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| Oregon agriculture venturing into bio-fuel production |
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| Kent Madison talks about his biodiesel processing tanks. |
By Brent Searle, special assistant to the director
High fuel prices change a lot of things. The cost of growing virtually anything in agriculture has increased and already tight margins are squeezed even further. High natural gas prices, which translate into staggering fertilizer costs, only add insult to injury.
Many growers are looking for alternatives. So are many consumers. And that attracts investors. Those concerned about carbon emissions and other impacts from petroleum-based products are also pushing alternatives for environmental reasons. The culmination of a "perfect storm" of interests is brewing.
The chicken-egg scenario faced by growers and potential bio-fuel processing facilities is beginning to crack. The dilemma of which comes first goes like this: growers have no incentive to plant bio-fuel feedstock crops because there is no local market or adequate price for their effort. Processing interests are hesitant to build facilities without a committed feedstock from growers. How then to break the egg?
The economics are beginning to show merit, and some crushing capacity is beginning to emerge as oil seeds are being pressed. Pendleton Grain Growers, a grower-owned cooperative, is extracting oil from locally grown canola in eastern Oregon. In another case, Kent Madison, a large, diversified, progressive grower in Echo, is building his own bio-diesel facility with a small crusher and bio-diesel processor. His goal is to produce 50 percent or more of his own diesel needs and to sell bio-diesel to Sequential Bio-fuels, a bio-diesel processing facility in Salem-the state's first refinery.
One of the byproducts of crushing or extracting oil from canola is "meal" that can be sold for cattle/dairy feed. Glycerin is another byproduct, and substantial research and usage ideas are being investigated to take up the on-coming volume that will be produced from future bio-diesel plants.
There are several other bio-diesel facilities on the drawing board for Oregon, ranging from tens of thousands of gallons per year, to 100 million gallons per year.
We're starting to hear 12-13 cents per pound for canola from potential buyers, which begins to make economic sense to growers, especially with high yielding newer varieties (none of which are GMO, genetically modified organisms) in the Willamette Valley-achieving upwards of 5,000 lbs. per acre on the OSU Hyslop Crop Research Farm.
Growers in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon are also interested in bio-diesel and oilseed crops which can be grown for processing into usable fuel for their farms and as rotational crops for the ubiquitous grass seed fields. An unfortunate dilemma has emerged-an existing group of specialty vegetable seed growers fear harm from large canola acreage because canola has the potential to cross-pollinate with some vegetable seed crops. There are also concerns of increased disease pressure and weed problems resulting from volunteer canola.
At the present, there are no other oilseed crops grown in Oregon with a yield anywhere close to canola's—economically or biologically.
ODA has developed a rule to mitigate these concerns, requiring any grower in the Willamette Valley who wants to grow canola for oil to present a petition and plan to ODA for review, explaining what measures would be employed to minimize impacts on vegetable seed growers. There is a minimum three-mile separation buffer requirement to minimize the cross-pollination concern. ODA also requires any transportation to be done in sealed containers to prevent spillage along roadsides.
Even so, specialty seed growers are worried and it will take time to work through these issues for both interests. ODA has initially turned down two grower petitions for canola planting in protected districts and will be requesting funding from the legislature for further research plots by OSU to monitor production and control issues in the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon over the next year.
Ethanol is the other bio-fuel du jour. Currently it is made almost exclusively from fermenting corn grown in the Midwest. The US is fast approaching Brazil as the largest producer of ethanol in the world. The US gasoline market is so much larger than in Brazil, however, that US ethanol production only amounts to approximately three percent of current gasoline usage.
There are at least three large-scale ethanol plants moving from drawing board to plant development in Oregon. These would all rely on railroad shipments of corn from the Midwest.
Growers in Oregon are interested in the prospects of bio-mass-to-ethanol, which will present more opportunities for Oregon agriculture. This process involves a stage of processing, using enzymes to break down cellulose fibers, prior to the fermentation of the starch and sugars that are obtained as a result. Any plant-based bio-mass feedstock can be used, in theory, for this process, including grass straw, wheat straw, orchard and vineyard prunings, food processing waste, etc.
Research is closing in on feasible enzymes for specific feedstocks, and it is believed that commercialization is within a few years' reach. Iogen, a Canadian-based company, is currently producing wheat-straw based ethanol in a small commercial plant in Canada. They have proposed a large commercial facility in southern Idaho. Colusa Bio-mass Energy Corporation is producing ethanol from rice straw in California. Research on grass straw enzymes is on-going.
