Winter 2009 | The Working Conservationist | www.latahsoil.org
Contents
Meet the Supervisors:
Kevin Meyer....................1
2008 Poster Contest
– Water is Life.................2
The Snowman Cometh
........................................3
Effective Pasture
Management..................4
Celebrate National Ag
Week 2009......................5
Sweet Dreams.................6
Calendar of Events.........7
Snow-Flakes....................7
Bo & Vinny......................7
Conservation Education
........................................8
The Working Conservationist
Published by the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation District
© 2009
220 E Fifth St, Moscow ID 83843
208-882-4960, ext. 3
[email protected]
www.latahsoil.org
Editors: Patrick Adams and Trish
Heekin of Latah SWCD
Designer: Melissa Rockwood,
Rdesign
Banner photo by Patrick Adams
Winter 2009
Leading Voluntary Conservation Efforts Since 1940
Meet the District Supervisors:
Kevin Meyer
By Ken Preston
As a teenager, Kevin Meyer
learned the importance of good land
stewardship and conservation from
his dad. He remembers his father
being on the Palouse Soil and Water
Conservation District in Pullman,
Washington, and making trips to
Moses Lake, Washington, to pick up
conservation tree seedlings for local
plantings. Kevin also recalls his dad
being one of the first farmers to utilize uphill plowing as a soil conservation method, and the subsequent
research on its merits conducted by
Washington State University on his
dad’s farm. These things influenced
Kevin, and conservation remains a
central theme of his own farming
endeavors today.
Kevin Meyer grew up in Colton,
Washington, where he graduated
from high school. He fondly recalls
his senior year when the baseball and
football teams both won state championships, for which he respectively
played first base and offensive tackle. After high school, Kevin attended
Walla Walla Community College,
where he again played football,
while majoring in Agri-Business.
His first agricultural employment
began in 1978, working summers
for his dad, and seeking whatever
work he could find elsewhere during the winter months. Kevin and
his younger brother began farming
on a full-time basis with their dad in
the 1980’s. His brother decided on a
career change, and left farming in
2004. Since then, Kevin has carried
on by himself, with some sage oversight and assistance from his parents. Kevin’s Mom does the bookkeeping, while Kevin’s dad—still
spry at age 82—helps Kevin with
a variety of things such as moving
equipment. Both parents still offer
him much empirical wisdom and
sometimes stern advice. Kevin, at
age 50, has four children (two boys
and two girls), three grandchildren,
and two more on the way.
Kevin began experimenting
Kevin Meyer
with crop rotations on the farm in
Colton, Washington. He eventually
switched from a 2-year to a 3-year
rotation and realized such positive results that he applied a 3-year
rotation to his Latah County acreage. He credits that change as being
the major springboard to the more
intense conservation farming he
utilizes today. Kevin cites the rotation as a key element in a healthy
farming operation. He notes how
it “… improves the soil health, the
residue amounts, organic matter,
and yields.” He further points out,
“I wouldn’t be farming today without having made the switch to a 3year rotation.” It has allowed Kevin
to shift ever closer to a direct seed
operation. He proudly states, “This
was the first fall I didn’t plow even
a single acre.” In addition to his
conservation tillage, Kevin utilizes
many other stewardship practices,
such as grassed waterways, filter
strips, and divided slopes.
Kevin joined the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation District (Latah
SWCD) in the late 1990’s. Again,
Kevin cites the rotation as
a key element in a healthy
farming operation. He
notes how it “… improves
the soil health, the residue
amounts, organic matter,
and yields.”
it was the influence of having seen
his father work for a Conservation
District that prompted Kevin to
also become involved. After serving for several years, Kevin took
a three-year hiatus, but returned
again 2004 and continues serving
today. He came to Latah SWCD
at a very crucial time. The State
had just issued its Total Maximum
Daily Load (TMDL) stream mandates, and Latah SWCD’s involvement and work load was significantly increased. He remembers the
Board meetings sometimes lasting
until the early morning hours. He
says the TMDL process was a cruContinued on page 2
| Latah Soil and Water Conservation District | www.latahsoil.org
2008 Poster Contest
– Water is Life
By Patrick Adams
The recent poster contest, sponsored by the Idaho Association of Soil
Conservation Districts (IASCD) and hosted by the Latah Soil and Water
Conservation District (Latah SWCD), attracted elementary students from
Moscow and Genesee. Eighty-seven 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from
St. Mary’s, Russell Elementary, and Genesee School applied their imagination and artistic skills to create posters based on this year’s contest theme,
“Water is Life”.
Water colors, crayons, glitter, colored pencils, and clip art were some of
the materials used by the students to create an astounding array of images to
convey their message and attract the attention of the judges. Undersea creatures, crop fields, wildlife, a kitchen, the sun, a water cooler, a smiling water
drop, swimming pools, rivers, ponds, a “water man” creature, water cycle
diagrams, rainbows, a smiling cloud, molecular notation, lightning bolts,
irrigation sprinklers, boats, and docks were some of the images created by
the students.
