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14 CapitalPress.com February 26, 2016 Grinder could help soil quality in almond orchards Crunch Pak By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press CHOWCHILLA, Calif. — University of California re- searcher Brent Holtz believes a test plot here could hold the answer to the San Joaquin Valley’s worsening soil qual- ity problems. On a recent morning, Holtz and others demonstrated a device called an Iron Wolf, which uprooted and ground up whole almond trees and incorporated the woody bio- mass into the soil. Holtz, a UC Cooperative Extension farm adviser based in Stockton, Calif., said stud- ies he’s been doing since 2003 have shown that whole-or- chard chip incorporation treatments increased organic matter, soil carbon, nutrients and microbial diversity — all to the beneit of new plantings. “Growers in the southern part of the valley have been seeing sodium levels in- creasing … especially in the drought years when we have less leaching,” Holtz told growers during the gathering, which was videotaped by the Almond Board of California. “A good point to this orchard grinding is it’s helping allevi- ate our sodium levels.” In a new study, Holtz hopes to compare the effects of using the Iron Wolf to recy- Courtesy of Almond Board of Calif. An Iron Wolf is showcased at a recent University of California Cooperative Extension ield day in Chow- chilla, Calif. The machine grinds up whole almond trees and puts the woody biomass back into the soil. cle an almond orchard to us- ing a large tub grinder, which leaves much iner particles of wood, UC oficials said. The research comes as some cogeneration plants have shut down in recent years, forcing growers to look for alternative ways to deal with tree biomass when they remove old orchards. In addition, growers in recent years have reported an increase in problems with salinity of groundwater, with many saying they expect it to affect the quan- tity or quality of their harvests. Holtz began testing woody biomass’ impacts on soil quality with an Almond Board-funded study in 2003, incorporating shredded prun- ings 1 to 2 inches into the soil. Over time, researchers found higher soil nutrient levels, lower pH and more organ- ic matter in the soil, and the organic matter bound up so- dium to the extent that leaves had about half the amount of sodium of other orchards, the board reported. Holtz also tried planting trees in containers with one- third wood chips and two- thirds soil. Within a couple years, nutrient levels were higher, water infiltration oc- curred faster and trees were showing less water stress be- cause the wood chips were holding water in the soil, according to the Almond Board. In 2008, Holtz used the Iron Wolf — a 50-ton rototill- er capable of grinding whole trees and incorporating their chips into the soil — to grind up whole stone fruit trees and bury the organic matter in the soil. By the third year, the nutrients were signiicantly greater where trees had been ground and incorporated. The machine does have its drawbacks, Holtz said in an interview. For one thing, it left some larger-than-anticipated chunks on the orchard loor, while the tub grinder could be an alternative for growers who could disc the materials into their soil. Also, the Iron Wolf is ex- pensive, costing about $52,000 a month to rent or $1.2 million to buy, he said. Researchers will also have to make sure they’re not putting tree dis- eases back into the soil, said Gabriele Ludwig, the Almond Board’s director of sustainabil- ity and environmental affairs. “The lipside of it could be that by having increased or- ganic matter in the soil, we can change the microbial system … and work against the bad things,” said Ludwig, adding that more trials in multiple lo- cations are needed. Holtz agrees. “With all this talk about cogen plants closing down and growers won’t have any alternatives for biomass,” Holtz said, “my point is I think there’s a great alternative for that biomass and that’s putting it back into the ground.” Manufacturer offers tips on seed cutter maintenance By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press BLACKFOOT, Idaho — Shane Mitchell inds most potato farmers do a good job of addressing obvious signs of wear in their potato cutters, such as failing belts, bearings and sprockets. But Mitchell, marketing director with locally based Milestone Equipment, the largest manufacturer of seed cutters, said growers often miss problems that are less visible, and are usually rela- tively simple to ix. During a Feb. 17 seed-cut- ter maintenance demonstra- tion for growers and farm- workers, Mitchell explained quick adjustments and sim- ple steps such as sharpening blades can have a signiicant impact on the uniformity of seed pieces, resulting in more even planting and better yields. “What we talked about today was everything under- neath the surface that real- ly makes a difference in the quality of the seed piece the John O’Connell/Capital Press Shane Mitchell, marketing director with Milestone Equipment in Blackfoot, Idaho, makes an adjustment to a seed cutter, demon- strating how proper maintenance can improve consistency. Milestone hosted a Feb. 18 demonstration to give growers tips on maintaining their seed-cutting equipment. (cutter) will produce,” Mitch- ell said. Mitchell said the irst con- sideration for growers should be sharpening their cutter blades. Dinged or dull blades, he explained, crush seed