Agriculture 2013, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 15
Farming is challenging in Ferry Hay and cattle are predominant factors in county agriculture By Zachary Van Brunt Special to The Chronicle MALO — Ferry County’s geographic location and terrain, mean farmers and ranchers face difficulties in getting goods to consumers and higher prices because of fuel costs. At least one Ferry County hay producer welcomes that challenge. “It’s challenging, but not impossible,” Malo farmer Dan Miller said. Irrigation to the area is crucial. “In our area, anybody who produces any quantity of hay does so under irrigation,” he said. Weather plays a major role in getting hay from Miller’s farm to buyers. Typically, he starts fertilizing and cultivating the ground in the first part of April, then begins to irrigate in May or June, depending on the weather. Seeds are planted, then Miller expects anywhere from two or three cuttings per season, each resulting in five to seven tons per acre of alfalfa or grass hay. The summer harvest yields plenty of feed for ranchers throughout the region, and his supply is typically sold out by the end of August. “I’ve had years where everything is sold before I put in the in the barn,” he said. He’s been on the farm for 10 years. Miller, a former IBM employee in Seattle, was born and raised in the Malo area, and said he enjoys the challenges his old stomping
grounds present. He said fields in Ferry County are often irregularly shaped because mountains and rivers, and that poses problems with getting water to crops. “If you have a long field, it’s hard to get your irrigation spread across it,” he said. Transportation costs amount to price increases for the relatively isolated county. “If I have to drive to Spokane to get something, that costs me $100 in fuel alone,” Miller said. And if Republic – the county’s only incorporated city – doesn’t have what Miller needs, trips to Spokane, Colville or Okanogan are not unusual. To keep prices down, he said he has parts and equipment shipped as often as possible. Miller said growing hay is part hobby, part income for him. “We can’t pull the same market price in Ferry County that you could if you were selling to the outlets in Moses Lake,” he said. “But, then again, generally speaking, we’re a pretty isolated market.” There’s a constant tight rope walk with pricing, as neighboring Stevens County hay producers vie for the same buyers. Miller said it’s a delicate balance to make sure the time and energy going into hay production are compensated, but he doesn’t want to gouge the market either. “One of the things that I find amazing is that a lot of people really don’t understand what it takes to put up good hay,” he said. “A lot of times when you’re putting up hay, there are days where you’re working 20 hours straight.” A typical window for baling is between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., and
Dee Camp/The Chronicle
Horses munch on hay in an Okanogan-area field. Hay is one of neighboring Ferry County’s biggest crops. Miller said he often has to go back into the field three hours later, at 6 a.m. Ideal harvest windows are so small – two to three hours – that a lot of extra time goes into researching weather reports and forecasts to ensure optimal outlooks. “If people really understood how much time, effort and work went into producing really good hay, they wouldn’t beat us up about the price,” Miller said. Hay and cattle make up the backbone of Ferry County’s
agricultural industry, retired Washington State University Extension Director Dan Fagerlie said “We have a combination all the across the board: Not a lot of anything, but a lot of everything,” he said. Multi-generation ranchers compose a vital part of the county’s ag industry, with some ranch families some being around more than 100 years. Another main industry component is a contingent of part-time farmers – like Miller –
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who take agriculture on as a hobby to supplement their income or provide food for neighbors. Other than hay, cattle ranching is the other major force in shaping agriculture in the county. Transportation issues do not escape cattle ranchers in the county, either. With only two major highways – and the only state Department of Transportation ferry crossing east of the Cascades – getting product to market is a challenge, ranchers said.
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