Spring 2015 Volume 15, Issue 2 by Matrix Digital Media Inc

Spring 2015 Volume 15, Issue 2

Idaho’s Oldest Ranch Celebrates 150 Years - pg. 4

Food Page, Sheep Shearing Word Search Photos, Raw Milk & GMO Labeling and Much More Inside Articles

The Ag Agenda

Farmers and Ranchers Are Tired of EPA Doubletalk By Bob Stallman

President American Farm Bureau Federation

Business owners around the country have joined with farmers and ranchers in speaking out on the Waters of the U.S. rule. More than 30 states also oppose the rule. Yet, even in the face of mounting opposition, the EPA still isn’t listening.

though a bumper-sticker approach to a complex regulation would change anything for people so profoundly affected by her agency’s actions.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has unveiled her latest, campaign-style WOTUS spin, calling the effort the “Clean Water Rule” – as

McCarthy insists that the rule will allow business as usual for agriculture. She has said farm-

Before throwing caution to the wind and jumping on the “let’s create a new national park bandwagon,” a more thorough investigation of the proposal is needed.

Beyeler R-Leadore. There is local support for the change and we believe that is important.

Slogans may matter more than facts at the EPA, but the details still matter to farmers and ranchers who know full well the importance of clean water. We depend on it for our livelihoods, after all. Our biggest objection, in fact, is not about clean water. It’s about land.

See STALLMAN, page 12

The President’s Desk

Craters of the Moon - What’s in a Name?

By Frank Priestley President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

The recent proposal to send a state memorandum to Congress that would change the name of Craters of the Moon National Monument to National Park, was supported by the Butte County Commissioners and State Rep. Merrill

However, the proposal failed after concerns about it were raised by several voices including the Idaho Farm Bureau. We would like to stress that we aren’t here to claim responsibility for killing the idea and we think it should be given time for thorough vetting. So let’s ask the hard questions first and get the answers out in front of all of the stakeholders. If it still seems like a good idea after that then let’s move forward with it. See PRIESTLEY, page 12

Inside Farm Bureau

Endangered Species Act Reform is Needed By Rick Keller CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a set of protections for species that have been listed as endangered or threatened and is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Originally enacted in 1973, Congress envisioned a law that would protect species believed to be on the brink of extinc-

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY / SPRING 2015

tion. When the law was enacted, there were 109 species listed for protection. Today, there are nearly 1,600 domestic species on the list, with 125 species considered as “candidates” for listing. Unfortunately, the ESA has failed at recovering and delisting species since its inception. Less than two percent of all listed species have been removed from ESA protection since 1973, and many of those are due to extinction or “data error.” See KELLER, page 35

Volume 15, Issue 2

IFBF OFFICERS

President ................................... Frank Priestley, Franklin Vice President ...................................Mark Trupp, Driggs Executive Vice President ............................... Rick Keller BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bryan Searle ............................................................Shelley Mark Harris ................................................. Soda Springs Chris Dalley ....................................................... Blackfoot Dean Schwendiman ........................................... Newdale Danny Ferguson ........................................................Rigby Scott Steele ..................................................... Idaho Falls Gerald Marchant .................................................. Oakley Rick Pearson ................................................... Hagerman Rick Brune............................................................Hazelton Luke Pearce ............................................. New Plymouth Cody Chandler....................................................... Weiser Tracy Walton ........................................................ Emmett Marjorie French ............................................... Princeton Alton Howell ................................................ Careywood Tom Daniel ............................................... Bonners Ferry Judy Woody ................................................................ Filer Cole Smith ...................................................... Montpelier STAFF Dir. of Organization............................... Dennis Brower Commodities & Marketing Assistant ........... Peg Pratt Member Services Assistant ..................... Peggy Moore Public Relations Assistant ........................ Dixie Ashton Dist. I Regional Manager ........................... Justin Patten Dist. II Regional Manager .............................. Zak Miller Dist. III Regional Manager .................. Charles Garner Dist. IV Regional Manager ..........................Brody Miller Dist. V Regional Manager ....................... Bob Smathers Dir. of Governmental Affairs ................Russ Hendricks Asst. Dir. of Governmental Affairs .... Dennis Tanikuni Energy/Natural Resources ....................... Bob Geddes Director of Public Relations .............. John Thompson Video Services Manager ............................ Steve Ritter Broadcast Services Manager ..................... Jake Putnam Office Manager, Boise .................... Julie Christoffersen Member Services Manager ........................ Joel Benson Administrative Assistant ............................... Cara Dyer Assistant Treasurer.................................. Tyler Zollinger Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY USPS #022-899, is published quarterly by the IDAHO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, 275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, ID 83201. POSTMASTER send changes of address to: IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848. Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, ID and additional mailing offices. Subscription: $4 a year included in Farm Bureau dues. MAGAZINE CONTACTS: Idaho Farm Bureau Federation EDITOR (208) 239-4292 • ADS (208) 239-4279 E-MAIL: dashton@idahofb.org www.idahofb.org

Cover: Paul Nettleton is preparing to host hundreds of friends and neighbors for a celebration of the Joyce Ranch, established in 1865. Photo by Steve Ritter

Contents Features Owyhee County ranch celebrates 150 years PAGE 4

Nationwide GMO labeling bill proposed PAGE 21

Profile: Two east Idaho farms produce and market raw milk PAGE 8

Idaho Legislature passes eminent domain bill PAGE 25

Backyard egg production becomes more popular in urban areas PAGE 10 Sheep shearing photo spread PAGE 14

Idaho Farm Bureau essay contest PAGE 27 Quarterly Marketbasket Survey PAGE 38

DEPARTMENTS The Ag Agenda: Bob Stallman............................................................. 2 The President’s Desk: Frank Priestley.............................................. 2 Inside Farm Bureau: Rick Keller......................................................... 2 University of Idaho Forestry............................................................. 18 Farm Facts............................................................................................. 28 Food Page: A Taste of Idaho.............................................................. 32 Classifieds ............................................................................................ 42

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

MJ for Matt Joyce is a brand that has endured in Owyhee County for 150 years. Photo by Steve Ritter

Owyhee County Ranch Celebrates 150 Years By John Thompson Water diverted from Sinker Creek spills out across a pasture where a pair of mallard ducks forage as Paul Nettleton leans on a corral rail talking about the history of this high desert ranch. Sinker Creek forms a narrow canyon that winds south from Highway 78. It’s been the lifeblood of the Joyce Ranch and helped sustain the family’s cattle operation since 1865. Cottonwoods and willows line the stream while sagebrush and bunch grasses stretch for 20 miles to the base of the snowcapped Owyhee Range which dominates the landscape. A California quail hails strangers with a high-pitched bark, disturbing the morning stillness. 4

Standing well over six-feet tall, Nettleton’s black felt hat and neatly waxed mustache make him a bit imposing. He’s not a guy you’d want to get on the wrong side of, or at least he gives off that appearance. But what strikes you most after sharing some time with him is his humility, which likely comes from the hardship he’s faced, and an earnest desire to see his family continue its traditions. The Joyce Ranch originated when Matt and Mary Joyce left northern Nevada and formed a partnership with a fellow known as Scotch Bob on Sinker Creek, where the ranch headquarters is today. Nettleton said there were no official deeds, homesteads were popping up around the region, raising cattle to support the mining and prospect-

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

ing that was going on at the time. Shortly after the Joyce’s settled in and built their first house along the creek, Scotch Bob left for greener pastures. In the years that followed, the family faced mounting debt, droughts, fires, predators and cattle rustlers. They lost the original house in a flood and lived in a chicken coop for part of a winter. With regard to Indians, Nettleton said the Joyce children made friends with the local tribe and when the Bannock War started in 1878 all of the neighboring ranches were burned out but they never touched the Joyce Ranch. “The kids were friends and we think that’s why they left us alone,” he said.

A rock barn at the Joyce Ranch dating back to 1901. Photo by Steve Ritter

Matt Joyce Sr. was one of the founders of the Owyhee Cattleman’s Association formed in 1868 to control cattle rustling, Indians and predators. He died in 1893, leaving the ranch to sons Matt Jr., Jim and a sister, Annie Joyce. The ranch grew to encompass properties throughout the region but debt also piled up during this time period. Matt Jr. and Jim died in 1935 within five days of each other. They both succumbed to pneumonia. Paul’s grandmother Margaret Joyce married Vilo Nettleton and the ranch was passed on from the Joyce’s to the Nettleton’s after the death of the Joyce brothers. Prior to the deaths of Matt Jr. and Jim, Paul’s father Hubert became distraught

with the family business and struck out on his own. However, the Joyce sisters Annie and Margaret could not secure the financing they needed to keep the ranch solvent after their brothers died so they convinced Hubert to come back to the family ranch in 1935. With a large debt hanging over the operation Hubert saw an opportunity. Paul explained that the industrial age had come to southwest Idaho and with the advent of tractors and automobiles, the demand for horses disappeared. Ranches still needed good saddle horses but draft horses were turned out by the hundreds to fend for themselves on the vast ranges. “All of those horses were literally killing

the range,” said Paul. “So they gathered horses and sold them for slaughter. They were worth a penny a pound so you could get $10 for a horse which paid down a lot of their debt.” Hubert was an innovative business man who also made money speculating in real estate. When a federal irrigation project was announced in the area, Hubert purchased several bankrupt homesteads in the area for 10 cents an acre, or the cost of the back taxes owed to Owyhee County. After the irrigation project provided an opportunity to make farmland out of the hardscrabble ranches, he sold the land for $200 See JOYCE RANCH p.6

