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10 CapitalPress.com September 18, 2015 Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Idaho ,GDKRDJH[SRUWYDOXHGURSSHGSHUFHQWLQ¿UVWKDOIRI By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — The total value of Idaho agricultural exports is GRZQ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ FRPSDUHG ZLWK ODVW \HDU DQG WKH VWDWH¶V VWULQJRIIRXUVWUDLJKW\HDUVRI UHFRUGIDUPH[SRUWVZLOOOLNHO\ end in 2015. Total Idaho agricultural exports were valued at $436 PLOOLRQ WKURXJK WKH ¿UVW VL[ PRQWKV RI D SHU- FHQW GHFUHDVH FRPSDUHG ZLWK WKH PLOOLRQ WRWDO GXULQJ WKHVDPHSHULRGLQ Idaho set records for total YDOXHRIDJH[SRUWVIURP WR EXW WKDW VWUHDN ZLOO DOPRVWVXUHO\FRPHWRDQHQG WKLV \HDU VDLG 8QLYHUVLW\ RI ,GDKR DJULFXOWXUDO HFRQRPLVW *DUWK7D\ORU ³7KH H[SRUW PDUNHWV KDYH been one of the real bright spots of Idaho agriculture the ODVW VHYHUDO \HDUV DQG QRZ ZH¶UH VHHLQJ WKDW PHOWLQJ DZD\´KHVDLG %XW KH DGGHG LW¶V LPSRUW- DQW WR UHPHPEHU WKDW ³WKLV FRPHV RQ WKH KHHOV RI IRXU VWUDLJKW \HDUV RI UHFRUG LQ- FUHDVHV :H¶UH GURSSLQJ IURP ORIW\KHLJKWV´ Idaho ag exports through WKH¿UVWKDOIRIWKH\HDUWRWDOHG PLOOLRQ LQ PLOOLRQLQDQGPLO- lion in 2011. The value of Idaho ag ex- SRUWV WR WKH VWDWH¶V WRS IRXU PDUNHWV IRU IDUP SURGXFWV GHFUHDVHG GXULQJ WKH ¿UVW VL[ PRQWKVRI Ag exports to Canada de- FUHDVHGSHUFHQWWRPLO- OLRQDQGWKH\ZHUHGRZQSHU- FHQW WR 0H[LFR PLOOLRQ 28 percent to South Korea PLOOLRQDQGSHUFHQWWR &KLQDPLOOLRQ )RUHLJQ VDOHV RI GDLU\ SURGXFWV WKH VWDWH¶V WRS IDUP H[SRUW GURSSHG SHUFHQW WR PLOOLRQ GXULQJ WKH ¿UVW KDOIRIWKH\HDUDQGYHJHWDEOH exports declined 15 percent to PLOOLRQ Exports of products labeled XQGHUWKH³PLVFHOODQHRXVJUDLQ DQGVHHG´FDWHJRU\GURSSHG SHUFHQW WR PLOOLRQ ³PLOO- LQJPDOWDQGVWDUFK´GHFUHDVHG SHUFHQW WR PLOOLRQ DQG WKH SUHVHUYHG IRRG FDWHJRU\ was also down 9 percent to PLOOLRQ The totals are based on Census Bureau data calculated IRUWKH,GDKR6WDWH'HSDUWPHQW RI$JULFXOWXUHE\*OREDO7UDGH ,QIRUPDWLRQ6HUYLFHV 7D\ORU VDLG WKH GHFUHDVHV can be attributed to a strong 86 GROODU WKH ZHDNHU &KL- QHVHHFRQRP\DQGWKHGLVUXS- tions at West Coast container ports. “That strong dollar is hurt- LQJRXUDJH[SRUWVWR&DQDGD &KLQD 0H[LFR DQG DOO RYHU´ he said. /RZHU FRPPRGLW\ SULFHV DUH DOVR D PDMRU IDFWRU VDLG /DXUD -RKQVRQ ZKR PDQDJHV WKH ,6'$¶V PDUNHW GHYHORS- PHQWGLYLVLRQ ³&RPPRGLW\ SULFHV KDYH GURSSHGVRRIFRXUVHWKHWRWDO YDOXH RI DJ H[SRUWV ZLOO EH ORZHU´VKHVDLG 7KHUH ZHUH VRPH EULJKW VSRWVLQWKH¿UVWKDOIQXPEHUV ([SRUWV WR ,QGRQHVLD WKH ¿IWK UDQNHG GHVWLQDWLRQ IRU ,GDKRIDUPSURGXFWVLQFUHDVHG SHUFHQWWRPLOOLRQDQG