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CapitalPress.com
December 15, 2017
People & Places
Dairyman overcomes challenges
Richard Hughes
operates organic
farm with unique
water source
Western
Innovator
By JULIA HOLLISTER
Richard Hughes
The Register-Guard
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — In
late 2016, Eugene resident Jim
Kocher and his wife, Sally,
began hearing strange knock-
ing and pitter-patter sounds in
the ceiling and walls of their
home.
An exterminator quick-
ly identified the culprits as
rats and, over the course of
six months, trapped about 10
of them. But after a year of
lost sleep and increased anx-
iety, rodents still are running
free somewhere inside their
Friendly-area neighborhood
home.
Kocher, who has owned
his house for 30 years, said
he’d never seen a rat inside
his home before last year.
“We’re traumatized,” said
Kocher, who estimated the
couple has spent well over
$1,000 on pest control. “If we
hear a sound in the middle of
the night now, it’s just a horri-
ble feeling.”
The Kochers are hardly
alone.
About 100 people in the
neighborhood in south-central
Eugene have reported seeing
or hearing rats in their homes
Calendar
Family: Wife, Marilyn and
two children
Hometown: Bodega, Calif.
Quote: “Follow your dream.”
Courtesy of Rachel LaFranchi
Richard and Marilyn Hughes hold a Jersey calf at their dairy, Westview Jerseys, near Bodega, Calif.
Behind them is the 1.7 million-gallon rainwater catchment pond they built to collect and store water.
acres,” he said “We started
here with the Holstein breed
and when I was at nearing re-
tirement age, Marilyn recom-
mended we sell the Holsteins
and buy Jerseys — or retire.
The Holsteins were getting
way too big.”
The Holsteins were also
having large calves, which
injured some of the cows, so
they switched to Jerseys.
“We are so happy with
these little cows,” Hughes
said. “All of our animals are
the Jersey breed for two rea-
sons: Jerseys have more but-
terfat but are also a calmer
breed than the Holsteins.”
Westview Jerseys, with
220 cows, now caters to the
organic niche, so it does not
compete against large con-
ventional dairies.
or around the neighborhood
within the past few months.
In response, the neighbor-
hood association has formed
a group, known as the Rodent
Action Team, or RAT, to coor-
dinate efforts to best the pests.
“Rats have been present all
along,” said Jason Blazar, a
landscape ecologist who lives
in the neighborhood and leads
the group. “We hit this tipping
point, and it’s kind of added
up.”
Blazar and other neigh-
bors say the problem is bigger
than they can handle and are
seeking help from City Hall.
Eugene city councilors, at the
request of Councilor Emily
Semple, who represents the
neighborhood, have agreed
to have a discussion Monday
night.
Residents “have been do-
ing a good job with respond-
ing, but it’s too big,” Semple
said.
The Friendly area isn’t
unique. There are reports all
over the city of an increased
rat population, including
along River Road, downtown
and the northern and western
neighborhoods of the city.
Rodents are well-known as
carriers of infectious diseases.
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Thursday, Jan. 4
Ag Tech Boot Camp. 9
a.m.-4 p.m. Roy F. Christensen
Building, Idaho State University
campus, Pocatello, Idaho. Pre-
senters will feature the latest in-
novations in crop and livestock
production. Sponsored by Univer-
sity of Idaho Extension officials,
private industry representatives
and state commodity group leaders.
Cost: $30
Friday-Wednesday
Jan. 5-10
2018 American Farm Bureau
Federation Convention and IDEAg
Trade Show. Gaylord Opryland Re-
sort and Convention Center, 2800
Opryland Drive, Nashville, Tenn.
Celebrate the accomplishments of
leaders in agriculture and witness
powerful keynote speakers in the
general sessions. Explore the IDE-
Ag Trade Show floor to gain a stron-
ger industry network, shop featured
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Occupation: Dairyman
They market their milk to
the Straus Family Creamery
in Marshall.
“The owner, Albert Straus,
also has his own dairy so he
knows how the dairy produc-
ers think and feel,” Hughes
said.
Water is another challenge,
and Hughes has built an an-
swer to his need for it. About
a year and a half ago, he put in
a water catchment pond that
catches the water from the
barn roofs via a gutter system.
“We have had riparian wa-
ter rights from the creek that
goes through the bottom of
our property,” he said. “With
these rights, we were able
to have plenty of water for
the cows. However, the little
town of Bodega also gets its
water from the creek.”
With the catchment pond,
he said, “we were able to not
have to take water from the
creek, so the town was able
to have more.”
Hughes received the Lu-
ther Burbank Conservation
Award from Sonoma Coun-
ty Farm Bureau last year for
his dedication to the envi-
ronment, said Steve Dutton,
president of the county Farm
Bureau.
