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CapitalPress.com
January 19, 2018
Federal payments to Idaho
agriculture drop 44 percent
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
BOISE — Total federal government
payments to Idaho farmers and ranchers
declined an estimated 44 percent in fiscal
year 2017.
According to University of Idaho’s
annual “Financial Condition of Idaho
Agriculture” report, the state’s producers
received $89 million in government pay-
ments in fiscal 2017.
That amount accounted for 4.6 percent
of Idaho farmers’ and ranchers’ total net
farm income in fiscal 2017, while govern-
ment payments nationwide accounted for
17.7 percent of total U.S. net farm income.
Fewer than 1 percent of total U.S. farm
payments went to Idaho producers, ac-
cording to the report.
In a phrase that UI Agricultural Econ-
omist and report co-author Garth Taylor
repeats to lawmakers often, including this
year while going over the highlights of the
report, “Idaho farmers don’t farm the gov-
ernment.”
Idaho agriculture is much less reliant
on federal government payments than the
rest of the U.S. because farmers in this
state don’t grow many acres of crops that
receive the bulk of government payments
related to farm bill programs, said UI Ag-
ricultural Economist and report co-author
Ben Eborn.
He said most of the government pay-
ments Idaho farmers and ranchers re-
ceived in fiscal 2017 were from the Price
Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Cov-
erage programs. Both are authorized by
the 2014 Farm Bill and help compensate
growers when commodity prices are low.
Most of the PLC and ARC payments
that Idaho producers received in fiscal
2017 were related to low grain prices, Eb-
orn said. Milk program payments in Idaho
were down in 2017 due to slightly higher
milk prices, he said.
Despite “Snowmageddon,” as the
state’s harsh winter last year is called, “we
saw very little disaster payments (in 2017)
even with the flooding and snow damage,”
Taylor said. “Mostly, it was ARC and PLC
kicking in with these low prices.”
The rest of the government payments
to Idaho farmers and ranchers in fiscal
2017 came from the farm bill’s conser-
vation programs, and those were down
significantly as well, Eborn said.
Winegrowers toast state senator with first leadership award
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
SALEM — Oregon wine-
growers raised a glass Jan. 10
to state Sen. Jackie Winters,
R-Salem, presenting the 20-
year lawmaker with the first
Oregon Wine Leadership
Award.
Jim Bernau, founder and
winemaker at Willamette
Valley Vineyards, gave the
award on behalf of the Ore-
gon Winegrowers Associa-
tion, which wrapped up its
annual meeting and legis-
lative reception at the state
Capitol.
The award recognized
Winters for her role in pro-
moting the Oregon wine in-
dustry, which now generates
more than $3.35 billion in
statewide economic impact.
“I’ve watched over the
years an industry that has
come into its very own,”
Winters said. “I think it’s
only going to get bigger
ceeds going to Travel Ore-
gon for wine and culinary
tourism programs.
Winters was also a force
behind planning for Senate
Bill 841 in 2013, a compre-
hensive winery land use bill
that, in part, allows permit-
ted use wineries to have pro-
fessional kitchen facilities,
and to pair food with wine.
“In a pretty big way,
George Plaven/Capital Press we are the creature of the
Jim Bernau, founder and winemaker at Willamette Valley Vineyards, changes in public policy that
have been made over the last
presents state Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, with the first Oregon
40 years,” Bernau said.
Wine Leadership Award on Wednesday at the state Capitol.
Legislators like Winters
and better.”
can brag about our wines!”
are a big part of that momen-
tum, Bernau added.
The Oregon Winegrowers Winters said.
“They
are
shoul-
Association represents 725
Bernau, who established
wineries and more than 1,000 Willamette Valley Vineyards der-to-shoulder behind our
vineyards, though Winters in 1983, ran down a list of industry,” he said.
The Oregon Winegrow-
said she can remember the Winters’ contributions to
naysayers who insisted Ore- the industry. Just last ses- ers Association will continue
gon wines would never catch sion, she helped to secure to award the Oregon Wine
$500,000 for marketing and Leadership Award to those
on.
