2
CapitalPress.com
July 20, 2018
People & Places
Early-warning system for diseases
James Woodhall’s
spore-sampling
network shows
strong performance
Western
Innovator
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
PARMA, Idaho — A new
spore-collection
network
that plant pathologist James
Woodhall spearheaded is do-
ing what it was designed to
do: give farmers a head start
on preparing for in-field dis-
eases.
But already, just two
months since the network
got up and running, the as-
sistant professor and plant
pathologist at the Universi-
ty of Idaho Parma Research
and Extension Center is
looking to the future.
“People have been doing
disease forecasting for years,
based on things like weather
conditions,” Woodhall said.
“What I’m trying to do is
take it to the next level.”
Targeted advancements
include linking detection
technologies with weath-
er models and compiling
enough information to make
the best of big-data analysis
tools, he said.
“We are looking to evolve
this by integrating weather
data” including humidity and
temperature, Woodhall said.
James Woodhall
Age: 40
Home: Meridian, Idaho
Occupation: Assistant pro-
fessor and plant pathologist,
University of Idaho Parma
Research and Extension
Center since March 2016
Previous position: Plant
pathologist, Fera Science,
U.K.
Brad Carlson/Capital Press
Researcher James Woodhall at a spore sampler at the University of Idaho Parma Research and
Extension Center. The device gives farmers advance notice of potato disease outbreaks.
Weather data are collected at
specialized stations already.
The network of spore
samplers, funded by the
university and industry, has
been working well so far,
he said. It focuses on potato
diseases but is being eval-
uated for use on other crop
diseases.
“There are not many plac-
es doing it on this scale, and
with this detail and timeli-
ness,” Woodhall said. The
14 spore trap sites are in an
area stretching from Parma
to Idaho Falls.
Collected spores are
mailed overnight to a lab
for analysis. Woodhall and
a team of UI researchers
during the 2017 growing
season demonstrated the sta-
tions could capture airborne
spores to detect various dev-
astating crop diseases before
symptoms surface in fields.
A diagnostic approach
known as real-time poly-
merase chain reaction can
test for numerous pathogens
in a single spore sample. UI
researchers last year also
demonstrated they could an-
alyze samples in Parma and
relay results within 24 hours.
“Spore sampling is an ex-
citing field to be in with lots
of new developments at the
moment,” Woodhall said,
“from low-cost, passive
spore traps — sporenados —
being developed by a Cana-
dian company, to fully auto-
mated spore traps which will
Education: Ph.D. Harper
Adams University College,
U.K.; master’s degree, Uni-
versity of Wolverhampton,
U.K.; bachelor’s degree with
honors, University of Wales,
Bangor, U.K.
automatically send results to
your mobile phone immedi-
ately from the field.”
He is watching these de-
velopments closely.
“My aim at Parma is to
evaluate these new technol-
ogies and position Idaho to
be in a good place to adopt
the latest technologies in this
area,” Woodhall said.
Capital Press
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
Corporate Officers
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
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
Young sheep shearer gets a hand from county Farm Bureau
By CRAIG REED
For the Capital Press
GLIDE, Ore. — Austin VanHouten,
at just 15 years old, has developed a
business plan. He’s working at devel-
oping his sheep shearing skills and
turning them into a seasonal job.
To help him in that process, he put
together an application, explaining
his business plan, and submitted it
to the Douglas County Farm Bureau.
The application was reviewed by bu-
reau members and then VanHouten
was selected as the recipient of the
organization’s Young Entrepreneur-
ship Grant.
The grant is for about $1,300. Van-
Houten will use the money to purchase
a shearing motor, clippers and the ac-
cessory tools needed for the job.
“On the application, I had to ex-
plain why I was applying,” he said. “I
want to start up my own business in
agriculture. I want to start up my own
sheep shearing business. It’s a great
way to make money in your free time.”
Following his selection for the
grant, the Oakland, Ore., High School
student spoke at a Farm Bureau meet-
ing, explaining his plan and his ap-
preciation for the financial support.
VanHouten has a sheep back-
Craig Reed/For the Capital Press
Austin VanHouten, a member of Heav-
enly Ranchers 4-H Club, shows off his
lamb at the recent Douglas County Lamb
Show in Roseburg, Ore. VanHouten re-
cently received a Douglas County Farm
Bureau Young Entrepreneurship Grant to
purchase shearing equipment to start a
shearing business.
ground, helping his grandparents,
John and Peggy Fine, with their flock.
