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2 CapitalPress.com January 2, 2015 People & Places Building better climate change models Chad Kruger helps farmers grasp what future may hold for region By DAN WHEAT Capital Press WENATCHEE, Wash. — Chad Kruger saw both ends of the moisture spectrum as a youngster at his two grandfa- thers’ farms. One was a struggling dry- land wheat and cattle ranch near Harrington, west of Spokane. The other was a high-value, high-stress, irri- gated strawberry and raspber- ry farm near Lynden, north of Bellingham on the wet side of the state. He grew up in Othello but “worked his tail off,” he says, on both farms and asked lots of questions about how things worked and the future. “From a very young age, I wanted to do something in agri- culture and also loved science,” he said. He wasn’t sure how the two fit together, but realized they did during a Washington State University internship on potato research trials at Othello while he was in high school. After receiving his mas- ter’s degree in land resources at the University of Wisconsin in 2003, he was hired the next year to manage the first climate change agricultural project at the WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Re- sources in Wenatchee. It was started with a Paul Allen Foun- dation grant of $3.75 million. In 2011, he became direc- tor of the center that has been innovative in bringing multiple disciplines and tools of those disciplines into climate change modeling — computerized simulation of what might hap- pen if other things happen like changes in temperature and moisture. A lot of early climate mod- eling was done, he said, from just one academic discipline and failed to get input from farmers. He has brought economists, engineers and agricultural sci- Dan Wheat/Capital Press Chad Kruger, director of Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, is seen at the Washington State Horticultural Association’s annual meeting in Kennewick, Wash., on Dec. 1. He spoke on climate change. Western Innovator Chad Kruger Age: 40 Born: Hillsboro, Ore., raised in Othello, Wash. Family: Wife, Tonya; children: Zakkary, 18; Alexis, 14; Jocelyn, 12. Education: Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history and an academic certificate in eco-intensive agriculture technologies, Northwest College, 1998; master’s degree in land resources, University of Wisconsin, 2003. Occupation: Director, Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources since 2011; interim director, 2008 to 2011; began working at the center on its climate change in agriculture project in 2004. entists together in the modeling and talks with farmers in de- fining priorities, such as where more water may be needed. His original team received USDA’s highest award to a land grant university for Inno- vative Program Models in Ag Research in 2009. More than 50 regional sci- entists from WSU, Oregon State University, University of Idaho and USDA partner in the center’s climate change work now. Climate change has be- come one of the largest areas of collaborative ag science in the Pacific Northwest over the past decade. Kruger has tried to leave politics out of his work and fo- cus on “real world” problems facing agriculture and their solutions. One of the goals is to help identify and reduce risks facing the region’s agriculture to keep the farming industry competitive in the future. Climate change is high- ly politicized over whether carbon emissions should be regulated and that’s resulted in misunderstandings of the science by both sides, he said. In presenting research to audi- ences he focuses on how the science is done. “There is a lot of uncertain- ty on what the future climate will look like. No one knows for sure. There are so many variables,” he said. It can de- pend on how good the science is and the fact that people may make different decisions than anticipated, changing equa- tions. “It’s kind of like forecast- ing the stock market. We try to make intelligent decisions on what we think may happen and the possible outcomes,” he said. For example, if only tem- perature is considered he would expect a slight reduc- tion in tree fruit yields in Sun- nyside, but elevated carbon dioxide counters that and will cause a slight increase in yield. The center’s work looks at 40 different crops, includ- ing tree fruit, in Washington’s Columbia Basin. The basin may warm 1 to 9 degrees by mid-century, he said during a speech at the Washington State Horticultural Association’s an- nual meeting in Kennewick in December. There’s a big difference between 1 and 9 degrees but higher temperatures increase risk of codling moth on apples and powdery mildew on cher- ries, he said. The Yakima, Okanogan and Walla Walla watersheds are main areas of concern be- cause they are at a relative- ly low elevation and already have light winter snowpacks. Warming would lessen that natural storage. More man-made water res- ervoirs is one answer but they take time to build and can be costly, he said. Another solu- tion that is just in its