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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2019)
B Wednesday, January 1, 2020 The Observer & Baker City Herald Small-business & Ag HAPPENINGS Pamela Glenn of Summerville elected to FSA Union County Committee SALEM—TheUnionCountyU.S. DepartmentofAgricultureFarmService AgencyannouncedPamelaGlennofSum- merville was elected to represent the local administrativearea(LAA)2onFSA’s UnionCountyCommittee.Glennandother recently elected county committee members willtakeofficeinJanuary.EveryFSAoffice has a county committee made up of local farmers, ranchers and foresters who are elected by local producers. Countycommitteemembersareacritical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA.Theyhelpdeliverprogramsatthe county level and work to serve the needs oflocalproducers.Committeemembers impact producers through their decision making and help shape the culture of a localFSAoffice.Theyalsoensurethefair andequitableadministrationofFSAfarm programs in their counties and are account- abletotheSecretaryofAgriculture.They monitor changes in farm programs and inform farmers of the purpose and provi- sionsofFSAprograms. Formoreinformation,visittheFSAweb- siteatfsa.usda.gov/electionsorcontactthe UnionCountyFSAofficeat541-963-4178. Walden terms USMCA ‘a big win’ WASHINGTON,D.C.—Rep.Greg Walden (R-Hood River) in a news release lauded the recent House passage of the UnitedStates-Mexico-CanadaTradeAgree- ment,callingit“abigwinforOregon’s businessesandagproducers.” Accordingtotherelease,Oregonbusi- nessesexport$3.7billioningoodsto CanadaandMexico,supporting7,421jobs inthestate,andtheUSMCA“expandsand solidifies the market opportunities that makethatpossible.USMCAwillespecially helpOregonwine,wheatanddairyproduc- ers and provides improved market access forouragricultureproducts,”Waldensaid. “IlookforwardtotheSenatepassing,and thePresidentsigningthisagreementso that we can continue to grow our economy andexpandaccesstomarketsabroad.” SAIF offers free ag safety seminar in Hermiston SALEM—SAIFwillgiveafreesemi- nar on agriculture safety and health in Hermiston from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 14inEnglishandJan.15inSpanish.The seminars are designed primarily for people working in agriculture but are open to any- one interested in ag safety and health. The seminar, which includes lunch, will take placeattheHermistonConferenceCenter, 415S.Highway395.WebinarsinEnglish andSpanishwillbeofferedinMarch. “Wepurposelyholdtheseintheoff- seasontoencourageattendance,”said CourtneyMerriott,seniorsafetymanage- mentconsultantatSAIFandpresenterat thisyear’sseminars.“Ourgoalistoprovide the latest safety content for the industry, so that every ag worker goes home safe and healthyeachnight.” Registrationisrequired.Moreinforma- tion and registration details can be found at www.saif.com/agseminars. Oregon DMV seeks qualified CDL testers SALEM—OregonDMVislookingfor more skills test providers for commercial driverlicensingacrossthestate.DMVen- courages businesses and organizations that canadministerCDLskillsteststoapplywith theOregonDepartmentofTransportationfor theCDLThirdPartyTestingProgram.Once ODOTawardsproviderswithacontract in this program, they will be authorized to administerCDLskillstestsonbehalfofDMV. ARequestforProposal(RFP730-34080- 19)isavailablefordownloadontheOregon ProcurementInformationNetworksystem. Any entities wishing to submit a proposal —thefirststeptowardacontract—must be registered on the network. Registration is free.MoreinformationonORPIN,including how to register as a supplier, is available at http://orpin.oregon.gov/open.dll/welcome. IfyouarenewtoOregonpublicprocure- ment, or would like training or assistance with how to compete in the government marketplace,theGovernmentContract AssistanceProgramhasfreetoolsavailable at www.gcap.org. All questions related to this program andtheRFPmustbedirectedtoStephanie Lehman at stephanie.k.lehman@odot.state. or.us. Photo by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View Cows feed on corn silage in this file photo. A group of scientists with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and farmers in northern New England are working on a plan to feed seaweed to cows to gauge whether it can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Seaweed as cow feed? By Patrick Whittle The Associated Press FREEPORT,Maine—Coast- alMainehasalotofseaweed, and a fair number of cows. A group of scientists and farm- ers think pairing the two could help unlock a way to cope with a warming world. Theresearchers—fromama- rine science lab, an agriculture center and universities in north- ernNewEngland—arework- ing on a