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8 Friday, September 13, 2019 CapitalPress.com New barley named for longtime industry leader Palmer aimed at craft brewing market By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press VALLEYFORD, Wash. — Mary Palmer Sullivan calls herself the “Barley Babe.” She worked exclusively on barley at the Washington Barley Commission begin- ning in 1988. It merged in 2009 with the Washing- ton Wheat Commission to become the Washington Grain Commission, where she is now vice president. This year on her small farm, she grew Palmer, a new Washington State University barley variety named for her. “I just wanted to name the last barley I’d release after her,” said Kevin Murphy, out- going WSU barley breeder. Murphy was the WSU Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Mary Palmer Sullivan, vice president of the Washington Grain Commission, stands in a field of Palmer, the new Washington State University barley variety named for her. barley breeder for eight years. He is transitioning into a new position, as asso- ciate professor of interna- tional seed and cropping sys- tems. Robert Brueggeman is WSU’s new barley breeder. “Mary has been a real champion of barley farm- ing, breeding, beer, malt barley, food barley — all the specialty types of barley,” Murphy said. “She real- izes the importance of bar- ley in farming rotations and wants to see more barley out there.” When Sullivan first started, Washington farmers grew more than 1 million acres of barley. Today, it’s down to roughly 105,000 acres, she said. The problem, she said, was the price of barley, cur- rently at $140 per short ton, or 2,000 pounds. “It’s difficult to promote something that people are not making any money on,” Sullivan said. “If it doesn’t pencil out, growers aren’t going to grow it.” Sullivan is raising about 1.5 acres of Palmer on her 8.5-acre farm. Murphy said she’s helping provide enough to test its malting characteristics. Murphy is targeting Palmer for the craft malt and brewing market, tailoring it to meet the craft brewing association’s needs. It yields well, he said. Acreage will likely begin on a small scale. Craft beer’s market share is relatively small, roughly 12% of total production, but more than one-third of bar- ley is destined for craft malt, Murphy said. Many barley varieties are bred for larger operations. It’s “somewhat” unusual to breed a variety for the craft market, he said. Palmer is currently being raised to increase breeder seed. Next spring, it will raised for foundation seed. It is slated to be available for growers in 2021, Murphy said. Fruit Field Day showcases varieties By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press Kylara Papenfuss and her Payson Fruit Growers colleagues often attend Fruit Field Day in Parma, Idaho, even though their company operates elsewhere. “We have growers who meet here and get information,” said Papenfuss, whose company is in Utah. The University of Idaho Parma Research and Extension Center, and its internationally recognized pomol- ogist Essie Fallahi, have hosted Fruit Field Day for 23 years. Hundreds turn out to see Fallahi and other UI scientists showcase established and new variet- ies of wine and table grapes, tree fruits and nuts — a broad lineup for a growing region that’s colder than many others. Water supply and irrigation, and pop- ulation growth, are among major issues facing agriculture in the area, said Fal- lahi, who started the UI pomology pro- gram 30 years ago. About 80 crops are grown around Parma, which is near the Oregon border. The region has extensive irrigation Brad Carlson/Capital Press University of Idaho pomology program leader Essie Fallahi at UI’s annual Fruit Field Day in Parma Sept. 6. infrastructure. Fallahi said he and col- leagues have spent some 25 years work- ing on irrigation advances that target the fruit industry. Frequent attendee Jim Zamzow, of Nampa-based lawn-and-garden retail chain Zamzows, said he has focused on soil improvement in recent years. He follows production-agriculture research and best practices, which he said grow- ers of various sizes can use to improve soil. “And I come for service, to con- tribute,” he said. “I see lots of people I know.” The Sept. 6 field day showcased new cultivars of table grapes, peaches, nec- tarines, apples, plums, quince, Asian pears and other alternative fruits as well as cutting-edge practices for orchards. UI has said Parma-based research on almonds and walnuts shows these crops have production-scale commer- cial potential for the state. U.S. meat producers get inside look at Japanese market By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press U.S. Meat Export Fed- eration took a team of live- stock producers to Japan to give them an overview of the market and show them how the organization is promoting U.S. meat. “It’s been a jam-packed, fantastic week,” Cevin Jones, an Idaho cattle feeder and USMEF chair- man-elect, said during a conference call from Tokyo on Thursday. It’s great to see all the programs USMEF is doing in Japan and how checkoff dollars are being utilized to promote U.S. meat, he said. The group had just come from a seminar where more than 300 existing and potential customers could sample U.S. meat products and learn about product availability and meat pro- duction trends. The seminar allowed the team to meet with buy- ers, tell them what produc- ers do in the U.S. and move the needle on U.S. meat exports, he said. “It’s really been tremen- dous,” Dave Preisler, CEO of the Minnesota Pork Board, said. Business is done per- son-to-person and busi- ness-to-business. Countries can set trade rules, but peo- ple make it happen, he said. Over half the calories consumed in Japan are imported. Why not have that come from the Upper Midwest and bring dollars back to rural communities? he asked. The key to growing U.S. meat exports is differen- tiating U.S. product from competitors’ product, Dan Halstrom, USMEF presi- dent and CEO, said. There is a huge differ- ence in the meat from grain- fed animals and grass-fed animals, he said. Branding, telling a story, is another focus for USMEF. Consumers want new brands and a new story, he said. The tentative trade agreement between the U.S. and Japan is fueling a lot of enthusiasm in Japanese cus- tomers, he said. U.S. beef is at a 12% tar- iff disadvantage in Japan, and pork is at a 7% disad- vantage. Customers are enthusiastic about U.S. meat getting on a level play- ing field sooner rather than later, he said. Japanese buyers are excited about the pend- ing trade agreement, Dean Meyer, director of Iowa Corn Growers Association and USMEF executive com- mittee member, said. Livestock is the top con- sumer of corn, and corn growers have partnered with USMEF to export meat, he said. The team was also able to visit with consumers and they are excited about eat- ing corn-fed pork and beef, he said. “It’s an exciting time here for red meat exports,” he said. The tariff disadvantage is having an impact on beef exports to Japan — which have gone a little slack compared with last year, Jones said. Japanese buyers are price sensitive. If the tariff differ- ential gets corrected, it’ll put U.S. exports in good shape for next year, he said. The outlook is positive on increased growth of U.S. meat exports. The U.S. is well positioned to supply increased protein demand, and not just in Japan, Halstrom said. Japan is the largest value destination for U.S. beef and pork exports, represent- ing 25% of both U.S. beef and pork exports on a value basis. The U.S. exported $2.1 billion in beef and $1.6 billion in pork to Japan in 2018. Workers dispose of farm chemicals as part of an Idaho State Department of Agriculture pesticide disposal program. ISDA to collect pesticides By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press 37-3/103 The Idaho State Depart- ment of Agriculture has sched- uled free pesticide dispos- als in several locations during September. Agricultural producers, dealers, professional applica- tors and homeowners can dis- pose of unusable herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, roden- ticides or other products with a “cide” in the name. No fertilizer, micronutri- ents, paint, solvents or motor oil can be accepted at the collections. Unusable pesticides can be taken to the collection sites between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Collections will be held at the following locations. Sept. 24: Burley, BLM field office, 3630 Overland Road. Sept. 25: Twin Falls, Twin Falls Canal Co., 357 Sixth Ave. West. Sept. 25: Nampa, Pickles Butte Landfill, 15500 Mis- souri Ave. ISDA asks that participants register the total number of pounds of pesticides requested for disposal by calling a local ISDA field office or the Boise office at (208) 332-8605. For more informa- tion, visit https://agri.idaho. gov/main/56-2/pesticides/ pesticide-disposal/
