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2 CapitalPress.com February 5, 2016 People & Places Computer engineer returns to roots Quinn Jackson puts high-tech equipment to work to help farmers Western Innovator Capital Press Quinn Jackson Company: Land View Inc. Position: IT manager and software developer Age: 34 Home: Burley, Idaho Education: Bachelor of science degree in computer engineering, Utah State University, 2009 Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press Quinn Jackson, information technology manager and software developer at Land View Inc. near Ru- pert, Idaho, sets up a drone in his work area. Jackson grew up on a farm and is applying his computer expertise to help farmers monitor and improve their crops. to other companies, he said. He was also the lead in creating the company’s iView software to facilitate remote sensing of cropland, a service the company provides to its customers. The remote sensing is cur- rently done from a ixed-wing airplane and allows Jackson and his team to identify stress- es in crops using an infrared camera and a visible color camera. The software is an iPad application that allows Land View to input informa- tion so producers can gain better insight into what’s go- ing on in their ields, he said. In the near future the com- pany will use unmanned aeri- al vehicles for remote sensing, he said. Unmanned aerial vehicles — popularly called drones or UAVs — will make remote sensing safer and more efi- cient and allow for Normal- ized Difference Vegetation Index analysis, known by the initials NDVI, he said. NDVI was developed by NASA using data from sat- ellite sensors. NDVI images offer potential in assessing a crop’s health and its needs — and even estimating yield. But the use of drones for commercial purposes is limited by Federal Aviation Administration regulations, Jackson said. “We’re waiting for the reg- ulations to lift to do it (remote sensing) with UAVs. Until the regulations are different, there’s not a lot we can do in that realm,” he said. The good news is the FAA is working on it, he said. Meanwhile, the company is applying for a Section 333 exemption that would allow it to operate in the national air- space and provide services to growers using UAVs, he said. It’s also selling UAVs to growers and recommending that if they want to use them for anything other than rec- reation, they should get their own exemption, he said. “Basically, we sell (UAVs) to them so they can get their feet wet and see the capabil- ities and what’s coming,” he said. The technology holds plenty of potential for agri- culture. They could be used in squadrons to survey crops quicker and apply fertilizer and pesticides less intrusive- ly. They could be used to monitor livestock, feed, water and rangeland and even for herding. Land drones could be used for tillage or other Family: Wife, Niki; three young children groundwork, he said. “We just recognize as a company this has big poten- tial for agriculture, and we want to be at the forefront of that,” he said. Use of the technology is taking off in China, Japan and Europe. The current do- mestic delay comes down to concerns over safety, privacy and security — as well as the age-old fear-mongering about artiicial intelligence taking over the world, he said. They are the same issues that come to mind when peo- ple think about self-driving cars, he said. For a technology geek, however, it’s thrilling stuff and a cornucopia for modern agriculture. “I’m excited to be part of the industry. Not a lot of com- puter engineers have a job in agriculture,” he said. Oregon agricultural teacher honored for his work By MITCH LIES For the Capital Press The Imbler, Ore., High School agricultural teacher has been recognized twice in the past eight years by the Nation- al Association for Agricultural Educators. Most recently, J.D. Cant was recognized as the association’s Region 1 Outstanding Agricul- ture Teacher, one of six regional awards presented annually by the 7,500-plus member NAAE. Cant received his award Nov. 18 at the association’s 67th annual convention in New Orleans. He said he views his award as a com- munity achieve- ment. “I have a great commu- nity, great ad- Jim Cant ministration, great staff, and when you have all those components, inevita- bly you will have a good pro- gram,” Cant said. “I think that this award is a relection of this community.” Cant, who grew up on a cattle ranch outside Imbler and was a charter member of high school’s FFA chapter while a freshman at the school, re- turned to Imbler as the school’s agriculture teacher 14 years ago after obtaining a degree from Oregon State University. “I was very fortunate the position opened here in Im- bler at the exact time that I was ready to be employed,” he said. In 2008 Cant won the