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CapitalPress.com
Friday, November 22, 2019
People & Places
More women take leadership roles in ag
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER
FRESNO, Calif. —
Dairy farmer Lucy Areias
has some good news about
women in agriculture: their
ranks are growing.
“I think technology today
allows women to be more
involved in the day-to-day
operations of their dairy
farms,” she said. “Women
are getting out there and
seeing and learning about
their business. They will go
out and help move cattle or
drive a tractor.”
Women now attend more
meetings and there are more
agriculture
organizations
for women, Areias said.
“You see more women than
men sitting on these various
boards.”
She sits on two boards:
the California Milk Advi-
sory Board and the Fresno
County Farm Bureau board.
Areias was born in the
Azores, an archipelago of
islands 900 miles west of
Portugal in the North Atlan-
tic Ocean.
Her family immigrated
to California when she was
2 years old. She grew up
on the Central Valley dair-
ies where her father, Antonio
Areias, worked.
In 1981, her father started
a dairy in partnership with
an uncle and later began his
own family dairy in the Han-
ford area. In 1995, the fam-
ily moved their operation to
Fresno.
In 2003, they built a new
facility at their Fresno loca-
tion. Lucy Areias became
a partner in the dairy
with her sister and broth-
Established 1928
Capital Press Managers
Western
Innovator
LUCY AREIAS
Home: Clovis, Calif.
Occupation: Partner in
A&M Farms, Fresno
Lucy Areias is a California dairy farmer.
er-in-law
and
founded
A&M Farms.
A&M Farms currently
milk approximately 1,600
Holstein cows, and farms
corn and wheat forage on
just over 500 acres. The farm
sells the milk to California
Dairies Inc. with locations in
Fresno, Tipton, Turlock and
Visalia.
Areias says farming —
climbing into a tractor and
working the ground — must
be in her genes. She never
thought of choosing another
career.
“I have always worked
outside the dairy until I
became a partner in our busi-
ness,” she said. “I lived at
home and always helped
out when needed or on the
weekends. I always loved
being on the dairy. Upon
building the new facil-
ity, I realized how excit-
ing it was for me and my
family that I then decided
to become a partner. I love
working alongside my
family every day.”
Ryan Jacobson, execu-
tive director of the Fresno
County Farm Bureau, rec-
ognized Areias’ work and
contributions to ag in the
county.
“Lucy Areias has been
involved in agriculture for
her entire life,” he said.
“She
recently
joined
the board, represent-
ing the dairy industry.
Her interest in becoming
involved in the organi-
zation began after com-
pleting the Future Advo-
cates for Agriculture
Concerned about Tomor-
row (FAACT) class. Upon
completion, she wanted to
learn more about how to
become actively involved
By KATY NESBITT
For the Capital Press
ODFW File
Large numbers of elk are causing damage on private property in portions of Wallowa
County in the northeastern corner of Oregon.
Chesnimnus wildlife unit
the redistribution of elk from
the forest to private land on
the Zumwalt Prairie is the
most noticeable.
In 2008, when the elk
numbers were in the thou-
sands, rancher Tom Birk-
maier said he turned to OSU
extension agent John Wil-
liams to help him organize a
coalition of landowners and
Fish and Wildlife biologists
to find ways to reduce the
number of elk.
“When we do good
range management we use a
deferred or rest rotation sys-
tem, but when 4,000 head of
elk are grazing in the same
place most of the year there
is no rotation system,” Wil-
liams said.
For a few years state
Department of Fish and
Wildlife managers pushed
the elk back onto public
forestland and into Hells
Canyon using an Access
and Habitat grant. Mat-
thews said hazers on ATVs
moved the herd toward the
canyons five days a week
for several winter months,
but the elk kept returning
to the prairie.
Chad Dotson was one of
ODFW’s hazers and now
works for The Nature Con-
servancy managing Zum-
walt Prairie Preserves hunt-
ing program. He said hazing
became a “babysitting” job.
“Elk will respond to pres-
sure, but that doesn’t mean
they are going to change
their home range,” Dotson
said. “From an elk’s perspec-
tive it is a generational thing
— a calf born to a mother
who doesn’t migrate won’t
migrate. All it knows is the
prairie and that becomes its
fish bowl.”
