Agriculture
Published in conjunction with the 76th Okanogan County Horticulture Association meeting A supplement to The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle • Feb. 2, 2011
Page 2 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle
Pears move along the packing line at the Chelan Fruit Co. facility in Pateros. Dee Camp/The Chronicle
Red Delicious apples ripen in the fall sunshine near Tonasket.
Tree fruit meeting topics: Marketing and pest control By Dee Camp The Chronicle OKANOGAN – Orchardists and others in the tree fruit industry will learn about marketing, pest control and other topics during the Okanogan County Horticulture Association’s 76th annual meeting Wednesday, Feb. 2. The meeting begins with registration at 8 a.m. in the Okanogan County Agriplex and Annex, 175 Rodeo Trail Road. Sessions begin at 9 a.m., association Secretary Dan McCarthy said. The cost is $10. Those wanting to earn pesticide application license recertification credits are asked to register at check-in. Lunch, catered by Corner Bistro, 19 E. Apple Ave., Omak, will be available for $10, McCarthy
Agriculture © 2011 The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, owned and operated by Eagle Newspapers Inc. P.O. Box 553, Omak, WA 98841 618 Okoma Drive, Omak 509-826-1110 • 800-572-3446 509-826-5819 fax www.omakchronicle.com Roger Harnack, Editor and Publisher Dee E. Camp, Managing Editor Lynn Hoover, Advertising Manager Cover photo by: Stephanie Clark
said. The menu includes soup, sandwich, coleslaw and a beverage. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided. The meeting includes a trade show in the Agriplex. Speakers include: • Tim Smith, Washington State University Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. • Jim Colbert, Chelan Fruit Co. • Harold Schell, Chelan Fruit Co. • B.J. Thurlby, Washington State Fruit Commission. • James Michael, Washington State Fruit Commission. • Betsy Beers, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee. • Jay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee. • Mac Riggan, Chelan Fresh Marketing.
Horticulture convention at a glance 76th Okanogan County Horticultural Association annual meeting New herbicide options, potential new products for fire blight management and a redesign of the Cougarblight Fire Blight Model Tim Smith, Washington State University Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties 9:45-10:15 a.m. Food safety – what aspects are most important on your orchard? Jim Colbert, Chelan Fruit Co. 10:15-10:50 a.m. Successful conversion of an orchard by grafting – step by step Harold Schell, Chelan Fruit Co., and grafters and growers 10:50-11:20 a.m. Little cherry virus – an old enemy returns as a serious threat to the local cherry industry Tim Smith, WSU Extension 11:20-11:50 a.m. 2010 cherry crop and marketing dynamics B.J. Thurlby and James Michael, Washington State Fruit Commission 11:50-noon Okanogan County Horticultural Association business meeting Noon-1 p.m. Lunch and trade show Elections and nominations – choosing your representatives 1-1:25 p.m. Spotted-wing Drosophila – an important newly introduced pest of cherries, other stone fruits and berries Betsy Beers, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee 1:25-1:45 p.m. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: The stink bug on steroids Jay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee 1:45-2 p.m. Leaving a legacy by investing in the future Jay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee 2-2:30 p.m. Herbicide resistance or tolerance in weeds – control strategies past and near future Tim Smith, WSU Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties 2:30-3 p.m. Marketing report – Effects of the world economic situation on fruit sales, prospects for 2010 cherry marketing Mac Riggan, Chelan Fresh Marketing Pesticide education credits are available for program attendance; registration required at the door Meeting sponsored WSU Extension and Okanogan County Horticulture Association 9-9:45 a.m.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 3
Apple prices improve in 2010 Some growers battle skin russeting By Sheila Corson The Chronicle OKANOGAN – Apples didn’t fill as many boxes in 2010 as the previous year, but the season turned out better than anticipated. Washington Growers Clearing House Association Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said the first problem for apples came with an October 2009 freeze, which damaged buds that would have been the 2010 crop. Then, a cool, wet spring built concerns for russeting on earlier apples. Goldens and Fujis did see russeting, or browning of the skin, but overall, the pack-out was better than January projections, Kelly said. Tonasket grower Sam Godwin said his Goldens battled russeting
and his Red Delicious apples were smaller, but that was the trend across the state. Since nearly all growers went through the same natural disasters, it wasn’t devastating for anybody. “Every year brings its unique challenges,” Godwin said. Clearing House Manager Kirk Mayer said for the Wenatchee District, which includes Okanogan County, conventional apples filled 33.8 million 40-pound boxes in the 2010 crop, compared to 34.6 million in 2009. Organic apple production was up – 4.1 million compared to 3.3 million last year, Mayer said. Kelly said several more organic orchards achieved certification last year, a two-year process, leading to the jump in numbers. Statewide, organic apples are increasing, though the Wenatchee District is growing faster than Yakima. That can come with one
negative – the market just might not be there for organic apples, Kelly said. Although organic fruit typically brings a higher price, if organic isn’t selling at higher prices, growers might have to sell organic apples at the lower conventional price. Some varieties of organics are selling better than others because of their rarity, Kelly said. For conventional apples, the crop was comparable to previous years, and November and December saw record-high shipments from the area. Even with a high supply, the pricing structure has been good, as demand has risen to meet it, Kelly said. Looking forward, Kelly said there were no catastrophic freezes that might damage the 2011 crop. Although there were freezes in isolated areas, next year’s crops have had a better start than in 2010.
Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle
Sebastian Velasco, Brewster, works a Cameo tree at Custom Orchards No. 1 near Brewster during harvest 2010.