Another technology that will be employed by a "bio-refinery" called Treasure Valley Renewable Resources (TVRR), is "gasification" or conversion of bio-feedstock to a gas form and then back into methanol, hydrogen, and other fuels, such as ethanol. The initial stage in their processing is fractionization of locally grown grains to produce specific food and feed products that are very high in value. The starches that are left over are fed into the gasification process and converted to bio-fuels and other useful products. This facility should begin construction this summer and be online next year.
Related to all of this is the attention of scientists and the public to global warming. The burning of bio-based fuels cuts the emissions of carbons and other precursors into the atmosphere that are believed to contribute to the greenhouse warming effect of the earth. Agriculture production, especially systems that employ low-till or no-till rotations, "sequester" or store carbon in the soils. Crops do this at various rates and depths depending on root length and plant photosynthesis capacity.
Agriculture has a potential opportunity to receive carbon offset credits or payments for the benefit of sequestering carbon out of the atmosphere. These voluntary programs are still in the development stages, but Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture-along with segments of production agriculture-are examining the possibilities and opportunities related to carbon sequestration.
A question that is constantly posed to agriculture is: "Will you support a renewable fuel standard (RFS) that could spur bio-fuel industry development?"
An RFS is a requirement for a certain volume or percentage of fuels to contain or be made up of bio-based fuels. The question requires close evaluation and the jury is still out on the local benefits of a renewable fuel standard. There is no doubt that if the local infrastructure is developed and local feedstocks are used as the inputs, the economic benefits to the local economy are tremendous. However, if not structured in a way that brings those two components about (local feedstocks and local processing infrastructure), the result is imported feedstocks or bio-fuel brought in from somewhere else. Washington state is witnessing the sourcing of palm oil for conversion to bio-diesel to meet its recently passed RFS.
So agriculture is wary about this topic. Some of the components that may help address the requirements to enable agriculture to really participate in a local bio-fuel economy in concert with an RFS include:
- Enhancing the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) to 50 percent and expanding its application to existing farm infrastructure (land, equipment, etc.) for the production of bio-fuel feedstock and processing. As state policy, it makes sense to recognize the investments that already exist on farms and which can be extended to renewable energy generation to encourage on-farm bio-fuel energy production. This modification would enable growers to tap into equity (which they have) rather than looking for cash for new investment (which they don't have). Perhaps we could also develop a model that computes a value for carbon sequestered, based on crop and production practices, and provide a BETC tax credit equivalent to a carbon offset payment. This could encourage a lot of interest in low-till/no-till production and help address risks associated with lower yields in initial conversion years.
- Farm vehicles using bio-fuels produced from feedstocks generated on-farm (could be a cooperative or group of growers) exempted from state fuel tax.
- Grants and/or low interest loans from lottery funds to build majority farm-interest ownership in renewable energy production facilities.
- Increased funding to higher education for research and technology transfer (commercialization) of renewable energy crops and processing technology.
- Development of a pilot mobile oilseed crushing and processing unit that can be moved from farm to farm for producing bio-diesel. Part of this may require targeted funding to OSU for commercialization of the nano-technology bio-reactor for small-scale bio-diesel processing.
To help the department in its efforts to work with growers, ODA is asking the 2007 Legislature to fund a full-time renewable energy specialist within the department. The breadth of issues and amount of meetings and technical assistance needed for growers is beyond the present capacity of the department to address.
The potential for a local bio-fuel industry is growing, the economics are evidencing practical application, and broad consumer and public support is growing.
Generating as much domestic bio-fuel capacity as possible is in the best interest of the nation. Developing local capacity is in the critical interest of Oregon. Agriculture has much to contribute to this effort if the table is set correctly.
ODA welcomes input from growers and others on these ideas. E-mail to Brent Searle at bsearle@oda.state.or.us .
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| Board of Agriculture: Doug Krahmer |
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Like many other Oregon agricultural producers, farming is in Doug Krahmer’s blood—and bloodlines. Born and raised on a Century Farm in Cornelius, Krahmer knew from a very early age that he wanted to make a career out of farming. What he couldn’t foresee was his active involvement in agricultural organizations, including the State Board of Agriculture.
“Serving on these types of boards and other organizations in my career, I have learned leadership and the art of politics,” says Krahmer.
As chair of the statewide Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Krahmer automatically holds one of the Board of Agriculture’s ten positions. He has experience with a number of key agricultural issues, including farm labor and land use, but he recognizes that his primary input to the board will focus on conservation of natural resources.
