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Withered wheat:Worldwide harvest up, but local crops suffered summer’s heat — Pages 8, 9

� | Monday, September 29, 2014 | NORTHWEST FARM & RANCH

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On the cover: Ben Brimlow pulls goat grass while weeding 128 plots of winter wheat that is part of the Washington State University Variety Testing Program between

Pullman and Moscow in June. | Photo by Geoff Crimmins

Worldwide harvest up, but ...

NW crops withered under blistering summer heat | 8

Wanted: PickersLack of orchard workers

puts Washington growers in a crisis | 4

An apple a dayResearchers contact

growers on Obamacare coverage | 13

Researcher believes quinoa is answer to world hunger

By Samantha Malottfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

One Washington State University student believes the answer to world hunger may lie in a small seed.

That seed — quinoa — has been growing rapidly in popularity dur-ing the past few years in the United States.

Cedric Habiyaremye came to WSU from Rwanda in August 2013 and became fascinated with the small grain-like crop, so he joined a research team working on breeding different strains of the seed to adapt to varying environments.

“Quinoa has a great potential of adaptability,” Habiyaremye said.

Currently, he is working on grow-

ing six different breed-ing varieties in a field near campus to see which produces the best results. The crop originated in South America, he said, and has not grown much in the U.S.

His work, he said, will help determine which breeds will grow best in which types of environments.

Along with the ability to adapt to environments, the versatility and health benefits of the seed have also aided in its growing popularity.

“That’s what made it popular,” he said. “Its high nutrition value and high quality and adaptability to other ecological conditions.”

Quinoa is a good source of pro-

Little seed comes with a big punch

See SEED, Page 4

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is so good for you and easy to make,” Knox said. “You can basically put anything you want with it.”

All parts of the plant are edible, from the seeds to the leaves and flow-ers, he said. They can be used in sal-ads, chips, cookies and even in beer or vodka, he added.

“You can make a lot of things from quinoa,” Habiyaremye said. “People find it to be a very outstand-ing crop.”

Casey Flower, bulk buyer for the Moscow Co-op, said quinoa is rela-tively expensive in the United States, though, because researchers are still trying to develop a strain that grows well in the U.S.

Flower said it averages about $6 a pound, but he has heard of it ranging much higher in other places.

It has a longer growing season than other crops and it has to be well established before it grows really well, he said.

“I think in the next five to 10 years it will become a major crop here,” Flower said. “It has had a lot of expo-sure.”

Flower said Incan societies lived off the quinoa plant because of the diverse health benefits it provided.

Knox said the popularity in gluten-free diets has also added to the grow-ing market for quinoa, as it can be

used to replace many gluten products in various meals.

“You can do so much with it, and it has so much variety,” Flower said.

This versatility and the wide range of health benefits, Habiyaremye believes, can make it the nswer to many of the world’s hunger prob-lems.

With world’s population explod-ing, it requires producers to provide healthy food for people to survive on, and the answer, he said, may be quinoa.

Samantha Malott can be reached at (208) 883-4639, or by email to [email protected].

tein and is high in fiber and a range of B vitamins that can aid in cell generation and brain function, said

Sean Knox, Moscow Co-op kitchen manager.

“It’s like a protein bomb,” he said. A cup of quinoa can provide half

a day’s worth of the recommended fiber intake the average adult needs, he said.

“It’s hard to beat something that

Geoff Crimmins/NWFRWashington State University crop breeder Kevin Murphy, left, and farmer Ian Clark talk about quinoa June 24 in a field near Albion.

Seedfrom Page 3

Dean Hare/NWFRQuinoa seeds grow, as seen during a tour July 26, 2012, of the organic farm at Washington State University.

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By Shanon Quinnfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

Driving through the farming areas of the south-ern and eastern portions of Washington state, travelers a couple of decades ago like-ly would have seen plywood signs announcing seasonal employment opportunities: Pickers wanted.

They were numerous, red spray painted and temporary, appearing at least every few miles.

But they were never up for long. Within days, or some-times hours, the signs were removed and stored in shops behind props and ladders to await the following year.

While the signs are gone, the demand for workers isn’t. In fact, there’s a shortage.

In 2011, Gov. Chris Gregoire, D-Wash., declared

a labor supply “crisis” because of a lack of orchard workers in late October and November of that year. Gregoire estimated there were 3,000 to 4,000 too few pickers.

It looks to be an ongoing trend, with a number of theo-ries as to why.

Alberto Isiordia, with the Washington state Employment Security Department’s workforce and career development division, said the change may have to do with the “tremendous rise in the use of the H-2A pro-gram.” The U.S. Department of Labor defines H-2A as a temporary agricultural pro-gram, which allows agricul-tural employers to bring non-immigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to complete the temporary work.

Before employers can hire foreign workers, they must

file an application with the Department of Labor stating there are not sufficient work-ers who are able, willing, qualified and available, and the employment of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and work-ing conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers, the department’s website says.

Additional theories behind the worker shortage include laborers moving to other types of work as the econo-my recovers, more jobs due to the expansion of the bur-geoning wine industry and more available employment in South America, keeping former seasonal agricultural workers close to home.

Regardless of the cause, the effect is clear. Agricultural jobs are being left unfilled in Washington state.

“Many growers point the

dramatic rise in the use of the H-2A program as a sign that there not sufficient workers interested in doing ag labor,” Isiordia said.

