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CapitalPress.com
February 3, 2017
People & Places
Variable rates boost crops
Ryan Christensen
brings high-tech
prescriptions to his
family’s farm
Western
Innovator
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
GRACE, Idaho — Ryan
Christensen didn’t give up
when his father balked at the
cost of hiring consultants to
install variable-rate technolo-
gy on the family’s 3,000-acre
wheat and potato farm.
Instead, Christensen re-
searched and set up his own
method of precision-applica-
tion — an approach to farm-
ing that uses GPS technology
and field data to vary inputs
based on field conditions.
Christensen believes his ap-
proach requires far less labor
but achieves comparable yield
and input improvements.
It’s one of many examples
of how Christensen Farms has
been transformed into a more
productive, data-driven and
high-tech operation since the
32-year-old returned to the
family business in 2006.
“My philosophy is if data
can be collected, I want it,”
said Christensen, the fifth
generation to farm the land
his family homesteaded in the
1880s.
He’s also incorporated
drones and a cutting-edge ir-
rigation method in crop pro-
duction — and he’s succeed-
ed with new grounds-keeping
techniques at the family’s golf
course.
While studying landscape
management at Brigham
Young University in Provo,
Utah, Christensen worked
under professor Bryan Hop-
kins, jointly publishing re-
Ryan Christensen
Age: 32
Job: A partner in Chris-
tensen Farms with his father,
Bart, and his brother, Kyle,
42.
Innovation: Helped his farm
implement variable-rate
irrigation, fertilizer and
seeding, using a zone-based
prescription map he believes
is simpler and more efficient
to use than other systems.
John O’Connell/Capital Press
Ryan Christensen shows an image of the variable-rate pivot on his family’s farm in Grace, Idaho, used
to irrigate agricultural crops and a golf course. Christensen has implemented a simplified and effective
method of devising variable-rate prescription maps on his farm.
search on turf grass nutrient
management. Hopkins later
helped Christensen take on
variable-rate production, sug-
gesting an approach involving
maps with zones that possess
common characteristics but
may be in different parts of
the field.
Fewer zones
Typically, fields are divid-
ed into grids of contiguous
1.5-acre plots, which are
all intensively soil sampled
to devise variable-rate pre-
scriptions. Christensen, who
further honed his system by
reading GPS mapping in-
struction books, may use just
a few zones with common
conditions, getting by with
about 60 soil samples on a
65-acre field compared to
roughly 450 samples needed
for the grid method.
Christensen made his first
zone maps in 2012, based
on limited yield data, topo-
graphical Google Earth maps
and his father’s insight about
productivity throughout each
field. He’s since included
bare-soil drone imagery to
assess soil quality based
on its color, as well as im-
proved yield data tied to vari-
able-rate fertilizer and seed-
ing-rate maps.
Drone spots stress
He also flies a drone over
winter wheat each spring to
detect pockets of stressed
crops and determine where
replanting might be in order.
Yields have become far more
consistent throughout the
farm.
“We’ve been able to make
very poor ground better and
good ground a little better,”
Christensen said.
In 2015, Christensen also
added a variable-rate water
map to tweak one of his field
prescriptions. That year, he
became one of the first Idaho
farmers to test variable-rate
irrigation.
Christensen explained that
his family built a nine-hole
golf course in 1995 on an un-
productive rocky outcropping
that bisected a pivot. With its
$35,000 variable-rate irriga-
tion system, Christensen said
the family can now adjust
each nozzle independently
to provide optimal water for
the golf course, as well as the
adjacent crops watered by the
pivot.
It’s variable
He and Hopkins are en-
tering the second year of a
five-year study to assess the
economics of variable-rate
irrigation and determine the
feasibility of installing addi-
Education: Bachelor’s
degree in landscape man-
agement with a business
management minor
Hometown: Grace, Idaho
Family: Wife, Andrea, and
children Ava, 8, Lila, 5, Lin-
coln, 3, and Claire, 3 months
tional systems.
Too
often,
Hopkins
hears from growers who
want to implement vari-
able-rate fertilizer but miss
the “low-hanging fruit” by
failing to optimize their ir-
rigation. Over-watering can
push nutrients through the
soil profile and hurt yields,
he said.
“When I first started
talking about variable-rate
fertilizer, people looked at
me like I was nuts, and now
it’s commonplace,” Hopkins
said. “I think variable-rate
irrigation will become com-
monplace.”
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Through Saturday
Feb. 4
Organicology 2017. Hilton
Portland and Executive Tower,
921 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, Ore.
Topics range from FDA down on
the farm to farmworker shortages,
regulatory updates and seed se-
lection. www.organicology.org
Saturday, Feb. 4
Ties to the Land workshop. 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Bayview Community
Center, 20298 E. Perimeter Road,
Bayview, Idaho. This award-win-
ning workshop uses presentations,
video clips and interactive exercis-
es to help families who own farm,
forest or other rural land learn
more about planning for an orderly
transition to the next generation.
