Idaho Farm Bureau Federation : - FB Quarterly

Spring 2017 Volume 17, Issue 2

Robotic Technology In Use on Idaho Dairies

• page 4

  State Ramps Up Aquifer Recharge Efforts

• page 8

Art Contest, Marketbasket Survey and more

- Inside

Beyond the Fencerows

Farmers and Ranchers Need a Simple, Fair Tax Code

By Zippy Duvall

President American Farm Bureau Federation

I don't know any farm- ers who work in a perfect environment, free from any risks or elements be- yond their control. Sober reminders are all around us these days. From rag- ing wildfires and non- stop rains to the chal- lenging farm economy,

many farmers and ranchers are doing their best to hold on for better days. Agriculture is not a

business for the faint of heart-it takes a lot of faith and perseverance, even in the best of cir- cumstances.

Congress can't change the weather, but it can do a lot to improve the climate for running a farm or ranch. Farmers and ranchers grow food, fuel and fiber in a world of uncertainty. We need a tax code that recognizes the unique financial challenges we face, and we need flexibility to run and expand our businesses.

See DUVALL, page 12

The President's Desk

Representing the Grassroots:

Challenging but Well Worth the Effort

By Bryan Searle

President Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

Our Idaho State Legisla- ture adjourned Sine Die on March 30. There were 540 bills and 75 resolu- tions and memorials that were introduced and con- sidered. In the end, 342 bills and 49 resolutions and memorials worked their way through the process and were either

signed into law or adopted.

The Idaho Farm Bureau had a successful year promoting and defending the policies of the members of this organization. Of the 55 bills and resolutions upon which we actively engaged, 50 were approved or rejected in accordance with Farm Bureau policies.

Among those many bills, one issue stood out in a special way for me and I want to relate the story to our members. When Farm Bureau members met in mid-February for our annual legislative conference, there were two bills on dyed diesel

See SEARLE, page 7

Inside Farm Bureau

Estate Tax Repeal

By Rick Keller

CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

This past year, my wife Alene and I each watched the passing of a loving parent. My father and Alene's mother. My mother is still healthy and blessing her family greatly. Alene's father passed away seventeen years ago. Alene's fam-

ily is currently going through the process of settling the estate. The estate is a small fam- ily farm which raised four generations and is

starting on the fifth generation. Although this small farm is exempt from federal estate tax obligations, understanding the devastation that can come from estate taxes on a farm is real to many farm families across this nation.

Individuals, family partnerships and family corporations own over 97 percent of our na- tion's two million farms and ranches. America values these family-owned farms and ranches because of the food, fiber, and fuel they pro- duce, the contribution that agriculture makes to

See KELLER, page 12

2 Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPrING 2017

Volume 17, Issue 2

IFBF oFFICerS

President ........................................Bryan Searle, Shelley

Vice President .................................. mark trupp, driggs

executive Vice President .............................. rick Keller Board oF dIreCtorS

austin tubbs .............................................................malad

dan Garner .............................................................Clifton

Chris dalley ...................................................... Blackfoot

CoNTENTS

FEATuRES

Stephanie mickelsen........................................ Idaho Falls

danny Ferguson .......................................................rigby

Scott Steele .................................................... Idaho Falls

Gerald marchant ................................................. oakley

rick Pearson .................................................. hagerman

rick Brune ...........................................................hazelton

luke Pearce ............................................ New Plymouth

Cody Chandler ...................................................... Weiser

tracy Walton ....................................................... emmett

marjorie French .............................................. Princeton

Bob Konen ...........................................................lewiston

tom daniel .............................................. Bonners Ferry

Judy Woody ............................................................... Filer

laNae Nalder..........................................................rupert

StaFF

assist. exec Vice President .................. dennis Brower

director of admin. Services ....................... Cara dyer Commodities & marketing assistant ..melissa Nelson member Services assistant .................... Peggy moore

Public relations assistant ....................... dixie ashton dir. of organization .................................. Justin Patten

Commodities & marketing .......................... Zak miller

dist. III regional manager .................. Charles Garner

dist. IV regional manager .........................Brody miller

dist.V regional manager ...................... Bob Smathers dir. of Governmental affairs ...............russ hendricks asst. dir. of Governmental affairs ... dennis tanikuni director of Public relations ............. John thompson Video Services manager ........................... Steve ritter