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

JOYCE RANCH Continued from page 5

The Joyce Ranch on Sinker Creek in Owyhee County will recognize 150 years in business during a special celebration June 10-14. Photo by Steve Ritter

an acre. Later the county would approach him with similar deals and he purchased other parcels for the cost of the back taxes owed. Paul also remembers rounding up horses from the range in the spring, branding the young colts and breaking the older colts to sell to neighboring ranchers. This provided an income stream that helped keep the ranch running in the black. Hubert was 53 when Paul was born. He decided to lease the ranch and move the family to Boise in the mid 1950’s so that Paul could attend Catholic schools at the behest of his mother. Paul later graduated from Bishop Kelly High School. But living in the city didn’t stick for the Nettleton’s. Hubert said the ranch went to hell in those years it was leased. Hubert 6

suffered a stroke and at 71 years old wasn’t able to boss a crew and work all day. So Paul took over managing the ranch in his late teens. “Being a cowboy was all I was really ever interested in,” Paul said. Early on Paul wasn’t interested in the ranch paperwork and politics. His mother Margaret ran that end of the ranch. Paul said his son Chad is much the same today, making the transition into managing the ranch, the herd and the crew, but shows little interest in the books and politics. “He’s doing an excellent job keeping the crew lined out, he’s just not interested in paperwork and politics yet,” said Paul. There’s also a handful of grandsons that may move up and manage the Joyce Ranch one day.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

“A friend told me once that I could sell this place and live like a king for the rest of my life,” said Paul. “But it’s not really mine to sell, I’m just a caretaker here.” When asked about his future Paul said old ranchers never die, they just slow down a little. “I don’t think I’ll ever leave the ranch unless I’m not able to care for myself anymore,” he said. The Joyce / Nettleton family will celebrate 150 years of ranching in Owyhee County on June 10-14. They will welcome family, friends, neighbors and guests for tours of the ranch and a banquet. For more information http://www.joyceranchreunion. blogspot.com or check the ranch Facebook page at Joyce Ranch Reunion: Murphy, Idaho.

Stock Water Rights Legacy Lives On By Jake Putnam Ranchers Paul Nettleton and Tim Lowry won arguably the greatest private water right victory in the United States back in 2007. Their landmark court victory preserved the ranching legacy on public land in the West, yet the two modest ranchers continue to face a massive legal bill alone and in relative obscurity. “The thing about it that always surprises me is that it wasn’t more embraced by other Idaho water users in this state,” said Nettleton. “It’s as if it wasn’t that big of a deal, and I wonder why? We were the first ones to prove private property rights on public land. We proved that rights belonged to us because we made the beneficial use of water on the land and that’s important to every rancher in Idaho and across the West.” In their case, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the federal government does not hold federal rangeland water rights. But sadly the court also ruled the ranchers were not entitled to recover attorney fees, a decision the families unsuccessfully appealed. Nettleton and Lowry stood on principle and challenged the government in state court starting back in the late 90’s refusing to back down in a case they determined was a clearly a case of right vs. wrong. Seven years later the financial future of both operations remains threatened because of mounting legal fees. That’s because Supreme Court denied legal fees for ranchers and landowners and many are reluctant to fight the Federal Government and environmental groups in court. Meanwhile, Nettleton and Lowry’s bill could soon top the $3 million mark. “It’s building up at a rate of $3,000 to $4,000 a month in unpaid interest on the debt and penalty fees,” said Nettleton. “I think we could probably pay the original

bill, it would have ended up half what the bill is now. But I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen.” In the 150 year history of the Joyce Ranch, this water right battle remains the biggest threat to its survival. “I looked up a water right the other day at the Department of Water Resources and it was still listed under BLM! I said wait a minute you guys, I called Water Resources and said what’s going on here? They said they have never had a directive to change the name and titles on public land water rights. I think someone needs to rattle the Supreme Court and tell the BLM that this case is over,” said Nettleton. It all started when the two ranchers ended up fighting the government in state court after the BLM challenged their stock watering rights during the Snake River Basin Adjudication. During the SRBA, the U.S. filed overlapping claims to Idaho ranchers’ stock water rights. The SRBA court ordered the ranchers to try to reach a settlement. Most ranchers accepted a settlement because they feared the financial risk of fighting the deep pockets of the government. Virtually every rancher in Idaho was forced to compromise their water rights to avoid a protracted fight with the government. While others gave in because of the risk, Lowry and Nettleton decided to defend their rights against the odds. At the time Nettleton knew the BLM’s claims were baseless because they were blatantly going against Western water law. “The Bureau of Land Management never owned a cow,” he said at the time. “How could they claim beneficial use and win?” The ranchers say the BLM’s sizable legal team tried to intimidate them. The BLM told the ranchers that they’d be broke by the end of the battle, but they fought on.

have water rights but issued priority dates later than 1934. That made the ranchers’ stock water rights junior to the BLM. Lowry and Nettleton appealed, and the case was appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court. Affirming a district court ruling, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled the operations’ staked their water claims by grazing livestock back to 1898, decades before the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act. “Joyce Livestock’s ancestors obtained water rights on federal land for stock watering by simply applying the water to a beneficial use by watering cattle in the springs, creeks and rivers on the range they used for forage,” the Supreme Court ruled. The court added that the BLM couldn’t put the water to ‘beneficial use’ because it didn’t own cattle. Therefore, it can’t hold a stock water right. The court rejected the United States’ position and ruled in favor of the two ranchers on all of their substantive water rights claims. One of the best parts of the ruling in Nettleton’s mind is what the court said about the BLM at the time; that the government’s argument “reflects a misunderstanding of water law.” The Nettleton and Lowry legacy will live on in water right cases for generations to come and ‘beneficial use’ is now a standard of proof in determining public and private water rights, thanks to the ranchers who chose to fight. “Through it all,” Nettleton sighs, “I’m glad I put up the fight and I’m happy we did it. It was something that needed doing and I’m not through with it. The BLM has already rattled my cage with some right-of-way issues. I told them you can take me court, they know my history. We’ll fight you, and the 2477 issue is going to come to a head next. But I might have trouble finding a pro bono attorney on that one.”

A Snake River Basin Adjudication judge ruled back in 2005 that the ranchers did Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Owner/partner in Daloris Dairy, Dale Mortimer, doesn’t use a pasture-based system for his registered-Jersey cattle. He explains by keeping his cattle on a consistent feed ration, he reduces variability in raw milk flavor.

Dairy Owners Offer Raw Milk and Differing Views on Technology

Two eastern Idaho dairy farms are offering raw milk products but go about producing them differently. Article and photos by Paige Nelson Two eastern Idaho dairy farms directly compete with each other in raw milk sales, and both believe the health benefits of consuming raw product far outweigh the risks. However, the similarities between the two operations end there. Deep Roots Farm and Livestock LLC. in Rexburg offers a variety of products to their customers. Everything from raw milk to raw yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese to farm fresh eggs and all-natural beef, pork, chicken and rabbit is for sale at Deep Roots. Daloris Dairy, a registered-Jersey dairy in LaBelle, Idaho, about 15 minutes south of Deep Roots, also sells raw milk. The 60head dairy provides milk for Manwaring 8

Cheese but sends the majority of their milk to the Snake River Dairymen’s Association.

and on pasture during their dry period, and the flavor of the milk doesn’t change.”

Although both dairies’ finished product is basically the same — raw milk topped with a thick layer of cream straight from a Jersey cow — the “how it happens” process is dramatically different.

A critical part of the dairy’s ration is genetically-modified corn.

Daloris Dairy cows are housed in paddocks and fed through a manger. “We’re not pasture-based,” says Dale Mortimer, partner/owner of Daloris Dairy. “When cows are on pasture the flavor of the milk changes because it changes according to what the cows eat. We have a nutritionist who comes in and balances the ration according to the cows’ needs, so we keep them on that ration during their entire lactation

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Tyler Mortimer also a partner/owner in Daloris Dairy says, “I think what we’re doing is right. I have no problem with GMO corn.” He says he received a phone call one day. The caller asked about what ingredients made up the milk cows’ feed: He replied that the ration is mostly alfalfa, silage and some dry corn from Intermountain Farmers Association (IFA). “So, the silage corn, is that genetically-modified?” the caller asked.

“Absolutely,” he responded. “Oh, you say that like it’s a good thing?” “It is” he answered. “They showed up, bought milk and didn’t have a problem,” Tyler explained. Tyler’s father Dale, now a retired high school teacher, sees genetic modification from a cattle breeder’s perspective. “If people went in and looked at GMO corn and the old corn, they would see no difference. It’s just like breeding a cow for better traits and better qualities. All they’ve done is speed up the process,” he said. On another note, even though Mortimers don’t use the hormone, rBST, they don’t believe it’s bad, either. It just helps the cow produce more milk, said Dale. Up the road at Deep Roots Farm and Livestock, Owner Marc Stott takes a different approach to feeding his animals. “We are not a certified organic program, but we are a program using all-natural feeds,” he said. Stott could become certified, but he doesn’t want to add more licensing and regulation to his life. Instead, he sells products raised in what he calls “a natural environment.” “We don’t use any GMO products. We try not to use any synthetic fertilizers. None of our animals have growth hormones added to their diet, and we try and use an all-natural environment for them. All of our beef is grass-fed,” he said. Because Deep Roots is a much smaller operation, only producing milk for the raw market, the state limits how many cows

Stott may milk at one time to three. Stott’s two Jersey cows and few head of beef cattle share the same large pen with a round feeder in the middle. At milking time, one cow at a time walks through the back door of a one story white barn, which serves as retail store, milking station and dairy processing facility. While she is milked, she munches her daily ration of non-GMO grain. The milk is pumped into a small tank. From there, it’s poured into sterile plastic milk jugs with red caps. Stott has a good relationship with another large dairyman in the area, Alan Reed, owner of Reed’s Dairy. Thanks to their relationship, Stott is able to acquire these disposable plastic jugs at a low price. Stott says sanitation is the most critical step in ensuring a safe, raw product. He said cooling the milk quickly adds significantly to the quality. “The faster you can get the milk cold, the longer shelf life it has,” he said. “Regulation says we have to have it cooled to below 40 degrees within two hours. But we’ve found our best product is made when we can get the milk to about 38-39 degrees within 45 minutes. For a raw operation like ours, that’s as fast as we can get it cooled down.” Deep Roots has an open door and running tab policy. Customer’s enter the retail room of the barn and select their products from the fridge or freezer in the corner. Regular customers are billed on a monthly basis. Unlike Deep Roots, milking the cows and raw milk sales at Mortimer’s Daloris Dairy takes place on an expanded scale. Mortimers milk in a Grade A milking parlor. Six cows are