Cost: $35. www.uidaho.edu/
extension/forestry
Monday, Feb. 6
Preserving Farmland for Local
Food’s Sake. 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Lane Community College Center
for Meeting and Learning, 4000
E 30th Ave., Eugene, Ore. The
conference offers a unique venue
for creating new business connec-
tions through networking sessions,
educational workshops and a ven-
dor trade show. www.localfoodcon-
nection.org
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Pesticide Short Course-IPM. 8
a.m.-4:10 p.m. Lane Community
College, Center for Meeting and
Learning, Bldg. 19, 4000 E. 30th
Ave., Eugene, Ore. $85 if regis-
tered by Jan. 23; $95 after. http://
extension.oregonstae.edu/lane/
farms
Alfalfa U. Canyon Crest Dining
and Event Center, 330 Canyon
Crest Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho.
Learn how alfalfa can contribute to
a farm’s profitability. alfalfaU.com
Tuesday-Thursday
Feb. 7-9
Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific
Northwest Farm Forum. Spokane
Convention Center, 334 W. Spo-
kane Falls Blvd., Spokane, Wash.
Spokane Ag Expo is the largest
farm machinery show in the Inland
Northwest. https://greaterspokane.
org/ag-expo/
Washington Association of
Wine Grape Growers 2017 Con-
vention. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Three
Rivers Convention Center, 7016
Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick,
Wash. This annual event includes
the second largest industry trade
show in the nation and a welcome
breakfast. wawgg.org
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Colusa County Almond Day.
8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Stagehands
Theater, Colusa County Fair-
grounds, 1303 10th St., Colusa,
Calif.
www.sacvalleyorchards.
com/events
Oregon Clover Growers Annual
Meeting. Noon-1 p.m. Holiday Inn,
Wilsonville. www.oregonclover.org
Wednesday-Thursday
Feb. 8-9
The 8th Annual Organic Farm-
ing Conference. Canyon Crest
Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest
Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho. The event
is organized by the Northwest
Center for Alternatives to Pesti-
cides. www.pesticide.org events
Friday, Feb. 10
University of Idaho Cropping
School. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Best
Western Plus Caldwell Inn &
Suites, 908 Specht Ave., Cald-
well, Idaho. This event will have
presentations on fertilizer and ir-
rigation water management, crop
diseases, falling numbers, soil
health, precision ag, unmanned
aerial systems and a drone flight
demonstration (weather permit-
ting). CEUs available. The cost is
$20 and includes breakfast and
lunch. owalsh@uidaho.edu, 208-
722-6701
Friday-Sunday
Feb. 10-12
2017 Women’s Conference.
Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico
Road, Pray, Mont. Women’s lead-
ership, communication and other
agriculture-related topics will be
discussed. Sponsored by the Mon-
tana Farmers Union. montana-
farmersunion.com
Tuesday-Thursday
Feb. 14-16
World Ag Expo. International
Agri-Center, 4500 Laspina St., Tu-
lare, Calif. The nation’s largest ag-
ricultural exhibition celebrates its
50th year. www.worldagexpo.com
Practical Food Safety &
HACCP. The Riverside Hotel,
2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, Ida-
ho. HACCP, or Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Points, is a pre-
ventive system for the control of
health-threatening food hazards
during food processing. The com-
prehensive three-day workshop is
designed for individuals respon-
sible for implementing and man-
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
aging a HACCP system in a food
processing facility. Participants
who pass a final test will receive
a certificate of completion. http://
bit.ly/2f2iJ9Q
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Soil Health Workshop. 9 a.m.-2
p.m. Best Western Burley Inn and
Convention Center, 800 N. Over-
land Ave., Burley, Idaho. Keynote
speaker Marlon Winger, Natural
Resources Conservation Service
state agronomist, will give a pre-
sentation titled “Is It a Cover Crop
or a Biological Primer?” Other
topics will include cover crops as
they relate to eradicating blight
and integrated pest management,
as well as presentations on biofu-
migation and NRCS programs and
projects.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Keeping Your Family Business
Communication on Track. 7:30 to
9 a.m. Hayden’s Lakefront Grill,
8187 SW Tualatin-Sherwood
Road, Tualatin, Ore. This session
will provide tools and techniques
that attendees can use right away
to cultivate better communication
among family members, employ-
ees, and shareholders. Presented
by: Mark Wickman, Family Busi-
ness Counsel. $40 per person.
800-859-7609,
http://bit.ly/2f-
PK987.
Friday, Feb. 17
Farm Bureau Women’s Leg-
islative Reception, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oregon State Capitol Galleria, 900
Court St. NE, Salem, Ore. Join the
Oregon Farm Bureau Women’s Ad-
visory Council for coffee and cake
to kick off the 2017 legislative ses-
sion and recognize the important
roles women play in Oregon agri-
culture. www.oregonfb.org
Rural Farmers’ Market Work-
shops. 1-3:45 p.m. Adair Club-
house, 6097 NE Ebony Lane,
Corvallis, Ore. This interactive
series of workshops and small
group discussions will focus on
topics particularly relevant to ru-
ral, small scale or resource limited
farmers’ markets. Travel scholar-
ships available. Sponsored by
the Oregon Farmers Markets As-
sociation. Free, RSVP required.
