. There are several kinds of wheat. The USDA identifies “hard wheat” such as hard red winter and hard red spring wheat as high-protein grain grown mostly in the Midwest, primarily for bread flours. Some red wheat is grown locally – but it’s less than 20 percent of the crop. Durum wheat is grown in North Dakota and parts of the desert Southwest, and is primarily used for pasta. More than 80 percent of the wheat grown in Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon is soft white wheat. And most of that is shipped to Asia, for use in their noodles, sponge cakes

Washington is home to 2.2 million acres of wheat, which produced 112 million bushels in 2015.

and steamed breads. Domestically consumed soft white wheat ends up in cookies and crackers, according to the Washington Grain Commission. The yield on Eastern Washington’s wheat crop can vary widely. In drier areas, with about six to eight inches of precipitation a year (such as down by Paterson or up near Lind), the yield can be anywhere from 25 to 50 or 60 bushels of wheat per acre, depending on the weather. On the Palouse, where there can be 16 to 24 inches of precipitation in a year, 90 to 100 bushels per acre is more likely. That extra moisture available on the Palouse means that farmers can grow annual crops of wheat in rotation with other crops there. In the Columbia Basin, every other year is more the rule, as dryland farmers let the land take a year off to store up moisture for the next year, when they do plant. Wheat is grown in a number of

Photo by Sara Nelson

states. North Dakota and Kansas were 2015’s leading producers at 370 million and 322 million bushels, respectively. Montana was third, at 185 million bushels, over Washington’s fourth place finish at 112 million bushels. Plenty of wheat is visible on a drive through eastern Oregon, but total production is well back, at 39 million bushels. Washington is a big exporter of ag products – more than $11 billion worth. Apples, milk, livestock, potatoes and wheat go out from Northwest ports to help feed a hungry world – especially Asia and the Pacific Rim. Wheat is more than $700 million of that total. That makes Eastern Washington’s farmers a significant part of what Business Insider magazine ranked as the best state economy among all 50 of the United States for 2016.

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Washington the nation’s largest producer of mint JENNIFER COLTON-JONES For the Tri-City Herald

rom toothpaste to mouthwash, jelly to chewing gum, mint remains one of the most recognizable flavors and aromas – and much of it is grown right here in Washington. “We’re the highest mint producing state in the United States,” said Shane Johnson, executive director of the Washington Mint Commission. “It’s a key ingredient in a lot of the flavors that we use every day, and it’s big in our ag economy.” A specialty crop with a defined niche, mint has been a Washington staple since the 1950s. In 2015, mint crops brought in a value of more than $70 million, making the aromatic oil the 16th most valuable crop grown in Washington. When talking mint, growers in the Pacific Northwest have two primary

varieties – peppermint and spearmint – both of which are turned into essential oils and sold to companies and wholesalers. While Oregon beats out Washington as the top peppermint-producing state (Washington is second, Idaho third), the Evergreen State takes the top slot in spearmint and in combined production. Johnson said the weather is perfect for mint in the Mid-Columbia, making the fields high quality and high yield. In 2015, 17,900 acres of spearmint and 14,000 acres of peppermint were harvested in Washington for their oil. At a value of more than $2,200 per acre, spearmint oil crops brought in 2 million pounds of plants and almost $40 million to the state in one year. “When we go out and talk about mint, people are shocked that, No. 1, the mint flavor comes from a crop that’s grown, and No. 2, that it is grown here,” Johnson said. “People are surprised when we talk about mint and how much of it is grown

here and how important it is to the ag economy overall.” Craig St. Hilaire, president of Harrahbased Labbee Mint, said he gets the same reaction. “People live in this area, but when I tell them what I do and the company I work for, they say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that was big in our area,’” he said. But mint is big in the Columbia Basin, with growers from Yakima to Boardman across the Oregon border. St. Hilaire said growing a crop of spearmint takes hard work and a dedication to the project. “The growers do a great job. They really care about the crop,” he said. Whether in a first year or an established crop, the process of harvest is usually the same: A grower cuts the hay, blows it into a covered tub and takes it to a mint still where it is steamed. The steam is captured and cooled, and, as it cools, the oil rises to the top. That oil is what is sent to the producers.