According to information provided by Isiodia on the H-2A program, within the past seven years, requests for foreign workers have doubled, and foreign work-ers certified have more than tripled. In 2008, 42 applica-tions were filed by growers in Washington, and 2,513 for-eign workers were certified. In 2014, 84 applications were filed and 9,004 workers certi-fied.

But, Isiordia pointed out, with the organization for-merly tasked with reporting on agriculture and wages no longer operating, the only real information on the situation — aside from that provided by the H-2A program — is

anecdotal.Don Mereck, a labor

economist with Employment Security who serves Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Okanogan and Yakima counties, said in his experience, some growers will complain of an inadequate work force, while others deny any problem.

But with 2014 promising to be a record-breaking year in the apple industry — a projected 140 million boxes will top the previous record of 129 million boxes in 2012 — and a labor shortage report-ed at 14.3 percent in April, according to Employment Security, growers are likely to be scrambling, once again, for workers.

Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4636 or by email at [email protected].

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By Joel Millsfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

Even in the face of crushing poverty and the aftermath of the massive 2010 earthquake, Monica Haugen saw almost unbelievable happiness among the Haitian people.

“They just appreciate everything they have,” Haugen said after a summer trip with FFA to the tiny Caribbean nation. “I didn’t really have an idea of what to expect, but I didn’t expect them to be that happy. They all have a sense of community. No matter where they are, they are always together and helping each other out. It was awesome to see.”

The 17-year-old Pullman High School senior was one of 10 FFA members selected

by the Sioux Central FFA in Iowa to go on the mission. She didn’t grow up on a farm, but spent summers on her uncles’ Colton spread, helping raise wheat, garbanzos, peas, hay and cattle.

She joined FFA as a freshman and is currently president of the Pullman chap-ter. Her adviser forwarded an email about the trip last year, and Haugen decided to apply.

“I had always wanted to do something like that,” she said. “I was the only person from this side of the country. Everybody else was either from Iowa or Indiana.”

The group performed several service projects during its visit. The main objec-tive was to assemble a new form of shelter, the Sukup Safe-T-Home. Basically a modi-fied grain bin, the shelters were invented

A long mission to Haiti for FFA

Future Farmers of America member Monica Haugen holds Judah at the James Center in Haiti. Haugen is the president of the FFA Pullman chapter, and is a senior at Pullman High School.

Monica Haugen Courtesy

Pullman High senior joins group of FFA members on aid trip to Caribbean nation

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They are billed as virtu-ally wind- and earthquake-proof, and Haugen’s FFA group put together four during their visit. They also visited orphanag-es, install-ing a water pump at one that specializes in helping small chil-dren and babies.

“It was awesome, but at the same time it was heart-breaking,” H a u g e n said. “We heard a couple of different stories about why the kids came to the orphan-ages. It was just hard to know that they don’t have a family to take care of them.”

Haugen added the orphanages do a fantastic job of raising and caring for

them.Her group was too busy

to learn much about Haitian agricultural practices, but Haugen was able to observe a few things during drives from location to location. Familiar with the highly

mechanized m e t h o d s she grew up around, H a u g e n said she was most surprised that almost everything is done by hand, like picking corn and work-ing rice paddies.

“ T h e y don’t have

tractors,” she said. “I think we saw one when we were down there, and it was defi-nitely not one we would see here.”

Joel Mills may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2266.

“I didn’t really have an

idea of what to expect, but I didn’t expect

(Haitians) to be that happy. ”

Monica HaugenFFA president of Pullman chapter

Monica Haugen displays the things she brought back with her after an FFA trip to Haiti this summer at her home Sept. 14 in Pullman. Haugen is holding what Haitians call a print, which is a scene painted onto an unframed piece of cloth. She also brought back a metal cross and a small wooden box.

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NW crops withered under blistering summer heat

By Eric Barkerfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

Wheat growers in the Pacific Northwest are being hit with a double whammy this fall, poor yields and low prices.

Normally low yield puts a pinch on supply, increases demand and leads to higher prices. But as Glen Squires, CEO of the Washington Wheat Commission at Spokane, explains, the world is awash in wheat this year. The global harvest is at an all-time high despite a blistering summer that withered crops in the Northwest.

“Worldwide, I think it’s the biggest crop,” he said before correcting himself. “It is the biggest crop.”

But that isn’t the case in the United States. Squires said at home the crop is as low as it’s been in the past eight years.

“We had some sustained heat that really took a toll on the crop and that kind of had two effects,” he said. “One

effect was it reduced the yield, the plants just kind of shut down earlier.”

The second effect was to raise the protein level in soft white wheat, an undesirable quality in the variety used for non-bread baked goods.

“You want lower protein and weaker gluten and the stress caused the protein to increase, which is not the best,” he said. “So customers are probably going to have a little more of a challenge deal-ing with the crop.”

This year’s harvest has an average protein level of about 11 percent. The long-term average is about 10.2 percent.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot but it is,” he said.

On the up-side, those grow-ing hard red wheat are helped by higher protein levels. Hard red wheat is used for bread and all-purpose flour. But soft white wheat is the dominant variety grown in the

Northwest.Prices are down this year,

following five years of a sell-er’s market. Soft white wheat closed at $6.73 a bushel Sept. 12 in Portland, Ore. The price has been above $7 a bushel since 2010, with the high point coming in 2012 when it topped $8 a bushel. In 2009 it was less than $5.