“There are many important challenges facing Oregon agriculture right now, but I still think our main concern has to be land and water,” says Krahmer. “If we don’t have adequate water and productive land, it doesn’t matter what else is going on, you aren’t going to farm. Water availability in eastern Oregon tends to be threatened and in the Willamette Valley, you have to be vigilant about protecting our best farmland from development. My dad was active in soil and water conservation districts. He said if you want to do some good, get active in the districts. He was right.”
After graduating from Hillsboro High School in 1974, Doug Krahmer attended Oregon State University for two years before returning home to help his father with the farm. The only question he had at that point was what he would grow once he was in charge of his own operation. One commodity that caught his attention was blueberries.
“My father-in-law had 35 acres of blueberries and did really well,” says Krahmer. “I penciled out the numbers and decided that is what I would like to grow.”
Over the years, Blue Horizon Farms, Inc., which Krahmer co-owns, has added a number of leased fields to go along with acreage it owns. While the Krahmer home and farm headquarters are near St. Paul in Marion County, the operation involves farming in five counties from Clatskanie to east of Springfield in Lane County. The operation produces 300 acres of blueberries and blackcaps, 100 acres of tall fescue, 30 acres of hazelnuts, along with clover, wheat, and flower seed. Krahmer’s wife Patti grows and markets cut flowers that are sold at various markets and through the internet. Three of their children are grown and on their own, a fourth is still in college.
Active in the past at the county, state, and American Farm Bureau level, Doug Krahmer now serves as chair of the Oregon Blueberry Commission and is an alternate member of the US Highbush Blueberry Council.
So far, as one of the newest members to the State Board of Agriculture, he has been impressed with his colleagues.
“This board gets things done,” he says. “Some groups have difficulty staying focused and on task, but the professionalism of the board comes through when you see it at work.”
Krahmer is happy to be part of it all, and hopes to contribute not only with his expertise on soil and water conservation issues, but all issues important to a diverse and important agriculture industry in Oregon.
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| Director's corner |
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July marks the beginning of the annual county fair season in Oregon, leading up to the State Fair in Salem in late August. Who doesn't have a memory of attending one of these fairs, whether you have grown up in agriculture or not? Those involved with 4-H as youngsters can vividly recall the experience of competition while showing off a prized livestock animal. Others who may have grown up in the city or suburbs can easily recall the taste of some freshly made foods found only at these annual events. Food, entertainment, and exhibition have been the principal draws for both county fairs and the State Fair. Those elements remain today.
Some may question the future of these fairs and, especially important to many of our constituents, whether agriculture will remain a focus of activities. I am not only full of optimism, I am downright excited about the days ahead. At our most recent Board of Agriculture meeting, we received a presentation of a blueprint for the future of the State Fair from new manager Dave Koellermeier. The word I use to describe what will take place in the future is revitalization.
This vision includes making the State Fair a showcase of the best Oregon has to offer, beginning with expanded opportunities for agriculture and natural resources in Oregon. It includes putting a spotlight on Oregon's value-added food and beverage products. The blueprint identifies emerging products, advancements in science and technology, and the appreciation of Oregon's heritage and historical preservation through such venues as the Century Farm Program.
In order to achieve these goals, there needs to be aesthetic improvement in landscaping and the buildings of the State Fairgrounds. The Board of Agriculture was told the emphasis will be placed on an experience for all fair goers that is safe, fun, educational, reflective.
Community and business leaders around the state have helped create and reinforce the vision of an invigorated State Fair. I believe the people of Oregon will see the State Fair and its facilities as a great place to be. It will be common for families to circle the dates of the State Fair on the calendar well in advance.
Agriculture will always be part of the foundation for a state or county fair. But those of us in agriculture need to recognize that these events are great opportunities for ag and non-ag to mingle and to share a great experience. I encourage all Oregonians to support these fairs by getting involved. Whether it is done by exhibiting, attending, or simply advocating for any needed improvements, we all can shape an exciting future for Oregon's county fairs and the State Fair.
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| Weed Awareness Week partners ODA with federal land managers |
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A governor's proclamation, a written agreement signed by three agencies, and a container of tiny enemies of the noxious weed Scotch broom all came together on a cloudy morning in May at a Marion County park.
To highlight Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week, the Oregon Department of Agriculture released biological control agents (seed beetles) on Scotch broom to demonstrate efforts to control noxious weed species in Oregon. In addition, top officials of ODA, the US Forest Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on efforts to detect, control, or eradicate invasive plants on public lands.
