12 CapitalPress.com
June 23, 2017
Glanbia audits participating producers twice a year
PASTURE from Page 1
bonus on there, it just pushed
us over the edge,” Clayson
said. “Had we not done that, I
don’t know if we would have
gotten refi nanced.”
ventional milk prices. Thanks
to the price premium, Wolfl ey
believes the fi nancial valleys
that dairymen often endure
haven’t been nearly as deep
for his association members.
“The last year and a half,
the milk price has been down
low enough that the extra pre-
mium has played a big part
in helping us have a positive
cash fl ow,” said Wolfl ey, who
milks 160 cows.
A comparison
Glanbia isn’t alone in
charging a premium for food
products derived from cattle
that are allowed to graze on
grass.
Consumer demand for
products labeled as “grass
fed” has steadily grown in
recent years. For example,
a May 26 USDA report esti-
mates a grass-fed ribeye steak
sold directly to the consum-
er would fetch a $14.06 per
pound premium above com-
modity beef.
For all of the promise of
the grass-fed market, Marilyn
Noble, a spokeswoman for
the American Grassfed Asso-
ciation, believes the lack of a
consistent grass-fed standard
poses a challenge for the cat-
egory. As a result, production
methods for products labeled
grass-fed can vary widely, po-
tentially confusing consum-
ers.
Last year, Noble’s organi-
zation worked with New York-
based Maple Hill Creamery
and Wisconsin-based Organ-
ic Valley to develop a strict
new grass-fed dairy standard.
USDA offers no grass-fed
dairy certifi cation.
“Organic Valley and Maple
Hill saw the grass-fed label
on meat had sort of become
diluted, and they wanted to
develop an industry standard
so that doesn’t happen with
grass-fed dairy,” Noble said.
Her association’s new
grass-fed dairy standards pro-
hibit feeding grain to cows
and place strict restrictions on
production methods.
Noble said Organic Val-
ley’s “grass milk,” which is
not homogenized, is more ex-
pensive than organic milk.
Though grass-fed milk is a
somewhat similar concept, De
Kruyf emphasized Glanbia’s
pasture-based program rep-
resents a truly unique niche,
targeting consumers who
believe farm animals should
have the freedom to roam.
“Cows get to exhibit their
natural behavior by going out
on grass on a daily basis,” De
Kruyf said. “That’s the image
we want to portray.”
The standards
He
n
Wyo.
Idaho
The Glanbia pasture-based
program mandates that farm-
ers allow cows unfettered
access to pasture for graz-
ing. During the winter or
when storms arise, farmers
also “must provide adequate
housing for cows and allow
them to seek shelter from the
elements — whether it’s hot,
cold, rainy or windy,” accord-
ing to the Chipotle website.
John O’Connell/Capital Press
In addition, minimum calf
housing standards must be Calves belonging to Gaylen Clayson, a pasture-based dairyman from Firth, Idaho, are custom fed in special pens designed to accommo-
met and animal byproducts date Glanbia’s pasture-based size standards at an American Falls feed lot.
are banned from the diet.
Cows in the milking herd
per day, about half of which is that the pasture-based niche is
may not be given antibiotics.
segregated and goes to make a better fi t.
YELLOWSTONE
Snake River Dairy
To become pasture-based
“If an animal becomes sick
pasture-based white cheddar
Association territories NATIONAL PARK
certifi ed, Wolfl ey had to up-
and must be treated with an-
for Chipotle.
Area in
detail
tibiotics, it must be removed
“We’re looking for inno- grade some of his calf hous-
e r 20
32
v
from the milking herd,” ac-
vative
ways to give dairymen ing and change some of his
i
r
’s R Teton Ri ve
GRAND
ry
Mud
28
cording to Chipotle.
additional
premiums with procedures. But the main re-
TETON
Lake
33
Recombinant bovine so-
niche markets, and this is a quirement is that his cows al-
NATIONAL
PARK
15
matotropin growth hormones
way we’ve seen that we can ways have access to pasture.
Driggs
Sn
ak
are also prohibited.
do it in conjunction with They spend the majority of
e
Rive
Glanbia audits participat-
purchasing the Blackfoot their summers grazing. In the
20
31
191
20
26
winter, though they still have
ing producers twice a year to
plant,” De Kruyf said.
33
ensure they’re following the
Segregating the pas- access to the outdoors, they
Idaho
Falls
rules.
ture-based milk poses a chal- mostly feed on a mixed ration
91
15
“This is not an organ-
lenge, and the company plans of alfalfa and corn.