Na- tional Association of Agricul- ture Educators Outstanding Young Member award for the 11-state Region 1. Cant takes pride that the small school consistently pumps out FFA teams that are competitive. “That is what I always talk to our kids about,” he said. “Make (the other teams) real- ize that we are here and we are going to compete. I want peo- ple to know that if we show up, they know we’re prepared and they know it is not going to be an easy win.” More important than ield- ing winning teams, Cant said, is providing students with meaningful experiences, something that he said comes naturally to him. “It is easy to do something that you are passionate about and that you believe in and that you think changes students for the good,” he said. “When you have students that strive to be better than they were the day before, then that is the greatest achievement,” he said. The Imbler FFA Chapter has grown steadily since Cant became the adviser and cur- rently includes 83 percent of the student body. Cant also helped write and received more than $50,000 in grants last year to help fund class and chapter activities. Ambassadors share a ‘dairy’ good day at Washington’s Capitol OLYMPIA — Jan. 27 was a busy day at the Capitol campus in Olympia as dairy farmers, dairy women and dairy ambas- sadors visited with legislators and handed out ice cream and cheese samples at noon in the Rotunda. The Washington State Dairy Ambassador Nicole Buell, of Marysville, accompanied by alternate ambassadors Amanda Howe of Bellingham and Lydia Johnson of Ethel, addressed the Senate and House Republican and Democratic caucuses about dairy families and how they are an important part of their com- munities. “Dairy farms can be found in 29 of Washington’s 39 coun- ties, providing jobs and sup- porting other businesses in their Calendar Saturday, Feb. 6 Klamath Bull & Select Ranch Horse Sale, Klamath County Fair- grounds, Klamath Falls, Ore. www. klamathbullsale.com Nevada Small Farm Con- ference, Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, 775-250-1339, http://neva- dafarmconference.com Sunday, Feb. 7 Klamath Bull & Select Ranch Horse Sale, Klamath County Fair- grounds, Klamath Falls, Ore. www. klamathbullsale.com Thursday, Feb. 18 WAFLA Annual Labor Confer- ence, Central Washington Universi- ty, Ellensburg. www.wala.org/ Wednesday, Feb. 24 Southern Idaho Direct Seed Workshop, Shiloh Inn Conference Center, Idaho Falls, (208) 334- 2353. www.idahowheat.org/ Established 1928 Board of directors Mike Forrester ..........................President Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Sid Freeman .................. Outside director Mike Omeg .................... Outside director Corporate oficer John Perry Chief operating oficer By CAROL RYAN DUMAS ACEQUIA, Idaho — While his education and cho- sen occupation qualify him as a technology geek, Quinn Jackson says he is a farm boy at heart. The information technolo- gy manager and software de- veloper for Land View Inc., a company that provides prod- ucts and services to farmers, ranchers and industrial cus- tomers, grew up on a farm in nearby Rupert. He attended college in Utah and now he’s back, not rais- ing wheat and sugar beets on the family farm but advancing food production with a radical- ly different skill set. “It’s an exciting time to be in agriculture with the tech- nology that’s coming out,” he said. Following college, Jackson worked for a Utah company developing software directed at public safety and law en- forcement. He returned to ag- riculture four years ago as the IT director at Land View. He’s responsible for all computer networks, comput- ers, cell phones and software development at the company, which also owns Two Rivers Terminal in Pasco, Wash., and employs about 50 people. Jackson was the lead de- veloper of internal software to track orders. Land View is now beginning to sell that software Capital Press 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 Entire contents copyright © 2016 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. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing ofices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. 