2
CapitalPress.com
February 9, 2018
People & Places
In search of the best dairy cows
WinStar Genetics
partner dairies
incorporate their
best producers
Western
Innovator
For the Capital Press
WinStar Genetics
Business: A partnership
of Seagull Bay Dairy, Triple
Crown Genetics and Cannon
Dairy.
Location: American Falls,
Idaho
Innovation: Supplying the
dairy industry worldwide with
“elite” genetics
John O’Connell/For the Capital Press
Greg Andersen, an American Falls, Idaho, dairyman who is a partner in a new dairy cow genetics
company called WinStar Genetics, shows young bulls bred by the year-old business.
Andersen’s brother and heads
Seagull Bay Dairy, said about
20 percent of his calves result
from embryo transplants, in-
cluding some embryos devel-
oped in a laboratory through
in vitro fertilization, which
he said has gained popularity
among dairies during the past
five years. As a rule of thumb,
Andersen said he invests
about $500 for each live calf
born through IVF and embryo
transfer.
“Even back in the ear-
ly 1980s, my dad was one of
the early adopters of embryo
transfer in Idaho,” Greg An-
dersen said. “You’re trying to
increase the number of off-
spring from your best genetic
animals.”
One of the top “cash cows”
produced by advanced meth-
ods, named Ammon-Peachey
Shauna, was voted as Holstein
International’s cow of the year
in 2015.
“She has more than 100
offspring,” Greg Andersen
said, adding the cow’s proge-
ny have consistently sired or
produced higher-producing
cows with good milk quality,
fertility and longevity. “Five or
six of her best sons have been
widely used throughout the
world.”
The WinStar partners also
share an ovum pickup center
in Shelley, where their tech-
nicians remove immature egg
cells, called oocytes, which
are placed in an incubator and
transported to a Washington
lab for in vitro fertilization.
Prior to the WinStar partner-
ship, Greg Andersen said his
dairy worked with a third party
in Utah for its ovum pickups.
Greg Andersen said the
best WinStar bulls are leased
by top artificial insemination
companies.
WinStar also sells top
bulls, calves and embryos.
WinStar uses sex-sorted se-
men to ensure about 90 per-
cent of its calves are born as
females.
“We’d like to have at least
1,500 calves per year from the
WinStar program, and the top
20 percent from our program
are going to be pretty good,”
Greg Andersen said.
Greg Andersen said Win-
Star has been expanding its
global reach lately through
embryo sales, which remain
a relatively small portion of
the business. He said the com-
pany recently sold embryos
to buyers in South Korea.
WinStar also found poten-
tial embryo buyers during a
recent state-sponsored trade
mission to Vietnam. He said
the Vietnamese were espe-
cially interested in embryos
with the A2A2 trait, which
consumers in the Pacific Rim
believe makes the beta-casein
protein in milk easier to di-
gest, and may be beneficial to
those with lactose intolerance.
About a quarter of WinStar’s
herd possesses the trait, he
said.
Greg Andersen said there’s
also been a growing emphasis
within the industry on breed-
ing cows that excel in feed
efficiency and identifying ge-
netic markers associated with
certain “wellness” traits, such
as low susceptibility to lame-
ness and certain diseases.
Researchers seek ways to grow better Christmas trees
By BRENNA WIEGAND
For the Capital Press
Christmas trees are a holi-
day icon, and researchers are
looking for ways to grow bet-
ter trees for about 4.7 million
families across the globe that
buy Oregon trees each year.
They are investigating bet-
ter ways to grow the trees and
keep pests away from them —
and looking for varieties that
will look best on Christmas
morning.
A new growth regulator
from Europe may take some
of the guesswork out of grow-
ing lush Christmas trees.
Chal Landgren, at the Or-
egon State University North
Willamette Research and
Extension Center in Aurora,
Ore., said they’ll perform tri-
als on a product so new it has
yet to be named.