The event attracted media and several local weed control officials to the St. Louis Ponds south of Woodburn. There was plenty of Scotch broom on hand for the release of the beetles.
Oregon crop and habitat loss due to invasive plant damage approaches $100 million per year. Noxious weeds choke out crops; destroy range, forest, and pasture lands; clog waterways; affect human and animal health; and threaten native plants. One key strategy in the war against noxious weeds is to increase public awareness of the threat. Oregonians can play a vital role in helping with prevention and control. Inter-agency cooperation is also important, including projects involving the release of biological control agents. Oregon is a national leader in bio-control programs in the war against noxious weeds.
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| The Kraft Family Farm |
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| Donald, Darin, and Lucille Kraft pick raspberries. |
By Madeline MacGregor, ODA Information Office
Lucille Kraft greets me at the entrance to the Kraft Family Century Farm and invites me inside their blue farm house, a venerable beauty built in the 1860s. As we make our way down the path past hollyhock and an enormous vegetable garden, I notice two men working on machinery to the left.
Lucille waves to them—her husband Donald and son Darin—and motions them to come along. Soon we are all seated around an antique kitchen table, comfortable on chairs softened by Lucille’s hand-quilted cushions—and settle in for some serious conversation.
Since Darin is now managing the farm’s daily operations, I ask what motivates him to continue in the family tradition since his father’s retirement. Darin’s face is tanned by his daily activities outside and glows with passionate introspection. “The family farms were a part of my destiny,” he says. “I thought about them a lot as a child, watching and helping my dad. My mother was actually the one that encouraged me, while my dad would always say to me, ‘Get off the farm!—Get off the farm!’”
The elder Kraft shakes his head at the memory. “I really don’t know what I was thinking,” he shrugs. Eighty-three year-old Donald recalls his employment at Union Mills Feed Store during the day, and then coming home in the evenings to his “other” job—the farm. “I did that for 23 years, and it was just too hard,” he states.
Donald and Lucille leased the farm from Don’s father and mother, Henry and Helena Kraft—who owned the original 80 acres on Township Road just outside of Canby. Henry Kraft had been a diversified farmer, participating in what Don calls the old fashioned kind of farming. “A little bit of this and a little bit of that, that’s the way you did it,” instructs the suspender-clad octogenarian.
Don proved that farming was his life’s work, as well. In 1944 after his father Henry’s death, Don shouldered the massive responsibilities of producing caneberries, grain, hay, cattle, pigs, chickens, and sheep. He even added some Peking ducklings to the menagerie and enjoyed marketing them to the nearby Portland Chinese community. “It was a little bit of everything,” he says. He and Lucille purchased the farm when the family estate was settled after Helena’s death in 1974.
As portions of the farm were sold throughout the years in order to meet family obligations, it became paramount for the Krafts to preserve the last 14 acres for their children.
Donald’s son, Darin, has given a lot of thought to the current state of farming small acreage and what it will take for those small farms to survive. “I believe farming will have to become more mechanized,” Darin speculates. “There are less and less people to work in the labor force—especially since immigration and illegal worker issues came to the front. I really can’t say what we’re all going to do about that.”
“I don’t know if we can actually get the numbers [of workers] that we need. It’s too difficult to inspire people to work in the fields, because there is a mindset about how hard the labor is.” Kraft feels that many parents program their children to have an aversion to manual labor by telling them if they don’t go to college, they’ll have to work in the fields. “This communicates to children that hard work is something to be avoided.” Darin would like to create an educational program at the Kraft farm, to introduce children to what farm labor is like. “It isn’t such a bad thing,” Kraft chuckles. “I would like to show them a little leadership and give them a positive experience. A little bit of hard work isn’t going to hurt you.”
Both Darin and Don sense that it would be easy for farms to overproduce a particular crop in an attempt to cater to public desire. In that instance, earnings for producers of that crop would be driven downward considerably.
Darin hopes that the marketplace of the future doesn’t just hinge on “People who want cheap food and cable TV.” He smiles wryly. “Ag is like any other industry, you have to constantly look at the trends, and deal with all kinds of variables.”
Darin feels that one of the variables is that as the labor force shrinks, small farms have to rely more on crops that require fewer bodies to tend to them, such as u-pick berries, or filberts. But certain traditions and rituals are mourned by Kraft. “I really miss the camaraderie that I shared with my Mexican farm workers,” he says wistfully. Darin became fluent in Spanish so that he could understand and communicate with his workers, and for many years supported his family with a farm labor contracting business. “We would be out in the fields side by side, and I learned to think about things from their perspective. I really miss them.”