infancy in the Yakima system, he said, is water right transfers. For example: An alfalfa grower may make more mon- ey selling his water rights for July and August to a tree fruit grower than he makes from a fourth cutting of alfalfa. But this too takes time to set up the legal framework and market, he said. The center’s climate change program began with the intention of developing technology-based strategies for emission mitigation, car- bon sequestration and to en- hance the science of studying agriculture and climate. There was investment in various projects like converting live- stock manure into energy. All of those elements have con- tinued in one way or another, Kruger said. Beside his work on cli- mate change, Kruger over- sees numerous other center programs, including what he says is one of the best in the country in helping small farms. Elements include help- ing people decide if they want to get into farming, helping migrant farmworkers move toward farm ownership and improving farmers’ markets and other means of helping small farms sell their produce. There is an organics pro- gram and a program that awards more than $200,000 annually in internal grants to WSU faculty and Extension specialists to support diverse projects involving sustain- able and organic agriculture. Eight-and-a-half projects were funded last year from 42 proposals in a competitive process. Kruger expects five out of 35 will be chosen for 2015. “I think about the future a lot,” Kruger said. “From a very young age fixing fenc- es on our ranch, I asked my grandfathers a lot of ques- tions. I’ve always been curi- ous. Part of the satisfaction of this is still asking questions and thinking about how to make better decisions to sus- tain agriculture in the future.” Capital Press 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 Hannah Brause ...Audience Development Entire contents copyright © 2015 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. 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TAYLOR For the Capital Press T OWNER, N.D. — It’s been quite a year to be in the cattle business. I’m not trying to brag, but I’m sure not complaining. It’s the kind of year where you can update some equipment, pay down some debt, put a little money away and prepare for a day when the markets aren’t so rosy. We had enough to donate to our favorite causes and buy a few gifts for our family and others. It was the kind of year where I knew I owed a nice gift to my partner who al- ways helps me sort the cows and keep the ranch going. For years, my wife has asked me to sell a half-dozen cows in the herd who’d just as soon mash me into the ground as let me Cowboy Logic Ryan Taylor near their calf in the spring. On my four-point mean and nasty rating scale, they’d consistently get a “4.” My wife keeps telling me that should mean “4 sale.” ‘Good’ cows They are “good” cows, though — always fat, always bred, always bring in an above average calf. And I’m always dragging their calf underneath the tractor so I can get it eart- agged and vaccinated without having my bones busted by its 4-star mother. I figured it’d be a nice gift to my wife to sort those cows into the sale pen as we preg- nancy checked the cows this year. Even if they were bred, and not old, and not thin. I just consulted my little red calving book, and if I wrote a “4” in the cow’s not-so-docile scor- ing column, she was getting a ride to the sale barn. I just sold the cows as culls. I wouldn’t wish them into any- one else’s herd. If someone wanted to find out if they were pregnant and calve them out, it was their risk to take. They’d get along fine until calving time. I came home from the sale barn with those little pink slips of paper they give you when you unload your trailer and leave the cows for the next day’s sale. I looked at those pink slips and decided they would make nice wrapping paper for a Christmas gift for my wife. The only problem was that the pink slips were pretty small. Even if I taped a couple of slips together I’d have to find a very small gift for my wife. I tried to think of some- thing small to get her. Maybe a can of snooseK That would sure be a surprise. I could get her a deck of pi- nochle cards. Small enough to wrap in a pink sale barn slip, but probably not a qualifier for special or romantic. Small and special I decided if a person was looking for something small and special, I’d have to do what jewelers have been bank- ing on us to do for generations — go with something small and shiny that sits in a glass store case and comes with its own handy little hinged box suitable for wrapping with a small piece of paper. I like to support local econ- omies while I’m shopping. I figured the closest shiny gem I was going to find in my north- ern plains neighborhood were the “Yogo” sapphires from the Yogo Gulch in the Little Belt Mountains of central Montana. I knew if I bought Montana gems I wouldn’t have to wor- ry about funding any bloody civil wars or rebel warlords like can happen if you buy those “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” from Af- rica like I’ve read about. Nope, I’ve been to the Judith Basin in Montana and it was pretty peaceful country. I could buy with a clean conscience from conflict-free central Montana. And when my wife opened that little pink-wrapped box our time around the Christ- mas tree was conflict-free, too. What’s more, the cow herd should have a lot less conflict next spring without those pink- slipped cows. Peace on earth, folks. 