Polk County News 2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 2, 2017 Rickreall Dairy earns ‘sustainability’ award By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer RICKREALL — Louie Kazemier’s efforts to care for the environment weren’t al- ways so appreciated. The owner of Rickreall Dairy, one of three recipi- ents of the Innovation Cen- ter for U.S. Dairy’s 2017 “Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award,” had to learn a few lessons on the way. One is not to mix drywall with manure. In the early 1990s, when the dairy first moved to its highly visible spot off High- way 22 in Rickreall, Kazemier decided to help with drywall recycling, thinking the material would act as lime in the holding pond. Well, it didn’t. The com- ponent that reacted with the manure was gypsum. “You mix gypsum with manure and you get sulfur. Within a month, oh it was horrible,” Kazemier recalled. “I sent letters to the neigh- bors, saying ‘I apologize, this is what we tried and it didn’t work.’ It took us about six months to get it out.” In the nearly three decades since, Kazemier has refined treatment of the in- evitable waste a dairy farm produces — and found ways to help local producers recy- JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Louie Kazemier’s Rickreall Dairy is home to 3,600 cows. cle their own wastewater and fertilize their crops. “We bring in liquid from other facilities, like fruit juice and some stuff from Coca-Cola. It’s got some sugar in it and some other odds and ends,” Kazemier said. “We take that and dump it into our holding tank and mix it with our manure and it adds bacte- ria. It just changes the com- position of the nutrients, and we then use that for ir- rigation and all the fertilizer is in it.” The partnership creates high-quality fertilizer for the crops the dairy grows to feed its cows and gives area pro- ducers a low-cost way to re- cycle water they used to have to pay to treat at mu- nicipal plants. Through trade partner- ships, local grass seed grow- ers also discovered the fertil- izing value of the dairy’s by- product. Kazemier said those farmers bring him clover, and he fills their trucks with fertilizer in ex- change. JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer “It’s like giving it a shot of rain with a whole bunch of fertilizer at the same time,” Kazemier said. “The fields green up.” The yields increase, too, he added. It’s that kind of thinking that earned the dairy the award, according to the In- novation Center for U.S. Dairy. The sustainability award recognizes dairy farms, businesses and partner- ships nationwide “whose practices improve the well- Louie Kazemier, owner of Rickreall Dairy, received the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability award. being of people, animals and the planet.” “We’re proud of the high standards that Louie’s fam- ily and employees main- tain to produce quality milk and a commitment to sustainability,” said Stan Ryan, the president and CEO of Darigold, the pro- cessing subsidiary of Northwest Dairy Associa- tion, which Rickreall Dairy is a member. Kazemier said he’s hum- bled by the recognition. “It was a pleasant sur- prise because every dairy in Oregon is held to the same standard. We are not allowed to pollute,” Kazemier said. “Everything that we are doing that’s a little bit different is for us to save money. So, it’s not only good for the environ- ment, it’s just plain good, smart business.” Biz registration is voluntary Committee proposes new model for business program By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — A business registration is back on the agenda for the Dallas City Council, but this time par- ticipation is voluntary. A previous attempt to make the registration mandatory, subject to an initial fee and annual renew- al cost, and penalties for not participating, elicited a neg- ative reaction from business owners. The owners who spoke said the cost wasn’t Symbolizing dignity, fame, and prosperity. Peridots have been used in jewelry through the ages to achieve peace and success, and to at- tract love and good fortune. this month 503-623-3117 837 Main St. • Dallas Mon-Fri 9-5:30 Sat 9-1 the problem. After a contentious meet- ing, the council decided to send the registration back to committee for reconsidera- tion. City leaders said the regis- tration wasn’t about money, but information and commu- nication with businesses. The registration would compile contact information for own- ers, a description of the busi- ness, and whether it stores hazardous chemicals that first responders should know about in case of emergency. For that reason, Councilor Kelly Gabliks, the chair- woman of the administra- tion committee, favored a mandatory registration. “In my mind, the reason why I continue to say make it mandatory because I just don’t know what good it would be if we make it dis- cretionary,” she said. City Manager Ron Foggin the main objective was find- ing a way to better connect with businesses in town. He used the upcoming Great American Eclipse events as an example. In- stead of mailing, the city has had to resort to hand deliv- ering information to shops that might be affected and hoping the owners have been paying attention. “The benefit is better communication between the city and the businesses themselves,” he said. “Right now, there isn’t.” He added that the city would need to purchase software compatible with the city’s financial program keep a business database up-to-date and bill for re- newals. Without a database and process of updating yearly, the information isn’t worth keeping. “The database is only as good as the information in there, which means you are going to have to contact all of those businesses every year,” Foggin said. Most of the councilors on the committee didn’t want to make it mandatory. Councilor Ken Woods Jr. said the city needed to offer a benefit to participation, such as inclusion in a list of businesses on the city’s website, to encourage own- ers to participate rather than force them. Councilor Jennie Rum- mell proposed charging a fee to be on the registry of $25 to help pay for the soft- ware. Annual renewals were set at $10. “Some people would be absolutely willing to pay for that,” Rummell said. The committee unani- mously recommended drafting a resolution author- izing Foggin to set up the program and establish the associated fees.