Darin admits that he sometimes feels gloomy one minute—and positive the next, about what is going to happen to small farms. His Christmas trees and caneberries are doing well enough, but how well will he keep up with a constantly evolving marketplace? “We have to always be thinking—and anticipating—about two to three years ahead of everybody else. As the economy changes across the US, these small farms may become more and more important.”
Donald Kraft and Lucille reveal their own passion for their farm and family. When Don is asked what his hopes for the future are, he quips, “I’m going to leave that to my wife.”
Lucille laughs, ”My husband still has a lot to teach us, and he can still lead us. I think that we can keep this farm in the family yet.”
As we all move outside to pick raspberries from Don’s special garden, we marvel at the size of the fruit on the squash plants. “It’s a secret,” Don grins “What I put on things to get them to grow.”
Darin mulls over the future of the Kraft family farm while picking berries with us, and offers a final bit of wisdom, “You’ve got to be a little bit lucky, to be a farmer.” With the support and encouragement of his wife, Susie, and hopefully the carrying of the torch by their three children, that luck may hold true for the next generation of Kraft farmers.
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| Significant potato pest found in Oregon's neighbor to the east |
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In a development that has all potato producing states at a heightened level of concern, including Oregon, the potato cyst nematode was detected in a soil sample collected from a processing facility in eastern Idaho. This is the first time the potato cyst nematode has been found in the US. Further investigation resulted in Idaho officials locating the nematode in a single field of potatoes.
The nematode does not pose any threat to human health, but can reduce the yield of potatoes and other crops. It is also a deal breaker in the export market. As a result of the Idaho discovery, Japan has shut off all fresh potato imports from the US. Oregon has been surveying for the pest over the last several years and has yet to detect it. The US Department of Agriculture will be funding expanded surveys in the Pacific Northwest this summer to make sure the potato cyst nematode is confined to the one field in eastern Idaho.
The pest is widely distributed in many potato-growing regions throughout the world. In North America, the nematode is also known to be present on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.
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| Klamath Basin farmers and coastal fishermen: All in the same boat |
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| Idle fishing boats are commonplace this summer in Coos Bay. |
Klamath County potato farmer Dick Carleton remembers what it was like five years ago.
“In 2001, when the decision was made to cut off water to Klamath Basin irrigators to protect fish, we got support from coastal fishermen,” says Carleton. “Now it’s time for us to support them.”
While some blame Klamath irrigators for the demise of the salmon run, others point to over-harvest of the fish as the reason for the decline in stocks. However, representatives of both industries are forming an alliance that might provide immediate help to the fishermen but, in the long run, could help both sides in the search for sustainable solutions.
“All we want to do is farm, all they want to do is fish,” says Carleton. “But we do have a common goal of enhancing fish populations.”
“Not a lot of young people are going into fishing because we can’t assure them of the future,” says Gold Beach commercial fisherman Scott Boley, who, ironically, grew up in Klamath Falls. “An alliance of farmers and fishermen makes good business sense.”
If salmon return from the Pacific Ocean to the Klamath River in higher numbers, then both industries may look to a brighter future. An alliance can correct misinformation, it can seek out the best available science, and it can provide more clout when it comes to lobbying for legislation.
Whatever happens, the polarization of agriculture and the fishing industry that seemed to prevail a decade ago now appears to be resolved.
A season in shambles
Earlier this spring, restrictions were announced for 700 miles of Oregon and California coastline to protect depleted stocks of Klamath River chinook salmon. All commercial salmon fishing from Northern California to Florence on the Oregon Coast is closed this year. From Florence north to the Columbia River, there will be staggered openings with limits of 75 fish per week. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) also cut back recreational salmon fishing but not as severely.
Some estimates place the expected chinook salmon catch this season at only 10 percent of an average year’s harvest. At the same time, consumer demand for the product is high. Five years ago, Oregon troll chinook sold retail at about $1.25 per pound. Today, that same fish commands a price of about $7.25 per pound—that is, if fishermen were allowed to catch it.
“I estimate the industry is losing $20 million this year by not being able to fish for the chinook,” says Boley, who adds that more than just a few of Oregon’s 600 operations active in the salmon fishery may go out of business because of the harvest restrictions. Despite no or little expected income, fishing families still have the usual bills to pay.