“They do a few things to it, then they sell it to the Wrigleys and the Colgates of the world for the products we use on a daily basis,” Johnson said. “Washington grows a lot of the specialty crops. I think we all know that we grow a lot of apples and cherries, but there are close to 300 crops grown in Washington. Mint is one of those. It’s one of the nice spokes in the wheel of ag.” As growers finished up their second cuttings and Labbee Mint continues its busy season, St. Hilaire said the future of mint is bright. “The future of spearmint is pretty good,” he said. “The products that mint goes into – toothpaste, chewing gum – are products that consumers are going to continue to buy. The challenges that producers face – the production costs, the cost of fuel – those will continue to change and affect profitability, but in terms of demand for spearmint oil? I think it will remain steady.”

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Pure, fresh and local ELSIE PUIG

At Coulee Flats Dairy, each cow passes through the milking parlor three times a day, or every eight hours. They ou can tell Case line up, back up into the stall and the VanderMeulen loves being a udder is sprayed with an iodine solution dairyman, and you can tell he and wiped down with a towel before loves the cows. His dairy farm, Coulee milking. Then, a milking machine is Flats Dairy in Mesa, is an impressive attached to each of her four teats. The operation, but it’s still very much a milk passes through a cooling plate in family-owned farm – one that he hopes the machine and the temperature comes to one day pass on to his 12-year-old down from 100 degrees to about 37 son. degrees, said VanderMeulen. Each cow “You can’t just like it, you have to produces roughly 10 gallons of milk per love it,” VanderMeulen said. “Being day. a dairyman is more than a job, it’s a The heifers become milking cows lifestyle.” A lifestyle that encompasses when they are pregnant with their 3,300 acres, 6,000 cows, 80 employees, first calf, usually around 2 years old. and a deep desire to make the best, most Every cow has an electronic ID, and nutritious milk available. His farm runs when she leaves the milking parlor, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. they scan her to record the most recent Case is just one of many dairy farmers milking. VanderMeulen keeps extensive in Washington. There are approximately records regarding the health, breeding, 416 dairy farms and 277,000 dairy cows productvity levels and even lineage of in Washington. The average herd size is every cow in his herd. He says doing so 666 cows per farm. The number of farms helps him prevent the spread of disease has declined 4.8 percent since 2014, while and helps him produce high-quality cows increased slightly by 1.5 percent. milk. Cows who get sick are treated with antibiotics, but milk from sick cows is kept in a separate tank, pasteurized and fed to the calves. The milk is stored before it’s picked up by a truck. Coulee Flats Dairy is part of the Darigold co-op. The milk undergoes rigorous testing before it’s loaded into the truck and before it gets unloaded at one of the Darigold processing plants. It also undergoes test sampling at every step through processing. “The amount of testing on milk is unreal,” Kinney said. “The processing labs run each vial of milk through a series of tests, then it’s scanned with a barcode which registers that information and sends an automatic report to the farmer.” Darigold then uses the Photo by Elsie Puig milk to create cheese, milk, Coulee Flats Dairy in Mesa is just one of Washington’s estimated 416 dairy farms. For the Tri-City Herald

Scott Kinney, director of the Washington State Dairy Commission, attributes that to several factors. “Farmers are struggling because the price of milk is so low, we’re definitely concerned about that,” Kinney said. “But it’s also about farmers aging out and farms closing if there isn’t someone in the family to take over.” The impact of dairy in Washington is significant. Dairy foods constitute the second largest agricultural commodity produced in Washington, with a direct economic impact valued at $1.3 billion. It’s surpassed only by apples. Additional indirect economic effects boost the total value of dairy farming to Washington’s economy to an estimated $5.2 billion. Washington ranks sixth in milk production per cow in the U.S. Today, all seven of the major dairy cow breeds can be found in Washington. Holsteins – with their familiar blackand-white hide markings – are the most common breed, as is the case throughout the U.S.

Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

MILK AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 10 ‣‣Number of dairy cows: 277,000 ‣‣Number of dairies: 416 ‣‣Value of production: $1.14 billion powdered milk and whey powder, which gets used here or is exported internationally. In 2014, Darigold’s share of the total U.S. Dairy Export market was 28 percent of the total U.S. Americanstyle cheese exports. While most cheese produced at the Sunnyside Darigold plant stays in the U.S., they also export to places in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The plant produces 500,000 pounds of cheese per day. “We’re feeding the world,” said Kinney. Earlier this year, Darigold expanded the Sunnyside plant which allowed them to increase their intake capacity and start producing non-fat dry milk powder for higher value and nutritional applications such as formula. “It’s a more global market now than it was 25 years ago,” said VanderMeulen. “We’re exporting a lot more product, but that means the world market price affects your business. That makes things tougher, there is a lot more volatility and pricing swings.” To feed the cows, VanderMeulen purchases the majority of alfalfa from local hay growers (he grows some of it at his farm) and supplements it with corn silage and byproducts from other industries, such as cottonseed, wheat mill run, canola meal, corn meal, soy and limestone for calcium. All the ingredients get mixed in a blender and fed to the cows. “That’s why cows are so special to us humans, because they can digest that grass, they can digest that corn, and all tricityherald.com

