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CapitalPress.com
July 21, 2017
People & Places
Idaho barley growers get a boost
Doug Peck oversees
effort to help
farmers increase
their production
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Western
Innovator
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
IDAHO FALLS, Ida-
ho — Doug Peck oversees a
program that researches ap-
plications for new technology
in malt barley production and
gives regional growers better
data on which to base agro-
nomic decisions.
In 2013, Anheuser-Busch
InBev launched SmartBarley,
a platform enabling growers to
compare their farming practic-
es to those of their peers, both
locally and around the world.
Data is kept anonymous but
helps growers identify oppor-
tunities to improve their pro-
duction.
Peck, the company’s agron-
omy manager for the Idaho
region, explained SmartBarley
has evolved into an umbrel-
la for several other corporate
projects focused on sustain-
able farming.
“If we can increase the
growers’ production, that
makes it more profitable for
them and makes them want to
grow barley, and that’s what
we need to make beer,” Peck
explained during a July 17 An-
heuser-Busch grower appreci-
ation day in Idaho Falls.
Under the SmartBarley
mantle, Peck’s company has
Capital Press
Doug Peck
Title: Agronomy manager
for the Idaho region with
Anheuser-Busch InBev
Innovation: Heads the com-
pany’s SmartBarley program
for the Idaho region
Hometown: Idaho Falls,
Idaho
John O’Connell/Capital Press
Doug Peck, regional agronomy manager for Busch Agricultural Resources Inc., discusses the Smart-
Barley program during a recent grower day at the company’s Idaho Falls malting plant.
partnered with the Universi-
ty of Idaho in trials involving
an efficient irrigation method
known as low elevation sprin-
kler application. The company
has helped six of its Eastern
Idaho growers install LESA
pivots, which dangle hoses be-
neath the crop canopy to min-
imize drift and evaporation
while improving soil-moisture
penetration.
Howard Neibling, a UI ir-
rigation specialist who helped
develop LESA, said the tech-
nology should also reduce dis-
ease and tipping of stalks in
grain by keeping plant heads
dry.
“(SmartBarley) is going to
be a great tool for us to be able
to fine-tune LESA, or whatev-
er else we’re doing,” Neibling
said.
SmartBarley
participant
Justin Place, of Hamer, esti-
mates his power savings alone
this season will cover the cost
of installing LESA on six piv-
ots. Place has also benefited
from having one of six new
weather stations SmartBarley
funded to provide more appli-
cable weather data in the East-
ern Idaho barley production
area, as part of the Bureau of
Reclamation’s AgriMet pro-
gram. Place said SmartBarley
data on crop evapo-transpira-
tion has guided some of his
irrigation decisions.
Mud Lake farmer Mark
Murdock decided to apply a
growth inhibitor to his barley
this season based on Smart-
Barley comparisons.
“The problem we have in
Mud Lake is wind,” Murdock
said, explaining that grain
tends to blow over.
Peck said his program is
developing models to help
growers use aerial images to
predict yields and protein con-
tent long before harvest. The
company started researching
the models last season with
satellite data, and will use
drones with near-infrared
cameras this season to gather
data from its research fields
in Idaho, Montana and North
Dakota. Peck said models
will be based on images tak-
en during the season of crop
mass and appearance.
“We’re just in the initial
startup, and we’ve really got
to see where it can take us,”
Peck said.
The Champaign, Ill.-based
company Agrible is assisting
Age: 59
Family: He and his wife,
Darla, have been married
for 37 years and have three
grown children, Blake, Jenni-
fer and Kayla
For the Capital Press
ELKTON, Ore. — Retired agri-
cultural teacher Denny Quinby was
recently honored as one of only six
individuals nationwide who received
the National Association of Agricul-
tural Educators Outstanding Service
Citation.
Quinby retired in 2010 after a
31-year educational career as the ag
teacher and FFA advisor at Elkton
High School. He chartered the ag pro-
gram at the school in 1980.
“I feel very honored,” he said. “But
I don’t do things in life for recogni-
tion. I don’t want to be on the stage.
I want the kids to be up there on the
stage. Keeping kids in school in order
for them to graduate, that was always
my ultimate goal, not the recognition.”
So when looking for Quinby, look
behind the scenes of the Douglas
County Lamb Show or the Douglas
County Fair. He is all about the kids
and their animal projects at those
events getting the spotlight while he
helps with advice and guidance from
the sidelines.
But thanks to a couple of his
younger colleagues who initiated his
Courtesy of Braden Groth
Denny Quinby, a retired Elkton High
School agricultural teacher, has con-
tinued on a part-time basis to instruct
students at Douglas County, Ore.,
schools on such topics as forestry and
livestock. He is shown talking to Elkton
High students last May about timber
stand improvement.
nomination, Quinby was selected for
the national service citation. He was
recognized for his many contributions
to his profession, both while teaching
and continuing into retirement. He has
been the chairman of the lamb show
committee for the past five years and
has helped with ag courses and proj-
ects at some county schools since re-
tiring.
Quinby and his wife established the
Elkton Wranglers 4-H Club and were
its leaders for 30 years until retiring
from it in 2010.
