Farm & Ranch, Spring 2023

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME

A passion for aviation

Dean Wilson, of Clarkston, took his first plane ride when he was 3; eight decades later, he’s still fascinated by flight

By Elaine Williams

Dean Wilson, a recently announced inductee into the National Agriculture Aviation Hall of Fame, was 3 years old when he looked into the sky on Clarkston’s Fair Street and spotted an airplane. His family, the Wilsons, who have operated Wilson Banner Ranch for generations, had taken their brand new Chevy truck for a drive from their property just west of Clarkston.

“I said, ‘Could I go for a ride in one of those?’” recalled Wilson, who is now 87. “My dad turned to (my) mother and said, ‘Should we take him?’ And she didn’t care.”

Minutes later, they paid $5 to Bert Zimmerly for a flight. Zimmerly trained thousands of military pilots for World War II and founded what became Empire Airlines, one of the first U.S. regional intrastate airlines.

Wilson stood in between his mother’s legs and held onto one of the front seats. Through the windows, they saw seagulls looking at them and a man on the ground hoeing beans who appeared to be as small as an ant.

“I was just fascinated,” he said. “It was just like getting addicted.”

The outing was a first step in developing Wilson’s desire to fly, build, design and refurbish aircraft. It led to a career that he pursued for

decades, logging about 15,000 flight hours as a pilot, quitting just five years ago.

His talents won him recognition from the National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame, which has selected Wilson as its 53rd inductee. The ceremony will take place at the National Agricultural Aviation Association’s Ag Aviation Expo on Dec. 7 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Wilson, who now lives in Clarkston, is already a member of two other halls of fame, including one for Idaho aviation and another for the Experimental Aircraft Association Homebuilders.

“In the 100-year history of agricultural aviation, there have only been a handful of individuals and companies who have brought a purpose built, newly designed agricultural aircraft to market,” according to a news release from the National Ag Aviation Hall of Fame. “(Wilson) is one of those individuals.”

The aircraft was the Eagle DW-1 biplane, which had a production run of 95 from 1979 through 1983. A total of 30 of them are still in use today.

His design had a number of benefits, such as a 55-foot wingspan, about 15 feet more than other aircraft for the same use, said Wilson, a former spray pilot.

It allowed fields to be sprayed with fewer turns, something that is important because turns are where roughly 75% of the time is used when fields are sprayed, he said.

“You could do more acres per hour,” Wilson said.

And the stall speed of his plane was 55 mph, compared with the 70 mph or higher of other models, allowing the planes to turn in about 30 seconds instead of the minute in other designs, he said.

“In a controlled crash, at 55 mph or less, there’s few fatalities,” Wilson said. “Above 55, there are few survivors in a crash. So this is a real safe airplane to fly.”

His work on the plane was one of many chapters in his aviation career. Wilson went on to other jobs like developing a kit-built aircraft that is still in production.

Wilson credits his experiences as a child in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley with helping lay the foundation for his career.

He was 13 years old and selling watermelons for 3 cents a pound in order to save money to take flying lessons when one of his customers, a flight instructor at Zimmerly’s, asked him what he was going to do with his earnings.

Wilson thought he had to wait until he was 16 years old to start the training and had sticker shock over the cost of $11 per hour.

The instructor, who became a chief pilot for Potlatch Corp., told him he could begin at any age and take lessons as short as 15 minutes. The next day, Wilson was at the school before it opened.

“Anything to do with airplanes, I wanted to do it,” he said. “(I) never had to work a day in my life that way.”

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

For Farm & Ranch Dean Wilson sits for a portrait in his favorite chair at his home in Clarkston. Wilson will be inducted into the National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame on Dec. 7, 2023, at the National Agricultural Aviation Association’s Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, Calif.

Austin Johnson for Farm & Ranch

“I was just fascinated. It was just like getting addicted.”

— Dean Wilson, reflecting on his first flight in a plane when he was 3

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When women farmers are successful, the community is successful

A UI extension program analyzes the challenges and opportunities in agriculture for women farmers

By Emily Pearce

Four years ago, a University of Idaho extension program set out to study women farmers in Idaho, but later found its research could change the narrative around gender bias in agriculture. A sociologist and an environmental scientist came together to learn about a historically underserved group in a male-dominated field. Through their research, they’ve explored how gender inequality has shaped policies that disadvantages women farmers, as well as how to support these agricultural professionals to keep the industry alive.