1 year Canada .................................$275 1 year other countries ......... call for quote 1 year Internet only ............................$49 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. 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Capital Press ag media www.capitalpress.com www.FarmSeller.com www.AgDirectoryWest.com www.OnlyAg.com Calendar To submit items to the calendar, send an email with information to calendar@capitalpress.com JANUARY NATIONAL Jan. 7-9 — Potato Expo, Ros- en Shingle Creek, Orlando, Fla., http://www.potato-expo.com/ Jan. 11-14 — American Farm Bureau Annual Convention, San Diego, Calif., http://annualcon- vention.fb.org/ REGIONAL Jan. 14-15 — Northwest Hay Expo, Washington State Hay Growers Association, Three Riv- ers Convention Center, Kenne- wick, (509) 585-5460, snolan@ agmgt.com, www.wa-hay.org OREGON Jan. 8-9 — Oregon Mint Growers annual meeting, Salis- han Resort, oregonmint.org Jan. 12-14 — Northwest Food Processors Expo and Confer- ence, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, www.nwfpa.org Jan. 13 — Nut Growers So- www.facebook.com/capitalpress ciety of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia 100th an- nual meeting, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University Campus, Corval- lis, http://www.oregonhazelnuts. org Jan. 17 — 2015 Lambing School, co-sponsored by the Oregon Sheep Growers Associa- tion and Oregon State University Extension, registration deadline Jan. 9, 541-673-0369 or email johnandpeggyfine @charter.net Jan. 21 — Oregon Ryegrass Growers Association annual meeting, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Linn County Fair and Expo Center, Al- bany, 503-364-2944. Jan. 26 — Agricultural Safety and Pesticide Accreditation Work- shop, sponsored by the Central Oregon Safety and Health Asso- ciation, Deschutes Farm Bureau and Helena Chemical Co., 1-5 p.m. Bend, $45 ($20 for Farm Bu- reau members), www.cosha.org Jan. 26-27 — Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit, The Riverhouse, Bend, www.cosha. org Jan. 27 — Oregon Blueberry Conference, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Jantzen Beach Red Lion Hotel, Portland, oregonblueberry.com/ conference Jan. 27-29 — Northwest Ag- ricultural Show, Portland Expo Center, http://www.nwagshow. com/ WASHINGTON Jan. 6-7 — Real Ag show, Trac Center, Pasco, www.pasco- realag.com Jan. 8-9 — Yakima Ag Expo, Sun Dome, Yakima, http://ya- kimaagexpo.com/ CALIFORNIA Jan. 13-15 — Associated Cali- fornia Loggers, Reno, www.calog. com/ IDAHO Jan. 16 — Family Foresters Workshop, Coeur d’Alene Inn, 208-446-1680, http://www.uidaho. edu/extension/forestry/content/ calendarofevents Jan. 21-23 — Idaho Horticul- ture Expo, Boise Centre on the Grove, inlagrow.org FEBRUARY NATIONAL Feb. 1-3 — American Sugar- beet Growers Association annual convention, Long Beach, Calif., www.americansugarbeet.org Feb. 19-20 — Family Farm Alliance annual meeting, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, 707-998-9487 or ffameet- ing@aol.com OREGON Feb. 3 — Focus on Weed Management pesticide applica- tor’s short course, 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m., $80, Building 19, Lane Com- munity College, Eugene, 541- 463-6103 Feb. 19-21 — Oregon Logging Conference, Lane County Fair- grounds and Convention Center, Eugene, 541-686-9191, www.ore- gonloggingconference.com Feb. 24-25 — Oregon Dairy Farmers Annual Convention, Sa- lem Conference Center, www. dairyfarmersor.com/101-conven- tion-general CALIFORNIA Feb. 5-7 — Sierra Cascade Logging Conference, Shasta Dis- trict Fairgrounds, Anderson, sier- racascadeexpo.com/ Feb. 10-12 — World Ag Expo, International Agri-Center, Tulare, http://www.worldagexpo.com/ Feb. 25 — 2015 Walnut Day, Veterans Hall, Yuba City, http:// cesutter.ucanr.edu WASHINGTON Feb. 3-5 — Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum, Spokane Convention Center, http:// www.agshow.org/ag-expo-home.html MARCH OREGON March 20-22 — Northwest Horse Fair & Expo, Linn County Fair and Expo Center, Albany, www.equinepromotions.net CALIFORNIA March 17-18 — Fruit Ripening & Retail Handling Workshop, Uni- versity of California-Davis, http:// postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Educa- tion/fruitripening/ www.facebook.com/farmseller www.facebook.com/onlyAGdotcom twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo www.blogriculture.com Index Dairy .....................................11 Livestock ..............................11 Markets ............................... 13 Opinion .................................. 6 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.