Because Daloris Dairy’s retail store is open during evening chore hours, customers often see the cows being milked or witness the Mortimer’s performing other duties around the farm.

milked at a time, while they munch their daily ration of grain. The milk flows through a stainless steel pipeline into a large milk tank in another room and is cooled within minutes to 38 degrees. The cooled milk is then divvied out between raw milk purposes, what the cheese maker needs and the rest goes with the milk truck to the commercial creamery. The milk allotted to the raw market is bottled in glass bottles through a system with little, if any, exposure to open air. Tyler says glass preserves the taste of the milk better than plastic. Mortimer’s customers come right to the dairy farm where the small retail store resides. The store is primarily open during the evening chore time; all visitors have the opportunity to watch the cows being milked. To be able to have reus-

able bottles, the customers pay a one-time deposit per bottle of milk they buy. When it’s time for more milk, they bring the empty bottles back and pick up filled bottles, this time only paying for the milk. But, Tyler says, not all of those bottles make it back to the dairy. The glass has an old school feel and presentation and Mortimers suspect the bottles are making great home décor pieces throughout the area. The Mortimer family manually washes empty bottles — more than 750 per week. Dale says a bottle washer will be the next big purchase. Both dairies are subject to the same monthly state department of agriculture tests: a bacteria test, a coliform test and a somatic cell test. When dealing See RAW MILK page 39

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

A mixed flock of laying hens on a farm near Emmett. Photo by Steve Ritter

Backyard Poultry Gaining Popularity in Idaho By Jake Putnam Emmett—Urban poultry sales are increasing in many parts of the Gem State. At High Desert Feed and Supply in Emmett the chicks are in— and should be gone by the end of spring, according to salesman Debra Cox. More and more people are raising small flocks. Cox says folks have a growing interest in where their food comes from, how it’s raised and how it’s handled before it reaches their tables. “We’re bringing in anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 chicks per week. Right now we have the White Plymouth Rock and Cuckoo Maran which lay a chocolate brown egg,” said Cox. “And we have the more exotic breeds and can get just about anything.” Cox said raising chickens is easy

and people can experience raising their own food and can start a flock without a major investment. An average flock runs about a dozen birds, but that varies depending on where people are raising the birds, how much space they have and what they want in return for their time. A chicken lays an egg approximately every 26 hours, which is helpful to know in deciding the size of your flock. Cox will pen up as many as 300 chicks a day to meet demand of customers. Chickens have found a niche market with hobby farmers that pay up to $2.50-$3.30 per bird. “These chickens won’t run you over and stomp you into the ground like livestock. But they’re a lot more fragile. You have to keep them warm and baby them until their legs get strong,” said Cox, “and that takes time.”

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

“Most chickens will start laying eggs at 18 weeks old,” she said. However, some hybrid varieties will start earlier. When buying chicks, consumers should explore their options. Many hatcheries will ship chicks directly to your local Post Office and there are hybrid chickens available that have a genetic sex marker at birth. This means you can buy hens - only - if that’s what you want. If you buy traditional breeds, expect a few roosters in the mix that you will have to butcher at some point. Roosters can be aggressive and sometimes dangerous to small children. They will also fight each other if more than one is kept with the flock. However, some people like them around their flocks because a rooster will watch over the flock and be the first to confront a loose dog, skunk or other predator.

Cox says getting the right food for young chicks is critical. Chick starter medicated with amprollium helps chicks grow and remain healthy until they develop an immunity to coccidiosis. In simple terms, a chicken’s gut always contains some chicken manure because they regularly eat off the ground and drink water that is contaminated with manure. The medicated feed keeps them healthy until they can fight off coccidiosis on their own. Amprollium is not an antibiotic, but some people may want to forego using medicated feed for various reasons. However, without amprollium some chicks will die before they reach maturity. Cox said a 40-pound bag of feed costs about $14. After four to six months, when they start laying eggs, she says switch them to egg-laying pellets, grain or

Glass says exact feeding and watering is critical for chicks when making the transition to the chicken coop, the more weight, the better chance for survival.

Raising chickens is a fun project for kids and fresh eggs are hard to beat. Photo by Steve Ritter

mash. “The first 17 weeks of age you might want to keep them on a medicated feed, and once they reach 17 weeks of age you can switch them over to a layer feed,” Cox said. A bag of electrolytes also is recommended to help the chicks with digestion. That costs about $2. A feeder and waterer cost about $5, depending on the size. Then there’s bedding to consider, “A bag of straw or pine shavings costs about $6. You want to clean it out a couple times a week,” Cox said. Cox says it’s important to look into the legality of keeping chickens especially within city limits. Many homeowner associations also have stringent rules banning chickens, coops and roosters (because of the noise they make). Other cities allow chickens but limit the number of hens for each household. Count on chicken coops in an upscale subdivision to also be upscale. Heather Glass lives in the Boise foothills. She built a chicken coop, did her research and brought home 24 chicks. “I needed fertilizer for the garden this year and wanted to have fresh eggs, so I got the chicks,” she said.

Glass says she’ll feed garden waste to the flock and it’s a winwin situation for her because she gets the eggs while chickens get the scraps. Chickens are omnivorous and a free ranging flock will eat all sorts of insects and grasses, but make certain your garden is protected. Chickens love greens and they also like to scratch and dig and cover themselves with loose dirt. A small flock can destroy a garden in a short time, so a fence is mandatory.

Chicken feed is made from finely crushed grains, and provides 100 percent of a chicken’s daily nutrient requirements or is fed along with other grains. Whole grains cause chickens to gain added fat which can slow egg production, so it’s important not to give them too much. While Glass is raising white Plymouth Rock chickens for laying, Tina Woodward of Emmett prefers the popular Buff Orpington chicken. “They are plump, fat and great egg-layers and the meat is good on them too,” she said. Farmer Alisha Rohrbacher of Emmett has advice for novices:

“Try everything you can and if that doesn’t work, don’t do that again. You’ll learn to find what works over time. That’s what I’ve found, you just have to dive in and get it done.” Another thing to consider is there is a distinct difference in chickens bred for laying versus broilers, or birds destined for a frying pan. Broilers grow much faster and are much less gregarious. Laying breeds are slow to mature and consume less feed and water, while broilers don’t do much besides eat. Broilers can reach maturity in as little as eight weeks. Many small farms raise them in pens that are built from wire mesh and without floors. The pens are dragged a short distance across a pasture each day to keep the chickens on fresh grass which makes up 20 to 30 percent of their diet.

Glass brought the chickens home when they were just five days old and put them under a light in the bath tub. “They did real well, I fed and watered them throughout the day and made sure they hadn’t spilled their food. After 2 weeks I put them out in the chicken coop. It’s been cold in the morning so they still have the light on them to keep them warm and I’m making sure they get a bit more feed,” she said. A plastic swimming pool with a cardboard or plywood cover makes a good brooder for chicks. Use wood shavings on the bottom and rig a light bulb for heat but make sure it stays clear of the shavings so that it won’t create a fire hazard. The chicks need to be kept warm until their feathers grow out.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

STALLMAN

Continued from page 2

ers and ranchers won’t need special permits “to go about their business.” But what she’s saying just doesn’t match up with the language of the rule. Anyone who’s been out on farmland knows that water collects in spots that aren’t regular water sources for anything else, let alone major streams and rivers. Prairie potholes are a good example of the “waters” the EPA is targeting. These isolated wetlands are sprinkled across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. By pooling these isolated features together, the Waters of the U.S. rule would let the agencies treat them as a “significant nexus” to streams and rivers – an idea that’s simply not supported by law or common sense. Together, the prairie potholes in

a region could be treated just like a large body of water, even though the end result would be more control over land, not water – something that Congress never intended. Rather than recognizing the careful stewardship that farmers and ranchers practice, EPA keeps forcing farmers and ranchers back on the defensive. McCarthy said farmers shouldn’t worry about the rule at all “unless you want to pollute or destroy jurisdictional water.” Statements like this hint that the agency is looking to broaden the rule by making it more ambiguous, not less. Farmers and ranchers can’t afford the steep fines that regulators could impose for normal farming practices. And farmers aren’t

looking to sidestep regulations: We have the most to lose if one of our most valuable resources is compromised. EPA claims that it’s simplifying regulations and making them easier to follow, but the fine print tells another story. No matter what name the agency gives its rule, it can only lead to needless pain for agriculture and businesses across the country. If EPA won’t listen, perhaps Congress will. Please let your senators and representative know that farmers, small business owners and state and local governments are looking to them to stop the Waters of the U.S. rule.

PRIEstley

Continued from page 2

Discussion circulating through the Idaho Statehouse was the proposed change was not more than changing the name on the sign. The Idaho Statesman editorial page says it’s a great idea because Idaho doesn’t have a national park and it will only cost about $10,000 to change the signs. We are curious whether swapping the word “Monument” for the word “Park” on a sign really changes anything. According to National Park Service data, Craters of the Moon is a “lava flow with scattered islands of cinder cones and sage brush,” that is visited by about 200,000 people per year. But Craters of the Moon is not unlike the thousands of acres that surround it. The entire Great Rift region from Blackfoot to Arco to Shoshone to Acequia and back along the west side of American Falls Reservoir is as fabulous of a desert as exists anywhere in the world. It’s got back roads and caves and old homesteads and wildlife and tons of outdoor recreation opportunities. It’s “all that,” to anyone who finds solitude in a 12

desert environment. In all honesty, Craters of the Moon is just a lava flow near the north end of this fabulous desert. Some people would even call it a rock pile, but that doesn’t sound “touristy.” The point we are trying to get at here is does Craters rise to the level of National Park? If you’ve just traveled through Yosemite, Glacier or Yellowstone and you arrived at Craters would it be a letdown? Should we care? Is it enough to just change the name on the sign? Would this change stimulate the local economy? Liberal think tank organizations are fond of publishing studies that allege the economic benefits of national monuments, parks and wilderness areas. One that was released to support a monument in the Boulder White Clouds region last year claimed more middle-class telecommuters – people who work from home online - would move to central Idaho if a

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

monument was created, or that tourism dollars would shore up the economy. Yet, the facts don’t support those claims. We’ve had a monument in central Idaho since 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge established Craters of the Moon. There is also very little to indicate that Craters is supporting tourism in the region. In addition, inviting the federal government to make management changes at Craters also raises red flags. One thing we know for certain is that federal agencies and regulations go together like watermelon and sticky fingers. If we invite a name change who’s to say the Park Service won’t increase the size of the monument or reduce the area available for off-road vehicles, grazing, hunting or other uses that are currently allowed? We don’t want to throw cold water on this proposal. It would be great if Craters could become an important tourist destination, there’s just not much evidence that it will – no matter what it says on the sign.