During his career at Elkton High,
Quinby had two students become state
FFA officers. He supervised many
students through traditional and non-
traditional agricultural experiences
— projects related to agriculture that
helped the students connect classroom
learning to real-world activities.
Rachel Kostman, the ag science
teacher at Oakland High School and a
former student of Quinby’s at Elkton,
said the Umpqua District ag teachers
nominated Quinby for the award.
“He has devoted his life to ag ed-
ucation,” Kostman said. “Even in re-
tirement he has stayed involved, men-
toring young teachers in the district
and inspiring students to learn hands-
on applicable skills. He has a passion
for agriculture and for agricultural ed-
ucation.”
Quinby has remained active in the
FFA Forestry Career Development
Event, a competition that develops
student skills related to diagnosing
forest disorders and managing forests.
Entire contents copyright © 2017
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the program with data analyt-
ics.
Todd Weitekamp, Agrible
product line manager, said the
company compiles data about
chemical applications, soil
type, seed variety, weather
and other factors for analysis
by its advanced software.
Agrible can estimate soil
moisture without the use of
sensors to guide irrigation
decisions, and can offer good
estimates on crop progress and
health, Weitekamp said. He
said some Idaho SmartBarley
growers are in their second
year of an Agrible trial.
Retired ag teacher receives national service citation
By CRAIG REED
Capital Press Managers
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He has helped at the district and state
level competitions and has coached
forestry teams from Elkton and Oak-
land that have competed at the nation-
al level.
In the nomination letter that was
submitted on behalf of Quinby by the
Umpqua District, his continuing ef-
forts to mentor both teachers and stu-
dents were emphasized.
“Mr. Quinby has taken the role as a
mentor to the current advisor (Braden
Groth) of the Elkton agriculture pro-
gram and other advisors in the district,
a leadership role that is unmeasurable.
Though he is retired, he still has a
positive impact on students through
his active role in the agricultural ed-
ucational community. He still has, and
always will have, a heart for kids.”
Even while helping others, Quinby
does have his own agricultural proj-
ects at his home in the Elkton area — a
mother cow and sheep operation.
“I guess I’ve just done some things
right,” he said of the recognition. “I
wouldn’t have done any of this if I
hadn’t enjoyed it. I’ve done this for the
betterment of the kids and the school
system. If you want to help kids im-
prove themselves, you have to give
them your time.”
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Capital Press ag media
Calendar
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 mailed to Capital Press,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR
97301 or emailed to newsroom@
capitalpress.com.
Idaho Falls, Idaho. The Idaho De-
partment of Lands will hold an open
house public meeting to share in-
formation and accept comments
on proposed alternatives for the
formula used to determine the graz-
ing lease rate on Idaho endowment
lands. Website: http://bit.ly/2tNcml4
Through Sunday
July 30
Idaho Grazing Lease Rate
Meeting. 6-8 p.m. Nampa Civic
Center Front Lobby, 311 Third St.,
Nampa, Idaho. The Idaho Depart-
ment of Lands will hold an open
house public meeting to share in-
formation and accept comments
on proposed alternatives for the
formula used to determine the graz-
ing lease rate on Idaho endowment
lands. Website: http://bit.ly/2tNcml4
California State Fair. 10 a.m.-10
p.m. Cal Expo Center, 1600 Exposi-
tion Blvd., Sacramento, Calif. Web-
site: www.castatefair.org/
Tuesday, July 25
Dairy Sheep and Goat Work-
shop. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gooding Coun-
ty Fairgrounds, 203 Lucy Lane,
Gooding, Idaho. University of Idaho
Extension workshop. Lunch includ-
ed. The workshop is $30 with pre-
registration until July 21 and $40
after that.
Idaho Grazing Lease Rate
Meeting. 6-8 p.m. Idaho Depart-
ment of Fish and Game Office,
3316 16th St., Lewiston, Idaho. The
Idaho Department of Lands will hold
an open house public meeting to
share information and accept com-
ments on proposed alternatives for
the formula used to determine the
grazing lease rate on Idaho en-
dowment lands. Website: http://bit.
ly/2tNcml4
Wednesday, July 26
Idaho Grazing Lease Rate
Meeting. 6-8 p.m. Idaho Depart-
ment of Lands Eastern Supervisory
Area Office, 3563 Ririe Highway,
Thursday, July 27
Friday, July 28
Forest Insect and Disease
Field Day. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Benewah
County Fairgrounds, 2330-2398
St. Maries Ave., St. Maries, Idaho.
The event will give participants first-
hand exposure to a wide range of
organisms that impair the growth of
trees and forests in Northern Idaho
including: Douglas-fir beetle and
other bark beetles; Armillaria and
other root diseases; white pine blis-
ter rust; Indian paint fungus, pini rot
and other stem decays; and dwarf
mistletoes. Experts will help partic-
ipants identify insect and disease
symptoms and discuss practical
long- and short-term methods of
dealing with them. Those wishing
to participate should pre-register at
the University of Idaho Extension
Office in Benewah County by July
21. A $10 registration fee covers re-
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
source materials and refreshments.