Program coordinator Colette DePhelps and former program coordinator Ryanne Pilgeram began the program in 2019 after receiving a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Food and Agriculture Institute. They started the project “Women Farmers on the Rise in the U.S. and Idaho: Understanding and Supporting Women Farm Operators” in hopes to understand challenges and oppor tunities women in agriculture face.

project is women farmers, but their study analyzes the market as a whole.

“Farming and ranching is really important to the economies of states like Idaho,” Pilgeram said. “When more women are in agriculture, or have the opportunity to be in agriculture, the industry benefits. When women farmers are successful, the community is successful and food systems benefit.”

According to the USDA’s 2017 Census of

Historically, women have not been seen as primary heirs to farms, DePhelps said, which significantly affects the profitability of woman-run farms. According to their research, men own and operate more acreage while women operate on rented acreage. As a result, woman-operated farms are smaller and produce less than those operated by men.

Stated in their research, men on average operate about 514 acres while women operate around 267 acres. Consequently,

“Women are less likely to farm a commodity crop as they have smaller farms and have less equipment,” Pilgeram said. “And, we know they’re less likely to participate in USDA conservation programs that

along any occupation, Pilgeram said. The net income gap between men and women is 151%, or for every dollar a woman farmer makes, a man makes $2.50, according to their research. This gap is attributed to how much land women and men operate on, and what funding programs women are aware of.

DePhelps and Pilgeram would like to change this through their research and outreach. By providing these statistics, along with education to the community, more women may feel empowered to apply for these conservation programs and even operate on more land.

“We know farmers are aging and we know it’s a really difficult job,” Pilgeram said. “I think the narrative is beginning to change about who farmers are and the cultural barriers for women to be seen. If we can change that perspective we can’t keep people in agriculture which is always good for our communities.”

More information about Idaho women in agriculture can be found at the University of Idaho’s Extension website at idahowomeninag.org.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.

For Farm & Ranch

Colette DePhelps Ryanne Pilgeram

Beefing up brain development UI research team studies correlation between beef and cognitive function among children

By Anthony Kuipers

University of Idaho researchers believe there’s potential that beef could improve cognitive function among young children.

More research is needed and UI assistant professor Annie Roe cautioned that beef is not some sort of miracle cure, but the food does pack important nutrients.

Roe said her team was interested in this study because her laboratory, called the Food Research Center, looks at how nutrients and dietary patterns affect cognitive development.

“How do we grow good brains and how do we maintain them?” she said.

With the help of a $50,000 grant from the Idaho Beef Council, the UI researchers evaluated the cognitive ability of 61 children ages 1 to 5 who consumed beef early in life. Professor Shelley McGuire and student Victoria Wilk were also part of the project.

The team had children 12 to 35 months old play a series of games, such as one where they had to find a block hidden under a cup. The team also read children a book and studied how much they paid attention to the page. The children were evaluated based on the Bayley Scale, which assesses infant and toddler development.

The older children were asked to play games on an iPad that tested skills like executive function, processing speed and working memory.

While the results for children younger than 3 were inconclusive, the team found significant

correlation between beef consumption and better test scores for children 3-5.

This correlation can drive hypotheses for further studies to perhaps find causation, Roe said.

Their study was published Oct. 26 in the scientific journal “Nutrients.”

Roe said the reason beef could help brain development is that it contains important nutrients like iron, zinc and choline. More importantly, it packs these nutrients in small bites that are easy for children to eat.

Roe said scientists are studying the idea of introducing more types of food to a child early on in life. This may not only benefit the child’s diet, but allowing them to eat what the rest of the family eats may have

behavioral benefits as well.

She said the research field that studies nutrition and cognition is newer than other fields like cardiovascular health.

The USDA publishes dietary guidelines for Americans every five years, and most recently included guidelines for children younger than the age of 2.

She said the reason these kinds of recommendations change, sometimes to the frustration of the public, is because the science improves and more discoveries are made by researchers.