Outside organized haz-
ing on the Zumwalt Prai-
rie, Matthews said the state
issues hazing permits allow-
ing landowners to scare elk
away with shotguns or pro-
pane cannons or chase them
with ATVs.
Ultimately,
increased
hunting provided the most
relief. Williams said today
hunters are harvesting about
450 cow elk a year out of
700 issued tags.
“I do believe hunting
stopped the increase of the
Zumwalt herd, but we need
to wait and see if over time
we are reducing them,” Wil-
liams said.
And that, he said, could
take another 10 if not 20
years.
Most of the hunting tags
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in the organization. Lucy
has a strong desire to
learn and be engaged in
the agricultural industry,
and to give back to the ag
community.”
Areias continues to
share her love of the land
and applying stewardship
to the goal of protecting it.
“I joined the Fresno
County Farm Bureau
Board because I want to
be involved,” Areias said.
“I don’t want to sit on the
sidelines; I want to learn
the information firsthand.
The Farm Bureau encom-
passes all agriculture and
all regulations that affect
all of us in the long run.
It is a great organization
to be a part of because
agriculture is a tough
industry.”
issued for the Zumwalt are
through the state’s scheduled
control hunts. Depredation
tags are issued to landown-
ers by a state district biolo-
gist and used to reduce deer
and elk numbers on private
property. In extreme situa-
tions, Matthews said emer-
gency hunts are allowable
when several property own-
ers are experiencing crop or
hay loss.
The state has a list of
hunters at the ready, reliev-
ing landowners from having
to organize hunts.
Kill permits can be issued
to a landowner or adjacent
landowners who want to
work together, Matthews
said. Landowners and any
affiliated agents listed on the
permit are allowed to shoot
a specified number of elk,
determined by the district
biologist.
Mike Hale, who works on
The Nature Conservancy’s
Zumwalt Prairie Preserve,
said the years of hunting
pressure from mid-August
to early January has helped
reduce numbers, but moving
the elk off the prairie could
be merely moving the prob-
lem onto someone else.
“Now there are more elk
on the toe slopes of Imnaha
Canyon, but some are push-
ing west into private land to
the west near Elk Mountain
and Swamp Creek,” Hale
said.
Denim and Diamonds Awards Dinner
and Auction: 5 p.m. Salem Convention Cen-
ter, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. This
is Oregon Aglink’s annual awards dinner and
fundraising auction to support the organi-
zation’s activities, including Adopt a Farmer,
roadside crop signs and a multimedia cam-
paign promoting Oregon agriculture. Con-
tact: http://www.aglink.org
MONDAY-THURSDAY
DEC. 2-5
Growing for the Future Online Virtual
Conference: Online at https://nfu.org/grow-
ing-for-the-future/ NFU’s Growing for the
Future is a unique online, interactive virtual
conference focused on the issues that today’s
farmers and ranchers face. The free, four-
day event includes farmer-to-farmer webi-
nars, live Q&A sessions, a discussion board, an
online resource center, and free giveaways.
This year’s conference will cover topics rang-
ing from cooperatives to insurance, busi-
ness planning, energy efficiency, accounting
and more. Contact: Hannah Packman, hpack-
man@nfudc.org, 202-554-1600
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
DEC. 3-5
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Annual
Meeting: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The primary
business of the annual convention is to set
policy and elect leaders of the Idaho Farm
Bureau Federation. Participants will also hear
from Farm Bureau leaders and are updated on
developments from the past year. A series of
workshops follows covering a range of topics.
