Friday, August 19, 2022
CapitalPress.com 5
Innovator turns sheep’s milk into ice cream
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press
Washington state is expected to produce a small-
er-than-average crop this year due in part to a pro-
longed cool, stormy spring.
Washington’s apple
crop expected to be
smaller than average
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
Apple industry lead-
ers predict Washington
state will produce a small-
er-than-average crop this
year due in part to a cold
and stormy spring that
damaged blossoms and
limited pollination.
The Washington State
Tree Fruit Association on
Monday projected that
the 2022 state fresh apple
crop will total 108.7 mil-
lion 40-pound boxes, an
11.1% decrease from last
year’s 122.3 million boxes
and significantly smaller
than the five-year average
of 128.3 million boxes.
This prediction falls in
line with earlier estimates
from growers at the Wash-
ington Apple Commission
meeting May 26, who had
forecast 105 million to 115
million boxes.
Growers at the commis-
sion meeting based their
estimates on how apple
trees bloomed this spring,
which many said was
“spotty,” in some cases
with entire orchard blocks
not blooming.
“My take is, it seems
like nobody has a good
crop,” commissioner Jim
Thomas had said at the
May meeting.
Jon DeVaney, presi-
dent of Washington State
Tree Fruit Association, or
WSTFA, said in a state-
ment Monday that his
organization is neverthe-
less “pleased with the size
of the harvest, particularly
in the face of a long, cold
spring.”
DeVaney said WSTFA
members are still evaluat-
ing the impact of the pro-
longed cold weather and
are gauging ongoing crop
development.
Apple harvest typi-
cally begins in August and
continues into Novem-
ber. In previous years,
figures on crop volumes
have frequently changed
as the harvest season has
progressed.
“Weather is always a
factor, and some varieties
still have several months
of growth ahead,” said
DeVaney.
WSTFA’s
estimates
show that five popular
apple varieties will make
up the majority of the har-
vest. Gala is leading at
20% of total production.
Red Delicious and Honey-
crisp are each projected at
14%, followed by Granny
Smith at 13.4% and Fuji at
12.7%.
Cosmic Crisp, a new
proprietary variety grown
only in Washington state,
will make up 4.6% of the
harvest this year, up from
3.2% last year.
The organic category
also continues to grow.
Washington leads the
nation in production of
organic apples, account-
ing for more than 90% of
domestic production. This
year, Washington’s organic
apple crop is forecast to be
14.4 million boxes, 13% of
the total harvest.
According to WSTFA,
apples grown in Washing-
ton state are sold in more
than 40 countries, although
exports have fallen since
COVID-19 hit in 2020.
According to data from
the Northwest Horticul-
tural Council and Wash-
ington Apple Commis-
sion, Washington’s apple
exports hit a 22-year low
this January, with only
21.3% of the state’s apples
being exported compared
to the 31% pre-COVID
average due to tariffs, ship-
ping congestion and dis-
rupted global markets.
With some markets
and shipping lines still out
of whack, growers wel-
come this year’s smaller
crop; a large crop could be
harder to market and ship
globally.
In a statement, Derek
Sandison, director of the
Washington State Depart-
ment of Agriculture, said
apple harvest remains
vitally important to the
state’s economy, repre-
senting about $7.5 bil-
lion in annual economic
impact.
“Although they have
faced many challenges
this year, I wish the work-
force and the state’s grow-
ers success as they begin
another great harvest,”
said Sandison.
Twelve years ago, a wild
idea popped into Alexis
Negranti’s head: Was it pos-
sible to turn sheep’s milk into
ice cream?
Sheep cheeses — includ-
ing Manchego, Pecorino
Romano and feta — were
growing in popularity in the
U.S market. But ice cream?
Although she had never heard
of someone making sheep’s
milk ice cream, the con-
cept of starting a sheep dairy
and creamery appealed to
Negranti, marrying her love
for animals with her passion
for high-quality, delicious
food.
After a deeper research
dive, Negranti found that
companies were making
sheep’s milk ice cream in
New Zealand and Europe, but
she couldn’t find anyone who
had produced it in the U.S. for
retail or wholesale. Negranti
saw it as a gap she could fill.
When she first shared the
idea with her husband, Wade,
she recalls he thought it was
crazy.
“We didn’t have an ounce
of dairy experience,” she said.
Wade raised cattle in Cen-
tral California, but neither he
nor Alexis had ever milked
an animal before, much less
invented a new kind of ice
cream.
Alexis Negranti, however,
was determined, and a month
later, she and her husband
drove 18 hours to buy a starter
Alexis Negranti holds a
sheep’s milk ice cream
cone.
