July 20, 2018
CapitalPress.com
Sugar beets ‘nicest looking I’ve ever seen’
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Sid Freeman of Sunny
View Farms north of Cald-
well, Idaho, likes what he sees
in his sugar beet crop.
“We’ve got some of the
nicest-looking sugar beets I’ve
ever seen, in general,” he said.
Sugar beets in southern
Idaho and eastern Oregon ap-
pear to be on their way to high
yields and strong sugar con-
tent — an improvement over
the late-to-plant 2017 crop —
though field analysts advise
growers to remain vigilant in
scouting and treating for dis-
eases and pests.
Freeman figured his beets
would do well when he no-
ticed his nearby corn was taller
than usual in early July.
“That indicated the grow-
ing environment for the spring
was very good,” he said July
12. “Anything planted early
looks very well.”
Beets benefited from high-
er-than normal heat units —
high temperatures and the
number of ideal “growing-de-
gree days” — and ample rain
that helped keep soil moist,
Freeman said.
Growers made the most of
the good conditions by pick-
ing the right seeds, planting
them using precision-agricul-
ture approaches, and devel-
oping solid plans for using
fertilizer and any chemicals,
he said.
“The farmer controlled
all the variables he could, and
Mother Nature cooperated
very well,” Freeman said.
Wendell Robinson, south-
west Idaho district agricul-
ture manager for Boise-based
Amalgamated Sugar, said the
Amalgamated Sugar
Lance Pitcher, left, and Wendell Robinson, both of Amalgamated
Sugar, evaluate a sugar beet field near Middleton, Idaho, on July 16.
area’s sugar beet crop looks
good overall. Grower-owned
Amalgamated grows beets
and processes them into sugar
at its factories.
“We are still actively
scouting” for pests and dis-
eases, he said. “Overall, the
crop looks very healthy at this
point. We’re watching data
for pests and diseases, but I
think we’ve still got a good
crop.”
More growing days typ-
ically mean higher potential
sugar accumulation in the
beet root and greater yield
given the longer growing sea-
son, Robinson said.
A handful of diseases and
insect pests have shown up
in Idaho sugar beet fields,
though in controllable num-
bers, said Lance Pitcher, who
works with growers as a crop
consultant with Amalgamated.
“Now is probably prime
time, the best time for treat-
ment,” he said July 16. Wait-
ing until mid-August to treat
would substantially increase
the risk that beet yield and
quality would drop due to dis-
eases and pests, he said.
Pitcher saw powdery mil-
dew earlier than usual, though
not necessarily in alarming
amounts. Cercospora leaf spot
has become more prevalent,
and “we are starting to see
black bean aphid more,” he
said.
Black bean aphid so far
is not widespread, he said. In
heavy populations, it can stunt
plants and transmit the West-
ern Yellows Virus.
Pitcher said he also has seen
army worms and grasshoppers
in some beet fields. Both can
reduce photosynthesis — and,
in turn, yields — if their pop-
ulations get high enough, he
said.
“Generally they are not a
problem, but this year they
seem to be a little more prev-
alent,” he said.
Robinson said black bean
aphids and other insects seen
thus far “are certainly very
treatable at this point.” Amal-
gamated recently has been
helping growers and suppliers
recognize and treat for pests
and diseases.
He and Pitcher expect 2018
crop yield and sugar content to
be between the excellent 2015
and record-high 2016. Last
year’s crop produced solid
yields overall, but disappoint-
ing sugar content.
Galen Lee, who serves
on the American Beet Grow-
ers Association board and is
president of the Nyssa/Nampa
Sugar Beet Growers Associa-
tion, said his beet fields look
distinctly better than they did
last year. He co-owns Sunny-
side Farm LLC outside New
Plymouth, Idaho, near the Or-
egon border.
Snowfall was especially
heavy and long-lasting in early
2017 on south Idaho’s western
edge. Lee said the cold com-
pacted the ground, one factor
in delaying planting and ulti-
mately stalling maturation.
This year, the sugar beet
crop at Sunnyside looks good,
he said. He sees closed rows of
strongly standing plants with
canopies sufficient to provide
good shade.
“It’s that time of year when
we are seeing mildew, so we
are spraying for mildew,” Lee
said. “And we are just trying to
keep water on them, keeping
them healthy and going from
there.”
Washington farm groups join
bid to nip city food taxes
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Soft drink rivals Pepsi and
Coke are partners in financing
a ballot measure that would
bar cities from taxing select
foods, like Seattle has done
with sweetened beverages.
Initiative I-1634 has the
backing of several agricultur-
al organizations, though no
Washington city has followed
Seattle’s example on soda or
targeted other foods, such as
beef or dairy products.