Judges from Latah SWCD visited the schools and picked out the top three
posters from each class. These posters were then displayed at the Latah
County Courthouse where the Latah County Board of Commissioners deter-
above: Some of St. Mary’s
students posters
mined which three posters would be
sent to the next level of the contest.
At the end of the day, Darby Martin
(1st place) and Cherish Connelly
(2nd place), both from St. Mary’s,
and Shayla Boles (3rd place), from
Russell Elementary, had winning
posters. Cash prizes of $10, $15, and
$25 were awarded to the winners.
Grangeville was the site of the next
contest, which took place during
the Division II meeting of the Idaho
Association of Soil Conservation
Districts. Posters were submitted
from Clearwater, Idaho, Latah,
and Lewis counties. Judges
selected the best three posters to
send to the state contest held at
the IASCD conference in Coeur
d’Alene. The winning poster
then went on to the national
contest hosted by the National
Association of Conservation
Districts in Washington, D.C.
To provide students with
a deeper understanding of
the contest’s theme, Kari
Schwendiman from Latah
SWCD gave a presentation to
Russell Elementary entries
the classes that participated in
the poster contest. It was evident from the posters that the students benefited from Kari’s session. A
similar presentation will be available to the classes that participate in next
year’s contest. If your students would like to enter the poster contest, contact Patrick Adams at 882-4960 x101 or [email protected]
View more posters from the contest via the Internet by visiting Latah
SWCD’s new blog at
http://www.latahsoil.
org (click on News/
Blog).
right: Posters waiting
to be judged by the
Latah County Board of
Commissioners
left: Genesee school
posters
Kevin Meyer, continued from page 1
cial step which led Latah SWCD
on a path from its more mundane,
obligatory duties towards becoming one of the most progressive and
proactive soil and water conservation districts in the entire state. He
additionally credits Latah SWCD
District Manager, Ken Stinson,
with spearheading Latah SWCD’s
growth and success. For Kevin,
the satisfaction of knowing Latah
SWCD is helping get conservation
on the ground is what keeps him
returning to serve Latah SWCD’s
mission. He states, “I always think
there’s more we can do and need to
do to be more visible and influential
to Latah County growers.” Besides
being a Latah SWCD supervisor,
Kevin also volunteers his time as
Chairman of the Potlatch River
Watershed Advisory Group, and
to the Producer Board of STEEP3
(Solutions To Environmental and
Economic Problems) as a representative from the Idaho Association of
Soil Conservation Districts.
Kevin is pleased with the results
he has seen from the Latah SWCD’s
ground, the subsequent erosion and
programs promoting reduced tillweed problems that accompany
age in the Potlatch and Cow Creek
housing development also concern
drainages. “It used to be that everyhim. As a conservation-minded
one plowed,” he says, “but nowaperson, Kevin is troubled that housdays, I only know of a couple of
ing developments aren’t required to
farmers still using deep tillage.”
have a conservation plan as do farm
Kevin says he has found much inspioperations. Additionally, the transiration from farmers such as Wayne
tion of rural land to suburbs stresses
Jensen, and Joe
the aquifers and
As
a
conservationand Jay Anderson.
adds to the curminded person, Kevin rent energy crisis.
He describes them
as being a type of is troubled that housing The location of
direct seed pathmany of the newer
developments
aren’t
finders, leading
homes is of puzzlerequired to have a
the way for others
ment and concern
to follow. Kevin conservation plan as do to anyone who
says he can’t state
thinks about confarm operations.
how much he
servation as Kevin
appreciates their
does. “Building a
generous sharing of knowledge on
home on a ridge top, where it will
both successes and failures. “Just
suffer heat loss from cold winter
raising awareness is an extremely
winds, and require extra air conimportant part of helping people.”
ditioning as it bakes in the summer heat, makes no sense from an
One of Kevin’s main concerns for
energy perspective or from an overthe future of Latah County is the proall environmental one. I think there
liferation of housing developments
needs to be better planning and beton agricultural land. Aside from the
ter education.”
permanent loss of productive farm
Patrick Adams is
the Information
Technology and
Outreach Coordinator
for the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation
District
Of particular concern to Kevin
is the average age of today’s farmer.
The number of young people coming up in the farming business is
alarmingly scant. He understands
it in many ways, however, considering the formidable capital required,
as well as the long hours and uncertainty surrounding everything
from weather to crop prices. He
recognizes there are more secure
ways to make a living by investing
less, risking less and working less.
“My grandfather began farming in
the 1920’s”, Kevin says. Then, with
a bittersweet tone to his voice like
that of the last soldier standing, he
prophesizes, “The family farm will
probably end with me.”
Sadly, that may be true. But the
conservation Kevin Meyer has put
on the ground will live on forever.
For those efforts and sacrifices, we
all say, ‘Thank you, Kevin’.
