Supplement to the Powell Tribune ■ Thursday, August 10, 2023
Orville Moore dusts crops with pesticides last week. A wet, cool spring prevented farmers from needed fieldwork, which could lead to a big pest year, UW Extension educator Jeremiah Vardiman said. Tribune photo by Greg Wise
Rainy season affected this year’s crops
It all depends on fall BY BRADEN SCHILLER Tribune staff writer
A
cool, wet spring followed by a quick change to high, dry temperatures in July had both positive and negative impacts on this year’s crop, and now it all really depends on what the fall season holds. “It’s been a very difficult, challenging year for agricultural crops and producers this year,” said Jeremiah Vardiman, a University of Wyoming Extension educator. The cool, wet spring had the biggest impact on crops, for cold weather crops like hay and malted barley it was mostly a good thing, although Vardiman said that the cool and rainy weather did negatively affect the quality of the hay when
it was harvested. BARLEY The quality was impacted by harJudy Gillett, grower relationship vest timing and precipitation. The wet manager at Briess Malt and Ingredients weather also delayed the hay’s initial cut- Company, agreed that barley likes a cool ting, which preenvironment but vented producers said that the infrom harvesting ‘It’s been a very difficult, ability of growers when the nutri- challenging year for agricultural to manage their tional quality was fields has led to at its peak. Once crops and producers this year.’ problems. it was harvested “I think the crop Jeremiah Vardiman Vardiman said the University of Wyoming Extension educator itself as far as producers faced a yields and everychallenge getting the hay swathed, dried thing, it’s going to be an average crop … and baled without encountering rain. for the guys that got it in early, possibly The rainy weather also led some crops above average, but for the guys that were to be planted late and even those who were able to plant on time experienced See Crops, Page 2 difficulty performing field chores.
A John Deere tractor and Ford truck wait alongside a local field for the barley crop to dry out after heavy rain last week. Tribune photos by Braden Schiller
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PAGE 2 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
A deer munches on a whole stock of corn from a Lane 13 field. This year’s corn crop had a delayed growth due to a cool and rainy spring. This year’s grain crop is dependent on a long and warm fall that provides enough time for growth. Tribune photos by Braden Schiller
Need to Chill Out?
Crops: ‘There just might not be enough of a year left’ Continued from Page 1
Barley harvest for our area typically begins in the first week of August, Gillett said.
later with it and had trouble getting in to do the weed spraying I BEANS AND CORN think they’ll have kind of a chalThe wet spring season was lenge here,” Gillett said. She added that in some fields not ideal for bean and corn there has been a “double crop” crops but they are now filling that came as a result of growers out thanks to a quick weather change in July irrigating during that brought high dry weather, but temperatures and this was quickly ‘Our harvest is sunlight, followed by the probably delayed direct and the rain has rainy season. This now positively immeant one crop by a couple of pacted the crops was started by irri- weeks this year.’ because it created gation and another Judy Gillett good water conby rainfall and they Grower relationship ditions. Vardiman grew at separate manager said these crops rates. “need those warm“If the crop doesn’t catch up, they might er temperatures.” The biggest crop of concern is have to wait on the green kernels so it might be a delayed grain corn because “there just harvest,” Gillett said. “Our might not be enough of a year harvest is probably delayed by a left,” Vardiman said. For dried beans the crop will depend on couple of weeks this year.”
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“a long warm mild fall” to allow pods to completely fill and be harvested without “high precipitation or freezing conditions.” Vardiman said that this would be the best conditions for the beans but this year will likely “not be the highest yielding crop year for us.” “It’s already Aug. 1 and we don’t know what the fall holds,” Vardiman said. If the area has a long fall it would lead to a longer period of growth and a better crop, he said. Vardiman also noted that the heat was a good thing for the crops, but it could prove to be a hard switch on the plants and cause growth stress. Other concerns will be a “big pest year,” that could include disease, insects and “weeds specifically,” as well as farmers needing to be careful not to over irrigate.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 POWELL TRIBUNE • PAGE 3
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
Briess Malt and Ingredients Company’s first loads of Wyoming barley were added to the Ralston Elevator stockpile on July 31.
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BY ZAC TAYLOR Tribune editor
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arley has it good in the Big Horn Basin. So good that Briess Malt and Ingredients Company, which provides malt for food products all over and for many craft breweries (including local breweries like WYOld West), gets the majority of its barley from the growers, mostly in a 60-mile area, who bring their barley to the Ralston Elevator. “The majority of our barley, our malt goes into brewing for the microbrews and the craft brewers, home brewers and then the rest of it goes into food products,” said Briess Grower Relationship manager Judy Gillett. “The farming community is like a family to me. I think the relationships that we have with our growers are a good part of our success here.” Gillett would know, as she’s been in the ag industry all of her life and at the Ralston Elevator through multiple owners. Briess bought the operation in 2013 and took over full control in 2016. To Gillett, it’s not surprising that a company known for its high quality malt would want to get its barley from the area, as she doesn’t think any other region grows barley quite as well. “I’ve been in agriculture all my life,” she said. “And when I worked for Anheuser-Busch, I saw barley from all over Canada and the U.S. and our barley is re-
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(307) 764-2322 • www.fciwyoming.com The barley stays at the elevator until it is shipped by train to Wisconsin where the malting process takes place. Photos courtesy Judy Gillett ally nice. It is brighter and more consistent than any of the other areas.” Gillett, who grew up not far from the tall elevator where she now works on a farm that grew barley and sugar beets, credited a couple of factors for the success of barley in the region.
For one, she said barley grows well in cooler weather and with consistent water via irrigation. Crop rotation is also a big factor. “Sugar beets and barley complement each other really well,” she said. “And then a lot of times they’ll throw dry beans or alfalfa into the mix. But that breaks the disease in the soil, because you put a different crop in there, then it kills out the disease. If you plant barley, barley and barley you’re gonna see a lot of disease. And here they don’t do that, they rotate it out.” Gillett said Briess works with roughly 300 barley growers who fill the Ralston Elevator, and they grow seven different varieties of barley. While most of the growers are relatively close, she said families range from southern Montana to Farson and near Casper — she said the early barley loads already in this year came from a farm near Laurel. Once the barley reaches the elevator it’s stored there until it’s needed, at which point it is taken away by train, generally to Briess’ Wisconsin plant to begin the malting process. “All of our barley ships into Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the malthouse there, and then they either malt it or roast it to get the products that they’re looking for for our customers that they’re selling to,” she said. While that process happens a few states away, inside the office beneath the towering elevators at the Ralston facility, there is plenty of evidence of what these loads of barley become. There are dozens of examples of brewing malts, some smoky, others chocolatey, as well as bags of malted chocolate balls. Briess Grower Relationship manager Judy Gillett said harvest time for many area growers could be delayed this year due to a cold, rainy spring.
