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CapitalPress.com
May 11, 2018
People & Places
Improving soil health in arid E. Oregon
Bill Jepsen follows
no-till practices to
reduce erosion, add
soil organic matter
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
IONE, Ore. — Dryland
farming is challenging enough
at Bill Jepsen’s family farm in
arid northeast Oregon, where
it rains only 12 inches per year
on average, providing precious
little moisture to grow a healthy
crop.
Factor in poor soil health
due to erosion that strips fields
of organic matter, and the prob-
lem only worsens.
For years, Jepsen said, con-
ventional tillage left the farm
wide open to water erosion
washing down the open hill-
sides. Land that once had 3-4
percent soil organic matter was
whittled down to 1 percent.
Something had to be done to
improve long-term sustainabil-
ity.
“The erosion was just kill-
ing us,” said Jepsen, who farms
5,300 acres, growing mainly
wheat and barley, 14 miles
south of Ione, Ore.
Jepsen, who began his ca-
reer as a veterinarian in Herm-
iston, Ore., eventually took
over the farm from his father,
Bob, who retired in 1991. Six
years later, they converted
entirely to no-till and direct
seeding to stem the tide of
erosion.
The recovery process has
been slow, with most fields
now containing somewhere
between 1 and 2 percent soil
organic matter. But Jepsen
said he’s never going back —
that is, unless he’s forced to.
“No-till has been the key
to conservation,” he said.
“You don’t need as much
fertilizer. Your plants do bet-
ter. Healthier soils will grow
more. It’s a lot of things.”
Tumbleweed trouble
One prickly issue, howev-
er, is putting no-till to the test
in the region.
Russian thistle, or tum-
bleweeds, continue to spread
as they roll across the desert,
depositing thousands of tiny
seeds along the way. Invasive
weeds such as Russian thistle
compete for limited moisture
on farmland, reducing yields
for the soft white wheat al-
Corporate Officers
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Bill Jepsen
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
Occupation: Owner, Jepsen
Farm
Hometown: Ione, Ore.
Education: Doctor of veter-
inary medicine, Iowa State
University, 1980; studied
pre-veterinary medicine and
agronomy, Washington State
University, 1973-75
Courtesy of Bill Jepsen
the project did not receive
funding.
Unique sprayer
George Plaven/Capital Press
Bill Jepsen pokes his finger through stubble to find tiny green
barley seedlings growing.
ready experiencing depressed
market prices.
And, unlike other pesky
weeds, Russian thistle has
developed a resistance to
glyphosate, forcing farmers
to turn to more expensive
herbicides.
“We’ve had to come up
with a plan,” Jepsen said.
“How do you deal with resis-
tant Russian thistles?”
The answer for many
farmers, Jepsen said, has
been to revert back to tillage.
He, along with seven of his
neighbors and the Oregon
State University Extension
Service, did apply for a grant
in 2017 through the USDA
Regional Conservation Part-
nership Program to eradicate
Russian thistles from approxi-
mately 100,000 acres, though
As for Jepsen, he has man-
aged to maintain no-till farming
practices by targeting Russian
thistles using what is known
as a WeedSeeker sprayer. The
machine incorporates infrared
sensors, which are able to de-
tect the young green thistles
among stubble. It then sprays
only when it encounters those
weeds, reducing the amount of
herbicide needed.
“It allows you to use chem-
icals that kill thistles that you
couldn’t otherwise afford,”
Jepsen said.
Jepsen was recognized as
a Pioneer Direct Seeder by the
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed
Association at the group’s 2017
cropping systems conference,
though his on-farm experi-
mentation extends beyond just
adopting no-till.
Jepsen has collaborated
with the OSU Extension on a
multi-year trial examining the
effectiveness of rotational crops
for dryland wheat, including
canola, garbanzo beans, lentils,
flax and mustard.
Ideally, Jepsen said the best
thing for soil is to grow a crop
on it every year, though the dry
Eastern Oregon climate usually
prompts farmers to go with a
crop-fallow rotation to rebuild
soil moisture.
“On dry years, every lit-
tle drop of moisture counts,”
Jepsen said. “When you grow
anything, it robs soil moisture.”
At the end of the day, Jepsen
Family: Wife, Nancy, and
five grown children: Matt,
Dan, Amy, Eric and Rebecca
said he always turns back to ce-
reals such as wheat and barley.
