Summer 2008 Volume 8, Issue 3
Buying
Local
The Infamous
Montpelier
Bank Robbery
Farm Bureau
To Offer Group
Health Insurance
Book Review,
Food Page
And More
The Ag Agenda
In Farm
Bureau,
Character
Prevails
By Bob Stallman
President American Farm
Bureau Federation
What makes an organization great? Many would argue it’s how well the organization lobbies Congress.
Others say it depends on
how well the organization
sways public sentiment.
Some folks think it’s the
member benefits and perks.
Granted, while all those
components are important,
they would mean nothing without character.
Winston Churchill once said that the
price of greatness is responsibility. I
wholeheartedly concur. Farm Bureau is
what it is today not only because of its
effectiveness in the political and public
arenas, but because of its compassion
and responsibility to our next-door
neighbors and people across the globe.
That is what makes Farm Bureau great.
A Helping Hand
Farmers in the U.S. have seen their fair
share of natural disaster during the past
several years. If it’s not hurricanes and
tornadoes, it’s drought and flooding.
Yet, Farm Bureau members always prevail during these true tests of character.
See STALLMAN, page 17
The President’s Desk
Food Prices
Up Slightly
During Second
Quarter
By Frank Priestley
President Idaho Farm
Bureau Federation
Retail food prices at supermarkets increased
3.5 percent over the last
three months, according
to American Farm Bureau
Federation’s recent Marketbasket Survey.
Each quarter, AFBF sends
out shoppers with a list of
16 basic food items including milk, eggs, vegetable
oil, bacon, fryer chickens, white bread,
ground chuck and others. In the last sur-
vey, 87 shoppers in 36 different states
participated.
While prices increased on 14 of the 16
food items purchased, the higher cost of
food pales in comparison with huge increases in the energy costs that American families face. Fuel, natural gas and
electricity prices have climbed steadily
over the past two years, forcing many
American families to cut back anywhere
they can. In spite of food prices that
increased an average of 3.5 percent, or
$1.64 for the 16 items during the second
See PRIESTLEY, page 12
Inside Farm Bureau
The ‘DoNothing’
Congress —
Less Four
By Rick Keller
CEO Idaho Farm
Bureau Federation
2
Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley and
I were in Washington,
D.C., in mid-July to visit
with our congressional
delegation. Farm Bureau
members expect regular
contact with their representatives to ensure their
voice is not lost in the
noise that bombards the
Beltway. Farm Bureau
representatives meet face to face with
our elected delegation at least quar-
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
terly. They also maintain constant
contact through e-mail, conferences
calls, and mail.
Knowing that an election is just around
the corner, this Congress is the DoNothing Congress. Congress has consciously determined not to take action
on many vital issues facing this nation
– issues such as appropriations, the uncontrollable growth of the national debt,
immigration, and the transfer of wealth
as a result of high energy costs.
See KELLER, page 12
Butch Cassidy
and the Bank
of Montpelier
By Jake Putnam
Farm Bureau Writer
Pistol-whipped bank teller Bud Mackintosh testified in court that the number 13
was the cause of it all. “It was the 13th
day of the month; after the 13th deposit
of $13 at 3:13.”
Mackintosh knew a thing or two about
luck because he was robbed on the 13th
day of August in 1896 in the most infamous bank robbery in Idaho history,
masterminded by Butch Cassidy and the
Wild Bunch in Montpelier.
On a hot, cloudless August afternoon
at 833 Washington Street in Montpelier, three strangers on horseback rode
through dusty streets. That day only
dogs and merchants stirred in the heat.
Most everyone in Bear Lake County was
putting up hay when the cowboys tied
their horses to a hitching post near the
bank.
Butch Cassidy, Elzy Lay and Bob Meeks
spent weeks scouting the bank from
Cokeville just east of Bear Lake across
the Wyoming state line. For cover the
three outlaws worked on the Emelle
ranch operated by the wife of a prominent Montpelier jeweler.
She recalled later in court that the cowboys ran cattle at the ranch for about
two weeks. They were the best ranch
hands she’d ever had, but they were always heavily armed. She added that they
made frequent trips into Cokeville and
Montpelier at all hours of the day and
night.
Later in court it all made sense. Cassidy
was a details man; his trips to town were
recon missions for the bank job and in no
time he learned: that with the last cutting
of the hay in Bear Lake County, farmers
paid back loans to the bank and the cash
Butch Cassidy (seated, right) and the Wild Bunch in Forth Worth, Texas, in 1901.
drawers were full; that the sheriff made
rounds out in the county in the afternoons; and that Thursday was one of the
slowest days of the week. The outlaws
also scouted escape routes and places to
cache relay horses for the getaway.
Friends across the border in Star Valley
said that Cassidy and the boys had wintered there after getting out of prison on
Jan. 20. They said Cassidy was making
an honest living working as a cowboy
on nearby ranches. They described Cassidy as tough and hardened yet still kind
despite two years in the Wyoming state
pen.
In stories handed down, many Star Valley residents recalled Cassidy living at
Many a resident said that
Cassidy was a loyal friend
who prided himself on keeping promises ... But Butch
Cassidy had a dark side.
Stealing was his business
and god help anyone that
stepped in his way.
the Morgan place in Auburn and when
the worst part of winter hit and things
got tough, somehow he came up with a
side of beef for starving families. Many
a resident said that Cassidy was a loyal
friend who prided himself on keeping
promises.
Star Valley pioneer Pearl Davis has said
that Cassidy loved music and went to
the dances Saturday nights that winter
at the Rock Church in Auburn. He often sat with his back against the wall so
he could see people coming through the
front door. Lay and Meeks would listen to her father’s fiddle and watch the
people dance. She said no one was more
fun-loving and fond of practical jokes
than Cassidy.
But Butch Cassidy had a dark side. Stealing was his business and god help anyone
that stepped in his way. He stood about
5-foot-10 and weighed in at a slim 155
pounds. He was quick on his feet, always
packed a six-shooter and it’s said he could
drive nails at the pull of a trigger.
Cassidy’s horsemanship was legendary,
his ability to meticulously plan and execute robberies unmatched.
See CASSIDY, page 6
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
3
Contents
Volume 8, Issue 3
IFBF OFFICERS
President . ................................. Frank Priestley, Franklin
Vice President .........................Carl Montgomery, Eden
Executive Vice President .............................. Rick Keller
Features
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bryan Searle ............................................................Shelley
Albert Johnson ............................................Georgetown
Scott Bird .......................................................... Pocatello
Mark Trupp ............................................................. Driggs
Dean Schwendiman ........................................... Newdale
Danny Ferguson ........................................................Rigby
Gerald Marchant .................................................. Oakley
Rick Pearson ................................................... Hagerman
Mike Garner.............................................................. Declo
Terry Jones ........................................................... Emmett
Curt Krantz ............................................................ Parma
Mike McEvoy..................................................... Middleton
Marjorie French .............................................. Princeton
Bob Callihan . ...................................................... Potlatch
Louis Kins ........................................................... Kootenai
Carol Guthrie ......................................................... Inkom
Chris Dalley ...................................................... Blackfoot
STAFF
Dir. of Admin. Services ....................... Nancy Shiozawa
Dir. of Member Services ................................... Ray Poe
Dir. of Commodities ............................ Gary Fuhriman
Commodity Assistant ................................. Peggy Pratt
Membership Assistant .............................. Peggy Moore
Market Information Assistant ................ Dixie Ashton
Dist. I Regional Manager ........................ Kendall Keller
Dist. II Regional Manager .................... Dennis Brower
Dist. III Regional Manager .................. Charles Garner
Dist. IV Regional Manager ................... Russ Hendricks
Dist.V Regional Manager ...................... Bob Smathers
Dir. of Governmental Affairs ....................... Kent Lauer
Asst. Dir. of Governmental Affairs ... Dennis Tanikuni
Director of Public Relations ............. John Thompson
Video Services Manager ............................ Steve Ritter
Broadcast Services Manager .................... Jake Putnam
Office Manager, Boise ............................ Shawna Yasuda
Member Services Manager ........................ Joel Benson
Publications Editor .......................................... Sean Ellis
Hold-Up
book review
Food barley
Buying local
3
8
Barley growers concerned about
10
Anheuser-Busch takeover, MillerCoors merger.
cows blamed
Greenhouse gas report says cattle
14
to blame for much of Idaho’s
carbon footprint.
IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY
USPS #022-899, is published quarterly by the
IDAHO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION,
275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, ID 83201.
POSTMASTER send changes of address to:
IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY
P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848.
Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, ID
and additional mailing offices.
Subscription: $4 a year included in Farm Bureau dues.
ADVERTISING CONTACT:
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
PHONE (208) 239-4279 • FAX (208) 232-3616
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Cover: Rudy Gomez of Volcanic Farms in Emmett
sells fresh produce at the Pocatello farmers market.
See story about buying local on page 20.
4
Idaho growers supplying exciting
new healthy food market.
beer shakeup
Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID
Butch Cassidy and the infamous
Montpelier bank robbery.
Photo by Sean Ellis
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
“Holy Cows and Hog Heaven:
16
The Food Buyer’s Guide to Farm
Friendly Food. “
More people are buying their food
20
locally and farmers and retailers
are responding.
field burning
25
DEQ explains new crop residue
burning program.
health insurance
36
Idaho Farm Bureau offering new
health insurance plan.
DEPARTMENTS
The Ag Agenda: Bob Stallman............................................................. 2
The President’s Desk: Frank Priestley.............................................. 2
Inside Farm Bureau: Rick Keller......................................................... 2
Marketbasket Survey.......................................................................... 18
Puzzle..................................................................................................... 19
Idaho’s Private Forest...................................................................30-31
Food Page............................................................................................. 35
Classifieds ............................................................................................ 42
Letter to the Editor
Editor’s note: This letter to the editor was
written in response to the article, “Halt to
Horse Slaughter Causing Problems,” that
appeared in our spring Quarterly magazine.
Horses are companion animals. They
should not be slaughtered for meat for
foreigners. If you want to eat a horse you
own, there is nothing wrong with that. But
running them through an auction ring,
stockpiling them, unsorted, in a feed lot
where young, old, mares, stallions, foals
and ponies duke it out over food, water and
the pecking order, is cruel. So is loading
them in double-decker cattle trailers which
are too short for horses, and hauling them
for up to 28 hours without food, water or
rest. Many of these trucks arrive at the
slaughterhouse with trampled dead or dying
horses inside.
The governor of Kentucky, Ernie Fletcher,
has released a statement saying there is no
abandoned horse problem in Kentucky.
The abandoned horse rumors were based
on faulty reporting, yet the press and proslaughter forces insist on perpetuating the
abandoned horse myth. If horses are being
abandoned across the U.S., then show us the
police reports generated by stray animals.
I do not know of one horse owner that
would abandon or starve their horses if
they couldn’t feed them. Many of the horse
abuse cases are caused by hoarders who
would have 300 cats in their home if they
were into cats. Unfortunately for their
horses, they accumulate and breed grade
horses instead.
The horse market is just that — a market. If
slaughter were eliminated, poor horse prices
would end the breeding of grade horses.
Slaughter allows people who are not interested in breeding for quality a way to raise
questionably bred horses and dump them.
It also allows the racing industry to breed
horses, use them up on the track, and throw
them away.
I am not an animal rights activist. I eat
meat that was raised for that purpose. Not
pet horses that were loved by someone,
and cared for by someone, then dumped by
Idaho Farm Bureau Photo
someone when they became inconvenient.
Horses are companion animals, and companion animals are euthanized when proper
homes cannot be found for them. We don’t
butcher our unwanted dogs and cats and export their meat to Asia, and we shouldn’t be
butchering our horses and exporting their
meat to Europe.
— Valorie Stricklin,
Latah County Farm Bureau Member
Top Farm Bureau Agents
Rookie of the Month:
Agent of the Month:
Agency Manager of
the Month:
Farm Bureau Members get $450 or $500
off of six selected models
Matt Anderson
Driggs Office
Allan Gliege
Eagle Office
For order information call
Joel Benson at 208-239-4289
Ron Boyd
Twin Falls Office
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
5
cassidy
Continued from page 3
talking to two men he saw his chance,
knowing that there was just one employee in the cage and another at a desk.
He told Meeks to get the horses ready
and gun down anyone that looked like
trouble and then he and Elzy sprang into
action.
He also had the ability to vanish for
months at a time and he had shrewd
public relations skills. Borrowing from
Robin Hood, he robbed rich ranchers,
railroads and banks and gave generously
to widows, friends and children.
Bank President G. C. Gray was out front
talking city politics to Montpelier City
Councilmen Bill Perkins and Ed Hoover
when two men hit the boardwalk with
guns drawn and bandanas over their
faces. The outlaws quietly forced them
inside the small bank building. Gray
recalled later that the clock on the wall
read 3:13.
It was conflicting promises that painted
Cassidy into a corner in August of 1896:
his promise to go straight clashed with
the promise to help a friend. Former
Wild Bunch member Matt Warner was
in an Ogden jail on murder charges and
asked Cassidy for help. Butch promised
the best lawyer money could buy; it was
the least he could do to keep a friend
from the gallows.
Cassidy had also made a promise to
Wyoming Gov. Bill Richards. Richards
pardoned the outlaw and released him
early from prison on a promise that he’d
do his outlawing out of state and that’s
what landed him in Montpelier, just a
short ride from the border. He needed at
least $3,000 to help pay for Warner’s attorneys.
The two weeks at the Emelle place flew
past and on Aug. 12, the Wild Bunch
pulled up stakes and drew their pay.
Butch Cassidy’s mugshot while he was imprisoned
at the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie.
They spent the rest of that day caching supplies and fresh horses outside of
town. That night they camped in nearby
Montpelier Canyon.
On Aug. 13 they rode up to a saloon
on Washington Street next to the bank
while Cassidy kept a close eye on the
bank. When he saw the banker out front
Inside, Lay forced the stenographer,
Gray, Perkins and Hoover against the
wall at gunpoint while Cassidy jumped
in the cage with a gunny sack in hand
and emptied the cash drawers of silver
and gold. Cassidy ordered Mackintosh
to give up the rest of the bills in the safe
and, when he protested, cracked him on
the head with the butt of his gun. Bloodied and dazed, Mackintosh gave up the
money.