GET IN TOUCH
Sheep dairy farmers in-
terested in selling milk to
Negranti Creamery can
email alexis@negranti-
creamery.com or call
(805)-801-3847.
flock of ewes from a breeder
in Arizona. Wade Negranti
built a dairy out of a cargo
container, the pair milked their
first sheep in 2011, and Alexis
Negranti set to work inventing
ice cream recipes and experi-
menting with new flavors.
Today, Negranti Cream-
ery’s products are a hit
among consumers. The
company, which started with
one small ice cream shop
in Paso Robles, Calif., now
has three scoop shops in
Central California and one
in Boise. Within the next
eight months, the cream-
ery plans to open two more
shops: another near Boise
and one in Tennessee, where
Negranti’s family recently
Negranti Creamery
The Negranti family, left to right: June, Alexis, Wade and
Eli Negranti.
The creamery’s two most
popular ice cream flavors are
salted brown sugar and straw-
berry basil.
As the business grew in
recent years, Negranti said
it became difficult to bal-
ance running both the farm
and creamery. So, she sold
her flock and decided to
source milk from other sheep
farms, allowing her to focus
on ice cream production and
marketing.
Negranti has sourced
milk from the West Coast,
including Oregon, and is
open to working with more
dairy sheep farms, especially
those with Lacaune and East
Friesen breeds or crosses.
“One of our core values is
supporting American farm-
ers and ranchers and Amer-
ican-made goods,” said
Negranti.
relocated from California.
The family also runs an ice
cream catering truck and sells
ice cream online.
Watching
the
busi-
ness and consumer inter-
est in sheep’s milk grow has
been “extremely exciting,”
Negranti said.
Negranti Creamery targets
customers who care about
healthy eating or are sensi-
tive to cow milk. Many peo-
ple with cow milk allergies
find goat and sheep milk eas-
ier to digest and often prefer
the taste and creaminess of
sheep ice cream over alterna-
tive plant-based ice creams.
The creamery’s high-end
products are also popular
among health-conscious con-
sumers because the business
uses mainly whole ingredi-
ents with limited processing
or additives.
Idaho takes over distribution of cattle trich tags
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Changes to the Idaho
State Department of Agri-
culture trichomoniasis test-
ing program aim to ben-
efit cattle producers and
veterinarians.
The department said abor-
tions and markedly smaller
calf crops, especially in first-
calf heifers, could indicate a
herd has been infected by
the venereal disease. It does
not present outward signs of
infection.
Idaho in 1989 became
the first state to require
annual trich testing, which
the industry requested. More
than 300 bulls tested posi-
tive that year.
The state requires annual
testing for all resident
non-virgin bulls and all at
least two years old. Non-vir-
gin bulls brought in from
another state must be tested
within 60 days if they are at
least 18 months old unless
they are part of a herd mov-
ing on an approved grazing
permit. These herds must
have a current-season result
submitted with the grazing
application.
State Veterinarian Scott
Leibsle of ISDA said trich
ebbs and flows, with the
most recent season pro-
ducing two positives out of
nearly 30,000 cattle tests.
He said testing every
Dr. Scott
Leibsle
required
bull every
year drives
program
success by
providing
valuable
informa-
tion beyond
annual raw
numbers.
Even in low-incidence
years, “grazing next door to
a guy with a positive test is a
concern,” Leibsle said.
A challenge is that much
of the demand occurs in
October and November
when cattle come off pas-
ture, and in March and April
when they go back onto pas-
ture. Tags, which vets have
distributed through the sea-
son, can run short.
ISDA announced it is tak-
ing over tag distribution for
the Sept. 1-Aug. 31 testing
year.
Leibsle said the depart-
ment is buying a full-
year supply of trich tags
upfront “to eliminate back
orders and supply-chain
issues so vets will always
have tags available when
they need them throughout
the year.”
A department advi-
sory said this should elimi-
nate the frustration of hav-
ing to cancel or reschedule
appointments due to tags
being out of stock.
The department said
orders can be placed starting
Aug. 22. Total cost to veter-
inarians for the coming sea-
son is $1.50 per tag includ-
Piva Rafter P Ranch
Custer County, ID
1,410 Acres | $13,000,000
ing shipping and handling.
The minimum order is 20.
Larger orders can be made
in increments of 10.
Leibsle said the depart-
ment also developed a new
submission protocol for
sending in samples for test-
ing. The key feature is a dif-
ferent container in which the
sample is submitted.
He said the new container
is inexpensive and widely
available, which should
make it easier and more
affordable for veterinarians
to submit samples.
Succor Creek Cattle Ranch
Chilly Valley Lifestyle Estate
Klamath County, OR
27 Acres | $3,250,000
Malheur County, OR
1,052 Acres | $5,900,000
Rio Vista Ranch
Okanogan County, WA
114 Acres | $3,350,000
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