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2 CapitalPress.com December 2, 2016 People & Places Lowly earthworm plays big role Jodi Johnson- Maynard studies ‘ecosystem engineers’ Established 1928 Board of directors Mike Forrester ..........................President Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Sid Freeman .................. Outside director Mike Omeg .................... Outside director Corporate officer John Perry Chief operating officer Capital Press Managers Mike O’Brien .............................Publisher Joe Beach ..................................... Editor Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor Barbara Nipp ......... Production Manager Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press MOSCOW, Idaho — Jodi Johnson-Maynard has been playing with dirt for a long time. She remembers playing in a dirt pile in her backyard while growing up in Califor- nia. “At one point my mom re- alized she had no spoons left in the house because I was constantly taking her spoons and any digging implements I could find,” she said. “I would dig these giant holes, look at the soil, add water to see what would happen. Early on, I guess I was fascinated by soil.” Nowadays, Johnson-May- nard is a professor of soil and water management at the University of Idaho. Her work includes research on the Giant Palouse Earthworm, an over- sized species once thought to be extinct but that was found in 2010. Her doctoral student is slated to finish his dissertation on the worm this fall. Johnson-Maynard has been documenting earthworm populations across the Co- lumbia Plateau, identifying species, their locations and their ecological habits. One of her students is studying the impacts of earthworms on ni- trogen cycling. No models currently de- scribe the impact of macroor- ganisms such as earthworms on soil nutrients, John- son-Maynard said. “(The earthworm is) so simple in its biology, but yet it drives so many important pro- cesses — it’s what we call an ecosystem engineer,” she said. “They’re incredible creatures, and we still don’t know a lot about how they interact with the microbial community and plants.” Farmers are interested in possibly adding more worms Capital Press Entire contents copyright © 2016 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem OR 97301. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Jodi Johnson-Maynard, a University of Idaho professor of soil and water management, talks about her work. Johnson-Maynard’s research includes finding out more about the role earthworms play in soil health. Western Innovator N. California Tim Hearden .................... 530-605-3072 Occupation: Professor of soil and water management, University of Idaho E Idaho John O’Connell ................. 208-421-4347 Age: 46 Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898 Hometown: Downey, Calif. Location: Moscow, Idaho Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Uni- versity of California-Riverside; master’s degree in soil science, University of Idaho; Ph.D. in soil and water science, UC-Riverside Family: Married, three children Courtesy of Christopher Baugher, University of Idaho A 2014 photo shows a Giant Palouse Earthworm. Researcher Jodi Johnson-Maynard studies the worm and other earthworms, hoping to quantify their impact on the soil. to their land to increase the amount of nitrogen available to their crops and manage their land for long-term soil health, she said. She hopes to be able to determine the ef- fects of worm activity. “I can tell farmers, ‘You should manage for earth- worms because they’re bene- ficial,’” she said. But her chal- lenge is to quantify the impact worms have on the soil. Johnson-Maynard became interested in worm behavior as a doctoral student when she observed that earthworms tended to invade beneath a Toll free ............................. 800-882-6789 Main line ........................... 503-364-4431 Fax ................................... 503-370-4383 Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692 News Staff Jodi Johnson-Maynard particular species of scrub oak and ignored the ground under a nearby stand of pine trees. She found that the soil types were different even though they were near one another. It became obvious to Johnson-Maynard that worms were the source of the soil differences and driving soil formation. Retired Genesee, Idaho, grower Russ Zenner’s farm has served as one of the loca- tions for her work. Interest in soil health has To Reach Us Boise Sean Ellis .......................... 208-914-8264 Central Washington Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099 E Washington Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923 increased in recent years, Ze- nner said. “I don’t know of many other researchers in the Pa- cific Northwest that have the knowledge base on earth- worms that she has,” Zenner said. “If she can get the re- search funds, she’s very well positioned to help us learn more about that influence on soil health.” “It’s really fascinating re- search,” Johnson-Maynard said. “And it’s great because people are interested in it.” Oregon Eric Mortenson ................ 