26
191
The cooperative’s larger
ic program,” said Russ De
to add storage capacity.
89
Blackfoot foo
dairy
operators such as Gay-
Kruyf, Glanbia’s director of
De
Kruyf
said
the
plant
Pingree
milk procurement. “Dairies
wasn’t working at full ca- len Clayson have added more
Star
Valley
can still treat cows with con-
pacity under the previous grass to their production. To
34
Ranch
ventional methods.”
owner, but Glanbia has meet the pasture-based re-
86
Blackfoot
Glanbia, based in Ireland,
“ramped it up to absolute quirement, Clayson planted a
Res.
Pocatello
pivot of grass at each of his
chose its name from the Gael-
full capacity.”
N
ic word meaning “pure food.”
He said some of Glan- two dairies.
89
15
30
“It was a real challenge,”
bia’s other customers have
10 miles
Right location
also expressed interest in the said Clayson, of Firth, Idaho.
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
The opportunity for East-
He milks about 1,800 cows
pasture-based program.
ern Idaho dairies to produce
Bunnell said the plant pro- and switched to pasture-based
pasture-based milk sprang
duces about 600,000 pounds production two years ago.
from Glanbia’s decision to plant, mainly to serve as an
De Kruyf said the Black- of cheese per week and em-
Clayson estimates he spent
build a Cheese Innovation “incubation” plant for making foot plant was also the perfect ploys 57 workers.
$400,000 to implement the
Center in Twin Falls. The re- the fi rst commercial batches size to make the company’s
pasture-based system, and
Dairymen benefi t
search facility, which opened of recipes originating at the pasture-based cheese. Fur-
he’s already recouped his in-
Wolfl ey said he once con- vestment in premiums.
in August 2013, develops ex- innovation center.
thermore, the plant was sur-
perimental products to meet
Plant manager David Bun- rounded by plenty of small, sidered converting his dairy
Furthermore, Clayson said
customers’ specifi cations.
nell said the facility makes local dairies with lots of pas- to organic production to earn the pasture-based premium
a premium.
De Kruyf explained that nearly 30 varieties of cheese ture.
made it possible to refi nance
“I don’t think it fi t my op- debt.
Glanbia then purchased the — even an exotic ghost pep-
The plant now processes
Blackfoot, Idaho, cheese per variety.
800,000 pounds of local milk eration,” Wolfl ey said, adding
“When we got this added
r
Wyo.
Idaho
c
Bl a
k
r
ive
t R
WOLF from Page 1
represent generic ranges for packs that have no collared wolves.
Estimated range
Bellingham
6
15
7
16
17
8 11
18
9 10
20
3
20 miles
5
2
5
101
2
lumbia
Co
er
97
Seattle
2
Spokane
2
Wolf pack names
90
12. Wedge
13. Smackout
14. Salmo
15. Goodman
Meadows
16.
Dirty Shirt
5
17. Skookum
18. Carpenter
Ridge
19. Touchet
20. Tucannon
Wenatchee
1
90
WASHINGTON
90
195
C
395
m
olu b
Yakima
River
1. Teanaway
2. Lookout
3. Loup Loup
4. Beaver Creek
5. Strawberry
6. Profanity Peak
7. Sherman
8. Nc’icn
9. Whitestone
10. Huckleberry
11. Stranger
13
20
N
14
12
4
Okanogan
v
Ri
tacked by one or more wolves.
The next day, state and fed-
eral biologists set traps and saw
what appeared to be a wolf in
the distance. Three weeks later,
they trapped the wolf.
“As of right now, we can
only confi rm the one animal
that was captured and col-
lared,” Froshchauer said.
In 2015, a female wolf that
had crossed the Cascades and
was within 30 miles of Seattle
in eastern King County was
struck and killed by a vehicle
on Interstate 90. Last year, a
wolf wearing a GPS collar
crossed the mountains into
Eastern Snohomish County,
but the collar stopped trans-
mitting.
(As of Dec. 2016)
Confirmed range NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. Circles
ia
also colonized the North and
South Cascades. Wolves are
not a federally protected spe-
cies in the eastern one-third of
Washington, but they are in the
western two-thirds, including
where the wolf was captured.
Martorello said wildlife
managers don’t know where
the wolf came from, but it
most likely migrated westward
across the state, rather than
from Canada. He said more
wolves will move west as the
packs grow in Eastern Wash-
ington.
“This will become more
common,” Martorello said.
USFWS spokeswoman Ann
Froshchauer said the agency
will test genetic samples from
the wolf and may be able to
trace it origins. The tests are
expected to take two to three
months to complete, she said.