“He is committed to bet-
tering his dairy through
both animal husbandry and
land management,” Dut-
ton said. “With endless
ideas for conservation and
how to be a better steward
of his land, Richard sets a
great example for others to
follow.”
For Hughes, the dream
remains alive, but he warns
that the business is not
9 to 5.
“I’m not talking here
about someone who is going
into the business by taking
over a dairy that has been in
the family for generations
and is already established,”
he said. “My family went
into this business with a
hope and a prayer. Never any
days off because we could
not, at that time, afford to
have the hired help. Believe
me, when I say you won’t be
the ‘Big Boss’ overnight if
you start from scratch.
“Remember that you
will have debt — big debt
— if you are starting from
scratch. Don’t get yourself
in over your head,” He said.
“Work out the figures so that,
after paying all your bills, you
will have a little bit left in
your checkbook.”
Explosion of rats in Eugene linked to chickens, compost
By CHRISTIAN HILL
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
For the Capital Press
BODEGA, Calif. — Many
Californians in agriculture
today have a laundry list
of challenges facing them.
Dairyman Richard Hughes
has several, too.
“I think the biggest chal-
lenge facing the dairy indus-
try today is the fact that there
is an over-supply of milk, due
to large dairies,” he said.
The excess supply tends
to drive down milk prices,
stressing many dairies, he
said.
“However, I would advise
anyone who is really interest-
ed in getting into the dairy in-
dustry today to ‘Follow your
dream,’” he said.
Hughes’ dream began in
1964, when he and his wife,
Marilyn, moved to Petaluma,
Calif., where his parents had
purchased a 25-acre farm, and
started a dairy with them. As
they were purchasing Guern-
sey cattle Hughes worked in
creameries in the Bay Area.
During this time, they
bought more cattle until Rich-
ard could dairy full-time.
After two years there, the
Hugheses were fortunate to
find a dairy to buy in 1976. It
is near the little town of Bode-
ga, five miles from the ocean.
“Our dairy is on 182
Capital Press
Dr. Patrick Luedtke, Lane
County’s health officer, said
there has been no increase in
reports of infectious diseases
that can be traced to rats. They
include bubonic plague, han-
tavirus, leptosporosis and rat-
bite fever.
Humans can get these dis-
eases if they are bitten by an
infected rat or inhale or ingest
microorganisms in the rat’s
feces or urine.
“We’re not seeing that,
which is good,” Luedtke said.
He added the risk of bu-
bonic plague spreading in the
community is theoretical.
“It certainly would be pos-
sible here, but it would be un-
likely to happen.”
Lane County Public Health
does not have a rodent eradi-
cation program.
Representatives of four
local pest control compa-
nies told The Register-Guard
last week that they’ve seen a
marked increase in calls about
rats over at least the past year.
City officials also have noted
a similar increase in public
complaints about rodents.
“We’re seeing an explo-
sion in the rat population,”
said Ed Byerly, the owner of
Oregon Pest Control.
www.oxarc.com
han Lodge, 7760 US-101, Gleneden
Beach, Ore. This is the annual con-
ference of the Oregon mint industry.
Website: oregonmint.org
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Monday, Jan. 15
Wednesday-Friday
Jan. 10-12
Potato Expo 2018, 7:30 a.m.-9
p.m. Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Uni-
versal Blvd., Orlando, Florida. Over
the last 10 years, the Potato Expo
has gained the reputation as the best
setting for conducting business and
getting caught up on industry issues.
Talk about new equipment, products,
technology and innovations in the po-
tato industry. Website: potato-expo.
com
Thursday-Friday
Jan. 11-12
Oregon Essential Oil Growers
League Annual Conference. Salis-
“That’s like a free buffet
for rats,” he said.
Kocher, who has an en-
closed compost bin, said there
are open compost piles near
his home.
Rats are prolific breeders,
and they will spread out as the
competition for food among a
burgeoning rodent population
grows. They also are adept at
finding “chinks in the armor”
of nearby houses, including
a crack in the foundation or
a hole in a crawl space vent,
Williams said.
Byerly noted that a rat can
fit through an opening the size
of a quarter.
And once inside, rodents
can create havoc, chewing on
walls and wiring and urinat-
ing and defecating widely.
Steve Barron, who lives in
the Gilham neighborhood in
north Eugene, said he spot-
ted his first rat in his garage
in October. He has owned the
house for 14 years, and the en-
counter was his first there.
He trapped one but kept
seeing and hearing more of
them, including one rodent
that he observed scaling down
the bicycle he hung from his
ceiling like it was a jungle
gym.
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
products, learn about innovative
technologies, and enjoy TED-style
talks on the Cultivation Center stage.
