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12 CapitalPress.com June 23, 2017 Glanbia audits participating producers twice a year PASTURE from Page 1 bonus on there, it just pushed us over the edge,” Clayson said. “Had we not done that, I don’t know if we would have gotten refi nanced.” ventional milk prices. Thanks to the price premium, Wolfl ey believes the fi nancial valleys that dairymen often endure haven’t been nearly as deep for his association members. “The last year and a half, the milk price has been down low enough that the extra pre- mium has played a big part in helping us have a positive cash fl ow,” said Wolfl ey, who milks 160 cows. A comparison Glanbia isn’t alone in charging a premium for food products derived from cattle that are allowed to graze on grass. Consumer demand for products labeled as “grass fed” has steadily grown in recent years. For example, a May 26 USDA report esti- mates a grass-fed ribeye steak sold directly to the consum- er would fetch a $14.06 per pound premium above com- modity beef. For all of the promise of the grass-fed market, Marilyn Noble, a spokeswoman for the American Grassfed Asso- ciation, believes the lack of a consistent grass-fed standard poses a challenge for the cat- egory. As a result, production methods for products labeled grass-fed can vary widely, po- tentially confusing consum- ers. Last year, Noble’s organi- zation worked with New York- based Maple Hill Creamery and Wisconsin-based Organ- ic Valley to develop a strict new grass-fed dairy standard. USDA offers no grass-fed dairy certifi cation. “Organic Valley and Maple Hill saw the grass-fed label on meat had sort of become diluted, and they wanted to develop an industry standard so that doesn’t happen with grass-fed dairy,” Noble said. Her association’s new grass-fed dairy standards pro- hibit feeding grain to cows and place strict restrictions on production methods. Noble said Organic Val- ley’s “grass milk,” which is not homogenized, is more ex- pensive than organic milk. Though grass-fed milk is a somewhat similar concept, De Kruyf emphasized Glanbia’s pasture-based program rep- resents a truly unique niche, targeting consumers who believe farm animals should have the freedom to roam. “Cows get to exhibit their natural behavior by going out on grass on a daily basis,” De Kruyf said. “That’s the image we want to portray.” The standards He n Wyo. Idaho The Glanbia pasture-based program mandates that farm- ers allow cows unfettered access to pasture for graz- ing. During the winter or when storms arise, farmers also “must provide adequate housing for cows and allow them to seek shelter from the elements — whether it’s hot, cold, rainy or windy,” accord- ing to the Chipotle website. John O’Connell/Capital Press In addition, minimum calf housing standards must be Calves belonging to Gaylen Clayson, a pasture-based dairyman from Firth, Idaho, are custom fed in special pens designed to accommo- met and animal byproducts date Glanbia’s pasture-based size standards at an American Falls feed lot. are banned from the diet. Cows in the milking herd per day, about half of which is that the pasture-based niche is may not be given antibiotics. segregated and goes to make a better fi t. YELLOWSTONE Snake River Dairy To become pasture-based “If an animal becomes sick pasture-based white cheddar Association territories NATIONAL PARK certifi ed, Wolfl ey had to up- and must be treated with an- for Chipotle. Area in detail tibiotics, it must be removed “We’re looking for inno- grade some of his calf hous- e r 20 32 v from the milking herd,” ac- vative ways to give dairymen ing and change some of his i r ’s R Teton Ri ve GRAND ry Mud 28 cording to Chipotle. additional premiums with procedures. But the main re- TETON Lake 33 Recombinant bovine so- niche markets, and this is a quirement is that his cows al- NATIONAL PARK 15 matotropin growth hormones way we’ve seen that we can ways have access to pasture. Driggs Sn ak are also prohibited. do it in conjunction with They spend the majority of e Rive Glanbia audits participat- purchasing the Blackfoot their summers grazing. In the 20 31 191 20 26 winter, though they still have ing producers twice a year to plant,” De Kruyf said. 33 ensure they’re following the Segregating the pas- access to the outdoors, they Idaho Falls rules. ture-based milk poses a chal- mostly feed on a mixed ration 91 15 “This is not an organ- lenge, and the company plans of alfalfa and corn. 26 191 The cooperative’s larger ic program,” said Russ De to add storage capacity. 