“We’ve had chemicals in
the past that you could apply
to the leader and it would
shorten them, but it was al-
ways kind of a crap shoot
about how much and when
to put it on,” said Landgren,
an OSU Extension Christmas
tree specialist. “This new
product is touted as being able
Calendar
Courtesy Photo
Chal Landgren of Oregon State University Research and Extension
Center tallies slugs found among Christmas trees. He has been
working with OSU slug specialist Rory McDonnell to learn the
population dynamics of slugs.
to stop the leader growth at the
point where you apply it.”
The Research Center has
four small seed orchards but
conducts much of its testing at
privately owned farms around
the Willamette Valley.
Of the 4.7 million trees
harvested annually in Oregon,
99 percent are grown in the
Willamette Valley. Oregon is
the country’s largest Christ-
mas tree producer, with 17
percent of the market. Trees
are shipped to Asia as early as
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 “Submit
an Event.” Calendar items can also be
mailed to Capital Press, 1400 Broad-
way St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 or
emailed to newsroom@capitalpress.
com. Write “Calendar” in the subject
line.
Saturday, Feb. 10
Field-to-Market Workshop. 9
a.m.-12:30 p.m. North Willamette
Research and Extension Center,
15210 NE Miley Road, Aurora,
Ore. How to produce value-added
food products, and where to start.
Cost: $25 person or $40 per couple.
http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/
field-market
Friday, Feb. 16
Pesticide-free Strategies for the
Landscape Professional. 9 a.m.-5
p.m. Oregon City Pioneer Community
Center, 615 Fifth St., Oregon City, Ore.
Field session March 14. Cost: $50
http://www.pesticide.org/healthy_land-
scape_workshop
Monday, Feb. 19
Oregon Blueberry Conference.
8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Salem Convention
Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Sa-
lem. Program includes a blueberry pro-
duction summary and trends, industry
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
By JOHN O’CONNELL
AMERICAN FALLS, Ida-
ho — Three Idaho dairy busi-
nesses have combined their
herds and resources to form a
high-tech breeding company
they anticipate will help im-
prove Holstein performance
worldwide.
WinStar Genetics, formed
about a year ago, is a part-
nership involving American
Falls-based Seagull Bay Dairy,
Jerome-based Triple Crown
Genetics and Shelley-based
Cannon Dairy.
While most dairies seek to
improve their herds by pur-
chasing semen from top bulls,
WinStar aims to supply the
industry with “elite” genetics,
explained John Andersen, with
Triple Crown.
“With genomics, it’s a pret-
ty fast-moving game, and we
predict it’s going to be just
a handful of individuals or
groups that are going to pro-
vide the genetics for the entire
industry,” John Andersen said.
“Forming this partnership is
trying to make sure we’re one
of those groups that does that.”
By pooling their animals,
the partners benefit from an
expanded catalog of desirable
traits for breeding and a broad-
er group of sires and surrogate
cows for embryo transplants.
Greg Andersen, who is John
Capital Press
speakers and research updates, trade
show and reception. Website: oregon-
blueberry.com
Thursday, Feb. 22
Part 1: Farm & Ranch Succes-
sion Planning Workshop. 6-8:30 p.m.
Clackamas Small Business Develop-
ment Center, 7726 SE Harmony Road,
Milwaukie, Ore. Register now for the
four-part Farm and Ranch Succession
Planning Workshop Series. No need
to attend in person. You can take this
workshop remotely from anywhere in
the state. This program is offered and
taught by the Clackamas Small Busi-
ness Development Center, along with
guest presenters such as attorneys
and CPAs. In addition to informative
topics and experienced ag profes-
sionals, courses include confidential,
one-on-one business counseling. A
complimentary light dinner will start
each evening at 6 p.m. To register, call
503-594-0738. Cost: Free. Website:
http://bit.ly/2CX1jvl
Thursday-Friday
Feb. 22-23
Logging, Construction, Trucking &
Heavy Equipment Expo. Lane County
Fairgrounds and Convention Cen-
ter, 796 W 13th Ave., Eugene, Ore.