Squires said Washington growers produced about 130 million bushels this year. The five-year average is 142 mil-lion and the 10-year average is 137 million.

“Usually when supply is down, yield is down, crop pric-es tend to go up,” he said. “Well the complicating factor this year is you have a lot of wheat in the world, the biggest crop ever, so in terms of global sup-ply you have a lot of wheat.

“The other compounding fac-tor is corn. You have this unbe-lievable big corn yield, so corn prices are down and that has a

Worldwide wheat harvest up, but ...

Steve Hanks/NWFRHarvest yields are down this year because of higher than normal temperatures.

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NORTHWEST FARM & RANCH | Monday, September 29, 2014 | �downward pressure on wheat.”

When corn prices are high, some ranchers feed their ani-mals wheat instead of corn. That puts a strain on demand and prices tend to go up.

Squires said growers are having to contend with higher costs for things like fuel and fertilizers in the face of lower prices for their crops. But he said that is the nature of farm-ing, and sometimes prices can make a quick turnaround.

For example, he said with such a huge global wheat crop, growers around the country and world who live in places where they can grow a vari-ety of crops, might choose to plant something else next year. Growing something different, generally is not an option for the dry land farms of the Pacific Northwest.

“For the most part we don’t grow soybeans, we don’t grow corn. You grow wheat or you are in a rotation,” he said. “You can’t really change your rotation; dry land soy beans is not option.”

Eric Barker may be contacted at [email protected] or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

Some areas of the region saw record temperatures

By Anthony Kuipersfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

High heat and sporadic rain this summer has led to low wheat yield in much of the region, according to local growers.

Washington Grain Commissioner CEO Glen Squires said production is down nearly 10 percent in Washington from the five-year average.

During the past five years, the state has pro-duced an average of 142.4 million bushels. Preliminary estimates from August show this year it produced 130.6 million.

“It really impacted all parts of the state,” he said.

In some areas, July and August brought the highest

average temperatures on record. Spokane, Wenatchee and Walla Walla all set records in this category, according to the Office of the Washington State Climatologist.

Squires said in addition to putting stress on the crop and reducing yield, the heat also caused increased protein levels in soft white wheat.

Randy Suess, Washington Grain Commissioner for Whitman County, said he doesn’t know anyone “that didn’t take at least a 20 per-cent hit.”

“It held production back pretty significantly,” he said.

It could have been worse. The Palouse, mercifully, saw about an inch of rainfall in June.

“If it wasn’t for that inch of rain, things would have really sad,” Suess said.

Idaho saw a similar trend.

According to the Idaho

Wheat Commission, all wheat stored in all positions on June 1 totaled 13.4 mil-lion bushels in Idaho, down from 14.1 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were up 4 percent, while on-farm stocks were down 41 percent com-pared to the previous year.

J o e A n d e r s o n , Idaho Wheat Commissioner for northern Idaho coun-ties like Latah and Benewah, said he’s heard from other farmers that yield is down between 10 to 20 per-cent on aver-age, thanks in part to below average rainfall.

Bill Flory, Idaho Wheat Commissioner for Nez Perce,

Clearwater, Idaho, Lewis, Boise, Payette, Valley and Washington counties, said south-central and southeast Idaho experienced heavy rainfall right around the crop’s maturity, which made

the baking c h a r a c t e r -istics of the wheat less than desir-able. The good news, A n d e r s o n said, is that in his district the quality of the wheat wasn’t affected.

“The wheat that was there finished nicely and is gener-ally excellent quality,” he said.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to [email protected].

More on why local yields are lower after hot summer

“If it wasn’t for that

inch of rain (in June), things would

have been really sad.”

Randy SuessWashington Grain Commissioner

for Whitman County

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By William L. Spencefor Northwest Farm and Ranch

A long-running effort to improve marketing opportu-nities for livestock producers and allow consumers to buy locally raised meat products recently received a $15,000 federal grant.

The money will help the Greater Palouse Meat Producers evaluate the pos-sibility of building a small-scale U.S. Department of Agriculture meat processing facility somewhere in the region.

“Right now we’re shooting for the minimum, a plant that has a capacity (to process) eight to 10 animals per day,” said Christopher LaPaglia, one of the half-dozen or so livestock producers and eco-nomic development special-ists who actively participate

in the Greater Palouse Meat Producers.

Ranchers currently can’t sell individual cuts of meat

directly to restaurants or retail outlets unless their livestock is slaughtered at a plant that has USDA inspec-

tors on hand. They also can’t sell directly to consumers except in bulk quantities, such as half a cow or a whole

pig carcass.Although Washington

State University and the University of Idaho both have USDA slaughter facilities, LaPaglia said, they’re focused primarily on the institutions’ teaching mission and don’t have the capacity to handle additional animals.

Outside of that, the near-est USDA facilities are in Sandpoint, southern Idaho and the Tri-Cities area of Washington — far enough away, LaPaglia said, that it doesn’t make economic sense for local producers to even bother.

Building a USDA plant somewhere in this region would reduce transportation costs, as well as the stress on animals, and create new opportunities for small- to medium-sized ranchers.

“Once you have that USDA

Is there a need for a regional meat processing plant?Federal grant used for study calls for USDA facility in north central Idaho, southeastern Washington

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label, you can sell to restau-rants and hospitals. You can sell someone one steak, rath-er than half a cow,” LaPaglia said.