He has watched his grandfather and
others shear sheep so he’s aware that
it’s a physical task. And as a member
of the Heavenly Ranchers 4-H Club,
he has slick sheared numerous lambs
for entry at the annual Douglas County
Lamb Show.
Matthew Brady, the vice president
of the Douglas County Farm Bureau
and the coordinator of the Young En-
trepreneurship Grant program, said
the goal of the program is to give high
school-age youth help in getting start-
ed in an agricultural project.
“We want to at least help in part
these young people overcome some
of the monetary obstacles involved
in getting into farming,” Brady said.
“It can be fairly expensive, pursuing
equipment and tools, and these grants
can help get the wheels rolling for a
young person.”
Brady added that a past recipient
of the grant started an asparagus busi-
ness, using the money to purchase
starts, soaker hoses and some other
accessories.
To learn how to be most efficient
with his new shearing equipment,
VanHouten attended a four-day sheep
shearing school on the Dawson Ranch
in late May. The Oakland High School
FFA Alumni Association paid the $225
fee for VanHouten, who then proceed-
ed to shear 50 sheep a day.
“I’m pleased with the progress I
made,” the teenager said of shearing.
“I learned for a commercial shearing
job you don’t have to make all the
lines perfect. You have to know how
to handle a sheep properly and to keep
the blades on the skin.”
Brady said there is a need for more
experienced sheep shearers. He at-
tended the sheep shearing school and
was pleased to see the progress Van-
Houten was making as a shearer.
“Austin saw a need and an oppor-
tunity to shear his own sheep as well
as others,” Brady said. “It can be hard
to get shearers scheduled in a timely
manner because there is a shortage.
It’s difficult and back-breaking work
that is not really attractive to a lot of
people. You usually have to wait in
line to get your sheep sheared every
spring.”
VanHouten has a flock of 15 ewes.
His goal is to shear, save money for
college and, following graduation,
start his own sheep, cattle and pig op-
eration.
“I’m really appreciative of this
grant,” he said. “I don’t know if I
would have been able to start up
a shearing business if not for this
grant.”
Umatilla County jackpot lamb contest set for Aug. 10
The 2018 Umatilla Coun-
ty Jackpot Lamb Competition
will be held during the Uma-
tilla County Fair in Hermis-
ton, Ore., on Friday, Aug. 10.
Entries are welcome from
Oregon and out-of-state pro-
ducers, according to a press
release from jackpot organiz-
ers.
Twenty-nine years ago,
a group of lamb growers
established a competition
that would evaluate the total
lamb, both in live character-
istics and on their carcass
value.
The lambs will not be
shown by their owners, but
secured in a lineup that al-
lows the judge to evaluate
them without any interfer-
ence.
After the lambs are placed,
40 percent of the jackpot
money is divided among the
top three placings.
The lambs will then be
transported to Kalapooia
Valley Grass Fed Processing
LLC in Brownsville, Ore.,
for processing. The carcasses
will then be judged and the
remaining 60 percent of the
jackpot monies will be paid
to the top three placings.
The jackpot is based on
a $25 entry fee, matched by
sponsors supporting the con-
test. Each entry represents a
$50 jackpot.
Entries are encouraged
from anyone wanting to learn
more about the quality of the
lambs they are raising and
the direction of their breed-
ing programs.
Online contest entry
forms are available at www.
umatillacountyfair.net
Idaho
Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898
Boise
Brad Carlson .................... 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
Calendar
To submit an event go to the Com-
munity Events calendar on the home
page of our website at www.capi-
talpress.com and click on “Submit
an Event.” Calendar items can
also be mailed to Capital Press,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR
97301 or emailed to newsroom@
capitalpress.com. Write “Calendar”
in the subject line.
Through July 29
California State Fair. 11 a.m.-10
p.m. California Expo Center, 1600
Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, Ca-
lif. California’s state fair brings out
the best is the state’s agriculture.