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12/12/14 PM Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 20154:52 13

Shearing of the Sheep A shearing company out of Wyoming with crew members from several countries was working in southwest Idaho in March. The fastest shearers will finish 200 sheep per day. Photos by Steve Ritter

Sheep owned by Soulen Livestock await their turns in the shearing trailer. Shortly after shearing the ewes will begin lambing, followed by summer in high elevation pastures. 14

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

After the wool is sheared and graded, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loaded into a machine that compresses it into bales that can be loaded on trucks for shipping.

The large purple building with green stripes is a semi-trailer where the shearing crew works. After the wool is shorn it is pushed out of the doors so it can be graded and baled.

After the wool is removed from the sheep, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graded based on how clean it is and the length of the fibers. Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Idaho’s new BMP forestry publication helps landowners protect water quality.

Keeping Idaho Forest Streams Healthy By Chris Schnepf Water has always been important in the western United States, but California’s drought is making us all more aware how critical water can be. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho uses over 17 billion gallons of water per day. Water is important for agriculture and domestic consumption, but it is also vital for maintaining Idaho’s high value fisheries and outdoor recreation. Forests are perhaps the most important landscapes in Idaho for maintaining our water quality and quantity. Forests cover more than forty percent of Idaho, and receive more rain and snow than non-forested areas – that is part of the reason trees grow there. Water from forests is particularly valuable because it is so clean. Our forest activities, as well as development, agriculture, and other land uses often affect water quality and quantity, particularly when we work close to streams and other water bodies. State 18

forest practice laws help protect Idaho forest water quality and quantity, but forest owners and logging operators will better implement or even exceed them if they understand the spirit of these laws. University of Idaho Extension has always provided a variety of programs related to water quality, but this year we have produced some exceptional new educational tools to help Idaho citizens protect and enhance water quality. In partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands, the U.S. Forest Service, the Renewable Resource Extension Act, and many other partners, University of Idaho Extension has just completed a new 3-part curriculum on forest water quality. The first part of the curriculum is a field guide titled “Idaho Forestry Best Management Practices Field Guide – Using BMPs to Protect Water Quality” (UI Extension Bulletin 891). The publication is 149 pages, has over 130 color illustrations and photos, and is glove box sized with a wire binding to maximize field use. Hard copies of this booklet

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

are available through both University of Idaho Extension and Idaho Department of Lands offices. We also just completed a two-part video on forest water quality. The first segment of the video describes how water moves through the forest, how our forest activities can affect that water, and what landowners and operators can do to enhance forest water quality. The second part of the video outlines the Idaho Forest Practices Act (FPA), a state law that sets minimum “Best Management Practices (BMPS)” to guide forest management activities that can affect water quality. The third leg of the curriculum is a website that largely mirrors the content of the publication and video. The website (www.idahoforestrybmps.org) also includes links to downloadable versions of the video and the publication. We are also offering field extension programs this summer to help landowners, loggers, and foresters who want to learn

Forest streams are essential to Idaho water.

more about enhancing forest water quality and related resources such as fisheries. In late June and early July we will be holding at least three “Idaho FPA Stream Protection Twilight Tours”, designed to help landowners and loggers correctly implement FPA stream protection regulations, particularly as related to the new stream shade requirements. The tours are being held in late afternoon/early evening to make them more feasible for loggers, many of whom complete their work day by mid-afternoon.

tion fundamentals as well as simple and more elaborate techniques to improve stream health, function, and stability. A short indoor session in the morning on restoration techniques and funding sources will be followed by a field trip to sites where stream restoration efforts have been practiced. Flyers with registration details about the twilight tours and stream restoration program will be available on the Extension forestry web site (www.uidaho.edu/extension/forestry) at least 6 weeks prior to the events.

Landowners who are lucky enough to have a perennial stream flowing through their property often want to improve that stream’s health for fisheries and other values. On Friday, August 14, we are offering a program titled “Restoring Idaho Streams” in Sandpoint, Idaho. Participants will learn about stream restora-

Finally, University of Idaho Extension has a volunteer program titled “Master Water Stewards.” This program is condensed compared to other UI master volunteer programs such as Master Gardeners and Master Forest Stewards. The training is only 8 hours and is designed to help participants measure some spe-

cific water quality parameters. It is a great option for landowners who are curious about water quality on their own properties, and want to provide baseline data to see what effects different management practices or other factors have, if any, on water quality. For more information, go to www.uidaho.edu/cda/ idah2o. Idaho is blessed with some of the most spectacular water resources in the United States. If you would like to learn more about protecting or enhancing those resources, these extension programs can be very helpful to you! Chris Schnepf is an area extension educator – forestry – for the University of Idaho in Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Benewah counties. He can be reached at cschnepf@uidaho.edu.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Focus on Agriculture Answering Tough Questions About Agriculture By Cyndie Sirekis Through social media, America’s farmers and ranchers explain why they do certain things when raising animals for food. This communication is not just one way. Facebook posts from the farm, tweets from the tractor seat and blogs from the “back 40” allow members of the non-farming public to ask questions on everything from how today’s food is grown to how it is processed and eventually brought to market. Although a growing number of farmers use social media to interact with consumers, trepidation about answering tough 20

ag-related questions causes some to shy away from using this valuable communications tool. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to a couple of social media experts who teamed up recently to share time-tested tips with Farm Bureau members. “Be authentic in telling your story,” says Lyndsey Murphy, digital media specialist at the American Farm Bureau. “Speak for you and your farm, not the whole of agriculture,” she advises. If you’re not sure how to answer a question, it’s perfectly OK to say you don’t know but will find

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

the answer. Murphy finds that using social media to build relationships yields great rewards because everyone is on the same playing field with similar opportunities for interaction. But it does take time. “People’s viewpoints are unlikely to be changed after interacting with you just once,” she cautions. “Using beautiful visuals and an authentic voice to share what we as agriculturalists know and love” is the sweet spot for many

See FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE p. 26

Bill Furthers Conversation on GMO Labeling Farmers and ranchers welcomed the introduction today of the bipartisan Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which will clarify the FDA as the nation’s foremost authority on food safety and create a voluntary labeling program run by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, the same agency that administers the USDA Organic Program. The legislation will provide a federal solution to protect consumers from a confusing patchwork of 50-state GMO labeling policies, and the misinformation and high food costs that would come with them. “State-led mandatory food labeling initiatives mislead consumers about the safety of GM foods, even though there is no credible evidence linking a food-safety or health risk to the consumption of GM foods,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said in a statement. “These state labeling initiatives mask the benefits of biotechnology in food production and can lead to decreased food supplies. Creating a national labeling standard will give consumers the information they need while avoiding the unnecessary confusion and added cost of a patchwork of state laws.” The GMO labeling ballot initiatives and legislative efforts that many state lawmakers and voters are facing are geared toward making people wrongly fear what they’re eating and feeding their children, despite the fact that every credible U.S. and international food safety author-

Nationwide legislation on GMO labeling is being considered in Congress to prevent a mish-mash of state laws that could make it difficult to market food to consumers.

ity that has studied GMO crops has found that they are safe and that there are no health effects associated with their use. In addition, much of the activity at the state level undermines the public’s understanding of the many benefits of biotechnology. GMO crops use less water and pesticides, boost farm yields by reducing damage and damage-control costs and are key to feeding a growing world population of 7 billion people. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act protects consumers on two fronts. First, it requires FDA to conduct a safety review of all new GMO traits well before they’re available on supermarket shelves and empowers the agency to mandate the labeling of GMO food ingredients if the agency determines there is a health,

safety or nutrition issue with a new GMO technology. Second, it will ensure farmers and ranchers have access to the technology they need to provide consumers with the variety of food options and price points they expect, and need. This legislation will ensure food safety is the leading driver of a national labeling policy, while maintaining the affordability of the U.S. food supply. The bill will not prevent companies from voluntarily labeling their products for the absence or presence of GMO ingredients, but would instead direct USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to create a voluntary labeling program. In his statement, Stallman noted farmers’ and ranchers’ appreciation for the bipartisan

leadership of the bills’ sponsors, Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.). “Consumers have a right to know what’s in their food, but they shouldn’t be misinformed about what’s safe, or forced to pay higher prices unnecessarily. Thanks to innovation, farmers and ranchers have new and improved methods to increase their efficiency while preserving farm land for generations to come. Farmers benefit from choice and so should consumers,” Stallman said. For more information about the importance of biotechnology in agriculture, please see AFBF’s Biotech Grassroots Toolkit at http://www.fb.org/ index.php?action=issues.biotech. - See more at: http:// f bnews.f b.org / Templates/ Article.aspx?id=39506&utm_

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Your Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ability To Withsta ZONE 1: The area nearest your house, plant only low growing plants with low fuel contentâ&#x20AC;Ś there should be no tall plants, but since we all like shade trees pick your species wisely.

ZONE 2: Low growing fireresistant ground cover is recommended from 30 to 100 feet from your home. Properly maintained low fuel plants will slow a fire before it gets to your house.

ZONE 3: Zone three is the area 100 feet beyond your home and can contain healthy naturally growing vegetation.