Contact: www.idahofb.org/
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY
DEC. 4-5
Organic Grower Summit: Monterey Con-
ference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey,
Calif. Organic growers, producers and proces-
sors event for education, information and net-
working with production supply chain and
support services providers. Sponsored by Cal-
ifornia Certified Organic Farmers and Organic
Produce network. Contact: www.organic-
growersummit.com
WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY
DEC. 4-6
Washington Small Fruit Conference
& Lynden Ag Show: NW Washington Fair-
grounds, 1775 Front St., Lynden, Wash. The
conference focuses on the latest research and
developments in small fruit farming. The lat-
est relevant research information is delivered
first hand by the scientists performing the
research. Contact: www.wasmallfruit.com
California Cattlemen’s Convention: Pep-
permill Resort, 2707 South Virginia St., Reno,
Nev. The organization will gather for its 103rd
annual convention. Contact: https://calcattle-
men.org/event/convention2019/
SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY
DEC. 8-11
California Farm Bureau Federation
101st Annual Meeting: Portola Hotel and
Spa, Two Portola Plaza, Monterey, Calif. Join fel-
low farmers and ranchers as we discuss and
develop policy, recognize the county Farm
Bureaus at the core of our grassroots structure
and individual members who have demon-
strated that working together during this past
year is how we will continue “Building Our
Future.” Contact: https://cfbf.com/am2019
TUESDAY, DEC. 10
Changing Hands: A Free Succession Plan-
ning Workshop. 1-4 p.m. at Salishan Resort in
Gleneden Beach, in conjunction with the Ore-
gon Farm Bureau Convention. RSVP to Nel-
lie McAdams, nellie@oregonagtrust.org, 971-
409-6806. Happy hour to follow.
University of Idaho Snake River Sugar
Beet Conference: Best Western Plus Burley
Inn & Convention Center, 800 N. Overland
Ave., Burley, Idaho. This is the annual sugar
beet growers’ conference. Contact: Erick Wen-
ninger, 208 423-6677, erikw@uidaho.edu
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
DEC. 10-12
Oregon Farm Bureau Annual Meeting:
Salishan Resort, 7760 North Highway 101,
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CALENDAR
FRIDAY, NOV. 22
Entire contents copyright © 2019
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
Family: Parents Antonio
and Maria Areias, and
family
Ranchers, wildlife managers grapple with NE Oregon elk
ENTERPRISE, Ore. —
Wallowa County’s elk herds
have long attracted hunters,
bringing economic stimulus
to the region each fall, but
the treasured big game spe-
cies also competes for for-
age with cattle, the coun-
ty’s
main
agricultural
commodity.
In the past few decades,
wildlife managers and ranch-
ers have worked together to
reduce the loss of valuable
livestock feed to elk by haz-
ing and extending hunting
seasons on private land.
Pat Matthews, Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife Enterprise district
biologist, said over the past
20 to 30 years the elk num-
bers have stayed the same in
Wallowa County but the dis-
tribution has changed, put-
ting more pressure on crops,
haystacks and rangeland.
To complicate matters,
a few of the large proper-
ties, like a ranch in the Wal-
lowa River canyon, are man-
aged to encourage wildlife
use, thus providing a corri-
dor from the high mountain
meadows to winter livestock
pastures.
“They own that ranch for
elk and they spill over to the
neighbors,” Matthews said.
“It’s been an issue.”
In the county’s northern
Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher
Kevin Blodgett ........... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager
Gleneden Beach, Ore. Members of the Ore-
gon Farm Bureau meet once a year for grass-
roots discussions on issues important to
agriculture. Contact: tiffany@oregonfb.org,
https://oregonfb.org/
THURSDAY-FRIDAY
JAN. 9-10
Oregon Mint Growers Annual Meeting:
8 a.m. Salishan Resort, 7760 North Highway
101, Gleneden Beach, Ore. Make your plans to
attend the 71st annual meeting, where you’ll
hear the latest on the mint industry. Contact:
http://oregonmint.org, 503-364-2944
WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY
JAN. 15-17
Northwest Agricultural Show:
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Thursday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday. Oregon
State Fair and Expo Center, 2330 17th St. NE,
Salem, Ore. The 50th edition of the North-
west Ag Show will feature over 120 exhib-
itors and partners and seminars and work-
shops covering a variety of topics important
to farmers and ranchers. Admission on
Wednesday and Thursday is $5 for adults,
$3 for seniors, and free for children 12 and
under. Admission on Friday is free, courtesy
of the Oregon Ag in the Classroom Founda-
tion. Contact: 503-364-4431 http://northwe-
stagshow.com
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Index
Dairy .....................................................12
Innovations ......................................... 8-9
Livestock ...............................................13
Markets .................................................15
Opinion ...................................................6
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staff and to our readers.
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