WKH\ZHUHDOVRXSSHUFHQWWR 3HUX PLOOLRQ DQG SHU- FHQWWR,VUDHOPLOOLRQ ,GDKRGU\EHDQJURZHUVDUH KDUYHVWLQJHDUO\WKLV\HDU By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press :,/'(5,GDKR²,GDKR¶V GU\EHDQKDUYHVWLVZHOODKHDG RIQRUPDO ³,W¶V SUREDEO\ WKH IXUWKHVW DORQJZH¶YHEHHQRQWKLVGDWH LQWKHODVWRU\HDUV´VDLG 7UHDVXUH9DOOH\6HHG&R3UR- GXFWLRQ0DQDJHU'RQ7ROPLH ³:H¶UHUHDOO\FRRNLQJ´ Bean harvest in South- ZHVWHUQ,GDKRW\SLFDOO\ZUDSV up during the second or third ZHHN RI 2FWREHU EXW LW FRXOG EH YLUWXDOO\ GRQH E\ WKH ¿UVW RI2FWREHUWKLVVHDVRQ7ROPLH said. 'U\ EHDQ KDUYHVW KHUH VHO- GRPVWDUWVEHIRUHPLG$XJXVW EXW LW EHJDQ LQ -XO\ WKLV \HDU he said. $ORWRIIDUPHUVZKRZHUH concerned about having an ad- HTXDWH ZDWHU VXSSO\ WKLV \HDU WRRNDGYDQWDJHRIPLOGZHDWK- er to get their bean crop in the JURXQGHDUO\7ROPLHVDLG ³(YHU\ERG\JRWWKHLUEHDQV LQ SUHWW\ HDUO\ EHFDXVH WKH\ ZHUHFRQFHUQHGDERXWKDYLQJ enough water to get through WKHVHDVRQ´KHVDLG 3DUPDJURZHU0LNH*RRG- Sean Ellis/Capital Press Dry beans are sorted for quality at Treasure Valley Seed Co.’s production facility in Homedale, Idaho, on Sept. 4. Idaho’s dry EHDQKDUYHVWLVVLJQL¿FDQWO\ ahead of normal this year and growers are reporting average to above-average quality and yields. VRQKDVDOUHDG\ZUDSSHGXSKLV bean harvest. “Bean harvest was ... sur- SULVLQJO\ HDUO\ WKLV \HDU´ KH said. “The weather gave us a ZLQGRZWRSODQWHDUO\DQGZH KDGJRRGVXPPHUZHDWKHU´ He and several other grow- HUVDWWULEXWHGWKHHDUO\KDUYHVW to the favorable weather that allowed beans to be planted HDUO\ ³:HKDGDPLOGZLQWHUDQG HYHU\ERG\ JRW LQ WKHLU ¿HOGV HDUO\´ VDLG 'DQD 5DVPXVVHQ D IDUPHU LQ 3DXO LQ VRXWKFHQ- WUDO ,GDKR 7KH HDUO\ SODQWLQJ VWDUW ZDV IROORZHG E\ ZDUP WHPSHUDWXUHV WKDW DOORZHG EHDQ SODQWV WR PDWXUH UDSLG- O\ KH DGGHG ³DQG HYHU\WKLQJ WRRNRIIOLNHFUD]\´ %HDQ SODQWV DUH PDWXULQJ IDVW DQG ORRN JRRG VDLG -RKQ Dean of Idaho Seed Bean Co. in southcentral Idaho. Howev- HU KH¶V FRQFHUQHG DERXW WKH QXPEHU RI EODQN VSRWV KH¶V VHHQLQVRPHSRGVWKDWKDYHQ¶W EHHQWKUDVKHG\HW ³(YHU\WKLQJLQWKH¿HOGUH- DOO\ ORRNV JRRG H[FHSW ZKHQ \RXRSHQWKHSRGV\RXGRVHH DORWRIEODQNVSRWV´KHVDLG ³,¶P D OLWWOH FRQFHUQHG WKDW \LHOGV PD\ QRW EH DV KLJK DV ¿UVW DSSHDUDQFH PDNHV \RX WKLQN´ $ QLQHGD\ VWUHWFK RI GHJUHH GD\V HDUO\ LQ WKH VHDVRQFDXVHGVRPHKHDWVWUHVV WREHDQSODQWVEXWWKHGDPDJH ZDV PLQLPDO EHFDXVH LW RF- FXUUHGRXWVLGHRIEORRPVHWIRU PRVWJURZHUV*RRGVRQVDLG ³,WKLQNRYHUDOOWKLV\HDU¶V crop will be above average as IDUDV\LHOGVDQGTXDOLW\JRHV´ 7ROPLHVDLG³,W¶VSUREDEO\RQH RIWKHEHVWFURSVZH¶YHKDGLQ WKHODVWWKUHHRUIRXU\HDUV´ 38-4/#4x John O’Connell/Capital Press Richard