“So, we’re learning more all the time,” Roe said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.

For Farm & Ranch

A herd of cattle line up for lunch at a feeding trough at Rich and Kim Witters’ farm along the Snake River south of Asotin. A recent University of Idaho study suggests that eating beef could potentially improve cognitive function among young children.

Austin Johnson/Farm & Ranch

Learning the science of wheat growing

WSU Wheat Academy returned to in-person format during meeting in Pullman in December

PULLMAN — Reconnecting in person for the first time in three years, wheat scientists joined Northwest grain growers and crop consultants to examine changing challenges and collaborative opportunities in the return of WSU Wheat Academy.

Held Dec. 13-14, 2022, at Pullman’s Vogel Hall, the academy brought together more than 20 small-grains scientists from WSU, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research Service, the University of Idaho, and Oregon State University for a dozen focused sessions on wheat production, soil health, pests and diseases, falling number, alternative crops and more.

For growers, agricultural professionals and scientists, the academy offers a deeper opportunity to talk about emerging issues and ideas in wheat farming, as well as how research can help.

“We really want to get people engaged,” said WSU professor Ian Burke, who shared current science

on weed management and herbicide resistance. “I get to present on topics that I don’t always get to expand on with growers, and the responses help me understand where they’re coming from and how well we’re communicating. It’s a different kind of engagement — that’s the real value.”

“Wheat Academy lets growers and crop consultants learn the science behind many of the recommendations from WSU Extension,” said event organizer and professor Drew Lyon. “It also helps scientists hear from them about what they’re seeing in the field, which can drive new research to address emerging problems.”

“There’s a need today for research that interacts with farmers to come up with answers to pressing questions,” said Pullman-based USDA soil scientist and academy presenter David Huggins. “Farmers are facing everything from herbicide resistance to the rising costs of seed and agrichemicals — a whole host of issues that they’ve got to tackle not just one at a time, but all at once. Farmers are the best

people to integrate all that.”

Farmer collaboration is the impetus behind research at sites such as WSU’s Cook Agronomy Farm, “where we can do more transdisciplinary work to tackle complex problems,” Huggins said. “We can work with growers to develop useful practices and technologies — a critical area right now.”

Sessions allowed participants to ask questions, taste products, and inspect plants and soil organisms. Showing containers of withered and tall weeds, results of farmer-sampled herbicide resistance tests at the university’s Plant Growth Facility, Burke and Lyon underlined how growers must break the cycle of resistance by varying and strengthening their practices.

“You are all functionally plant breeders by the very action of managing your weeds,” Burke said. “The diversity of inputs you use is a critical factor.”

“Back-and-forth engagement, learning from growers about what they are interested in and want us to focus on and sharing the fascinating creatures

Ryan Higginbotham, seed and specialty crops manager for Highline Grain Growers, chats with a fellow Wheat Academy participant on potential strategies for managing herbicide resistance during the two-day gathering held in December 2022.

Washington State University

that we study — that’s the great thing about Wheat Academy,” said Dane Elmquist, a WSU alumnus and doctoral candidate at the University of Idaho, who co-presented on macrofauna and soil health. “We want them to help guide our research questions.”

Following his presentation, he talked with professionals, urging them to take a seat at one of several

‘It’s a killer’: Washington farm loses entire flock to bird flu

Western Washington farms forced to euthanize its 170 ducks and four geese because of outbreak

By Jacqueline Allison Everett (Wash.)

MONROE, Wash. — At Hearth and Haven Farm, you’d normally hear the happy chatter of ducks and a goose noisily announcing himself.

Recently, the only bird sounds were crow caws.

That was the eerie scene nearly two weeks after the farm’s flock of 170 ducks and four geese was euthanized due to an avian flu outbreak. Farmer Elaine Kellner still tears up as she thinks about it.

Kellner, 42, started the farm in 2017 and found a niche selling pasture-raised duck eggs. You’d find the eggs at Double DD Meats in Mountlake Terrace, Ken’s Market in Greenwood and in gourmet dishes at Seattle-area restaurants.

