The Value of a Passion for Agriculture

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking at the Harrisburg High School FFA’s annual banquet.

I asked on facebook what I should talk about, I got a variety of answers  so I tried to touch on all of it.

Nine years ago I walked the halls of this high school.  Since then I have worked as a cheese maker, milk truck driver, pasteurizer, lobbyists’ intern, Farm Credit banker and now farmer.  I graduated from Washington State University in 2008 with two degrees one in General Agriculture and one in Agricultural Economics & Management. I am currently president of Oregon Women for Agriculture and an AgChat Foundation Board member.

All of that wouldn’t be possible without agriculture and following what I am passionate about.

I love talking about agriculture and issues facing farmers and ranchers. I love using social media.  I often use social media to talk about farming.

In 2009 I joined twitter to participate in a weekly twitter conversation about agriculture called #Agchat.  Little did I know what a few tweets would turn into.  I started a blog in February 2011 to expand on my tweets and facebook posts.  In August 2011 I attended my first AgChat Foundation AgVocacy 2.0 conference.

The mission of the AgChat Foundation is to “Empower farmers and ranchers through social media.” The conferences offer training to better your social media skills and use them to engage others about farming, ranching and where their food comes from.  In December of 2011 they asked me to be on their board.

I now chair the #agchat & #Foodchat conversations on twitter. #Agchat happens every Tuesday from 5 pm to 7 pm except every 3^rd Tuesday when #FoodChat takes place.   In June, I am going to New York City on behalf of the AgChat Foundation to another type of social media conference to discuss knowing your farmer through the twitter chats.

It is amazing where following your passion will lead you.  I encourage you to do just that.  Find your passion and live it.

If you are passionate about agriculture then there are limitless possibilities of where that could lead you.  Ag offers variety of opportunities and options.

Currently 1 in 8 jobs in Oregon are tied to agriculture.  While not everyone can be a farmer and not everyone can be an ag banker.  If you want to pursue a career in agriculture it’s more than possible.   Look at the variety of jobs I had in the past 9 years, they all involved agriculture of some type.

My freshman year of college I was not quite sure the direction I wanted to go in.   A mentor told me to get a degree in Agriculture because a politic science degree was a dime a dozen.  And it was true.  I graduated right when a recession was happening.  My friends who didn’t have experience or a degree in agriculture had trouble finding jobs.  While the majority of us “ag kids” had jobs lined up.

Bottom line is that the experience you are getting being involved in FFA and ultimately agriculture is priceless to the success of your future.

The Buggy Has Tracks!

Remember our winter project, the tracks on the fertilizer buggy. It was completed last week and has been hard at work fertilizing annual ryegrass fields.

Here are some pictures and a video!

Before:

After/Now:

Watch this:

Farming in the Winter

I stopped by a local restaurant the other night to pickup dinner. While I was waiting the manager asked “Are you farming this winter?” I responded, “Yes of course.” Manager, “What is there to do this time of year?”

It may be a slower time of year but there is ALWAYS something to do, contrary to popular belief.

Maintenance & Projects

Each tractor, swather, combine, semi-truck, sprayer and fertilizer buggy is gone through in detail. Changing oil, replacing belts, repairing temporary fixes from harvest and any other thing that may arise. We do this each winter to make sure our equipment is taken care of. Things break on the farm but poor maintenance shouldn’t be the reason.

This year we have a big project in the shop. Our three-wheeled fertilizer spreader/buggy is getting tracks! Why? Because we get stuck. Working on wet ground during spring fertilizing makes getting stuck a likely possibility. Our oversized tires help to prevent this but the tracks will increase surface area and hopefully stop this…

This is not even that bad….

This will be the only three-wheeled machine of its kind in the Willamette Valley if all goes as planned.

Winter Field Work

There are a few sunny days or at least days that are not raining in the winter, so we must take advantage of them. On these precious few days we try to get a spot spraying crew in the fields. Spot spraying is a technique that selectively eliminates unwanted or rogue plant species that are detrimental to the crop. Without this practice seed purity could be compromised which affects its marketability.

We fight slugs. Typically we have mild winters which creates a prime environment for slugs to eat our crops. Some years are worse than others, but no matter the year we must be on the look out for them. Slugs know no boundaries, my friend Brenda has battles with them as well.

Fields are checked frequently for any other unpredicted issue and make sure nothing has been missed.

