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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2015)
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015 Business & Ag Baker’s FFA Ag Issues team places in top six at state competition — Weekly Hay Report — Friday, March 27, 2015 — Eastern Oregon Prices trended generally steady compared to the same quality last week. Trade activity and demand increased this week. The continued good weather in several areas of Oregon has slowed down demand, as pasture grasses are growing causing end users to be able to turn animals out on pasture rather than purchase and feed additional hay. Few containers available at the shipping ports has slowed down the ability to export hay overseas. Several producers have sold all that they plan to sell for this season. Alfalfa- Large Square/Good, 1,000 tons, $150 avg. Triticale - Large Square/Good, 56 tons, $125 avg. USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Cattle Market Report — Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 638 Chuck Buchanan / The Baker County Press Baker FFA Ag Issues team, left to right: Taylor Hawes, Kylie Skidgel, Ashlee Brinton, Hannah Oliver, Chris- tian Oliver, and Robie Davis. By Chuck Buchanan News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Silverton High School in Silverton, Oregon was the site of the 87th Annual Oregon FFA State Conven- tion held March 20-23rd, 2015. FFA, also known as Fu- ture Farmers of America, is an organization that today rewards students for their efforts in diversified field ranging from Ag Sales and Ag Communications to Parliamentary Proce- dures and Prepared Public Speaking to Livestock Pro- duction Entrepreneurship. Each year on the week- end before spring break, Oregon FFA gathers at a different venue to cel- ebrate the achievements of its members during that school year. Thirty-five members of the Baker FFA chapter, accompanied by parent chaperones and Ag instruc- tor Seth Bingham, traveled to Silverton to participate in this year’s convention. Five members, Kylie Skidgel, Robie Davis, Morgan Scilacci, Carley Johnson and Melissa Foltz received their State FFA Degrees, the second high- est degree awarded in FFA. State Degree recipients must keep accurate records of income and expenses re- lating to whatever projects they may be involved in as well as accomplishing a long list of other require- ments. These five students are to be congratulated for their hard work and dedi- cation to FFA. Six of those traveling to Convention made up the Baker FFA Ag Issues team. The team was accompa- nied by their coach, Chuck Buchanan. Ag Issues is what is known as a CDE, or Career Development Event. The team is required to research an issue that is important to agriculture then produce a fifteen minute skit or presentation showing the pros and cons of that issue as it relates to modern agriculture. Baker’s topic was titled “To Graze or Not to Graze: Mob Grazing As a Tool to Combat Desertification” and was presented using a Star Wars theme. During this presenta- tion, the actors discussed the various aspects of the ongoing process of the degradation, or desertific - tion, of agricultural lands around the world due to a number of mitigating factors. Mob grazing, or holistic grazing as it is also known, is a system of concentrated grazing of small pastures in a rotation and has been touted by scientists in a number of countries as a potential cure for desertifi- cation. The team’s presen- tation discussed the pros and cons of mob grazing. The State Ag Issues competition was held in two sessions. In the first session, which took place on Friday March 20th, teams from across the state were divided up into flights of three or four teams. Eleven teams in three flights competed at this year’s Convention. Two teams from each flight were chosen to go to the final competition based on their presentation and on a written portfolio turned in before the competition. Baker FFA’s Ag Issues team competed in the final on Sunday, March 22nd as one of the top six but failed to place in the top four, which are awarded banners. The top team, made up of members of the Sandy FFA Chapter, won the competition and will represent Oregon at the National FFA Convention in October. Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk 250.00-275.00 Top 288.00 500-600# Bulk 230.00-255.00 Top 260.50 Yearling Steers 600-700# Bulk 230.00-248.00 Top 251.00 700-800# Bulk 205.00-223.00 Top 228.00 800-900# Bulk 185.00-197.00 Top 204.75 900-1,000# Bulk 170.00-185.00 Top 195.50 Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 205.00-225.00 Top 230.00 700-800# Bulk 200.00-206.00 Top 210.00 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Thin Shelly Cows 75.00-90.00 Butcher Cows 91.00-104.00 Butcher Bulls 105.00-120.00 Stock Cows 1200.00-2200.00 Younger Hfrts. 