Website: http://www.castatefair.org
Wednesday, July 25
Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881
N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Ida-
ho. This is the last of a six-ses-
sion course. Cost: $38 Email:
cschnepf@uidaho.edu
Thursday, July 26
Fresno Food Expo. 7 a.m.-5
p.m. Fresno Convention & Enter-
tainment Center, 848 M. St., Fres-
no, Calif. The Fresno Food Expo
is a food industry trade event that
exclusively showcases California’s
biggest brands and hottest new
food trends, featuring food and
beverage products from every cat-
egory. Website: www.FresnoFoo-
dExpo.com
Friday, July 27
Forest Insect and Disease Field
Day. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Bonner County
Fairgrounds, 4203 N. Boyer Road,
Sandpoint, Idaho. The focus will be
on the insects and diseases that can
kill northern Idaho trees. Cost: $15.
Website: www.uidaho.edu/exten-
sion/forestry
Saturday-Sunday
July 28-29, Aug. 4-5
The Great Oregon Steam-Up.
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Powerland Heritage
Park, 3995 Brooklake Road NE,
Brooks, Ore. Foreign and gar-
den tractors are featured in this
year’s event, which also includes a
steam-powered sawmill and thresh-
ing and hundreds of displays and
museums. The Parade of Power is
each day at 1:30 p.m. Cost: $12.
Website: http://antiquepowerland.com/
Sunday, Aug. 5
Raised Country Music Fes-
tival. 1-6 p.m. Antelope Church
Lawn, Antelope, Ore. Steve and
RonaLee Campbell, a Chuckwag-
on Barbecue by Paradise Rose
Ranch, a petting zoo and face
painting; the Mud Springs Gospel
Band and Joni Harms are featured.
Cost: Free
Tuesday, Aug. 7
Rice Production Workshop.
8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Lundberg Fami-
ly Farms, 5311 Midway, Richvale,
Calif. Topics include rice growth,
water management, tillage, vari-
ety selection, fertility and weeds.
Enrollment is limited to 75 people.
Cost: $100. Website: http://ucanr.
edu/rice2018
Friday, Aug. 10
Stream Restoration Workshop.
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. University of Ida-
ho Extension Office, 1808 N. Third
St., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The
workshop will include a classroom
session and a field trip showing
stream restoration projects. Space
is limited. For more information, call
208-446-1680. Cost: $20 Website:
http://uidaho.edu/extension/forestry
Wednesday, Aug. 15
Organic Hazelnuts Second An-
nual Summer Farm Tour. 9:30 a.m.-
4:30 p.m. Cold Springs Farm, 35541
Cold Springs Road, Lebanon, Ore.
Join the Organic Hazelnut Growers
Association’s summer tour at one
certified organic farm and one tran-
sitioning farm. Cost: $18 for mem-
bers of Organic Hazelnut Growers
Association. $45 for non-members.
Website: http://www.pesticide.org/
organichazelnuts
Director Jesse Taylor at jesse@wash-
ingtonffa.org or 253-208-9071. A dinner
and auction will follow the tournament.
Friday-Monday
Aug. 24-Sept. 3
Oregon State Fair. Oregon State
Fair and Exposition Center, 2330 17th
St. NE, Salem, Ore. https://oregonstate-
fair.org/
Friday-Saturday
Aug. 31-Sept. 8
Eastern Idaho State Fair. Eastern
Idaho State Fairgrounds, 97 Park St.,
Blackfoot, Idaho. Website: https://fun
atthefair.com/
Friday-Sunday
Aug. 17-26
Friday-Sunday
Aug. 31-Sept. 23
Western Idaho Fair. Western Idaho
Fairgrounds, 5610 Glenwood St., Boi-
se, Idaho. Website: www.idahofair.com
Washington State Fair. 110 Ninth
Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. www.the-
fair.com/
Thursday, Aug. 23
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Inaugural Washington FFA Foun-
dation Golf Tournament. 1:30-6 p.m.
Apple Tree Golf Course, 8804 Occi-
dental Road, Yakima, Wash. To take
part, contact FFA Foundation Executive
Oregon Farm Bureau Classic
Golf Tourney. 1 p.m. Stone Creek
Golf Club, 14603 S. Stoneridge
Drive, Oregon City, Ore. Contact:
tiffany@oregonfb.org
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 ...................................... 8
Markets ............................... 12
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.