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CapitalPress.com
Friday, March 26, 2021
People & Places
Digging for data helps farmers
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
MOSCOW, Idaho —
Brenda Schroeder’s work
ranges from investigating a
foreign grass pathogen that
can kill livestock to deter-
mining the best soil for grow-
ing potatoes and how to most
effectively cure onions.
“A theme to my work is
trying to get knowledge into
the hands of
stakehold-
ers
about
the biology
of their sys-
tems,” said
the Univer-
sity of Idaho
Brenda
associate
research pro- Schroeder
fessor
of
entomology, plant pathol-
ogy and nematology. “And
the biology of their system
includes the pathogens, but
also aspects of beneficials.
If we can get that informa-
tion into the hands of stake-
holders, they can make edu-
cated and sound decisions
based on data as opposed to
supposition.”
Tracking a killer
The
Moscow-based
Schroeder is part of a national
team that for the past eight
years has been researching
a grass pathogen that could
pose a biosecurity risk if it
enters the U.S.
She studies Rathayibacter,
a group of bacteria that cause
Gummosis in grass seed
heads. A close cousin of these
bacteria in Australia causes
toxic Staggers and is fatal if
grazing animals consume it.
She is working to determine
the distribution of the U.S.
bacteria and is studying their
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BRENDA
SCHROEDER
Age: 53
Occupation: Univer-
sity of Idaho associate
research professor,
entomology, plant pa-
thology and nematology.
Member American Phyto-
pathological Society.
Kurtis Schroeder
Brenda Schroeder, in an on-farm laboratory, inoculates onion cultivars to determine
different resistance responses to pathogens when onions are in storage.
genetic profiles to determine
if they have the potential to
produce the toxin.
The bacteria require
a nematode to vector the
pathogen from soil to plant.
The team is working to
determine if nematodes here
could vector the Australian
pathogen should it enter the
U.S.
Schroeder said that
knowledge could affect how
a U.S.-bound shipment of
grass seed or hay is handled
if it is found to have the Aus-
tralian pathogen.
“We are now focusing
on nematode-bacterial asso-
ciation to try to quantify the
native strains in association
with their nematode vec-
tors,” she said. The nematode
vectors will be studied in a
high-biosecurity lab in Mary-
land, which has a sample of
the Australia strain.
Best potato soil
Schroeder is also work-
ing with a national group to
investigate the micro-biome
of potato soils. The four-year
project is in its second year.
“The goal is to identify
the biochemical and bio-
logical parameters of what
healthy potato soil is for
Idaho,” she said. “We are just
at the beginning of looking at
what microbes are present in
a healthy soil compared to a
soil that is not as beneficial
for potato production.”
Data likely will show
which organisms are pres-
ent and at what densities in
healthy potato soil.
The work could ultimately
show soil productivity poten-
tial, pathogen risk “and bene-
ficial organisms that we may
not have known were present
in the soil prior to this analy-
sis,” Schroeder said.
It also has the potential
to show a producer which
microbes could be added
to help soil rebound after
fumigation.
Curing onions
Another project focuses
on onions.
Schroeder for years has
been researching how to best
protect onions from post-har-
vest bacterial diseases.
Growers’ tools for rid-
ding onions of excess mois-
ture include field curing, and
adding air flow and heat after
Education: Ph.D., Wash-
ington State University;
M.S., North Carolina State
University; B.S., University
of Wisconsin-Madison.
Home: Pullman, Wash.
Family: Husband Kurtis
Schroeder, UI cropping
systems agronomist and
associate professor. Two
children.
Hobbies: Family activ-
ities, skiing, camping,
crocheting.
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
Oregon FFA has elected a
new slate of officers to lead
the organization in 2021-22.
The six-member team
was installed Thursday
during the final session of
the 93rd annual state con-
vention, which was held vir-
tually and livestreamed over
Facebook.