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PAGE 4 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
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Woolgrowers eye opportunity BY MIKE KOSHMRL WyoFile.com
Above: A ewe and a lamb trucked in to pasture at Jim Magagna’s ranchland size up a 4-foot-high jump off the back of a tractor trailer. At left: Taylor Thoman, a fifth-generation sheep rancher, discusses her experiences in the industry in June 2023 at the inaugural Wyoming Wool and Sheep Festival in Kemmerer. Her aunt, Mary Thoman, listens on.
W
IND RIVER RANGE FOOTHILLS—Kristy Wardell donned rain gear though the skies were clear. The lifelong rancher was dressed in protective garb to guard against manure and urine that 366 ewes and 442 lambs had discharged along the wheeled journey around the Winds. On her hands and knees, the 59-yearold crawled into the bowels of a big rig she’d driven to flush out the animals, which will summer on Jim Magagna’s pastureland along the banks of Lander Creek. Not used to being trucked, the band “had an attitude” and were tough to budge. “These sheep I have trouble with every spring,” Wardell said. For the better part of an hour she stayed at it, a shepherd on all fours in tight quarters pulling legs, prodding and doing whatever it took to guide gobs of damp sheep toward the exit ramp. Simultaneously, somehow, it was dusty, with enough sheep dander and dirt in the air to cause at least one onlooker’s eyes to clam up. Wardell, though, was unfazed. Her dirty trucking task is essentially a side hustle. She’s a sheep rancher, heading the Thoman Ranch’s livestock operations in the Green River basin. “The profitability is not there, you fall behind and you can’t pay your bills,” she said. “On our ranch I hardly even draw a wage. That’s why I drive my truck.” At one time the Thoman Ranch ran 8,000 to 9,000 head of sheep.
Photos courtesy Mike Koshmrl at WyoFile
During a sheepherder panel on Then it was 5,000 or 6,000. Then the opening night, however, talk 4,000. “Now we’re down to 1,200,” of the tough times remained. “It’s a struggle,” Cokeville Wardell said, “because you can’t sheep rancher Jon Child told the get good help.” In the modern domestic crowd. “We had to drop our marsheep world, such tales come ket on our lambs last year, and it just makes you wonpretty easy. It’s an der whether to stay industry in Wyoin it? We’re either ming that’s fallen ‘I don’t want crazy or we love it, off more than 90% to sell them, I and I think it’s probsince its heyday almost a century want to keep the ably we love it.” ago. In the old days, legacy going. I’ll the Wyoming Wool GOAL? SURVIVE do whatever it is Growers AssociaAsked of their tion would hold a to stay in it.’ desired legacy, festive annual getthe panelists were Kristy Wardell on the same page: together, with a big Rancher They just want to supper and dance and other activities. maintain. That went away. This summer, “I want a legacy to pass on to however, the organization aimed the next generation,” Kemmerer for a resurgence, hosting the sheep rancher Dave Julian said, inaugural Wyoming Wool and “that’s my biggest goal.” Sheep Festival in Kemmerer. The same long-lasting inverted “We’re just trying to get back low-elevation snowpack that deto that, and celebrate the indus- livered mass death to mule deer try,” said Mike Curuchet, presi- and pronghorn also did a number dent of the Wool Growers board. on western Wyoming’s sheep
ranchers. It was a “gut punch” to the industry, University of Wyoming sheep specialist Whit Stewart said. More than one woolgrower called Stewart and ran through their numbers — the ewes they lost, expected lambing rates — trying to determine if they could break even. “They said, ‘Can I do this?’” Stewart said. “It’s not often that I have to say, ‘If you can’t get to this production or reduce predation by this much, you’ve just gotta get out.’” For the Thoman Ranch, this winter was costly. In a mild year, Wardell said, the family’s flock can survive just by browsing forage growing off their ranchland, supplemented with a little bit of corn. This year they also fed 3.5 pounds of hay per head daily from the onset of January clear through the month of April. “Never ever have we had to feed that long,” Wardell said. On the plus side, Curuchet said, lambs are looking quite a bit better this spring than they did a See Woolgrowers, Page 6
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 POWELL TRIBUNE • PAGE 5
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
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UW College of Ag announces leadership changes
KELLY CRANE
CHRISTINE WADE
LARAMIE, WYO. — The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources has added a fourth associate dean to its administrative team and selected a new associate dean of academic and student programs. Kelly Crane, former director of UW Extension, has taken on the role of senior associate dean, effective July 1. The new position was created to accommodate the addition of the botany department, zoology and physiology department, and life sciences program to the College of Ag. “As a result of the 2022 reorganization of UW colleges, the college has undergone significant changes and substantial growth,” says Barbara Rasco, dean of the college. “These changes necessitated a reassessment of college leadership.” Eric Webster, associate dean and director of the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, will serve as in-
terim director of UW Extension until a permanent director is selected. Crane will continue to serve as director of the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership program. On Aug. 15, Warrie Means will retire from his current position as the associate dean of academic and student programs. Christine Wade, associate professor of family and consumer sciences, will succeed him in this role. Wade has served as head of the department of family and consumer sciences since 2018, managing five undergraduate and five graduate programs. She earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Wyoming and received undergraduate degrees in psychology and mathematics from Willamette University. “Dr. Wade is highly committed to student success,” Rasco comments. “We are excited to have her take on this new leadership role.”