503-412-8846 Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789 Graphic artist Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789 To Place Classified Ads Ad fax .............................. 503-364-2692 or ...................................... 503-370-4383 Telephone (toll free) .......... 866-435-2965 Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds Subscriptions Mail rates paid in advance Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with- drawal from bank or credit card account) 1 year U.S. ...................................$49.99 2 years U.S. .................................$89.99 1 year Canada .................................$275 1 year other countries ......... call for quote Calendar Sponsored by: To submit an event go to the Community Events calendar on the home page of our website at www.capitalpress.com and click on “Submit an Event.” Calendar items can also be mailed to Capital Press, 1400 Broadway St. NE, Sa- lem, OR 97301. Through Friday Dec.2 National Women in Sustain- able Agriculture Conference. Doubletree Hotel by Hilton, 1000 NE Multnomah St., Portland, Ore. The 5th National Conference for Women in Sustainable Agricul- ture will bring together farmers, educators, technical assistance providers and activists engaged in healthy food and farming to share educational and organi- zation strategies, build technical and business skills, and address policy issues aimed at expanding the success of women farmers and ranchers. http://2016wisa. org Saturday, Dec. 3 How to Do Farm Taxes Work- shop. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, Wash. Sponsored by Moss Adams LLP and Snohomish Conservation District. What to do throughout the year in order to have the data needed when tax time rolls around. Step-by step in- structions for completing forms as well as one-on-one coaching ses- sions. Cost: $15 per person, $25 per family up to three. FarmTaxes. eventbrite.com Sunday-Wednesday Dec. 4-7 California Farm Bureau Annu- al Meeting. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Monterey, Calif. http://cfbf.com Tuesday, Dec. 6 Columbia-Snake River System Scoping Meetings. 4-7 p.m. The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, River Gallery Room, 5000 Discov- ery Drive, The Dalles, Ore. www. crso.info/ The Nuts and Bolts of Ag Management. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. What you didn’t learn growing up on the farm, an Oregon Farm Bureau Leadership Con- ference presented by the Young Farmers and Ranchers Commit- tee. oregonfb.org CORE Private Pesticide Appli- cator Training. 8-11:40 a.m. OSU Extension Service-Lane County, 996 Jefferson St., Eugene, Ore. Four CORE credits anticipated. Pre-register. Cost: $30. http:// extension.oregonstae.edu/lane/ farms Tuesday-Thursday Dec. 6-8 84th Oregon Farm Bureau An- nual Meeting, Salem Convention Center. Open to voting and sup- porting Farm Bureau members. oregonfb.org Oregon Interagency Noxious Weed Symposium, Oregon State University, LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis, Ore. http://bit.ly/2dQBqOp Wednesday, Dec. 7 Oregon Clover Commission meeting, 6-8 p.m. Golden Valley Brewery, 980 NE Fourth St., Mc- Minnville, Ore. OSHA hearing on proposed changes to agricultural worker pro- tection standards. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Medford City Hall, Suite 340, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford, Ore. www. orosha.org Monday, Dec. 12 Internal Auditor Workshop. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Idaho Water Center, 322 E. Front St., Boise. We will teach you how to conduct internal audits in your facility against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Audit Schemes, which are becoming a standard for the food industry as a tool for assuring food safety and regulatory compliance and has become a customer re- quirement for many processors. http://bit.ly/2etdxP6 Oregon Fine Fescue Commis- sion meeting. 7-9 a.m. Salem Con- vention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. www.oregon- finefescue.org GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE www.oxarc.com 20 Northwest Locations 1-800-765-9055 Monday-Tuesday Dec. 12-13 Wednesday-Thursday Jan. 18-19 St., Denver, Colo. www.sheepusa. org/About_Events_Convention Wednesday, Feb. 1 Monday-Wednesday Dec. 12-14 49th Annual Idaho Potato Con- ference. Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union Building, 921 South 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho. Speakers include Idaho Potato Commission President and CEO Frank Muir, Potatoes USA Pres- ident and CEO Blair Richardson and National Potato Council Exec- utive Vice President John Keeling. http://bit.ly/2fayqPE Oregon Seed Growers League Annual Convention. Salem Con- ference Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. The agenda includes industry speakers, edu- cational sessions, displays, trade show and an industry reception. seedleague.org Far West Agribusiness Associ- ation 57th Annual meeting. Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 Grand Ridge Blvd., Kennewick, Wash. Featured speakers are Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farm- er Cooperatives and Chris Jahn, president of The Fertilizer Institute. www.fwaa.org Wednesday-Friday Jan. 4-6 Potato Expo 2017. Moscone Center West, 800 Howard St. San Francisco, Calif. potato-expo. com Friday-Wednesday Jan. 6-11 2017 AFBF Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N Third St., Phoenix, Ariz. http://annual- convention.fb.org Tuesday, Jan. 10 Idaho-Eastern Oregon Alfalfa and Clover Seed School. Caldwell Elks Lodge, Caldwell, Idaho. Con- tact: benjamin@amgidaho.org Thursday-Friday Jan. 12-13 Oregon Mint Growers Annual Meeting. Salishan Lodge & Golf Resort, 7760 Hwy 101 North, Gleneden Beach, Ore. oregonmint. org Tuesday-Thursday Jan. 17-19 38th Annual Ag Expo. Idaho Holt Arena, 921 Pocatello, Idaho. ductions.com Eastern Idaho State University South 8th Ave., www.spectrapro- Idaho Noxious Weed Con- ference. Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho. www. idahoweedcontrol.org Thursday, Jan. 19 Oregon Tall Fescue Commis- sion meeting. 6-8 p.m. Cascade Grill restaurant, 110 Opal St. NE, Albany, Ore. www.oregontallfes- cue.org/ Tuesday-Thursday Jan. 24-26 Northwest Agricultural Show. Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Drive, Portland, Ore. The hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tues- day, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday. www.nwagshow.com Wednesday-Friday Jan. 25-27 FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food Course. Idaho De- partment of Labor, 600 N. Thorn- ton St., Post Falls, Idaho. The new Food Safety Modernization Act regulation requires every process- ing facility to have a trained re- source person or “Preventive Con- trols Qualified Individual” who has completed a specialized training course (such as this one) devel- oped by the Food Safety Preven- tive Controls Alliance that is recog- nized by the FDA. This person will oversee the implementation of the facility’s food safety plan and other key tasks. http://bit.ly/2f6cogT Wednesday-Saturday Jan. 25-28 American Sheep industry As- sociation Convention. Denver Mar- riott City Center, 1701 California California Prune Industry Sum- mit. Orchard Creek Lodge, Lincoln, Calif. www.californiadriedplums. org Tuesday, Feb. 7 Pesticide Short Course-IPM. 8 a.m.-4:10 p.m. Lane Community College, Center for Meeting and Learning, Bldg. 19, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene, Ore. $85 if regis- tered by Jan. 23; $95 after. http:// extension.oregonstae.edu/lane/ farms Tuesday-Thursday Feb. 7-9 Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W Spo- kane Falls Blvd., Spokane, Wash. Spokane Ag Expo is the largest farm machinery show in the Inland Northwest. https://greaterspokane. org/ag-expo/ Wednesday-Feb. 8 Oregon Clover Growers Annual Meeting. Noon-1 p.m. Holiday Inn, Wilsonville, Ore. Wednesday-Thursday Feb. 8-9 The 8th Annual Organic Farm- ing Conference. Canyon Crest Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho. The event is organized by the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesti- cides. www.pesticide.org/events Tuesday-Thursday Feb. 14-16 Practical Food Safety & HAC- CP. The Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho. HACCP or Hazard Analysis Criti- cal Control Points, is a preventive system for the control of health threatening food hazards during food processing. The comprehen- sive three-day workshop is de- signed for individuals responsible for implementing and managing a HACCP system in a food process- ing facility. Participants who pass a final test will receive a certificate of completion. http://bit.ly/2f2iJ9Q 1 year Internet only .......................$49.99 1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30 9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25 Visa and Mastercard accepted To get information published Mailing address: Capital Press P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office or news staff member closest to you, send the in- formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Letters to the Editor: Send your comments on agriculture-related public issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital Press. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday. Capital Press ag media www.capitalpress.com www.FarmSeller.com www.AgDirectoryWest.com marketplace.capitalpress.com www.facebook.com/capitalpress www.facebook.com/farmseller www.facebook.com/onlyAGdotcom twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo www.blogriculture.com Index California ................................ 7 Dairy .................................... 13 Idaho ...................................... 9 Livestock ............................. 13 Markets ............................... 14 Opinion .................................. 6 Washington ......................... 10 Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.