Friday, January 28, 2022
CapitalPress.com 5
Idaho Innovators
Digging for data helps farmers
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
BRENDA SCHROEDER
MOSCOW, Idaho —
Brenda Schroeder’s work
ranges from investigat-
ing a foreign grass patho-
gen that can kill livestock
to determining the best soil
for growing potatoes and
how to most eff ectively cure
onions.
“A theme
to my work
is trying to
get knowl-
edge into
the hands of
stakehold-
ers
about
Brenda
the
biol-
ogy of their Schroeder
systems,”
said the University of Idaho
associate research professor
of entomology, plant pathol-
ogy and nematology. “And
the biology of their system
includes the pathogens, but
also aspects of benefi cials.
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.”
The
Moscow-based
Age: 53
Occupation: University of Idaho associate research profes-
sor, entomology, plant pathology and nematology. Member
American Phytopathological Society.
Education: Ph.D., Washington State University; M.S., North
Carolina State University; B.S., University of Wisconsin-Mad-
ison.
Home: Pullman, Wash.
Family: Husband Kurtis Schroeder, UI cropping systems
agronomist and associate professor. Two children.
Hobbies: Family activities, skiing, camping, crocheting.
Kurtis Schroeder
Brenda Schroeder, in an on-farm laboratory, inoculates
onion cultivars to determine diff erent resistance re-
sponses to pathogens when onions are in storage.
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 Austra-
lia causes toxic staggers and
is fatal if grazing animals
consume it. She is work-
ing to determine the distri-
bution of the U.S. bacteria
and is studying their genetic
profi les to determine if they
have the potential to pro-
duce 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 aff ect 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 associ-
ation to try to quantify the
native strains in association
with their nematode vec-
tors,” she said. The nema-
tode vectors will be studied
in a high-biosecurity lab in
Maryland, which has a sam-
ple of the Australia strain.
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 iden-
tify the biochemical and
biological 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 benefi cial for potato
production.”
Data likely will show
which organisms are pres-
ent and at what densities in
healthy potato soil.
The work could ulti-
mately show soil productiv-
ity potential, pathogen risk
“and benefi cial organisms
that we may not have known
were present in the soil prior
to this analysis,” Schroeder
said.
It also has the potential
to show a producer which
microbes could be added
to help soil rebound after
fumigation.
Another project focuses
on onions.
Schroeder for years has
been researching how to
best protect onions from
post-harvest
bacterial
diseases.
Growers’ tools for rid-
ding onions of excess mois-
ture include fi eld curing,
and adding air fl ow and heat
after 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.
This story fi rst appeared
March 26, 2021.
Startup business supports local agriculture
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
TRAVIS DIXON
Owner: Meat and Potato Company
products, and he sources
his hormone-free, antibiot-
ic-free chicken from Draper
Valley Farms in Oregon and
Washington.
He wants product that is
“the closest I can get it and
the best I can fi nd,” he said.
The business sources
product from more than 300
family farms in Idaho and
the Pacifi c Northwest.
In addition to local meat
and potatoes, the company
provides lobster tails and
jumbo and colossal shrimp.
The company off ers free
local delivery and is cur-
rently shipping to 38 states,
sending out a couple of
hundred boxes a month.
“I have orders going out
all over the place,” he said.
Another plus for envi-
ronmentally minded cus-
tomers is that all the compa-
ny’s packaging is recyclable
or biodegradable.
This story fi rst appeared
Feb. 26, 2021.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho —
Age: 44
Local meat and potato pro-
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
ducers and processors are
the foundation of a new,
Background: 25 years in foodservice sales
fi rst-of-its-kind
business
Affi liations: Approved by the Idaho Potato Commission,
in south-central Idaho that
working toward a local supplier listing with the Idaho Beef
delivers local, high-qual-
Council
ity beef, pork, chicken
Education: Studied business at College of Southern Idaho
and potatoes to customers’
doorsteps.
Family: Wife, Jamie; son, Teylor, 18; daughter Alyx, 20
The Meat and Potato
Online: For more information, visit: meatandpotatoco.com
Company began operations
in 2020 and is already see-
ing high demand for its
restaurant-grade products.
ers on consumers’ growing grown in the Mini-Cassia
The business is the brain-
desire for local foods from a area.
child of Travis Dixon, who
locally owned business that
The company’s jumbo
spent 25 years in foodser-
keeps money in the local russet potatoes and unique
vice sales.
economy, he said.
blend of rainbow fi nger-
“Our purpose is to give
The company’s aged ling potatoes, sought after
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
our customers the experi-
beef comes from cattle by top chefs, are grown
ence and fl avor of a steak- Travis Dixon, owner of the Meat and Potato Company, raised at Five Rivers feedlot in the Magic Valley and
house delivered right to their with some of the products he off ers for home delivery.
in Malta, Idaho, southwest Mini-Cassia areas.
door,” he said.
of Burley. All of the cattle
Dixon has also partnered
A little more than eight job as a district sales man-
“We’re trying to hit a are from the Northwest, and with Independent Meat of
years ago, Dixon started ager for a full-line foodser- couple of niches,” he said.
63% are from Idaho. All Twin Falls to provide a
thinking about a home-de- vice distributor it was easy
The business also deliv- of the feed for the cattle is wide variety of quality pork
livery service that could to lose focus.
provide local, high-qual-
Growing requests from
ity products directly to friends and acquaintances
consumers.
wanting
restaurant-type
FRESH FEED MATTERS
“I always thought there products they couldn’t get at
was going to be a need for retail stores got him back on
something like this,” he said. track.
WWW.WESTERNTRAILER.COM
He started looking into
They were looking for
ALL TRAILERS IN STOCK
website domain names and things like aged products
& READY FOR DELIVERY!
purchased meatandpotatoco. for steakhouses, higher-end
com.
products like giant potatoes
“I was hoping to do and colossal shrimp — prod-
something in the future, fi g- ucts that allow restaurants to
uring people would be buy- provide a good eating expe-
ing things online,” he said.
rience, he said.
He also started think-
His business can deliver
ing about partnerships with on those items, as well as
local ranchers, producers high-quality,
aff ordable
Livestock feed loses nutrients as
and processors. But with items people can get in gro-
its ages on store shelves. We make
a busy family life and his cery stores.
it fresh, daily, at our Idaho Mill.
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