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BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
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Only about 82% of the lambs that summer along the west slope of the Wind River Range survive their first year at pasture, sheep rancher Kristy Wardell estimated. Photos courtesy Mike Koshmrl at WyoFile
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Continued from Page 4 year ago. There are other silver linings within the long-suppressed industry that have the Wool Growers board president upbeat. “I think there’s a lot of optimism,” he said. “There’s some really good people working on some really important issues right now that could hopefully make things a little better.” Stewart, the UW professor, ran over some of the more encouraging industry trends. “We’ve almost doubled our [domestic] lamb consumption,” he said. “That’s a statistic that you just don’t hear cited.” There are also some increases in the aggregate number of sheep-growing operations, Stewart said. Because of the decline of large operations like the Thomans, total sheep numbers in Wyoming were still on the downswing as of 2018, the last time the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service completed its census. But smaller “farm flocks” are on the upswing: Nationally, one-to-100 head sheep operations have grown 40% since 2002, Stewart said. “You can look at it and say, ‘Well, it’s an industry in decline,’” he said. “I look at it as an industry in transition. From the ‘50s to the early 2000s, you could say it was declining, but we’ve really stabilized.” CHANCE FOR GROWTH Some Wyoming sheep ranchers new to the game are also accessing novel markets. Rancher Sage Askin, who grows non-woolbearing “hair sheep” — used only for their meat — added a flock to his Lusk-area operation a decade ago to supplement his cattle. “We felt that we had browse and additional forage that our cattle were not utilizing on
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Taylor Thoman, Mary Thoman, Jon Child and Marie Julian share their thoughts about modern wool growing in June 2023 at the inaugural Wyoming Wool and Sheep Festival in Kemmerer. the ranches where we operate,” Askin said. “Very quickly it became apparent that the sheep were roughly twice as profitable, over a 10-year timespan, as cattle.” Now Askin runs 4,000 sheep, plus keeps a herd of 1,000 goats. Askin achieved profitability with his sheep partly by bucking industry norms and trying new tactics. He doesn’t send his animals ready for market to Colorado’s big processing plants. “I see a lot of clients buying sheep for solar-panel grazing,” he said, “I see them buying for targeted grazing projects, and [I see] a lot of smaller producers [buying who] raise farm flocks of sheep.”
Askin’s male lambs and rams “almost exclusively” get sold to smaller-scale “ethnic buyers” for meat. “What we’re doing, I would say, is very unorthodox and very unconventional,” he said. Other sheep ranchers more dependent on conventional markets, like the Thomans, are holding out hope that the weather, pricing and other wool-growing variables take a turn in their favor. “Mom and dad, they went through a lot of ups and downs, and they held on,” Wardell said. The family, she said, has discussed selling their flock, but for now she’ll do what it takes to hold on — even if it’s trucking sheep and “getting four hours of sleep a night.” “I don’t want to sell them, I want to keep the legacy going,” Wardell said. “I’ll do whatever it is to stay in it.” During the sheepherders panel, her sister, Mary Thoman, threw out another idea for supplementary income that could keep the family on their land: “We may have to become fishing guides.” Her niece, Taylor Thoman — part of the fifth generation of Thomans to run sheep — sat alongside her. The teenage Thoman had a quick retort to her aunt. “Well, if I become a fishing guide,” she joked, “we’ve already lost the whole ranch.”
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BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
How American farmers promote economic and national security (StatePoint) After steadily declining for over a decade, global hunger has reached an all-time high. Continued supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, escalating inflation and a rapidly changing climate, have exacerbated challenges around the world, particularly in developing countries, and today, as many as 828 million people still go hungry. Experts point out that hunger is not just a product of such crises, it can perpetuate more hunger and regional instability, especially in areas already experiencing violent conflict. “Heightened levels of food insecurity make it much more difficult for communities to build lasting peace, which in turn, leads to greater food insecurity,” says Dan Glickman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. “By working with our partners around the world, America and American farmers can help save lives at this critical moment.” These issues were frontand-center at the recent U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s (USGLC) 2023 Heartland Summit, which took place in two Heartland cities: Detroit, Michigan and Sioux City, Iowa. The annual summit brings together leaders from across the Heartland for critical conversations on how global investments in agriculture and U.S. international affairs programs help to create jobs, feed the hungry and reduce poverty around the world. According to event leaders, these are this year’s biggest lessons and takeaways: • What happens around the world directly impacts local Heartland communities’ success and prosperity. It’s why hundreds of farmers are speaking out on why investments in diplomacy, development and global food security help keep America safe, strengthen the U.S. economy and strengthen families and communities across the Heartland. • American agricultural exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world posted its best export year ever in 2022, totaling $196 billion and topping the previous record set it 2021 by 11% — clearly demonstrating the indispensable nature of American farmers to America’s economy. • With food insecurity severely impacted by global crises, the work of farmers and the American agriculture community to help feed the world is essential. It’s why USGLC’s network — Farmers for Prosperity—aims to shine a spotlight on the crucial role farmers play in solving critical global issues and how U.S. global leadership is essential to protect the security, health and economic interests of American families. • Farmers around the world grow the food that sustains families and creates stability in communities and countries. Amid growing threats on the global stage from wars, drought and climate change, farmers are part of the solution. • American farmers have unique views on what it takes for the United States and world to prosper, making it important for them to raise their voices in an effort to help shape U.S. foreign policy. • U.S. leadership in the world is vital in advancing national economic and security interests. When it comes to issues like trade, America can only stand up to countries like China and Russia when it’s on the global playing field. • The State Department and USAID are vital links in helping open new markets for American agricultural products, which is not just good for American farmers, but promotes stability and security globally. At the same time, the long-term goal of empowering farmers and communities around the world to feed themselves builds a safer, more prosperous world. To watch the 2023 Heartland Summit, visit heartland. usglc.org. “Fighting global hunger by strengthening our nation’s leadership around the world, enabling our nation’s farmers to compete, and building new stable markets for our agricultural exports is a moral imperative and a matter of U.S. economic and national security,” says Glickman.