89 Blackfoot foo dairy operators such as Gay- Kruyf, Glanbia’s director of De Kruyf said the plant Pingree milk procurement. “Dairies wasn’t working at full ca- len Clayson have added more Star Valley can still treat cows with con- pacity under the previous grass to their production. To 34 Ranch ventional methods.” owner, but Glanbia has meet the pasture-based re- 86 Blackfoot Glanbia, based in Ireland, “ramped it up to absolute quirement, Clayson planted a Res. Pocatello pivot of grass at each of his chose its name from the Gael- full capacity.” N ic word meaning “pure food.” He said some of Glan- two dairies. 89 15 30 “It was a real challenge,” bia’s other customers have 10 miles Right location also expressed interest in the said Clayson, of Firth, Idaho. Alan Kenaga/Capital Press The opportunity for East- He milks about 1,800 cows pasture-based program. ern Idaho dairies to produce Bunnell said the plant pro- and switched to pasture-based pasture-based milk sprang duces about 600,000 pounds production two years ago. from Glanbia’s decision to plant, mainly to serve as an De Kruyf said the Black- of cheese per week and em- Clayson estimates he spent build a Cheese Innovation “incubation” plant for making foot plant was also the perfect ploys 57 workers. $400,000 to implement the Center in Twin Falls. The re- the fi rst commercial batches size to make the company’s pasture-based system, and Dairymen benefi t search facility, which opened of recipes originating at the pasture-based cheese. Fur- he’s already recouped his in- Wolfl ey said he once con- vestment in premiums. in August 2013, develops ex- innovation center. thermore, the plant was sur- perimental products to meet Plant manager David Bun- rounded by plenty of small, sidered converting his dairy Furthermore, Clayson said customers’ specifi cations. nell said the facility makes local dairies with lots of pas- to organic production to earn the pasture-based premium a premium. De Kruyf explained that nearly 30 varieties of cheese ture. made it possible to refi nance “I don’t think it fi t my op- debt. Glanbia then purchased the — even an exotic ghost pep- The plant now processes Blackfoot, Idaho, cheese per variety. 800,000 pounds of local milk eration,” Wolfl ey said, adding “When we got this added r Wyo. Idaho c Bl a k r ive t R WOLF from Page 1 represent generic ranges for packs that have no collared wolves. Estimated range Bellingham 6 15 7 16 17 8 11 18 9 10 20 3 20 miles 5 2 5 101 2 lumbia Co er 97 Seattle 2 Spokane 2 Wolf pack names 90 12. Wedge 13. Smackout 14. Salmo 15. Goodman Meadows 16. Dirty Shirt 5 17. Skookum 18. Carpenter Ridge 19. Touchet 20. Tucannon Wenatchee 1 90 WASHINGTON 90 195 C 395 m olu b Yakima River 1. Teanaway 2. Lookout 3. Loup Loup 4. Beaver Creek 5. Strawberry 6. Profanity Peak 7. Sherman 8. Nc’icn 9. Whitestone 10. Huckleberry 11. Stranger 13 20 N 14 12 4 Okanogan v Ri tacked by one or more wolves. The next day, state and fed- eral biologists set traps and saw what appeared to be a wolf in the distance. Three weeks later, they trapped the wolf. “As of right now, we can only confi rm the one animal that was captured and col- lared,” Froshchauer said. In 2015, a female wolf that had crossed the Cascades and was within 30 miles of Seattle in eastern King County was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 90. Last year, a wolf wearing a GPS collar crossed the mountains into Eastern Snohomish County, but the collar stopped trans- mitting. (As of Dec. 2016) Confirmed range NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. Circles ia also colonized the North and South Cascades. Wolves are not a federally protected spe- cies in the eastern one-third of Washington, but they are in the western two-thirds, including where the wolf was captured. Martorello said wildlife managers don’t know where the wolf came from, but it most likely migrated westward across the state, rather than from Canada. He said more wolves will move west as the packs grow in Eastern Wash- ington. “This will become more common,” Martorello said. USFWS spokeswoman Ann Froshchauer said the agency will test genetic samples from the wolf and may be able to trace it origins. The tests are expected to take two to three months to complete, she said. In the meantime, the radio collar will help wildlife man- agers position trail cameras to photograph the wolf, and pos- sibly a traveling companion, Martorello