The impact extends to whole coastal communities that have depended on fishing for much of the economic activity. Marine supply stores are not selling the normal amount of gear. Fish markets won’t have the usual supply of fresh wild salmon at the counter this year.
Hardship or not, the fishermen are looking for solutions, not someone to blame.
Assistance takes many forms
Governor Kulongoski has asked President Bush to declare a major disaster along the Oregon Coast because of the fishing restrictions. Oregon’s congressional delegation is also working to secure federal disaster aid. While everyone awaits a federal response, the governor earlier asked state agencies to put together a comprehensive plan that responds to the needs of coastal fishermen.
For its part, the Oregon Department of Agriculture has prepared its own blueprint that offers assistance in several key areas.
The first component of the ODA plan calls for facilitating meetings between coastal fishermen and Klamath Basin farmers. ODA is in a unique position of having relationships with both the fishing industry—through its marketing efforts—and the agricultural operations that have been a mainstay of the Klamath County economy.
“We believe bringing these folks together in this kind of setting provides a good opportunity for cooperation,” says ODA Assistant Director Dalton Hobbs.
The meetings—some of which have already taken place—attempt to identify ways of improving salmon numbers.
A second component of the plan calls for ODA to develop messages that help protect the existing market-share for Oregon troll chinook. Those messages could be delivered through paid advertising and editorial content in trade publications aimed at the retail/wholesale market. This is especially important given that consumers are willing to pay more for troll-caught fish compared to the farm-raised salmon so common in today’s retail outlets and restaurants.
“In the last couple of years, Oregon’s salmon industry has made tremendous progress in establishing a niche within the wild salmon market,” says Hobbs. “It’s unfortunate there will be a disruption in the supply this harvest season. But we strongly feel that these salmon will return in future years and we want to make sure the market position for wild Oregon salmon is protected.”
Among the anticipated messages to be developed are the sustainable practices employed by Oregon trollers and the responsible stewardship demonstrated by the industry.
“Oregon fishermen have not been going out and catching the last salmon,” says Hobbs. “In fact, this closure is a reflection of the sustainable manner in which the fish are harvested. These salmon are being managed in an abundance of caution to assure sustainability. We believe these salmon will return. It is important for retailers, wholesalers, and consumers to realize that and come back to Oregon wild salmon when the fish come back.”
Another component of the ODA plan is to make sure the Oregon Salmon Commission stays viable.
“We will ensure that administrative support is provided for the future operation of the commission if assessments cannot keep the offices open,” says Hobbs.
Commodity commissions collect producer assessments with funds used for promotion, education, and research. Oregon’s seafood commodities played a vital role in successful Brand Oregon activities in recent years.
There are also efforts to secure funding that could pay displaced fishermen to work on habitat restoration projects along the coast. ODA was involved with a similar program in the 1990s when coho salmon was off-limits to commercial fishermen.
Passing the hat
Klamath Basin farmers are not waiting for an immediate government response. Ag groups have invited individual fishermen to their turf for talks aimed at developing a unified strategy. Farm representatives have also traveled to the coast. The dialogue is underway.
“We think a strong political alliance will help solve problems,” says Boley.
Potential solutions might include changes in hatchery management or water conservation measures that allow farmers to conserve more water in the spring when they don’t need to use it as much. There have been suggestions to hire a biologist to count fish and provide other information related to the Klamath River. All ideas are welcome at this point.
There is also the re-establishment of a relief fund used in 2001 to help struggling farmers. This time, dollars will be directed to family commercial fishermen. As the fund brochure says:
“Are you as tired as we are of the Klamath River finger-pointing that is going on? Would you instead like to extend a helping hand to family fishermen who are facing a crisis this summer on the Pacific Coast? Please contribute to the Klamath Relief Fund. Many of the same people who stepped up and helped farmers in 2001 are now the ones who need a hand.”
(Checks can me made payable to The Klamath Relief Fund for Family Commercial Fishermen, PO Box 5252, Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Contributions are also being accepted at any US Bank.)
Neighbor joining neighbor
The words of Scott Boley echo the sentiments of many commercial fishermen this summer.“We share many values with the Klamath Basin farmers. It is important that the stakeholders develop solutions together. Litigation should be the last resort.”
Dick Carleton, the Klamath farmer, agrees.
“It seems all the people attacking us come from the big cities and are not local folks directly affected by what is going on. We want to get this issue out of the courts.”