plan to feed seaweed to cows to gauge whether that can help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. About a quarter of the meth- ane in the country comes from cattle, which produce the gas when they belch or flatulate. The concept of feeding sea- weed to cows has gained traction in recent years because some studies have shown its potential to cut back on methane. The reduction might be because the seaweed interrupts the process of production of the gas in the animals’ guts. Oneofthebigquestionsis which kinds of seaweed offer the highest benefit to farmers looking to cut methane, and the researchers hope to find out,saidNicholePrice,asenior research scientist at Bigelow LaboratoryforOceanSciences inEastBoothbay,Maine,and the project’s leader. “Whatonthatlisthasthe abilitytodotwothings—not just reduce methane emissions, but have some health benefits for the cow that have a cost savings or cost efficiency for the farmer?”Pricesaid. The researchers plan to conduct feeding trials with cows inMaineandNewHampshire in 2020 and 2021 to see whether seaweeds that can be used as cattle feed will cut the meth- ane. They also intend to screen seaweeds for compounds that make them useful as cattle feed additives. The lab work to determine whether the seaweeds succeed in reducing methane will take place at University of Vermont. The research team has received a $3 million grant from theShelbyCullomDavisChari- table Fund toward the work. Studiesinvolvingsomesea- See Seaweed / Page 2B Wheat prices ‘fairly firm,’ could go higher By Matthew Weaver Capital Press SALEM—Wheatpricesaretrending higher, and market experts say there’s room for them to grow. Pricesforsoftwhitewheat,primarily growninthePacificNorthwest,ranged from$5.90to$6.10perbushelonthePort- land market. Priceswillremain“fairlyfirm,”saidBy- ron Behne, grain marketer for Northwest Grain Growers in Walla Walla, Washington. “Idon’tknowthatwe’llgetto$6.50like we did last year, but I don’t really see a lot ofdownside,either,”hesaid.“Ithinkwe’re goingtobeinOKshape.” “It’sbeensomanyyearssinceI’vebeen able to say this, but we actually have a bullish fundamental situation going on in wheatrightnow,”saidDarinNewsom,a EO Media Group file photo marketanalystinOmaha,Nebraska. Wheat is harvested near Lexington. Analysts say wheat prices could increase in the See Wheat / Page 2B coming months. Why create an employee handbook? By Greg Smith Employers of any size will benefit from a straightforward, well-written employee handbook. This document clearly spells out company policies and expecta- tions as well as provides em- ployees with a tool of reference should questions arise. When drafting an employee handbook, it is essential that Smith all federal and state employ- ment laws are adhered to and be written in simple language, rather than legalese. It should always contain an employee and manager signature line and date documenting the handbook has been carefully reviewed by the employee and any questions answered by a supervisor. While it will take time to create the hand- book (and keep it updated), there are many benefits to both employer and employee. By creating uniform expectations, it can lessen workplace strife and streamline the hiring process. The handbook documents company procedures and specific rules regarding dress code, any permitted use of personal electronic devices, non-discrimination, harassment (and how to file a complaint), compensation and benefits, company holidays, sick leave infor- mation, scheduling, etc., and consequences for violating these expectations. It may also offer a level of employer protection in the event of an employee lawsuit. Helpful content to include in an employee handbook may include: •WelcometoOurTeamstatement •Companyhistory •Explanationof“at-will”employment •Officeconduct •Probationaryperiod •Specificcellphoneandsocialmedia usage rules •Safetypolicies •Payrollschedule/timecardcompletion •Performancereviews •Companybenefitsandenrollment •Exitinterviewsintheeventofresigna- tion or termination Employers should review the handbook on a regular basis and make changes as needed. Additions or revisions may be neces- sary, and it is also important to remove any policies that are not enforced. While it is tempting not to have an em- ployee handbook in place when there is a small team, it is well worth the time to avoid aggravation and ensure standards for the business are being met. Greg Smith is the director of the Eastern Oregon University Small Business Development Center located at 1607 Gekeler Lane #148 in La Grande, Oregon. You may schedule a free, confidential business advising appointment by calling 541-962-1532 or emailing eousbdc@ gmail.com.