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Page 4 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Pear size, quality are good for area By Sheila Corson The Chronicle
The organic movement hasn’t quite struck pears in the Wenatchee district, which includes Okanogan County, Kelly said. With such a huge discrepancy between the numbers of boxes of apples and pears, organic pears usually don’t even get noticed. There are some organic pears in the Okanogan County area, but so far not many. The crop faced several of the same problems as apples, with an October 2009 freeze damaging some of the trees and leading to a smaller crop, Kelly said. Spring rains were early enough they didn’t seem to affect pears so much as their other orchard fruit counterparts. Growers from Gebbers Farms in Brewster and Gold Digger in Oroville mentioned no major problems for the 2010 pear crop, with most of the weather-related issues striking cherries and apples.
OKANOGAN – After a 2009 record pear crop, numbers are down and the local size and quality are good. Washington Growers Clearing House Association Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said the record 10.2 million 44-pound boxes in 2009 meant lower prices. In 2010, with 8.5 million boxes, prices are looking better and staying higher. The fruit is moving out at a good pace, with retail sales at good levels. That could indicate economic recovery is creeping up into the pear market and more are buying fresh fruit, Kelly said. Some areas still haven’t seen that recovery, but for pears it seems OK. The fruit itself is of a good size.
Dee Camp/The Chronicle
Pears show a pink blush as harvest nears in the Omak area.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 5
Prices improve with average cherry crop By Sheila Corson The Chronicle OKANOGAN – From the largest crop ever in 2009 to an average crop in 2010, cherries are pricing better with an average size. “’09 was one of those anomalies,” Washington Growers Clearing House Association Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said. When looking at trends, 2009 would be a year to throw out to find the average, Kelly said. In 2009, the Wenatchee District, of which Okanogan County is a part, saw 84,861 tons of cherries. Prices dropped from about $48 per 20-pound box in 2008 to $27 per box in 2009. Now with the 2010 crop of 60,560 tons, prices have gone back up to about $40, Kelly said. Numbers do not include processed and brined tonnage, which would add about 15-17 percent to the crop. Cherries didn’t suffer from many weather-related issues. The spring rains and cool weather timed themselves just right to stop before harvest and avoid major splits, Kelly said. Some growers in southern Washington were not as lucky as the average Okanogan County grower, Kelly said. Organic cherries are hardly on the radar screen for the area now, Kelly said. Compared to the growth in organic apples, neither pears nor cherries grown organically get much notice in the production numbers. Some hail damage and freezing affected some growers around the area, Gold Digger Manager Greg Moser said. Few were struck badly, and it all depended on location of the orchard. Some growers reported their
Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle
Bing cherries are sealed into a bag at Chelan Fruit Co., Brewster. biggest season yet, while others had a smaller or average season, Moser said. For crops overall, Washington Growers Clearing House Association Manager Kirk Mayer said the cool spring meant reduced bee activity and, therefore, marginal pollinization. Starting with the earlier cherries on through apples and pears, all crops were smaller. Some growers delayed the
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Workers sort cherries on the Chelan Fruit Co. line in Brewster.
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Page 6 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Stone fruit prices are pretty peachy “
By Cheryl Schweizer and Sheila Corson The Chronicle OMAK – Peaches are such a perfect summer food that “peachy” describes good things. And peach and nectarine prices were pretty peachy in 2010 $8.50-$18 per 20-pound box nationwide as of late August. But peaches, nectarines and apricots – called stone fruits – play a minor role in fruit production in Okanogan County and those who do grow them market them locally, largely through fruit stands and farmers’ markets. “Peaches did good” price-wise, said Brian Westerdahl, who raises peaches, nectarines and other fruit on Bridgeport Bar. But then, “prices are about the same every year,” he said. He planted peaches when he first established his orchard in the early 1980s “I had 10 acres and now I’ve got three acres,” he said. There’s a reason for that – peaches and nectarines aren’t that profitable in Okanogan County. “If they were profitable, you’d see a lot of them put in,” Westerdahl said. “I think the value and quality were good last year,” orchardist Rick DeLap said. His orchard near Malott includes about 13 acres of stone fruit. DeLap sells directly to his customers at his fruit stand on U.S. Highway 97 and through various farmers’ markets. Peach and nectarine trees really don’t like the weather in
I think the value and quality were good last year. Grower Rick DeLap
” North Central Washington. “They just die. The winter kills them, mainly. And they’re susceptible to disease, too,” Westerdahl said. DeLap said winters are hard on stone fruits - “very hard on the nectarines.” In addition, “it is a little harder up here to get size,” he said. Size matters in fruit production. Consumers like big apples and fat cherries, and “I think it’s even more important in soft fruit,” DeLap said. In Okanogan County, “if you’re going to grow soft fruit you, pretty much have to direct-sell,” he said. The nearest warehouse that accepts soft fruit for packing is in the Tri-Cities. At Shaw’s Fruit and Produce, Belvedere, Manager Roy Hamilton said this was the best year so far for nectarines in his orchard. Peaches were also “outstanding.” With his orchards along the Columbia River, Hamilton said they get the “lake effect” so that it doesn’t get as cold as other parts of the county. While others suffered from freezes, Shaw’s 2010 crop didn’t. Size and volume were both
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good for Shaw’s soft fruits, which were all sold from a fruit stand. It closed when the season ended in November, Hamilton said. The Washington Fruit Commission concentrates most of its promotional activities on cherries, Marketing Director James Michael said. Its research has shown that soft fruits — be they cherries, peaches, nectarines or apricots – often are an impulse buy, but also something consumers look forward to seeing in the store. Marketing research shows that 53 percent of cherry purchases are impulse buys, Michael said. “The quality of the fruit is something we want to emphasize,” he said. A small study done at Oregon State University in 2006 showed that consumers preferred the taste of Washington peaches over those of Oregon’s by a margin of two to one. “Washington fruit tastes better,” Michael said. The Fruit Commission also is taking advantage of the growing popularity of home canning to promote peaches, nectarines and apricots.
Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle
Miguel Pio, Brewster, fills bags of Bing cherries at the Chelan Fruit Co. cherry processing center in Brewster.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 7
Local grapes become top wines Special wines get Omak centennial designation By Brenda Starkey The Chronicle OMAK – Local grapes are being used to produce award-winning wines and putting the Okanogan Valley on the map for wine connoisseurs. The grapes grow in soils left during the ice age and are fed by waters from the snow melt of the Eastern Cascades. They are encouraged by the hot summer sun and cool nights, according to information from Esther Bricques Winery and Vineyard, 38 Swanson Mill Road, Oroville. RockWall Cellars, 110 Nichols Road, Omak, is introducing two new wines this season to celebrate Omak’s centennial. Muscat and Pinot Noir grapes are blended to produce the centennial red. There also is a centennial white. Both are new and different than any of the vineyard’s other wines, and both are excellent, according to the wine makers. RockWall’s Stampede Red 2010 won best of show honors at last November’s Okanogan-Omak Rotary wine tasting. The wine developed a unique finish as it aged in the bottle, the wine makers said. Meanwhile Okanogan Estate and Vineyards’ 2005 Bench Rock red blend wine received a silver award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in December. The 2005 Syrah picked up a bronze award for the winery, 1220 Ironwood St., Oroville. Lake Crest Winery, 817 Appleway St., Oroville, is known for its ice wines from grapes grown in the Molson area, among other wines. The sweet dessert wines are made from frozen grapes. When the water in the fruit is frozen, the juice has a higher sugar content. Lake Crest co-owner Boni Matthews said there are plans for putting some Lake Crest wines in the Okanogan Estates shop.
Sheila Corson/The Chronicle
Grapevines, with their fall colors beginning to show, stretch out toward the Similkameen River west of Oroville along Loomis-Oroville Road.
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Page 8 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Good farming practices are key Small-acreage farmers need to watch finances, keep up with fruit market By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle OMAK – Not long ago, the backbone of the North Central Washington fruit business was the small, family orchard spanning 20-100 acres. But in the 21st Century, it’s a different business and small growers now farm 400-500 acres. Staying in business requires nimble financial footwork and a good understanding where the fruit market is going, growers say. Whether an orchard is big, huge, small or tiny, “good farming practices are No. 1,” and the key to staying in business, Wenatchee Stemilt Growers spokesman Roger Pepperel said. “No. 2 is good business practices.” “Really good growers have always made money, for the most part,” Chelan Fruit Co. Assistant Manager Jim Divis said. He’s based in Chelan, but represents growers throughout Okanogan County. Even for good farmers and big producers. things have changed. “The margin of error is not what it used to be. It’s much smaller,” Pepperel said. The apple juice market is one example. Twenty years ago, growers could sell their culled fruit for juice production, but imports from China have left the domestic grower without a market. Fruit grading is another. There is a lot more emphasis on
optimum-sized fruit. “Today, the heart of the manifest is those premium sizes,” and a grower who doesn’t target those sizes will have a tough time surviving, Pepperel said. Premium sizes are 72-100. The numbers refer to how many apples can be packed in a standard box. The variety mix has changed in the last 25 years, too. The grower who sticks with the traditional varieties – the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious of the mid1980s – will have a harder time making money. Strategies and practices that used to work “just don’t work anymore,” Pepperel said. “Farming the wrong item in the wrong plot of ground is fatal,” he said. What does work is a careful study of the market and adjusting to it. In the 21st Century, a successful small grower is “definitely progressive in their variety selection,” Divis said. Progressive doesn’t mean being too far ahead of the pack. In the fruit business, there are varieties that were supposed to be sure things and weren’t. Varieties have looked and tasted good, and there’s a consensus that they’re going to take off, but sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t, he said. Growers can invest too heavily in experiments, what Divis called “the bleeding edge.” It can get ugly out there, he said. Growers should look at the varieties grocers want on their store shelves – “the things retailers are excited about,” Divis said – and plan their variety mix accordingly. Even though it takes a few
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years for new fruit trees to produce, it’s a pretty good bet retailers will still be excited about the same varieties in a few years, Divis said. Growers who opt for new planting methods may have an advantage there, he said. Where an orchard used to require four to five years to start producing, and not reach optimum production for six or seven years, new orchards now start producing in four years, and are producing a good crop in five. Successful small growers also have distributed their risk among a number of products. “They’re diversified,” Divis said. “Most of our small growers have apples, pears and cherries,” said Greg Moser, chief executive officer for Gold Digger Cooperative, Oroville. He said he knows a grower who has five varieties of apples, five varieties of cherries and three types of pears on 40 acres. If one variety isn’t making money, it’s likely another one will be. There’s also the option of “club” varieties. In those cases, growers pay a fee to grow that variety and only the franchise participants can produce it, or the growers belong to a warehouse and only that warehouse distributes that variety, Divis said. That allows growers to
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Orchards in their fall colors and newly mown hay turn the Okanogan Valley into a patchwork. control volume and avoid flooding the market. Owners of really small orchards can and do save on labor costs by doing most of the work themselves, or with a very small crew, Moser said. Small-scale growers can take advantage of their orchards’ size by marketing fruit directly to the consumer, either through their own fruit stand or a popular venue such as the Pike Place Market in
Seattle, Moser said. “You have to keep adapting,” Pepperel said. Small growers can, and should, take advantage of the information and assistance available through their warehouse, he said. Some of those tools are too expensive for a small grower, and in those cases the warehouse can help. “You have to rely on tools that larger resources can provide,” he said.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 9