Ken Preston is a Resource
Conservation Planner for the Latah
Soil and Water Conservation
District
Winter 2009 | The Working Conservationist | The Snowman
Cometh
By Ken Preston
In the more than half century of my lifetime, very few years have passed
without me making at least one snowman per winter. I’ve never been particularly good at it, but one’s lack of artistry is always forgiven when it comes
to building a snowman. Each year I pledge to invest in more appropriate
attire for the next snowman I build. I always say I will buy a real top hat
and a red scarf and a corncob pipe; but the next thing I know the snowman
season has passed, and with it goes the urge to purchase clothing accessories
for the ephemeral fellow. The snowmen of my early years actually had the
traditional coal for eyes, mouth and buttons, and a carrot for its nose. In
more recent times, coal has been replaced by charcoal briquettes; however,
the carrot nose remains a tradition and is not negotiable.
When my children were small, they served as a great camouflage for my
Author’s family in 1996
urge to build snowmen. Were the prying eyes of neighbors or passersby to
see me rolling snow into large balls, it appeared obvious that I was merely
fulfilling a parental obligation. Truth was, however, I enjoyed it as much or
more than the kids did. Once the snowman was constructed and was at least
remotely identifiable as being a snowman, the sprint back to the house was
on as if it were bees stinging our fingertips rather than the cold. Inside the
house was a warm fireplace and hot
chocolate. We’d all stand together,
Were the prying eyes of
each of us cupping our slowly thawneighbors or passersby to
ing hands around a mug of hot
see me rolling snow into
chocolate, while staring out the
large balls, it appeared
picture window at our creation. We
stared at him with a sense of accomobvious that I was merely
plishment, but also with anticipafulfilling a parental
tion–as if expecting him to sudobligation. Truth was,
denly assume some level of skilled
animation and begin dancing across
however, I enjoyed it as
the lawn. We would monitor the
much or more than the
snowman over the coming days and
kids did.
weeks as each brief thawing event
would gradually force him to bow
ever lower. Ultimately, he would
break at the junction of the large bottom ball and the medium-sized middle
ball. The medium ball would rest at the base of the large snowball, while the
head would roll a short distance and split open. There would be something
unsightly about the carnage, but no one ever seemed very inclined to clean
it up. The following spring, I would invariably strike the charcoal briquettes
with the lawnmower and send pieces hurling like chalky shrapnel across
the lawn. I’d then step in something mushy and make an unfair accusation
towards the neighbor’s dog, before realizing I had stepped on a rotten carrot.
In 2007, Bob Eckstein wrote a book, entitled The History of the Snowman.
In his work, Eckstein wonders and searches for answers about building
snowmen. How long have people been building snowmen? Why do people
build snowmen? When and where was the first snowman built? Eckstein
notes the following about a snowman:
Picasso has never appeared in a breakfast commercial, but the
snowman has. Muhammad Ali and Jack Nicklaus combined haven’t
graced as many magazine covers as the snowman. Who’s had his face
on more postage stamps? You’d be hard pressed to find a celebrity
who crosses international boundaries as universally as the snow-
man. The snowman, I realized, has become such a common icon
that he has become invisible; we’ve taken him for granted as the
King of Kitsch and, in doing so, obscured his place in our culture.
No one is more beloved, more popular than the snowman, appeared
in more movies, mentioned more often in literature, or landed more
endorsements hocking everything from Cadillacs to laundry detergent to tuna casserole. Arguably…the snowman is the single most
recognized icon in the world. (p.6)
There’s something about building a snowman that brings out the loftiest
of aspirations in a person. It is inherent human nature to want to build the
biggest snowman one possibly can, and it seems almost unavoidable to not
over-roll the bottom ball. This architectural faux pas rarely becomes apparent until the second snowball is rolled to appropriate proportion, and the
builder is left hopelessly seeking a forklift with which to place it atop the
grandiose bottom ball. Inevitably, one of two things happens. A resizing
takes place, or, a poorly proportioned snowman is left to feel self-conscious
about his expansive bottom segment. In certain parts of the world, such as
England and Japan, the tradition is to use just two snowballs rather than the
American standard which is three (there’s a jingoistic joke or two there, but
I’ll let them pass). The largest snowman ever built was constructed in Bethel,
Maine in February 1999. He was dubbed “Angus, King of the Mountain”, in
honor of Angus King, who was at that time the governor of Maine. He towered to an astounding height of 113’
7”, and weighed an estimated 9 milThe largest snowman ever
lion pounds! That record was brobuilt was constructed in
ken by a snow-woman, built in the
Bethel, Maine in February
same town, in 2008. She was 122’
1999.…He towered to
1” tall, and was named, “Olympia,
Queen of the Mountain”, in honor
an astounding height of
of Olympia Snow, a Maine Senator
113’ 7”, and weighed
to Congress. Both feats are impresan estimated 9 million
sive, but I doubt they were handrolled, lifted, and stacked, as typical
pounds!
backyard rules dictate.
While I enjoy seeing a snowman,
and have never personally met anyone who didn’t, every snowman has enemies other than just the sun. Some
people, apparently, abhor the sight of a snowman or even the very word itself.