“We looked at this and
said, ‘What’s the logical pro-
gression on food taxes?’ ” said
Dan Wood, executive director
of the Washington State Dairy
Federation.
“It does not require a big
imagination to think about the
folks in Seattle deciding they
want to put a tax on meat or
milk or any other healthy ag-
ricultural product,” he said.
“We need to get ahead of that
and say, ‘It needs to stop.’ ”
I-1634 petitioners turned
in about 360,000 signatures
this week for the Secretary of
State’s Office to check. It will
take 259,622 signatures from
registered voters to qualify
I-1634 for the Nov. 6 election.
The beverage industry so
far has spent $4.43 million to
collect signatures and prepare
for a media campaign, accord-
ing to the Public Disclosure
Commission. The Coca-Cola
Co. has contributed $2.2 mil-
lion, and PepsiCo has put in
$1.7 million. The Dr Pepper
Snapple Group and Red Bull
North America are the other
two major donors.
The Washington Food In-
dustry Association has con-
tributed $20,000.
The beverage industry
launched the campaign, but it
hopes to expand its donor base,
Yes to Affordable Groceries
spokesman Jim Desler said.
The campaign has endorse-
ments from the Washington
Farm Bureau, the Washington
Cattle Cattlemen’s Associa-
tion and the Washington State
Tree Fruit Association, as well
as the dairy federation and the
Juice Products Association, a
national trade association.
The organizers, confident
the measure will qualify, held
a conference call Monday to
kick off the campaign.
Douglas County organ-
ic orchardist April Clayton,
one of several speakers, cited
recent opinion pieces in The
New York Times that advocat-
ed a tax on beef to check cli-
mate change and a tax on “un-
healthy foods” to curb obesity.
“The threat of food taxes is
real,” Clayton said.
I-1634 would grandfather
in Seattle’s 1.75 cent per once
tax on drinks with sugar, hon-
ey and artificial sweeteners.
The tax equals 21 cents on a
12-ounce can of soda and went
into effect Jan. 1. The city col-
lects the tax from beverage
distributors, but presumably
at least some of the tax falls to
consumers.
“I think you have a real
concern among people that
this will expand to other plac-
es and other groceries as local
governments look for revenue
sources,” Desler said. “This is
really a preventive measure to
protect working families and
small businesses.”
Young agriculture educators
grow Oregon FFA
CORVALLIS, Ore. — The FFA organization works to develop
students into responsible leaders of the future. Once referred to
as the “Future Farmers of America,” the student led organization
has strayed away from the stereotypical farmers and ranchers,
but provides opportunities for students from any background.
Agriculture is not forgotten about, however. At the high school
level, local FFA chapters are focused on making “a positive
difference in the lives of students by developing their potential
for premier leadership, personal growth and career success
through Agriculture Education.” The training and skills building
takes place through the lens of the agriculture industry.
Two young agriculture educators from the Oregon State
University Agriculture Education Master’s Degree and Teacher
Preparation Program are ready to jump into the dynamic
agriculture education profession and bring some of the
agriculture world into schools.
Abby Lohman student taught at Crater High School in Central
Point, Ore. Her favorite part about the experience was getting
immersed into the chapter FFA and training students for
competitions, especially public speaking career development
events. Abby will be teaching at Central High School in
Independence, Ore., this fall.
Abby has always wanted to play a role in the agriculture industry
after growing up on her family’s vegetable seed operation in the
Skagit Valley. She found her niche in education after
experiencing the lack of connection and understanding the
general public has with farming.
Nels Swenson student taught at Rogue River High School.
During the four months of student teaching, he was responsible
for developing curriculum and lessons for the six different class
periods he taught. “The best and most challenging part of the
whole experience was adapting lessons to help students realize
they are capable of more than they think; whether that’s
improving their grade, disassembling and reassembling a small
5
The 2018 Oregon State University Agriculture Education Master’s Cohort.
From left to right are Director of Teacher Education Josh Stewart, Nels
Swenson, Tess Hamby, Maggie Collins, Abby Lohman, Madi Hynes, Heather
Brown and Graduate Teaching Assistant Kellie Claflin.
engine or explaining the livestock reproductive system.” Nels
will be teaching at Sherman County School in Moro, Ore., in the
fall.
Agriculture education and FFA are complementary components
of high school agriculture programs across the state. And in each
of the 120 programs in the state, the agriculture instructor takes
the roll as the FFA advisor as well. This adds many
responsibilities to the busy schedule of a school teacher.
This year, seven students at Oregon State University gained first
hand experience of what it takes to be an agriculture teacher and
FFA advisor during their student teaching experience.
Agriculture education in combination with FFA and independent
student Supervised Agricultural Experiences provide optimal
leadership development experiences, as well as hands on Career
Technical Education within a relevant framework.
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