Boom to bust: As developments falter, some land is replanted Economic downturn leaves housing developments idle By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle OMAK – The development boom of 2006-07, when a number of orchards were knocked down to make way for new housing, turned into a bust during the recent economic downturn. Cities along the Okanogan and Columbia rivers were headed for a partial transition from an agricultural town to river recreation and second-home communities. Gates erected as entrances to new developments now stand at the edge of empty ground. “I think we’re a long way from a residential boom,” Wenatchee Stemilt Growers spokesman Roger Pepperel said. “I think it’s going to be a while.” So what about the land where orchards were removed in anticipation of development? Chelan Fruit Cooperative Assistant Manager Jim Divis lives on Brewster Flat and commutes back and forth every day. “I don’t see a lot of that land. Where’s it at?” he asked. In Okanogan County, at least, the process of redevelopment may be under way already. Some land isn’t going back into tree fruit production. A few landowners are opting for hay or alfalfa, or experimenting with crops that are uncommon to North Central Washington, like wine grapes or blueberries. “I think blueberries have been planted like mad (in the region), and I think that’s done for a while,” Pepperel said. “There are a lot more alfalfa fields in the ground,” Orovillebased Gold Digger Cooperative Chief Executive Officer Greg Moser said. Some owners, especially those who don’t live on or near their property, have opted to wait and not replant anything, Moser said. Wine grape production has taken over some acreage around Chelan, but grape growers must cope with the same challenges that face cherry growers.
“ I think we’re a long way from a residential boom. Roger Pepperel, Stemilt Growers
” Growers have put in a lot of cherries in the last half-decade, and the expansion came back to haunt profit margins in 2009. Perfect growing conditions in Washington produced a bumper crop, which hit the market at the same time as a delayed crop from California. The state’s record-large crop combined with the wobbly economy to produce a crash in the cherry market. Growers haven’t forgotten that – and they also know there are a lot of cherry trees out there just starting to come into production. As a result, cherry plantings have slowed, and Pepperel said he thinks cherries have peaked for a while. “People are fearing that next big crop,” Divis said.
“There’s a lot of room for cherry consumption to grow, which is fortunate,” Pepperel said. But orchard owners have analyzed acreage, and anticipated production, and are considering other options. Landowners thinking about growing wine grapes also are doing the math of consumption versus production. “There is a teeny bit of pear production,” Pepperel said, but pears have challenges. Bartlett production has increased, Divis said, but overall pear production will not increase significantly. Many growers are opting for apples, and planting apples has changed in ways that speed up the production cycle. High-density planting and the
smaller trees it produces means a more expensive initial investment, but the trees are cheaper to maintain once they’re in, Divis said. In addition, newer orchards mature more quickly. It used to be an orchard matured in four to five years and started producing optimum quantities of fruit in five to six years. Now, orchards are starting production in three years, and producing “a lot by four and a whole lot by five,” he said.
“ There are a lot more alfalfa fields in the ground. Greg Moser, Gold Digger
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Page 10 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Oilseed crops rotate into popularity By Brenda Starkey The Chronicle OROVILLE – Oilseed crops could become a popular rotation crop in the Okanogan. A canola crushing plant is beginning production in Oroville, the Colville Confederated Tribes is promoting canola production for biodiesel fuel and an oilseed crop workshop was planned Jan. 25 in Okanogan. Once considered a Canadian specialty crop, canola and camelina are touted as a new alternative wheat rotation crop, and green energy production is grabbing headlines. Farm-produced biodiesel can be used to power everything from school buses to jet planes. Locally-produced biodiesel has been used to power a Paschal Sherman Indian School bus during a tribal demonstration. Entrepreneur Tim King said the Oroville crushing plant should
start producing biodiesel by month’s end. King said 12-15 new hires will get the first crusher operational and assemble more equipment, gradually increasing the facility’s output. It should be fully operational in about two months. Spokane International, Boeing Field and Seattle-Tacoma International airports have committed to use 1 percent biobased jet fuel, LM Energy LLC.’s Arnie Marchand said. His company is involved with the Oroville crushing operation. If there were crushing operations every 50 miles from Oroville to California, “we might be able to supply that 1 percent,” he said. The meal left over from the crushing operation is high in omega-3 fatty acids and makes excellent food for chickens and other livestock, Marchand said. The process leaves no big pile of waste, and has the capacity to
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Canola flowers bloom bright yellow in a Washington State Universitymonitored test plot east of Okanogan. increase egg production and meat quality while reducing the cost of feed, he said. The green industry was met with open arms in Oroville, he
said. King said the plan is to bring in seed from Canada through the heavy haul corridor and to encourage local farmers to
produce seed locally as well. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency announced it will insure canola against crop loss in Douglas and Okanogan counties, the crop became more appealing. King has held meetings at local Granges to urge farmers to consider growing canola as a rotation crop. Canola is a natural soil fumigant and can increase subsequent wheat yields on the same field 15-20 percent, he said. King has said he would offer the meal to farmers for less than he would pay for raw seed. Also, canola and camelina can be grown without herbicides or pesticides, he said Initially, the Oroville operation will crush about 120 ton of seed per day, but eventually will have the capacity to process 400 tons as more equipment is brought on line, Marchand said.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 11