po- tatoes, forcing them to spend time healing rather than grow- ing. Second, he recommends evaluating a cutter’s sponge drums — a pair of cylinders covered in foam and rubber skin that pull potatoes through the cutters. The skin can hard- en or begin to separate from the drums, resulting in lost control of positioning as seed pieces enter the cutter and in inconsistent sizing. Another problem growers often overlook is the condition of ingers on their sizing roll- ers. Broken ingers and rollers that fail to turn properly result in lost ability to place potatoes where they need to be as they pass through the knives, Mitch- ell said. Mitchell also advises grow- ers to make sure rollers on their alignment table, which presents spuds at the proper angle for cutting, run in time, and that knife blades are also properly synced. During the next couple of months, Mitchell said Mile- stone will send representatives to farms to help customers make such adjustments. When cutters are operating, Mitchell said growers should be careful not to apply so much disinfec- tant on blades that the sponge drums become slick, interfer- ing with their ability to pick up potatoes in the proper position. He said to apply disinfectant intermittently, with just enough chemical to keep blades con- stantly moist. Danny Mitchell, an own- er with the company, advises growers to use seed proile mats, which contain a grid of seed piece shapes, sizes and weights, enabling growers to place their cut seed on the grid Washington’s beef checkoff stays put Bill dies without Senate vote By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — The Wash- ington Beef Commission’s top administrator described for a Senate committee Feb. 18 what the state agency does for cattlemen — one day after a bill to approximately double its budget died. A bill to increase the beef checkoff to $2.50 from $1.50 failed to pass before Wednes- day’s deadline for legislation to clear at least one chamber. The beef industry wasn’t united behind raising the per- head fee paid by cattle sellers to support the commission. Several producer groups backed upping the assessment to swell the commission’s an- nual budget to about $2 mil- lion, bolstering its promotion and defense of the beef indus- try. The Cattle Producers of Washington, however, vigor- ously opposed raising the fee, questioning whether the ex- pense was worth it. The Agriculture Committee scheduled a presentation by the beef commission’s execu- tive director, Patti Brumbach, too late to inluence the debate this year. Her talk, illustrated with loads of charts, signaled a more active campaign to rally support for increasing the fee. “I’m conident if people have the chance to see and hear all the information, they’ll be Don Jenkins/Capital Press Washington Beef Commission Executive Director Patti Brumbach poses in a hallway Feb. 18 on the Capitol Campus in Olympia after a presentation to the Senate Agriculture Committee. Legislation to raise the beef checkoff has died for this year. impressed by what the check- off is doing now and will want to see it increased,” Washing- ton Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Jack Field said. “I can’t say enough good things about what the checkoff does.” Besides the Cattlemen’s Association, the Washington Cattle Feeders Association and the Washington State Dairy Federation supported increas- ing the fee, which has been the same since 2001. The state commission keeps $1, while the other 50 cents goes to the national Cattlemen’s Beef Board. The Cattle Producers’ trea- surer, Lincoln County ranch- er Nate Hair, said Friday that cattlemen should at least wait a year to see how much money the commission collects from dairy cow sales that previously were unreported to the Wash- ington State Department of Agriculture. WSDA records transac- tions to trace livestock in case of a disease outbreak. Until recently, private sales involv- ing fewer than 15 dairy cows were exempt from the report- ing requirement. Dairy farmers account for about 20 percent of the beef commission’s budget, according to Brumbach’s pre- sentation. Hair also said the com- mission’s advertising was too generic, not drawing a sharp enough distinction between Washington-grown beef and meat from Canada or other states. The request for more money also comes as Eastern Washington ranchers have been battered by drought, wildires, predators and tight- ening environmental regula- tions, Hair said. “People say, ‘It’s just a dollar,’ but all of this adds up,” he said. “It gets over- whelming.” Raising the beef checkoff is an issue in other states, too. Missouri cattlemen are sched- uled to vote in April on raising their assessment to $2 from $1. Iowa cattlemen are debat- ing whether to add 50 cents to their $1 checkoff. In Washington, the push for raising the beef checkoff orig- inated with producer groups. Brumbach said the Cattle Feeders group was the irst to bring the proposal to her. Field said the Cattlemen’s Associa- tion has been talking about the checkoff for several years and endorsed raising the fee at its November convention. The $1 national beef check- off was set in 1985 and made mandatory in 1998. The Beef Board collected $40.3 million in assessments in 2015. Some 43 states collect an additional amount for state commissions. The Washington Beef Commission collected about $1 million in 2015. Most of the money went for advertising, foreign marketing or burnish- ing the beef industry’s image with consumers. Inlation