They could also offer value-added products, such as smoked meats and sau-sages, and possibly go after specific niche markets, such as grass-fed beef, organic beef or kosher beef.

“It could be the difference between making money and not,” he said.

In exploring this issue, the Greater Palouse Meat Producers is building on research done by UI’s Office of Community Partnerships, which spent several years looking at the costs and ben-efits of building a regional USDA facility.

Interim Director David Saul, who led the effort, could not be reached for comment. However, a report by the office indicated about 50,000 cattle and calves were sold in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington in 2007, along with about 20,000 sheep and hogs. That

would easily be enough to support a small processing facility, assuming there’s adequate interest on the part of producers.

Researchers also found consumers “have a strong preference for beef produced within 85 miles of home (and) are willing to pay 10 percent more for certified organic and all-natural beef,” according to the report.

In July the USDA award-ed Clearwater Economic Development Association a $15,000 Rural Business Enterprise grant to begin the planning and design for a local processing facility.

CEDA also raised $5,000 in local matching funds from the Moscow Food Co-op, Latah and Clearwater County commissions, Clearwater Resource Conservation and Development Council, Sodexo Corp., and the UI’s Office of Community Partnerships.

The work, which should be completed in about a year, will address such issues as start-up costs, the size and location of the operation and

estimated demand. It will also evaluate whether there’s interest in a cooperative marketing effort or develop-ing a Greater Palouse Meat Producers brand.

“In my experience, the people who produce live-stock often aren’t that com-fortable with the marketing side of things,” said Cheryl Kammerzell, co-owner of Maple K Farms in Colfax, which raises grass-fed Highland cattle and sells the beef in bulk directly to con-sumers.

Although she and her hus-band, Tom, aren’t looking to expand their operation, Kammerzell supports the idea of building a local USDA plant, saying it would expand the opportunities for other producers in the region.

However, she emphasized that quality control — not just at the slaughterhouse, but at the farm where live-stock is raised — will be criti-cal to the project’s success.

“The fastest way to lose your market is to have incon-sistent quality, to have an

A-plus product one week and a C-minus product the next,” she said. “That has to be part of the discussion.”

The Greater Palouse Meat Producers will hold a grant launch party for local meat producers, butchers and con-sumers in October, to solicit comments on how the project can best meet their needs.

The party takes place Oct. 17 at Ernie’s Steakhouse in Lewiston, 2305 Nez Perce Drive. A social hour with appetizers and no-host bar begins at 5:30 p.m. that Friday, followed by a presen-tation at 6:30 p.m. Members of the meat producers steer-ing committee and Joel Huesby, the lead grant con-sultant, will be available to discuss the project.

The group has also launched a new website, www.gpmp.weeb ly . com, where interested parties can keep track of the latest devel-opments.

William L. Spence may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 791-9168.

“The fastest way to lose your market is to have inconsistent quality, to have an A-plus product one week and a C-minus product the next. That has to be part of

the discussion.”Cheryl Kammerzell

Maple K Farms co-owner

12 | Monday, September 29, 2014 | NORTHWEST FARM & RANCH

By Ralph Bartholdtfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

A pesticide commonly used since the 1940s has been linked to genetic weaknesses that are passed on for generations.

Michael Skinner, Washington State University professor and founder of the school’s Center for Reproductive Biology, and his colleagues discov-ered that Methoxychlor, a pesticide once used on a variety of plants and livestock, does more than kill insect pests, it has the ability to alter genet-ics.

Also known as Moxie, Metox, Methoxo or Chemform, Methoxychlor was commonly used on farms and in suburbia since its introduction in 1948. It killed insects that preyed on crops and ornamentals. It also protected pets and livestock against fleas, ticks and biting flies, and it killed mosquitoes and cockroaches.

In the 1970s it was advertised as a safe replacement for DDT. Although it was banned in the U.S. in 2003 because of its toxicity, it continues to be used in many countries around the world.

Through their research at WSU, Skinner and his colleagues found that exposure to Methoxychlor in pregnancy can behave like the hormone e s t r o g e n , and is linked to t h r e e gener-

ations of disease.When Skinner and his col-

leagues exposed gestating rats to Methoxychlor they

documented an increase in the number of offspring

with ovary and kidney disease as well as obe-

sity. The diseases didn’t fade after a

generation, but lasted into three

g e n e r a t i o n s , according to

the research.Research

ind i cates the pes-

t i c i d e c o u l d b e

affecting genetic information that is turned on or off in the offspring of an exposed person. That means the great-great-grandchildren of some-one exposed to Methoxychlor during pregnancy may still be suffering the consequences.

“What your great-grandmother was exposed to throughout pregnan-cy, like the pesticide Methoxychlor, could market a dramatic boost in your susceptibility to develop illness, and you will pass this on to your grand-children in the absence of any contin-ued exposures,” Skinner said.

The research suggests that more than 50 years of exposure to Methoxychlor may have manifested itself in an increased rate of disease and obesity in our society, which may — despite the pesticide’s ban — be evident for many more decades.

Ralph Bartholdt can be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2275.

It’s not just your grandmother’s diseaseWSU study links pesticide commonly used in the ’40s to genetic alterations passed from generation to generation

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By Lindsey Treffryfor Northwest Farm and Ranch

Since the Obama adminis-tration decided in July to post-pone Obamacare’s employer mandate until 2015, employ-ers will have more time to provide accessible health cov-erage.