The Association of Education Publishers actually went so far as to ban the
word “snowman” from schoolbooks and other educational materials. They
saw it as “gender-biased”, and demanded that it be replaced with “snowperson”. A similar ban was instituted by the Taliban in 1996, when it came to
power in Afghanistan. It forbade children from building snowmen, as well
as a host of other wickedly villainous acts such as flying kites and playing
with dolls. In Japan, the term “snowman” is used to slur lying politicians
who deal out “snow jobs” to the populace. Snowman was once a common
racial slur directed at Caucasians. And if you get a “snowman” in golf, well,
you probably should take up a different sport. The pièce de résistance, however, of snowman hating, occurred in 2001 when a British feminist professor symbolically kicked over every snowman ever built. She declared the
snowman to be an out-of-date, sexist tool of gender discrimination. She reasoned that snowmen were white, male, and fat; ergo, making them symbols
of greed and gluttony. (This profile doesn’t fit very well with Santa Claus who
is white, male, fat, and symbolizes the spirit of giving and the blessedness of
small children. But, I digress.) Continuing with her own stereotyping, she
went into more luridly graphic detail than I will here, regarding what the
carrot nose really symbolizes. Beyond all else, however, what was especially
disturbing to this professor, was the fact that snowmen are made outdoors!
This, she claimed, symbolized the idea that the public space is a man’s world.
Personally, I suspect it really has more to do with cold temperatures and
the greater availability of snow outdoors. But, then again, I’m not a professor…I’m just a simple builder of snowmen.
Building a snowman is not only for the artistically challenged.
Michelangelo, of Sistine Chapel fame, is reputed to have built a snowman in
Florence, Italy, in 1494. If it wasn’t
Michelangelo, of Sistine
beneath the talents of Michelangelo,
Chapel fame, is reputed
it shouldn’t be beneath us either. In
my opinion, it is one of the few colto have built a snowman
laborative efforts that seems to go as
in Florence, Italy, in 1494. it should when people work together.
I’ve never encountered arguing, filibustering, spin-doctoring, or anything other than fun and good spirits when building a snowman. Granted,
it is a simple three-step process, but maybe there is a lesson to be learned
from that as well. Perhaps it’s the complicated stress of bureaucracy that
makes working together at other levels go awry. Aside from the occasional
outbreak of a snowball fight, harmony and cooperation reign supreme while
building a snowman. And it has been that way for longer than most of us
ever thought possible. The Hague Royal Library has a manuscript from 1380
Continued on page 4
| Latah Soil and Water Conservation District | www.latahsoil.org
The Snowman Cometh, continued from page 3
have to spend a lot of money to
have fun. Encourage them to be
creative doing something tactile, something involving physical activity, something outside.
(p.155)
This winter, ask yourself, when
was the last time you built a snowman? Building a snowman is an
activity that bridges generation gaps
more easily than any other activity I
know. My children are nearly ready
to leave home and make homes for
themselves and have children of
their own. I hope they will fondly
remember the winter days when we built snowmen. I hope they will return
often and bring grandchildren so that we all might share the joy of building
a snowman together. Chances are I will already have a prototype constructed in the backyard for inspiration. In fact, I’m going out to purchase a top
hat, red scarf, and corncob pipe right now!
To me, a snowman
symbolizes both the
simplicity and the brevity
of life itself. We rise, we
become completed, and
then we melt away—
back to our beginning,
hopefully leaving a fond
memory or two behind.
Author’s family in 2008; notice who has the tallest snowman now
with an illustration of a snowman in its margins. The Buddha-Dharma has
references to ancient snowmen, made as snow-images of Buddha, as far back
as 308 A.D. One could easily theorize the body shape of modern day snowmen as having been genetically passed down from the Buddha snowmen.
To me, a snowman symbolizes both the simplicity and the brevity of life
itself. We rise, we become completed, and then we melt away—back to our
beginning, hopefully leaving a fond memory or two behind. In our case, it
is ashes to ashes and dust to dust; while the snowman is snow to snow and
water to water. In Eckstein’s book, he points out that global warming is not
the biggest threat to the snowman. Instead, Eckstein suggests it will be our
vanishing youth and patience. He notes:
The snowman is not an endangered species—yet. We have to just
continue to make snowmen and to teach children that they don’t
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowman
www.godcares.net/Snowman
Eckstein, Bob. The History of the Snowman. Simon Spotlight
Entertainment; New York, NY. 2007.
Ken Preston is a Resource Conservation Planner for the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation District
Trough placement on ridges improved pasture utilization
Effective Pasture Management
By Tom Allen
Located south of Moscow about
8 miles is Frank Hill’s livestock
operation.
A few years ago he
signed up under the continuous
Conservation Reserve Program to
address multiple resource concerns.
Some of these concerns included
eroding channels and poor quality
water. Best Management Practices
applied to address these resource
concerns included watering facilities (troughs), pipelines, fencing,
filter strips, marginal pasture, and
riparian buffers.