Chinook salmon restrictions are likely to be in place next summer as well. Both farmer and fisherman hope these are temporary closures and that the industries of agriculture and fishing will indeed be sustainable.
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| Oregon's ag stewards recognized and rewarded through conservation program |
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By Stephanie Page, ODA, Natural Resources Division
Oregon's agricultural producers are some of the nation's best when it comes to taking care of the natural resources. Oregon's enrollment in the Conservation Security Program (CSP), a federal program designed to reward good agricultural stewards, was one of the highest in the country in 2005 and even trumped huge Midwest farming states such as Indiana and Illinois.
Enrollment in CSP for a particular year is limited to certain watersheds. In Oregon, agricultural landowners in eleven watersheds could apply for CSP in 2005. The Coquille and Chetco watersheds in Coos and Curry Counties on the southwest Oregon coast were two of the eligible watersheds. In these counties, local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service staff worked closely with other partners, including the Coos and Curry Soil and Water Conservation Districts, to notify landowners of the program's availability and get them signed up.
"I guess we really took promoting the program to heart," says Tom Purvis, the local NRCS conservationist, when asked why CSP has been so successful in Oregon. "We held workshops throughout both counties to explain the program to landowners and tell them what kind of records they would need to submit with their application."
"Soil and Water Conservation Districts are the foundation for getting information to landowners, and they rose to the occasion for the CSP sign-up," says Ray Jaindl, Administrator of the ODA Natural Resources Division.
To apply, growers had to complete a workbook and demonstrate that their agricultural management was protective of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat. They had to submit records of activities such as nutrient and pesticide applications. "I remember one cranberry grower who had incredibly meticulous records, all kept together in a notebook," says Purvis.
After the application process concluded, 79 landowners in Coos and Curry County enrolled more than 29,000 acres in CSP in 2005, part of a state total of 719 contracts. That's especially impressive when compared against enrollment in agricultural powerhouses Indiana and Illinois, both of which enrolled about 450 contracts.
The Wahl family is one of the landowners accepted into CSP in Curry County. The highest point on the Wahl's' 580-acre ranch offers views of the Elk River, Pacific Ocean, and vast green pastures with hardly a weed in sight. The Wahls graze three herds of 600 ewes on their pastures using an intensive grazing management system. A large number of animals are put on a relatively small amount of pasture and moved nearly every day, allowing for very uniform grazing of pasture plants and quick re-growth of forage.
"We like to keep the agricultural areas in intensive use and the wild areas wild," says Terry Wahl, one of the family members who manage the ranch. In the middle of one pasture, the Wahls fenced out a wetland area in cooperation with the South Coast Watershed Council. A streamside area has been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which provides incentives for landowners to establish trees and shrubs along streams. They have also planted trees along fence lines and put nest boxes on top of fence posts to attract birds.
"We're starting to run out of projects," laughs Terry Wahl. "Pretty soon we're going to have to get another ranch!"
"The Wahls have definitely earned it," says Purvis of the family's CSP contract.
Landowners in two Oregon watersheds, the Upper Grande Ronde and Upper Klamath Lake, had the opportunity to apply to CSP in 2006. USDA announced this week that 101 landowners in the two watersheds will be awarded contracts.
The willingness of Oregon farmers and ranchers to involve themselves with federal programs that protect natural resources brings a smile to the face of Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
"Many of our landowners not only enroll in programs like CSP, they invest time and money on their own based on a sincere desire to sustain the natural resources that sustain their own operations," says Coba. "They do this not because they are forced by government mandate or threat of lawsuit. These Oregonians have managed this way for generations while developing a personal connection to the land and water."
For more information on CSP and the availability of other federal programs, contact your local NRCS office.
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| ODA goes to The Dalles to battle a beetle |
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The Oregon Department of Agriculture is hoping to, someday soon, declare victory over a tiny wood-boring beetle that, no doubt, hitched a ride into The Dalles via railroad ties. The granulate or Asian ambrosia beetle, Xylosandrus crassiusculus, is established in the southeast US, but was new to Oregon when discovered near The Dalles in 2004. The pest attacks more than 200 species of trees and shrubs, including alder, apple, cherry, cottonwood, grape, oak, pine, poplar, and willow. With an important sweet cherry industry nearby, it was critical that eradication efforts get underway in The Dalles.
The railroad tie plant suspected of bringing in the two millimeter-sized insect was at the center of eradication efforts both last year and this year. About 860 acres of trees and shrubs-those away from streams or standing water-were treated this spring with an insecticide relatively safe for humans and pets. Spraying took place at night with tremendous cooperation by the community. Traps have gone up to detect any surviving population of the beetle. At last report, no granulate ambrosia beetles had been found in The Dalles-welcome news to residents, orchardists, and ODA officials.