Office Work

The family farm is a business.  During harvest, you pay the bills but spend minimal time behind a desk.  The winter is time to catch up on book work and finances, a not always fun but a necessary part of the business.

In a typical winter we are shipping grass seed.  This requires tracking inventory, sending seed lab tests, invoicing companies and receiving payments.

This year we have a new software program to analyze our yield maps.   This requires some “classroom” time to learn, then upload and then interpret. data.

Meetings

It seems that every farm organization have their annual meetings in the winter.  So far I have attended American Agri-Women, Oregon Seed Growers League, Oregon Cattleman’s Association, Oregon Ryegrass Growers and plan on attending Oregon Women for Agriculture’s annual meeting in March. There are too many to list that I wish I could attend.  This is a time for farmers not only to learn and get updates on the crops they farm but also to socialize with other farmers.

FUN

I would be remiss if I said there was no fun.  Yes, there is lots of work to do in the winter on the farm but it is a time for us to relax a little bit.

We have our annual lamb BBQ towards the end of December.  We invite the folks we have done business with over the last year and the neighbor farmers.  It’s an event that my family has been doing for 20+ years.

And of course there’s the occasional snowmobiling trip and weekend getaways as well.

I am sure I have forgotten a few items that my dad will remind me of when he reads this post, but like I said there is no lack of work on the farm in the winter.

Honored and Humbled, Thank you!

On Friday night I received a very prestigious award, the Agri-Business Council of Oregon’s Ag Connection Award.  I was unable to accept the award in person at the Annual Diamonds and Denim event because it was the night before my sister’s wedding (blog post to come). However, Paulette Pyle, the grassroots director for Oregonians for Food and Shelter, accepted it for me.  She is and has been a great mentor and role model to me since I was in high school.

This award was not something I expected.

I feel very blessed and grateful for this award because to me I am just doing what needs to be done for an industry that I am passionate for.

I am proud of my accomplishment and wanted to share it with my friends.

This video played during Denim and Diamonds:

Here is a link to the article in Agri-Business Council’s bimonthly publication:

2012 Ag Connection of the Year:  Marie Bowers

At the same ceremony they honored Dale Buck, a dairy farmer from the Oregon Coast. I just hope one day I can be as well-respected as he is.  I had the opportunity to share a table with him at Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom’s annual dinner.  He is an inspiring individual and very deserving of his award, Agriculturist of the Year.

Here is his video:

I  hope that my and Dale’s efforts inspire others and inform people about this awesome industry known as Oregon Agriculture!

Thank you Agri-Business Council of Oregon for this great honor.  I am truly honored and humbled.

#FoodThanks

I saw a couple of images this week that made me very thankful for the food we eat and for EVERYONE that helps bring it to us.

The below image is why I LOVE Oregon Agriculture!

Farmers and ranchers work hard year around to make sure that we have a safe and abundant food supply.

Hope you join me in showing #FoodThanks to all who make sure it arrives safely on our table!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Buffer Zones Would Harm Local Food & Fiber

Last week my dad and I traveled to downtown Portland in the middle of rush hour to testify at an Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) hearing. The EQC oversees the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  The hearing was to determine whether the EQC would consider a petition brought forth by the Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) to put a rule for 1000 foot (aerial spray) & 500 foot (hand spray) pesticide buffer zones around salmon bearing waterways in Oregon.   The NWEA’s request is based on severely flawed models; models that aren’t realistic to today’s farming.

Below is my testimony and comments that I submitted to the EQC.

Commissioners

The petition to put buffer zones around salmon bearing waterways has me truly concerned for my future.

Nine months ago I quit my well-paying job in the agricultural lending field and moved into a travel trailer by a sheep barn so I could return to my family’s century farm.  My goal is to one day be as knowledgeable and successful as the 4 generations before me have been when it comes to caring for the land.

It is my understanding that salmon bearing waterways are ANY stream that holds water in the wintertime.  First of all the idea that you want to regulate these streams seems slightly overwhelming and absurd.  There are an innumerable amount of these so-called waterways in the Willamette Valley because it rains a lot here and water has to go somewhere.  In a state with budget issues paying for a few people to map, count and monitor these streams seems pointless and a never-ending resultless task.

These rules would impact our farm tremendously.  Every place we farm has multiple ditches surrounding it or flowing through it during the wintertime.  This rule has the potential to eliminate half the ground we farm if not all. Five hundred feet may not seem like a lot but it quickly adds up. Example if you have a “stream” in your field that’s a half a mile long and you need at least a 500 foot buffer on each side that wipes out 60 acres of potential land for growing food and fiber.