Just inside the vault Cassidy found a fully loaded Winchester that Mackintosh
kept for situations like this; he took it as
he backed out of the bank. The outlaw
warned everyone there to stay quiet and
not move for 10 minutes. The bloodied
Mackintosh was seething but kept his
head. As he looked out the window to
the street, he studied the face of the man
holding the horses. In just five minutes
the daring daylight robbery was over
and the outlaws disappeared into a cloud
of dust on Washington Street.
When it was safe, Gray ran from the
building yelling, “robbery, robbery.”
Deputy Sheriff Fred Cruikshank was
first on the scene but there wasn’t a
horse in sight so he took off on a bicycle.
City Prosecutor John Bagley grabbed
his horse and followed. They closed in
on the outlaws just enough to determine
their direction.
The Bank of Montpelier today.
6
Photo Courtesy of the Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Bear Lake County Sheriff Jeff Davis got
The robbery made national news but all
they had was Mackintosh’s description
of the man in the street. An artist was
brought in, posters made and within a
month they had an identity.
Henry Robert “Bob” Meeks was arrested
by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office
in Wyoming and transported to the Bear
Lake County Jail where for the next year
he stood trial and was convicted for the
crime. A jury of peers gave him 35 years
in the Idaho State Penitentiary for his
part in the crime. He arrived at the pen
Sept. 7, 1897, but escaped seven years
later, disappearing into history.
Elzy Lay
a posse together and in less than an hour
they were tracking the outlaws. When
they closed in on a narrow canyon, the
posse fizzled out. They didn’t want to
ride into an ambush and many turned for
home. But Davis and Cruikshank drove
on for another week until the trail went
cold.
Back in Montpelier the investigation continued. Mrs. Emelle came forward and
said three cowboys, George Ingerfield,
Willie McGinnis and Marty Makensie,
had worked for her and disappeared after the robbery. The outlaws had all used
aliases.
Montpelier circa 1910.
Butch Cassidy and Ezra “Elzy” Lay
were never identified by witnesses and
never arrested for the robbery, but their
involvement is commonly accepted by
historians. Jurisdictional issues across
state lines and statutes of limitations
may have contributed to their not being
arrested for the crime.
Lay was later arrested for a train robbery in New Mexico and was in prison
until 1906. He turned his life around and
became a watermaster in California. He
died in Glendale, Calif., in 1933.
Cassidy continued his outlaw ways until
disappearing in South America. Some
say he died in a shootout in Bolivia,
while others say he died in Spokane under an assumed name in the 1930s.
Photo Courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society
Bob Meeks’ mugshot, courtesy of the Idaho State
Penitentiary.
The outlaws got away with $1,000 in gold
and silver coins and $6,100 in greenbacks.
After the robbery, Wyoming Attorney Douglas Preston was paid $3,000 in cash from an
undisclosed third party to defend Warner.
The outlaw was convicted on manslaughter
charges and served four years in jail.
The Bank of Montpelier continued business
until it failed in the mid 1920s. The building still stands on Washington Street.
Sources: “The Outlaw Trail,” Charles
Kelly, Bonanza Books, 1938; “A History of Star Valley,” Forrest Kennington,
Valley Graphics, Salt Lake, 1989; “A
History of the Hub,” Allgara West, Gateway, 1998.
Butch Cassidy and Ezra
‘Elzy’ Lay were never identified by witnesses and never
arrested for the robbery,
but their involvement is
commonly accepted by historians. Jurisdictional issues
across state lines and statutes of limitations may have
contributed to their not being arrested for the crime.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
7
Barley Growers Enter Healthy Food Market
By Sean Ellis
and Bob Smathers
Farm Bureau Writers
LEWISTON — Idaho barley
growers have ushered their
industry into the lucrative
healthy food market with a
new variety of high-fiber food
barley. At the same time, they
could be helping to fight heart
disease and diabetes.
North Idaho producers started
planting BGLife Barley last
year and have expanded acreage for the new grain that’s
being touted as the next generation of healthy food for an
increasingly
diet-conscious
America.
Food barley is an emerging
economic opportunity for
Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. BGLife officials say the
new variety is high in soluble
fiber, has a superior nutritional
profile and helps fight heart
disease, obesity and diabetes.
It entered the consumer marketplace with Heart Balance
Cereal.
Farmer Sam White of Genesee said at least 10 farmers in
the area are growing the new
barley. “The barley yielded as
well as the field barley, and it
didn’t cost any more to grow,”
he said. “The seed (cost) was
fairly nominal, so the growers’ costs were fairly similar,
but they got a premium on the
product.”
Idaho barley growers are excited about their entrance into the healthy food market.
been a big part of the U.S. market and only about 3 percent of
barley produced in the U.S. is
used for that purpose. But, she
added, “We see a great opportunity to expand. It’s a great
growth opportunity.”
According to BGLife officials,
the product promotes healthy
blood sugar, is proven to reduce
cholesterol, promotes healthy
blood pressure and helps control weight, all conditions associated with diabetes and heart
disease.
According to BGLife officials,
about 2,000 acres are being
grown in north Idaho and another 400 acres of seed is being
grown in southern Idaho.
The FDA approved a heart
healthy claim for food barley
in 2006. “FDA approval is
especially important to savvy
consumers who have those
types of health concerns,” Olson said.
Idaho Barley Commission
(IBC) Administrator Kelly Olson said food barley has never
Overseas market demand created an opportunity for the
IBC to collaborate with Pacific
8
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Northwest Farmers Cooperative (PNFC) of Genesee to export BGLife Barley.
The U.S. sold its first shipment
of the barley to Japan last year
and all of it was sourced from
Idaho, mostly from an area just
north of Genesee, which is near
Lewiston.
“I am told the Japanese customers liked the barley well
enough that they have developed a new heart-healthy food
product from the Idaho barley
that is just now appearing on
Japanese grocery shelves,”
Gov. Butch Otter said June 24
during a press conference introducing the product.
“The opportunities appear to
be significant in other Asian
markets as well, like Taiwan,
which want to improve the fiber content of their rice-based
diets,” Otter added.
Photo by Robert Blair
The domestic market potential
for the product is also growing
as Americans become more
aware of food barley’s health
benefits.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 20 million
Americans have diabetes and
54 million are pre-diabetic,
meaning they have all the risk
factors that could lead to diabetes down the road.
“I am hoping American consumers take notice of this new
BGLife Barley and its implications for human wellness,” Otter said.
BGLife Barley “is at the center
of our barley industry’s expansion into value-added production that focuses on unique
traits that promote human
wellness,” said IBC commissioner Dan Mader, a grower
and chairman of the National
Food Barley Commission.
Historically, barley has been
grown in Idaho for two primary markets: as malting for
the domestic beer market and
as cattle feed.
Both markets have been good
to Idaho producers, Mader
said. But “BGLife Barley presents an entirely new and exciting venture opening up for
Idaho and the Northwest.”
Mader said expanding into
food barley is an important development for the state because
Idaho is the second largest producer of barley in the country.
Idaho produced more than 44
million bushels of barley last
year that was valued at $186
million, making it the fifth
largest cash crop in the state.
According to White, who is
also chief operations officer of
the PNFC, growers produced
barley under contract with the
Japanese company last year
with very tight agronomic and
handling specifications.
“This was our first experience
with the new BGLife Barley
variety and despite some challenging growing conditions
last year, the barley performed
well and met our customer’s
expectations,” White said.
BGLife officials said the company is going to expand beyond
the breakfast market and the
new product will soon be used
in everything from muffins to
pizza crust.
“The opportunities look tremendous for this new type of
food barley, both for export as
well as for largely untapped
domestic markets,” Otter said.
“From my vantage point,
BGLife Barley is a tremendous
win for regional farmers who
have new value-added mar-
Gov. Butch Otter discusses BGLife Barley during a press conference June 24.
kets, and for our consumers,
particularly those with heart
and diabetic risk factors.”
Obesity and diabetes are the
most significant health issues
of the 21st Century, according to Dr. Frances Gough,
co-founder and chief medical
officer for Sound Health Solutions, a weight and health risk
management organization in
Redmond, Wash.
employed to its fullest,” Gough
said. “An intervention as
simple as BGLife Barley in a
breakfast cereal ... should be
evangelized by physicians, di-
Photo by Bob Smathers
etitians and care providers.”
For more information on the
product, go to www.bglifebarley.com.
“The progression from obesity
to pre-diabetes to diabetes is
real and largely preventable,”
Frances said during the press
conference. “Can BGLife
Barley aid in the reduction or
prevention of the onset of diabetes? The data looks promising.”
According to Gough, the economic toll for obesity is $117
billion annually and for diabetes it’s $174 billion. Combined,
they claim nearly 750,000 lives
each year.
“Every weapon in the fight
against the epidemics of diabetes and obesity should be
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
9
Growers Concerned About Beer Shakeups
By Sean Ellis
A-B called that proposal an “attempt to transfer the company’s
value from Anheuser-Busch’s
shareholders to InBev’s shareholders” and filed a suit asking
a federal judge to block the attempt. It claimed InBev’s attempt was an illegal scheme to
acquire the company at a bargain price.
Farm Bureau Writer
POCATELLO — Is a mere
prince in the world of beer
sales really about to take over
the maker of the King of Beers?
And would that be good for
Idaho?
Idaho barley growers can be
forgiven for feeling a bit of
trepidation about a foreign
company’s pending takeover
of American icon AnheuserBusch.
About 70 percent of the 550,000
acres of barley grown in Idaho
are used for malting and a large
percentage of that total is sold
to Anheuser-Busch, which produces Budweiser and Bud Light
and dominates U.S. beer sales.
The takeover of A-B, the largest purchaser of barley in North
America, by Belgian-Brazilian
brewer InBev has Idaho barley growers concerned, if not
quite worried. If the takeover
is successful, growers aren’t
completely sure who they’ll be
working with or whether they’ll
still have contracts.
“I think whenever the potential
is there for a change to contract
programs, there are probably
going to be some concerns.
We’re watching it very closely,”
says Kelly Olson, administrator of the Idaho Barley Commission.
A-B has a big presence in Idaho, including a malt plant and
one of the world’s largest elevators in Idaho Falls and a hops
farm in Bonners Ferry. “They
spend a great deal of money
buying products in Idaho and
we’re concerned about it,” Olson adds.
10
Idaho Barley Commission Photo
“Anheuser-Busch has been
very good to Idaho barley; we
appreciate the business,” says
IBC Chairman Evan Hayes, an
eastern Idaho barley grower.
Part of the reason for the apprehension is that at this point
no one knows how a transfer
of ownership of the leading
U.S. brewer would affect North
American operations.
“Are we going to lose our malt
market” if the takeover is successful? “I don’t think so,”
Hayes says. “Is it going to be
as good as it was for growers?
That’s purely speculation at
this point.”
Growers are also keeping a
close tab on how a recent merger of U.S. operations by the nation’s second and third largest
brewers, Miller and Coors, affects the market. A-B has 48.5
percent of the U.S. beer market,
while Miller has 18 percent and
Coors 11 percent. The MillerCoors merger creates the second-largest beer company in
the U.S.
A large chunk of the nation’s
barley is grown in Montana,
Idaho and North Dakota and
most of it is used by A-B, Co-
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
ors, Miller and international
companies such as Grupo
Modelo, a Mexican producer
and the maker of Corona beer
that recently built a barley processing plant in Idaho Falls.
A-B owns 50 percent of Modelo,
but that company has the right to
choose its own partner and has
not yet approved the takeover,
which was announced July 13.
The Miller-Coors merger and
the takeover of A-B could shake
up U.S. beer operations in ways
not yet fully understood.
“We have to take a wait-andsee attitude on these mergers,”
Olson says.
InBev, formed in 2004 from
companies in Belgium and
Brazil, made A-B an unsolicited offer of $46 billion ($65
a share) on June 11. The offer
was quickly rejected by A-B,
which said it drastically undervalued the company.
InBev responded to the rejection by announcing it would
seek regulatory permission to
ask A-B shareholders to remove the company’s board and
replace it with its own handpicked members.
At the same time, A-B stated
in a news release, it would “be
open to consider any proposal
that would provide full and certain value to Anheuser-Busch
shareholders.”
Then on July 13 came the announcement the two sides had
agreed on a $50 billion deal,
which upped the ante to $70 a
share. The deal, if successful,
would create the world’s largest
beer maker.
Olson says it’s likely that what
InBev seeks more than anything else is access to A-B’s
extensive North American distribution channels. This would
help the company to more efficiently move the beers it currently produces.
An economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University agrees with that assessment.
James Wetzel told the Associated Press InBev “likely wants
to boost U.S. market penetration by the beers its already
produces,” including Beck’s
and Stella Artois.
He said the company actually
might end up brewing some of
its foreign beers here, which
would require purchasing more
barley from U.S. producers. “If
I had to bet $10 one way or the
other, I would think the barley
growers in America are going
to come out ahead.”
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
11
Keller
Continued from page 2
Both parties are adamant that nothing will
happen until after the election, and it is a
shame. While Americans suffer, we must
wait for the politicians to play their silly
little games to stay in power. Again, it is
a shame.
However, Idaho’s congressional delegation
— Sen. Larry Craig, Sen. Mike Crapo,
Rep. Mike Simpson, and Rep. Bill Sali
— are different than their counterparts.
They eagerly seek action. They know that
is what Idahoans expect of their elected
leaders. They take on the difficult issues,
unabashed.
Join Frank and me on a visit to our congressional delegation: When you walk into
their offices, you are immediately greeted
with a smile by their friendly staffers, just
as you would be in any town in Idaho.
They seek to make you comfortable by
offering a cool drink or a soft seat to rest
in. They visit with you about Idaho, eager
to hear news from their hometowns more
than 2,000 miles away. They always ex-
press concern about the crops, weather,
and market prices.
Interoffice calls are made and promptly
the agricultural legislative assistants meet
with us and share the latest news relating
to ag from the halls of Congress.
The doors then open and we are warmly
greeted by our senators or representatives.
Each gives us a warm handshake, with
pats on the back and expressions of appreciation for the time we’ve taken to come
and visit with them. After being seated in
their individual offices, the informal discussion of the issues begins.
As we discuss the issues, they never say
our issues cannot be resolved. They listen,
seeking to better understand. They are
upfront and honest about the realities of
working with Congress, while seeking to
find better solutions. They include their
assistants in the discussion to get additional input. Several avenues are explored
and in most cases, a resolution is reached.
Seldom does it involve legislation because
the system does not allow it to happen.
Often it is a contact in the administration,
a member of a committee to visit, or an
agency head that can make a difference.
The “clout” of the delegations’ offices
smoothes the way for making these contacts and visits. And always, after our
visits, follow-up is assigned and followthrough is implemented.