Isabel D’Acquisto, of
Central Point, was tabbed
as Oregon FFA state presi-
dent. She previously served
as president and reporter for
the Crater High School FFA
chapter and is a member of
the National Honor Society.
In her candidate appli-
cation, D’Acquisto told the
story of her horse, Sugar,
and how the animal began
going blind when she was 8.
The solution: her family tied
a bell around Sugar’s pas-
ture mate. Whenever the bell
rang, it would help to guide
Katie Price,
sentinel
Kylie
Baldwin,
reporter
her wherever she needed to
go.
“(At) Oregon FFA, we
are fortunate because, just
like Sugar trusted her friend
enough to follow the sound
of the bell, we have friends
holding bells all around us,”
D’Acquisto said. “These
friends guide us when we
can’t see the next step, mak-
ing us feel valuable even
when we feel unworthy.”
The rest of the 2021-22
Oregon FFA state officer
team includes:
• Justin Sharp, of Fort
Rock, vice president.
• Jonwyn Ayres, of Rogue
River, secretary.
• J.W. Dippold, of Imbler,
treasurer.
• Kylie Baldwin, of Red-
mond, reporter.
• Katie Price, of Sutherlin,
sentinel.
J.W.
Dippold,
treasurer
Jonwyn
Ayres,
secretary
Sharp has served as chap-
ter president and vice presi-
dent of North Lake FFA. He
hosted his own podcast, “The
Sharp Side of the World,”
interviewing policymakers
such as Oregon U.S. Rep.
Cliff Bentz — marking his
transformation from “being
an awkward middle schooler
who could barely carry a con-
versation with my teacher.”
“Oregon FFA, together
we will achieve that feeling
of accomplishment, success
and growth that I have had
the privilege of experienc-
ing,” Sharp wrote in his can-
didate application. Together
we will bounce back from
2020 in spectacular fashion.”
Ayres, most recently the
chapter president for Rogue
River FFA, said agriculture
has been a constant in her life
for as long as she can remem-
Small farm thrives during pandemic
By ALIYA HALL
For the Capital Press
PORTLAND — Origi-
nally, Lil’ Starts Urban Farm
was strictly a plant nursery.
It wasn’t until Lily and Luke
Klimaszewski got engaged
and decided to grow all the
food for their wedding that
they began growing produce.
“We way over planted and
by June we were swimming
in produce,” Lily Klimasze-
wski said, adding that they
were already selling their
plants at farmers markets and
were able to sell the excess
produce alongside them.
From there, the business
blossomed.
Lil’ Starts first began in
2013. The farm sells at farm-
ers markets, through their
Community Supported Agri-
culture program and directly
to restaurants. They farm
half an acre on their property
and in 2018 expanded to 4.5
acres they lease at the Head-
waters Incubator Farm.
It wasn’t until this year
that the income from the
farm completely supported
them. Despite the chal-
lenges with the pandemic,
Klimaszewski said that was
proof that small scale agri-
culture is sustainable.
“Last year people needed
something to do and wanted
to get more connected to any-
thing, but also where there
food is coming from,” she
said. “Part of it is that with
everything going on, peo-
ple want to feel good about
what’s going on with their
money, and supporting a
small farm makes them feel
good.”
When they first started
their CSA they had 12 mem-
bers. Now they have sold out
with 160 members.
Sustainability
is
an
important aspect of Lil’
Starts farm. They only use
non-GMO seeds and both
their plants and produce are
free of pesticides and syn-
thetic fertilizers. They make
their own soil mix, and their
compost is locally sourced.
“With all the changes in
the world, in order to sleep
well at night we need to know
we’re taking care of the earth
in the best way we possibly
can,” Klimaszewski said.
Along with it being bet-
ter for the environment, Kli-
maszewski said that, ironi-
cally, it’s harder to run a small
farm without sustainability
being a keystone. She said
they couldn’t even find GMO
seeds and aren’t big enough to
get an account at a farm sup-
ply store. Synthetic fertilizer
was also more expensive than
organic, she added.