Johnson, owner of Grove City Gardens in Blackfoot, Idaho, holds up two ears of Mexican crazy corn, winner of the People’s Choice Award for the best fair food in 2015. Johnson and Reed’s Dairy of Idaho Falls are unique among fair vendors in that they produce the food they sell. /RFDOO\UDLVHGFRUQZLQVEHVWIRRG By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press %/$&.)227 ,GD- ho — The top food at the Eastern Idaho State )DLU DFFRUGLQJ WR RQ- OLQH YRWLQJ E\ IDLUJR- HUV ZDV UDLVHG ORFDO- O\ E\ SURGXFHU 5LFKDUG Johnson. In addition to John- VRQ¶V0H[LFDQFUD]\FRUQ 5HHG¶V 'DLU\ RI ,GDKR )DOOV FUDFNHG WKH WRS four in voting with its lo- FDOO\ SURGXFHG FKRFRODWH PLONDQGLFHFUHDP ³5HHG¶V 'DLU\ DQG , DUHWKHRQO\RQHVDWWKHIDLU that raise our own product or grow our own prod- XFW´ VDLG -RKQVRQ RZQ- HU RI *URYH &LW\ *DUGHQV LQ %ODFNIRRW ³, WKLQN ZH KDYH PRUH FRQWURO RI WKH TXDOLW\´ The fair was Sept. 5-12. Fairgoers cast their YRWHV RQ )DFHERRN VWDUW- LQJZLWKHQWULHVZKLFK were whittled down in four rounds of voting un- WLO FUD]\ FRUQ HPHUJHG as the winner of the 3HRSOH¶V &KRLFH $ZDUG Other foods in the “fi- QDO IRXU´ LQFOXGHG WLJHU HDUV DQG UDVSEHUU\ FUHDP cheese brownies on a VWLFN ³,W¶V VRPHWKLQJ ZH¶YH ZRUNHGIRUDQGVRPHWKLQJ ZH¶OO FRQWLQXH WR OLYH XS WR´ -RKQVRQ VDLG RI WKH award. Johnson believes the NH\ WR KLV UHFRJQLWLRQ was starting with a solid base product — the tri- ple sweet corn he raises RQDFUHVDWKLVIDUP$ IHZ \HDUV DJR KH ERXJKW URDVWHUVIURPDORFDOIDP- LO\ WKDW PDGH FUD]\ FRUQ and continued prepar- ing their recipe — roast- ed corn doctored with a PD\RQQDLVHEDVHG VHFUHW VDXFH 0H[LFDQ GULHG sweet cheese and chili- OLPH VHDVRQLQJ 7KH UHF- LSH KDV KHOSHG KLP DGG considerable value to his FRPPRGLW\ ZLWK FUD]\ corn ears priced at $4 each at the fair. “Sales have been unbe- OLHYDEOH WKLV \HDU´ -RKQ- VRQ VDLG ³:H¶YH EHHQ EUHDNLQJUHFRUGV´ He raises three differ- ent plantings of his 82- GD\ FRUQ YDULHW\ WR WLPH harvests with his three PDMRU HYHQWV ² WKH IDLU 6KHOOH\ 6SXG 'D\V RQ Sept. 19 and sales at the Wild Adventure Corn 0D]H RQ KLV IDUP VFKHG- uled for Sept. 21 through 1RY 0H[LFDQ FUD]\ corn is also a favorite when he caters weddings and special events. Attendance at his corn PD]H KDV JURZQ VWHDGL- O\ 7KLV \HDU¶V PD]H ZLOO IHDWXUH GHVLJQV RI /HZLV &ODUNDQG6DFDMDZHD 7KH %ODFNIRRW $QLPDO Clinic will host a pet- WLQJ ]RR DW WKH PD]H DQG Johnson is also planning D EDUUHO WUDLQ KD\ ZDJRQ ULGHV D SXPSNLQFDUYLQJ FRQWHVWDUDFHWKURXJKWKH PD]HLQZKLFKWKHZLQQHU PXVWPDNHLWWKURXJKILUVW ZKLOH VXFFHVVIXOO\ DYRLG- LQJ]RPELHVDQGRWKHUDF- tivities. 38-4/#5