Getting started involved determining how many acres of filter
strips, marginal pasture and wetland buffer were going to be fenced
in each draw. A total of 30 acres
of the above two practices were
put into the contract. The average
width is 200 feet and is enclosed by
3,169 feet of power fence to exclude
livestock. These buffers and filter
strips have a grass stand in them
approximately 5 feet tall and are
planted with many species of brush
and pine trees. This is resulting in
the stream banks becoming stabilized, improved water quality,
cooler water and enhanced wildlife
habitat.
The most valuable part of hav-
ing an effective pasture management plan included getting water to
the livestock after they were fenced
out of the riparian area. This was
achieved by installing a 3-hp pump
Stream is protected by filter strips that remove sediment and nutrients
from overland flow
in the existing well, a pressure tank,
and a total of 5,207 feet of supply
line to the 5 troughs located near
the centers of each pasture. Placing
the troughs on tops of the hills near
the center of each pasture resulted
in evenly distributed grazing. It
reduced the amount of time spent
next to the buffers (overgrazing)
and the majority of livestock waste
was deposited on hill tops away
from the riparian zones.
The end product included restored
riparian corridor, healthy cows,
and uniform pasture utilization.
Frank’s response is “Environmental
stewardship is important but landowners need technical expertise and
assistance to make these improvements to the land. I am pleased and
grateful that federal and state assistance was available to help achieve
this excellent result.”
Tom Allen is a Civil Engineer with
the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Moscow office
Winter 2009 | The Working Conservationist | Celebrate National Ag Week 2009
March 15th – 21st 2009
March 20th marks the first day of spring. It is also National Ag Day, which
falls during National Ag Week, March 15-21, 2009, a time when producers,
agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies
and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the
abundance provided by agriculture.
Why would individuals involved in agriculture volunteer time and energy
to celebrate National Ag Day? If you’re reading this, that question is probably moot! Like you, the Agriculture Council of America and its supporters
are committed to increasing public awareness about American agriculture.
As the world population soars, there is even greater demand for the food and
fiber produced in the United States.
The National Ag Day program believes that every American should:
• Understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced.
• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and
affordable products.
• Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food,
fiber and renewable resource industries.
Profile of the Farmer
As the amount of mechanization and horsepower in farm machinery has
increased, the time needed to complete tasks has decreased. Combines, huge
machines used to harvest grains such as corn, soybeans and wheat, have
dramatically changed agriculture. In the 1930s, before the machines were
available, a farmer could harvest an average of 100 bushels of corn by hand
in a nine-hour day. Today’s combines can harvest 900 bushels of corn per
hour-or 100 bushels of corn in less than seven minutes!
The efficiency of U.S. farmers benefits the United States consumer in the
pocketbook. Americans spend less on food than any other developed nation
in the world. On average in 2004, Americans spent only 2% of their disposable income on meat and poultry, compared to 4.1% in 1970.
World Population Growth is Creating Needs for Food and
Fiber
• World population is at 6.2 billion today, and is expected to reach 7.5 billion by the year 2020.
• There will be millions of new mouths to feed, many of whom rely on
United States food production to meet this need.
The United States is Best Positioned to Meet this Growing
Need
• Agriculture is America’s #1 export.
More than three million people farm or ranch in the United States.
• About 17% of raw U.S. agriculture products are exported yearly.
Individuals, family partnerships or family corporations operate almost 99%
• The United States is out front in technological advances.
of U.S. farms. Over 22 million people are employed in farm or farm-related
• U.S. farmers and ranchers produce more than 200 raw commodities yearly
jobs, including production agriculture, farm inputs, processing and marketfor domestic and export markets.
ing and wholesale and retail sales.
• In 1999, one farmer produced
According to the 2002 Census of
enough food to feed about 144 peoAgriculture, 50% of the farmers are
ple each day.
55 years of age or older, up only 3%
from 1997. Average age of the prin• Agriculture generates 20% of the
cipal operator is 55.3.
U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
41% of U.S. total land area is farm• One-fourth of the world’s beef
land (938.28 million acres). In 1900,
and nearly one-fifth of the world’s
the average farm size was 147 acres,
grain, milk and eggs are produced
compared to 441 acres today.
in the U.S.
The top five agricultural com• The United States exports $43.5
modities are cattle and calves, dairy
billion in agriculture products and
products, broilers, corn and soyimportant $26.4 billion in farm
beans. U.S. farmers produce 46%
products, equaling a positive net
of the world’s soybeans, 41% of the
trade balance of $17.1 billion.
world’s corn, 20.5% of the world’s
• One in three U.S. farm acres is
cotton and 13% of the world’s
planted for export, and 25% of gross
wheat.
farm income comes directly from
Farmers and ranchers are indeexports.
pendent business people who pro• Through research and changes in
vide for their families by growing
production practices, today’s food
and producing food and fiber. They
producers are providing Americans
use modern production techniques
with the widest variety of foods
Today’s modern combines can harvest 70 to 100 acres per day on the
to increase the quality and quanever.