It’s a great time to be a cattle rancher Prices are great and cattle are keeping pace with costs By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle OMAK – Who knew that the middle of a recession would be a great time to be a cattle rancher? “It’s as good as it gets right now, as far as the market is concerned,” cattleman Craig Vejraska said. Vejraska, of Omak, also is the president of the Cattle Producers of Washington. Prices are “the best I’ve seen. Ever,” said Charlie Moses, a rancher on the Colville Indian Reservation and president of the Colville Indian Livestock Association. A pregnant heifer is bringing $1,400-$1,500, a price that for a bred cow is “unbelievable,” he said. Although production costs are rising, “cattle are keeping pace,” Vejraska said. Corn prices are increasing, since approximately one-third of U.S. production goes to make ethanol, as are fertilizer and fuel costs. “The guys who still have some cows for sale are in the driver’s seat right now,” Vejraska said. The strong market reflects the realities of supply and demand. The number of cattle nationally is the lowest it’s been since 1952, Vejraska said. Fewer calves are being born, Moses said. And there’s good demand on the export market. Export demand is up “dramatically,” especially to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, Vejraska said. “The Asian Rim countries are our mainstay,” he said. Drovers Cattle Network reported Chicago cattle futures climbed to a record Jan. 18 amid expectations a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Korea will boost demand for U.S. meat. South Korea has destroyed about 15 percent of its combined pig and cattle herd – some 2.1 million animals – after 120 cases of the disease were reported since November. Russia also is becoming a good customer of American beef, Vejraska said. Even in a rocky economy worldwide, demand for beef is good. People have more disposable income and upgrade their eating standards. “People want to eat a nice, juicy
steak when they can,” he said. Still, the export market is always vulnerable. “All it takes is one BSE cow,” Vejraska said, referring to “mad cow disease.” It is transmitted by cattle and fatal to cows and humans alike. Quarantine rules can remain in place for years after a BSE cow is discovered, as Washington cattle producers learned when the country’s first BSE-infected cow was found in Sunnyside in 2003. Steady demand, limited supply and the possibility of profit normally would attract either ranchers who got out of the business or those who want to start a new operation. “The market has been real good for three years,” Vejraska said, and ordinarily that would attract more production. But it’s not happening. Vejraska said producers may be staying on the sidelines because there are some challenges out there. Corn as feed — used to help fatten cattle — is more expensive because of its use as fuel, and that also pushes up the fuel price. Fertilizer costs are impacted by the increase in fertilizer prices. Cattle producers also are concerned about the reintroduction of predators, especially gray wolves, into areas where cattle graze. On the Colville reservation, the herd has dropped from about 30,000 American Indian-owned
Brenda Starkey/The Chronicle
Cattle are driven to winter pasture along state Highway 20 near Wauconda. cows in the 1980s to about 3,000 today, Moses said. He said he’s not sure why, but until the recent economic downturn, there were jobs in the tribal properties, which reduced the economic need to work the land. Tribal officials are looking for ways to promote agriculture, orchards and ranches as an economic option in the future, he said.
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Page 12 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Cattlemen’s concerns:
Wolves and wilderness top the list Ferry County ranchers are upset with the Highlands Initiative By Brenda Starkey The Chronicle MALO – Ferry County cattlemen are concerned about two big issues — wolves and wilderness. Both could spell doom for area cattle ranchers if handled wrong, Ferry County Cattlemen’s Association President Gordon Strandberg said. If the Kettle Crest, from the Canadian border south to the Colville Indian Reservation becomes Gray wolf wilderness as proposed by Conservation Northwest and the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, it will take out most cattle ranchers, he said. Although Conservation Northwest says the Columbia Highlands Initiative, which maps wilderness and working forest areas, is a cooperative plan produced by a partnership of timber industry leaders, private landowners, small business owners, public agencies, conservation and recreation groups and community leaders,
“ Their proposal isn’t a win-win for the cattlemen. Gordon Strandberg
” Strandberg said local cattlemen haven’t been involved. “Those people don’t speak for the cattlemen. Their proposal isn’t a win-win for the cattlemen,” Strandberg said. He said rules and regulations for the proposed wilderness would be strict and eventually squeeze out cattlemen who graze their herds in the Kettle Crest area of the Colville National Forest. Tim Coleman, director of the Columbia Highlands Initiative disagrees. Cattlemen have been participants in the collaborative process, he says. Coleman also says grazing will continue whether the area becomes wilderness or not. The Forest Service grazing policy takes priority over wilderness designation. Ranchers can do what their grazing plan says they can do, Coleman said. The forest isn’t as pristine as Strandberg says he and many
others imagine a wilderness area to be. People can stand deep in the forest and hear large trucks on state Highway 20 and at night see lights from the Colville area, he said. “They think it’s so pristine, but it’s not, it’s just not,” Strandberg said. “It is a nice piece of real estate.” When the Pasayten Wilderness Area in Okanogan County became wilderness, the rules were so strict that cattlemen quit, he said. “The conservationists would like us to think those ranchers were ready to go out of business any way, but if that was the case, they could have sold their grazing permits to other cattlemen. They didn’t,” he said. Chainsaws can’t be used to clear a trail into the forest and watering areas for the cattle can’t be built, he said. That makes wilderness unusable for grazing, he said. The second issue he says could bring down area ranchers is the state’s proposed wolf plan. Wolves are predators and there’s nothing great about them, he said. People in British Columbia have been trying to get rid of them for years, he said. They are hard on game animals as well as livestock. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is working on a wolf management plan, and has said it understands that there could be a conflict between wolves and
Brenda Starkey/The Chronicle
Cattlemen rely on grazing in the Colville National Forest, rancher Gordon Strandberg said. livestock. The draft plan says funding will be sought to compensate ranchers for livestock lost to wolves. But Strandberg said a provision in the proposed wolf plan that allows 15 breeding pairs before a pack’s numbers can be managed is unrealistic. “If you’ve seen one wolf, they claim there are 20 out there,” he said. “We’ve protected enough. When is enough enough? It will never be enough to some,” Strandberg said. Strandberg also said many of the politicians who decide on
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 13
Guest worker program unaffordable, unworkable By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle OMAK – After a few years of experimentation, Okanogan County fruit producers may continue their involvement with the federal H2A guest worker program – or they might not. In its current configuration, it’s not very workable, they say. Okanogan County Farm Bureau President Jon Wyss was explicit: “For Okanogan County Farm Bureau members, the current H2A program is unaffordable and unworkable. Until the rules and regulations are reformed, the program will continue to be unaffordable and unworkable.”