“For the climate we have
here, those are the best crops,”
he said.
OSU studies
Mary Corp, regional admin-
istrator for OSU Extension Ser-
vice in Morrow and Umatilla
counties, described Jepsen as a
creative, innovative grower and
cooperator. The university has
conducted several plot trials on
Jepsen’s land, from rotational
crops to disease control.
“For extension, we rely on
growers to be so generous with
their land, and their time, and
their equipment, in order to do
those on-farm studies that pro-
vide the information farmers
need,” Corp said. “It’s really
critical to the success of the
extension faculty that are based
out in the counties.”
Jepsen said he is always tin-
kering and adjusting his prac-
tices, and keeping a close eye
on the latest technology. Five
years ago, he hired Infrared
Baron Inc., of Hermiston, to
take aerial photos that he later
used to create maps showing
where wheat was growing best
in each field.
The data allowed Jepsen to
adjust his seeding and fertil-
izer rates to get the most bang
for his buck, with export prices
still hovering around $5.50 per
bushel out of Portland.
“There’s always a way to
do something better,” he said.
“That’s what makes life inter-
esting.”
Grange Co-op awards $13,500 in scholarships
CENTRAL POINT, Ore.
— Grange Co-op awarded
$13,500 in scholarships to
high school seniors at their
annual meeting on April 25.
Twelve scholarships to-
taling $12,000 were pre-
sented by Grange Co-op.
One $1,500 Rogue Co-op
Scholarship was present-
ed by Rogue Credit Union,
Medford Food Co-op, Ash-
land Food Co-op and Grange
Co-op.
Since 2012, Grange Co-
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mit an Event.” Calendar items can
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line.
Through Saturday
May 12
88th Washington FFA Convention
& Expo. Washington State University,
Pullman, Wash. Website: https://www.
washingtonffa.org/convention-over-
view/
Saturday, May 12
Asparagus Fest and Brews. 5-10
p.m. Middelton’s Six Sons Farms,
1050 Pasco-Kahlotus Road, Pas-
co, Wash. The festival includes two
bands, food trucks, alcohol, meet-the-
farmer hayride tours, free samples,
fried asparagus, grilled asparagus
and pickled asparagus. Cost: $10
Saturday, May 19
Goat Academy 2018. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Latah County Fairgrounds, 1021 Harold
St., Moscow, Idaho. An all-day confer-
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
Western
Innovator
Age: 62
Bill Jepsen, a dryland wheat farmer south of Ione, Ore., uses a direct seeding drill as part of his no-till
operation. No-till helps to preserve soil organic matter and reduce erosion, he said.
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op has awarded $80,500 in
scholarships to high school
seniors, and in conjunction
with Rogue Co-ops, another
$9,500, totaling $90,000.
“Providing education is
a fundamental principle for
cooperatives, and we could
not be prouder to support
such a fine group of young
men and women in pursuit of
higher education,” said Bar-
ry Robino, CEO of Grange
Co-op, in a press release.
“This scholarship program
offers students an opportuni-
ty to learn how the coopera-
tive business model impacts
their communities, provid-
ing them with insight they
may not previously have
known.”
Awarded for their aca-
demic excellence and com-
munity involvement, the
following students received
a $1,000 scholarship: Abby
Andrus from Mount Shasta,
Calif.; Abby Togerson from
Grants Pass, Ore.; Blake
Aho from Klamath Falls,
Ore.; Daphne Hobbs from
Garberville, Calif.; Liliana
Tapia from Macdoel, Calif.;
Ryan Laws from Central
Point, Ore.; Rose McFarland
from Eagle Point, Ore.; Dale
Theron from Fortuna, Ca-
lif.; Virginia Gonzales from
North Bend, Ore.; Carlie
Paquette from North Bend,
Ore.; Francesca Abusmas
from Grants Pass, Ore.; and
Matthew Hageman from
Medford, Ore.
Awarded the Rogue Co-
ops scholarship for $1,500
was William Byrd from
Roseburg, Ore.
Grange Co-op and its
members have also donated
$10,000 to the Oregon FFA,
which was presented during
the annual meeting. Receiv-
ing the check on behalf of
Oregon FFA was Southern
District FFA President Trev-
or Morgan and Oregon FFA
Executive Director Kevin
White.
To get information published
ence on all things goat. The event is
limited to 200 participants, and preregis-
tration is required. The full schedule and
a registration link can be found under
events at www.palousegoatguild.com.