Website: http://bit.ly/2iatQ6Q
Saturday, Feb. 18
Oregon State University Ex-
tension Service Small Farms Pro-
gram. 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m. LaSells
Stewart Center and CH2M Hill
Alumni Center, 875 SW 26th
St., Corvallis, Ore. A day-long
event geared toward farmers,
agricultural professionals, food
policy advocates, students and
managers of farmers’ markets.
Twenty-seven educational ses-
20 Northwest Locations
1-800-765-9055
sions are offered on a variety
of topics relevant to the Oregon
small farmers and include a track
in Spanish. Cost: $50 by Jan. 25,
$75 by Feb. 10, $150 at the door.
http://smallfarms.oregonstate.
edu/sfc
goals for the current generation.
Presented by: Carol Wachter
and Heather Tomsick, Deloitte
Tax LLP, and the Austin Family
Business Program, Oregon State
University. 800-859-7609, http://
bit.ly/2gW7Kjq
Monday-Tuesday
Feb. 20-21
Wednesday, March 15
Larry Branen Idaho Ag Summit.
Red Lion Downtowner Hotel, 1800
W Fairview Ave., Boise, Idaho.
www.idahoagsummit.org
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Marion Soil and Water Con-
servation District annual meeting
and celebration. 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Macleay Conference and Retreat
Center, 2887 74th Ave. SE, Sa-
lem, Ore. RSVP by Feb. 7 to jan-
ice.calkins@marionswcd.net or
call 503-391-9927.
Oregon Ryegrass Commis-
sion meeting. 6-8 p.m. Cascade
Grill restaurant, 110 Opal St. NE,
Albany, Ore. www.ryegrass.com
Wednesday-Friday
Feb. 22-24
2017 Family Farm Alliance
Annual Meeting and Conference.
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino,
3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Ve-
gas, Nevada. www.familyfarmalli-
ance.org
Saturday-Sunday
Feb. 25-26
Second Annual Mid-Valley
Winter Ag Fest. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Polk County Fairgrounds and
Event Center, 520 S Pacific High-
way W, Rickreall, Ore. This event
will promote all aspects of local ag
commerce and provide a family
friendly event that is fun and ed-
ucational for kids. Proceeds will
benefit Polk County 4-H and FFA.
www.mvwagfest.com
Thursday-Friday
March 2-3
Idaho Hay and Forage Con-
ference. Best Western Inn, 800
N. Overland Ave., Burley, Idaho.
Speakers will include Dan Under-
stander, a University of Wisconsin
forage specialist; Steve Orloff, a
University of California Extension
adviser; and Doug Robison, se-
nior vice president of Northwest
Farm Credit Services. www.ida-
hohay.com
Wednesday, March 8
Taxes and Succession Plan-
ning. Noon-1 p.m. Join us for a
free online webinar and an intro-
duction to how planning ahead
for estate and gift taxes can
help address family and busi-
ness needs and meet retirement
Agricultural Biodiversity on
Farms: Conservation Practic-
es Working for Western Farm-
ers. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. McMenamins
Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St.
Troutdale, Ore. A first-of-its-kind
conference on the benefits of ag-
ricultural biodiversity in Western
farming systems and the practices
that support it. Sponsored by the
Oregon State University Integrated
Plant Protection Center, the Xerc-
es Society and Oregon Tilth. http://
bit.ly/2kpWRsK
Thursday, March 16
Building Family Business Val-
ue from the Inside Out. 7:30 to 9
a.m. BridgePort BrewPub, 1313
NW Marshall St., Portland. Much
can be done to build the value of
the business from inside the en-
terprise, and the earlier the pro-
cess begins, the more sustainable
the results will be. In addition to
building value, most businesses
become more efficient and profit-
able along the way. Presented by
Francis Brown, Key Private Bank
and the Austin Family Business
Program, Oregon State Univer-
sity. 800-859-7609, http://bit.
ly/2gR3KC0
Friday-Sunday
March 24-26
18th Annual Northwest Horse
Fair and Expo. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Linn
County Fair and Expo Center,
3700 Knox Butte Road, Albany,
Ore. Three days of clinics, semi-
nars and performances for horse
enthusiasts. Cost: Adults $12 a
day, children ages 6-12 $6 a day.
Parking $4. www.equinepromo-
tions.net
Friday-Monday
March 24-27
Oregon FFA State Convention.
Deschutes Fair & Expo Center,
3800 S.E. Airport Way, Redmond,
Ore. www.oregonffa.com
Tuesday, April 11
Do Your Kids Want the Busi-
ness? Planning for Yes or No.
7:30 to 9 a.m. Hayden’s Lake-
front Grill, 8187 SW Tuala-
tin-Sherwood Road, Tualatin,
Ore. Presented by Steve Ben-
nett, Farleigh Wada Witt and the
Austin Family Business Program,
Oregon State University. 800-
859-7609, http://bit.ly/2h3k8Ck
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California ................................ 8
Idaho ...................................... 9
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................11
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