If you live in a wild land-urban interface, like so many of us in Idaho do, then consider yourself a critical first responder when it comes to defending your home from fire. But unlike those trained to actually fight a blaze, your first response should take place long before the smell of smoke is in the air.

items like landscaping, woodpiles, decks, etc.

With a little planning and understanding of what is important you can take key protective measures in the defense of your home. While there are no guarantees that a home will be fireproof, creating a survivable space and taking the other steps listed can increase the chances that your home will withstand a wildfire.

P.O. Box 4848 Pocatello, ID 83205 (208) 232-7914

www.IdahoFarmBureauInsurance.com

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

2. Plant more native vegetation. 3. Space trees at least 10 feet apart.

4. Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Branches shou a minimum of six feet from the ground and

under trees should be no more than 18 inche 275 Tierra Vista Drive

1. Remove the fuel fire needs to reach your hom

5. Mow your lawn regularly and dispose promp cuttings and debris. 6. Maintain your irrigation system. 7. Clear your roof, gutters and eaves of debris.

and Wildfire Depends On You.

CREATE SURVIVABLE SPACE:

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8. Trim branches so they do not extend over your roof or grow near your chimney 9. Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from your home and clear areas at least 10 feet

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around them. 10. Use only noncombustible roofing materials. 11. Box in eaves, fascias, soffits and subfloors with fire-resistant materials like treated wood, reducing the vent sizes. 12. Apply Âźâ&#x20AC;? noncombustible screening to all vent or eave openings.

13. Install spark arresters in chimneys. 14. Enclose the underside of decks with fire-resistant materials. 15. Cover exterior walls with fire-resistant materials like stucco, stone, or brick. (Vinyl siding can melt and is not recommended.) 16. Use double-paned or tempered glass for all exterior windows. 17. Install noncombustible street signs. 18. Make sure your street address is visible from the street.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Word Search Puzzle: Chicken Breeds

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE: CHICKEN BREEDS

Ameraucana Amber White Ameraucana Araucana Amber White American Game Araucana Bantams American Game Barred Rock Bantams Black Stars Barred Rock Buckeye Black Stars

Buff Opington California Gray Delaware Delaware Dominique Dominique Holland Holland Java Java Lamona Lamona Leghorn Leghorn Plymouth Rock

Buckeye

Pyncheon

Buff Opington

Red Ranger

California Gray

Rhode Island Red

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Plymouth Rock Pyncheon Sagitta Red Ranger Turken Rhode Island Red Winnebago Sagitta Wyandotte Turken Winnebago Wyandotte

ANSWERS ON PAGE 29

Use of Eminent Domain restricted by Lawmakers By Jake Putnam On March 16th the Idaho House of Representatives approved a bill banning the use of eminent domain by municipalities in building recreational paths. The Senate voted 20-13 to pass S1044 back in February while the House approved it overwhelmingly 54-15-1. Senator Jim Guthrie, of McCammon carried the bill and worked over the last three years to finally gain approval. However, it’s uncertain whether Idaho Gov. Butch Otter will sign the bill. “We’re thrilled and ecstatic,” said Russ Hendricks, Idaho Farm Bureau’s director of governmental affairs. “The Farm Bureau supports private property rights and this bill. This is a gigantic victory for private property rights here in the state for private property owners who have this hammer over their head. Now it has to be willing buyer, willing seller proposition with amicable negotiations.” Back in 2011 while serving in the State House of Representatives, Guthrie introduced the first bill. It passed the House but died without a hearing in a Senate committee. After his election to the Idaho Senate in 2012, he reintroduced the bill in 2013, but it didn’t make it out of committee. He then vowed to give the bill one last shot. “Senator Guthrie replaced one of the no-votes on the committee and that changed the balance of power in that committee,” said Hendricks. “We’re grateful that he stuck with it. He did a masterful job shep-

Land along the Portneuf River was under threat of condemnation for construction of a recreational path. However, that power was recently taken from Idaho municipalities by legislation sponsored by Sen. Jim Guthrie R-McCammon. Farm Bureau file photo

herding it through the process.” Guthrie served as a Bannock County Commissioner before entering the State Legislature. At that time supporters of the Portneuf Greenway project attempted to condemn private land in the County that would extend the Portneuf River greenbelt. The Greenway group wanted to take land not only in Pocatello but it was feared that large sections along the river in south Bannock County may have been at risk. Sen. Guthrie’s family farms and ranches along the Portneuf from Inkom to McCammon southeast of Pocatello. He says farmers and ranchers along the Portneuf feared that they’d eventually lose their private land under eminent domain takings. Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, disagreed during a committee

hearing on the bill this year. She says eminent domain is rarely used and argued that it’s difficult for cities to build a strip of land long enough for a path or greenway unless the government threatens to use eminent domain. “I’m not sure the intent of this bill was to stop the greenbelt development and bike paths in Idaho but I think that’ll be the effect,” she said. Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley supports private property rights. “If the people who live along the river want to sell their land so that it can be turned into a recreational path, so be it. No one can object to that and there is no argument that a greenbelt wouldn’t be beneficial to Pocatello. But several landowners along the Portneuf didn’t want to sell. They don’t want a path through their backyards that could be occupied at any time

of the day or night. That’s their right and it should be respected,” Priestley said. Idaho Governor Butch Otter has the bill on his desk. “I’ve been through several eminent domain actions, some in Ada County, others with the Federal Government some wilderness issues and wild and scenic rivers, I’ve seen it all,” Otter said. “I wanted to build a cabin in the Frank Church Wilderness and they said we couldn’t, that’s a taking. I have great respect for private property rights, but before I sign I’ve got to sit down and talk to my lawyers about consequences here.” Otter says it’s his understanding that this bill prohibits the gift of property. “So I’m checking with my lawyers because if someone wants to give a gift and get a tax deduction for that gift they should be able to do that,” he said.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE

Continued from page 20

farmers active in social media, Murphy says. She’s found that visuals are a tremendous help in telling one’s farm story because “people might not always believe what they read but they always believe what they can see with their own two eyes.” Photos, videos and fun infographics are all proven effective at helping tell a farm or ranch story. For many in agriculture, deep connections to the farm make it hard to hear some comments without feeling judged or that the other person is misinformed. This happens online and in person, notes Janice Person, director of online outreach at Monsanto. “Reacting the wrong way can shut down any opportunity for dialogue but when we listen from a place of truly trying to understand others, we learn a lot and others notice that we are open to their thoughts,” Person says. She tries to ask three broad questions to gain understanding before offering her experience or perspective. Often, she finds someone that she may have written off as a staunch critic may only have some criticism and talking through that and discussing experiences can result in a new openness to other perspectives. When you choose to use social media, understanding the public nature of it and the possibilities for controversy can be useful in shaping your presence, Person says. She’s found that being proactive on a few key components can be helpful. Having a comment policy on your blog or Facebook page can help establish “rules” to be referred to if controversy surfaces. Person advises social media newbies to always consider who they want to share information with before posting. Utilizing friends’ lists on Facebook rather than broadcasting across multiple social media social platforms is one option to consider. If controversy surfaces in response to your posts, Person says how you respond should depend on your goals, not your emotions. And keep in that mind that not everyone who lobs criticism your way is a troll. When criticism is honest, it is important to step back and listen to different perspectives, she says. You can also take time to respond rather than allowing the perceived need for immediacy drive you into an emotion-driven, fast-paced back and forth. Taking time to think through how to reply is acceptable. Talking through how to respond with a trusted friend can help provide perspective and clarity. “Although ‘haters’ sometimes surface on social media, using respect as a baseline for online interactions not only is the right thing to do, it helps build a community that will reinforce the guidelines that have been established,” Person says. Cyndie Sirekis is director of internal communications at the American Farm Bureau Federation. 26

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

2015 Essay Contest Winners Results of the “How Agriculture Affects Me” essay contest are in. Winners receive cash prizes for their efforts. The contest began as a way to reinforce agriculture in our daily lives for 5th grade students sixteen years ago.

HOW AGRICULTURE AFFECTS ME Agriculture has affected my life in so many ways because I live on a farm, and when you live on a farm every day you learn more about agriculture than you learn at school. I learned how to grow some of my favorite plants, and how to raise some of my favorite animals. Last year I decided to make a change and plant other things that my family has never grown before. So to make that change, I found some Sun Flower, Marigold, and Zinnia seeds. I planted the seeds, watered them, and cared for them until they turned into flowers. When they were ready, I went to the Farmers Market to sell them. I met many people and learned how to do good customer service. My parents run a corn maze that is special because there are questions about agriculture at every fork in the maze. Some of my favorite facts are: white eggs and brown eggs are equally nutritious, an Acre is the size of a football field, a cow can drink a bathtub of water every day, and a horse cannot vomit. Some people that come to our farm think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, but after reading our questions, they know people make chocolate milk by taking white milk, sugar, and cocoa and mixing them together. Yum! There are approximately 25,700 farms in Idaho. Our farm is small, but important. People come out to our farm buy vegetables and produce at our garage. We fill it with sweet corn, potatoes, onions, peppers and everything else we can grow. I work a lot every day, especially in the summer and fall. (I like winter because I get a break.) My farm is not just an old house with animals and lots of land, it’s a home. When you live on a farm, you have lots of chores like city kids do, except they are bigger chores … way bigger. You have your normal house jobs like clean you room, plus a whole bunch more. You need to feed all the animals because it’s our responsibility to take care of them. The animals would get sick and die if we didn’t take care of them. It’s mean to ignore your animals, because they are like family and you can’t let them go hungry any more than you would let your little brother or sister go hungry. I also help water all the plants, weed the fields so the bad weed don’t choke out all the good plants, and many other important chores. As I told you earlier I wanted to make a change and so I did. Now I am an even bigger part of the family business. I am already planning out my flowers for this year and will plant them soon. I am only 10, and I am a florist. Agriculture has taught me everything I need to know about my new business. Agriculture rocks!!! This 1st Place essay was written by Mary Swore of Bannock County. Daughter of Mike and Wendy Swore, Mary is a student at The Academy in Pocatello.