Now, the farm has lost its primary income for the next year. Kellner will have to wait until late April to hatch new ducks due to a 120-day quarantine order. And the new ducks won’t start laying until the following spring.

“Even if we jumped right back in, we wouldn’t have a single egg to sell until March 2024. It’s a killer. How can anyone possibly withstand that?”

compensation.

She’s asked others to send the letter to their federal representatives.

Kellner first noticed signs of illness in one of her birds on Dec. 21. The next day, she said, three others were ill, with symptoms of lethargy, nasal discharge and no appetite. They had stopped laying eggs.

Annie Barker/Everett Herald

“Even if we jumped right back in, we wouldn’t have a single egg to sell until March 2024,” she said. “It’s a killer. How can anyone possibly withstand that?”

She expects to receive compensation, but only a fraction of what the business would normally bring in.

The highly contagious avian flu killed 57.8 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks in the U.S. last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The number includes birds who died from the disease and those euthanized because they were in contact with infected birds. Avian flu poses little risk to people.

In Snohomish County, there have been eight outbreaks since last May.

Hearth and Haven Farm’s case has gained attention as Kellner described on her Facebook page the excruciating experience of losing her birds. Three of the ducks who died were with her since the start.

She posted a letter on her website raising concerns about the federal policy of mass culls. She told The Daily Herald she wants to see more research on genetic resistance to avian flu, plus research on vaccines and treatment. She also argues that small farms hit with avian flu need better

She reported the sick birds to the state Department of Agriculture, which “got back to us right away to test,” she said. The first round of samples were lost in the mail. A second round of tests were taken after the Christmas holiday.

She received the results on Dec. 28: Her birds were positive for avian flu. A crew returned the next day to euthanize the entire flock.

It’s a federal requirement to euthanize a flock when any birds test positive, both to “prevent the spread of the disease and because it is humane; dying of bird flu is a slow and painful death for the bird,” the state agriculture department says on its website.

Kellner said she noticed some birds became very ill while others showed mild or no symptoms. She estimated 90% of the flock recovered.

“The farm’s five-year breeding program had developed a number of hybrid breeds that showed significant resistance to the virus,” she wrote in the letter, arguing more funding for studies is needed.

Mike Stepien, a spokesperson with USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, said scientists have researched genetic resistance to avian flu but there are no resistant breeds yet. Vaccines are also not ready yet.

Herald

Elaine Kellner, 42, poses for a photo with her dog Penny at Hearth and Haven Farm in Monroe, Wash., in January. The farm lost its entire flock of 170 ducks and four geese to avian flu. Now, Kellner is calling for changes to the federal policy of mass culls.

— Farmer Elaine Kellner

Killer

from page 6

“None of the existing avian influenza vaccines completely prevent birds from becoming infected or prevent them from transmitting the virus to other birds,” he said in an email.

Stepien said ducks and other waterfowl are natural hosts for the virus and often show fewer symptoms than other poultry. He noted flock depopulation has shown to be “the only effective approach to preventing the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.”

“A bird might not show any evidence of disease but might still be shedding virus, infecting other birds,” he said. Kellner expects to receive a one-time payment of about $6,000, or $35 per duck, from the USDA for the birds she lost. The compensation is based on the weight class of the birds.

The payment doesn’t come close to the revenue the farm would have generated. Kellner said her highest producing ducks lay up to 300 eggs, or 25 dozen, a year. At $12 a dozen, that’s about $300 per bird.

The farm is also left with $10,000 worth of organic feed, which it can’t sell or give away due to the 120-day

quarantine order. The USDA will not reimburse her for the unopened bags. Kellner said the feed will be expired by the time the farm has mature ducks again.

Stepien said the USDA will only reimburse for contaminated materials that must be destroyed.

As a backyard flock, Hearth and Haven Farm is faced with a longer timeline to hatch new ducks compared to larger indoor facilities.

The difference is that indoor facilities can be disinfected and cleaned, while outdoors areas cannot, Stepien said. He said indoor facilities can be released from quarantine after sitting empty for 14 days and a negative test for bird flu. Backyard flocks, meanwhile, must wait 120 days.

Kellner said the rules put small farms at a disadvantage.

