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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 13, 2015)
12 CapitalPress.com March 13, 2015 Family farmers keep up with latest innovations By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS For the Capital Press SHOSHONE, Idaho — The Taber family moved to Idaho from Pennsylvania in 1975, when Chris was 6 years old and Darren was 2. Their youngest brother, Matt, was born in 1982. “As a young man, my dad came out West every fall to go hunting, then decided to move Model 4020R 24 - 80 hp., 4 wheel drive Compact Synchro-Shuttle; Hydro 24, 28, 35, 47hp THE TRACTOR STORE (541) 342-5464 5450 W. 11 th , Eugene, OR S15-2/#5 SERIES 3120R 3520R 3510H 4020R 4525R 4720H 6640 8050 here,” Chris said. “He had a farm in Pennsylvania and two sons and there was no room for expansion — no way that his children would be able to farm with him.” The name of their farm is a combination of names. “My dad’s name is Don, my mother’s name is Beverly so they took the first of his name and the last of hers to come up with Donley Farms,” Chris said. They raise corn, hay and grain, and started raising sugar beets in 1991. “I was out of school by then and wanted something different in the crop rotation and talked my dad into planting 80 acres of sugar beets. Within a few years the farmers in our area bought the sugar company and formed a co-op. By then we were growing 300 acres of sugar beets,” he said. “We usu- ally go 5 or 6 years with alfal- fa, then plant corn. We are on a 4-year rotation of crops be- tween beets. The sugar factory frowns on shortening the beet rotation very much, or you tend to get more disease problems.” They generally follow corn with beets, then come back with corn, then malt barley, corn and back to beets. Water is a challenge on dry years. “Some crops take more wa- ter than others, so we might be stuck with small grains on some fields 2 years in a row because there wasn’t enough water for anything else,” Chris said. The goal is to have the high- Donley Farm Owners: Chris, Darren, Matt and their father, Don Taber Location: Near Shoshone, Idaho, since 1976 Crops: Corn, hay, sugar beets and malt barley Size: 5,000 acres est quality of whatever crop they raise. “We do some test plots, to be on the front end of new varieties. This gives first- hand information on which experimental varieties might be available in the future,” he said. They try to find varieties that do well in their farm con- ditions. Chris is the farm manager. His dad and brother Matt run the dairy. “Darren helps with the dairy and the farm, runs the baler and puts up all the hay. We do cus- tom harvesting; we chop and thrash a lot of corn and grain for other farmers. When harvest starts in late July we are busy until everything is finished — sometimes into December,” Chris said. They do contract harvesting Heather Smith Thomas/For the Capital Press The Tabers work in the field on their 5,000-acre farm near Shosho- ne, Idaho. for a big dairy, which enables them to run new equipment. “If we were just doing our own crops, we’d have older equip- ment, trying to keep it running as long as possible — upgrad- ing only when we have to, rath- er than when it’s more advanta- geous,” he said. Chris also runs the forage harvester and combine. “This is my time for myself, my peace and quiet, away from the daily grind of dealing with employees and other tasks. I spend a lot of time on the phone, because in summer we may have 34 employees,” he said, adding that it’s a big job keeping track of everything and making sure it all runs smooth- ly. “We built a large shop in 2008, and have two full-time mechanics besides myself, working on the equipment,” Chris said. “We try to be diversified. My dad is on several boards in various ag industries and brings those experiences back to the farm. He’ll tell us we ought to try this, or grow that. We put those principles to work, to op- timize what we are doing, be- cause we can’t just go out and buy another farm.” Land is too expensive, he said, “Yet we need to expand, to keep family members on the farm.” Creative ideas can often be more effective than trying to farm more land, he said. Greenhouse Manufacturing & Supplies OTECO WHEEL TRACK FILLERS 503-678-2700 fax 503-678-2789 ivans@ovg.com * www.ovg.com 20357 Hwy 99E * Aurora, OR 97002 • Fills ruts properly and with the correct material. • Completely fills ruts with one pass. • 10 cubic yard (28,000 lbs.) total capacity. • One-man operation. • Off-season uses include filling ruts in roads and transporting grain. 20x48’ QUONSET 5’ OC 4’ SIDES BOWS 1 5/8” 15 GA. Frame ..................................................$824.00 14 PCS WIRE LOCK ........................$175.56 32 X 50’ 6MIL, 4YR POLY ............. $170.00 30 x 48’ SEMI GABLE 5’ 0C, 4’ SIDES BOWS 2 3/8” 13 GA. Frame........................................$2,145.58 24 PCS WIRE LOCK ................$299.00 48 X 100 6MIL, 4YR POLY .....$481.50 Prices Good Thru 3/20/2015 THE ONLY SOLUTION All else is just another problem. S15-5/#7 (307) 322-3373 • www.otecomfg.com S15-2/#4X