2nd Place goes to Tea Uranga of Owyhee County with a tie for 3rd Place of Kelli Ann Strand of Custer County & Halle Ramos of Twin Falls County.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Farm Facts

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Art Winners 2015 The Art Design Contest began in 2000 in an effort to promote the arts and further the understanding of agriculture in our lives. Targeted at grades 6-8, only original designs are accepted. Those winning designs will be used in the 2016 calendar distributed at the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Meeting of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

Winning design in the 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Idaho Agricultureâ&#x20AC;? art design contest is Macey Fillmore, a 7th grade student at Sugar Salem Jr. High.

Placing 2rd in the state and first in her district is Teri Worrell. She is a 7th grade student at South Fremont Jr. High in St. Anthony. 30

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Payge Sanderson, student at Alameda Middle School in Bannock County, placed 3rd overall and first in her district.

What’s in a Word? As a prominent radio commentator is fond of saying, words mean things. For instance, rights are actually rights, they are not merely privileges dispensed by a benevolent government, which might as easily retract them at any time for any contrived purpose. Rights are God given, inherent in man, and are not dependent upon any law for validity. The Declaration of Independence proclaims it is self-evident that all men are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Adding “unalienable” to describe our rights makes them even more solid and secure, if that is possible. Unalienable means these rights are incapable of being given away or taken, by any individual or entity, even government. Therefore, “unalienable rights” is a redundant phrase, further impressing upon us the immorality of any action that restricts or diminishes legitimate rights. Consequently, the entire purpose of a written constitution is to institute a government that protects the rights of citizens, while at the same time restrains the government from violating the very rights it was created to protect. Unfortunately, over time we have become accustomed to an erosion of our rights by our own government. For example, we routinely allow government to intrude into our right to peacefully enter into mutually agreeable contracts even when it comes to such banal pursuits as getting a haircut. What right is the State protecting when it requires a barber to get a license before they can legally cut hair? Are consumers incapable of determining for themselves if the barber meets their standards? Wouldn’t we have less unemployment if

there were fewer barriers to entry into an occupation? Another prime example is the concept of eminent domain. This is the legal fiction that, contrary to morality and ethics, enables an individual, organization or government to take the property of another person who has no intention to sell, so long as he is “compensated.” Proponents of eminent domain argue that both the U.S. and Idaho constitutions permit it. This is true. The Idaho Constitution however, begins by stating “All men are by nature free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are enjoying and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protecting property; pursuing happiness and securing safety.” Are these inalienable rights or not? Logic tells us one section of the constitution cannot conflict with another, or there is an irreconcilable contradiction. Rather than the final word and supreme law of the land, the document then becomes a catalyst for unending litigation. There must be a way to reconcile the two seemingly inconsistent declarations. The simplest and most plausible explanation is that property is a right that cannot be taken except under the most limited circumstances - when it is the only possible option, and when it is clearly in the best interest of all citizens. There are very few instances when all of these requirements would be met. Over time, cities and counties have nevertheless used the power of eminent domain to take property from unwilling landowners for such trivial projects as recreational trails, bike paths and greenbelts. This is an inappropriate use of this ominous power. Most citizens faced with this situation feel helpless to fight “their” government. Attorney fees can add up quickly; so with no guarantee of victory, most citizens grudg-

Russ Hendricks is Idaho Farm Bureau’s director of governmental affairs. He can be reached at rhendricks@idahofb.org.

ingly capitulate. Before you know it, the very government that was supposed to protect your rights has become the government that takes your rights. It all appears legitimate and has a thin veneer of legality. However, it is nonetheless immoral and unethical. During this past legislative session, the Idaho Farm Bureau worked closely with Senator Jim Guthrie to rectify this situation. He sponsored a bill to prohibit local governments from using eminent domain for recreational trails, unless they are adjacent to roads. Fortunately, that bill is now law. Cities and counties can have all the jogging paths they want, as long as there is a willing buyer/willing seller negotiation. If a landowner does not wish to sell, an alternate route must be chosen. We each should encourage government at all levels to actively focus on protecting, rather than destroying rights. A right is not really a right if it can be violated or taken away. Words do have meaning, unless we allow them to be eroded by our apathy.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

A Taste of Idaho:

Fried Chicken and Smashed Idaho Taters By John Thompson Here is a good recipe when it’s your turn to cook and somebody else’s turn to clean up. Actually the cleanup wasn’t all that bad because the chicken is fried slowly with the lid on the pan which reduces splattering. This chicken recipe is a winner if you do everything right. This recipe was allegedly high-jacked from one of the nation’s top fried chicken chains. It’s a basic fried chicken recipe but the actual frying is done a little differently. The trick is setting the heat right so that it maintains cooking temperature throughout the 40 minute process. The side dish, smashed potatoes, is a nice way to break out of the same old starch routine. It’s a bit time consuming and labor 32

intensive for a potato dish, but the Italian parsley and parmesan give off a fresh, salty flavor that finishes the dish with style. As I’ve stated before in this column, my first rule for putting a good meal on the table starts with quality meat. I purchased four fresh, not frozen chicken leg quarters, which are legs and thighs still connected. They were large hunks of chicken and I had to cook them in two batches. I used a 12-inch Dutch oven with legs on an electric range. If I had my druthers, I would use a Dutch oven with no legs and a gas range. The frying part of this recipe is a bit tricky for me as I had no experience frying meat using a lid. The recipe says heat oil to medium, fry on each side for eight minutes, then cover and reduce heat. With

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

my stove and pot combination the only way it worked was high heat in the beginning and medium heat to finish. My second batch turned out much better than the first. With the first batch I reduced the heat and covered the pot, waited five minutes and discovered that my chicken was just taking a swim in oil – there was no cooking going on in that pot. So keep your eye on things and adjust heat accordingly. In addition, I deviated from this recipe in a couple ways. First, it only calls for one teaspoon of red hot sauce in the brine. I like a lot more than that and used about three tablespoons. It also calls for smoked paprika and white pepper. I used regular paprika and black pepper. For the potatoes, I used canola oil instead of olive oil.

Fried Chicken For the brine:

2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon red hot sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper For the breading: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons brown sugar Canola oil for frying

Smashed Potatoes 12 small red potatoes Kosher salt to taste One quarter cup olive oil 1 teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ cup parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley Wash potatoes and boil them whole in salted water for 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and place the potatoes on it, then mash them slightly with the palm of your hand or a spatula being careful to keep the spuds in one piece. Brush on the oil and add salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes and then turn the potatoes with a spatula. Brush on more oil, salt and pepper, and roast for another 15 minutes. After that sprinkle on parsley and parmesan and roast for another five minutes.

Put the chicken in a zip-top bag with the brine ingredients and refrigerate for four to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before frying. Mix the breading ingredients in a bowl. Pour canola oil into Dutch oven until it’s approximately one-half of an inch deep and heat it up to 350 degrees. Dunk the chicken in the breading until it has good coverage then carefully drop each piece in the oil. Fry eight to ten minutes on each side then reduce heat to medium and cover the pot. Simmer the chicken for another 30 minutes turning every ten minutes. Uncover, increase heat and fry for another five minutes to crisp.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

SPOTLIGHT ON IDAHO FFA—Building Tomorrow’s Agricultural Leaders Idaho FFA Elects New State Leadership Idaho FFA wrapped up the 84rd Annual State FFA Leadership conference in Twin Falls on April 11 with the exciting announcement of the 2015-16 State FFA Officer Team. The new officers began their training in April and will spend the next year serving Idaho’s over 4,200 FFA members, promoting the FFA Organization and advocating for Idaho agriculture.

2015 - 2016 Idaho State FFA Officer Team

To learn more about Idaho FFA, please visit: www.idahoffa.org www.idffafoundation.org

(Pictured from left) Henry Wilson, State Sentinel, Kuna FFA Chapter; Samantha Daniels, State Treasurer, Malad FFA Chapter; Riely Geritz, State President, American Falls FFA Chapter; Abigail Raasch, State Secretary, Troy FFA Chapter; Jentrie Stastny, State Reporter, Kimberly FFA Chapter; and Dustin Winston, State Vice President, Middleton FFA Chapter.

Idaho Farm Bureau proudly sponsors the Idaho FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event

The Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event challenges FFA members to prepare and deliver a factual speech on a specific agricultural issue in a logical manner – in a short amount of time. Participants draw one topic and have 30 minutes to prepare their four to six minute speeches. A panel of judges uses an additional five minutes to question the speaker on their assigned topic. Through this event, students develop a broad knowledge of current agricultural issues, as well as polish logical reasoning and effective communication skills that will allow them to excel in the classroom and beyond.

2015 Idaho FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Winner: Congratulations to Riely Geritz of the American Falls FFA Chapter, 2015 Idaho FFA State Champion in Extemporaneous Public Speaking. She will represent Idaho at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY in October.