American agriculture plays an important role globally. It is responsible for $196,000,000 in farm and food exports worldwide according to information for the Global Leadership Coalitions 2023 Heartland Summit. Photo courtesy (c) DarcyMaulsby / iStock via Getty Images Plus
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PAGE 8 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
DUSTING THE CROP
Orville Moore sprays Park County fields to beat back unwanted pests and help foster a healthy harvest this fall. Tribune photo by Greg Wise
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 POWELL TRIBUNE • PAGE 9
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
Photo courtesy Jozi Simpson
From Powell fields
to your beer BY BRADEN SCHILLER Tribune staff writer
I
f you drive down Lane 13 you might get lucky and see an acre of two different varieties of hops being tended to by
sheep. Shannon Sapp, co-owner of Secret Ingredient Farm, added Babydoll Southdown Sheep to the Secret Ingredient Farm staff so they could trim the leaves of their hop plants. The sheep have been in for roughly two weeks and they will happily jump out of their faded baby blue trailer to tend to their chores. This is one example of how Secret Ingredient Farms grows its crop naturally with minimum waste. The trellis for their hop plants is made out of recycled oil field tubing. “We like to tell people we grow the hops naturally with hard work and a little rock and roll,” Sapp said. Secret Ingredient Farm is in its fourth year of hops production; Sapp first planted the crop in 2021 but it takes two years for the hops to become mature enough for use and now in their fourth year the hops have reached maturity, she said. Now, Sapp expects a 2-3 inch cone to come off of the hops plants. At Secret Ingredient Farm two types of hops are
grown on a one acre plot; cascade and comet hops. Cascade hops are used in traditional IPA style beers and comet hops have a bright flavor with notes of pineapple. Sapp said that they have recently begun selling comet hops to WYOld West Brewing Com Company in Powell which uses them for its peanut butter stout and jalapeño beer. Hops primary agriculture value is for beer. It was first used by monks as a preservative for their brews when they shipped them overseas Sapp said, but it can also be used to make a calming tea. But, they didn’t initially start growing the hops to try to get into any untapped market in Powell. “My sister and I [are] plant nerds and we wanted to do peppers … but we wanted another crop that would really kind of pay for it,” Sapp said. After seeing an article about how hops could be grown for home brewing or sold to other small brewers, the sisters jumped at the idea and asked their father who owns the land if they could dedicate a plot to the crop. “Dad’s like, ‘well take that end of the pasture ... if it doesn’t grow, you can always mow it and just plow it in and we’ll get a new pasture,’ but it really took off,” Sapp said. Last year she said they harvested 375 See Hops, Page 11
‘My sister and I [are] plant nerds and we wanted to do peppers … but we wanted another crop that would really kind of pay for it.’ Shannon Sapp, Secret Ingredient Farm Shannon Sapp explains what to look for in hop cones. The cones will grow to be about 2-3 inches and be harvested around Labor Day before their resin falls off. Tribune photo by Braden Schiller
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PAGE 10 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
COLLECTING THE CROP
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The Future of farming: Vertical harvest reimagines growing produce in a sustainable urban oasis JACKSON STARTUP’S EFFICIENT INDOOR AGRICULTURE MODEL PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND FRESH VEGGIES IN FOOD DESERTS BY SAMUEL GILBERT Special to Wyoming Truth
J
ACKSON, Wyo. — On average, fresh produce travels over 1,500 miles from farm to fork in the United States — the equivalent of driving from Los Angeles to Houston. In most cities only 2% of food consumed by residents is grown locally, with tens of millions of people lacking access to fresh, healthy, affordable produce. Enter Vertical Harvest, North America’s first vertical hydroponic greenhouse that is addressing the issue of food deserts. The Jackson-based company, which opened in 2016 and grows fresh vegetables, is pioneering sustainable and equitable urban farming to build food security, provide jobs and improve economic security in America’s cities. “It’s connecting farms to the urban center,” said Nona Ye-
ing with downtown Jackson’s snowy white backdrop. “If we could do it here, could AN INDOOR OASIS On a blustery day, Yehia we go to places like New York? stood in the atrium on the Could we feed populations and ground floor of Vertical Har- reconnect the farm to downvest, a three-story metal and town?” Yehia asked. glass building Vertical Harthat was balmy vest is prepared and humid, with to do just that, each ascending ‘Food is the as it embarks e nin issue o floor warmer on an ambitious than the one be- the 21st century. expansion plan. low. “In order The for-profit, to bolster the lo- This is a social female-founded cal food economy justice issue, a company intends [in Jackson] at to open farms in scale, you have public health issue 15 cities in the to be able to grow and an economic next five years, year-round,” she resiliency issue.’ co-locating farms said at the start with affordable of a tour for the Nona Yehia housing in underWyoming Truth served communiVertical Harvest and several other ties nationwide. visitors. The company’s inclusive emIn the break room, a carousel ployment model also provides of plants rotated slowly, their careers for people with develbright green leaves contrast- opmental disabilities. hia, co-founder and CEO.
“We are really positioning ourselves to solve more than one problem,” said Yehia. “Food is the defining issue of the 21st century. This is a social justice issue, a public health issue and an economic resiliency issue.” BUILDING FOOD INFRASTRUCTURE Vertical farming — the practice of producing crops atop one another in an enclosed controlled environment — is one of the fastest-growing industries in agriculture, projected to be worth nearly $25 billion by the end of the decade. Farms like these can be located anywhere in the world, unconstrained by soil quality, climate or space. Proponents say vertical farming is more sustainable than conventional agriculture, using less water, fewer inputs and exponentially less land. Ecologist/microbiologist
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BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
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WISHING YOU A SUCCESSFUL HARVEST! Babydoll Southdown Sheep trim around the hop plants at Secret Ingredient Farm. The sheep trim the foliage around the plants once they reach at least 7 feet in height. It’s a practice that co-owner Shannon Sapp said is also used at some vineyards in Italy. Tribune photos by Braden Schiller
Hops: Last year’s crop produced about 575 pounds of hops Continued from Page 9 pounds of hops off of the comet plants and around 200 pounds off of the cascades plants. Sapp joked that “the cascade’s my lagger,” it doesn’t seem to grow quite as well as the comet and she said the Wyoming climate may be a factor. Hops are typically grown in Oregon and Washington but her crop is doing well. “I irrigate quite a bit, they
say when it’s growing hard like this, they suggest you water once a week,” Sapp said. “So they’re pretty water intensive and they really are pretty intensive on the nitrogen.” The crop is fertilized twice before July with a common garden fertilizer, if they fertilize after July the plants produce more leaves but not as many cones to harvest. Around Labor Day, Sapp said the plants are usually ready to
harvest. They have to be sure that they get the cones off the stock before they dry and the resin falls off, “the brewers really like the resin.” To harvest the hops they hook an attachment to their tractor that Sapp jokes looks like an Orc Tower from “Lord of the Rings.” The tower is used to cut down the 15-foot tall stocks and then they rent a hops harvester from Northwest College. “The machine … just basi-
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cally beats it with these combs, beats everything off, it comes out of the conveyor belt, and then we dry it,” Sapp said. From here they turn the dried hops into pellets using a pelletizer and they sort the pellets into 10 and 1 pound mylar bags which are kept in a freezer. Then the hops wait to be used in boozy beverages or delicious tea. For more information visit Secret Ingredient Farm on Facebook.
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We always carry a wide range of About an acre of the Sapp’s land is used to grow comet and cascade hops. Last year roughly 575 pounds were harvested.
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PAGE 12 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
Vertical Harvest, located in downtown Jackson, provides fresh produce year-round.
Varieties of lettuce grow under UV lights at Vertical Harvest’s greenhouse in Jackson.