The visits are brief, but never rushed. You
feel they are genuinely interested and concerned with your needs. And often, an email or voicemail expressing appreciation
for the visit beats you back to your hotel
room. The report-backs continue to flow.
We realize that not everyone can take off
and fly to D.C. to meet with our elected
officials. If you have an opportunity,
please take it. If you can’t travel to D.C.,
you will find the same concern and able
assistance closer to your home or farm by
visiting one of the district congressional
offices that dot our state.
Although Congress may not appear to be
working, Idaho’s delegation is. They represent us well.
priestley
Continued from page 2
quarter of 2008, Americans continue to spend less of their
disposable income on food (around 10 percent) than any other
nation in the world. Compared to last year at this time, the collective cost of the 16 marketbasket items has increased by 8.5
percent.
Specifically, two types of cooking oil and bacon showed the
largest retail price increases in this most recent survey. The
price of corn oil and vegetable oil in 32-ounce bottles rose by
47 and 38 cents respectively, while the average increase on a
pound of bacon nationwide was 22 cents.
Editorial writers and other pundits who argue the cost of cornbased ethanol production is driving food price increases could
use the corn oil and bacon examples in this survey to support
their argument. While the corn oil example is obvious, the
bacon increase could be attributable to higher corn prices resulting in higher prices for hog feed, with some of that increase
being passed along to the consumer. However, we disagree
with the premise that ethanol production is the sole or even the
leading cause of increasing food prices.
The increasing cost of energy in this country has a much more
direct connection to rising food prices than ethanol production.
12
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
While ethanol production has helped to moderate the rising
cost of gasoline, cumulative energy costs have doubled over
the past two years, the value of the dollar remains weak in
comparison to other currencies, and stock market speculators
in search of profitable investments have driven commodity
prices up as finance, technology and building construction
stocks have weakened.
Corn and products derived from corn do cost more today than
before the ethanol boom started. However energy costs play
a much bigger role in this scenario. Products like vegetable
oil, bread, apples, potatoes and toasted oat cereal, which don’t
contain corn, also increased in price in this most recent survey, reflecting increased costs associated with packaging and
shipping products to market. In addition, of the two items that
decreased in price this quarter, one was a dozen large eggs,
which dropped by 34 cents. Egg production is heavily dependent on field corn so this drop in price is inconsistent with the
argument that ethanol production increases the price of the
food we eat.
The old saying that the cure for high prices is more high prices
is true. We believe commodity and food prices will moderate
once other sectors of the economy begin to recover. However,
whether energy prices will follow suit is left to question.
Idaho
Idaho Farm Bureau
Member Benefit
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
13
Report: Cows Raise Idaho’s Carbon Footprint
By Sean Ellis
Farm Bureau Writer
POCATELLO — A recent report that lays
much of the blame for Idaho’s carbon footprint at the feet of cattle is not an indictment of the industry.
It simply confirms the obvious: Idaho has
relatively few humans (about 1.5 million)
and a lot of dairy and beef cattle (2 million) that produce a lot of methane gas. So
it should be no surprise that agriculture
is responsible for a larger percentage of
so-called “greenhouse gas” emissions in
Idaho than in most other states.
“In a very small population with a very
large agricultural base, a high percentage
of emissions will be attributed to agriculture,” says Bob Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.
According to the report, Idaho’s per capita
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rate is
higher than the national average and the
state’s large amount of livestock relative to
people is one of the main reasons.
But once the report is put in perspective,
the news is not really that bad for Idaho or
agriculture on the GHG front. As it turns
out, Idaho is actually a very low emitter of
total GHG emissions and ranks 47th in the
United States.
The report by the Center for Climate Strategies was prepared for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Gov.
Butch Otter signed an executive order in
May 2007 directing the DEQ to complete
a statewide emissions inventory.
The report, which contains an inventory
and forecast of the state’s GHG emissions from 1990 to 2020, can be found on
the DEQ Web site — www.deq.idaho.gov
— under “Hot Topics” and then “Climate
Change.”
The idea behind the report is to obtain
a voluntary inventory of Idaho’s total
GHG emissions, which will enable the
state to be ahead of the curve in case
Congress passes some type of climate
change bill that caps carbon emissions,
14
Photo by Sean Ellis
Idaho’s cattle industry is not overly worried about a recent report that alleges agriculture is reponsible
for much of the state’s carbon footprint.
says Jess Byrne, a DEQ spokesman.
“By doing it voluntarily, you’re getting
ahead of the game instead of waiting for
regulations to be slapped on you,” he says.
“The report is not pointing fingers at anybody or necessarily drawing any conclusions that will lead us down any particular
path. We want to know where Idaho currently stands in the grand scheme of things
as far as greenhouse gases go.”
Livestock industry leaders say it’s too
preliminary to worry whether information contained in the report could be used
to regulate producers further. Byrne says
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
DEQ has no plans to do that. “Not from our
agency’s perspective. I think it’s safe to say
from the governor’s perspective, no, that’s
not the case.”
According to the report, activities in Idaho
accounted for about 37 million metric tons
of gross GHG emissions in 2005. That
amount represented only about 0.5 percent of the United States’ total GHG emissions.
But Idaho’s emissions are rising faster than
the nation as a whole, according to the report. The state’s gross GHG emissions increased 31 percent from 1990 to 2005, al-
most twice the rate of the national average
of 16 percent.
validation for the need of a proposed livestock research center.
The gross emissions total does not include
“carbon sinks” that actually capture or
store carbon, such as agricultural soils.
Among other things, the planned $35 million Idaho Center for Livestock and Environmental Studies is expected to perform
cutting edge research on environmental
issues related to the livestock industry. Industry groups hope the center helps them
develop lawsuit-proof mitigation plans.
The report shows Idaho’s per capita GHG
emissions are about 27 metric tons per
year, higher than the national average of 25
metric tons.
The largest source of emissions in Idaho in
2005 was transportation, which accounted
for 27 percent of total greenhouse gases,
according to the report. Agriculture was
second at 25 percent (with livestock being by far the main contributor), followed
by industrial, commercial and residential
fuel use at 17 percent and power generation at 14 percent. Idaho forestlands, which
account for about 41 percent of the state’s
land area, accounted for 10 percent of total
GHG emissions.
Emissions associated with industrial processes, solid and liquid waste management, and fossil fuel production accounted
for about 7 percent of Idaho’s total gross
GHG emissions in 2005.
The report says the higher per capita emissions rates in Idaho are driven by emissions
growth in the agricultural sector, as agricultural industry emissions in this state are
much higher than the national average.
Idaho has no coal-fired power plants,
which are the largest source of man-made
GHG emissions. Combine that fact with
the state’s small population and large number of cattle relative to that population, and
that’s the reason agriculture accounts for
such a large percentage of GHG emissions
in the state, Byrne says.
“We understand we have an impact. Ag is a
contributor,” says Brent Olmstead, executive
director of Milk Producers of Idaho. But the
industry shouldn’t be blamed unfairly or out
of proportion, he adds, and is willing to step
up to the plate and do its part to help the environment; the research center can play a big
role in helping to accomplish that.
The main problem with agriculture in environmental matters, Olmstead says, is
there is no reliable, science-based research
to show exactly what impact ag has and
how that impact can be mitigated. “We
can’t correct anything wrong we might do
unless we understand it.”
“This is the whole reason we need this research facility,” Naerebout says. So what if
you know how much emissions you have,
he adds. “What we need to know is how to
reduce those emissions.”
Olmstead noted that dairies are already trying to do their part to reduce emissions by
installing anaerobic digesters, which use
methane to produce electricity or natural
gas. He says 12-14 digesters are currently
being installed in Idaho dairies, “which
will reduce that footprint considerably. The
digesters work; it’s just getting them to the
point where they’re affordable to put in.”
The report was conducted through an effort
of the Western Regional Air Partnership, a
group that is preparing for a possible Congressionally mandated cap-and-trade system designed to reduce carbon emissions.
Agriculture and the forest industry could
actually benefit from a trading market for
emissions since agricultural soils and forest land can actually sequester carbon. According to the report, agricultural soils in
Idaho actually store about 1.2 million metric tons of carbon annually.
The state already has a committee that is
exploring ways agriculture could benefit
from a cap-and-trade system. Idaho’s Carbon Sequestration Advisory Committee,
formed in 2002 by the legislature to address concerns related to carbon emissions
and greenhouse gases, is partnering with
other national and regional entities to seek
ways to develop a viable carbon market for
private ag and forest landowners.
“They are looking at ways essentially that
Idaho can benefit from this because the
state is rich in agricultural land and forest
land,” Byrne says.
The report is an initial cut and there is no hard
timeline for finishing it, says Byrne, who refers to it as a working document. As more or
better data becomes available and as the agency receives feedback from people and groups,
the report could be changed and improved.
“We try to get that across any time we talk
to a reporter” about the report, he says.
“There are reasons Idaho’s percentage is so
much higher than the national average.”
Idaho’s GHG emissions are projected to
climb to 44 million metric tons annually by
2020, with transportation and agriculture
being pegged as the leading contributors to
future emissions growth.
Rather than fearing the report, livestock
industry representatives see it as further
Photo by Sean Ellis
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
15
Book Review
Holy Cows and
Hog Heaven
The Food Buyer’s Guide
to Farm Friendly Food
By Joel Salatin
The author describes himself as a “fulltime, Christian, libertarian, capitalist, environmentalist farmer,” a not-so-subtle
clue that his food production methods are unconventional by
today’s standards. Salatin’s production model would be a lot
closer to American farms in the 1950s, when more operations
produced all manner of livestock and crops and sold them locally. And he strongly advocates getting back to that way of
producing food.
First and foremost, Salatin is a grass farmer. His farm is mostly
just one big pasture used by cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys
stocked in high densities for short periods of time. He doesn’t
believe cows should eat anything but grass and throughout
the book he is extremely critical of how food, mainly meat, is
produced today. But the book is not so much about production
methods as it is a guide for consumers to better understand
Salatin’s philosophies on raising happy, healthy livestock and
keeping government regulations to a minimum as they relate
to the production and processing of livestock. Unfortunately,
rather than discussing the uniqueness of his own production methods, the author spends a lot of words attacking the
conventional agriculture methods used today, which aren’t
likely to change.
Here’s an example of how the author views large-scale agriculture
today: “No one is asking what makes food better or how to produce food or farms that are ecological and economic profit centers
for their communities. The only consideration is how to grow it
faster, cheaper and bigger.”
Here’s one more example of Salatin not mincing any words: “A
farm friendly producer does not bury his community in excrement
and toxicity in order to grow government-subsidized food for some
place halfway around the world. Neither does a farm friendly producer bury his community in foreigners who overload the school
system, overload the social services and overload the courts. A
food system that cannot hire its neighbors is exhibiting characteristics of an empire. An empire has no soul, no conscience, and no
boundaries. It simply wants to take, to grow, to conquer.”
Strong words, but are the arguments sound? I’m not sure. The
16
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
World Health Organization estimates that one-third
of the world is well fed, one third is under fed and one third is
starving. If those figures are correct, cutting out large scale animal feeding operations doesn’t seem like a humane thing to do.
But Salatin knows that too, and I think part of the reason why he
makes such bold arguments is because he knows that although
his ideas might help or change a few farms and a few consumers’
minds, we aren’t going to get rid of the industrial model either.
There are certainly plenty of opportunities for more small farmers to use a model like Salatin’s and concentrate their efforts on
selling locally. But he lives in Virginia so he’s quite a bit closer to
population centers. Here in Idaho and other western states, it’s
reality that our commodities have to be shipped long distances to
get to the dinner tables.
— John Thompson
stallman
Continued from page 2
Most recently, Farm Bureau members
banded together to help flood and drought
victims across the country. Whether they
were sandbagging levees in their communities or hauling hay across states to
drought-impacted producers, Farm Bureau
members were there with a helping hand.
Farmers and ranchers who had little to
give went the extra mile when devastating
fires burned several hundred thousand
acres in the southern part of Utah last
summer. Farm Bureau members in northern Utah, who also were suffering from
drought, joined together to donate hay to
farms and ranches destroyed by fires in
southern Utah.
Further, when a killer tornado literally
ripped Greensburg, Kansas, to shreds last
May, the Kansas Farm Bureau quickly
established a recovery fund to help the
area. Rebuilding and renewal of the community was the Farm Bureau’s number
one priority.
And when Katrina hit, Farm Bureau
members across the country gave more
than $1 million to help farmers in the hurricane-affected states as part of a fund established by the American Farm Bureau.
Banding Together
Maine Farm Bureau member Morrill
Worchester for the past 15 years has
assembled and donated thousands of
evergreen wreaths to Arlington National
Cemetery. He considers it not only his responsibility, but his privilege, to honor the
sacrifices of those in the U.S. military.
On a larger scale, to help care for our
troops, Farm Bureau members nationwide
donated money to send beef jerky to our
servicemen and women overseas for the
USO’s “Operation Beef Up Our Troops.”
Further, when the devastating tsunami hit
Thailand several years ago, Farm Bureau
members banded together to make a large
monetary contribution to help the victims.
Back on the home front, Farm Bureau
members each year donate hundreds of
thousands of pounds of food to food banks
and pantries nationwide. And it doesn’t
stop there. They give from their wallets
and they give their time and their labor to
help feed America’s hungry.
So, when someone asks me what makes
Farm Bureau a great organization, I simply say it’s the character of our members.
“Be not simply good,” Henry David Thoreau once wrote. “Be good for something.”
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
17
Marketbasket Survey
Retail Food Prices Rise
Slightly in Second Quarter
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Retail
food prices at the supermarket
increased in the second quarter
of 2008, according to the latest
American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey. The
informal survey shows the total
cost of 16 basic grocery items in
the second quarter of 2008 was
$46.67, up about 3.5 percent or
$1.64 from the first quarter of
2008.
Of the 16 items surveyed, 14 increased and two decreased in average price compared to the 2008
first-quarter survey. Compared to
one year ago, the overall cost for
the marketbasket items showed
an increase of about 8.5 percent.
Two types of cooking oil and bacon showed the largest retail price
increases. A 32-oz. bottle of corn
oil was up 47 cents to $3.48, a 32oz. bottle of vegetable oil rose 38
cents to $3.01 and one pound of
bacon was up 22 cents to $3.57.