“This small Washington family farm has been driven out of business by a government policy that disproportionately penalizes small farms,” she wrote in her letter.

In the meantime, Kellner plans to raise hogs on ground separate from the bird pastures.

The outbreak has also impacted the farm’s customers, including Moshi Moshi Sushi & Izakaya in Ballard.

A “Fresh Eggs” sign hangs on a building at Hearth and Haven Farm in Monroe, Wash. Annie Barker/Everett Herald

The restaurant uses the Monroe farm’s eggs in tamago, a sweet egg omelette sushi, and a Japanese-style deviled egg, co-owner Rumi Ohnui said. Duck eggs have a richer flavor because of the larger yolk.

Ohnui, a pastry chef, has worked with Hearth and Haven Farm since 2017. The restaurant will now have to find another duck egg supplier.

“Right now, things look incredibly bleak,” Ohnui said in an email. “Duck eggs are usually more expensive than chicken eggs and even chicken egg prices are skyrocketing!”

The avian flu outbreak is a driving factor of high egg prices.

Poultry and eggs are a $17-milliona-year industry in Snohomish County, according to USDA data from 2017.

Last spring as the bird flu spread, local farms were on guard, aware of the potentially devastating impact. They kept their poultry away from wild birds and took other biosecurity measures. While wild birds can transmit the virus, it can also spread from farm to farm via clothes or shoes. Agriculture officials expected another rise in bird flu cases during fall migration.

The state Department of Agriculture has tips on its website to prevent avian flu.

Hearth and Haven Farm installed netting and bought a new guardian dog to chase out wild birds. But those measures wouldn’t have stopped any bird from flying and pooping over the outdoor pastures — which is how she suspects bird flu arrived at the farm.

As she rebuilds her business, Kellner remains wary of the threat of bird flu.

“The hardest part,” she said, “is that there is no guarantee that this wouldn’t simply happen again.”

Allison can be contacted at (425) 339-3434; jacqueline.allison@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jacq_allison.

from page 5

microscopes and see the organisms for themselves.

“I think it’s time to stop looking at slides and start looking at bugs,” said Elmquist, showing a menagerie of tiny animals — springtails, pseudoscorpions and other arthropods whose presence helps enrich the subsurface.

“We’re still trying to understand these critters, but it’s becoming clear how important they are for wheat plants,” he said. “Most soil arthropods are beneficial and have positive effects on soil health and crop growth.”

“A lot more goes on in the soil than we know,” commented Lexi Gardner, attendee and resource conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, who examined tiny arachnids. “I’d like to know more about how management practices can increase diversity of the micro- and macrofauna.”

For attendee Larry Cochran, a diversified farmer at Colfax, Wheat Academy “is a refresher course to add to all that I’ve learned over the

years.” He enjoyed the grower-scientist interaction, sharing some of his own experiences from 40 years of farming. “If you deplete the soil, sooner or later you’ll have to replenish it.”

Attendees were very engaged this session, and Lyon reported hearing entirely positive feedback from participants and scientists.

“I’ve learned so much,” said Ron Conway, a Wilbur-based seed dealer. Attending his first academy in five years, Conway was struck by the mix of generations, with young people and newcomers joining agricultural veterans. “This event has been awesome.”

“You’ve got to know about the future to be part of it,” said Amiria Cross, an FFA member who works at her family’s Walla Walla farm. She joined Wheat Academy to educate herself on the future of wheat farming.

Her biggest takeaway was “how many different things go into growing wheat,” from soils and fertilizers to precipitation to disease: “I’ve learned a lot.”

Wheat Academy will return in December 2023. More information about WSU Small Grains research and Extension is available at smallgrains.wsu.edu.

FARMING CHALLENGES

Skagit County farmers face pressures from all directions

Farmers in northwestern Washington are facing a variety of challenges

By Racquel Muncy

Skagit County food producers are hardly immune from the challenges facing their counterparts throughout the country.

The farmers who keep Skagit County on the global agriculture map face many pressures, including those caused by weather, legislative efforts and inflation.

Chaotic climate

Skagit Valley, located north of Seattle, is a coastal climate and most farmers rely on a bit of rain spread out throughout the season.