Broadcast Services manager .................... Jake Putnam

Office Manager, Boise ......................... Julie araquistain

member Services manager ....................... Joel Benson assistant treasurer.................................. tyler Zollinger energy/Natural resources ..................... Braden Jensen

Printed by: owyhee Publishing, homedale, Id

IDAHO FARM BUREAU QUARTERLY

despite lack of experience, elba farmer heber loughmiller opens a robotic, organic dairy

PAGE 4

Idaho State officials take advantage of bountiful snowpack by doubling aquifer recharge plans PAGE 8

legislators increase fund- ing to protect from invasive species. But many question whether it will be enough to protect waterways from persistent invaders

PAGE 10

Fish and Game releases grizzly bear relocation procedures in anticipation of endangered Species delisting

PAGE 14

americans believe agriculture is sustainable, favor incentives over regulations

PAGE 21

Spring picnic market basket survey shows lower prices for eggs, beef, chicken, pork and cheese

PAGE 38

uSPS #022-899, is published quarterly by the Idaho Farm Bureau FederatIoN,

275 tierra Vista drive, Pocatello, Id 83201.

PoStmaSter send changes of address to: Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly

P.o. Box 4848, Pocatello, Id 83205-4848.

Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, Id

and additional mailing offices.

SuBSCrIPtIoN: $4 a year included in Farm Bureau dues.

MAGAZINE CONTACTS:

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

EDITOR [phone] • ADS [phone]

e-maIl: [e-mail] www.idahofb.org

Cover: a lely robot pushes feed up close so cattle can reach it easier. the small robot works its way up and down the manger every two hours, 24 hours a day. See article on page 4.

Photo by Steve Ritter

Beyond the Fencerows: Zippy duvall 2

the President's desk: Bryan Searle 2

Inside Farm Bureau: rick Keller 2

university of Idaho Forestry 18

Word Search 24

Farm Facts 28

Classifieds 42

DEPARTMENTS

Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPrING 2017 3

loughmiller dairy near elba, Idaho. Photo by Steve Ritter

One Farmer's Unique Journey

By John Thompson

ELBA - Heber Loughmiller's dairy could be described as a place only a mother could love. It's not the typical bucolic setting that many of us envision when we think of country living. But Loughmiller is any- thing but typical.

Unconventional fits and he seems to revel in the fact that his peers might think he's touched. He describes the farm as "a place that bankrupted the last four families that tried it here."

On this particular day in late March, the pastures strewn with softball-sized rocks surrounding his small barn, are struggling to green-up. A stiff breeze from up the val- ley puts a bite in the air, making us wonder if winter is done here yet. Cassia Creek is running bank-full. It dissects the farm on its way east toward its confluence with Raft River. An Australian shepherd is ly- ing in the sun next to a calf pen that blocks the breeze. He's indifferent about the four strangers who just got out of a pickup.

Loughmiller is an affable sort, witty, con- fident, and self-deprecating. He owns and oversees a one-employee, 120-cow, or- ganic, robotic dairy, complete with a large, hairy goat that could have just wandered in looking for a free meal, and a dog with a questionable work ethic.

Speaking of work ethic, Loughmiller's lone employee describes his boss's labor contribution as "insignificant." To which Loughmiller says, "I don't disagree, but he's got to understand, I'm management."

On a robotic dairy, the cows set a casual pace and the farm pretty much runs itself, which is vastly different from the bustle of a conventional dairy. In a lot of ways, a robotic dairy is a cow psychology experi- ment. The cows aren't pressured or herded from one place to another. Whatever they decide to do is their idea.

Loughmiller wants them to come to the ro- bot, give milk, drink water, go to pasture, eat grass and lay down. But Holstein cattle are curious by nature and they don't al- ways do what he wants. They like to patrol

the boundaries of the pasture and some of them are timid. Some value their privacy and won't come to the robot if any other cows are there at the same time - especial- ly if a boss cow that might bully them is in the holding pen.

Although he had never owned milk cows before this dairy originated in June 2015, Loughmiller has farmed all of his life. He has experience with beef cattle and various crops. Needless to say, his banker was a bit puzzled about this plan to start an organic dairy with two robotic milking machines.

"I was not a dairyman," he said. "I had some kids that were under-employed and I had some ground, so we went looking for an opportunity."

Another difference, Loughmiller ex- plained, between his farm and convention- al dairies, is his dairy has a Swedish milk- ing attachment system as opposed to the Mexican attachment systems used more commonly down the valley.

Lely Robots are manufactured in Sweden.

4 Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly / SPrING 2017