Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current, November 18, 2016, Image 2

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Newspaper Page Text2 CapitalPress.com November 18, 2016 People & Places College farm helps pay its way B.J. Macfarlane runs operation to make money to fund its annual budget Western Innovator Capital Press Industry perspective Macfarlane brings an in- dustry perspective to his teaching, said Kimler-Rich- ards, who had him as a student at Chico State. “His industry experience makes him invaluable to this program,” she said. “He just brings so much. He works re- ally well with the students and is really an asset. He’s still in the industry, so he’s current.” He still works with his fa- ther raising 75 head of mostly Hereford cattle on leased land near Hat Creek, Calif. Having grown up on a ranch his father managed near Hat Creek, about 70 miles east of Redding, Macfarlane Calendar B.J. Macfarlane Occupation: Manager, Shasta College farm Age: 39 Residence: Cottonwood, Calif. Family: Wife, Melissa; daughters, Addison, 11, Ellis, 9, and Maddox, 4 Photos by Tim Hearden/Capital Press B.J. Macfarlane, manager of the Shasta College farm in Redding, Calif. A cattle producer and ranch manager, he was hired in 2010 to run the farm. ties when they leave, he said. “Both Trena and I have been around the state our whole lives, so we’ve got con- nections in lots of different in- dustries,” Macfarlane said. FFA project animals Farm manager B.J. Macfarlane, left, discusses hogs with agricul- ture students at Shasta College. always thought that “sitting behind a desk wasn’t my cup of tea,” he said. After returning to Califor- nia from Michigan in 2004, he worked on several pure- bred ranches while partnering with his dad on their cattle business, which raises mainly embryo-transfer calves and places a heavy emphasis on artificial insemination. Macfarlane’s wife, Melis- sa, is a nursery supervisor at the Driscoll Strawberry Asso- ciates Inc. plant in Red Bluff, Calif. At Shasta College, Mac- farlane manages the farm as a working business. Its dormi- tory program immerses stu- dents in the operation, which Sponsored by: To submit an event go to the Community Events calendar on the home page of our website at www. capitalpress.com and click on “Sub- mit an Event.” Calendar items can also be emailed to newsroom@ capitalpress.com or mailed to Cap- ital Press, 1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR 97301. Friday, Nov. 18 Denim and Diamonds Dinner and Auction, 5-10 p.m. Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Mar- tin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland. Oregon Aglink presents its annual celebration of agriculture. www. aglink.org Wolves, Livestock and People meeting. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Serpilio Hall, Plumas-Sierra County Fair, 204 Fairground Road, Quincy, Calif. Sponsored by the California Wolf Center. Through Saturday Nov. 19 West Central States Wool Growers Convention. Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley, Idaho. The annual Wool Growers convention for Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wy- oming. Saturday, Nov. 19 Oregon Hay King Contest, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ag West Supply, 36 NW “A” St., Madras, Ore. The hay judg- ing event is sponsored by the Or- egon Hay and Forage Association and hosted by Central Oregon Hay Growers’ Association in cooperation with OSU Extension and Ag Experi- ment Station. Free, including lunch. Forest Insect and Disease Field Day. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. North Idaho College Parking Lot “A” near Hubbard Street, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Participants will get first- hand exposure to a wide range of organisms that impair the growth Established 1928 Board of directors Mike Forrester ..........................President Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Sid Freeman .................. Outside director Mike Omeg .................... Outside director Corporate officer John Perry Chief operating officer By TIM HEARDEN REDDING, Calif. — A cattle producer all his life, B.J. Macfarlane discovered a knack for training young farmhands. He was working as a re- search assistant at Michigan State University in the early 2000s, focusing on reproduc- tion in dairy cattle. “With my time at Michi- gan State, I worked with lots of undergrads on projects,” said Macfarlane, 39, who earned an animal science de- gree at California State Uni- versity-Chico in 2001. “I really liked helping stu- dents and working with stu- dents,” he said. “The best part of my job is interacting with students and giving them con- tacts in the industry.” A former beef herdsman at Chico State, Macfarlane brought his gift for mentoring youngsters to Shasta College in Redding in 2010. He was hired to take over as farm manager for the col- lege’s agriculture program, which was nearly shut down a year earlier because of a bud- get crisis. Macfarlane has played a key role in putting the 90-acre farm in the black, producing show-quality goats, pigs and cattle and selling them at a premium, said Trena Kim- ler-Richards, an instructor and program coordinator who rallied community support during the budget crisis. Capital Press of trees and forests in North Ida- ho. Those wishing to participate should pre-register at the Univer- sity of Idaho Extension Office in Kootenai County by Friday, Nov. 11. Cost: $15. http://www.uidaho. edu/extension/forestry Friday-Saturday Nov. 25-26 Open Alpaca Barn. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Alpacas of Oregon, 21345 SW Aebischer Road, Sherwood. In Washington County’s wine country, just off Highway 99. Meet the summer’s alpaca babies and their mothers. www.easygofarm. net/AOOThanksgiving Monday-Thursday Nov. 28-Dec. 1 Oregon Water Resources Con- gress Annual Conference. Best Western Hood River Inn, 1108 E Marina Drive, Hood River, Ore. owrc.org/calendar Tuesday, Nov. 29 Gaining Access to Farmland Workshop. 5:30-8:30 p.m. WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, Wash. Spon- sored by Keller Williams Re- alty, American Farmland Trust and Snohomish Conservation District. Topics include lease agreements, succession plan- ning, land trusts and unique farm shares along with tips and les- sons learned when buying, sell- ing or leasing land. Cost: $15 per person, $25 per family up to three. AccessFarmland.eventbrite. com Hearing on proposed changes to agricultural worker protection stan- dards. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Pine Grove Grange, 2900 Van Dorn Drive, Hood River, Ore. www.orosha.org has about eight students who act as employees. The farm grows winter wheat and alfalfa and has irri- gated pasture for its livestock, which includes cattle, goats, pigs and chickens. No fallow ground Macfarlane makes a point not to leave any ground fal- low, he said. “To me, like any small farm, it’s got to make money,” he said. “So to have a piece of ground that’s fallow isn’t a fa- vorable thing.” Students who enroll in the program expect to get their hands dirty, and they develop contacts for work opportuni- ties or at four-year universi- One of the college’s spe- cialties is to raise goats and cattle that are sold for 4-H and FFA projects. The animals go on to win awards and con- tests; a steer from the college was recently the Reserve Su- preme Champion at the Shas- ta District Fair, Macfarlane said. “It’s a tried-and-true re- cruitment tool,” he said, not- ing that many youngsters that purchase livestock from the farm wind up enrolling as col- lege students. Another point is that as a working farm, Shasta College has relationships with — and is supported by — numerous area agribusinesses. The college gets help with genetics from Ottenwalter Showpigs in Colusa, Calif., and several area ranchers lend their bulls to breed the cows that don’t take to artificial in- semination. “Our community backs us 100 percent,” said Macfar- lane, noting that he was aware of the petition drive to save the farm before he arrived. The program was on the chopping block in 2009, when the board was look- ing for places to cut and ag classes were only drawing about 15 students per class. Local growers, county Farm Bureaus and alumni brought overflow crowds to board meetings and persuaded trust- ees to keep the 60-year-old program open. Annual fundraisers While the administration allowed the college’s ag in- struction to continue, the pro- gram was tasked with raising some of its own funds. It hosts an annual fall harvest festival with farm tours, locally pro- duced food and beverages, and entertainment, and pro- duces a Country Christmas Fair to raise funds for the stu- dent leadership team. The fair, which includes Christmas tree sales as well as craft booths and kids’ at- tractions, gives the students marketing, customer service and event-planning skills and teaches them how to work as a team, Kimler-Richards has said. He said he likes the fact that the program “doesn’t just get farm kids,” but also students from urban or other backgrounds that are eager to work in agriculture. The farm is in the midst of an effort to improve its infra- structure, which is old. Instructors and students recently used donated con- crete to retrofit the pig barn, and Macfarlane wants to upgrade the corrals next, he said. “I want to make things up-to-date and current with common practices in the in- dustries,” he said, “and to continue to put out sought-af- ter students who are either go- ing to work or to universities, and to continue to raise good livestock.” GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE www.oxarc.com Tuesday-Thursday Nov. 29-Dec. 1 California Alfalfa and Forage Symposium. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Pepper- mill Hotel, Reno, Nev. The sympo- sium is organized by the University of California Cooperative Extension Alfalfa Workgroup, extension scien- tists serving the agricultural commu- nity and sponsored by the California Alfalfa & Forage Association. http:// calhay.org/symposium/Tuesday- Thursday Wednesday-Friday Nov. 30-Dec.2 National Women in Sustain- able Agriculture Conference. Doubletree by Hilton, 1000 NE Multnomah St., Portland, Ore. The 5th National Conference for Women in Sustainable Agricul- ture will bring together farmers, educators, technical assistance providers and activists engaged in healthy food and farming to share educational and organi- zation strategies, build technical and business skills, and address policy issues aimed at expanding the success of women farmers and ranchers. http://2016wisa. org Thursday, Dec. 1 Hearing on proposed changes to agricultural worker protection standards. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wood- burn Grange, 908 N. Settlemier Ave., Woodburn, Ore. www.orosha. org Saturday, Dec. 3 How to Do Farm Taxes Work- shop. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, Wash. Sponsored by Moss Adams LLP and Snohomish Conservation District. What to do throughout the year in order to have the data needed when tax time rolls 20 Northwest Locations around. Step-by step instructions for completing forms as well as one- on-one coaching sessions. Cost: $15 per person, $25 per family up to three. FarmTaxes.eventbrite.com 1-800-765-9055 Sunday-Wednesday Dec. 4-7 audits in your facility against one of the Global Food Safety Initia- tive (GFSI) Audit Schemes, which are becoming a standard for the food industry as a tool for assuring food safety and regulatory compli- ance and has become a customer requirement for many processors. http://bit.ly/2etdxP6 Tuesday, Dec. 6 Oregon Fine Fescue Commission meeting. 7-9 a.m. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Sa- lem, Ore. www.oregonfinefescue.org California Farm Bureau Annu- al Meeting. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Monterey, Calif. http://cfbf.com The Nuts and Bolts of Ag Man- agement. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. What you didn’t learn growing up on the farm, an Oregon Farm Bureau Leadership Conference presented by the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. oregonfb.org Tuesday-Thursday Dec. 6-8 84th Oregon Farm Bureau An- nual Meeting, Salem Convention Center. Open to voting and sup- porting Farm Bureau members. oregonfb.org Oregon Interagency Noxious Weed Symposium, Oregon State University, LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis, Ore. http://bit.ly/2dQBqOp Wednesday, Dec. 7 Oregon Clover Commission meeting, 6-8 p.m. Golden Valley Brewery, 980 NE Fourth St., Mc- Minnville, Ore. Hearing on proposed changes to agricultural worker protection standards. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Medford City Hall, Suite 340, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford, Ore. www.orosha.org Monday, Dec. 12 Internal Auditor Workshop. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Idaho Water Center, 322 E. Front St., Boise. We will teach you how to conduct internal Monday-Tuesday Dec. 12-13 Oregon Seed Growers League Annual Convention. Salem Con- ference Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. The agenda includes industry speakers, edu- cational sessions, displays, trade show and an industry reception. seedleague.org Monday-Wednesday Dec. 12-14 Far West Agribusiness Associ- ation 57th Annual meeting. Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 Grand Ridge Blvd., Kennewick, Wash. Featured speakers are Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farm- er Cooperatives and Chris Jahn, president of The Fertilizer Institute. www.fwaa.org Wednesday-Friday Jan. 4-6 Potato Expo 2017. Moscone Center West, 800 Howard St. San Francisco, Calif. potato-expo. com Friday-Wednesday Jan. 6-11 2017 AFBF Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N Third St., Phoenix, Ariz. http://annualconven- tion.fb.org 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 offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Toll free ............................. 800-882-6789 Main line ........................... 503-364-4431 Fax ................................... 503-370-4383 Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692 News Staff N. 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Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office 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. 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 marketplace.capitalpress.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 ................................ 8 Dairy ...................................... 7 Idaho .................................... 10 Livestock ............................... 7 Markets ............................... 13 Opinion .................................. 6 Oregon .................................11 Washington ........................... 9 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.