Website: http://bit.ly/2iJS9t3
Developing or Expanding Your
Farm Stand or Agritourism Opera-
tion, Part 3. 5-8 p.m. OSU Extension,
Auditorium, SOREC, 569 Hanley
Road, Central Point, Ore. Are you
interested in developing or expand-
ing a farm stand or agritourism op-
eration? Jan. 10 is Accepting Food
Stamps/SNAP/EBT at a Farm Stand
or CSA and Feb. 6 is Starting a Farm
Stand/Agritourism Operation. Web-
site: http://bit.ly/JacksonSmallFarms
The pest control represen-
tatives said that typically there
is a spike in calls about rats
with the onset of cold weather
as rodents seek warm shelter.
But Byerly said he received
two calls a week about rats
last summer, compared with
one a month in a normal year.
Grant Williams, who owns
Ultimate Pest Control, said
he’s receiving three times
more calls about rats than nor-
mal, and his supply ordering
is barely keeping pace.
The representatives all
identity as a primary culprit
the prevalence of chicken
coops, compost piles and
backyard gardens around Eu-
gene. They noted that weather
and increased development
also can be factors.
In 2013, city councilors
relaxed regulations for ur-
ban farming. The change in-
creased the number of chick-
ens that a resident within city
limits can have from two to
six. In addition, a resident
now can have up to six chicks.
Robin Morrison, branch
manager for Bug Zapper Pest
Control, said the chicken
coops, compost piles and fall-
en, rotting fruit are a magnet
for rodents.
20 Northwest Locations
presenters lined up throughout the
week that will share their own ex-
periences in building and maintain-
ing soil health. Cost: $20. Website:
http://bit.ly/2zGUuZC
Sheep Producer Workshop. Et-
chamendy Sheep Company, 24394
Highway 46, Wasco, Calif. The Cal-
ifornia Wool Growers Association is
hosting four interactive workshops
focusing on improving lamb market-
ing and quality as well as producer
profitability by applying innovative
management practices and technol-
ogies. To register contact the CWGA
office at info@woolgrowers.org or
(916) 444-8122.
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Soil Health Workshop Featuring
Brendon Rockey & Wendy Taheri.
8 a.m.-3 p.m. Holiday Inn, 1100 5th
St. S, Great Falls, Mont. Cost: $20.
Website: http://bit.ly/2BpzYNT
Sheep Producer Workshop.
Chico State University Sheep Unit,
311 Nicholas C Shouten Lane,
Chico, Calif. The California Wool
Growers Association is hosting four
interactive workshops focusing on
improving lamb marketing and qual-
ity as well as producer profitability.
To register contact the CWGA office
at info@woolgrowers.org or (916)
444-8122.
Sheep Producer Workshop.
Emigh Livestock, 2838 Goose Ha-
ven Road, Suisun City, Calif. Cali-
fornia Wool Growers Association is
hosting four interactive workshops
focusing on improving lamb market-
ing and quality as well as producer
profitability by applying innovative
management practices and tech-
nologies. To register contact the
CWGA office at info@woolgrowers.
org or (916) 444-8122.
Wednesday-Thursday
Jan. 17-18
Soil Health Workshop with
Brendon Rockey & Steve Kenyon.
8 a.m.-3 p.m. The Gathering Place,
510 South Main, Three Forks,
Mont. We have a number of great
Thursday, Jan. 18
Idaho Noxious Weed Confer-
ence. Riverside Hotel, 2900 W.
Chinden Blvd. Boise, Idaho. A va-
riety of presenters will offer infor-
mation important to weed control.
Website: www.idahoweedcontrol.org
Sheep Producer Workshop. UC
Hopland Research and Extension
1-800-765-9055
Center, 4070 University Road, Hop-
land, Calif. To register contact the
CWGA office at info@woolgrowers.
org or (916) 444-8122.
Soil Health Workshop Featuring
Brendon Rockey & Steve Kenyon. 8
a.m.-3 p.m. Big Horn Resort, 1801
Majestic Lane, Billings, Mont. We
have a number of great presenters
lined up throughout the week that
will share their own experiences
in building and maintaining soil
health. Cost: $20. Website: http://bit.
ly/2zGUuZC
Friday, Jan. 19
SAIF Agri-Business Banquet.
6-9 p.m. Salem Convention Center,
200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore.
The SAIF Agri-Business Banquet
is a celebration of the agricultural
community and its impact on the
mid-Willamette Valley. The Salem
Area Chamber of Commerce prior-
itizes hosting this event along with
title sponsor SAIF and presenting
sponsor KeyBank because agricul-
ture is a key part of Oregon’s econ-
omy. The banquet will feature guest
speaker Steve Gilliland’s humor,
inspiration and business insight.
There will also be recognition of an
outstanding FFA student for leader-
ship in shaping the future of the ag-
ricultural industry. Website: https://
salemchamber.org/
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Index
Dairy .....................................11
Livestock ..............................11
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Wolves .................................. 5
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