Other items that increased in price
were: flour, up 18 cents to $2.57
for a 5-pound bag; apples, up 14
cents to $1.54 per pound; whole
fryer chickens, up 12 cents to
$1.47 per pound; a 20-oz. loaf of
white bread, up 12 cents to $1.90;
ground chuck, up 12 cents to
$2.85 per pound; pork chops, up 9
cents to $3.40 per pound; Russet
potatoes, up 8 cents to $2.55 for
a 5-pound bag; 1 gallon of whole
milk, up 7 cents to $3.88; mayonnaise, up 5 cents to $3.19 for a
32-ounce jar; sirloin tip roast, up 4
cents to $3.84 per pound; and a 9oz. box of toasted oat cereal, up 1
cent to $2.98 per box.
Items that decreased in price
were: 1 dozen large eggs, down
34 cents to $1.82, and 1 pound of
cheddar cheese, down 11 cents to
$4.60.
“Prices of many food items continue to creep upward,” said Jim
Sartwelle, an AFBF economist.
“Those increases, however, pale
in comparison to the huge increases in energy costs—for fuel,
natural gas, and electricity—that
American families have become
accustomed to over the past two
or three years.”
Taking a closer look at individual
food items, Sartwelle explained,
“Cooking oils, flour and bread
prices continue to respond upward to historically tight world
stocks of grains and oilseeds.” In
addition, “Each quarter that passes just reinforces we are producing and buying food in a global
market place.”
As retail grocery prices have increased gradually, the share of the
average food dollar that America’s
farm and ranch families receive
has dropped over time.
In the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures
for food eaten at home and away
from home, on average, according to Agriculture Department
statistics. That figure has decreased steadily over time and is
now just 19 percent.
Using the “food at home and away
from home” percentage acrossthe-board, the farmer’s share of
this quarter’s $46.67 marketbasket total would be $8.87.
AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, conducts its
informal quarterly marketbasket
survey as a tool to reflect retail
food price trends. A total of 87
volunteer shoppers in 36 states
participated in the latest survey,
conducted during May.
According to USDA statistics,
Americans spend just under 10
percent of their disposable income on food annually, the lowest average of any country in the
world.
American Farm Bureau Tracks Milk and Egg Trends
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the second
quarter of 2008, American Farm Bureau
shoppers reported the average price for a
half-gallon of regular whole milk was $2.38,
down 2 cents from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole
milk was $3.88, up 7 cents. Comparing
per-quart prices, the retail price for whole
milk sold in gallon containers was about
20 percent lower compared to half-gallon
containers, a typical volume discount long
employed by retailers.
The average price for a half-gallon of
rBST-free milk was $3.34, up 4 cents from
the last quarter or nearly 40 percent higher
18
than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
The average price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $3.67, up 4 cents compared
to the third quarter, or approximately 50
percent higher than the reported retail price
for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
Compared to a year ago (second quarter
of 2007), retail prices for regular milk in
gallon and half-gallon containers rose 12
percent and 7 percent respectively. The average retail price for rBST-free milk rose
about 11 percent. The average retail price
for organic milk in half-gallon containers
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
went up and down slightly over the year
and was 2 cents higher in the second quarter of 2008 compared to a year ago.
For the second quarter of 2008, the average price for one dozen regular eggs was
$1.82, down 34 cents compared to the last
quarter. The average price for “cage-free”
eggs dropped 5 cents to $2.95 per dozen,
around 40 percent more per dozen than
regular eggs.
Regular eggs increased in retail price by 17
percent between the first quarter of 2007
and the first quarter of 2008; “cage–free”
eggs increased about 33 percent.
Crossword Puzzle: County / County Seat (Part 2)
Name The County For The County Seat
Across
1. Rigby
3. Murphy
4. Gooding
5. Rupert
6. Salmon
8. American Falls
9. Blackfoot
10. St Maries
11. Idaho City
12. Arco
13. Orofino
15. Council
16. Soda Springs
17. Coeur d’Alene
Down
1. Jerome
2. Wallace
7. Fairfield
8. Payette
10. Paris
11. Bonners Ferry
13. Dubois
14. Driggs
ANSWERS ON PAGE 41
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www.thecanadianpharmacy.com
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
19
More People
Buying Food
Locally
Farmers
Responding
By Sean Ellis
Farm Bureau Writer
POCATELLO — Consumers
are practically crying out for
more locally grown food products and farmers are increasingly responding to that demand.
The world’s largest retailer has
heard the message and is reacting as well.
Don’t look now, but locally
grown food is all the rage. It’s
become a mega-trend and the
reasons are many: quality and
taste, food safety, the desire to
support local business, and people wanting to know where their
food comes from, who grows it
and how it’s grown.
“People are more apt to buy locally. When they go to the store
and see it was locally grown,
that’s appealing to people,” says
Dixie Smith, a Rupert farmer
who sells tomatoes at farmers
markets, stores and restaurants
in Idaho and is herself an ardent purchaser of locally grown
food.
“Buying local fresh vegetables
and fruit does appeal to me,”
says Shelby Arnold of Pocatello,
who shops that city’s farmers
market regularly. “I do like to
know where they come from and
20
who grew them.”
More farmers are
awakening to this
trend. From farmers
markets to U-pick
operations, stands,
school lunch programs, co-ops, grocery stores and local
restaurants, they’re
discovering myriad
ways to sell directly
to the consumer.
According to the
Idaho State DepartPhoto by Sean Ellis
ment of Agriculture, Shoppers at the Southeast Idaho Farmers Market in Pocatello.
the number of farmers markets in Idaho grew from very rapidly,” says Leah Clark, In addition to facilitating large
22 in 2000 to 36 this year. While who heads the ISDA’s Idaho grocers such as Wal-Mart and
farmers markets offer the most Preferred program, which is an Albertsons that want to sell lovisible evidence of people buy- effort to identify and promote cal produce, the Idaho Preferred
ing locally grown food, it ap- food and agricultural products program is also working with
pears to be happening on many grown, raised and processed in mid-scale stores such as Paul’s
fronts.
the Gem State.
Market and Broulim’s and single
stores such as the Boise Co-op.
The biggest recent example is “Consumers are demanding that;
Wal-Mart’s announcement that that’s what they want,” she adds. “All retailers are trying to let
it has become the nation’s larg- “As producers in agriculture, we customers know they have local
est buyer of locally produced have to recognize and fulfill that products,” Clark says. Most have
fruits and vegetables and will demand.”
a “very aggressive strategy to
purchase $400 million worth of
source and sell local products.”
Clark says the trend is most evilocally grown produce this year.
dent in the increased effort by When people were pressed for
The company said that effort
retailers to sell and identify lo- a reason why they want to buy
will only grow.
cally grown food. They recog- locally grown food, the answers
The trend toward buying food nize the consumer demand and were many and none stood out.
locally is “without a doubt in- are scrambling to meet it.
“There are a lot of reasons and
creasing and it’s increasing
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
they’ve all come together in the
last couple of years to make this
a really, really strong demand issue for consumers,” Clark says.
Food safety is a growing issue
and one that should only drive
more people to purchase food
grown locally.
Fair or not, the recent salmonella scare has caused Smith’s
tomatoes to sell like hot cakes.
“I think right now, especially
with the tomato scare, they
know these tomatoes are safe,”
she says.
“It’s home grown, you support
your local community and it’s
usually tastier because it’s fresher,” Southeast Idaho Farmers
Market (SIFM) customer Dartell Gibson offers for the reason
she buys locally.
“When I go to the store, I feel
better if I know it was grown
locally because I feel like I’m
supporting somebody else in my
area trying to make it and not
some big company thousands of
miles away,” says Smith.
“People want to know where
their food comes from and who’s
selling it,” Clark says. “They
want to support their farmers
and they want to see them stay
in business.”
Though producers who sell
at farmers markets probably
aren’t getting rich, some are
finding them rather profitable.
For others, it’s simply a way to
make a few extra dollars.
Swore estimates the Pocatello
market brings in about $350,000
in total sales annually. Produce
accounts for about half that
amount.
“There are several people that
make over $10,000 a year doing
that,” Swore says. “Then there
are people that make $100 or
$200 a year.”
Though there are some big
farmers there, most are smaller
farmers, Swore says, and he
guesses his 50-acre farm probably makes him “the biggest of
the small farmers.”
“People like to buy local; they
like to have the quality,” says
Janene Hart, who sells a variety
of fresh produce at the SIFM in
Pocatello.
Besides farmers markets, she
also sells her tomatoes to grocery stores and restaurants.
Hart is representative of the very
small farmer. From her 1.5- acre
farm just north of Pocatello, she
sells “pretty much all the vegetables you can think of in a normal
garden: lettuce, corn, raspberries, peas, beans, cucumbers,
pumpkin, rhubarb, lots of herbs,
all the squashes, radishes.”
Rather than being a way to pay
the bills, her participation at farmers markets started 13 years ago
as a family project. It was a way
the family could do something
together in the summer while the
kids earned some money to buy
school clothes and books.
She believes quality is a big
reason most people buy locally.
Much of what you find in a
farmers market has been picked
that morning or the day before.
“You taste a fresh tomato or a
newly picked ear of corn, it’s totally different that what you can
buy at the store,” Hart says. “I
have repeat customers that come
every week because they know
what we produce.”
Swore is in the middle. Besides
selling corn, potatoes and pumpkins at farmers markets, he also
sells the produce from his farm
just north of Pocatello at local
grocery stores.
How the food is grown is a big
issue for a lot of people, says
SIFM President Mike Swore.
“I’ve heard a ton of people say,
‘Did you use anything on this
and what and when?’ They just
like to know. Some are fine with
it and some are not.”
For many people, it all starts
with a desire to support local
farmers.
Smith is an example of the big
farmer supplementing their income. She grows sugarbeets
and wheat on 1,100 acres. She
and her husband cooked up the
idea of growing hydroponic
(grown in mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil) tomatoes in
a greenhouse “a few years ago,
when the water problem started
to surface. We were wondering
if there was something we could
do that would require less water.”
Though by no means the only
way, the Idaho Preferred program is one way Gem State producers are connecting directly
with consumers. The program is
designed to facilitate the merging of the two.
Photo by Steve Ritter
Small farmer Mary Clites sells produce at the Emmett Farmers Market.
To do this, the program has a
Web site (www.idahopreferred.
com) that enables consumers to
See LOCAL, page 24
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
21
Farmers Markets in Idaho
1 - BONNERS FERRY
Bonners Ferry Farmers’ Market
City Parking Lot
Highway 95 across from the Library
Saturdays 8:00am - 1:00pm
April 26 - October 4
Holiday Market: Nov. 22
Marsha Semar or Sora Huff
(208) 267-7698 or (208) 267-7987
P.O. Box 3192, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
[email protected]
www.bonnersferryfarmersmarket.org
2 - SANDPOINT
Farmers’ Market at Sandpoint
Farmin Park at 3rd & Oak St.
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
Wednesdays 3:00pm - 5:30pm
May 3 - October 11
RaeAnn Mavity
(208) 597-3355
P.O. Box 1234, Sandpoint, ID 83864
[email protected]
www.sandpointfarmersmarket.com
3 - HOPE
Hope Farmers’ Market
Community Center
Centennial Blvd off Highway 200
Fridays 3:00pm - 6:00pm
June 3 - September 12
Dianna May
(208) 263-3538
435 Mays Road, Sagle, ID 83860
[email protected]
4 - COEUR D’ALENE
Kootenai County Farmers’ Market
Corner of Highway 95 & Prairie Ave.
Saturdays 8:00am - 1:00pm
On 5th between Sherman and Front St.
Wednesdays 4:00pm - 7:00pm
May 12 - October
Gail Cassidy or Anissa Duwaik
(208) 772-2290 or (208) 659-4213
P.O. Box 781, Hayden, ID 83835
[email protected]
www.kootenaicountyfarmersmarket.com
5 - ST. MARIES
St. Maries Farmers’ Market
Main Street
Near Hughes Historical House
Fridays 2:30pm - 5:30pm
May 16 - September 26
Julie Pollard
(208) 245-2831
P.O. Box 82, St. Maries, ID 83861
[email protected]
6 - BOVILL
Bovill Farmers’ Market
Follow signs through Bovill
Fridays 2:00pm - 7:00pm
June - September weather permitting
David Byington
(509) 332-9093
2431 Hwy. 3, Kendrick, ID 83537
7 - MOSCOW
Moscow Farmers’ Market
Friendship Square, 4th & Main St.
Saturdays 8:00am - 12:00pm
May 3 - October 25
Kathleen Burns
(208) 883-7036
P.O. Box 9203, Moscow, ID 83843
[email protected]
8 - KENDRICK
Kendrick-Juliaetta Farmers’ Market
Kendrick City Park
Saturdays 8:00am - 12:00pm
May 10 - October
Jana Townsend
(208) 289-5313
P.0. Box 29, Kendrick, ID 83537
[email protected]
9 - LEWISTON
Lewiston Farmers’ Market
D St. and Brackenbury Square
Wednesdays 3:00pm - 7:00pm
June 4 - September 24
Ron Bishop
(208) 791-6969
628 Main St., Lewiston, ID 83501
[email protected]
10 - LAPWAI
Lapwai Farmers’ Market
Valley Foods Parking Lot
Along Hwy 95
Saturdays 4:00pm - 7:00pm
July 19 - October 18
Valdasue Steele
208-621-3514
[email protected]
11 - KOOSKIA
Kooskia/Kamiah Farmers’ Market
Longcamp RV Park
Mile Post 68 on Hwy 12
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
May 3 - October 25
Pat Crocker or Connie Miller
(208) 926-0013 or (208) 935-7825
P.0. Box 1449, Kamiah, ID 83536
12 - GRANGEVILLE
Grangeville Farmers’ Market
Heritage Square, Main Street
Saturdays 8:00am - 12:00pm
June 7 - October 4
Julie Graham Worthington
(208) 983-1569
108 N. State Street
Grangeville, ID 83703
[email protected]
13 - RIGGINS
Salmon River Canyon Farmers’ Market
The Confluence
1112 South Main St.
Thursdays 4:30pm - 7:30pm
April 24 - October
Maureen Een
(208) 628-3671
1300 N. Salmon River Drive
Riggins, ID 83549
[email protected]
www.canyoncommunities.org
14 - MCCALL
McCall Farmers’ Market
On Pine St.