“It’s been a growth indus- research, and in 2013 she who take a strong role in pro-
try that has done not only a was the chief sponsor for moting, as well as advancing,
tremendous job with eco- creating Oregon Wine Coun- the Oregon wine community,
nomic development, but we try license plates, with pro- the group announced.
Tim Hearden/For the Capital Press
Volunteer Amado Ascencio hangs a shade tarp on the outside of a
horse arena at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red Bluff, Calif.,
on Jan. 15 in preparation for the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale,
to be held Jan. 23-27.
Bull sale consigners look
for post-drought rebound
By TIM HEARDEN
For the Capital Press
RED BLUFF, Calif. —
Consigners will look for an
end to a drought-induced de-
cline in prices when as many
as 423 bulls are marched
through the Don Smith Pavil-
ion here on Jan. 27.
Total winning bids for the
Red Bluff Bull and Gelding
Sale’s marquee event have
topped the $1 million mark
for seven straight years, but
last year’s $1.1 million paid
for 288 bulls — for an average
price of $3,819 — continued a
slide blamed largely on Cali-
fornia’s prolonged drought.
The number fell short of
the nearly $1.49 million that
bidders shelled out for 305
bulls in 2016 for an aver-
age of $4,885 and the record
$1.56 million paid for 238
bulls in 2015 for an average
of $6,554.
“We saw in the past few
years some all-time highs in
cattle prices, and things have
moderated a bit,” sale manag-
er Adam Owens said. “Things
are looking pretty good with
California getting some de-
cent rain finally.”
The U.S. cattle inventory
has been growing in recent
months as ranchers replenish
their herds, buoyed in part
by rising per capita beef con-
sumption in the U.S. and in
SAGE Fact #147
The miles one ton of cargo can be
transported on one gallon of fuel:
Semi Truck: 59 miles
Train: 202 Miles
Barge: 514 miles
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some export destinations such
as Japan, industry insiders
say.
The 77th annual bull sale
is one of four auctions to be
held next week in Red Bluff.
The bidding will begin with
the ninth annual online feed-
er and replacement heifer sale
on Jan. 25.
Last year about 75 lots
were sold in the Western Vid-
eo Market-hosted sale, with
lot prices topping out at $143
per hundredweight for weaned
heifers and $173 per hundred-
weight for weaned steers.
That was down significantly
from the previous year’s $234
and $252, respectively. The
2015 sale topped out at $287
and $299, respectively.
In all, 85 horses and 20
stock dogs will be offered in
their respective sales Jan. 26.
In 2017, 69 geldings gen-
erated $682,760, down from
the $755,250 received in 2016
for 104 horses.
Last year’s sale of 14 cat-
tle dogs fetched a total of
$85,750, with the top dog
selling for $20,000 to El
Rancho de Casey in Jarrell,
Texas.
For the first time this
year, all of the auctions will
include online bidding and
will be streamed live at www.
DVAuction.com.
“Actually we’re way be-
hind the curve on that, for
several reasons,” Owens said,
referring to online bidding.
“We’re an event and not just
an auction, so we really want
people to come. But some just
can’t.”
The auctions will be held
amid a packed week that will
also include a trade show with
175 vendors, a Western art
contest, a kickoff breakfast,
beef forums and seminars and
a bull riding competition.
This year, a popular raf-
fle of donated items to ben-
efit youth agricultural pro-
grams has been moved from
Wednesday to Friday night,
Jan. 26, just before the geld-
ing sale, so it can draw more
people, Owens said.
As many as 500 tickets
will be sold, and top prizes
will include a pickup truck.
In the raffle’s place on Jan.
24 will be a night of casino
games as part of the buyers’
and consigners’ dinner, which
is open to the public. Tickets
are $20.
For information on all of
the week’s activities, visit
www.redbluffbullsale.com.
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