The exhibits, demonstrations and
log-loading competition are spon-
sored by the Oregon Logging Con-
Halloween, and about 700,000
trees are sold to customers in
Mexico.
The biggest U.S. market is
California, which is followed
by the rest of the Southwest,
but sales in Hawaii are slowed
by that state’s stringent re-
quirements that include zero
tolerance for most slugs.
“They don’t damage the
trees at all; they’re probably
eating mold,” Landgren said.
“It’s just a hitchhiker they
don’t want.”
Landgren has been work-
ing with OSU slug specialist
Rory McDonnell to learn the
population dynamics of the
slugs found in area fields.
Traps are set in Christmas tree
fields and shipping yards and
collected every two to four
weeks.
“I think we’ve found five
different species, most not
native to Oregon,” Landgren
said. As the study matures
they’ll examine approaches to
controlling them.
Landgren attributes this
year’s new pest problems to
two dry summers. For in-
stance, the Douglas fir twig
weevil has become a big prob-
lem in Noble firs.
“They’re inventorying how
big the problem is and next
autumn we may be looking at
doing some spray trials, but
once the insect is inside the
tree, you’re stuck,” Landgren
said.
Another pest, aphids, are
showing up more frequently in
Grand fir, sucking sugars from
the needles, which become
shorter and shriveled. Last
year Landgren conducted a
trial testing some “softer” bio-
logical insecticides on aphids.
“I guess the bottom line is
it wasn’t all that successful,”
Landgren said. “We did find a
few of the newer ones worked
at least as well as those we al-
ready have.”
Another trial is taking a
new look at a rare disease. Web
Blight had rarely been seen but
showed up at a couple farms
this year, causing needles to
drop, leaving basketball-sized
bare patches on trees.
Research also continues
on breeding projects in Noble,
Douglas, Nordmann and Turk-
ish firs, which resulted in about
400 promising specimens be-
ing grafted into orchards at
NWREC this year. Branch cut-
tings of Nordmann and Turk-
ish firs are sent to Gary Chast-
agner, a plant pathologist at
Washington State University,
who screens them for needle
loss. Those who pass his test
are grafted into seed orchards.
“And then we just wait,”
Landgren said. “It may take
10 to 15 years before the or-
chard produces seed, and cone
production doesn’t happen on
any sort of regular clockwork.
For example, on Noble firs you
may only have a good seed
crop every five years.”
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
ference, which is celebrating its 80th
year. Included is the Oregon Women
In Timber annual dinner and auction.
Website: www.oregonloggingconfer-
ence.com
Family Farm Alliance Annual
Conference, Eldorado Resort Casi-
no, 345 N. Virginia St., Reno, Nev.
The theme of this year’s conference
is “One year in: What’s changed and
where are we going in Western wa-
ter?” Website: http://bit.ly/2hGieJU
Friday, Feb. 23
Screening of the film “Food Evo-
lution.” 3-5 p.m. Polk County Fair-
grounds, 520 SW Highway 99W,
Rickreall, Ore. This documentary,
narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson,
takes a close look at the facts as-
sociated with genetically modified
foods. It was directed by Academy
Award nominee Scott Hamilton
Kennedy. This presentation will
include an introduction by Helle
Rudenklau and is sponsored by the
Polk County Women for Agriculture.
Cost: Free. Online: foodevolution-
movie.com
Produce Safety Alliance Grow-
er Training. Ontario, Ore. Growers
and others interested in learning
about produce safety, the Food
Safety Modernization Act Produce
Safety Rule, Good Agricultural
Practices and co-management of
20 Northwest Locations
natural resources and food safety.
The course is one way to satisfy the
FSMA Produce Safety Rule training
requirement. Cost $25. To register,
visit producesafetyalliance.cornell.
edu or contact Sue Davis at sda-
vis@oda.state.or.us or 503-807-
5864.