Palouse
tity of the food they produce. In the
• Research and advancements in
1960s, one farmer supplied food for
The efficiency of U.S. farmers benefits the United States biotechnology are now in the mar25.8 persons in the U.S. and abroad.
ketplace with tastier fruits and vegconsumer in the pocketbook. Americans spend less on
Today, one farmer supplies food for
etables that stay fresh longer and are
food than any other developed nation in the world.
144 people in the U.S. and abroad!
not damaged by insects.
The Changing Face of Agriculture
Farmers and ranchers are producing meat lower in fat and cholesterol.
This has resulted in retail cuts that are 15% leaner, giving consumers better
value for their dollar. For example, pork tenderloin now has only one more
gram of fat than a skinless chicken breast, one of the true fat “lightweights.”
Also, much leaner beef cuts are being produced than 20 years ago, resulting
in 27% less fat reaching the retail case than in 1985.
Research and advancements in biotechnology are now in the marketplace
with tastier fruits and vegetables that stay fresh longer and are not damaged
by insects.
A new technique called “precision farming” boosts crop yields and reduces waste by using satellite maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and
crop protection applications to local soil conditions.
Farm equipment has evolved dramatically from the team of horses used in
the early 1900s. Today’s four-wheel drive tractors have the power of 40- 300
horses. This makes for a large capital investment, as farmers pay anywhere
from $97,000 for an average 160 horsepower tractor to $170,000 for a fourwheel drive model.
•Consumers derive health benefits
from changes in farm production including less fat in meat and longer
lasting fresh fruits and vegetables. As well, tofu, a soybean product, has
been shown to reduce the risk of some cancer and heart disease.
• For every hour, the U.S. exports $6 million worth of agricultural products.
Technology Leads the Way in Today’s Agricultural
Production
• Precision farming boosts crop yields and reduces waste by using satellite
maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions.
• Sophisticated Global Positioning Systems can be specifically designed for
spraying herbicides and pesticides. A weed detector equipped with infrared light identifies specific plants by the different rates of light they reflect
and then sends a signal to a pump to spray a preset amount of herbicide
onto the weed.
• Biogenetics is another technology that is being utilized in crop producContinued on page 6
| Latah Soil and Water Conservation District | www.latahsoil.org
Celebrate National Ag Week 2009, continued from page 5
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tion. A particular trait is implanted directly into the seed to protect the
seed against certain pests.
Artificial insemination of livestock is producing more and better meat
supplies.
Farmers are utilizing 4-wheel drive tractors with up to 300 horsepower
requiring fewer passes across fields – saving energy and time.
Huge combines are speeding the time it takes to harvest crops.
With modern methods, one acre of land in the U.S. (about the size of a
football field) can produce: 42,000 lbs. of strawberries, 11,000 heads of lettuce, 25,400 lbs. of potatoes, 8,900 lbs. of sweet corn, or 640 lbs. of cotton
lint.
America is Producing Not Only More Food, but Higher
Quality and Lower Cost
• Two out of every three bushels of corn in the world originate in the United
States.
• In 2001, 45% of the world’s soybeans were grown in the United States.
• American consumers spend the lowest percentage of their annual income
on food – just 9.3%.
• Nearly 19 billion pounds of pork – the most widely eaten meat – were
processed in 2001.
• Cotton is by the far the most dominant fiber produced in the United States
and is used for apparel and home fabrics, as well as industrial uses.
Fertilizers and Pesticides Help Increase Production
• Crop protection products have tripled the output of resource-intensive
food, like cooking oil, meat, fruits and vegetables.
• Crop protection products have doubled the production of world food calories since 1960.
• Without synthetic crop production chemicals, American farmers cannot
feed the world.
Farmers are Good Stewards of the Land and Environment
• Farmers and ranchers are the first environmentalists, maintaining and
improving the soil and natural resources to pass on to future generations.
• Farmers use reduced tillage practices on more than 72 million acres to
prevent erosion.
• Farmers maintain over 1.3 million acres of grass waterways, allowing
water to flow naturally from crops without eroding soil.
• Contour farming, planting crops on hillsides instead of up and down,
keeps soil from washing away. About 26 million acres in the United States
are managed this way.
• Cattle ranchers and others control water run-off with sod waterways and
diversions, erosion control structures and catch basins.
• Just as urban families recycle grass, newspaper and aluminum, farm families have practiced recycling for a long time by applying manure to fields
to replace nutrients in the soil.
• Food service food scraps are used to make animal feed.
• Agricultural land provides habitat for 75% of the nation’s wildlife.
For more information on National Ag Day or National Ag Week, visit:
www.agday.org/education
This powerful tractor can pull heavy, complex implements that perform
several operations at once saving time and fuel. This rig applies NH3,
fertilizer pellets, and seed in a single pass.
photo by Tim Karels
Sweet
Dreams
By Ken Preston
Hibernation: A state of regulated hypothermia characterized by lower body
temperature, slower respiratory and metabolic rates, and designed to allow
certain species to conserve energy and survive the absence of food sources
especially during winter.