Between Razzle Dazzle & AmeriTitle
Saturdays 10:00am - 2:00pm
Wednesdays 10:00am - 2:00pm
June - Mid October
Susan Marshall
(208) 634-3078
P.O. Box 1909, McCall, ID 83638
[email protected]
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
15 - CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge Farmers’ Market
Tower Park on Hwy 71
Saturdays 8:00am - 11:00am
June 14 - October
Becky Nolan
(208)257-3849
P.O. Box 54
Cambridge, ID 83610
[email protected]
www.cambridgeidaho.com
16 - EMMETT
Emmett Farmers’ Market
Blazer Park
Saturdays 8:00am - 12:00pm
Wednesdays 4:00pm - 7:00pm
June 4 – October 20
Glen Schiller
(208) 365-5088
419 N. Boise Ave, Emmett, ID 83617
17 - MIDDLETON
Middleton Farmers’ Market
Ridley’s parking lot on Hwy 44
Thursdays 4:30pm - 7:30pm
June 5 – September
Kathy May
(208) 455-7510
16409 Oasis Rd, Middleton, ID 83607
[email protected]
18 - CALDWELL
Caldwell Farmers’ Market
12th and Dearborn at Serinity Park
Wednesdays 5:00pm - 8:00pm
May 14 - October 1
Sheila McGregor
(208) 454-1853
521 North 10th Ave - PMB 109
Caldwell, ID 83605
[email protected]
19 - NAMPA
Nampa Farmers’ Market
1st St. South and Front St.
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
April 26 - October 25
Suzette Bolling
(208) 461-4807
18458 11th Ave N, Nampa, ID 83687
[email protected]
www.nampafarmersmarket.com
20 - EAGLE
Eagle Saturday Market
Heritage Park
Corner of State and 2nd St.
Saturdays 8:30am – 1:00pm
May 3 - October 25
Dean Burrup or Barbara Burton
(208) 631-3630 or (208) 489-8788
660 Civic Lane, Eagle, ID 83616
[email protected]
www.eaglearts.org
21 - MERIDIAN
Meridian Farmers’ Market
3852 N Eagle
Between Ustick and McMillan
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
May 3 - September
Donna Egner
(208) 376-2610
10400 Overland Rd., #266
Boise, ID 83709
[email protected]
www.meridianfarmersmarket.com
22 - KUNA
Kuna Farmers’ Market
Sandstone Plaza
Corner of Main & Avenue E
Saturdays: 9:00am - 12:00pm
May 10 - September 27
Cheryl McCord
(208) 922-5113
3543 West Ambrosia Ln.
Kuna, Idaho 83643
[email protected]
www.kunafarmersmarket.com
23 - BOISE
Capital City Public Market
Downtown Boise, Idaho
North 8th Street
Between Bannock & Idaho St.
Saturdays 9:30am - 1:30pm
April 19 - October 25
Holiday Market
Saturdays 11:00am - 3:00pm
November 1 - Dec 20
Karen Ellis
(208) 345-9287
P.O. Box 2019, Boise, ID 83701
[email protected]
www.capitalcitypublicmarket.com
U-Pick Operations
Southwestern Idaho
Anderson Apple Ranch
1877 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 365-3434
www.andersonappleranch.com
Open: Last weekend in September through October;
10am- 6pm Monday- Saturday, closed Sunday.
Products: Apples (Red Delicious and Golden Delicious),
pumpkins.
Cabalo’s Orchard & Gardens
Chan Cabalo
2087 West King Rd
Kuna, ID 83634
Phone: (208) 922-3301
www.cabalosorchard.com
Products: Five varieties of apples, montmorency pie
cherries, Italian prunes, five varieties of tomatoes with
two heritage, pickling cucumbers, asparagus, and
cantaloupe.
Pesticide free.
Candy Apple Orchard
1871 W. South Slope Rd
P.O. Box 1043
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 365-1413
www.candyappleorchard.com
Open: October 1- 31, Monday- Saturday 10am- 5pm,
Sunday 1:30pm- 6pm.
Products: Apples (Rome Beauties, Red Delicious and
Golden Delicious).
Cherry Stone
1411 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 365-2344
www.applesandcherries.com/cherrystone.htm
Open: Season begins mid-June.
Products: Cherries.
Elliot’s Orchard
1113 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 398-8448
www.applesandcherries.com/elliott.htm
Products: Apples (Red Delicious and Golden Delicious).
Jackson Orchards
1879 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 398-8231
Products: Apples (Rome, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious).
Kelley Orchards
53 Hill Rd
Weiser, ID 83672
Phone: (208) 642-7265
[email protected]
Open: July- September, call for more information.
Products: Tart cherries after July 5. Peaches beginning
the last week of August. Apples beginning the last week
of September.
Linder Farms
7165 S. Linder Rd
Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: (208) 371-0222
Products: Pumpkin patch.
Montierth Home Orchard and Garden
24 - BOISE
Capital City Public Market
Edwards Green House
4106 Sand Creek Rd.
Tuesdays 5:00pm - 9:00pm
June 3 - October 28
Karen Ellis
(208) 345-9287
P.O. Box 2019, Boise, ID 83701
[email protected]
www.capitalcitypublicmarket.com
25 - MOUNTAIN HOME
Mountain Home Farmers’ Market
Railroad Park (Center Park)
On Main St.
Saturdays 8:00am - 1:00pm
May 3 - October 25
Beverly Lucia
(208) 587-3134
735 E. 10th North
Mountain Home, ID 83647
26 - GOODING
Gooding Farmers’ Market
Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind
Wednesdays 3:00pm – 6:00pm
May 28 – September
Linda Money
(208) 934-8904
1614 Shoestring Road
Gooding, ID 83330
27 - BUHL
Buhl Farmers’ Market
7175 N. Springcrest
Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: (208) 888-3081
Fax: (978) 246-6364
[email protected]
Open: July- October, Monday- Saturday, typically 8am7pm.
Products: Apples, corn (sweet), cucumbers, melons, onions,
peaches, plums, pumpkins, rhubarb, pumpkin patch.
Perin Orchard
1881 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 365-0648
Products: Apples (Red spur).
Spyglass Gardens
3445 S. Linder Rd
Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: (208) 888-3532
Open: October 1- October 7, 10am- 7pm.
Products: Pumpkin patch.
Suyehira Farm
777 E. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 365-4080
Open: July, sometimes last week of June or first week of
August as well. Call to confirm availability.
Products: Blueberries.
The Berry Ranch
7988 Highway 20/26
Nampa, ID 83686
Phone: (208) 466-3860 or 1-800-801-3860
Open: U-Pick available by appointment.
Products: Wide range of fruits and vegetables grown
right on the ranch, including strawberries, raspberries
and pumpkins.
(208) 720-7805
1630 Heroic Rd., Hailey, ID 83333
[email protected]
31 - KETCHUM
Ketchum Farmers’ Market
4th Ave between Walnut & East Ave.
Tuesdays 2:30pm — 6:00 pm
June 8 - October 4
Lynea Newcomer
(208) 309-2634
P.O. Box 1738, Hailey, ID 83333
[email protected]
www.idahosbounty.org
28 - TWIN FALLS
Twin Falls Farmers’ Market
N. College Road
Across from CSI Expo Building
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
May 10 - October 25
Carl Hatfield
(208) 948-0832
P.O. Box 1172, Twin Falls, ID 83301
[email protected]
32 - AMERICAN FALLS
29 - HOLLISTER
Salmon Tract Farmers’ Market
Behind Boda’s Bar and Grill, Hwy. 93
Saturdays 11:00am - 3:00pm
May 24 - October 11
Betty Morris or Patty Gonzales
(208) 655-4354
2454 Wendell Ave, Hollister, ID 83301
[email protected]
30 - HAILEY
Hailey Farmers’ Market
Main St., North of Sturtevants Outfitters
Thursdays 3:00pm — 6:30pm
June - October
Kaz Thea
American Falls Farmers’ Market
In City Park on Idaho St.
Thursdays 5:00pm — 7:00pm
August - September
Pam Warner
(208) 226-5914
P.O. Box 536, American Falls, ID 83211
33 - POCATELLO
Southeast Idaho Farmers’ Market
400 Block of Union Pacific Avenue in
Historic Old Towne Pocatello
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
May 3 - end of October
Wednesdays 4:30pm - 6:30pm
July - October
Mike Swore
(208) 238-7466
P.O. Box 4308, Pocatello, ID 83205
(208) 365-6160
www.rockypointorchard.com
Open: Mid June- October 31, Wednesday- Sunday,
10am- 6pm.
Products: Blueberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums
tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, apples (Red and Golden
Delicious).
Alpenglow Farms
Wee King’s Orchard
1882 E. 350 N.
St. Anthony, ID 83445
Phone: (208) 624-4598
[email protected]
Open: July- October, Monday to Friday, 10am- 7pm.
Products: Beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet),
cucumbers, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins,
summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes,
pumpkin patch.
2955 W. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Phone: (208) 398-8047
[email protected]
Open: June- October, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday,
10am- 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am- 6pm.
Please call before coming to see what is ready for
picking.
Products: Apples, cherries, plums, pumpkins. Pay by
cash or check.
Southcentral Idaho
B & G Produce
2156 E. 4100 N.
Filer, ID 83328
Phone: (208) 326-4935
Products: Beans, cabbage, cauliflower, corn,
cucumber,
eggplant, melons, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins,
summer squash, tomatoes.
Raugust Strawberry Farm
259 E. 300 S.
Jerome, ID 83338
Phone: (208) 324-2036
Open: Early June, no children or pets.
Products: Organic strawberries. Pay by cash or check.
Southcentral Idaho
Tyler’s Rocky Point Orchard
145 E. South Slope Rd
Emmett, ID 83617
Main Street and Broadway
Wednesdays 4:30pm - 6:30pm
July 9 - September
Buhl Senior Citizens Center
(208) 543-4577
1010 Main Street, Buhl, ID 83316
[email protected]
Eastern Idaho
Ted Wells
68 W. 900 St
Victor, ID 83455
Phone: (208) 787-2423
Products: Garlic, various vegetables, potatoes, flowers.
Woods Gardens
Southeastern Idaho
Corbridge Country Berries
Maureen Corbridge
1710 100 W.
Malad, ID 83252
Phone: (208) 766-2644
Open: Call first to schedule appointment.
Products: Raspberries.
David Sant’s Farm
5645 N. Westside Hwy
Clifton, ID 83228
Phone: (208) 747-3012
Products: Peas, sweet corn and snap beans.
David Sant’s Farm
5645 N. Westside Hwy
Clifton, ID 83228
Phone: (208) 747-3012
Products: Peas, sweet corn and snap beans.
Jeff Hobbs’ Farm
24 N. 1st E.
[email protected]
www.pocatellofarmersmarket.com
34 - IDAHO FALLS
Idaho Falls Farmers’ Market
KeyBank parking lot
501 W. Broadway
Saturdays 9:00am - 1:00pm
April 26 - October 25
Stephanie Gifford
(208) 339-3230
P.O. Box 2628, Idaho Falls, ID 83403
[email protected]
35 - DRIGGS
Driggs Farmers’ Market
In front of Driggs Community Center
On Main St.
Wednesdays 4:00pm – 7:00pm
June 25 - mid September
Tye Tilt
(208) 354-2648
P.O. Box 766, Driggs, ID 83422
[email protected]
36 - SODA SPRINGS
Oregon Trail Farmers’ Market
Soda Springs City Park
Tuesdays 4:00pm - 7:00pm
June - September
Terri Bergmeier
(208) 241-6396
2886 Nounan Rd.
Soda Springs, ID 83276
[email protected]
Franklin, ID 83237
Phone: (208) 646-2401
Products: Gourds, pumpkins, summer squash, sweet corn,
winter squash.
R. & D. Gardens
Roger Wimpfheimer
2387 Highway 39
American Falls, ID 83211
Phone: (208) 317-2149
Open: Late June- late September. Please call after 7pm
for availability.
Products: Raspberries.
Shoemakers
201 N. 300 W.
Blackfoot, ID 83221
Phone: (208) 785-6346
Open: Call to check availability before leaving home.
Children permitted if supervised, no pets.
Products: Many varieties of veggies.
North Central Idaho
Cedar Springs Farms
6420 Hells Gulch Rd
St. Maries, ID 83861
Phone: (208) 245-8148
Open: Call first to schedule.
Products: Blueberries.
Northern Idaho
Riley Creek Blueberry Farms
P.O. Box 162
Laclede, ID 83841
Phone: (208) 263-4114
[email protected]
Open: July- September.
Products: Blueberries from mid July- early September,
raspberries in late July, and blackberries in mid August.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Farmers Markets Becoming Social Events Also
By Sean Ellis
Farm Bureau Writer
POCATELLO — Many farmers markets
of late have become social events as much
as points of sale, which may help explain
their gain in popularity.
Besides being a place where producers
sell their fresh fruits, vegetables and other
commodities, farmers markets are becoming more of an experience rather than only
a means to an end.
“It seems to be more of a social thing,” says
Mike Swore, president of the Southeast
Idaho Farmers Market in Pocatello.
local
Continued from page 21
easily find a farmers market or
U-pick operation near them. The
Web site also has a calendar that
lets consumers know what Idaho products are available every
month of the year.
Idaho Preferred also works directly with retailers looking for
fresh produce to offer, setting
them up with growers looking
for a local market. “We’re kind
of an in-between broker,” Clark
says. “We’re really trying to
make the connection between
growers and retailers.”
The program is also working
to increase the amount of local
foods on school menus and is
teaming up with local chefs who
want to use Idaho food products
in their recipes.
Any producer who wants to sell
locally can contact the program,
let them know what they want to
do and Idaho Preferred will try
to facilitate it, Clark says.
Producers can contact the program via its Web site or call
Clark at (208) 332-8684 for more
information.
24
The Pocatello market uses live music, kids
days, ice cream socials, concerts, Halloween parties and a plethora of other events to
draw the crowds.
Other farmers markets also offer such
activities as face painting, clowns, pony
rides, petting zoos, field day games, wine
and food taste testing and eating contests.
Part of the plan is to make the market a welcoming, fun place to be, open to anyone,
even the curious. These extra activities are
being used to transform farmers markets
into a bustling place ripe with activity.
“We make it fun for the vendors and the
patrons,” Swore says.
“I think it helps pull people in here and it
gets the first-time people here,” says farmer Janene Hart, who sells produce at the
Pocatello market. “Being here at the market is always a nice place to be. It’s a very
friendly place.”
“When people come here and they see what
there is, then they want to come back,” she
adds. “It does become kind of a fun thing
to do.”
The anchor of the market is still fresh produce,
but the idea is to increase the crowds, which
increases everyone’s chances of selling more.