FFA—Premier Leadership, Personal Growth and Career Success through Agricultural Education 34

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

KELLER

Continued from page 2 The ESA is one of the most far-reaching environmental statutes ever passed. It has been interpreted to put the interests of species above those of people, and through its prohibitions against â&#x20AC;&#x153;takingâ&#x20AC;? of species, it can restrict a wide range of human activity in areas where species exist or may possibly exist. Furthermore, it allows private special interest groups to sue anyone who they allege to be in violation of the Act. The ESA is a litigation-driven model that rewards those who use the courtroom at the expense of those who practice positive conservation efforts. Currently, sue-andsettle tactics employed by radical environmental groups have required the government to make listing decisions on hundreds of new species. These plaintiffs have been rewarded for their efforts by taxpayer funded reimbursements for their legal bills as a result. Despite the fact that the ESA was enacted to promote the public good, farmers and ranchers bear the brunt of providing food

and habitat for listed species through restrictions imposed by the ESA. Society expects that listed species be saved and their habitats protected, but the costs for doing this fall to the landowner upon whose property a species is found. We believe that farmers and ranchers will respond to incentives to protect species and habitat on their privately owned lands. Instead of being forced to feed and shelter listed species on their own, farmers and ranchers should receive technical and financial help to accomplish this. The ESA should provide a carrot instead of the stick it currently wields. We believe that endangered and threatened species protection can be more effectively achieved by providing incentives to private landowners and public land users rather than by imposing land use restrictions and penalties. The ESA should not be reauthorized in its current form. The current federal ESA must be amended and updated to accommodate the needs of both endan-

gered and threatened species and humans with complete respect for private property rights within the framework of the United States Constitution The American Farm Bureau (AFBF) has developed a SHARE YOUR STORY website to gather important stories and examples of how the ESA has impacted farm and ranch operations. The link to the SHARE YOUR STORY website is: http:// cqrcengage.com/af b/app/share-yourstory?0&engagementId=78791 Understanding that privacy is a very important issue for our members, personal details from the individual responses and case studies will not be shared outside of AFBF. A strong showing of participation and grassroots engagement in this exercise will enable AFBF legislative staff to better develop more personalized advocacy efforts to congressional offices with a greater level of detail and accuracy.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

USDA Corn and Soybean Plantings Forecast Increases The Agriculture Department’s Prospective Plantings report indicates that compared to 2014 farmers will plant more acres of soybeans but fewer acres of corn this spring. According to the American Farm Bureau, the USDA raised its estimates on corn and soybean acreage from the numbers released at the annual USDA outlook forum in February. Prospective planting estimates for corn increased from 89.0 million acres to 89.2 million. Soybean estimates increased from 83.5 million to 84.6 million acres.

“The increase in corn was a bit of a surprise, and the market has not responded favorably,” said John Anderson, American Farm Bureau’s deputy chief economist. Corn futures dropped by around 15 cents a bushel with this news, but the soybean market has remained relatively stable. But “it’s not too late for late acreage shifts,” Anderson noted. “So if corn is down that affects soybeans prices as well.” Other feedgrains (grain sorghum, barley and oats) are all projected to be up from last year. The combined increase for these

three crops is almost 1.3 million acres. According to Farm Bureau, that almost completely offsets the projected year-over-year decline in corn acreage. All wheat acreage is projected at 55.4 million acres, which is a little lower than USDA’s February estimate. Cotton acreage is also down for 2015, projected at 9.55 million acres. If realized, that will be a 13 percent decline in cotton plantings compared to last year

Farmers and Ranchers Embrace Drones in Agriculture Farm Bureau member Jeff VanderWerff explained the value and risks of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in agriculture in his testimony before a Senate subcommittee today. The Michigan farmer and agronomist discussed how farmers and ranchers are leading the way in exploring commercial use for this technology.

and spraying the entire field,” VanderWerff said. Precision technology does not come without potential risks, however. Farmers and ranchers must be sure their data is secure and cannot be used unfairly against them

by any third party, including the government. “The use of unmanned aircraft will be an important addition to a farmer’s management toolbox, but it is critical that the data remain under the ownership and control of the farmer,” VanderWerff said.

America’s farmers and ranchers embrace technology that allows their farming businesses to be more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly. VanderWerff sees these benefits firsthand on his farm where he where uses precision technology. “I rely on data to produce the accurate information critical to my day-to-day business decisions. These decisions affect my yield, environmental impact and ultimately the economic viability of my farm,” he said. According to VanderWerff, UAS would provide a valuable tool for farmers and ranchers to manage their fields and respond to threats quickly before they turn catastrophic. “Currently, I spend about 12 hours a week walking the nearly 3,000 acres of land we farm. This may be effective, but it is not efficient,” he said. UAS can also help farmers reduce their environmental impact. “With the imagery from unmanned aircraft, I can spot-treat sec- Michigan farmer Jeff VanderWerff (left) visits with Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) at a Senate tions of my fields as opposed to watering subcommittee hearing on unmanned aircraft systems in agriculture. 36

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

President Bob Stallman said. The world’s leader in agricultural exports, the United States has much to gain through congressional approval of TPA. The U.S. is coming off a record year of $152 billion in agricultural exports. TPA will help keep that trend moving forward.

Farm Bureau Supports Trade Promotion Authority Bills Expanding international trade is vital to the success of America’s farmers and ranchers. To make that expansion happen, Congress must approve trade promotion authority, the American Farm Bureau Federation said today. “Senators Orrin Hatch (RUT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) today introduced legislation that greatly benefits American agriculture and farm families across the nation. This bipartisan effort advances an important policy objective just as the administration is engaged in major trade talks such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said.

The world’s leader in agricultural exports, the United States has much to gain through congressional approval of TPA. The U.S. is coming off a record year of $152 billion in agricultural exports. TPA will help keep that trend moving forward.

“TPA streamlines negotiations and strengthens our position at the bargaining table,” Stallm said. “The growth of U.S. agriculture depends on our ability to compete in the internationa marketplace. We will cede potential markets and economic leadership to our competitors central to completing key trade ports if Congress fails to pass cannot negotiate and ratify trade agreements through TPA.”

negotiations already underway. these vitally important bills.” StallmanU.S. explained TPAbrink is central “The is onthatthe ofto completing key trade negotiations already NOTE: The following chart underway. “The U.S. is on the brink of completing its most ambitiouscompleting its most ambitious trade agenda in year during fails to he said. “We stand to lose billions of dollarsshows in futuretop U.S.U.S. farm exports exports if Congress trade agenda in years,” he said. the 2014 fiscal year. pass these vitally important bills.” “We stand to lose billions of NOTE: The dollars in following future chart U.S. shows farm top ex-U.S. exports during the 2014 fiscal year.

“TPA streamlines negotiations and strengthens our position at the bargaining table,” Stallman said. “The growth of U.S. agriculture depends on our ability to compete in the international marketplace. We will cede potential markets and economic leadership to our competitors if we cannot negotiate and ratify trade agreements through TPA.” Stallman explained that TPA is

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Marketbasket Survey Beef and Pork Prices Up, OJ Too

Higher retail prices for several foods, including sirloin tip roast, ground chuck, deli ham and orange juice, resulted in a slight increase in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $53.87, up $.60 or about 1 percent compared to a survey conducted a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, eight increased and eight decreased in average price. “Several meat items increased in price, accounting for much of the modest increase in the marketbasket,” said John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist. “The 1 percent increase shown by our survey tracks closely with the Agriculture Department’s forecast of 2 percent to 3 percent food inflation for 2015,” he said. Items showing retail price increases from a year ago included: sirloin tip roast, up 14 percent to $5.71 per pound ground chuck, up 12 percent to $4.61 per pound orange juice, up 7 percent to $3.47 per half-gallon toasted oat cereal, up 7 percent to $3.12 for a 9-ounce box deli ham, up 6 percent to $5.53 per pound eggs, up 4 percent to $2.05 per 38

dozen shredded cheddar cheese, up 3 percent to $4.59 per pound potatoes, up 2 percent to $2.74 for a 5-pound bag These items showed modest retail price decreases compared to a year ago: flour, down 9 percent to $2.52 for a 5-pound bag bacon, down 8 percent to $4.44 per pound apples, down 8 percent to $1.47 per pound chicken breast, down 7 percent to $3.28 per pound whole milk, down 6 percent to $3.45 per gallon vegetable oil, down 6 percent to $2.67 for a 32-ounce bottle bagged salad, down 5 percent to $2.47 per pound white bread, down 3 percent to $1.75 per 20-ounce loaf Price checks of alternative milk and egg choices not included in the overall marketbasket survey average revealed the following: 1/2 gallon regular milk, $2.24; 1/2 gallon organic milk, $4.47; and one dozen “cage-free” eggs, $3.57. The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (http://www.bls.gov/cpi/) report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped. “Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Anderson said. Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this $53.87 marketbasket would be $8.62.

AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, began conducting informal quarterly marketbasket surveys of retail food price trends in 1989. The series includes a spring picnic survey, summer cookout survey, fall harvest survey and Thanksgiving survey. According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 86 shoppers in 29 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.

RAW MILK Continued from page 9 with raw products, sanitation is a priority. Daloris Dairy and Deep Roots use extreme caution and cleanliness in milking, bottling and storing their products. It must be paying off because to date neither operation has had any issues with the safety of their products, and their customers keep coming back. Although customer base between the two dairies is similar, each attracts a unique following, probably relative to each dairy’s geographic location. With his business located just outside of Rexburg, Stott conducted surveys through the large, well-attended Rexburg Farmer’s Market. Stott found Deep Roots Farm and Livestock’s target market was the millennial crowd, people 18-35 and mostly women. “I would attribute it to people who are more health conscience. This age group are people used to changing and taking advantage of new opportunities in food, in businesses, in all sorts of things,” Stott said. They are concerned with knowing the facts about their food such as can it be sourced, can it be certified, how was it treated, and what was it fed? Deep Roots is about 10 minutes south of Rexburg, home of Brigham Young University-Idaho. The University continues to grow in attendance so proximity to his target demographic is no problem. However, college students, says Stott, are his highest turnover age group, but many are willing to give raw milk a try, at least

once. During the first year of business, Deep Roots, set up a booth each Friday at the Rexburg Farmer’s Market. Now in his third year, Stott says he hasn’t been able to attend the farmer’s market because he just doesn’t have enough products. “We haven’t had enough product to actually stock the farmer’s market. We sell out just about as fast as we can produce it.” Stott has also tapped into an older customer base. People who grew up eating and drinking raw dairy products and still like the taste but no longer have access to a family milk cow. In addition to attending the farmer’s market, Deep Roots also advertises on Craigslist, Facebook and with local businesses. The family business also depends on word-of-mouth advertising. Daloris Dairy, a one-year-old business located on the east side of Rigby, takes a different approach to finding customers, although they too depend on word-of-mouth advertising. Dale is a second-generation dairy farmer and has lived in LaBelle on his dairy for 28 years. Selling milk for as long as he has, he knew people were interested in the raw product. “You have a lot of people coming back to natural foods, and there’s a lot of people in their 60s right now that grew up on farms,” he explains. They drank raw milk and want to again. “We didn’t do any surveys or anything because everything we had heard was it was just impos-

Marc Stott owner at Deep Roots Farm and Livestock stocks the fridge in the retail room of his barn. Deep Roots customers are welcome to pick up their products anytime during the day. Stott bills his regular customers on a monthly basis.