The term ‘dead of winter’ is used to refer to the lack of active species during the winter months as compared to the rest of the year. There are very few
mobile insects in the ‘dead of winter,’ save for the occasional, pesky spider
that comes in on the firewood and is awoken by the warming flames. Many
other creatures are absent from the visible world. These include amphibians,
reptiles, and certain mammals. The exodus of critters from active duty during the winter months is referred to as hibernation. While hibernation is
generally thought of in popular culture as a black bear napping peacefully in
a warm den beneath the deep, northern snows, it is actually much more than
that. In fact, bears aren’t the true poster creatures of hibernation that our
society often thinks of them as being. There are birds that hibernate rather
than migrate to warmer climes, and hibernation also occurs in snowless,
warm, and desert environments. To further complicate the concept of hibernation, there are varying levels of hibernation, or dormancy. Hibernation
that occurs during the summer months is called aestivation. And why, one
might wonder, would science be interested in creating a state of hibernation
for human beings?
When a creature enters hibernation, its heart rate and metabolic rate dramatically decrease. Some bats, for example, may reduce their heart rates
from an active rate of 600 beats per minute to less than 20 during hibernation. Hibernation is not a continuous state with a marked beginning and
ending. Hibernators arouse themselves to various levels of consciousness
throughout the dormancy period.
Some arousals may be due to temMarmots also have the
perature fluctuations, noise disturlongest hibernation
bances, or simply the need to conperiod of any North
sume a few calories. A chipmunk
American animal,
is a hibernator who will occasionally awaken and consume some of
sometimes remaining in
the food it has stored in its burrow.
the den for up to seven
Other hibernators do not store food,
months.
relying instead on body fat reserves.
Nonetheless, they arouse themselves
periodically throughout the hibernation period. The reasons for this are not
fully understood, however, one reason might be to refresh the blood oxygen
level. Another possibility might be to aid circulation by changing position,
much as a person will do when an arm or leg “falls asleep”.
Hibernation as a process or condition is as varied as the creatures that
utilize it. Marmots, for example, assemble into “hibernation groups” as a
means to keep warm by huddling many bodies together. Marmots also have
the longest hibernation period of any North American animal, sometimes
remaining in the den for up to seven months. A bird known as the common
poorwill is a true deep-hibernator. It enters such a deep state of unconsciousness that it will not awaken even with bright lights shined into its eyes, or
when handled by researchers. Interestingly, during their expedition, Lewis
and Clark found hibernating poorwills in an area of North Dakota, and
recorded the discovery in their diaries. Nearly one hundred fifty years would
pass before the hibernating bird would be “rediscovered” and recognized
by the scientific world. A black bear, as previously mentioned, is not a true
hibernator by most definitions. Instead, black bears enter a state of torpor,
but can be quite readily aroused most of the time. Much scientific debate
Conservation Education, continued from page 8
habitat for living organisms, e.g. water striders count
on surface tension. They learned about the erosive
power of water, and the importance of water to agriculture. They became acquainted with surface water
and groundwater resources in Latah County, and how
an aquifer works. Last but not least, they discovered
it is difficult to think of anything that water doesn’t
affect, at least with regard to this planet!
Teachers in Latah County (K-12) who are interested in almost any conservation-related topic are invited to contact Latah SWCD (phone: 208-8824960, email: [email protected]) to schedule an interactive classroom presentation, generally lasting 45 minutes. Presentations can be tailored to fit
your curriculum.
Kari Schwendiman is a Natural Resource Technician for the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation District
Winter 2009 | The Working Conservationist | goes on as to whether or not a bear should be considered a true hibernator.
Many researchers argue that a bear’s degree of metabolic suppression is far
less than that which is found in “true hibernators”, and thus, the term “denning” rather than hibernating, is often associated with bears. Other animals
sharing the “tweener” category between hibernation and non-hibernation
are badgers and raccoons. In 2004, evidence of the first primate hibernator
was presented to the scientific world. The Madagascan fat-tailed dwarf lemur
was discovered to hibernate in hollow trees for as much as seven months of
the year. Some amphibians and insects enter into a completely dormant state,
appearing lifeless and exhibiting no bodily function. Wood frogs actually
produce internal antifreeze which
allows them to survive a semi-fro…understanding
zen state. So low is the wood frog’s
hibernation might be
metabolic rate at this time, it neither
an important key to
breathes nor bleeds. Detection of its
increasing successful
heart rate is extremely difficult.
The hibernation process is of great
organ transplants.
interest to human beings. In particular, understanding hibernation might be an important key to increasing successful organ transplants. Medical science has the ability to store materials
such as blood and corneas for rather lengthy periods prior to transfer to a
recipient. However, the same cannot be said for large organs such as the
heart or liver. Large organs must be transplanted within a handful of hours
in order to successfully function. Decoding the secrets of hibernation may
one day make it possible to store large organs for weeks or months prior to
transplant surgery. A more futuristic vision for the application of human
hibernation would be to allow astronauts to venture on long journeys into
space. As surreal as it may sound, NASA is very interested in the concept of
induced hibernation in humans. And the human body may be more readily adaptable to hibernation
than we think. There have been
documented cases of humans
having seemingly entered into
metabolic conditions mimicking hibernation. For example, a
13 month old toddler wandered
away from her Alberta home
on February 23, 2001. The temperature was minus 11 degrees
Fahrenheit. When found, her
heart had been stopped for
two hours as indicated by her
61 degree body temperature.