“The more crowd you have there, the better
everyone does,” Swore says.
The program currently has almost 100 producers participating, Clark says, and there’s plenty of room for more because the
market for locally grown food is
nowhere near being maxed out.
“There is such a demand that the
farmers markets are competing
for producers to come to their
markets to sell produce,” Clark
says. “There just isn’t enough
fresh produce to go around. We
know most of these markets
would love to have more produce.”
For some consumers, it’s important to know they are buying
from Idaho growers and that’s
where the blue and gold Idaho
Preferred label comes in. It lets
consumers know, for example,
that they’re buying cherries from
an Idaho producer and not, say,
from a Washington grower.
Fresh produce must be 100 percent grown in Idaho to qualify
as an Idaho Preferred product,
and processed products must
contain specific amounts of input ingredients that are grown or
produced in Idaho.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Photo by Sean Ellis
Dixie Smith of Rupert sells hydroponic tomatoes at farmers markets.
DEQ Implementing New Field Burning Program
By Toni Hardesty
Open burning of crop residue
is used by growers to improve
yields, reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides, minimize fire hazards, and control
disease, weeds, and pests.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is
implementing a new crop residue burning program which is
expected to begin in early September. This program replaces
the program previously administered by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA)
and is applicable statewide, except on Indian reservations.
The new program is designed
to be protective of public health
while enabling growers to burn
their fields under specific conditions. DEQ is the state agency assigned by the Idaho Legislature to manage crop residue
burning on lands other than the
five Indian reservations in Idaho. ISDA will play an advisory
role in the new program.
DEQ Photo by Melissa Gibbs
to the proposed burning.
Growers must also have completed training in proper burning techniques and good smoke
management within the past
five years. DEQ is revising the
ISDA training program to reflect the new changes that have
occurred and expects to release
the new training program in
August.
Under the new program, growers must obtain approval from
DEQ before burning by registering for a Permit-by-Rule.
Detailed information on when
and where the burn is to take
place will be required. A $2 fee
per acre registered must also be
paid at least seven days in advance of the burn. In addition,
growers must obtain other permits if required by other agencies.
Air quality must be considered
before burning can take place.
An acceptable burn day occurs
when air quality is good and
is expected to continue to be
good, as indicated by pollutant
levels, and smoke is expected
to disperse with minimal impact to public health and safety, with special consideration
for institutions with sensitive
populations (e.g., hospitals and
schools).
DEQ expects to begin accepting registrations from growers
on Aug. 1; however, the agency
does not expect to start approving any registered fields until
September. Registration needs
to occur at least 30 days prior
Before granting approval to
burn, DEQ must consider air
quality conditions, the number of acres to be burned, crop
type, fuel characteristics and
meteorological
conditions.
Burning will only be allowed if
air quality levels are below and
are not expected to exceed 75
percent of any national ambient air quality standard or 80
percent of the one-hour action
criteria for particulate matter.
formation on whether DEQ has
approved burning and, if so,
when the burn will occur and
the size of the burn. DEQ will
update the Web site twice daily
during the burn season.
Burn days are limited to weekdays during daylight hours only
(usually 10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Burning on weekends and holidays
is prohibited.
The new program was negotiated by representatives of DEQ,
ISDA, Safe Air for Everyone
(SAFE), the Idaho Farm Bureau, grain and grass growers,
and others.
Burning can only occur in
fields where the crop residue
was generated. Burning baled
material such as old hay or
straw is not allowed. Fields
may only be ignited by reburn
machines, propane flamers, or
other portable devices.
Public access to information
on crop residue burning will
be readily available on DEQ’s
Web site at www.deq.idaho.
gov/crop _residue_burning.
cfm. The Web site is designed
so that the public can obtain
burn information in an easy-tounderstand graphic format by
clicking on a map of Idaho and
zeroing in on a particular area.
The Web site will provide in-
For information on crop residue burning on the five Indian
reservations, contact individual
Tribes.
For more details, visit DEQ’s
Web site or call the DEQ regional office nearest you. Offices are located in Boise,
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls,
Lewiston, Pocatello, and Twin
Falls.
Toni Hardesty is director of the
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. As director,
she is responsible for leading
the state’s efforts to preserve
the quality of Idaho’s air, land,
and water.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
25
10 Questions With a Truck Farmer
Mike Swore is a truck farmer from Tyhee
near Pocatello. A truck farm is a farm that
grows produce for the market. Swore and
his wife Wendy sell their produce at the Pocatello farmers market as well as local grocery stores.
Q: What vegetable crops sold at farmers
markets are in highest demand?
A: Raspberries, sweet corn, tomatoes and
potatoes.
Q: What are the main things to remember
if you want to keep your small farm profitable?
A: (Wendy says: be flexible and connect
with customers in as many ways as possible.) Don’t spend too much on equipment
and grow what customers demand. Lettuce
is not in demand.
Q: How many acres do you farm and what
crops are you producing this summer?
A: Forty-five acres. Sweet corn, red potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries and tomatoes.
Q: What are the biggest challenges associated with growing and marketing produce at
a farmers market?
A: (Wendy says: can’t afford enough workers.) The weather and our short growing
season. People want produce all year long
and we live in an area where that just is not
possible. The farmers market needs more
greenhouse growers.
Q: Do you grow crops differently knowing
they’re going to market? In other words, do
you set out to grow pretty produce?
A: Depends. With my red potatoes, I sell
them just as they come out of the ground
with some dirt on them. Most others wash
theirs and they look really pretty. I believe
produce lasts longer when you don’t wash
it. With my sweet corn, I have had so much
bird damage in the past that I now cover it in
vineyard netting to keep it looking good.
Q: Do you fertilize differently?
A: I’m always trying something different.
26
Q: How important is the personal interaction
with customers?
A: (Wendy says: it is key.) You have to interact very well with customers. You have
to be confident of your product and be able
to sometimes help the customers understand
what you have and what they want. Q: What got you into this?
Photo by Sean Ellis
A: Wendy and I bought Kim and George
Sato’s home and farm from which they had
been selling their produce directly for many
years. They helped us get started and we are
trying to keep up their tradition.
Q: Your thoughts on direct marketing?
Q: What is the main reason people give for
buying local?
A: (Wendy says: direct marketing is the only
way for small farms like ours to survive.) Direct marketing is a lot of work. It’s like watering your crops — you can’t take a break
in the middle of the season. You have to be
consistent.
A: I would say that people like knowing
where their food is coming from and they
like to come to the farm or market and get
produce that is as fresh as possible; it is often
only a few hours from field to the customer’s
kitchen.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Insurance Matters
Mike Myers ­­— Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho
$1 Billion In Losses In A Flash
Insurance companies are becoming a lightning rod for large
thunderbolt claims. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), more than
177,000 lightning claims were
filed in 2007 totaling nearly $1
billion in insured losses.
The III puts the average claim
for lightning at $5,321. By
comparison, 256,000 lightning
claims were filed in 2006 causing $880 million in insured
losses, with an average claim
of $3,446. The average cost per
lightning claim rose 30 percent
between 2004 and 2006, even
as the number of claims fell by
nearly 8 percent.
Paid losses are increasing despite the declining number of
claims because of an “explosion in the number and value
of consumer electronics in
homes,” said Loretta Worters
of the III. “Widescreen TVs,
home entertainment centers,
multiple computer households, gaming systems, and
other expensive devices are
significantly impacting claims
losses.”
Worters also noted that given
this year’s record tornado activity and the fact that tornadoes are usually accompanied
by severe thunderstorms, it’s
likely that the number of lightning claims will increase substantially in 2008.
While lightning may strike
from out of the blue, there are
steps you can take to protect
your property. In fact, lightning is the only natural disaster
Lightning claims in 2007 totaled nearly $1 billion in insured losses.
we can economically afford to
protect ourselves against. The
III offers the following tips to
protect homes and businesses
against power surges and lightning strikes.
Install a lightning
protection system
A lightning protection system
does not prevent lightning from
striking; it provides a path for
the lightening to follow, rerouting the lightning energy safely
into the ground. The system
includes a lightning rod or
air terminals at the top of the
house that can be disguised to
look like a weather vane, and
wires to carry the current down
to grounding rods at the bottom
of the house.
Use surge protectors
Today’s sensitive electronic
equipment is particularly vulnerable to lightning. To assure
the highest level of protection,
Underwriters
Laboratories
(UL)-listed surge arrestors
should be installed on electrical service panels. Surge arrestors protect against damaging
electrical surges that can enter
a structure via power transmission lines. Installations typically include surge arrestors
for the main electric panel, as
well as incoming phone, cable,
satellite and data lines.
UL-listed transient voltage
surge suppressors can also be
installed to protect specific
pieces of electronic equipment.
Power strips offer little pro-
tection from electrical power
surges.
Unplug expensive
electronic equipment
As an added precaution, unplug
expensive electronic equipment
such as TVs, computers and the
like if you know a storm is approaching.
A Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho homeowners
policy can help insulate you
from the financial damage of
a lightning strike. A Farm Bureau Insurance policy covers
any property damage caused
by lightning including fire and
damage to electronic equipment. The comprehensive portion of a Farm Bureau Insurance auto policy will also cover
lightning damage.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
27
28
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
A massive line formed early for Bannock County Farm Bureau’s annual
summer picnic July 10. It is always one of the biggest Farm Bureau events
in the state.
Hughes Wins Farm Bureau Essay Contest
Tyler Hughes of Challis Elementary School in Custer County earned $75
for winning an essay contest sponsored by the Idaho Farm Bureau Women’s
Leadership Committee. Joshua Lustig of Summit Academy in Idaho County
finished second ($50) and Madilynn Ogden of Malad Elementary School in
Oneida County and Bailey Wilcox of Sawtooth Elementary School in Twin
Falls County tied for third ($50 each). The annual contest is designed to
promote awareness of agriculture among Idaho fifth graders. Cash prizes
were awarded at the district and state levels.
Spencer Cosgrove of Franklin County received $75 for winning an
agricultural-themed art contest (his entry is pictured at the top of this page)
sponsored by the Idaho Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee.
Gevin Steed of Cassia County finished second ($50) (middle) and Justice
Butler of Twin Falls County was third ($25). The art contest was for
students in grades 7-9.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
29
Lichens
By Yvonne C. Barkley
Lichens – anyone that has ever walked in
the forest or in rocky alpine regions has
seen them: multi-colored splashes clinging to rocks and trunks of trees, gray-green
cascades swaying from branches, bursts of
color and fantastic shapes growing high in
the forest canopy.
Lichens are ancient organisms, with the oldest recorded lichen fossil dated to be around
400 million years old. This huge group of
widely diverse “plants” occupies most habitats of the earth, and is the dominant vegetation in approximately 8 percent of terrestrial
ecosystems. Of the 14,000 species of known
lichens, 3,600 of them occur in North America.
Most lichens are temperate or arctic, though
there are many tropical and desert
species. Lichens will colonize almost
any stable and reasonable well-lit surface. Trees, as well as the surfaces of
wood, rock, soil, leaves, bone, antlers, and even abandoned cars (if left
undisturbed long enough) all provide
places for lichens to colonize and
thrive. Lichens that grow on plants are
epiphytes. Epiphytes are organisms
that grow on other plants, attaching
themselves by roots, rhizomes, or fungal strands. Epiphytes are not parasitic
and do not harm or feed on the plants
they are perched on. Instead, they use
these plants as platforms to grow on.
Other types of epiphytes include orchids, bromeliads, and some species
of ferns. Outside coastal rainforests
and the tropics, lichens are the most
important epiphytes of forest trees and
shrubs.
Lichens on a branch.
30
Able to withstand long periods of
drought, lichens are self-sufficient,
taking what few minerals and little
water they need for survival from dust
and available moisture. They contain
their own source of carbohydrates and
Photo by Yvonne Barkley
their propagules (a sexual or vegetative
reproductive unit) are tiny, enabling
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
them to become established on all but the
smoothest surfaces. Because of this, lichens
are often referred to as “nature’s pioneers.”
Lichens are not plants, and are informally
grouped with mosses, liverworts, free-living
fungi, and algae under the name cryptogams.
Cryptogams are organisms reproduced by
spores instead of seeds. I think it is safe to
say that lichens are related to plants but are
not strictly “in the family.” These perennial,
symbiotic organisms arise from a union between a fungus (the mycobiont) and a green
algae or cyanobacterium (the phycobiont).
Within this symbiant organism, each member plays a crucial role. The algae are photosynthetic and supply the fungus with carbohydrates and vitamins, while the fungus
extracts necessary water and minerals from
the air and colonized surfaces for both it and
the algae. The two components of a lichen
can be separated and grown apart in a lab,
but when married, form a new association
that is long-lived and unlike either the fungi
or algal component in structure or form.
Lichens reproduce vegetatively. Pieces containing both the fungus and algae are blown
in the wind or carried by water, establishing new colonies where they land. Lichens
have the ability to not simply dehydrate, but
completely dry up when moisture is unavailable, becoming quite brittle. Once moisture
becomes available, they fully hydrate to their
former state.
Filaments from the fungal component of
the lichen surround and grow into the algal
cells and provide the majority of the lichen’s
physical bulk and shape. Lichens vary tremendously in size, shape, and color. Some
lichens are familiar, such as “reindeer moss”
that grows on many trees in the Northwest.
Some are many meters in length while others
are less than a millimeter tall. They can stand
erect and look like little shrubs, drape gracefully from tree limbs, or lie flat, looking like
little more than a black spot on a rock. And
they transverse the color spectrum, from
brilliant yellows, reds, and greens to barely
noticeable grays and whites.
People have long used lichens in a number
of ways. Horsehair lichens have been eaten
by the native people of the Interior Northwest and are listed as a favorite food of the
Interior Salish of the Okanagan-Colville
language group. Fibrous lichens have been
incorporated into clothing and many species
of lichens are used throughout the world to
make beautiful dyes. Others are used ornamentally. Over the centuries, many cultures
have used lichens as medicines and poisons.
Currently the search for new pharmaceutical
uses of lichens is resulting in some promising discoveries, including one that has
exhibited anti-tumor activity and another
that has properties that inhibits growth of
the HIV virus. Lichens have been used as
ingredients in personal products such as
perfumes and can be found today in many
commercial products such as deodorants and
toothpastes.
Contrary to what some people think, lichens
do not injure trees. Forest habitats actually benefit greatly from lichens that inhabit
trees. As rainfall and fog passes through forest canopies, resident lichens intercept and
absorb nutrients that have been shown to
have an influencing effect on the composition and concentration of nutrients in forest
soils below. Lichens also increase humidity
by absorbing moisture during precipitation
events and releasing it afterwards.