said. A Skagit County resident reported May 17 that one or more wolves were preying on his chickens and sent photos to USFWS. A WDFW wildlife-confl ict specialist went to the residence that day and concluded the chickens were probably at- Known Washington wolf packs 82 S Wolf most likely migrated westward across Washington rather than from Canada e nak R ive r Pasco 19 Co l u m bia R i v er 20 Source: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Mormon crickets don’t fl y, but grow up to 3 inches long, hop and crawl in mass formations CRICKETS from Page 1 Entomologists hasten to say the insects are neither Mormon nor crickets, but rather a grasshopper rela- tive called the shield-backed katydid. The more common name dates to when the pests leveled the crops of Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake area of Utah in the 1800s. By either name, they can overwhelm lawns and gar- dens and decimate fi elds and pastures. They don’t fl y, but grow up to 3 inches long and hop and crawl in mass for- mations that can be startling. Some residents have taken to spraying insecticide them- selves and there’s talk in Ar- lington of burning evergreens this winter to destroy eggs, although the OSU Extension agent hasn’t recommended that. At least one visitor to town was reportedly catching Mormon crickets to sell as fi sh bait. E.J. Harris/EO Media Group Mormon crickets congregate on top of a wood pile in the yard of a residence on Hemlock Street on June in Arlington, Ore. The outbreak has long- time residents recalling the infestation of 1942, when Mormon crickets reportedly covered Highway 19 “abso- lutely solid day after day” for four miles south of town. Dick Krebs, 89, said the infestation was knocked down by spreading poison bait by airplane. He said the plane landed on his family’s ranch to take on loads of bait, which came in burlap bags. He, his father, John Krebs, and his older cousin, Henry Krebs, helped dump the poison into a hopper inside the plane. “It was quite an opera- tion; I was on the sack end of things,” Dick Krebs said. The aerial applications worked, and a followup ground campaign did the trick. Arlington hasn’t had a serious problem with Mor- mon crickets for 75 years, although they’ve always been in nearby Blalock Canyon, Krebs said. He said the current infesta- tion isn’t that bad at his ranch south of town. He and his wife go out with shovels and crush about 40 a day, he said. Area wheat farmer Walter Powell said he was driving near Arlington recently and “All of a sudden it was like the road was moving” there were so many bugs crossing. He joked that they also affected play at the annual wheat growers tournament at China Creek Golf Course in Arlington. On the fi fth green, Powell said, players had to clear insects from their put- ting lines. He said Mormon crickets will eat anything; during the golf tourney, he saw some eating companions that had been crushed by golf cart wheels. “They’re canni- bals,” Powell said. That’s true, said Helmuth Rogg, an entomologist and di- rector of the Oregon Depart- ment of Agriculture’s Plant Program Area. Rogg said the insect’s cannibalistic nature may explain its fabled march- ing behavior, in which hordes of Mormon crickets move en masse. Ones that falter or get injured are fair game for those coming along behind, “They move on so they don’t get eat- en,” he said. But Rogg said their pres- ence in the area is not a new phenomenon. The insects thrive in the open sage coun- try around Arlington, he said. “It sounds like now Mor- mon crickets are marching into town,” he said. Maley, the OSU Extension agent for Gilliam County, said the outbreak has been build- ing for the past two or three years and might be more seri- ous than Rogg realizes. “Plus they’re creepy,” Ma- ley said. “They’re the ugliest insect I’ve ever seen.” He said treatment options this summer may be limited. Maley hopes to meet with large landowners over the winter and plan a spring cam- paign against the bugs. He said an integrated pest man- agement approach is the best control method. Rogg, of the state ag de- partment, said a growth in- hibitor insecticide such as Dimilin works on immature Mormon crickets, but adults are best countered with carba- ryl, a poison bait marketed as Sevin Dust. Rogg said Mormon crick- ets also are a problem in the Jordan Valley area along the Idaho border. Grasshoppers, meanwhile, are causing problems in the Steens Mountain area and in Malheur County, in southeast Oregon.