sible to sell raw milk because of the state requirements and regulations,” Dale says. Because Mortimers were already selling Grade A milk, they had an established clean facility. Mortimers were able to pass all the certifications and become raw milk certified. Tyler says the dairy’s customer base is very diverse, and Rigby is a great central location, with regular customers coming from as far as Howe, Challis, Teton, Pocatello, Afton, Wyoming, and Island Park. Both companies expect their respective customer bases to grow, but product wise they are headed different directions. Daloris Dairy already has the

cheese angle covered and expects their raw milk sales to increase and would love to add butter, bottles of cream or even flavored milk in the future. Deep Roots is limited in its dairy production but Stott sees expansion possibilities in meat production. He says he can produce as much meat as demand requires. One objective is clearly the same. Both dairies are staunch believers in the safety and healthiness of raw milk products. Both consider raw milk to provide health benefits that homogenized and pasteurized dairy products can’t. Paige Nelson is a freelance journalist working from Jefferson County.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

Third Annual Bluegrass Festival Slated for June 26-27 In 2011 a few bluegrass musicians and fans got together and formed Lewis Clark Bluegrass Organization a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the idea of promoting bluegrass in the LC valley. The first two years they put on six evening concerts at a local high school. With good turn outs it was decided in 2013 to go ahead with plans for a bluegrass festival at the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds. Always the last weekend in June this year will be the third annual Valley Bluegrass Festival. So far we are holding at a two day event, Friday evening and all day Saturday, with six local and regional bands. From the beginning this was a grassroots effort, with little experience in festival promotion. In spite of that we have had dynamic Northwest bands for our headliners each year. This year we were also able to bring in a couple of great West Coast bands. Keeping with the spirit of promoting bluegrass music this year we started a program we call Bluegrass Sprouts for the younger folks who are interested in learning to play a bluegrass instrument. We can provide instruments for those who can’t afford one and they meet twice a month to practice and jam with some of the older musicians. This year’s headliners are FarmStrong and The North Country Bluegrass Band. Farm40

Strong lights up the stage with exquisite harmony singing and seasoned instrumentation. The heart of the band draws on inspiration from the last century of country, blues and bluegrass music from the 1920’s through the 50’s, as well as folk, rock, gospel and soul music of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond. FarmStrong’s talented and experienced musicians take their audience outside the bluegrass tradition. Their unmistakable sound moves the soul, while remaining firmly rooted in music from the mountains. The North Country Bluegrass Band, based out of the Seattle, Washington area, performs high energy, tasteful and original acoustic bluegrass music. Formed in 2012, the band is quickly rising and making a name for itself in the Northwest bluegrass scene. Within the first year of formation, the band has played many notable music venues, including Wintergrass and the famous Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Other bands performing this year are Slipshod, Beargrass, Wanigan, & Hard Travelin. Slipshod is Matt Snook (dobro and banjo) and Steve Blanchard (guitar and mandolin). They met a number of years ago as part of the Northwest bluegrass community and became fast friends and picking partners. They have similar musical styles, yet they draw on many different

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

influences like Gordon Lightfoot, Norman Blake, Simon and Garfunkel, and Tim O’Brien, to name a few. Beargrass performs live, traditional country music, no prerecorded tracts, just straight-up country music. The cornerstone of Beargrass is the husband and wife duo of Shayne and Alane Watkins. They often perform as a duo and can charm a coffee house crowd with a blend of folk, country and bluegrass but when the full band fires up, there is a steady, country dance beat provided by Kendall Heustis on drums James Phillips on base. The progressive grass group known as Wanigan is a dynamic fivepiece acoustic band bringing old sounds to original songwriting and new sounds to old: close three- and four-part harmonies backed by mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass. Hard Travelin’ is an acoustic trio that performs the hard driving folk music of the late 50›s and early 60›s, but with a dash of bluegrass, country and pop. The Nez Perce County Fairgrounds is a family friendly venue, so bring the kids. Camping and jamming are available and encouraged at the Festival. Hope to see you all there. June 26-27, 2015. For more info: lewisclarkbluegrass.org or LCBO, PO Box 566, Clarkston Wa.

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

DEADLINE DATES:

Classifieds

ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 20 FOR NEXT ISSUE OF THE PRODUCER

Animals

Miscellaneous

Vehicles

Wanted

United Kennel Certified. American Black and Tan. Purple Ribbon Bred Stud. Excellent Bred. Great Hounds. Preston, ID 208-427-6237.

Rear tine rototiller, 5.5 hp. Bliss, Id 208490-1300.

1963 Dodge 500 Power Wagon 4x4. Double ram hoist, 10’ Meyers plow, plus more accessories. Low miles. Clean title $6,000. Chubbuck, Id. 208-221-6544.

Paying cash for old cork top bottles and some telephone insulators. Call Randy. Payette, Id. 208-740-0178.

Registered UKC American Black and Tan coonhound stud service. Preston, Id 208427-6237.

Farm Equipment Massey Harris tractor Model 44 Partly restored, $1000 OBO; 1959 Ford F 600 truck with steel flat bed and hoist, $1000 OBO. Call Gerald in Bancroft at 208-6487837. Late 1940’s or early 1950’s Coop Tractor and sickle bar mower. One owner in American Falls, Id. Make offer. 208-681-8212. New Squeeze Chute - green, hand pull. $1,300. Midvale, Id 83645. 208-355-3780. 1952 Model #60 John Deere tractor. Runs good. $3,400. American Falls, Id 208-4794464. 488 New Holland hay bine 9’ 3”. Cut less than 75 acres. List $22,000. Asking $18,600. Moyie Springs, Id 208-267-8992. Balewagons: New Holland self-propelled or pull-type models. Also interested in buying balewagons. Will consider any model. Call Jim Wilhite at 208-880-2889 anytime.

Household Gently used carpet for sale. (2) Room Sizes: 17’x17’ and 13’x13’. Color: Blue/Grey. Very Good Condition. $225. Shelley area. Call 5285337. WP Haines Piano. 59” long x 36” high x 23 1/2” side. Good condition, $425; Vintage salad bowl, thick green glass with lotus flower scalloped top. 11” diameterx4 5/6” high. Wendell, Id. Please leave message. 208536-6724. Stair-lift. Used very little, fits up to 14 stairs. King Hill, Id 208-366-2354.

1000’s of recycled nursery pots, 1 - 7 gallons priced very economically. Call for more information, Rathdrum, ID 208-6996262. Antique Railroad Caboose coal burning stove; Bearcraft roof top cargo pod. 7 ft long and locks up. Fits round or oval bars. $150.00. Pocatello, Id 208-234-2612. 4” Shopsmith jointer – excellent condition; Shopsmith band saw – excellent condition – spare new bladed and cool blocks; Shopsmith strip sander like new – spare sander strips. Soda Springs, Idaho. Call Paul Carver 208-251-2469

Real Estate/Acreage 680 Acres. 400 acres of producing timber and 275 acres in timothy hay . Benewah County 3 miles off I95. For details call Barbara Yeager, RE/MAX Infinity Group, (208)819-1973. Commercial/Industrial buildings with office and land. 23,500 sq ft on 5.25 acres with more land available. Exit 41 in American Falls, Id. 208-221-6544. 10.5 acres- loafing sheds, shop, grainery, 2 story rock house-5 bdrms, one bath, pasture and water shares. $279,000. Jerome, Id 208308-3804. Mobile home lot for rent - 14x70 or smaller - 2005 or newer. $175.00 monthly, includes water/sewer Only. Shelley, ID. More Info Call 528-5337. 22 acres on the Lemhi River, Salmon, Id. Dream property, shop, 3 bedroom home, 2 bedroom guest apartment. For sale by owner Salmon website. 540-742-2532. 1983 Nassau Mobile Home, 14X66, 2 BR, 2 Bath, two outbuildings, small fenced back yard area. CDA park on Seltice Way, application/contract required with landlord. Asking $12k. Message phone only, Will reply as schedule allows. 208-704-4282.

1989 Dodge Dakota. Runs good, tires good. $1,000. Pocatello, Id. 208-512-2845. 1992 dodge Dakota Sport pickup. With Shell $2,700. V6, low miles, auto, AC, cruise, good tires. Boise, Id 208-344-1898. 1974 Jeep CJ5, 1975 Corvette, 1986 Pontiac Fierro. Preston, Id 208-427-6237.

Paying cash for German & Japanese war relics/souvenirs! Pistols, rifles, swords, daggers, flags, scopes, optical equipment, uniforms, helmets, machine guns (ATF rules apply) medals, flags, etc. 549-3841 (evenings) or 208-405-9338.

Help Wanted

Buying U.S. gold coins, proof and mint sets, silver dollars, rolls and bags. PCGS/ NGC certified coins, estates, accumulations, large collections, investment portfolios, bullion, platinum. Will travel, all transactions confidential. Please call 208859-7168.

Agricultural Appraiser. Our top part-time livestock and Equipment appraisers earn 60,000/year. Agricultural Background Required. Call 800-488-7570 www. amagappraisers.com.

Old License Plates Wanted: Also key chain license plates, old signs, light fixtures. Will pay cash. Please email, call or write. Gary Peterson, 130 E Pecan, Genesee, Id 83832. gearlep@gmail.com. 208-285-1258

1994 Jeep, runs, sold as is $1000.00, OBO See at 215 Taylor St. American Falls 208226-5411.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS Non commercial classified ads are free to Idaho Farm Bureau members. Must include membership number for free ad. Forty (40) words maximum. Non-member cost- 50 cents per word. You may advertise your own crops, livestock, used machinery, household items, vehicles, etc. Ads will not be accepted by phone. Ads run one time only and must be re-submitted in each subsequent issue. We reserve the right to refuse to run any ad. Please type or print clearly. Proof-read your ad.

Mail ad copy to: P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848 or email Dixie at DASHTON@IDAHOFB.ORG Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________ City / State / Zip: __________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________ Membership No. ___________________

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Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPRING 2015

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