that feed we wouldn’t be able to do anything with. It makes it into a highly digestible, highly nutritious, almost perfect food…” he said. Cow’s milk is composed of protein, carbohydrate, water-soluble vitamins, minerals and water. It is especially rich in calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin and phosphorus. Each month a nutritionist visits the farm to test all the cows, test the milk production and take a milk sample to analyze its butterfat, protein, and white blood cell count – an indicator of udder health in the cow. Both VanderMeulen and Kinney say there are a lot of misconceptions to fight in the dairy industry. “People toss around the word ‘industry’ a lot, which makes the correlation these dairymen are running big factory farms, but that could not be farther from the truth,” said Kinney. “About 98 percent of farms in Washington are generational family farms. Dairy is their livelihood, in some cases the cows even have names and they are just as part of the family.” Kinney said it takes 24 to 48 hours for the milk to be bottled, and most milk doesn’t travel more than 60 miles from

the processing facility to the store. “It’s pure, fresh and local,” said Kinney. VanderMeulen said he also needs to clear misconceptions about how dairymen use resources. “It’s very hurtful when people think that people in agriculture, especially in livestock, don’t care about our animals, our land and our resources,” said VanderMeulen. “We care for it a lot.” So much in fact, that VanderMeulen recycles almost everything in his farm. The water he uses to care for his cows is used for cleaning and irrigation, and the cow manure is used for bedding, compost and fertilizing his crops. He sells some of it to local farmers and landscaping companies. Although his farm has no nearby waste streams, he said federal law prohibits any waste or irrigation runoff from seeping into bodies of water. “We take pride in it. We’re very passionate about what we do,” he said.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

The buzz about local honey KENDRA WATERS For the Tri-City Herald

he next time you hear the pesky buzz of a bee flying around, keep in mind that they produce a very important commodity: honey. The many benefits of local honey are present only when the honey is raw and strained, rather than processed using filters and heat. Bees collect pollen and nectar from local crops during pollination that is then delivered to the honeycomb. When honey is commercially processed, the very fine filters that are used along with the heat remove all of the local pollen present in the honey. This local pollen is what provides the benefits many people are looking for. Todd Nelson, president of the Mid-Columbia Beekeeper’s Association, explained, “As the bees collect pollen and nectar, they’re getting it from local sources (and) as a result of that (are

provided) relief from local allergies.” Another benefit to local honey that many people may not know is its ability to heal open wounds. “Because of honey’s low water content and high sugar content, it is fairly sterile, so in some cases it’s good for allowing wounds to heal,” Nelson said. Honey acts a healer, cleaning out the wound and creating a moist environment that promotes healing. There are not a lot of places to purchase locally processed items such as honey in the Mid-Columbia. The MidColumbia Market at the Hub in Richland is a member owned cooperative that sells local, non-GMO produce. One commodity that can be purchased there is Two Sisters Honey. Based in Kennewick, this honey is raw, unfiltered and comes in a variety of flavors, such as Lavender Blossom, and types, such as creamed. In addition to local honey, bees provide us with one other important

HONEY AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 14 ‣‣Production: 3.2 million pounds ‣‣Value of production: $5.2 million benefit: the pollination of our local crops. Washington’s tree fruit industry, which includes apples and cherries, demands one of the largest populations of honeybees. However, studies completed by Washington State University show that only one-third of all honeybees in a colony will be foraging for nectar or pollen at any given time. When weighing in the fact that it takes at least 20,000 bees to have a productive colony, it is safe to say that keeping our bees safe and in a good habitat is the best way to help our local crops grow. According to the Washington Honey