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| Oregon poultry producer opens farm to reporters |
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| Flanked by State Veterinarian, Coba speaks to reporters |
Nearly a dozen members of the media got a rare opportunity to set foot inside a chicken farm this spring as part of an effort to drive home a point about avian influenza. Dayton-area poultry producer Curt Johnston wanted reporters to know—and convey to the public—the extraordinary bio-security measures taken by the industry to protect domestic flocks from all diseases, including bird flu. Another key message delivered at the media event—chicken and other poultry products are safe to eat when cooked and handled properly.
The Asian strain of avian influenza (H5N1) that has been detected in other parts of the world has not yet been found in North America. Even if it should spread to the continent and the United States, the poultry industry and state and federal officials have taken steps to protect commercial flocks. Proper cooking of poultry ensures that the virus is destroyed, even if it should spread to commercial products—an event that is highly unlikely.
Upon entering the Johnston chicken farm, the tires of the vehicles carrying reporters were splashed down with a disinfectant. Before reporters gained entrance to the facility housing the young chickens, they had to put on protective clothing that could be discarded upon departure. A foot bath of disinfectant was also used by reporters before walking into the chicken house.
Not only were Portland-area television stations able to secure hard-to-get footage of commercial poultry for their files, reporters were able to help tell the story that all precautions are being taken, all plans being made to prevent any spread of avian influenza, should it ever arrive, and to quickly respond to any such event.
And once again, the public was reassured that it is okay to consume poultry products.
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| Chinese trade officials sign agreement with ODA |
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With a couple of strokes of the pen, Oregon agriculture's growing trade relationship with China received a boost in April when a letter of intent on marketing cooperation was signed between the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). The agreement creates a marketing partnership between the two that might lead to increased agricultural exports from Oregon to China. With ODA staff, members of the Chinese trade delegation that traveled to Portland, and other dignitaries on hand, the letter of intent was signed by Mr. Yu Ping, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, and ODA Director Katy Coba. The signing coincided with a shipment of Oregon nursery stock for delivery from Portland International Airport to the Shanghai Botanical Garden in China. Grass seed and nursery products are paving the way for other Oregon agricultural commodities interested in making a splash in China.
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| Announcements |
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Take a road trip to the Oregon State Fair!
Aug. 25 - Sept. 4, 2006
New! FREE parking all 11 days of the fair!
Admission
| Advance
| At gate | | Adults | $7.00 | $9.00 | | Seniors | $3.00 | $5.00 | | Children | $2.00 | $4.00 |
Ages 5 and under ALWAYS FREE
Sundays-Thursdays and Labor Day
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fridays and Saturdays
11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Web: http://oregonstatefair.org/fair
State Board of Agriculture Next scheduled meeting
September 6-7, 2006
Boardman, OR
2006 Oregon county fair schedule
Baker County Fair Aug 9–12
Benton County Fair Aug 2–6
Clackamas County Fair Aug 15–20
Clatsop County Fair Aug 1–5
Columbia County Fair July 19–23
Coos County Fair July 25–29
Crook County Fair July 12–15
Curry County Fair July 20–23
Deschutes County Fair Aug 2–6
Douglas County Fair Aug 8–12
Gilliam County Fair Aug 31–Sept 3
Grant County Fair Aug 22–27
Harney County Fair Sept 5–10
Hood River County Fair July 26–29
Jackson County Fair July 18–23
Jefferson County Fair July 26–29
Josephine County Fair Aug 15–19
Klamath County Fair Aug 10–13
Lake County Fair Aug 31–Sept 4
Lane County Fair Aug 15–20
Lincoln County Fair July 13–16
Linn County Fair July 20–23
Malheur County Fair Aug 2–5
Marion County Fair July 13–16
Morrow County Fair Aug 16–20
Multnomah County Fair May 27–29
Oregon State Fair Aug 25–Sept 4
Polk County Fair Aug 10–13
Sherman County Fair Aug 29–Sept 2
Tillamook County Fair Aug 9–12
Umatilla County Fair Aug 8–12
Union County Fair Aug 2–5
Wallowa County Fair Aug 5–12
Wasco County Fair Aug 17–20
Washington County Fair July 27–30
Wheeler County Fair Aug 8–13
Yamhill County Fair Aug 2–5
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