has eroded the commission’s promotional reach, Brumbach said. The commission no longer buys TV time to air the iconic com- mercial “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner,” voiced by actor Sam Elliott. The commission also doesn’t advertise in Eastern Washington anymore. and assess how effectively their cutters are performing. Paul, Idaho, potato farmer Blake Hansen has estimated his farm has lost up to 50 hundred- weight per acre in the past due to planting skips resulting from unevenly sized seed. Hansen was impressed by Milestone’s demonstration showing how seed can shatter when it’s too cold heading into the cutter. Mitchell said seed temperature should be at least in the mid 40s prior to cutting, which can be dificult for growers who pre- cut seed during colder months. “We weren’t doing a regu- lar tracking on (temperature),” Hansen said. “We were just cutting whatever came in on the semi.” Montana seed grower John Venhuizen said he’ll try to use the seed proile mat more of- ten, will pay closer attention to making adjustments to his cutter and will keep a closer eye on the condition of sizing rollers. “You’re planter can only work as well as the seed that gets put into it,” Venhuizen said. seeks better employee relations By DAN WHEAT Capital Press ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Crunch Pak, the nation’s leader in selling sliced apples, has been taking better care of its employ- ees since a federal audit cost the company half of its workforce two years ago, the human re- source director says. Crunch Pak is headquartered in Cashmere, Wash., and oper- ates plants there and in Read- ing, Pa. It has been tight-lipped about a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement I-9 audit of its plant in Cashmere that be- came news in May of 2014. I-9 forms include Social Se- curity numbers or other proof of employment eligibility. The ICE audit began in August 2013 and revealed a number of mis- matches, the company said. In May 2014, it sent letters to an undisclosed number of employ- ees asking them to correct their I-9s or lose their jobs. Speaking on a panel about “Professionalizing the Seasonal Workforce,” at a Feb. 18 WAF- LA (formerly Washington Farm Labor Association) conference in Ellensburg, Melissa Grimm said she became Crunch Pak HR director in January 2014 and that before that the compa- ny had none. There were 800 to 850 employees, no HR staff and employees “were hired, given a badge and went to work,” she said. “If they made 90 days they got trained.” Turnover was high because workers didn’t like working in temperatures in the 30s, a lack of communication and the 12-mile drive from Wenatchee, where many live, she said. “We began issuing cold weather gear and deducting that from their wages if they stayed. We bought them (public transit) bus passes and bought a bus to take people home at the 1 a.m. shift ending,” Grimm said. Some workers typically quit during cherry harvest in June to make more money picking cher- ries, she said. The I-9 audit resulted in a 50 percent loss of workers, she said. Since then there’s been a management shift and lead- ership change, she said. Top managers now meet with new employees at the end of their irst week to review beneits and information shared on the irst day, she said. Pay is $10.25 an hour, supervisors are trained to communicate and the company continues to look for perks it can give employees, she said. Comment sought on Icicle water plans By DAN WHEAT Capital Press LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — A study group is seeking public comment on $65 mil- lion to $85 million in pro- posed improvements to the Icicle Creek watershed, near Leavenworth, to boost water supply for ish, farmers and residents. The Icicle Creek Work Group — made up of local, state and federal agencies, tribes, and environmental, agricultural and residential interests — worked for three years to propose a strategy and projects to boost water supply. The watershed includes 212 square miles west of town and mostly in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Wenatchee National Forest. Total projects would gain 26,800 acre-feet of water. The average base low of the creek in a normal year is 63 cubic feet per second. That would increase by 77 cfs for habitat and instream lows, 4 cfs for agriculture and 5 cfs for do- mestic use. In drought years, 20 cfs is the base low, 47 cfs would be added for habitat and instream lows, 4 cfs for agriculture and 5 cfs for do- mestic. Projects include $20 mil- lion to conserve and improve water quality with well im- provements and recirculation tanks at Leavenworth Nation- al Fish Hatchery, automating and optimizing releases from Dan Wheat/Capital Press Icicle Creek lows southwest of Leavenworth, Wash., in Octo- ber of 2014. Public comment is being accepted until May 11 on plans for several projects to enhance water supply from the watershed. six alpine lakes, and restor- ing Eight-mile Lake reservoir from 1,375 acre-feet to its permitted 2,500 acre-feet. Further work includes con- serving water by piping and lining of Cascade Orchard Irri- gation Co. and Icicle-Peshastin Irrigation District canals and pipe replacement and metering and technical assistance for domestic use. An Icicle Water Bank would be created with an ini- tial acquisition of 1,000 acre- feet at $3,000 per acre-foot for interruptible ag users during times of shortage. Fish and wildlife habitat would be im- proved.