“It’s not a decision we
make, it’s the only decision
to make,” she said before
adding that she doesn’t want
to demean conventional
farmers because everyone
has their reasons for the way
they farm.
Justin
Sharp, vice
president
Isabel
D’Acquisto,
president
ber. She now works at her
family’s livestock business,
Ayres Pascalar Angus.
“I have always loved
checking my cows late at
night with a spotlight in
hand, few hours of sleep, and
my favorite muck boots,”
Ayres said. “As leaders, we
are called to put our own
needs behind the needs of
others. Whether I’m caring
for cows, or serving Oregon
FFA, I remain committed to
and strive for these ideals.”
Dippold, chapter pres-
ident for Imbler FFA and
Eastern Oregon district sec-
retary, said he jumped into
FFA headfirst after visit-
ing his school’s agriculture
building for the first time in
seventh grade. “The FFA
has given me memories that
I will hold onto forever and
some of the best friendships
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Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager
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Idaho
they’re stored.
Ironically, some curing
temperatures can alleviate
problems with one pathogen
and elevate the risk of dam-
age from others, Schroeder
said.
If the crop is at risk for
bacterial problems, “then it
is much better to cure onions
at a lower temperature for a
longer period of time than at
a higher temperature for a
short period of time” before
they are stored, she said.
Oregon FFA elects new state officers for 2021-22
Team was installed
virtually at state
convention
Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor
I have ever known,” he said.
Baldwin, who served as
Redmond FFA vice pres-
ident and Central Oregon
district sentinel, reflected
on an unusual 2020, stuck
in online classes and seeing
local fairs canceled.
“This is the low that is
going to make the high so
sweet,” she said.
Price, chapter president
for Sutherlin FFA and dis-
trict president for Umpqua
FFA, also served last year
as a member of the Ameri-
can Boer Goat Association,
Central Oregon Beekeep-
ers Association and Ore-
gon Farm Bureau. “Over-
coming our uphill battles
can become much eas-
ier as we do it together,”
Price said. “With peer sup-
port and influence, the
mountains ahead are not as
daunting.”
Assuming coronavirus
restrictions are lifted at Ore-
gon schools, the FFA state
officer team can expect to
travel around the state next
fall, visiting with students
and leading workshops.
Oregon FFA has 112
local chapters and more than
11,000 members statewide.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 30
Practical Sensory Programs for Factories and Quality Manag-
ers (online): 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Practical Sensory Program course is
designed around a learn-and-apply model. Each participant will get a kit to
have hands-on activities to reinforce the concepts learned. He or she will
walk away with practical skills that can be applied immediately. The course
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International Mass Timber Conference (online): Benefit from 30-plus
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Index
TUESDAY-FRIDAY APRIL 6-9
Dairy .......................................................8
Idaho FFA State Convention (online): This year’s convention will be
online. It is a four-day celebration of members’ leadership, personal growth
and career success. Details will be available online at www.idahoffa.org/
SATURDAY APRIL 10
101st Annual California Ram Sale: 9 a.m., 4500 S. Laspina St., Tulare,
Calif. The California Wool Growers Association will host the 101st Annual Cal-
ifornia Ram Sale on Saturday, April 10, at the International Agri-Center in
Tulare, Calif. Ram sale information, including the sale catalog, schedule, lodg-
ing information and directions are is available on the CWGA website at www.
californiawoolgrowers.org To request a Ram Sale Catalog, contact the CWGA
office at 916-444-8122 or info@woolgrowers.org
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
AgForestry Leadership Class 41 Graduation: 5 p.m. Red Lion Hotel,
Wenatchee, Wash. Celebrate the graduation of AgForestry Leadership Class
41. This celebration was rescheduled from its origination April 10 date. Table
sponsorships are available. Cost: $60/adults, $20/child. Website: http://agfor-
estry.org/graduation-class-41/
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Opinion ...................................................6
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