However, heavy rain in the spring and fall, and hot, dry summers have created issues for both planting and harvesting crops.

“It’s obvious that we’re dealing with an evolving climate,” Skagit Valley Farm founder Tony Wisdom said.

The lack of rain during the summer has also caused lower crop yields and crops of a lesser quality.

The hot weather is one reason Boldly Grown Farm is always looking to have a diversity to its crops. The dry weather has actually helped the farm’s pepper crop.

“I think we’re always looking for more resilient, risk-averse crops,” co-owner of Boldly Grown Farm Jacob Slosberg said.

Slosberg said the farm invested in irrigation infrastructure from the start, which is something many generational farmers in the Skagit Valley haven’t done due to past reliance on sporadic rain throughout the summer.

Because of weather, Wisdom said in 2022 he had very short planting windows for broccoli and Brussels sprouts. He also said that too much rain can rot the heads of the broccoli, creating more crop loss.

The heavy rains in the spring the past few years has led to delays in planting

seasons.

“The weather is always the unknown that you can’t plan for,” Jenn Smith said, co-owner of Smith and Burklund Farms and the president of the Western Washington Agricultural Association. “We take it year by year.”

Smith said the heavy rains led to hundreds of acres of potatoes being lost over the past two years.

Last year was the first year she has bought crop insurance — specifically harvest insurance — in order to help recoup losses.

“It’s a big risk before you even get started,” Smith said of planting potatoes.

Wisdom said roughly 80% of the cost of planting potatoes — including seed, fertilizer, labor — is incurred prior to actually planting the crop.

Legislative efforts

Well-intended legislative efforts have backed some farmers into a corner, forcing them to automate in order to cut jobs.

In 2021, the state Legislature passed a bill expanding overtime protections to all agricultural employees, while historically

agricultural employees were exempt from being paid overtime.

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, all agriculture employees will receive overtime pay for any hours over 40 in a work week.

This legislative effort has hurt the very people it was trying to help, Wisdom said.

The cost of the overtime has led producers such as Skagit Valley Farm to automate in order to cut back on workers.

Smith said many of her employees do not like having to work less hours, particularly during harvest season when they can make extra money during a short period.

“The people don’t like it, the workers don’t like it,” Smith said. “I feel like it’s taking away from people and that doesn’t make me feel good.”

Smith said it is not just the overtime that can affect farmers. It is also the increase in the minimum wage and in payroll taxes.

Historically, the fix for most farmers was to throw more labor at the problem, Wisdom said. But that’s really no longer an option.

To make up for paying overtime, farms have to do with fewer employees.

“Our people are frustrated,” Wisdom said. “Where do those people go to work? That’s a hit to the community when someone loses their job.”

In order to help with labor costs, Boldly Grown Farm co-owner Amber Frye said she has looked at ways to mechanize.

Qualified labor

Labor has been a double-edged sword for the farming industry.

On the one hand, the labor costs more with rising wages and overtime. On the other hand, finding qualified workers has been a challenge.

Employees who are able to work a tractor or drive a semi-truck has been

particularly difficult to find.

On top of the difficulty in finding employees, the weather has created a shorter growing season, Wisdom said.

“We have to do more work in a shorter period of time,” he said.

This has led Skagit Valley Farm to need more people and more equipment in order to harvest the same amount of acres in less time.

Smith said it has been a struggle to find certified forklift drivers and temporary or seasonal workers.

She said that four years ago people would walk in and ask if the farm was hiring. That’s no longer the case.

“We just don’t have people coming here anymore,” she said.

Smith has added technology to help with the labor shortage, but then finding qualified workers — such as the forklift drivers — is still an issue.

Frye said she is in a similar situation as Smith, where there is a solid team but that finding the right person to fill new positions as the farm grows has proven to be difficult.

Rising costs

Rising costs have hit everyone. From inflation on materials to the increase in minimum wages, farmers are being hit from every direction.

“All our costs are up across the board,” Wisdom said. “We’re getting squeezed more and more.”

He said over the past few years packaging materials are up nearly 80% and fertilizer has increased nearly 50%.

Skagit Valley Farm has even stopped planting broccoli, organic broccoli and organic cauliflower in order to cut back on costs.