One of the most important functions of lichens in forest environments is their ability
to fix nitrogen. Atmospheric nitrogen cannot
be used by plants for growth nor are useable
forms of nitrogen abundant in native minerals
or soils. Nitrogen fixation is the domain of a
small group of bacteria and cyanobacterium
that are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen
into nitrates or ammonium compounds that
are available to plants for growth. Nitrogen
fixed by lichens becomes available to surrounding plants when the lichens die and
decay, or when nitrogen compounds leach
from living lichens.
In addition, lichens growing on rocks have
been found to release chemicals that speed
up the process of rocks decomposing and
contributing to the production of new soils.
On the down side, these same lichens can
cause damage to ancient, fragile rock carv-
These lichens are common in Idaho forests.
ings and paintings when colonizing their
surfaces. This has created a tedious process
of removal and maintenance for those responsible for preserving archeological and
cultural treasures.
Lichens can harbor insects, though most of
these are harmless. An exception to this rule
is the western hemlock looper (Lambdina
fiscellaria), which lays its eggs on mosses
and lichens that are anchored on the limbs
and trunks. The last outbreak of western
hemlock looper was in north-central Idaho
in 2002-2003 and, though this insect does
not cause widespread mortality, it does cause
severe defoliation.
Lichens are high in carbohydrates and many
animals, from mites to musk oxen, use them
for food or shelter. For example, some birds
and small mammals such as squirrels use lichens to build and line nests and many small
mammals live in nicely camouflaged, lichen
covered habitats. Lichens make up 90 percent of the winter diet of caribou and reindeer, and white-tail and mule deer, moose,
elk, mountain goats, and pronghorn antelope
all include lichens in their diets.
In recent years, a new use for lichens has
emerged. As a group, lichens prefer unpolluted landscapes. Because they are so sensitive to pollutants, lichens are now being used
as early warning systems to detect declining
air quality and as indicators of ancient forests. To quote Irwin M. Brodo, one of the au-
Photo by Yvonne Barkley
thors of Lichens of North America, “To find
them in abundance is to find a corner of the
universe where the environment is still pure
and unspoiled.”
This fascinating group of symbiant organisms we call lichens are not only elegant
and interesting, but important and useful
to humans, plants, and animals in so many
ways. From food to fiber and dyes, promising medicines, nitrogen-fixers, and as early
warning systems for ecosystem degradation, it is safe to say that there is much to like
about lichens.
Portions of this article have been excerpted
from Lichens of North America (2001, Yale
University Press) by Irwin M. Brodo, Sylvia
Duran Sharnoff, and Stephen Sharnoff. This
is an informative and detailed book about
lichens and includes over 900 fantastic colored photographs of lichens in their many
and varied habitats.
Yvonne Barkley is an
associate extension
forester for the
University of Idaho.
She can be reached
at yvonnec@uidaho.
edu.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
31
Gardening
Making Jam with
Mother: Lots of
Sugar and Love
Story & Photo
By Renée E. D’Aoust
As my grandmother nears 100 years old,
my mother nears 70, and I veer, in rather
ungainly fashion, toward 41, tradition
has become important to me.
Family tradition is something that creeps
up on you; it isn’t an object, but it is a
gift. I want to record my mother’s memory of making jam at her mother’s knee.
I remember making jam at my mother’s
knee.
Of course, I no longer make jam at my
mother’s knee. My mother and I make
jam in her kitchen side by side. Tradition; yes. Treasure; yes. Every year when
it comes time to make jam, I put gallon
bags full of berries in the freezer, waiting for winter and time. This summer,
I want to make our jam during the heat
of August. Have everything done before
winter and keep freezer room for meat
and fish instead of berries.
You see, I wanted to write an article
about making jam, specifically raspberry jam, but this is really an article about
legacy, about berries and peaches and
plums and mothers.
While my grandmother used Mrs. Beeton’s Cookbook, we use the recipe included in the Certo pectin package. It
isn’t fancy, but it works. We went through
all those phases jam makers know: Too
much sugar; we tried freezer jam. Too
much sugar; we tried honey and natural pectin. Too much sugar; we gave up,
added all those cups of sugar and went
back to regular pectin and enjoying our
32
jam. I say, add the sugar and enjoy. If
you’re going to eat jam, you might as
well make the best.
The best starts with the berry. It continues with the love (that’s the stirring and
stirring part of the activity). It ends with
spreading jam on toast. Still, despite the
essential elements of good berries and a
strong stirring arm, there are many ways
to make jam.
If you are a young mother, like my mother was once, making homemade bread
and yogurt and growing sprouts and
planting full spring, summer, and winter gardens, plus canning any number
of items—pears, plums, apples, applesauce—you might make jam on the fly.
You might heat the jam too quickly, you
might not add the slice of butter to prevent an excess of fuzz, you might not stir
as much as the recipe suggests. All this
is understandable. Forgivable.
But when your daughter moves home
and re-reads the recipe she once followed under your direction as a child
by your side, then the jam making procedure might change. My mother and
I discovered, seven years ago when I
moved back to Idaho from New York
City, that our jam making procedures
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
had diverged dramatically. Unlike my
mother, who was used to making jam
while doing a million other things, I followed the Certo recipe to the letter. This
is not praise. The ability to multi-task
is essential to raising a family, making
jam, gardening. But I’m not any good at
multi-tasking—it stresses me out, and I
become very snappy. One thing at a time
is my motto.
In order, I crush berries, measure them,
measure sugar in a separate bowl, gently mix berries and sugar, add a small
slice of butter, and begin slowly heating
the mixture while stirring constantly.
The dog pants at my feet, and I sit on
a stool, the long wooden handled spoon
my utensil.
When my mother first saw my method
of jam-making, she said, “That takes too
much time!”
“Oh, let’s try it,” I answered. Usually
these roles are reversed. I’m reticent to
try something new (part of my inability
to multi-task) while my mother is always
willing to give it a go (part of her ability to get a million things done while being kind and gracious and lovely all the
while). I added, “It’s nice to sit here and
stir and talk.”
I don’t know if it was the
mother-daughter conversation — I don’t even remember
what we talked about — or
maybe it was a particularly
good crop of berries, but with
the slow heating and long
stirring, in my defense and to
my mother’s delight, our jam
that year was the best it had
ever been.
“You learn something new
every day,” my mother said.
“Good thing to remember. To
re-read an old recipe. Makes
everything fresh again,” said
my mother.
Annually, we now make jam
my way, methodically, one
step at a time, and we talk
about the summer, the weather, our hopes and dreams,
our love of berries. We make
strawberry, raspberry, and
plum jam (in the order of the
season). We’ve tried peach
jam, but it never worked, so
we gave up. Sometimes (but
not often) we add a little
rhubarb to stretch the strawberries. Recently, we’ve
switched to jelly. Although
we think our raspberries are
the best in northern Idaho,
they are older berries and
prone to seeds.
While my grandmother used
glass syrup and syrup in paper, we use the handy Certo
pectin packets without a second thought. We used to melt
paraffin to seal the jars; now
we water heat new lids and
heat seal the tops. In the basement of my great-grandmother’s house, my grandma found
jars of peach jam. That won’t
happen in either my mother’s
or my pantry because we eat
all jars every year.
My great-grandmother taught
my grandmother how to make
jam, my grandmother taught
my mother, and my mother
taught me. In a reversal of
legacy, I re-taught my mother
my painstakingly slow method. Remember—add that
sugar and enjoy your jam.
Renée E. D’Aoust is a writer.
She lives in northern Idaho.
IFBF Combines Marketing Seminars,
Cruise and AFBF Annual Meeting
POCATELLO — Idaho Farm
Bureau Federation will combine three of its biggest events,
marketing seminars, annual
cruise and trip to the AFBF
annual meeting into one affair
this year.
The federation’s marketing
seminars, which have traditionally been conducted around
the state, will be held during
the group’s annual cruise Jan.
4-10.
The five-day cruise out of
Galveston, Texas, stops at Cozumel and Progreso on the Yucatan Peninsula. It will include
a tour of the world famous
Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins.
For those who desire to, following the tour the group will
travel via bus to San Antonio to
attend American Farm Bureau
Federation’s annual meeting
Jan. 11-14.
Reservations will be taken on a
“first come” basis and the deadline is Aug. 29. It’s anticipated
the tour will fill up quickly. For
more information, call Gary
Fuhriman at 239-4206 or 2410243, Peg Pratt at 239-4228, or
Ray Poe at 239-4325.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
33
34
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
Food Review
Bananas Foster
By Sean Ellis
Bananas Foster is a wickedly delightful dessert that is both fun and
easy to make. A quintessential New Orleans desert, it is made from
bananas and ice cream, with the sauce made from brown sugar,
butter, cinnamon, rum and banana liqueur.
After the sauce, bananas and banana liqueur are cooked, the rum is
added and then ignited, which is where the fun comes in. The dish is
then served hot or warm over vanilla ice cream.
I tried it for the first time in Alabama recently and just had to learn
to make it myself.
After making it myself to trouble-shoot any potential problems in the
recipe, the six people that tried it fell in love with it and demanded I
make it again a day later, which I did. This dessert is simply a can’tmiss dish. The praise I received for preparing it was off the charts.
The dish was created in 1951 by Paul Blange, a chef at Brennan’s
Restaurant in New Orleans. It was named after Richard Foster, a
good friend of restaurant owner Owen Brennan and a frequent
customer.
I found several different recipes on the Internet and the amounts of
ingredients and preparation tips all differed slightly, so you might
want to experiment a little. The only word of caution I would offer is
to be very careful when igniting the rum. Every recipe contained that
same suggestion.
Bananas Foster
Ingredients:
• 4 bananas, sliced, or cut in half
lengthwise and then halved (some
recipes called for as few as 2 bananas)
• 1 cup brown sugar (some recipes
called for 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup banana liqueur
• 1/4 cup rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Heat the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a pan or skillet to form
a creamy paste. Stir in the banana liqueur and then add the bananas.
Cook until the bananas start to soften and brown and then add the rum,
igniting carefully. Cook another 1-2 minutes and serve over ice cream. Total
preparation time is about 15-20 minutes.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
35
Farm Bureau to Offer Health Insurance Plan
By Sean Ellis
Farm Bureau Writer
POCATELLO — Leveraging the collective
clout of its members, Idaho Farm Bureau
will soon begin offering an exclusive health
insurance plan through Blue Cross of Idaho.
Available only to Farm Bureau’s 63,000
member families, and any new members, the
program is designed to be an affordable but
quality health care plan.
“Health care is expensive and as a result,
health insurance premiums have been increasing. We’re trying to nibble away at the
cost and help keep health insurance affordable for our members,” said Ray Poe, Idaho
Farm Bureau Federation’s member services
director.
“We think these new health insurance options combine the best of two strong organizations,” said Jerry Dworak, senior vice
president of sales and marketing for Blue
Cross of Idaho. “Making sure Idaho ranchers and farmers have access to affordable
health insurance is what these products are
all about.”
In a survey conducted to find out whether
the program was feasible, Blue Cross officials found that the IFB members currently
insured by Blue Cross are healthy and generally have fewer claims.
This history of lower use of health care services will allow Blue Cross to use that collective low risk of IFB members to offer individuals competitively priced coverage.
The program will include health insurance
products administered on an individual basis according to each member’s risk factors.
This will not be an employer-sponsored plan
and each member will be billed separately.
IFBF President Frank Priestley said the purpose behind the program is “so members can
get a reduced rate in health care coverage;
that’s the bottom line.”
Priestley said that since he became
president in 1997, one of the first things
people want to talk about is the cost of
health insurance. “If we can get a percentage reduction for our members, then
36
we ought to do that,” he said.
The program still needs to be approved by
the state department of insurance, but Blue
Cross believes it has all its bases covered and
plans to begin offering coverage this fall.
IFB officials stressed that the plan won’t
mean cheap health insurance coverage, but it
will offer affordable quality coverage compared to what is currently on the market.
“This effort with Blue Cross is an added
benefit to Farm Bureau membership,” said
Lex Heyer, vice president of marketing for
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Idaho.
“Something else that makes your Farm Bureau membership that much more valuable.”
Heyer believes the plan could save members
up to 10 percent on health insurance costs.
If that holds true, then a family that is spending $500 a month on health insurance coverage
now could save $50 a month or $600 a year.
“It really has the potential of doing that,” he
said.
During its survey of 700 IFB members
throughout Idaho, Blue Cross found that
most respondents — including those currently insured — said they thought the idea
of purchasing health insurance through IFB
was a “very good thing.”
Based on that fact, Blue Cross estimates
there is a potential to insure up to 34,000
‘Making sure Idaho ranchers
and farmers have access to
affordable health insurance
is what these products are
all about.’
— Jerry Dworak, Blue Cross Idaho
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
people (each Farm Bureau membership includes more than two people on average)
through this new program.
The program will feature preferred provider
organization (PPO) plans utilizing Blue
Cross’ current network of health care providers that contract with Blue Cross to provide
service at a reduced rate.
A PPO-plus choice will offer the most comprehensive benefits and will include coverage for things such as maternity, preventive
care, hospital, emergency, mental health and
prescription drug coverage.
A PPO-basic choice will include fewer benefits. For example, there would be no coverage for mental health.
A Health Savings Account choice allows individuals to pay for current health expenses
and save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.
The program will also include a dental benefit. Members can purchase a medical and
dental plan together or separately. If they’re
happy with their current health care coverage, they can purchase a dental plan only.
According to a recent report by The Access
Project, while most farm and ranch operators have health insurance, they are seriously
challenged by the cost. The report found
farmers and ranchers were far more likely
than the general population to purchase coverage on the individual market.
The report stated that most families forced
to rely on this market had no alternative but
to pay high premiums for policies that also
included significant deductibles.
IFB officials said this new collaboration
with Blue Cross should help Farm Bureau
members obtain quality health insurance at
a competitive price.
McCain, Obama Pledge
Support of Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John
McCain spoke to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s
Council of Presidents meeting
July 16 by teleconference, both
pledging their continued support for American agriculture.
Both McCain and Obama emphasized the need of agriculture to meet America’s energy
needs. McCain heralded his
“Lexington Project” to make
America energy independent,
which includes alternative fuels, ethanol, nuclear and offshore drilling.
Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., first to
speak, pledged to support trade
agreements that will open markets to U.S. agriculture. “I believe the American agricultural
worker is the most efficient and
productive in the world and
one of my jobs is to open every market in the world to your
products,” McCain said.
Both candidates touched on
two key issues for American
agriculture: the estate tax and
immigration reform.
Sen. Obama, D-Ill., followed
McCain and emphasized his
support of the recently passed
farm bill. “I would have liked
to have seen some additional
reforms in the bill, but on balance the bill did a lot more
good than bad because it dramatically increased the funding to fight hunger, it increased
funding for conservation, and it
provided farmers with stability
in an increasingly volatile market,” Obama said.
“Rural America stands at
a crossroads,” Obama said.
“Now more than ever we need
a strong agricultural sector. We
rely on the farmers of America
to produce safe, plentiful food
at a reasonable price. And
even with the increase in food
prices, Americans only spend
10 percent of their income on
food, which is the lowest of any
country in the world. America
is also looking to agriculture to
help make us energy independent.”
McCain said the first $10 million of an estate should be exempt from the estate tax with
anything above the $10 million
level taxed at a 15-percent rate.
“It’s outrageous that you can’t
pass onto your children and
grandchildren the hard-won
fruits of your labor,” McCain
told the farm leaders.
Obama said he would keep the
estate tax exemption at the 2009
rate, $3.5 million for single filers and $7 million for married
couples, but pledged to not
raise it above that level. He said
the $7 million level will exempt
99.7 percent of all taxpayers.
“The truth is a complete repeal
of the estate tax would cost the
government $1 trillion over the
first 10 years at a time when
our country has some huge
priorities,” Obama said. “To
finance that repeal, we’d either
have to borrow money or we’d
have to raise taxes on families
who never even benefit from
the estate tax or slash $1 trillion
in public services.”
Both McCain and Obama emphasized the need for immigration reform to meet the current
labor crisis facing agriculture.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
37
217 Years Later, Americans Finally
Get Their Second Amendment Rights
By Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho
Two hundred and seventeen years is a long time to wait, but a longawaited victory is all the more precious. On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered such a victory to
freedom-loving American citizens by reaffirming the fundamental,
individual right to keep and bear arms that is protected by the Second
Amendment to the Constitution. Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority
opinion in the 5-4 decision is the clearest statement on this issue since
the ratification of the Second Amendment as part of the Bill of Rights
in 1791. In the Heller decision striking down the Washington, D.C., handgun ban as unconstitutional, the court settled a lot of questions that
have been hotly debated for years, ruling: that the right to keep and
bear arms is an individual right; that the right exists regardless of a
person’s participation in a state militia; that the right is not granted
by, but pre-exists, the Constitution; that it encompasses the right to
use firearms for lawful purposes including the defense of home and
family. Justice Scalia’s opinion also addressed restrictions on this right. He
pointed out that the Second Amendment is “not unlimited,” and gave
examples of limits that were not touched by this decision, including prohibitions on gun possession by certain groups of individuals
like felons, prohibitions on carrying firearms in certain places like
schools and government buildings, and conditions on commercial
gun sales. And while handguns were specifically mentioned as
deserving protection because they are the firearm of choice for a majority of law-abiding Americans, the opinion did not offer that same
kind of protection for “dangerous and unusual weapons.”
Even so, the decision should come as a relief to Washington, D.C.,
residents, who have daily proof that the toughest gun ban in the naGov. Butch Otter (right), speaks
to Idaho Farm Bureau Federation’s
board of directors July 23 in
Pocatello. Seated next to Otter
are IFBF President Frank Priestley
(center) and CEO Rick Keller. Otter
addressed several issues, including
transportation funding and a judge’s
recent decision that placed wolves
back on the endangered species list.
“It’s a setback for us,” Otter said
about the decision. “I can’t tell you
how frustrating it is.” He did say the
judge had a lot of good things to
say about Idaho and Montana’s wolf
management plans; “his concern was
Wyoming’s plan.”
Photo By Sean Ellis
38
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
tion does nothing to reduce criminal gun
violence and only increases their potential
victimhood. It should also encourage law-abiding citizens
everywhere who want to take responsibility for their personal safety. It should please
constitutionalists concerned about reining in bureaucraticoverreachin
g. It should hearten any patriot outraged by the persistent undermining of individual liberty at the hands of judicial activists.
Having fought against bitter opposition for a generation in the front
lines of the federal legislative battles over the right to keep and bear
arms, and having signed on to the Congressional amicus curiae brief
that supported the individual rights argument in this case, I have to
admit that the Supreme Court’s ruling was a particularly joyous one
for me.
I have always believed that if the Second Amendment to our Constitution means anything, it means that individual Americans have
a right to gun ownership – not just the militia, not only the National
Guard and not just certain favored classes who can afford bodyguards and security personnel. It means that law-abiding Americans
have a right – I would say, a God-given right – to defend themselves,
their homes, and their families. That is true on the farms of Idaho and
in the barrios of Los Angeles, in the multiple-million-dollar condos of
Manhattan and in the inner city neighborhoods of Detroit.
Those who cherish our freedoms must remain vigilant in following developments and safeguarding these critical interests because
nobody should imagine this decision puts an end to all controversies
over the Second Amendment. We know there will be lawsuits aimed
at testing the lines drawn by the Supreme Court.
But for now, let’s celebrate the victory. We’ve waited long enough.
Farm Facts
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
39
2008 Idaho Farm Bureau Scholarship Winners
Each student receives a $750 scholarship
The scholarships are provided by the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Scholarship Fund, Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance
Co. of Idaho, and the IFBF Women’s Leadership Committee and Young Farmer and Rancher Committee.
Mary Anderson
Justin Baker
Mary Anderson, daughter of
Shawn Anderson, Malad, and
Marcie Brown, Montana. Mary
graduated from Malad High
School. She will attend BYUIdaho, where she will study
elementary education.
Justin Baker, son of David and
Melodie Baker, Clayton. Justin
graduated from Challis High
School. He will attend Central
Arizona College, with his major
course of study being welding
with an ag business degree.
Kimberly Hofman
Morgan Hubsmith
Kimberly Hofman, daughter
of John and Kathleen Hofman,
Pocatello. Kimberly graduated
from Pocatello High School and
will attend BYU in Provo, Utah,
where she will study therapeutic
education.
Morgan Hubsmith, daughter
of Rodney and Kaysi Hubsmith,
Richfield. Morgan graduated from
Richfield High School and will be
studying veterinary medicine at
Idaho State University.
Elise Marchant
Paul Marienau
Elise Marchant, daughter of
Paul and Michelle Marchant,
Oakley. Elise graduated from
Oakley High School and will
attend BYU-Idaho, where she
will study agribusiness and
accounting.
Paul Marienau, son of Paul
and Mary Presser, Sandpoint.
Paul graduated from Sandpoint
High School and will attend
University of Idaho, where he will
study law enforcement.
Garrett Traughber
Kendra Withers
Garrett Traughber, son of Tim
and Dawn Turner, Arco. Garrett
graduated from Butte County
High School and will attend
College of Idaho in Caldwell,
where he will seek an engineering
degree. Kendra Withers, daughter
of Alan and Elaine Withers,
Terreton. Kendra graduated from
West Jefferson High School and
will attend BYU-Idaho, where
she will study interior design.
40
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
FARM BUREAU ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Go to www.sandiegozoo.com
2. On the main page click on “buy tickets” in the upper right hand
corner of the screen. Select the number of adults and children going
and click on “BUY” button just to the right of the numbers.
3. The next screen will show your totals. Near the bottom is a box that
reads “Promotional Code”. In that box type 2005-USG-156 and click
submit. The Farm Bureau discount will then be applied.
Farm Bureau
Members Pay Less
For Paint
Farm Bureau
Members Save
Farm Bureau discount code
9061-3888-8.
25% off on paint and
sundry items
$4
Good at stores nationwide
Farm Bureau account number
“FB5500”
35% discount levels
Participating locations
Crossword Puzzle Answers From Page 19
Boise
3816 West State Street
Boise
1305 Broadway
Caldwell
916 Cleveland
Eagle
127 East State St.
Meridian
307 East Fairview Ave.
Nampa
816 3rd Street South
Twin Falls
1280 East Filer
Ontario, Oregon
94 West Idaho Ave.
Discount applies to everyday low
retail prices and does not apply to
sale or promotional items. Valid at
Columbia Paint & Coatings' stores .
Go to www.idahofb.org and click
on member benefits to see
participating stores.
Farm Bureau Cash Account Code #933
Across: 1. Jefferson, 3. Owyhee, 4. Gooding, 5. Minidoka, 6. Lemhi, 8. Power,
9. Bingham, 10. Benewah, 11. Boise, 12. Butte, 13. Clearwater, 15. Adams, 16.
Caribou, 17. Kootenai.
Down: 1. Jerome, 2. Shoshone, 7. Camas, 8. Payette, 10. Bear Lake, 11.
Boundary, 13. Clark, 14. Teton.
Idaho Farm Bureau members save
25% off Columbia Brand Paint
15% off painting supplies.
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
41
Classifieds
Wanted
DEADLINE DATES: ADS MUST with beveled edges $100 each; One king I have a seller looking to sell 300-4000 acres
BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 20 waterbed, bookcase headboard, new mattress of good farm ground. South Central Idaho. Call Wanted: Canning Jars new or old, Lucile, Id.
(bladder) $75. Rupert, Id. 436-9985
Frank 208-420-0421
FOR NEXT ISSUE.
call 628-4196
Animals
Finn sheep rams and wethers for sale, Lucile,
Id 628-4196
Black rams. Finn-cross. Also, gentle lambs.
Nice fleeces for spinning. Make good pets.
Calico Farm, Hagerman, ID 837-6028
Quarter horse paint gelding 7 years old. Big
and strong, easy keeper, ride or pack for
hunting. Pocatello, Id. 241-7524
APHA/AQHA Bred broodmares $250. Excellent
bloodlines, great color, conformation. Bred to
perform. Two 3 yr geldings-ready to start–gentle
and halter broke. Several coming two year olds.
Colts and fillys. Priced really low. APHA Stallion
Service $400. Caldwell, Id. 454-2454
Kohler porcelain cast iron sink like new with Retiring! Nice 125ft x 135ft lot in Bouse,
faucet and basket. $150.00. Boise, Id. 429- Arizona. New Septic, shared well, 2 RV hookups Old License Plates Wanted: Also key chain
8382
or ready for your home. $45,500. 756-3225 license plates, old signs, light fixtures. Will
pay cash. Please email, call or write. Gary
Peterson, 130 E Pecan, Genesee, Id 83832.
Monarch Wood Furnace. In good condition.
Some pipe. $300. Bonners Ferry, Id 267-2831 Recreational Equipment [email protected]. 285-1258
1995 Kawasaki Bayou, 4 wheel drive, runs
“Horseshoe Art & Decor” for your home, office good. Attached Spot sprayer. $1,800. Wilder, Id. Paying cash for German & Japanese war
relics/souvenirs! Pistols, rifles, swords,
and friends. All items hand made. Custom 337-4445 or 989-9751
daggers, flags, scopes, optical equipment,
order accepted. Check out our Web-Site www.
trailcreekcreations.com or call Al, 208-588- 2005 Cedar Creek 38ft 5th wheel. Excellent uniforms, helmets, machine guns (ATF rules
4040
condition, 3 slides, Generator, washer & dryer. apply) medals, flags, etc. 549-3841 (evenings)
16000 lb hitch and much more. $34,000 OBO or 405-9338
[email protected] 208-410-2039
Miscellaneous
Hoveround wheelchair, Jet-5 wheelchair,
Sandrail and trailer, also a swing set. Heyburn,
Id 677-1112
All Iron Wagon. 3 ft by 9 1/2 ft long. 5 ft
across to wheels. Spoke wheels with springs.
Horses for sale, well trained and friendly, great Great for landscaping. One of a kind. $750.00.
trail horses, also kids ponies, and yearlings. Troy, Id. 835-3392
All striking colors, and willing horseanalities.
Lucile, Id. Call 628-4196
Onan Generator (Propane), Emerald Plus 4000
Watts Runs great and very quiet. Asking $1000
Hypoallergenic Bashkir horses for sale! OBO. Jerome, Id. Email to huntingfool@
Weanling, yearling, riding horses available. magiclink.com or call Gail 539-3280
Juliaetta, Id. 276-7540. Can ship statewide
Heavy Duty Tarps - 15’x50’, waterproof, very
durable, great for Hay Machinery etc. $65.00
Farm Equipment
each Call jared@ 801-232-0953
Balewagons: New Holland self-propelled or
pull-type models. Will consider any model. Also Flag poles by Old Sarge. Custom made from 2”
interested in buying balewagons. Call Jim at galvanized poles. Any length, 16-30 ft. Check
us out. Wilford Green, 2618 N. Inkom Rd.
880-2889 or evenings 459-3268
Inkom, Id 775-3490
Help Wanted
Appraisal Career Opportunity - We have
appraisers earning up to $65,000/yr
part time. If you have an agricultural
background you may be qualified to
become a certified livestock or farm
equipment appraiser. Classroom or Home
Study courses available. For information
call the American Society of Agricultural
Appraiser (800) 488-7570 or visit www.
amagappraisers.com
Mobile Homes
1993 Country Coach Luxury Motorhome in
excellent condition – loaded with extras. Top
quality coach at below low book. Offers or
partial trades considered. Carmen, Id 7563225
Real Estate/Acreage
You want to live in the Country? Consider
trade for home in town, ‘Rigby, Rexburg or
Idaho Falls’ for 3 acres or more with 2800 sq
Household
ft home in Annis area. Bring your animals, best
Jacuzzi Bathtub, nice, used very little $200; irrigation water. 5 bedrooms 2 1/2 bath. see
Two 30x36 inch plate glass mirrors, heavy at 3829 E 620 N Rigby, Id. 520-2515
42
Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / summer 2008
FREE CLASSIFIEDS
Non commercial classified ads are free to Idaho Farm Bureau members.
Must include membership number for free ad. Forty (40) words maximum.
Non-member cost- 50 cents per word. You may advertise your own crops,
livestock, used machinery, household items, vehicles, etc. Ads will not be
accepted by phone. Ads run one time only and must be re-submitted in each
subsequent issue. We reserve the right to refuse to run any ad. Please type or
print clearly. Proof-read your ad.
Mail ad copy to:
P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848
or email Dixie at
[email protected]
Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
City / State / Zip: __________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________ Membership No. ___________________
Ad Copy: ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________