The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 15, 1978 NINK
Smouse ranch highlighted in soil conservation tour
Farming the dryland wheat
country north of lone has
changed considerably during
Ken Smouse 's 50-odd year
association with the area.
In the 1920s, Smouse re
members that it often took all
winter through May to finish
plowing his father's wheat
land with teams and four-foot
plows, to prepare for a crop
that was considered success
ful if it yielded 15 bushels an
acre. Today, he plows his
fallow ground into 1,000-foot
wide strips with a diesel
pulled 30-foot chisel plow, and
has experienced yields as high
as 56 bushels an acre, after a
two-year fallow.
It takes special skill and
planning just to keep topsoil
from blowing off the semi-arid
cropland of the lone area
plains, where annual rainfall
averages only nine inches.
Through the years, Smouse
has proved his mastery of
these arts on his 1,800 acre
spread. In recognition, he was
recently named Morrow Coun
ty's Soil Conservation Man of
the Year.
Smouse can recall the effect
poor conservation practices
had on the area's farmland in
the 1930s. "A Standard Oil
man was bringing out some
gas along Baseline Road one
time, and the dust got so bad
he couldn't see," he said. "He
got out of the truck to try to
find his way, and he walked
into a barbwire gate. We went
back to where his truck was
supposed to be, and passed
within a foot of it without
seeing it."
During the Depression
years, a number of area
farmers were forced to move
due to the poor economic
climate, not helped in the least
by local weather condi
tions that resembled the
Oklahoma Dust Bowl. A
number of area farmers who
managed to stay with their
land successfully lobbied the
State Legislature for laws that
would establish a wind erosion
district, to allow conservaton
work to be performed on
drought-stricken farms owned
by absentee landlords. Both
Smouse and his father have
served on the wind erosion
district board that was cre
ated in the effort.
Smouse left the family farm
to attend Oregon State, where
he studied engineering, then
went on to work several years
for the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
After his father died in the
early 1940s, Smouse returned
to manage the family farm,
where he has remained since.
A number of years back, the
government was willing to
subsidize farmers who laid out
their grain land in strips of
alternating fallow and crop
land. Smouse thought it was a
good conservation idea, "but I
didn't like the requirement
IAN
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Ken Smouse, Morrow County's soil conservation Man of
the Year, stands knee-deep in wheat on his 1,800 acre dryland
operation north of lone in photo at left. Center photo shows
wheat furrows growing on former "no-till" fallow land at test
strip on Pat Cutsforth farm. At right, County Extension
Agent Harold Kerr shows wheat plant affected by foot rot
disease to area farmers, including Smouse, holding camera.
The farmers' tour was held in conjunction with a visit to the
Smouse ranch, to honor the lone area wheat grower for his
Man of the Year status.
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that they had to be 200 feet
apart that was too narrow."
He opted instead to go on his
own, and make the strips 1,000
feet wide, laid out in diagonal
Grain Growers chemically
test his soil to determine
which variety and how much
fertilizer to use. "I generally
do just what they recom-
"iry to keep as much stubble as
possible on top of the ground"
lines, edgewise to the soil
scattering prevailing sou
therly winds, also providing
protection from occasional
freezing northerlies.
He has continued the prac
ticd ever since. After each
harvest, the cropland stubble
is turned partially under with
a chisel plow for fallow, and
the fallow land is drilled with
new wheat. The land must be
alternated annually, to keep
the nitrogen and moisture
levels of the soil at productive
levels.
Smouse, like most other
area farmers, uses chisel
plowing, rather than full-bottom
plowing, to "try to keep as
much stubble as possible on
top of the ground," in order to
prevent erosion through the
stubble's mulching action.
Smouse's operation is be
lieved to be the largest strip
farm in Oregon. Similar
wide-strip grain crops are
currently being raised in
Montana, he said.
The Smouse operation has
never been irrigated. This
year, he has planted mostly
the McDermitt variety of
dryland wheat, with some
acreage devoted to spring
wheat. In past years, he has
raised some barley, but wheat
has always been his bread and
butter crop.
For the past 15 years or so,
Smouse has had the Pendleton
FOR DSD
o
a
a
Heppner
Friday & Saturday
Enjoy a fine steak or seafood dinner....
complete service with an excellent salad bar.
RAY nniR11.
. PRIDIE
HEPPNER ELKS
MEMBERS AND OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS ONLY
LIMITED
ENGAGEMENT
H
ere9s why you should vote "yes"
mend," he said.
Since undergoing open heart
surgery a couple of years
back, Smouse has been aided
in his farming by Leo Crab
tree. Crabtree termed
Smouse's farm "an almost
ideal one or two man opera
tion." Last Friday, Smouse was
honored for his Man of the
Year status by a visit from
nearly three dozen area grain
growers and agricultural spe
cialists, who stopped to pay
their respects and tour his
farm.
The Man of the Year Award
is given by the Oregon Wheat
League and the Morrow
County Soil and Water Conser
vation District.
on the Pioneer Memorial
Hospital levy Tuesday, June
4sd 6
Today the increasing cost of hospital care
and service concerns everyone and most of
all, we who provide the health care. Different
groups propose different solutions. ..reduce
facilities, beds and equipment. Broaden
insurance benefits. Cut insurance benefits.
Decrease federal controls. Regulate physi
cians. And the list goes on.
We believe however, that first, it's
important to understand the problem.
First, simple inflation. Just like everything
else, hospital supplies, services and staff cost
more each year everything from bedpans to
biopsies.
Secondly, regulation. You won't find it
itemized on your bill but one of the most
substantial and most rapidly increasing costs
of hospital care is "red tape". Eight federal
regulations alone add $22 to every hospital
bill.
Third, demand. Here in Morrow County we
live in an uncrowded, un
polluted and consequently, sparsely popu
lated area. Still we provide top quality
hospital services and medical care. The small
population, however, means that we have an
average bed occupancy of only 38 per cent
and it takes about 48 per cent occupancy to
break-even. Cutting back on a few beds won't
cut back much on costs because you still need
a basic staff and certain, complex equipment
to treat the needs of those using the hospital.
There is yet another reason why Pioneer
Memorial Hospital is asking you to approve
our operating levy for one year. Included in
the budget for 1978-79 is $52,391 for capital
outlay. ..that is, needed equipment throughout
the hospital. From an equipment standpoint
we have cut back over the past few years and
now we simply can't afford to wait. ..without
compromising health care.
hat can be done to control the health
care cost spiral?
Who's to blame for increasing hospital
costs: Everyone... but here's what we are
going to do about it.
Your hospital board of trustees and
administration are asking that you approve
our levy request of $190,082, in order that we
can keep Pioneer Memorial the fine hospital
that it is.
Secondly, we are and will continue to
formulate plans for a health care district that
would benefit the entire county. The chief
goals of the district would be to give
responsibility to an elected board of directors
(at the present time hospital board
members are appointed), to provide a vehicle
for people from both ends of the county to use
to get their health dare needs taken care of
and to provide a much better system of
administration.
You the people will have the last say
because in order to form a health care
district, it has to be voted in.
We'll hold numerous public meetings and
provide you with a bevy of information on the
hospital district, but first we have to pass our
operating levy for the 1978-79 year.
We're concerned and need your help.
We, like you are concerned about rising
hospital costs and we're doing everything
possible to keep them under control. But not
at the cost of good patient care and
service for our profit and loss is measured in
longer lives and stronger bodies. And when it
comes to your good health, we know you don't
want to go back to the so-called "good old
days" either.
II
e're concerned and need your help.
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
of Morrow County
Hi This advertisment paid for by Citizens for the Pioneer Memorial Hospital levy.
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