But there is consider-able debate about the effect of these Affordable Care Act mandates on agriculture, specifically in Washington state, where a large majority of growers depend on season-al and migrant workers. At least, that’s what Washington State University economic sciences assistant professor Bidisha Mandal says.

Mandal, who holds a Ph.D. in agricultural, environmen-tal and development econom-ics, along with Michael Brady

and R. Karina Gallardo, both of economic sciences, was awarded a 2014 Emerging Research Issues Award from WSU, in addition to $43,891 for their research, “How will the Affordable Care Act Affect Health Coverage and Employment in the Agricultural Industry in the State of Washington?”

“We got the grant in February or late March this year,” Mandal said. “The agriculture industry in Washington state has a lot of

seasonal and migrant work-ers. They would have differ-ent types of challenges when it comes to providing insur-ance and trying to under-stand if they have an issue with revenue, which might not be seen in other parts of the country.”

During the next few months, Mandal and her team will conduct surveys, which will be sent to randomly cho-sen apple and grape grow-ers in Washington. The team is seeking information on the

number of workers, those employed part-time or full-time, the type of coverage pro-vided to workers and what the growers plan to do for health coverage starting Jan. 1.

By November or December, Mandal said some analysis should be done, and next year, after contacting the same growers again, the research team will publish their find-ings, which will include the thoughts of growers after implementing the required coverage.

“We couldn’t see any other study that has done some-thing like this,” Mandal said.

Mandal said the team also hopes to gather historical data to see how the Washington agriculture industry has changed throughout the years, but primarily, the focus is on changes in the industry in relation to the Affordable Care Act.

More information on the study can be found at arc.wsu.edu/info/eri/2014_ERIawards.html.

“We think it’s really impor-tant,” Mandal said. “I know many people have many ques-tions about it and they don’t understand the new law.”

Lindsey Treffry can be reached at (208) 883-4540 or by email to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTreffry.

Health coverage more than an apple a dayWSU researchers conduct survey on effect of next year’s healthcare mandate on Washington growers

“ We couldn’t see any other study that has done something like this. ”

Bidisha MandalWashington State University economic sciences assistant professorMandal

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14 | Monday, September 29, 2014 | Northwest Farm & raNch

USDA approves new modified corn, soybean seeds

By Besty BlaneyAssociated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas — El Nino appears to be on its way.

The long-awaited weather pat-tern that brings rain to Texas is forecast to arrive next month, National Weather Service meteorol-ogist Victor Murphy in Fort Worth said. El Nino raises the chances in many parts of the state for abun-dant rain through February, which would raise lake levels statewide and improve soil moisture, he said.

But the region around Wichita Falls along the Oklahoma border is likely to miss out on the wet weather pattern. Parts of that region are in exceptional drought, the worst stage on the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map, and many nearby are in extreme drought. The city itself hasn’t fallen out of the two driest

categories in about four years.“The farther north you go, the

smaller the impact of El Nino,” said state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University.

The Texas drought began in October 2010, and 2011 was the state’s driest ever. Subsequent years have not brought enough rain to quench it.

There had been no real relief statewide until the past week, when heavy rains from a storm system and Hurricane Odile’s remnants swept across much of the state.

“It’s been a drought-ender in a couple of places, but there’s a lot of places it’s not been,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

When droughts begin, the first symptom is dry soil. The last is lakes drying up. But when drought begins to improve, the first sign is improved soil moisture, which

allows more water to run into lakes. That has happened in some parts of the state but not others, with lake levels across the state at 64.1 full on Tuesday. The usual capacity for this time of year is 79 percent.

Agriculture officials see the soil moisture levels rising from the recent rains in the Central Gulf Coast, Central Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, South Plains and far West Texas, said Travis Miller, associate director of state operations for Texas AgriLife Extension Service and a former drought specialist there.

The drought map, released recent-ly, will show improvement this week because of the recent rains. The cur-rent map shows about 43 percent of the state in no drought stage.

West Texas, where conditions are typically the state’s driest, has gotten above normal rainfall, with Lubbock at 106 percent of normal.

El Nino forecast to help Texas out of drought By Mary Clare Jalonick

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The United States Agriculture Department has approved the use of genetically modified corn and soy-bean seeds that are resistant to a popular weed killer.

However, farmers won’t be able to take full advantage of the seeds until the Environmental Protection Agency issues a second ruling allowing the use of Enlist, a new version of the 2,4-D weed killer that’s been around since the 1940s. The EPA has said it will rule this fall on Dow AgroSciences’ application to market the chemical.

The agriculture industry has been anx-iously awaiting the approvals, as many weeds have become resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide commonly used on corn and soybeans now.

Critics say they are concerned the increased use of 2,4-D could endanger public health and that more study on the chemical is needed.

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By Chelsea Embreefor Northwest Farm and Ranch

Agricultural studies at the University of Idaho have earned two recent claims to national fame.

In April, a professor and a graduate student were hon-ored with awards from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, a professional society dedi-cated to promoting, recogniz-ing and rewarding excellence in education.

Professor Bob Tripepi, who specializes in horticul-ture, was granted a Teacher Fellow Award. Doug Masser, who finished a degree in agri-cultural education last fall, earned a Graduate Student Teaching Award.