“ For Okanogan County Farm Bureau members, the current H2A program is unaffaordable and unworkable. Jon Wyss
In fact, most Okanogan County Farm Bureau members can’t use it, Wyss said. Crane Family Orchards in Brewster has used H2A workers from Mexico; Gebbers Farms,
”
Brewster, contracted for H2A workers from Mexico and Jamaica for the 2010 growing season. Neither company would comment for publication. The H2A system provides a
stable labor force, but it isn’t flexible enough to meet the demands of agriculture, according to the Washington Farm Bureau. Wyss cited some examples of requirements that make it difficult to use H2A – prospective employers must apply for visas for workers at least three and a half months (75 days) before the employers actually need the workers, and in at least one program, the required hourly wage is $10.80. That’shigher than normal farm worker wages. Most H2A workers who came to Brewster last summer had long experience in the program picking apples in New York and Michigan, cutting sugar cane in
Florida, working row crops and tobacco fields in the Northeast. Frequently, H2A crews combine workers from several countries, although not always. Spending patterns of H2A workers were different from seasonal workers who came up from California and the Southwest. Most of their money went home, whether to Jamaica or Latin America. Some business owners benefitted – Jamaican workers bought electronic equipment before they left – but others didn’t. Clothing stores in the Brewster area reported less business during harvest season 2010 than harvest season 2009.
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By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle BREWSTER – Gebbers Farms will celebrate 101 years this spring. A hands-on approach is the prime reason Gebbers Farms is still in the fruit business, company spokesman Bob Grandy said. “It’s a big part of their success, that work ethic,” he said. In 1885, stories began to circulate about a strike of gold in the isolated Methow River Valley of Washington Territory. Dan Gamble came from Nova Scotia but didn’t find a lot of gold along the Methow River. Gamble built a sawmill, founded a hotel and planted an apple orchard near Brewster. The apple orchard went into the ground in 1910 and five generations later, his descendants are still farming. Gamble and his wife, Cora, opened the Gamble Hotel. The Gamble Hotel was a popular spot, even after moving a half-mile downriver. The railroad arrived in 1912. By that time Dan Gamble had built a new sawmill on Paradise Hill just south of town, planted his orchard and was running some cattle in the hills. His daughter, Martha, and her husband, John Gebbers, later took over. World War II eased economic conditions of the 1930s, but brought a labor shortage. Gebbers Farms solved the problem with the area’s first contract workers — labor brought from Mexico to work the harvest.
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Page 14 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Stability means fewer abandoned orchards Integrated management controls pests
acres in tree fruit, down about 15 acres from 2009. “There are a lot of new planting,” he said. One way growers can tackle pests is through integrated pest management, in which knowledge of pest and natural enemy biology and ecology is used, to make predictions about infestations and determine control tactics. Those tactics — from biological and chemical controls to genetics — are used to avoid crop loss, produce quality fruit and minimize harmful environmental effects, according to the
By Dee Camp The Chronicle TONASKET — Stability in the tree fruit industry during the past few years means fewer problems with abandoned orchards serving as a haven for tree fruit pests. Growers aren’t walking away from their orchards nearly the way they did just a few years ago, Okanogan County Horticultural Pest and Disease Control Agent Dan McCarthy said. “We’ve seen stable times in the tree fruit industry in the last three or four years,” he said. “There is not the abandonment there was.” In the early 2000s, many orchards were pulled up as prices dropped and growers were putting more money into growing their crops than they were getting back from selling the fruit. Some orchardists left their uprooted trees where they fell; a few just walked away and let their orchards sit, untended. Pests moved in, threatening remaining orchards. Although apples were the hardest hit, the whole
Al Camp/The Chronicle
A worker prunes a tree between Malott and Brewster. industry felt the effects. Five years ago, Tim Smith of the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center advised growers gathered for the Okanogan County Horticulture Association annual meeting to use effective insecticides and be vigilant in their quest to eradicate cherry fruit fly, one of the opportunistic
pests that plague orchardists. Just one cherry fruit fly can send an orchardist’s whole crop to fumigation, reducing its value tremendously, he said. In 2010, net orchard loss in Okanogan County was minimal, McCarthy said. There were 23,608
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 15