Cost: $50 general/$25 4H, FFA.
Saturday. On Sunday, learn to felt an
alpaca gift. Phone Suzanne at 503-
348-6954 to reserve a spot. $25-$75
covers materials and instruction. Cost:
Free. Website: www.easygofarm.net/
AOOMemDay
Saturday-Monday
May 26-28
tion Annual Meeting. Greater Tacoma
Convention Center, 1500 Commerce
St., Tacoma, Wash. The meeting will
be the largest annual gathering of ag
shippers sourcing and delivering to for-
eign markets. The agenda includes an
off-the-record best practices session for
members, a port tour and sessions on
other topics. Website: www.agtrans.org/
events
Capital Press ag media
Saturday, May 26
retail cutting demonstrations, grid
pricing, team evaluating and auc-
tion, and fetal programming. Spon-
sored by WSU Extension and the
Methow Conservancy. Access the
information brochure and hard copy
registration at: http://extension.wsu.
edu/okanogan/ Cost: $60/person
(additional $25 after May 21); Fri-
day or Saturday session only: $40/
person (additional $25 after May
21). Website: https://okanogan-
beef200.brownpapertickets.com
Saturday, June 2
84th Annual Glenwood “Ketchum
Kalf” Rodeo. 12:30-10 p.m. The Glen-
wood, Wash., Rodeo Association is
a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization
that sponsors this rodeo. Cost: $10 for
adults, $3 for ages 4 to 12.
Goat healthcare/nutrition/packgoat
seminar. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Workshop,
7211 40th Court NE, Olympia, Wash.
Seminar includes handouts and hands-
on time with goats. If you are new to
goats or just need a refresher for goat
care this is a great event. Instructor
has 30-plus years of successful goat
care experience. Cost is $25 for public;
$7.50 for 4-H/FFA members/family/vol-
unteers. For more information contact
Donna at 360-742-8310 or dsemas-
ko@comcast.net. Website: edelweissa-
cresobers.com
Saturday-Sunday
May 26-27
Alpaca Shearing Day & Fleece
Sale. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Alpacas of Oregon,
21345 SW Aebischer Road, Sherwood,
Ore. Join EasyGo Farm at Alpacas of
Oregon and take a break from the Me-
morial Day Winery Tours to watch the
alpacas get their annual haircuts. Get
up close, hand feed them, and handle
their luxurious fleece. Shearing Day is
Memorial Day Weekend Festival.
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Redhawk Vineyard
& Winery, 2995 Michigan City Lane
NW, Salem, Ore. Join us for wine
and barrel tasting, food, our incred-
ible view and music. $12 tasting fee.
Website: www.redhawkwine.com
Friday-Saturday
June 1-2
WSU Beef 200 Course. Okan-
ogan County Fairgrounds, Annex
Building, 175 Rodeo Trail Road,
Okanogan, Wash. Topics for Friday
night session, which will be 5:30-
8:30 p.m., include management of
lupine on range and beef pairings
with wine and beer, with a focus on
direct marketing of your beef. Topics
for Saturday, which will be 8 a.m.-
5:30 p.m., include live animal evalu-
ation and grading, ruminology 101/
beef nutrition, factors affecting beef
quality and palatability, carcass and
81st Annual Marion County Lamb
& Wool Show. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Turner
Elementary School, 7800 School St.,
Turner, Ore. The show is a day of fun
with 4-H & FFA events, wool animals
and market lambs. The show also
includes craft vendors, an ice cream
vendor, a local spinning club and
plants for sale. Again this year we
will start the day with the children’s
classes: Most Beautiful Lamb, Young
Herdsman and Young Market Lamb
classes for children under the age of
10. Website: http://marioncountylam-
bandwoolshow.yolasite.com/
Tuesday-Friday
June 12-15
Agriculture Transportation Coali-
Saturday-Sunday
June 16-17
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Index
Ag Education ................... 14-16
Dairy .................................... 10
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
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Saturday-Sunday
June 23-24
Accuracy is important to Capital
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Aquaponics in Oregon Confer-
ence. Smith Hall, Western Oregon
University, 345 Monmouth Ave.,
Monmouth, Ore. Hear from some
of the top commercial growers,
innovators and educators in this
emerging green industry and dis-
cover the challenges and oppor-
tunities aquaponics present. Cost:
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