Saturday-Sunday
July 29-30
47th Annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Powerland
Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Road
NE, Brooks, Ore. Packed with vintage
power, this annual event celebrates
the steam power, machines and peo-
ple who drove Oregon agriculture,
logging, transportation and more from
the 1800s through early 1900s. Get
upclose to the power farm machinery,
vintage trucks, antique cars, logging
gear and a working steam sawmill.
Kids of all ages will enjoy train and
trolley rides, a daily parade, a huge
flea market, traditional tractor pulling,
machinery demos, threshing and quilt
show. This year the featured makes
are Aultman-Taylor and Rumely. Gen-
eral admission $12, children under 12
are free. Website: http://www.antique-
powerland.com/html/steam-up.html
Sunday, July 30
Summer Farm Day. Noon-4
p.m. Ruby & Amber’s Farm, Dore-
na, Ore. Sponsored by the Willa-
mette Farm & Food Coalition. Web-
site: willamettefarmandfood.org
Monday, July 31
Agricultural Technology Day,
1-6 p.m. Washington State Univer-
sity Ag Technology Building, 24106
N. Bunn Road, Prosser, Wash.
Highlights of this year include ple-
nary talks on “Drone Data Deci-
sions in Agriculture” and “Precision
Irrigation Technologies” followed by
a live demonstration of low energy
precision irrigation and UAS-based
multispectral sensing technologies.
20 Northwest Locations
The event will also feature dis-
plays and short demonstrations of
key technologies such as: robotic
weeding, precision pollination, me-
chanical pruning, direct root-zone
deficit irrigation, novel chemical ap-
plication technologies, robotic apple
harvesting, intelligent in-orchard
bin-managing systems and high
throughput crop phenotyping tech-
nologies. A networking social will be
from 5 to 6 p.m. Cost: Free, but reg-
istration is required. Website: http://
cpaas.wsu.edu/
Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 1-4
7th World Congress on Conser-
vation Agriculture. Rosario, Argenti-
na. A world meeting presented by the
American Confederation of Farmers
Organizations for a Sustainable Ag-
riculture, which began with associa-
tions of farmers that promoted the no
till system and are currently working
to promote sustainable production
systems. Website: http://congre-
soaapresid.org.ar/.
Friday, Aug. 4
9th Annual Friends of Agricul-
ture Golf Tournament. Chehalem
Glenn Golf Course, 4501 E. Fern-
wood Road, Newberg, Ore. The
tournament benefits Oregon Aglink,
which is dedicated to growing ag-
riculture in Oregon through educa-
tion and promotion and bridging the
gap between urban and rural Ore-
gonians. Contact Mallory Phelan at
503-595-9121 or mallory@aglink.
org. Website: www.aglink.org
Left Coast’s Run for the Oaks,
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Left Coast Cellars,
4225 N Pacific Highway W, Rick-
reall, Ore. The course will pre-
1-800-765-9055
dominantly be on gravel roads or
off-road with trail and paved road
segments. The run will meander
throughout the Left Coast Cellars
estate and runners will pass oak
forests, vineyards and gardens with
spectacular views of the Willamette
Valley. All proceeds from the race,
food and wine sales for the day will
be devoted to the Oak Savanna
Restoration Project. 10K Trail Run:
$60 Start time 9 a.m. 5K Trail Run/
Walk: $50 Start time 9:15 a.m. Reg-
istration Includes complimentary
wine tasting; free Patagonia Cap-
ilene T-shirts; finishers receive a
GoVino wine glass; music, awards
and snacks. Left Coast Cellars has
over 100 acres of ecological com-
pensation areas and 70 acres of old
growth oak forest. Through time the
forest has become populated with
invasive species and our goal is to
restore the forest to a native oak
savanna. We have partnered with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Website: http://leftcoastcellars.com/
Saturday-Sunday
Aug. 5-6
Mother Earth News Fair. 9
a.m.-6 p.m. Linn County Expo,
3700 Knox Butte Road E., Alba-
ny, Ore. The Mother Earth News
Fairs are fun-filled, family-oriented
sustainable lifestyle events that
feature dozens of practical, hands-
on demonstrations and workshops
from the leading authorities on re-
newable energy, small-scale agri-
culture, gardening, green building,
green transportation and natural
health. Cost: $15-50. Website:
http://www.motherearthnewsfair.
com/oregon/
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Index
California ................................ 9
Dairy .................................... 14
Idaho .................................... 10
Livestock ............................. 14
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................. 8
Washington ..........................11
Clarification
A story on page 9 of last week’s
Capital Press did not specify the
sentence a rancher received af-
ter he pleaded guilty to 12 counts
of taking wildlife unlawfully and
wasting wildlife meat.
Larry Michael Harshfield, 69,
of Wallowa, Ore., was ordered
June 28 to pay an $18,000 fine
and his hunting privileges were
suspended for three years. He
will also receive two years of su-
pervised probation and work with
the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife to create programs
to inform citizens on avenues
to use if they’re having wildlife
problems.
He shot elk that were raiding his
hay supply. He had previously
tried hazing the elk and installed
plastic netting around the hay but
those efforts were unsuccessful.