A multistory carousel of greens rotates slowly in the atrium of Vertical Harvest. Photos courtesy Vertical Harvest
If you can imagine an Amazon facility for food, that is what we are creating in Maine. Nona Yehia, Vertical Harvest
Year-round: Water recirculates Continued from Page 10
said Yehia, describing a scene of parasitic wasps patrolling the farm, picking off white flies. Microgreens, Vertical Harvest’s highest-value product, are grown under rows of LED lights that cast an eerie purple glow on small pea, radish and kale shoots. “The microgreens are not only the Willy Wonka part of the tour,” said Yehia of the flavor profiles of the small greens, “they also help us address nutrition gaps in communities.”
Dickson Despommier, who has been called the godfather of modern vertical farming, said growing crops inside multistory buildings will be critical as climate change and other factors “clamp down on our ability to grow food outdoors.” “Currently, we’re facing a food crisis that will need to be addressed in ways that traditional farming can’t,” Despommier told the Wyoming Truth. By 2050, he estimates that a land area equivalent to that FUTURE-FOCUSED FARMING of Brazil will be needed to Yehia hopes Vertical Harcontinue conventional farming to feed the global population. vest can help elevate the farm “I predict in 20 years, urban in cities, where nearly 90% of the American farmers will and 68% of the supply their global populapopulation with ‘I predict in 20 tion will reside 80% of their years, urban farmers by 2050. food,” he said. Vertical HarThe mod- will supply their vest’s second ern concept of location is curvertical farm- population with rently under ing was pop- 80% of their food.’ construction ularized by Dickson Despommier in Westbrook, Despommier in Ecologist/microbiologist Maine and is the late 1990s. set to open by An emeritus professor at Columbia Univer- early 2024. The 54,000 squaresity, he envisioned skyscraper foot building will have 15 greenhouses that could sus- times the growing area of the tainably feed residents of Jackson farm and is expected crowded cities and address to produce two million pounds food insecurity caused by the of produce that will be sold to schools, hospitals, restaurants, modern agricultural system. “We don’t have that many markets and consumers. Said Yehia: “If you can imagoptions,” said Despommier. “To stay the way we are now, ine an Amazon facility for food, we have to raise food differ- that is what we are creating in Maine.” ently.” Still, questions remain about Yehia first met Despommier in 2009 during the early how vertical farms can complanning stages of Vertical pete with traditional farmHarvest. She was inspired by ing. A recent report in Fast the urgency of Despommier’s Company outlined a faltering ideas, outlined in his book industry with many companies “The Vertical Farm: Feeding “floating” on Silicon Valley the World in the 21st century.” venture capital and growing “What [Despommier] really concerns about costs of techinstilled in me was the need heavy farming. For Yehia, who raised over for and potential of this prototype,” said Yehia, an architect $8 million in 2022 to fund by trade. “He positioned it as expansion, technology is less an urban necessity, a piece of critical than operations and infrastructure that responds to people. “We are farmers first; we are not technologists,” she the need for food security.” The vertical farm in Jack- said. The lessons learned in Jackson, Yehia explained, was born out of constraints associ- son will be applied to other ated with the mountain town’s locales. Vertical Harvest’s goal geography. Farmland is hard is to open 15 urban farms in to come by, and Jackson is the next five years, co-locating surrounded by national parks them with affordable housing and exorbitant local property and other critical infrastrucprices that prohibit conven- ture. The company also has announced plans to build an tional farming. At 6,200 feet, Jackson ex- operation in Detroit and is experiences long, cold winters, ploring sites in other cities. Through its “Grow Well” a short growing season and temperature swings of 40 de- workforce model, Vertical grees even in the summer. As Harvest provides jobs for una result, most of the produce is deremployed and forgotten shipped into town, often from workers. Roughly half of the Jackson staff have developthousands of miles away. Vertical Harvest grows veg- mental disabilities; the Maine etables in Jackson year-round, farm will employ 50 underproviding fresh produce to lo- served community members. “We are focusing on abilities: cal grocery stores, restaurants How can we tailor the job to and direct to consumers. The three-story building is a that kind of ability and ability series of stacked greenhouses to the job?” said Yehia. Case in point: Johnny Fifles. A with different microclimates, growing chard, kale, tomatoes racks senior associate, he joined and “mighty microgreens.” Vertical Harvest as an entryThe 1,350-square-foot space, level farmer seven years ago. 50 by 30-feet wide, produces Today, Fifles, who has autism, roughly 100,000 pounds on the runs the microgreen departequivalent of just one-tenth of ment, utilizing his unique spatial abilities and visual acuity. an acre. Fifles is fastidious, perThe hydroponic growing system uses 90% less water and fectly seeding a tray “99% of the time,” said Yehia. His 95% less fuel. “All of the water, with the understanding of how the deexception of the tomato room, partment operates makes him recirculates, and it is used essential to maintaining quality again,” said Emily Churchill, assurance and integrating new Vertical Harvest’s director technology. As the tour came to an end, of growing and food safety, standing near rows of tomatoes Yehia reflected on the foundstretching toward the ceiling. ing principle of food equity that The flowering plants are polli- continues to guide the company. nated by a hive of bumblebees. “The right to quality food is a Instead of pesticides, Vertical Harvest uses an integrat- fundamental human right,” she ed pest management system said. “The farm is really the where beneficial insects con- first step in really shining the light on the importance of the trol unwanted ones. “Like ‘Star Wars’ with bugs,” local food system.”
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 POWELL TRIBUNE • PAGE 13
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
‘“This is kind of our trial year … to see how effective [it is] and how everything’s going to work.’ Jake Masters, Drone pilot
Crop dusting by drone takes flight BY BRADEN SCHILLER Tribune staff writer
Western Wings Drone Service pilot Jake Masters takes off to spray local farmer Jared Snell’s field in July. Western Wings Drone Service has been operating since June and has contracted with Simplot to spray fields in the area.
A
round Wyoming farmers and other residents may begin noticing a low buzzing craft spraying fields instead of the typical high flying crop dusters that most are accustomed to. Since June, Western Wings Drone Service of Dayton has begun servicing fields in Wyoming. Their third outing was completed in Powell on local farmer Jared Snell’s land — the job was carried out through a contract with Simplot. Drone pilot Jake Masters said all the spraying he does in the Big Horn Basin is through the Simplot contract. Nick Paulsen, an applicator for Simplot, said that the company had been wanting to start using drones after they had been successful on crops, such as onions and potatoes, in Idaho. The drone use falls under Simplot Smart Farm which focuses on agricultural technology. While the drone has been working more in the southern areas of the Basin like Worland, Emblem and Burlington, Paulsen said that fields have been sprayed for Powell growers including Delfino Juarez and Rick Rodriguez. “Our crop advisers have talked to the crop providers and they want to try it out,” Paulsen said. Masters flies the drone for his parents Doug and Stephanie, who own Western Wings Drone Service. “This is kind of our trial year … to see how effective [it is] and how everything’s going to work,” Masters said. He did not have an exact number of fields he has serviced but said that the number is growing every day. The drone, which they fly under a contract with Rantizo, (an agtech company focused on sustainability and drone technology) has a tank in the center and flies thanks to four propellers. Western Wings’ drone is capable of spraying 3 gallons an acre every 3.1 minutes or 5 gallons an acre every 4.2 minutes, Masters said. Other benefits include better accuracy when it comes to starts and stops and the ability to get into tighter spots, Masters said. The downforce generated by the propellers also helps the spray better cover the crop. Paulsen added that the drone has allowed growers’ fields to be sprayed despite the rainy weather which can prevent traditional methods.