She had no circulation and was
The Vancouver Island marmot is a
clinically dead. Miraculously,
distinct species of marmot found
she was revived and suffered
only in the mountains of Vancouver
only severe frostbite en route to
Island, British Columbia, Canada.
a full recovery. An even more
Photo courtesy of www.marmots.org
remarkable event occurred in
2006 when a Japanese man was
believed to have lived in a “denning-like” state for 23 days! While mountain
climbing, he became lost in a blizzard and fell victim to hypothermia. Later,
he claimed the only time he awoke was after being discovered and warmed.
Doctors who treated him said his body temperature had fallen to 71 degrees
Fahrenheit during his period of unconsciousness.
Hibernation, dormancy, torpor, denning, diapause, and multiple other
stages of regulated hypothermia, all serve as survival mechanisms for countless species across the planet. The dead of winter would be better termed
the “slumber of winter”. Hibernation actually assures the return of chirping crickets and croaking frogs. It preserves the lives of diverse creatures
ranging from bees and bats to bears and badgers. Thus, the dead of winter
is really not dead at all, but rather, just an extended period of very metabolically and physiologically sophisticated sleep.
So, sweet dreams hibernating critters; we’ll see you next spring.
Sources:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol11N1/Hibernation.html
www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hibernation
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Hibernation
www.scienceclarified.com/He-In/Hibernation
http://mff.dsisd.net/Environment/WinterAnimals.htm
www.sciencemadesimple.com/animals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernation
http://web.dps.k12.va.us/ParkAve/Hiberna.htm
www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF1/138
http://www.desertusa.com/mag02/dec/sleep.html
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Hibernation
Ken Preston is a Resource Conservation Planner for the Latah Soil and
Water Conservation District
Calendar of Events
January
January 21 - 22 - Come to Three Rivers Convention Center,
Kennewick, WA to learn how direct seed cropping systems will meet
global demand for food, fiber, and fuel. For more information go to
www.directseed.org.
February
February 13 - Application deadline for EQIP and WHIP programs.
Call the NRCS Moscow Service Center at 208-882-4960 ext. 3 for
more details.
February 17 - Clearwater Noxious Weed Clinic, 8 am to 3:30 pm,
National Guard Armory, Orofino, call Mike Beard for more details
at 208-435-4806.
February 18 - Clearwater Noxious Weed Clinic, 8 am to 3:30 pm,
Idaho Fish and Game Building, Lewiston, call Hugh Jacobs for more
details at 208-799-3060.
March
March 20 - National Agriculture Day. Visit www.agday.org for reasons
to celebrate.
Snow-Flakes
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1863)
Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.
Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.
This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.
Editors note: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a commanding figure in the cultural life
of nineteenth-century America. For more information about him visit:
http://www.hwlongfellow.org/life_overview.shtml
Bo and Vinny
Vinny, whats your
philosophy in life?
Bo, I have just one
simple rule–always
drink upstream from
the herd.
| Latah Soil and Water Conservation District | www.latahsoil.org
Latah Soil and Water
Conservation District
220 E Fifth St, Room 212
Moscow ID 83843
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Organization
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www.latahsoil.org Inside This Issue:
• Meet the Supervisors:
Kevin Meyer
• 2008 Poster Contest
– Water is Life
• The Snowman Cometh
• Effective Pasture
Management
• Celebrate National Ag
Week
• Sweet Dreams
• Calendar of Events
• Snow-Flakes
• Bo and Vinny
• Conservation Education
Winter 2009
Conservation
Education
By Kari Schwendiman
Conservation education for youth in Latah County
has always been a priority at the Latah Soil and Water
Conservation District (Latah SWCD). Recently the
District began offering classroom presentations on
subjects such as water, soil, agriculture, Palouse Prairie,
plants, steelhead, energy—and the list goes on—as part
of its outreach efforts.
In conjunction with the 2008 poster contest, the
“Water is Life” presentation was given to 14 classes in
Latah County. Participants included 4th – 6th graders
at Genesee, Russell, and St. Mary’s schools. Students
explored the properties of water with hands-on experiments. For example, they determined that only by filling a glass to the brim can you get a cork to float in the
center. This is due to surface tension. When the glass is
only partially filled, the cork floats to the side. A concave
meniscus is created because the water molecules have a
stronger attraction to the glass than to each other. In neither case is the water “level” completely level. The cork
floats to where the water surface is highest.
Through other experiments, students began to see how
characteristics such as salinity, density, temperature, pressure, hydrogen bonds, covalent bonds, evaporation and
precipitation affect the conditions of water, and in turn
Continued on page 6
The Latah SWCD prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.