In the meantime, the radio
collar will help wildlife man-
agers position trail cameras to
photograph the wolf, and pos-
sibly a traveling companion,
Martorello said.
A Skagit County resident
reported May 17 that one or
more wolves were preying on
his chickens and sent photos to
USFWS.
A WDFW wildlife-confl ict
specialist went to the residence
that day and concluded the
chickens were probably at-
Known Washington wolf packs
82
S
Wolf most likely migrated westward across
Washington rather than from Canada
e
nak
R ive
r
Pasco
19
Co l u m bia
R i v er
20
Source: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
Mormon crickets don’t fl y, but grow up to 3 inches long, hop and crawl in mass formations
CRICKETS from Page 1
Entomologists hasten to
say the insects are neither
Mormon nor crickets, but
rather a grasshopper rela-
tive called the shield-backed
katydid. The more common
name dates to when the pests
leveled the crops of Mormon
settlers in the Salt Lake area
of Utah in the 1800s.
By either name, they can
overwhelm lawns and gar-
dens and decimate fi elds and
pastures. They don’t fl y, but
grow up to 3 inches long and
hop and crawl in mass for-
mations that can be startling.
Some residents have taken
to spraying insecticide them-
selves and there’s talk in Ar-
lington of burning evergreens
this winter to destroy eggs,
although the OSU Extension
agent hasn’t recommended
that. At least one visitor to
town was reportedly catching
Mormon crickets to sell as
fi sh bait.
E.J. Harris/EO Media Group
Mormon crickets congregate on top of a wood pile in the yard of a
residence on Hemlock Street on June in Arlington, Ore.
The outbreak has long-
time residents recalling the
infestation of 1942, when
Mormon crickets reportedly
covered Highway 19 “abso-
lutely solid day after day” for
four miles south of town.
Dick Krebs, 89, said the
infestation was knocked down
by spreading poison bait by
airplane. He said the plane
landed on his family’s ranch
to take on loads of bait, which
came in burlap bags. He, his
father, John Krebs, and his
older cousin, Henry Krebs,
helped dump the poison into a
hopper inside the plane.
“It was quite an opera-
tion; I was on the sack end of
things,” Dick Krebs said.
The aerial applications
worked, and a followup
ground campaign did the
trick. Arlington hasn’t had a
serious problem with Mor-
mon crickets for 75 years,
although they’ve always been
in nearby Blalock Canyon,
Krebs said.
He said the current infesta-
tion isn’t that bad at his ranch
south of town. He and his
wife go out with shovels and
crush about 40 a day, he said.
Area wheat farmer Walter
Powell said he was driving
near Arlington recently and
“All of a sudden it was like
the road was moving” there
were so many bugs crossing.
He joked that they also
affected play at the annual
wheat growers tournament at
China Creek Golf Course in
Arlington. On the fi fth green,
Powell said, players had to
clear insects from their put-
ting lines. He said Mormon
crickets will eat anything;
during the golf tourney, he
saw some eating companions
that had been crushed by golf
cart wheels. “They’re canni-
bals,” Powell said.
That’s true, said Helmuth
Rogg, an entomologist and di-
rector of the Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture’s Plant
Program Area. Rogg said the
insect’s cannibalistic nature
may explain its fabled march-
ing behavior, in which hordes
of Mormon crickets move en
masse. Ones that falter or get
injured are fair game for those
coming along behind, “They
move on so they don’t get eat-
en,” he said.
But Rogg said their pres-
ence in the area is not a new
phenomenon. The insects
thrive in the open sage coun-
try around Arlington, he said.
“It sounds like now Mor-
mon crickets are marching
into town,” he said.
Maley, the OSU Extension
agent for Gilliam County, said
the outbreak has been build-
ing for the past two or three
years and might be more seri-
ous than Rogg realizes.
“Plus they’re creepy,” Ma-
ley said. “They’re the ugliest
insect I’ve ever seen.”
He said treatment options
this summer may be limited.
Maley hopes to meet with
large landowners over the
winter and plan a spring cam-
paign against the bugs. He
said an integrated pest man-
agement approach is the best
control method.
Rogg, of the state ag de-
partment, said a growth in-
hibitor insecticide such as
Dimilin works on immature
Mormon crickets, but adults
are best countered with carba-
ryl, a poison bait marketed as
Sevin Dust.
Rogg said Mormon crick-
ets also are a problem in the
Jordan Valley area along the
Idaho border.
Grasshoppers, meanwhile,
are causing problems in the
Steens Mountain area and in
Malheur County, in southeast
Oregon.