Our family farm is not the exception to these so-called buffer zones. I think you will find that the majority of farmers in the valley also have similar waterways at their farms.

Commissioners, I ask that you reject the proposed petition & rule in order to protect the future generations of Oregon’s family farms and continue to promote local food and fiber.

My dad also gave a testimony where he described the group petitioning as the “Anti’s”, meaning they are anti-agriculture, anti-business and anti-people.  He also explained the progressive technology we use on our farm that allows for microscopic accuracy.

The EQC will decide on the petition at their October meeting.

On a similar note, a 10 year study was recently completed on the McKenzie River, which runs through farms, forests and the city of Eugene.  The results were positive.  It found that the river was incredibly clean particularly around forestland and farmland. The highest concentration was actually in the urban areas.  “But the amounts were tiny — less than six parts per quadrillion…”

Related Articles

• Northwest Environmental Advocates demands tighter Oregon rules on pesticide water pollution (oregonlive.com)

Grass Seed Harvest

I have been a bit absent from my blog this last month. Mostly due to the fact I have been engulfed in grass seed harvest. We are now down to our last week! Thank goodness!

I currently have some time to kill in the field so I thought I would share a few photos from harvest!

These are known as windrowers or swathers and they cut the grass.

A view from the cab, put the cut grass into rows.

After the grass seed has dried for about 10 days or in our case this summer, hasn’t been rained on long enough that moisture is low enough we start combining to thrash the seed out.

Seed going into the tank.

The type of header we use allows us to “pickup” the row.

Seed!

Truck loaded & headed for the warehouse to be cleaned. We clean our own seed.

Warehouse.

After seed has been harvested then it is time to bale the straw. Since our harvest is during summer break, our crew is full of teenagers eager to make some money. Nolan, the kid operating the rake, is 14. This is his first summer job.

A baler operator is Tosh, she just finished her freshman year at Oregon State, her attention to detail has made her one of the best baler operators in the valley!

This is what I drive, the Bale Chaser! I stack the bales up & make pretty rows.

However, this was my first stack, not what it’s supposed to look like.

This is more like it.

The fuel line in the mornings during harvest.

My papa bear & I!

Did I mention a third of our farm is on the other side of Eugene/Springfield which requires us to drive equipment through town.

One of our two wheat fields, only about a third of our farm’s soil is suitable to grow wheat on.

The best part about harvest, the sunsets.

I apologize that I haven’t posted regularly but hopefully you enjoyed these photos and I’ll soon return to somewhat regular posts.

Also, I am always posting on my facebook page with pictures, comments & articles so be sure to check it out!

Let me know if you have any questions about grass seed harvest or Oregon agriculture & I’d be happy to answer!

Farmers Have Fun

Farming is not considered a relaxing profession. However we still manage to squeeze a bit of fun in especially during harvest when it is a must!

Examples:

This photo was taken today, we are still trying to figure out this grass straw baling business. FYI this is not what it’s supposed to look like.

“I’m in a Field”

This video is from neighbors about 20 miles north of us. Yes, I said neighbors because we’re headquartered in the same county. Video is a parody of “I’m on a Boat“

When asked about why they responded with “3 young fellas explain what it’s like when they are fortunate enough to be able to work yet another summer “in a field” for Boshart Trucking. Safety meetings, Kevin Costner, daisy dukes and just a few items involved in the summer at Boshart Trucking. Hold on to your Romeo’s because this summer just got interesting…”

“Farming & I Grow It”

These Kansas brothers have become a YouTube sensation. I first viewed their video at 229 views the next day it hit a million! Go Peterson Bros! It is a parody of “Sexy & I Know It”

The brothers “…made the video to give people a better perspective of farmers. It started as just a silly idea, but it turned into quite an undertaking. But it has been worth it now that so many people have seen it! When we filmed it we wanted to make sure agriculture was promoted. In the original “Sexy and I know it” they spend the whole song promoting themselves. We wanted to shift the focus to agriculture! Agriculture is vital to society!”

Farmers are fun people, you should be friends with us!

Related articles

• The AP Doesn’t Usually Write About Viral Videos, But These Kansas Farmers Are Awesome (businessinsider.com)

Ultimate Minority: A Farmer

I am a minority, not because I am women or a proud card-carrying member of the Cherokee nation.