Help needed to knock out weeds By Sheila Corson The Chronicle OKANOGAN – While area weed offices are battling a few stubborn, invasive species, area residents’ help is needed to knock them out. In Ferry County, aggressive programs have led to the eradication of many Class A weeds – those designated by the state as the first to be eliminated. Weed coordinator Mary Fee said residents should still watch out for buffalobur and velvetleaf, two Class As recently knocked out. For now, a few Class Bdesignates will get focus this year, Fee said. Atop the the list are common bugloss and hoary alyssum, joined by Russian knapweed, spotted knapweed and orange hawkweed. Last year, the county was able to knock out plumeless thistle, and reduced leafy spurge to only two active sites, Fee said. The program for 2011 will depend on funding, as the office waits to hear on grants. Fee said the office can help Ferry County residents with the costs of treating Class A and B weeds, as well as do on-site visits to help set up a weed management plan. Anyone has a weed problem, especially Class A varieties, should contact the office, Fee said. In Okanogan County, five Class As are being targeted. Coordinator Anna Lyon said the two on the top of the list are Mirabilis (wild four o’ clock) and spurge flax. The latter is hard to find until it has become a huge patch. Other area Class As are buffalobur, velvetleaf and Syrian bean caper. Two new invaders to look for are hawkweeds and yellow star thistle, which are Class B’s, Lyon said. She said her office wants to do the same programs as before, but with low funding will have to find more effective and efficient ways to do them. That could mean some previously grant-funded programs free to landowners will now have to become the landowners’ responsibility. Instead of the weed office treating some infestations, it might just oversee applications, she said. The office hopes to keep all its educational programs, especially the state pesticide application license re-certification classes. Employees also have found speaking to area student camps
has helped raise awareness, Lyon said. Another option for saving costs is to cut back office hours. Lyon said the weed office would work with the Washington State University Extension office so someone is always there to answer questions. Lately, public awareness of puncturevine has led to a drop in its spread, Lyon said. The office is not mandated to treat this weed, but encourages landowners to attack it themselves. Puncturevine, or goat head, produces hard, spikes that can prick feet and puncture bicycle tires. The office will have to work with whatever grants it gets and
then set a priority list, which always means Class A weeds on top, Lyon said. Some headway has been made on Class A Mirabilis in the last year, Lyon said. Class B musk thistle and diffuse knapweed are now in small patches, and are even hard to find. Class A spurge flax, present in the county since 1997, had dropped down a bit, but last year saw another huge instance with 65 acres having to be treated, Lyon said. That may have been because of the right weather conditions for the plant. People with weed problems or suggestions for the office can contact the weed office, Lyon said.
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Page 16 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Lawmakers may tackle some ag issues Water talks have popped up already; movement may come By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle OLYMPIA – Agricultural issues may get some attention in a predicted tumultuous session of the Washington Legislature this year. Lawmakers are looking at the perennial issue of water rights and allocation, and there may be some movement this year, said 12th District Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. Armstrong His district includes part of Okanogan County. Water issues popped up already during a meeting with officials of the state Department of Ecology over potential budget cuts, he said. Parlette Department officials said budget cuts would delay granting water rights and Armstrong said he asked, “point blank,” how the process could get any slower than it already is. “The bottom line is they don’t want to issue water rights,” he said. “It’s a real frustration.” The Legislature may have to act to force Ecology to get moving, he said, and there appears tobe a better chance of that this year than in the past. Among the bills already introduced is one that would take water rights management away
“ The bottom line is they don’t want to issue water rights. It’s a real frustration. Rep. Mike Armstrong
” from Ecology and establish a separate, six-member board of three members from each side of the state. Another would revise relinquishment laws and use-it-orlose-it clauses. A third would revise the transfer process. Armstrong said he’s not sure any of them will pass, but any bill that’s introduced in this session automatically will be reintroduced during the 2012 session. Facing budget cuts and staff reductions, agencies are looking for ways to raise revenue by raising fees, some of them on agriculture, Armstrong said. He referred to the so-called “ladybug bill” that would establish fees for organic farmers who use beneficial insects for pest control. It’s going to be important for legislators – and farmers – to keep an eye out for those proposals, he said. Members of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association visited 12th District Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, last week, and left information detailing their concerns. Cattle producers are
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considering starting a producerowned beef processing center in Eastern Washington, and they want state regulatory officials to help, and not hinder, their research. There are proposals in the Legislature to allow the departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife to sell land back into the private sector in certain circumstances — Washington Cattlemen members said they support that. They are asking for state regulation that will allow access to water for cattle, and they support bills that would allow ranchers to use lethal force against predators such as cougars, wolves and bears. Bills have been introduced that would expand a pilot program that allows people to hunt cougars with dogs, Armstrong said. “I think we have a real chance to make some difference,” he said. The 2010 election changed the balance in the Legislature. Although Democrats still control both chambers, they are inviting Republicans to play a larger role in shaping policy.
“ I think we have a real chance to make some difference. Rep. Mike Armstrong
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 17
Presention focuses on reproductive disease Trichomoniasis is transmitted sexually and causes infertility
“ We’re encouraging cattlemen to test their bulls.