Tripepi said he was excit-ed and pleased to receive the honor.

“I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’ll take it,” Tripepi said.

Earning the award is no small matter. According to the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture website, nominations for the Teacher Fellow Award must include a statement of teach-ing philosophy, a summary of student evaluations from former and current students, reviews from administrators and peer faculty members, a self-evaluation and a resume. Five UI professors have won the award in the past.

The Teacher Fellow Award recognizes effectiveness in teaching, Tripepi said. For

him, effectiveness is when he sees “the light bulbs turn on.”

“What I teach is not rocket science, but it can be involved, it can be technical. And so when students can see that and how it’s applied, and I can see that, ... that’s pretty satisfying,” Tripepi said.

He has spent his entire teaching career — totaling more than 30 years — at the UI. His courses range from nursery and landscape man-agement to plant tissue cul-ture and plant propagation.

What keeps him coming back to work every day are his interactions with stu-dents.

“After all these years, I’m confident enough to have a little fun with it too. So if I can poke fun at myself and with them, that’s helpful, so the pressure’s not all on them,” Tripepi said.

In fact, for about 25 of his 30 years, he’s carved out more time to spend with students as an adviser to the Plant and Soil Science Club on campus. He noticed students have gotten more involved with the club’s activities over the years.

“It’s fun to see them take charge,” Tripepi said.

He said his time at the university has been nice and interesting.

“One of the goals of the University of Idaho is life-long learning, so I hope I can emulate and show that I’m still learning, too, right with (the students). And I tell them, in some classes, I’m probably learning as much or more than they are in the class because of the different things that they’ll discover or ask about that I’ve never thought of before,” Tripepi said.

He’s also learned a lot about teaching in his years of experience. What stood out immediately is that “differ-ent students interpret differ-ent questions for exams or classes differently,” Tripepi said.

And he’s continuing to learn about teaching every day. Tripepi is teaching a nursery management course, for which he has students both on and off campus. Of the off-campus students, half are taking the course independently and half are “guided,” meaning they meet as a group to watch and dis-cuss lectures.

Tripepi plans on comparing the various learning methods and presenting on his findings at a North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture conference, another compo-nent of his Teacher Fellow Award.

UI ag studies gain national honorsProfessor, student recognized by North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture

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The Graduate Student Teaching Award that Masser received goes to graduate students who have been teaching for one year and excelled at it. The application process is simi-lar in rigor to the Teacher Fellow Award. It requires a statement of teaching philosophy, a state-ment of support from supervising faculty, evaluations from stu-dents and adminis-trators, a description of teaching involve-ment in and out of the classroom and a resume.

Masser, who started teach-ing agriculture at Pequa High School in Pennsylvania this fall, has been inter-ested in being an educator since high school.

“If I can have half the impact on future students that my teachers had on me, that’s a pretty rewarding job,” he said.

Masser’s background in agricul-ture started with his family. He grew up on a fruits and vegetables farm in Pennsylvania.

“I always interacted with so many people who didn’t know where their food came from or understand agri-

culture,” he said. “Sharing my pas-sion and my interest was important and it’s something I enjoyed.”

In the University of Idaho’s agri-cultural education program, Masser wanted and received a number of

opportunities to teach, both formally and informally.

He felt he began to make a difference when he taught an introductory course in agricultural edu-cation last fall.

Masser credited the UI’s resources — particularly for research and attend-ing conferences — for helping to make him a better teacher.

He also credited his involvement with the program for helping him win the Graduate Student

Teaching Award.“Whenever you’re recognized for

your work, it’s definitely rewarding to know that your hard work and many hours of preparation and stressing over whether you’re teaching lessons that help students and whether you make an impact” had paid off, he said.

Chelsea Embree may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2278.

Chelsea Embree/NWFRProfessor Bob Tripepi of the University of Idaho won a teaching award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture.

“If I can have half the

impact on future students that my teachers had on

me, that’s a pretty rewarding job.”

Doug MasserRecipient of Graduate Student

Teaching award

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By Chris HubbuchLacross Tribune

BARRE MILLS, Wisc. — After patiently waiting her turn, Firefly sidles up to the Lely Astronaut.

As the 1,587-pound cow stands on a scale, a robotic arm moves under her belly. A pair of whirring brushes washes her udder before laser-guided suction cups latch on and begin milking.

Six minutes and 20 seconds later, Firefly is done, her 20.5 pounds of milk on its way to the holding tank, and the next cow is nosing into the milking stall.

Farmer Jeff Berg watches it all on video monitors from the comfort of his corner office. A robotic feed pusher keeps hay where the cows can reach it, while a manure scraper, like an industrial-sized Roomba, pushes the waste through a slotted floor.

Berg, 53, grew up on this farm and took it over shortly after graduating from high school in 1980. But, to borrow a phrase, this is not his father’s farm.

Robotic milkers, GPS-guided tractors and com-bines, high-definition satellite imagery, computers and even remote-controlled drones: technology is giving today’s farmers new ways to save time and money.

Jason Miller is head of the growing precision farm-ing department at St. Joseph Equipment and says today’s best computer-guided plant-ers, combines and fertilizer applicators can be dialed in to sub-inch accuracy.

“It’s millimeters, pretty much,” said Miller, 26, who also runs a 300-acre farm with his brother.