Tribune photos by Toby Bonner
Pilot Jake Masters flies a drone for Western Wings Drone Service. The drone which was purchased from and is flown under a contract with Rantizo can spray 3 gallons every 3.1 minutes or 5 gallons every 4.2 minutes.
Jake Masters (left) waits to pilot the drone while assistant Brent Brockman of Ranchester, Wyoming, refills it.
Spraying by drone can be a help to farmers this year who could not get into their fields due to rainy weather, said Nick Paulsen a Simplot applicator who was present at the field that day.
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BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
USDA introduces geospatial data product to show crop rotation WASHINGTON, July 25, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled a geospatial product called Crop Sequence Boundaries (CSB) that offers public access to national-scale visual crop rotation data for the first time. The new tool was developed by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and Economic Research Service (ERS), two of the department’s statistical scientific research agencies. CSB is a cutting-edge map of agricultural fields that provides crop acreage estimates and historical planting decisions across the contiguous United States. The open-source product uses satellite imagery and other public data to allow users to analyze planted U.S. commodities, enhancing not only agricultural science and research, but providing producers an innovative resource to help make farming decisions. “CSB gives farmers a chance to look at area farmland and see how remote sensing is capturing planting decisions,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “Farmers will be able to use eight years of historical crop rotations to enhance their farm records or look at the management history of land that they might have recently started operating. They can also look at how their planting decisions compare in their regions.” New farmers or farmers considering renting land could also use CSB to decide which crop to plant based on past rotations, such as corn to soy, and researchers can conduct analyses at the field level, such as studying conservation practices for a particular field. The tool fills a gap between existing data sources, offering a more comprehensive picture and data in one place that is not provided by most other field level products. CSB incorporates technological advances in satellite imagery and highperformance cloud computing with Google Earth Engine. It is one of several tools that NASS and its partners have
A hay field on Road 9 next to the Powell Research and Extension Center was harvested Friday in between rains that persisted throughout the week. Tribune photo by Braden Schiller changes in farm management practices, such as tillage or cover cropping, over time. This will help USDA agencies understand the impacts of conservation programs that provide financial support for these practices. This product represents an automated and repeatable method for estimating fields from public data. “For researchers, CSB is useful because many farm decisions are made at the field level.” said ERS Administrator Dr. Spiro
developed over the years to support agricultural analyses and to make data more accessible and valuable to the public. Kevin Hunt, a senior geographer at NASS, said having a representative field to predict crop planting and acreage for the upcoming season based on common historical crop rotations is beneficial as a supplement to producer-supplied data. ERS Economist Maria Bowman noted that ERS is using the product to study
Science and Research Strategy, including improving and expanding new tools for understanding crop production to supplement other USDA spatial tools like COMET – Planner Global. USDA science is envisioning new ways to look at old challenges and everyday decisions to support our nation’s farmers and ranchers. For NASS data and access to CSB and other geospatial resources, visit www. nass.usda.gov.
Stefanou. “CSB represents an advancement in agricultural research by using high performance cloud computing to promote competitiveness by making information on planting decisions more accessible to everyone.” The CSB data sets for 2015 to 2022 are available for download and can be viewed at the state and county-level using an interactive map. This new tool supports strategies outlined in USDA’s recently released
Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC offers virtually every input that is used in production agriculture and specialty markets. This includes fertilizer, seed, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and many other products that enhance plant production, soil and water used in spraying operations. The primary goal of Helena employees in sales locations is to help customers succeed by providing high-quality products and technical advice that turns problems into solutions.
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Set to publish August 31
PAGE 8 • POWELL
2022
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 POWELL TRIBUNE • PAGE 9
SPORTSMAN’S GUIDE
OUTFIT
n bo e a erage precipitation, lower July temperatures and a mild winter in the spring and summer are good for the Cody region’s wildlife, according to the ame and ish epartment s hunting forecast. n If these same conditions are consistent through the end of summer and into fall, wildlife populations will reap the benefits.
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MOUNTAIN GOAT The eartooth herd unt reas , and is abo e its population objectives. The season setting structure has been designed to provide additional harvest opportunity in unt rea while maintaining harest le els within unt rea . Those fortunate enough to have drawn a goat license should have a good goat hunt.
Hunters, please review the 2022 hunting regulations for any changes to this season that may have been made since last year’s season.
The department provided the following hunting forecast for the Cody region:
Hunting Forecast 2 0 2 2
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n PRONGHORN The Carter Mountain pronghorn research project concluded with only a few collars still active within the herd. This research project provided excellent insight into pronghorn movements and seasonal ranges. Pronghorn populations and hunting success were down last year in much of the southern portion of the Big Horn Basin, and licenses were reduced for the 2022 season in a majority of these areas. The northern portion of the Big Horn Basin’s pronghorn herds are relati ely stable. arly field obser ations
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suggest better fawn production throughout much of the region compared to what was observed in 2021. For those who drew pronghorn licenses within the region, hunting should be similar or better than last year.
n DEER Winter survival appears to be at or above average throughout much of the region. Mule deer fawn production appears to be better than last year based on preliminary field obser ations. The region obser ed below-a erage fawn production in most of the deer herds during the 2021 deer classifications. ma ority of mule deer herds within the region are currently below population management objectives. Hunters should expect conditions and success to be similar or slightly improved compared to 2021. Prolonged drought and increasing chronic wasting disease prevalence have had a negative impact on Bighorn Basin deer herds over the past several years. Managers are hopeful the recent positive trends in precipitation will provide a needed boost to mule deer populations.