Smith said that even small things that normally may not be thought about have doubled, such as the freight costs to get a piece of equipment shipped.

“All of that small stuff at the end of the day adds up to a lot,” she said. “I wish that the general public knew how risky and expensive it is to grow food.”

Boldly Grown Farm has also seen a dramatic rise in production and packaging costs, but Frye said that because it does not sell to the commodity market where prices are set, the farm is able to set its own prices and have a more direct relationship with customers.

“I feel fortunate to have local support,” Frye said.

Wisdom said he does not believe costs will correct themselves, but rather that these high prices are the new normal.

Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.)

Meghan Grant wraps a pallet of beets at Boldly Grown Farm in Bow, Wash. Oliver Hamlin/Skagit Valley Herald

Gosz: Extension a vital resource for rural communities

Rusty Gosz, who recently became director of UI’s extension service, says program is ‘an avenue of expertise and information’

By Kathy Hedberg For Farm & Ranch

Although the world of information has changed dramatically over the past century, the University of Idaho’s extension service is as relevant as ever, says Rusty Gosz, extension’s new northern district director.

“There are people who shoot arrows at extension, saying it’s outlived its purpose,” Gosz said from his office in Coeur d’Alene. “I argue differently. Once you understand the mission of extension … it takes factual, research-based knowledge from universities to share with the public. And that’s most valuable in a day where the confidence level of where our information is coming from is, at best, suspect.”

Gosz argues that, while there is a profusion of information available on social media and other sources, it’s not always clear where that information comes from or if it’s reliable.

“So the university still fills the gap,” he said. “It’s the representative at the table that is not selling anything, not buying

anything. We’re charged to serve our customers, who are the citizens of the state.

“So I can argue a long time of today’s value of the extension system to provide an avenue of expertise and information” that can be trusted.

Gosz took the helm of the northern district in December after working for the past 17 years at Oklahoma State University. He grew up in New Mexico and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science production and a master’s degree in beef cattle breeding and genetics from OSU. After completing his master’s degree, he held jobs in the industry for several years – first with a large feed and animal health company and later managing the Farmers Cooperative Association’s five locations.

Although he’s never lived full time in Idaho before, moving here, he said, “is, in one sense, a coming home.” His grandparents farmed near Potlatch and his

grandmother, Juanita O’Reilly, “Granny O,” who will be 106 in May, continues to reside at the family farm.

“She’s just one of the grittiest human beings I’ve ever known,” he said.

Gosz recently provided a picture of O’Reilly holding Gosz’s infant grandson, Johnny. The span in their ages, he said, also illustrates the evolution of the agency he now heads.

O’Reilly was born in 1917, three years after the passage of the Smith-Lever Act, which established a national Cooperative Extension Service that allows outreach programs to educate rural Americans through land-grant universities.

“There are people who shoot arrows at extension, saying it’s outlived its purpose. I argue differently. Once you understand the mission of extension … it takes factual, research-based knowledge from universities to share with the public. And that’s most valuable in a day where the confidence level of where our information is coming from is, at best, suspect.”

—Rusty Gosz, UI Extension’s new northern district director

“The way she gathered information and interacted with extension faculty was very different from the way Johnny will, but extension is no less critical today than it was 105 years ago – I’d argue even more important.”

Back in his grandmother’s day, Gosz said, most extension offices had one county agent who “had to be all things for all people.”

Those agents’ expertise ran the gamut of information. Today’s agents and

Juanita O’Reilly, 105, of Potlatch, poses with her infant grandson Johnny Gosz. Johnny’s father is Rusty Gosz, who recently took over as UI Extension’s new northern district director.

educators are specialists in their field whose background may not be as broad but who have deeper knowledge and training in specific areas.

Extension staff rely on credible, science-based information generated by university employees “who are there to offer solutions, not there to sell anything but to provide information to help solve problems.”

“The challenges are as diverse as the people are,” Gosz said. “Extension outposts are teaming up with other agencies and individuals to solve these problems.”

As head of the northern district, Gosz oversees offices in 10 counties and two offices at the Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce reservations.