By Brenda Starkey The Chronicle TONASKET – Trichomoniasis, a reproductive disease affecting cattle, has emerged in Okanogan County, and will be the subject of an upcoming informational meeting. Although the disease does not affect the meat of a beef herd, it can be economically devastating to ranchers. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease of cattle that causes infertility, open cows and occasional abortions in cows and heifers. It is commonly referred to as “Trich.” There are treatments available, according to Casey Kuchenbuch of the Haeberle Ranch, Omak. The disease can spread easily through a herd. Infected cattle frequently are
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slaughtered. “We’re encouraging cattlemen to test their bulls,” he said. “Right now, this is at a small stage.” Since calves on the ground translate into income for those who raise beef herds, the disease is considered catastrophic to many, he said. The free informational meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, in the Tonasket High School commons, 35 Highway 20. State veterinarian Leonard Eldridge will give an overview of “Trich” and procedures that can be taken to help prevent infection. There will be testimony from
”
ranchers who have had to deal with the disease in the past. Those who raise cattle will be given information about how to prevent Trich and how to eradicate the disease if it appears in a herd, Kuchenbuch said. Everyone with cattle is encouraged to attend, ask questions and give comments, he said. During the meeting, Nicole Kuchenbuch will give a presentation from the Coalition for Property Rights.
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Page 18 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Berney takes on a small experiment Irish Dexter mini-cattle are half to a third the size of standard bovines By Cheryl Schweizer The Chronicle CONCONULLY – George “Buzz” Berney likes to experiment and tinker with everything, including his cattle herd. Some experiments are more or less successful; the experiment with Irish Dexter cattle has been thoroughly successful. “I guess these guys could be described as mini-cattle,” said Berney, 74. “They are one of the oldest breeds in the world as a pure breed,” he said. Optimum size for an Irish Dexter bull, as far as breed standards are concerned, is 45 inches tall or less at the shoulder. An optimum-size bull will weigh 600-650 pounds. “That’s half to one-third the size of some of the cows they’re breeding nowadays,” he said. They may not be big, but they’re good. Berney said the meat quality is similar to the famous — and extremely expensive — Wagyu or Kobe beef of Japan, and maybe as good. The cattle grow more slowly than standard cattle breeds that populate commercial herds, and it takes longer for the animal to reach optimum size and meat quality — called finishing — “but the meat quality is better,” he said. Berney and his wife, Jean, have lived on their Conconully ranch all their married life, and they and their four sons have cattle all that time. Originally, his customers included people who wanted to buy beef directly from the producers – a half or quarter beef. A smaller animal like an Irish Dexter would – at least theoretically – be easier to sell. “I could sell them half a beef in one animal this way,” he said. That idea never panned out, since for regulatory reasons it would’ve required Berney to sell them live, rather than slaughtering them first. Still, the smaller cattle appealed to his experimental side. He’s been experimenting with
“ I was taken by the fact these guys were small, and gentle if you took the time to gentle them. They are very easily tamed, like pets. Buzz Berney
” breeding animals most of his life, he said. “I was taken by the fact these guys were small, and gentle if you took the time to gentle them,” he said. “They are very easily tamed, like pets. But mine aren’t. I’ve never run them that way.” Berney’s Irish Dexters are like their bigger bovine cousins who’ve spent most of their time on the range, and shy away from people who approach them. Berney said he wanted to try raising them, and found a rancher in Western Washington who was getting older and wanted to sell. Berney bought a bull and four or five heifers, “and that was toward 20 years ago.” It’s known, both from anecdotes and through research,
Irish Dexterse, right, are smaller than standard cattle. The meat is similar to that of Japanese Wagyu or Kobe beef. Buzz Berney
that slower-growing cattle make higher-quality steaks and roasts – more flavor, more marbling, tenderer. Irish Dexters are slow growers, and they live longer than most cattle, about 14-16 years. And “birthing problems are almost nonexistent,” Berney said. He said he’s impressed with the long-ago and anonymous cattle breeders who produced the animals. “There must’ve been people a long time ago that did a lot of sorting for quality,” he said.
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Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 19
WSU develops new apple The Chronicle PULLMAN – Washington State University has developed a new apple, known as WA 5. According to the university, the fruit ripens in early to midSeptember, after Galas, and is round and medium-sized. It has a red-orange stripe over a yellow background, and experiences little russeting or bitter pit. The apple is crisp, very juicy and firm out of storage. It has a good sugar-to-acid balance. Trees are compact and productive, with moderate susceptibility to mildew and fire blight. The apple is a cross of Splendour and Coop 15. WA 5 is available for grower evaluation, and follows on the heels of last year’s WA 2. Trees will be distributed this year under the commercialization plan developed by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, the master licensee. The plan is designed to ensure fair access by all growers in the state, protect WSU intellectual property and ensure accessibility to the university’s apple breeding program. Growers can apply for trees now, WSU officials said. Application forms are available at www.treefruitresearch.com.
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it’s all about you! Physician owned. Patient centered.
Page 20 — Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Your Okanogan County PUD has an array of energy efficient measures to help stretch your operating budget. Our Energy Services Department can pull together a mix of energy experts, technicians, energy evaluations and financing programs that creates a collective approach to finding solutions to save energy, water and ultimately dollars. Irrigation systems delivering the right amount of water at the right time and pumps and motors working efficiently helps to ensure that your hard earned dollars are working as hard as you. Call your Okanogan County PUD Energy Services Office at (509) 422-8427 or 422-8428 and speak with a staff member. See what programs and resources they have to offer for enhanced performance and to ensure your continued success. OKANOGAN COUNTY PUD AND OUR CUSTOMERS A PARTNERSHIP FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY!
Public Utility District No. 1 of Okanogan County 1331 2nd Ave. N., Okanogan, 422-3310 • 1500 Main, Oroville, 476-3531 18 1st. Ave. W., Omak, 422-8380 • 307 S. Western Ave., Tonasket, 486-2131 101 S. Bridge, Brewster, 689-2502 • 201 Hwy. 20 South, Twisp, 997-2526