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n ELK Most herds continue to perform well within the region, with many exceeding management objectives. The region developed some new seasons within the Medicine Lodge herd in the ighorn ountains unt reas and to address this herd being chronically above its population management objective. Elk hunters should experience similar hunting conditions and success as in recent years. n MOOSE Herds within the region have been performing better over the past several years. The Bighorn Mountain herd continues to record high trend counts for the past four years. Research conducted within unt rea in the bsaroka herd suggests good calf production and survival in 2022. Managers are observing a slight increase in moose numbers in unt rea , particularly within the Sunlight Basin area. Moose hunters should expect good moose hunting conditions and success in 2022.
n P The region has received more precipitation than last year at this time, thus improving upland/small game habitats. Upland bird hunters should expect similar or slightly improved hunting conditions compared to last year. Chukar and Hungarian partridge populations are still on the lower end of their cycles and field managers aren t seeing as many broods as they normally do when populations are high. Early obser ations from field managers suggest sage grouse production may have improved from last year. Rabbit hunting should be similar or slightly improved from last season. n WILDLIFE DISEASE MANAGEMENT Hunters are encouraged to assist wildlife managers in the collection of wildlife disease samples. If you receive a brucellosis sample kit in the mail, please carry the sample kit and collect a blood sample. dditionally, there are se eral priority chronic wasting disease sample collection hunt areas within the region for hunters who harvest deer or elk to provide Game and Fish with the head and a few inches of the neck to collect a sample. Priority deer unt reas include and . lk priority areas are , , , and . ubmit samples at a ame and ish check station or call the regional office at to make arrangements.
n BIGHORN SHEEP The bsaroka unt reas - and e ils anyon unt rea herds are located within the region. Sheep numbers are within management objectives for both herds. unt rea licenses were reduced slightly based on some public input and reduced harvest success. Those fortunate to have drawn bighorn sheep licenses within the region should enjoy good hunting.
WEBSITE: www.wyomingoutdoorsmen.org PHONE: (307) 527-0920 EMAIL: wyomingoutdoorsmen@gmail.com MEETINGS ARE THE SECOND MONDAY of EACH MONTH AT THE IRMA GOVERNOR’S ROOM AT 7:00 PM All members are welcome!
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Ollas are terracotta pots buried in a garden, can be an effective way to provide plants with water. When the pots are filled with water it slowly leaves the pot and waters the surrounding plant life. The pots can also be a good way to keep plants watered if you are out of town, Master Gardener Katherine Clarkson said. Photo courtesy MaxPixel.net
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water. s the sun rises over the horizon, a delicate Subsequently, to reduce evaporation, insulate, balance between aridity and life unfolds. and inhibit weed growth, apply a thick layer of Water, the essence of existence, becomes the heart of our tale. Welcome to “Watering in organic mulch around plants. To prevent the the High Desert,” where we will explore the art mulch from blowing away water immediately of nourishing our gardens and landscapes in this after you lay it down. You can also create a wind unforgiving environment. barrier with rocks or other hardscapes First, it is crucial to understand to lessen the wind’s force. Or you could Travis Swenson • Auctioneer • 307-754-2297 (office) • 307-272-7490 (cell) • 506 S. Edmonds, Powell, TRAVIS SWENSON • AUCTIONEER your water requirements. Different apply mulch glue. Mulch glue is a plants have varying needs, therefore product that is applied to keep mulch 307-754-2297 (office) • 307-272-7490 (cell) • 506 S. Edmonds, Powell, WY prioritize watering plants that are in place. It is important to keep it away most susceptible to heat stress. If you from edible plants and areas where are uncertain of your plants’ needs, there may be runoff. It’s always best to reach out to the University of Wyofollow the manufacturer’s instructions ming Extension, your local nursery, when using any type of adhesive. Afor a plant identification app such as ter practicing the preceding watering Garden Answers. methods, use a soil moisture meter or Next, to maximize water absorption your hands to check soil moisture. Waand minimize evaporation, water your ter when the top few inches of soil feel KATHERINE garden during the cooler parts of the dry to the touch. day. Early mornings and late evenings Finally, inspect for signs of water CLARKSON are ideal times for irrigation. To enHow Does Your stress. With mild symptoms of water courage vigorous root growth, allow deficiency, plants are usually slow Garden Grow? growing. Next, the leaves will become the water to penetrate the soil slowly. dull. Finally, when plants experience long-term This will ensure the roots reach moisture deeper water deficiency, the leaves will wilt and become in the ground, which improves plant resilience brown. during droughts. To do this, consider installing a Remember, successful gardening in the high drip irrigation system that delivers water directly desert during the summer requires finesse and to the plant roots. This method reduces water wastage and helps prevent fungal diseases caused adaptability. Thriving landscapes in the summer require watering practices that match this enviby overhead watering. Also, think about adding a ronment’s challenges. Until next time, stay cool DIY olla. An olla is a porous clay (terracotta) pot and keep your gardens refreshed! If you have that is buried in your garden to provide water to any questions or comments please reach out to surrounding plants. When it’s filled with water, me at katherineclarkson2@gmail.com it slowly seeps water out through the walls of the pot. It is a simple, inexpensive way to water your (Katherine Clarkson is the president of the garden or raised beds, easier, and less time-conPark County Master Gardeners. She lives in Wasuming. Additionally it will help keep your plants piti.) hydrated if you are away or do not have time to
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Seven mosquito-repelling gimmicks to steer clear of BY BROOKE ORTEL Editor University of Wyoming Extension
Y
ou’ve probably heard of — and perhaps even tried — more than a few questionable mosquito repellents. Maybe you’ve rolled your eyes at home remedies but secretly wondered, do mouthwash, dryer sheets, and garlic really work? Or perhaps you’re considering ditching oily DEET spray in favor of a high-tech ultrasonic device or bug zapper. But the question remains: Which methods are truly effective and which are supported only by flimsy marketing claims (or wishful thinking)? The following gadgets are
not recommended by experts and are unlikely to provide satisfactory protection against mosquitoes. 1. Ultrasonic repellents These handheld electronic devices supposedly deter mosquitoes using high-frequency sounds, eliminating the need for chemical sprays. Some manufacturers claim that their gadgets mimic the wing beat frequency of male mosquitoes, driving away females that have already mated, while others claim the sound mimics predacious dragonflies. But that’s not what the science says. Rutgers University reports that studies have repeatedly shown sonic repellents to be ineffective.
