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6 CapitalPress.com January 30, 2015 Elk ranch dream continues to evolve Calvin and Gail Ansley transition their operation to agritourism Western Innovator Calvin and Gail Ansley Occupation: Owners, CA Bull Elk Ranch Location: Richfield, Idaho Business: Agritourism; all natural elk, pheasant and lamb meat; antler art; upland game bird hunting; chickens and eggs; goat milk and cheese By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press RITCHFIELD, Idaho — Calvin and Gail Ansley’s dream when they married was to have a farm. They saved for 25 years to purchase their first farm in Hazelton, Idaho, in 2002. Even then, they soon real- ized it would take an off-farm job to support it. “Cal worked construction, and I built the business,” Gail said. Considering the low price of farm commodities at the time, they started to look at non-tra- ditional farming opportunities. With elk velvet selling for $125 a pound, plus the fact that they were already looking into rais- ing elk, they made the plunge. But by the time they finally entered the business the value of elk velvet had decreased, and Acreage: 800 acres Amenities: Guest lodge Family: Three children, two grandchildren Website: http://www.cabullelkranch.com Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press Calvin and Gail Ansley, owners of CA Bull Elk Ranch near Richfield, Idaho, and their granddaughter, Miah Ansley, 9, look out over the elk ranch and upland game bird hunting preserve the Anslays have transformed into an agritourism operation on Thursday, July 17. they were lucky to get $5 to $10 a pound, Gail said. They switched gears and focused on hunting, breeding and raising meat animals. They started with 20 bred elk cows and one bull and grew the herd to more than 425 head. Unfor- tunately, the couple was facing challenging times. The price of hay jumped from about $70 a ton to $180; regulatory, trans- portation and USDA slaughter fees increased; and the elk mar- ket remained depressed. The Ansleys had been har- vesting about 45 head a year, but the high hay prices made the operation unsustainable. In 2011, the couple sold off all the bulls — 105, including many trophy bulls — keeping a three- year option on five of them, Gail said. She said she wasn’t sure what the next chapter in the evolving operation would be, but she was determined to keep moving forward. A couple of years earlier, Gail had an epiphany. It came while hosting their son’s wed- ding at the farm. The wedding was held on the front lawn, surrounded by elk, and sever- al guests commented on how great it was to sit and watch and listen to the elk, she said. “I thought, ‘I’m pushing the wrong thing. I should be selling the experience,’” Gail said. The idea that people could stay at the farm and enjoy lis- tening to elks bugle and watch cows calving came full circle and the Ansleys set their sights on agritourism. To do that they needed more land than their 160 acres, and the land surrounding their Hazelton farm was locked up. They began looking for more acreage and found it near Rich- field — 800 acres and an old farmhouse. They moved their operation a year ago, and in many ways they are just starting in business again, Gail said. They’ve turned the home into a guest lodge for “farm stays.” The lodge offers four nicely appointed guest rooms with private baths, a large game room, broad views from the large den and deck, and three meals a day of locally sourced food. The ranch also offers stocked upland game bird hunt- ing. The elk are currently in cor- als near the lodge but are des- tined for open pasture in front of the lodge when the Ansleys get fence constructed. Visitors can also enjoy a farm setting of alfalfa fields, pastured lambs, pens of milk goats, caged pheasants and free-range chick- ens, geese and guineas. The Ansleys use the meat, milk, eggs and cheese for guest meals and also sell to high-end restaurants in the Wood River Valley. They buy produce from local growers and farmers’ markets and plan to add green- houses and aquaponics to raise some of their own. Gail’s goal is to help people understand where their food comes from and the rural, farm- ing life through first-hand expe- rience. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it’s an evolution, Gail said. “Do I know it’s going to work? No. But you have to have an idea what people want. And everybody who comes here loves the place, the rural setting,” she said. Some have even said the farm stay was life-changing and they would never again go the tradi- tional travel route, she said. “That is my hope and dream,” she said. Potato company stays ahead of trends Steve Theobald: Traceability, sustainability among buyers’ main concerns IDIN15-7/#17 Western Innovator Steve Theobald By JOHN O’CONNELL Occupation: CEO of R&G Capital Press AMERICAN FALLS, Ida- ho — R&G Potato Co. plans to overhaul its 20-year-old ware- house and is changing the way it operates, based on increasing attention among buyers to food safety, produce traceability and sustainable agriculture. Steve Theobald, CEO of the chip potato supplier, believes the proactive approach positions his company to address potential government mandates aimed at protecting consumers. R&G contracts for 5,000 chip potato acres from 12 Ida- ho growers and a few growers in Arizona and New Mexico. Founded in 1977, the company bills itself as the West’s largest spud supplier for the niche po- tato chip industry, selling to Fri- to-Lay, regional chipping com- panies and In-N-Out Burger for fresh-cut fries. Spuds bound for the burger chain bear a special label with enough data to trace a box back to an individual farm field. The label complies with the Pro- duce Traceability Initiative — the industry’s voluntary effort to trace the origin of produce in case of a recall. In the interest of complying with food safety audits, Theo- bald had a written food safety plan drafted about a year ago, and his staff began “document- ing everything.” “I think 90 percent of what we have been doing has been correct, but we haven’t been documenting it,” Theobald said. R&G also plans to make Potato Co., American Falls, Idaho Family: Wife, Judy; daugh- John O’Connell/Capital Press Steve Theobald, CEO of R&G Potato Co. in American Falls, Idaho, stands by potatoes bound for In-N-Out Burger. Theobald said his company is upgrad- ing its warehouse, tracking grower inputs and implementing improved product traceability labels to comply with increasing customer expectations. several warehouse upgrades, starting this summer by replac- ing old insulation with a more rigid product. To eliminate the potential for hydraulic oil to mix with food, he’s begun re- placing motors with models without exposed chains and gears and installing drip pans in the interim. Within the next two years, he plans to install new potato washing technology, and he’s contemplating the purchase of three optical scanners that would better remove foreign matter and off-grade potatoes. Within the past three years, R&G has also begun tracking growers’ farm inputs, water usage and carbon footprints to comply with a major customer’s sustainable farming program. Theobald agrees with good stewardship, but he’s concerned sustainability programs may begin demanding that growers make unrealistic reductions to their inputs. “They’re watching water like a hawk,” Theobald said. “Sustainability for us, quite ters Stacey and Corinne Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, Idaho State University Hometown: Pocatello, Idaho frankly, is a lot of reporting, a lot of paperwork and a lot of extra time.” United Fresh Produce Asso- ciation spokesman Ray Gilmer believes there’s more “audit fatigue” within the produce in- dustry than ever as buyers ask producers and food handlers to comply with an array of differ- ent audit standards. He said the industry has been encouraging use of a harmonized standard designed to cover most audit re- quirements. Ed Treacy, vice president of supply chain efficiencies with Produce Marketing Associa- tion, advises food suppliers to educate buyers who demand specific audits how the harmo- nized standard, or another audit they may be using, addresses common goals. He emphasized anything an audit doesn’t cover can be reviewed separately. Regarding traceability, Dan Vache, vice president of sup- ply chain management with United Fresh, estimates 40-60 percent of produce cases now bear PTI-compliant labels. He said the industry has been wait- ing for restaurants and retailers who receive produce to update systems to make use of the new information. In agriculture, nothing is certain. Your interest rate should be. We offer competitive interest rates for your agricultural financing needs: • Term agricultural loans (purchases & refinances) • FSA Preferred Lender • Amortizations up to 25 years Contact: Kevin Arrien - Joe Lodge at Joyce Capital, Inc. 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