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Bee Work Group in a 2014 report to the legislature, the bees in our state are in danger due to inadequate season-long forage or an altogether lack of forage. Because of this, many commercial beekeepers ship their colonies to states with more year-round crops in order to keep the colonies alive. Honeybees are of utmost importance to both our health and our local crop production. While beekeepers play a vital role in this economy, so can you, by protecting swarms and thinking twice before you disturb a hive. The Mid-Columbia Beekeeper’s Association of local beekeepers, both hobbyist and commercial, meet regularly to teach and learn about beekeeping. They are available for free swarm removal. Local meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Richland Church of Christ. More information can be found at tricitybees.com.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Egg production up slightly in Washington JAMES POWELL For the Tri-City Herald

he debate over which came first, the chicken or the egg, has been around quite awhile. No matter your stance on the age-old question, one cannot have chicken eggs without chickens. And the way a chicken is raised determines the type of egg that is sold in the marketplace. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the average American consumes 253 eggs annually. In 2015 the U.S. produced 96 billion eggs, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Chicken & Eggs Report, with 3.4 percent of that total going to export markets. Washington produced just over 2 billion, about 2.2 percent of the national figure. That number is up slightly from 2014’s 1.9 billion and represents the combined production of table eggs and

hatching eggs. Washington does not disclose the breakdown of its totals to protect local operations, according to the footnotes. The American Egg Board recognizes five types of table eggs. Conventional eggs are laid by hens living in indoor nesting spaces within cages where they have access to feed, water and security. Free-range hens have access to outdoors when weather permits and are raised according to environmental or state laws. They roam and forage for plants and insects outside while given floor space, nesting space and perches and a diet of grains inside. Cage-free layers roam freely in a building, room or open area with unlimited access to fresh food and water. Cage-free systems vary, but have similar indoor care and handling practices as free-ranging hens.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

Organic eggs are produced by hens fed rations with ingredients that were grown without most conventional pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Providers use methods, practices and substances in production and handling specified by the USDA’s standards that foster cycling of sources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. An enriched colony system contains adequate environmental enrichments to provide perch space, dust bathing or a scratch area, and a nest space to allow the laying hens to live intrinsically. This system is American Humane Certified. The egg display at Costco leaves significant room for pallets of organic eggs; the same space allotted for conventional eggs. That’s an increasing consumer trend. The USDA Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News published that as of March 2016, organic and cage-free shell egg production accounted for 10 percent of current table egg layer flock (30.1 million hens). Of this, 4.5 percent are organic (13.5 million hens) and 5.5 percent are cage-free (16.6 million hens). Wilcox Family Farms of Washington started converting conventional egg production to organic in 2006, according to its website. They grow part of their own organic feed on the farm and say the current demand for organic eggs outpaces the supply. All their growth investment is in cage-free and organic egg production. Mike and Laurie Mackey saw enough demand for eggs raised the “traditional way” of cage free that in 2010 they made the decision to become a licensed commercial egg farm and increase production. “The laying hens here at Red Mountain Egg Farm (in West Richland) are kept in large outdoor pens,” Mike Mackey said. “Connected to each pen is a chicken house which the hens may freely enter and exit as they wish. Our layers are never caged nor is there ever a closed door to keep them from exiting their house. The USDA says that the eggs of chickens raised in this way may be described as free range.”

EGGS AT A GLANCE ‣‣Rank in nation: No. 16 ‣‣Value of production: $331 million Concern over chicken welfare has some environmentalists attempting to change the way producers raise their eggs. A visit to YouTube finds their rankling complete with misquotes and misrepresentations to reinforce their positions and influence a public opinion that demands a governmental reaction. Some activists suggest the public stop consuming eggs to protect the chickens. And it may be a reason not one major producer returned calls to answer questions about their industry. But their websites hold nothing back to reveal their conscientiousness about the products they provide. “I not only like chickens for the eggs they produce, I like chickens fried,” reads a quote from the Mackeys’ website. “But just because a creature is bred and farmed for food production does not mean it should be treated cruelly. Being concerned about an animal’s well-being is not about animal rights. It is about people’s responsibility to take care of a creature that gives us sustenance. “By the time the hen is about 2 1/2 years old she is no longer an efficient layer and we retire her. We offer the hens to others for a nominal charge. If they are not otherwise found a home (as pets), they can be, and are, eaten,” Mackey wrote on the website. “Remember, our hens are bred and raised for foodproduction.” The egg versus chicken debate continues and now includes their place and rights in society.

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Thursday, October 20, 2016 • Tri-City Herald State of Ag

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