125.00 top Stock Cows Yng. - N/A ProducersLivestock.com 541-473-3136 — Log Price Report — Program offers sage grouse habitat protection on private property By Brian Addison Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com A decision from US Fish and Wildlife on whether to list Greater sage-grouse as a federally recognized endangered species is expected in September of this year and land owners and agricultural produc- ers in Baker County have been offered a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) to protect against impacts should the bird be listed. “Baker County has re- cently signed a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances with US Fish and Wildlife Service. The main goal of the CCAA program is to assist landowners in preparing their land for the possible land use regulations that would come with listing the sage grouse,” accord- ing to a press release from Baker County Soil and Wa- ter Conservation Districts. “Some land owners and different agency people have compared the poten- tial impact to the ag indus- try if the sage-grouse is listed to impacts felt by the timber industry when the spotted owl was listed,” said Whitney Collins, district manager of Baker County Soil and Water Conservation District. The CCAA works as an “insurance policy for land Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk 285.00-330.00 Top 333.00 500-600# Bulk 260.00-292.00 Top 297.00 Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon Delivered to Elgin Doug Fir / Larch 6”+ $370/m White Fir/Sp 6”+ $380/m LPP 6”+ $350/m Delivered to La Grande P. Pine 6-11” $290/m 12-17” $340/m 18-23” $390/m 24’+ $420/m Delivered to Pilot Rock 12-17” $390/m 18-23” $440/m 24’+ $480/m Photo Courtesy of USFWS The Greater sage-grouse’s listing as an endangered species will happen—or not—this September. owners if the sage-grouse “A lot of landowners are violation of sage-grouse is listed,” said Collins. already doing this stuff habitat protection regula- Landowners who choose and they just need to get tions and the imposition of to sign a CCAA with the it down on paper,” Collins large fines Soil and Water Conserva- said. Baker County Soil tion District enter into a “Once a CCAA has been and Water Conservation 30-year agreement requir- signed, if a complaint Districts, serving Baker ing them to implement arises against a landowner, Valley, Burnt River, Keat- conservation strategies on the US Fish and Wildlife ing and Eagle valleys, have their land to protect sage- Service would call the Soil scheduled an informational grouse habitat, according and Water Conservation meeting for landowners to Collins. The CCAA District, and then we’d call interested in the CCAA documents the habitat con- the landowner,” Collins program. Speakers include servation plan and, as long explained. representatives from as the landowner remains Once a complaint has the United States Forest within the plan, protects been made, it would then Service, Baker County Soil the landowner from com- be determined whether and Water Conservation plaints. the complaint was valid Districts, and the Baker Landowners entering into based on the plan in place County Board of Commis- the private CCAA work through the CCAA. If it is sioners. with the Soil and Water determined that the land The informational meet- Conservation Districts to owner is operating within ing will be held on Thurs- draw a reasonable plan to the CCAA plan and pro- day, April 9 from 6 p.m. to address sage-grouse habitat viding the habitat protec- 8 p.m. at the Oregon Trail protection on their land tions outlined in the CCAA Electric Cooperative meet- and within their operations, plan, that landowner is ing room, located at 4005 according to Collins. protected against being in 23rd Street. Delivered pulp $28/ton to Elgin $28/ton to La Grande Courtesy of Arvid Andersen, Andersen Forestry Consulting — Precious Metals Report — Price per ounce, USD Gold: $1184.20 Silver: $16.58 Platinum: $1,142.25 Palladium: $734.85 Bloomberg.com — Ag Commodities — Corn: $377.50/bu/USD Wheat: $512.50/bu/USD Soybeans: $968.00/bu/USD Oats: $267.00 bu/USD Rough Rice: $11.02/cwt/USD Canola: $454.50 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $152.55/lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $217.05/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $76.55/lb./USD Bloomberg.com
