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AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION SPECIAL SECTION Pages 14-16 Capital Press The West s Weekly FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 VOLUME 88, NUMBER 20 WWW.CAPITALPRESS.COM ORGANIC’S POPULARITY IS GROWING As consumers buy more organic food, farmers and processors struggle to keep up with demand By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press S The price premium for organic depends on the crop, Fred Brossy said. While the price he’s getting for his wheat is double that of conventional wheat. urging demand from consumers and processors has created a golden era for organic farmers across the nation. Fred Brossy and his wife, Judy, have farmed 300 acres or- ganically near Shoshone, Idaho, for 40 years and have seen that demand multiply. “We have more calls for organic beans than we could possibly meet,” he said. The price premium for organic depends on the crop, he said. While the price he’s getting for his wheat is double that of conventional wheat, his potatoes and hay bring a smaller premium. The cash price of organic hard red winter wheat this week is about $19 per bushel, com- pared to about $6 a bushel for conventional hard red wheat at Portland, according to USDA. Organic producer Tate Jones in King Hill, Idaho, farms 680 acres of crops, pasture, cattle and a truck garden. He converted to organic pro- duction in 1987 and became certifi ed in 1990. “These are some of the best of times in farm- ing for me,” he said. “Buyers are calling want- ing to know what you’re growing and asking, ‘What’s it going to cost me’’” Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press Judy and Fred Brossy farm about 300 organic acres near Shosho- ne, Idaho. They bought the farm after managing it for many years. Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press Nate Jones of King Hill, Idaho, is shown at his organic farm. Organic market grows Organic foods have grown from novel to niche during the 13 years the USDA has offi cial- ly certifi ed organic production. As more con- sumers include organic fruits, vegetables and processed foods on their shopping lists, produc- tion has struggled to keep up with demand. While organic foods represent nearly 5 per- cent of the total U.S. food market, less than 1 percent of the 914 million acres of U.S. farm- land is certifi ed for organic production. Organic imports also continue to grow. While some imported foods such as coffee and tropical fruits are not grown in the U.S. — with the exception of Hawaii — the import of grain for food and feed is a different story. The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of soybeans and corn, yet $219 million of organic soybeans and corn were imported in 2014, according to the Organic Trade Association. Turn to ORGANIC, Page 12 $2.00 Ag school graduates will have bright job prospects By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press Job openings in agricul- ture and related fi elds far out- pace the number of college graduates available to help fi ll them, according to a USDA study released this week. The result is a “seller’s market” for students with ag, food, renewable natural resources and environmental degrees, said John Foltz, dean of University Of Idaho’s Col- lege of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The job market is espe- cially strong in business and management fields and for positions requiring STEM expertise — science, tech- nology, engineering and math, said Foltz, a consul- tant on the USDA’s 2015- 2020 employment opportu- nities report. The report estimates 60,000 openings annually through 2020 and only about 35,000 U.S. graduates per year to fill them. The strongest job market will be for plant and food scientists, biomaterials spe- cialists, water resource sci- entists and engineers, preci- sion agricultural specialists and veterinarians who treat farm animals, according to the report. Officials at agricultural universities say the report reflects what they’re seeing on campus. At Washington State University this spring, many graduates had multiple job offers and some had been of- fered full-time employment before the first of the year, said Kimberlee Kidwell, executive associate dean at WSU’s College of Agricul- tural, Human and Tatural Resource Sciences. “The industry demand for employees is very high, so companies are initiating re- cruitment efforts earlier in the fall to secure top candidates into their company’s work force,” she said in an email. “Any degree in an agri- culture-related field seems to be hot these days,” Kid- well said. Turn to JOBS, Page 12 West’s snowpack disappeared early, hydrologist says By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press The western snowpack this year isn’t just low, it’s already gone, a regional hydrologist says. Adding to the drumbeat of drought worries throughout the West, David Garen of the USDA’s Tatural Resources Conservation Service in Port- land said much of the snow that should feed streams this summer has already melted. Garen said it’s too late to catch up with a spring snow- storm. “It already being into May, we’re well past the snow accu- The Elkhorn Moun- tains west of Baker City, Ore., shown May 5, are snow- free except at the highest elevations. mulation season now,” he said. Snow remains in higher el- evations in isolated parts of the West, including the northern Cascades, northern Colorado, western Montana and south- ern Wyoming, Garen said, and snow in British Columbia Kathy Orr The Baker City Herald via AP Turn to SNOW, Page 12 THIS WEEK IN THE CAPITAL PRESS WASHINGTON Export, import picture helping apple sales Apple exports are up and U.S. apple imports are down Page 4 OREGON National Farm Mom of the Year Oregon’s Shelly Boshart Davis prevailed in 11 days of online voting and is 2015 National Farm Mom of the Year. Page 10