That accuracy allows farm-ers to save on inputs — seeds, fertilizer, pesticides — by elimi-nating overlap. Combined with

satellite imagery and soil maps, producers can use computers to write custom “prescriptions” to account for soil variations within a field — a little more fertilizer here, a few less seeds there.

“Now you can do this perfectly accu-rately,” Miller said.

But Miller said farmers tend to notice the “fatigue factor.”

“That’s one of the first things cus-tomers say to me — I can plant all night,” Miller said.

That’s key when Mother Nature squeezes the plant-ing and harvesting season, he said. “You’ve got certain times to go, go, go.”

Newer implements offer

telemetry features that allow farmers to monitor them from home. If a machine breaks down, it sends an alert to the farmer or dealer, who can diag-nose — and sometimes correct

— the problem remotely. And if a mechanic is needed, it’s easier to send the right part along, all of which results in less down time.

The same goes for Berg: if a hose comes loose, or if a cow

doesn’t get milked, he receives an alert. Such are the benefits of an automated farm.

For Berg, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, the robot was a necessary labor saver. Even a relatively small herd of 60 cows would be too much for

a family operation like his.Down the line, there may be

even more value in the infor-mation that fills his desktop computer screen.

“You can learn more than you ever want to know about a cow,” Berg said.

Likewise, computer-savvy farmers have begun to assem-ble gigabytes of data on crops and their fields, which may be the key to future advances.

Genetic engineering and precision planting and fertil-izer application have increased crop yields over time, said Paul Mitchell, an associate profes-sor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But in the coming decades it will be “big data” that allows farmers to finally achieve the potential of these technologies.

Increasingly, farmers are looking to the sky.

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“You’ve got certain

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Head of growing precision farming department at St. Joseph

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northwest Farm & ranch | Monday, September 29, 2014 | 19aerial snapshots of fields every nine days, said Rob Shield, precision ag man-ager for Allied Co-op in Mauston, Wis. In some cases, those satellites can provide 5-meter resolu-tion, which allow pro-ducers to spot problems — such as insects or dis-ease — that wouldn’t be visible from the ground.

Most recently, Allied invested in a remote-con-trolled drone, a four-blad-ed helicopter equipped with a GoPro camera that captures photos and streams live video to the operator.

Known as the AIMQ, the drone is the product of DMZ Aerial, a Sauk County business founded by cousins Mitchell and Zach Fiene.

Mitchell Fiene, a 20-year-old college student, said he grew up scout-ing fields with his father, a field agronomist, and flying remote controlled planes as a hobby.

As advancing tech-nology and price drops

made sophisticated drones more affordable, the Fienes saw an oppor-tunity.

A camera-equipped drone can cover 250 acres in a matter of minutes, Fiene said, scoping for problem areas from 200 feet and zooming in to problem areas for close-ups.

That could allow a scout to cover 100 times as much ground, he said.

“It’s a great tool to give you that first layer of information,” Shields said. “It doesn’t replace the scouts. It makes them a little more efficient.”

Current FAA rules allow civilian drones to be used only for hobby purposes, so DMZ cannot sell its services, but Fiene said there’s been demand from large operators and co-ops which can use them to scout their mem-bers’ fields — though not for a fee.

Shields said the big-gest hurdle now is the FAA, which is expected

to issue new drone rules next year.

Of course this tech-nology is not cheap. A drone can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $70,000, Shields said. Precision-guidance systems can cost $10,000 to $20,000 — not including the trac-tor. A robotic milker can cost $200,000 or more.

In hilly terrain like the Coulee Region, there aren’t many farms big enough to justify those costs, but Mitchell said large operators in Iowa and Illinois who invest in those new technolo-gies eventually drive the prices down until they are affordable.

The only downside to that model is those large farms also drive down commodity prices.

While nothing yet appears to have the potential to change the game like the internal combustion engine did in the early 20th century, Mitchell says history could prove otherwise.

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By Bruce SchreinerAssociated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Some of the imported hemp seeds detained by U.S. customs officials in the spring turned into 10-foot-tall plants that were harvested recently on a research plot in Kentucky, where marijuana’s non-intoxi-cating cousin has gained a foot-hold as a potential cash crop.

A sickle bar mower pulled by a tractor made half a dozen swaths to cut the hemp patch at the University of Kentucky research farm. Farmers want-ing to learn more about the crop were among the curious who posed for pictures while holding long, leafy stalks.

“There’s a great possibil-

ity that it could become a viable crop in Kentucky,” said UK agronomist David Williams, who helped oversee the research plot. “It’s not the most complicated plant to grow for farmers. I think they would pick up on it immedi-ately with very little guid-ance.”

From confinement to farm

Hemp’s reintroduction was delayed in the spring when hemp seeds imported from Italy were detained by U.S. customs officials in Louisville. The state’s Agriculture Department sued the federal government, and the seeds were released after federal

drug officials approved a per-mit. Part of the once-detained shipment ended up being planted May 27 at the UK plot.

Half a dozen universities and about 12 farmers were involved in this year’s test plantings, on a total of about 15 acres on plots across the state.

Hemp’s family ties

The crop once thrived in Kentucky, but growing hemp without a federal permit was banned in 1970 because of its classification as a controlled substance related to marijua-na. Hemp and marijuana are the same species, but hemp has a negligible amount of

Some of hemp crop from detained seeds harvested in Kentucky

Associated PressDavid Williams, right, speaks to media after a small plot of hemp was harvested at a University of Kentucky farm Sept. 23 near Lexington, Ky.