I am a farmer.  Less than 2% of the US population have my livelihood.

That’s less than the population of Native Americans, African-Americans, Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans

If I remember correctly from my history classes many laws were passed to give equal rights to at least 3 out of the 4 groups mentioned above.

What is so wrong with laws passing to protect people of a minority group who’s end product eventually feeds the world?

In 1993, the Oregon legislature understood that there was a rural & urban divide.  Oregon’s agriculturally rich Willamette Valley is in the midst of metropolitan Oregon. Tthey needed to do something to protect farmers, ranchers & foresters rights that are “a generally accepted, reasonable and prudent methods,” because more urban folks were moving into the countryside and they  wouldn’t necessarily understand the natural practices of the area.  This is why they passed Oregon’s Right to Farm and Forest Act.

This law protects me from radical groups who see my natural & generally accepted practices as a nuisance and wish to end it.   Many of these same groups claim to love farmers & farming, however they typically advocate for one way of farming only. Which usually  limits others’ choices.  What is fair about that? At least Oregon’s law protects them too. I believe that’s equality.

Our economy is struggling enough and our world population is growing. To limit any modern or progressive agriculture is a shame and should be frowned upon. Agriculture as a whole, not just limited to production ag, is vital to the United States economy, independent in food & fuel production. In Oregon, agriculture accounts for 15% of all economic activity, and in 2009 is credited with adding more than $22 billion to Oregon’s net state product.

My ultimate question in life is “Why can’t we farm & let farm?”  Why can’t some of us continue to ethically progress in agriculture as the environment and economics see fit, while others prefer to stay in 1915? There’s room for all of us.  As a whole we are already a minority.

Organic Propaganda

In today’s society consumers are bombarded with Organic Propaganda.  The Organic Food Movement, who doesn’t really care what your family eats, has done a great job of marketing organic food, mostly with scare tactics.  It often times aligns itself with campaigns that create the illusion that it is healthier or safer for you, which is simply false.

Four of these choices are either associated with a health condition or simply a better way to eat...organic does not fall into those categories.

Organic food is no more nutritious for you than conventionally produced food. In 2009, the UK’s Food Standard Agency commissioned a comprehensive review of articles and studies over the last 50 years comparing Organic and Conventionally produced food.  The conclusion found that there was no significant if any nutritional differences in the products and no additional health benefits from eating organic food.   Most people can agree with this because using common sense and some basic science one realizes that for example an apple is apple…you cannot alter the molecules that make an apple by using a different method of production.

A misconception that is often associated with Organic is that they do not use pesticides.  News Flash: They DO use pesticides.  Some pesticides used are the same ones used in conventional methods and others are not.  The difference in pesticides is whether they are synthetically produced or naturally occurring, not whether its safer or not.  A pesticide is meant to get rid a pest that is doing harm and are only used when necessary in any type of farming.   However Organic pesticide usage is not recorded or regulated by the government like conventional usage is.

Leaders in the Organic Food Movement acknowledge that pesticides are used when asked.  However they often to tote that Organic food has less pesticide residue.   Every year the Environmental Working Group publishes an article telling the public which produce contains the most pesticide residue also known as The Dirty Dozen. However they are not very upfront about their methods nor do they explain how pesticide residues are measured on food.  Residues are measured with the chronic reference dose, which is established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning the acceptable level intake one can have without having effects throughout their lifetime.  A study recently published in April in the Journal of Toxicology finds that “dirtiest” produce had levels of pesticides 1,000 times lower than the chronic reference dose.  That means it is very safe to eat.

If Organic food has no additional nutritional benefit and is no more safe to eat than conventional then the cultivation methods must be better for the environment.  Again a misconception with advances such as No-till, GPS, and advanced breeding techniques conventional agriculture overall impact, some argue, is less than organic methods.  Often times organic methods require more tillage, more applications of chemicals and sometimes more land.

Diversity is what makes the agriculture world go around. Organic has a place in the world.  However it is no more superior than any other method of farming.  The Organic Food Movement has marketed it as such because that’s what marketing is.  Convincing consumers that one product is better than the other.  All to increase profits, which is ironic for a movement that’s roots are based in Socialism…but I’ll save that post for another time.  I applaud them for wanting to make more money.  All consumers have freedom of choice and we must all choose what is best for our families and pocketbooks not because someone scared you into it.