Saturday, Feb. 24
Oregon Small Farms Confer-
ence 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Oregon State
University LaSells Stewart Center
and CH2M Hill Alumni Center, 200
LaSells Stewart Center, Corvallis,
Ore. The Oregon Small Farms Con-
ference is a daylong event geared to-
ward farmers, agricultural profession-
als, food policy advocates, students
and managers of farmers’ markets.
Twenty-seven educational sessions
are offered on a variety of topics rele-
vant to the Oregon small farmers and
include a track in Spanish. Speakers
include farmers, OSU Extension
faculty and agribusiness represen-
tatives. Website: http://smallfarms.
oregonstate.edu/sfc/registration
Monday-Tuesday
Feb. 26-27
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Annual Convention. Salem Conven-
tion Center, 200 Commercial St. SE,
Salem, Ore. Website: https://oregon-
dairyfarmers.org
1-800-765-9055
Tuesday-Thursday
March 6-8
FSPCA Preventive Controls for
Animal Food. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Hilton Gar-
den Inn, 1741 Harrison St. North, Twin
Falls, Idaho. The new FSMA regula-
tion requires every processing facility
to have a trained resource person who
has completed a specialized training
course (such as this one) developed
by the Food Safety Preventive Con-
trols Alliance that is recognized by the
FDA. Cost: $720/Individual or $648 per
person for 2 or more. Website: http://
www.techhelp.org/events/400/fspca-
animal-food-2-5-day-course-twin-falls/
Thursday, March 8
Part 2: Farm & Ranch Succes-
sion Planning Workshop. 6-8:30 p.m.
Clackamas Small Business Develop-
ment Center, 7726 SE Harmony Road,
Milwaukie, Ore. This workshop can be
accessed remotely from anywhere in
the state. This program is offered and
taught by the Clackamas Small Busi-
ness Development Center, along with
guest presenters such as attorneys
and CPAs. In addition to informative
topics and experienced ag profes-
sionals, courses include confidential,
one-on-one business counseling. A
complimentary light dinner will start
each evening at 6 p.m. To register, call
503-594-0738. Cost: Free. Website:
http://bit.ly/2CX1jvl
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Entire contents copyright © 2018
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is
published weekly by EO Media Group,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem OR 97301.
Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR
97308-2048.
To Reach Us
Circulation ......................... 800-882-6789
Email ........ Circulation@capitalpress.com
Main line ........................... 503-364-4431
Fax ................................... 503-370-4383
Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692
News Staff
Idaho
Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898
Boise
Sean Ellis .......................... 208-914-8264
Cent. Washington
Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099
W. Washington
Don Jenkins ...................... 360-722-6975
E Washington
Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923
Oregon
George Plaven ................. 406-560-1655
Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789
Graphic artist
Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789
To Place Classified Ads
Ad fax .............................. 503-364-2692
or ...................................... 503-370-4383
Telephone (toll free) .......... 800-882-6789
Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds
Subscriptions
Mail rates paid in advance
Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with-
drawal from bank or credit card account)
1 year U.S. ...................................$49.99
2 years U.S. .................................$89.99
1 year Canada .................................$275
1 year other countries ......... call for quote
1 year Internet only .......................$49.99
1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30
9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25
Visa and Mastercard accepted
To get information published
Mailing address:
Capital Press
P.O. Box 2048
Salem, OR 97308-2048
News: Contact the main office or news
staff member closest to you, send the in-
formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com
or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press.
Include a contact telephone number.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
Capital Press ag media
www.capitalpress.com
www.FarmSeller.com
marketplace.capitalpress.com
www.facebook.com/capitalpress
www.facebook.com/farmseller
twitter.com/capitalpress
www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo
Index
Dairy .....................................11
Livestock ..............................11
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Correction policy
Accuracy is important to Capital
Press staff and to our readers.
If you see a misstatement,
omission or factual error in a
headline, story or photo caption,
please call the Capital Press
news department at
503-364-4431, or send email to
newsroom@capitalpress.com.
We want to publish corrections to
set the record straight.