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Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main ofice or news staff member closest to you, send the in- formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Washington’s dairy ambassadors visited the state Capitol in Olympia on Dairy Day. From left to right are Pamela Roosma, Whatcom County; Tiana Peterson, King and Pierce counties; Jana Plagerman, Whatcom County; Allyson Carothers, Snohomish alternate; Becca Bartelheimer, Snohomish County; Kaitlyn Meissner, Snohomish alternate; Amanda Howe, state alternate ambassador; Nicole Buell, state ambassador; Lydia Johnson, state alternate ambassador; Grace Kuipers, Skagit County ambassador; Katelyn Banks, Yakima Valley alternate; Jessica Stoutjesdyk, Yakima Valley ambassador; Ashley Hanson, Inland Northwest; Alicia Smaciarz, Lewis County; and Caitlin Meek, Grays Harbor. communities,” Buell said in a press release. Dairy farming creates a total of about 18,000 jobs, which support Washington’s second largest agricultural commodity and contribute $5.2 billion to Washington’s economy, she said. In addition, she said, dairy farmers invest in youth, which is why they support programs such as high school sports and scholastic achievements, as well as Fuel Up to Play 60, which encourages a lifestyle of healthy eating and physical activity. They also have communi- ty outreach programs, such as Northwest Farmers Fighting Hunger and “Give a Gallon” milk drives. Dairy Day was sponsored by the Washington State Dairy Products Commission and the State Dairy Federation and is held every year during the leg- islative session. More information on the Washington State Dairy Ambas- sador program can be found at www.wastatedairywomen.org. Saturday, Feb. 27 Wednesday, March 2 scaping: Small Changes, Big Impact. Presented by Oregon State Universi- ty Extension and the Yamhill County Master Gardeners Association. tertainment and a trade show. http:// equinepromotions.net/ Mid-Valley Winter Ag Fest, Polk County Fairgrounds Rick- reall Ore., 503-428-8224. Events will promote local ag commerce and education and provide an en- vironment that is fun and informa- tive for the entire family. mvwag- fest.com/ Sunday, Feb. 28 Mid-Valley Winter Ag Fest, Polk County Fairgrounds Rick- reall Ore., 503-428-8224. Events will promote local ag commerce and education and provide an en- vironment that is fun and informa- tive for the entire family. mvwag- fest.com/ Tuesday, March 1 Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Man- agement Workshop, Postharvest Technology Center, University of California-Davis. http://postharvest. ucdavis.edu/ 22nd Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management Workshop, Posthar- vest Technology Center, University of California-Davis. http://posthar- vest.ucdavis.edu/ Friday, March 4 Ag Chemical Collection Event, Redwood Transfer Station, Grants Pass, Ore., 541-690-9983. Pre-reg- istration is required by Feb. 18. www.rogueriverwc.org/ Saturday, March 5 Ag Chemical Collection Event, Rogue Disposal Transfer Station, White City, Ore., 541-690-9983. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 18. www.rogueriverwc.org/ Saturday, March 12 Spring into Gardening, McMin- nville Community Center, McMin- nville, Ore., 503-434-7517. This year’s theme will be Home Land- Friday, March 18 Northwest Horse Fair & Expo 2016, Linn County Fair and Expo Center, Albany, Ore. The largest equine expo in the Northwest will feature fancy dancing horses, strut- ting stallions, clinics by world-class horse trainers and riders, breed and stallion review demos, equine en- tertainment and a trade show. http:// equinepromotions.net/ Saturday, March 19 Northwest Horse Fair & Expo 2016, Linn County Fair and Expo Center, Albany, Ore. The largest equine expo in the Northwest will feature fancy dancing horses, strut- ting stallions, clinics by world-class horse trainers and riders, breed and stallion review demos, equine en- Sunday, March 20 Northwest Horse Fair & Expo 2016, Linn County Fair and Expo Center, Albany, Ore. The largest equine expo in the Northwest will feature fancy dancing horses, strut- ting stallions, clinics by world-class horse trainers and riders, breed and stallion review demos, equine en- tertainment and a trade show. http:// equinepromotions.net/ Sunday, March 20 California Fresh Fruit Associa- tion Annual Meeting, Resort at Peli- can Hill, Newport Coast. http://www. cafreshfruit.org Monday, March 21 California Fresh Fruit Associa- tion Annual Meeting, Resort at Peli- can Hill, Newport Coast. http://www. cafreshfruit.org Letters to the Editor: Send your comments on agriculture-related public issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital Press. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday. Capital Press ag media www.capitalpress.com www.FarmSeller.com www.AgDirectoryWest.com www.OnlyAg.com www.facebook.com/capitalpress www.facebook.com/farmseller www.facebook.com/onlyAGdotcom twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo www.blogriculture.com Index California ................................ 9 Dairy .................................... 15 Idaho ...................................... 8 Livestock ............................. 15 Markets ............................... 14 Opinion .................................. 6 Snowpack .............................. 3 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.