“I get a lot of questions about things like ultrasonic repellents,” says Scott Schell, UW Extension entomologist. “Many times these products are based on a grain of truth. Moths can hear bat calls and will take evasive action in flight when they hear bats doing echolocation. But mosquitoes don’t have that ability to hear. The idea that this sonic device is mimicking bats (or the wing frequency of dragonflies) — well, that’s not the case.” The American Mosquito Society concludes that while marketing campaigns appealing to the public’s mistrust of chemical control have proved See Mosquitoes, Page 16
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PAGE 16 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023
BARLEY, BEANS & BALES
Mosquitoes: Continued from Page 15 effective, sonic devices have no repellency value. 2. Bug zappers An electrocution device with a demonstrated ability to attract and kill thousands of insects in a 24-hour period? Surely this is the way to go. But these devices may not be such a great solution after all. Studies have shown that while bug zappers do kill some mosquitoes, most insects wiped out by these devices aren’t pests. Scientists at the University of Notre Dame found no significant difference in the number of mosquitoes present in yards with bug zappers compared to those without. Even worse, many of the non-pest insects killed by bug zappers prey on pest species. These beneficial insects also serve as important food sources for other organisms, such as songbirds. 3. Dryer sheets, mouthwash, and more Forget all those fancy, highfalutin Mosquitos can be a persistent pest and everyone has their own preferred method to avoid getting bit, but some methods like devices — what about going back to the DEET and picaridin may be more effective than others. Image courtesy of University of Wyoming Extension, Adobe Stock basics? Some people swear by minty mouthwash, while others tout scented mosquitoes that inhabit the Laramie spraying oily products onto your skin. chemicals contained in natural repeldryer sheets. River Valley and were annoying when But it turns out these devices aren’t lents are deemed harmless, companies As with other mythical cures, these they started flapping in the breeze. are not obligated to provide evidence of very effective either. questionable tactics harbor a grain Part of the problem is that wrist- their efficacy. -Scott Schell, UW Extension entoof truth. “Listerine would have some mologist Citronella candles were also deemed bands provide only localized proshort-term repellency because menthol tection. While a bracelet may repel ineffective, a finding corroborated in 4. Carbon dioxide traps is one of many volatile Mosquitoes are drawn mosquitoes near your wrist or lower the 2017 study published in the Journal chemicals that provide to the carbon dioxide you arm, it doesn’t offer full-body protec- of Insect Science. While citronella oil a powerful smell that exhale. When they come tion. A wristband containing DEET has mosquito-repelling properties, citmasks your presence,” ‘A citronella closer to investigate, they repellent, paired with other deterrents ronella candles do not tend to provide says Schell. “But most of detect their next blood (like protective clothing and topical re- adequate protection. these products are short candle in calm “A citronella candle in calm condimeal. So, what about pellents) may provide some benefit, but lived. They don’t last long conditions where tions where you’re getting a lot of using a trap that emits is not recommended as a go-to option. enough to provide you None of the three wristband products fragrance around you could probably carbon dioxide? you’re getting a protection through an A good idea in theory, tested in a 2017 study published in the provide some protection,” says Schell. lot of fragrance evening in your yard.” but so far, these traps Journal of Insect Science resulted in “But they’re not considered highly efPerfumed dryer sheets around you could aren’t a reliable source a significant reduction of mosquito at- fective.” share a similar story. 7. Fuel-powered mosquito repellent of protection. While they traction. The researchers hypothesized Their powerful fragrance probably provide do capture mosquitoes, that the concentrations emitted by devices may act as a short-term some protection, These devices, touted for their ability studies indicate they those products were too low to provide repellent, but doesn’t last to create mosquito-repelling zones, use don’t reduce the rates at measurable protection. but they’re not for a meaningful period 6. Citronella candles and natural a butane fuel cartridge to vaporize pywhich humans are bitconsidered highly ten. Researchers at the repellents of time. rethroid insecticides, such as allethrin. Scented dryer sheets effective.’ Consumer Reports advises against “It’s based on the idea that you’re surUniversity of Wisconsinperfumed with linalool Madison also note that relying on natural repellents (such as rounded by a cloud of allethrin vapors Scott Schell the traps they tested clove, lemongrass, and rosemary oils) — and it works,” says Schell. and/or citronella cerUW Extension tainly made the old hat However, these gadgets aren’t a broke easily and some and citronella candles. Their testers entomologist smell better and with one manufacturers made found that natural repellents did not great choice at high elevation or in sheet over each ear and windy conditions (both of which tend claims that couldn’t be last as long as other products. one in the back, they did protect the verified. They also point out that natural to be common in Wyoming). “At our wearer’s head from mosquitoes while repellents are not subject to the same altitude [7,220 feet] in Laramie, oxygen 5. Wristbands the fragrance was potent. However, the Bracelets treated with insect repel- regulations and rigorous testing the content is not very high. If you’re at low hat-deployed dryer sheets tested did lent sound like a convenient option, Environmental Protection Agency elevation (specifically, less than 4,000 not protect the arms or legs from the especially when the alternative is requires for other products. Since the feet according to a leading manufac-
turer) and it’s calm, these products provide some protection,” Schell explains. Similar products that use electrical power (instead of fuel) to create a repellent vapor cloud are better suited to high-altitude use. So, what does work? Currently, DEET and picaridin are the two active ingredients most effective at repelling mosquitoes. Despite common misconceptions, DEET products are used extensively with little risk to human health when applied appropriately and to label instructions. Note that a higher concentration of DEET in a product means that the product will remain effective for a longer period of time. A higher concentration does not mean that the product is better at repelling mosquitoes. If you’re going on an extended adventure in an area with a lot of biting mosquitoes, Schell recommends purchasing an encapsulated DEET product. These repellents release DEET slowly over time rather than spiking and then dropping. These products also tend to have a lower DEET concentration, which can be more comfortable on the skin in hot, humid environments. If you’re only going to be outside for four to six hours or so, repellent sprays containing 20% to 30% picaridin are another good option, says Schell. Picaridin is a synthetic chemical that mimics an insect-repellent compound present in some pepper plants. Studies have shown that picaridinbased repellents provide similar protection to DEET-based repellents. Consumer Reports recommends picaridin pumps or sprays over lotions or wipes. Your product selection will likely vary depending on activity type, duration, and location. “Try to consider products that match your needs,” Schell advises. “If you are only going to be out for a short time, maybe use some of those more pleasant, shorteracting products. If you’re going on a long expedition in the Canadian bush, you’ll want the best, or it’s going to be a miserable trip.” Finally, don’t forget to take susceptibility into account. Mosquitoes find some unfortunate humans more attractive than others. “You can have two people sitting out on a deck, one with no repellent on, and the other getting a bunch of bites even with repellent,” Schell notes. “Keep in mind there’s a lot of susceptibility differences.” For more advice on mosquito management and other insect issues, contact Schell at sschell@uwyo.edu.
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