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northwest Farm & ranch | Monday, September 29, 2014 | 21THC, the psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high.

Hemp’s comeback started with the new federal farm bill. It allows state agriculture departments to desig-nate hemp pilot projects for research and devel-opment in states such as Kentucky that allow hemp growing.

A thief apparently got the two confused. Some hemp plants were stolen during the night last week from an east-ern Kentucky plot. “You can’t use it to get high,” said Adam Watson, the state Agriculture Department’s hemp pro-gram coordinator. “So we expect it’s kind of a case of mistaken identity.”

Easy growth

UK’s test plot grew fast, with little help from researchers and no fertilizer or irrigation. Researchers sprayed herbicide for weed sup-

pression. “The plants ... have

been allowed to grow on their own, and they’ve done just fine,” Williams said.

The hemp cut Tuesday is a variety grown for its fiber production. The harvested plants will stay in the field to cure for about two weeks.

Versatile crop

Hemp is prized for oils, seeds and fiber. Some of the Kentucky crop will be tested for use in textiles and biofuels, Watson said. Growers in Rockcastle County plan to make U.S. flags out of hemp fibers, he said.

Hemp is grown in other countries, and fin-ished hemp is legal in the U.S.

Hemp advocates say there’s a growing mar-ket for hemp products. Hemp products sold in the U.S. last year had a total retail value of at least $581 million,

up 24 percent from the prior year, according to the Hemp Industries Association.

Hemp’s future

Kentucky’s hemp experiment is expected to grow next year. The state doesn’t anticipate any problems with fed-eral drug officials in getting seed shipments, Watson said.

Everett McIntosh, a farmer from Garrard County, showed up for the harvest to check out the crop. He has been researching the crop and would like to con-vert some of his land into hemp production, if markets can be found.

“There’s so much work invested in farm-ing that this would seem much more economical, if they can come up with processing locations,” he said. “That’s the only problem right now is to see who’s going to invest in that.”

(Left to right) Blaine Bickelhaupt, Miriam Grant and Mark Grant

Blaine Bickelhaupt Miriam Grant Mark Grant Licensed in WA and ID Licensed in WA Licensed in WA and ID

509-520-5280 509-520-5220 509-520-1906

NOT Your Average Real Estate Team!

Our wheat farming heritage goes back 5 generations!Blaine has wheat farming experience and more

than 20 years working in ag real estate, providing an impressive knowledge and skills set.

Miriam, a licensed real estate broker in Washington, offers real estate experience, professionalism and

the ability to create a bridge of trust and cooperation between buyers and sellers.

Mark’s experience includes years with NW Farm Credit, giving him an excellent understanding of ag finance

and farm programs.

View our farm listings at www.bluemountainrealtors.com

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Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon’s Dundee Hills suffered from late rains last year that impacted the quality of wine in one of Oregon’s most productive regions.

Not this year. Vintners in the Willamette Valley

say the conditions have so far been perfect, and early September has given white-grape growers a chance to start harvesting early.

The first picking of the state’s famous pinot noir grapes isn’t far behind, The Statesman Journal reported.

Stoller Family Estate vineyard manager Robert Schultz says Oregon’s hot summer and the mild conditions for ambient yeast on the grapes them-selves combined to forecast a strong early harvest.

“This year is remarkable for its earliness, perfect conditions at bloom and increased heat accumulation,” Schultz said, adding that this year’s crop is “bigger and riper earlier than last year.”

Melissa Burr, who is celebrating her

12th vintage at Stoller, is enthusiastic about this harvest. “We have a healthy and heavy fruit set across the entire vineyard. The vineyard flowered in a compressed period of time, which leads me to think that harvest will also be com-pressed, and we are ready,” Burr said.

Schultz said harvest should be done mid-October.

At Sokol Blosser and other Willamette Valley vineyards, the vine-yard has begun harvesting grapes for its sparkling wine offerings.

“The grapes are picked early to help with acid retention and lower sugar content, resulting in lower alcohol con-tent for sparkling wine, an approach we’ve adopted after developing our sparkling program over the last year,” winemaker Alex Sokol Blosser said.

If the warm weather keeps up — temperatures reached the low 90s on Saturday — the pinot noir grapes could come earlier than anticipated.

“It appears to be an all-around stellar year for the Dundee Hills, and I’m look-ing forward to tasting the results of our collective work,” Schultz said.

Conditions perfect for big Oregon wine yield

Associated PressRoberto Garcia snips clusters of pinot noir grapes Sept. 22 as harvest continues at A to Z Wineworks in Oregon’s Yamhill County. Growers say grape quality this year is outstanding.


Canola is a different crop than it was 10 years ago. Prices are higher, yieldshave improved faster than other crops and Pacific Coast Canola has provideda strong local demand for western canola production.

Because canola production is evolving, Pacific Coast Canola is evolving as well.Visit our completely redesigned website at www.PacificCoastCanola.com. It’s your first and last stop for the latest in canola research, production benefits and agronomic data.

Visit www.PacificCoastCanola.com orcontact Stephen Starr at 509-349-8462or Mike Conklin at 509-349-8463 for more information.

Visit the Pacific Coast Canola booth at thePNW Oilseed & Direct Seed Conference inKennewick, WA from January 20–22, 2015.

Be part ofthe change.


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