“My role as director is an administrative role and the role of administration is coaching,” he said. “I’m overseeing about 20 faculty in place in county offices, so they’re the hands and feet in the trenches. I do plan to travel but they’re the ones doing the work and I’m providing leadership for them. The plethora of topic areas that they address are way more than I understand.”

Gosz and his wife, Heather, have eight children and one grandchild.

Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.

Rusty Gosz

Photo provided by Rusty Gosz

MOST COMPLETE line of liquid storage tanks & material handling supplies

Investments help expand reach of Share Farm

Investment business called Techstars is helping Share Farm of Spokane connect minority-owned farms to a larger market

By Cindy Hval For The Spokesman-Review

SPOKANE — A new venture aims to help minority-owned small farms reach beyond seasonal farmers markets and into the big world of corporate and retail sales.

Share Farm, based in Spokane, has gone through several iterations since chef/entrepreneur Adam Hegsted and his business partner Vince Peak launched it in 2016. From a map for consumers connecting them to area farms, to locally grown fresh produce deliveries to homes and restaurants, to supplying institutional companies with local products for their cafeterias, Share Farm has continued to innovate farm-to-fork ideas.

“We are always trying to connect people to food,” Peak said.

During the pandemic, the company received national attention when it initiated in-person delivery of emergency food boxes through a U.S. Department of Agriculture contract.

“Everyone else was having people come pick them up,” Hegsted said.

Peak described the uniqueness of their boxes. In addition to food, he said they partnered with a local company, Spiceology for seasonings.

“Adam put together recipes based on the ingredients in the box,” he said. “Now, that’s standard practice. That’s

when we knew the ideas we had were innovative. Every time we started something new it became a standard.”

Now, Share Farm is poised to simplify the local food sourcing and distribution chain by connecting minority-owned farms to a larger market. The project received a huge boost in January, thanks to an investment by Techstars.

Techstars is a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, a worldwide network and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs.

“Out of thousands of applicants, Share Farm was one of 10 chosen,” said Hegsted. “We’re the first startup company in Spokane to be accepted.”

Using an inclusive, digital supply chain and existing distribution infrastructure, Share Farm is creating a dynamic digital marketplace that empowers local growers.

Small farms face several challenges in getting their products to larger markets. They often don’t have enough products to sell to institutional buyers and they may not have correct food safety standardizations or product specifications to be able to do this.

“We help break down those barriers by teaching food safety and by aggregating similar products from other producers so that we create scale large enough for those buyers,” Hegsted said.

Additionally, offering a centralized hub minimizes the need for additional warehouse touchpoints between the farm and the table.

Share Farm also wants to extend small farms’ traditional marketplace by offering to buy products outside of their normal window.

“For example, we might buy all a farmer’s zucchini and tomatoes, and then let them know we’re looking for Brussels sprouts or winter kale,” he said. “Our idea is to help farmers make more money off the land they are already growing on and to hopefully help them be much more profitable year after year.”

Why the emphasis on minority-owned farms?

“Food service institutions are looking to buy more minority products,” said Hegsted. “We are trying to get the word out to women-owned, veteran-owned, people of color-owned farms and producers so we can help them sell their products. Share Farm is creating a brand built of minority producers and showing the point of origin where buyers can see where their food is from, what’s in it, how it was grown and how those growing practices impacted the planet.”

In addition to funding, Techstars connected Hegsted and Peak with mentors who are offering support as they expand their knowledge of technology to grow the business.

Peak said the timing with Techstars is ideal because the pandemic changed the way many farmers did business.

“Previously, farmers didn’t have to use technology,” he said. “But they had to figure out Zoom and Door Dash, etc. It’s easier to reach them now.”

Indeed, from November 2020 to June 2022, the pilot program distributed 14,423,714 pounds of food from small farms to institutional buyers.

“Techstars funded us because they believe what we have is a world-changing idea,” Hegsted said.

Cindy Hval via email at dchval@juno. com.

Vince Peak, left, Adam Hegsted, owners of Share Farm, pose for a photo in 2019.

Libby Kamrowski/Spokesman-Review

“Out of thousands of applicants, Share Farm was one of 10 chosen. We’re the first startup company in Spokane to be accepted.”

Adam Hegsted