The Mar.17 edition of "The Wall Street Journal" (WSJ) carried pro and con op-ed pieces on the "Question: should hydropower dams on the Snake River be breached to save the salmon," with a "yes" writing by Buzz Ramsey and a "no" piece by Garfield County wheat and barley producer Roger Koller (who also serves as co-chairman of WAWG's Transportation Committee, with special focus on river navigation). The WSJ's editorial lead for the 2 pieces read:

"In the Northwest, it's hard to find a question that evokes such passionate responses: should 4 Snake River dams be breached to help revive endangered salmon? Even biologists can't agree on whether dismantling the dams&emdash;Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite&emdash;would make a significant difference to the fish that swim in the Snake. In the end, because the dams are federally maintained, Washington, DC will decide their fate. Whatever the outcome, there will be emotional objections. Here, Buzz Ramsey, president of the Northwest Sportsfishing Industry Association in Hood River, OR, and Roger Koller, a wheat farmer in Pomeroy, WA, argue the case."

Ramsey's opening statement:

"At least $2-billion has been spent on barges, trucks and elaborate collection-and-bypass systems to help young fish get around hydropower dams on the Lower Snake and Columbia rivers. Everything has been tried except retiring a few dams. The result has been a costly failure. ... It's time to stop throwing good money after bad." Ramsey continues: "Sure dams aren't the only reason the fish are disappearing, just the biggest.... It's time for industries that have benefited from these federally subsidized dams to pay their fair share for salmon recovery. Bypassing the dams would have an economic impact, but less than one might think ... Barge shipping on the Lower Snake would cease. But, with new investment in infrastructure, local economies would go back to using trucks and railroads, which carried goods for over a century before the Snake dams were finished in 1975." Ramsey concludes: "According to a preliminary report produced for the Army Corps of Engineers, dam breaching could contribute $1-billion a year in increased sportfishing and recreation on the Snake River alone. What does it say about us if we are willlng to kill off these magnificent fish, the soul of the Northwest? As Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has pointed out, dams are not timeless monuments like Egypt's pyramids; they are tools. Some have simply become too expensive and deadly to keep."

Koller's writing opens with reminiscence about boyhood picnics along the undammed Snake. "Do I miss the river of my youth?" he then asks. "Yes. Would I turn back the clock? No! Today the river churns with activity transporting grain, wood chips and containers to the ocean, while providing enough electricity to power a population base the size of Seattle. Fishermen troll the river for chinook and steelhead. Yet there are those who propose breaching the dams in order to restore fish runs to levels of the early 1900s. The question is, will this restore the runs to past levels, and at what cost? Fish runs have diminished. But are the Snake River dams solely culpable? A recent National Marine Fisheries Service report stated there are more juvenile Snake River salmon surviving their migration to the Pacific today than there were in the early 1960s. Between 50% and 60% of the fish migrating in the river survive the trip, and evidence points to more than 90% surviving individual dam passages. This suggests other factors are at work in the salmon's decline. Since 1977, ocean conditions have not been favorable to salmon.... Gillnetting of an endangered species is no way to save fish. Predators such as Caspian terns and sea lions snare million of fish a year. Even if the dams are breached, much of the spawning grounds these fish once used are now under water behind dams without fish ladders in Idaho. Yet there has been no focus on breaching any of these dams.

"Those who would breach the Lower Snake dams fail to appreciate the huge role the rivers play in the region's economy," Koller continued. "The Columbia-Snake river system is the largest grain gateway in the U.S. and the second-largest wheat corridor in the world. Some 43% of wheat exported from the U.S. is ferried down the Columbia, and 40% of that grain comes down the Snake. Moreover, no viable alternative for transporting our agricultural products to market currently exists. Rural roads and bridges are in dire need of repair at a time when less funding is available for their maintenance. Rural rail lines are disappearing as railroads drop lines and consolidate.... Without barges, exports would decline and transportation costs from my region would at least double. In today's fiercely competitive global economy, if our grain cannot reach export markets in a timely, reliable fashion, our buyers will soon take their business elsewhere. Yes, some jobs are lost because of a decline in salmon. But if the dams are lost, communities throughout eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana will suffer. The goal of this debate should be finding a way to sustain fish and dams. Fish runs are dynamic, not static. Their migrations have ebbed and flowed through time."

It's a new year for Idaho growers, and many of them are in the market for some new crops they hope will bring better-than-breakeven prices. Hard red spring wheat&emdash;only 18 percent of Idaho wheat production in 1998 and 12 percent in 1997&emdash;is one potential alternative that's attracting intense interest.

"You talk to growers right now and everybody is looking at it," says Paul Patterson, University of Idaho extension agricultural economist in Idaho Falls. "The price of hard red spring is high relative to soft whites&emdash;if you can get 14 percent protein&emdash;and everybody is running out and planting it."

In Parma, UI crop management specialist Brad Brown says he's seeing "the most interest in years" among Treasure Valley wheat growers. Planted early, hard red springs lag soft white springs by only 5 percent in yields, Brown says. "I tend to think they're a viable option for western Idaho growers, especially for export to Portland."

In Aberdeen, Brown's counterpart Larry Robertson cautions that hard reds demand more intensive and costlier management. "But the price differential right now is hard to argue with," he says.

That price differential between soft white and hard red wheats was 93 cents in early March. Portland-based forward cash contracts for August delivery are offering $4.21 for hard red springs and $3.17 for soft whites&endash;a $1.04 spread. The catch: If hard red spring wheats don't reach the 14 percent protein level demanded by the marketplace, penalties can swiftly erode the difference.

Growers are normally docked for each quarter point of protein below 14, Patterson says. For open market wheat, these dockages have recently ranged from 5 to 10 cents a quarter point, depending on supply. For contracted wheat, "seeing hits of 15 to 20 cents is not unusual."

"The best thing is to be diversified&emdash;not jump one way or another," says Patterson. "If you've never grown hard red spring wheat before, better find out if you can hit those proteins."

To make comparable returns on hard red springs, Patterson estimates that Magic Valley growers would need to recover 43 more cents a bushel&emdash;or $2.93&emdash;for hard reds when soft whites are bringing $2.50, and 51 more cents&emdash;or $3.51&emdash;when soft whites are bringing $3.00. In his calculations, he assumes that hard red springs will yield 10 percent less and demand 5 percent more in input costs.

While the current 93-cent differential is roughly twice the required spread, Patterson notes that it's far from dependable. In January, for example, it was $1.20. Strong export demand and the fact that soft whites currently have the lowest ending stocks-to-use ratio of all major wheat classes are helping soft whites hold their relative price, he says.

Still, in a sluggish agricultural market, cautiously adding small acreages of alternative crops is generally a desirable strategy&endash;"as long as people factor in both what the markets are doing now and what could change them in the future," Patterson says. "The trouble with shooting at a market target today is that if you shoot where the goose is, you're guaranteed to miss it."

In northern Idaho, growers planted 35,700 acres of hard red spring wheats last year. Stephen Guy, University of Idaho extension crop management specialist, expects acreage to increase as growers look for alternatives to low-priced barley. In most years, the region's dryland growers should be able to achieve target protein levels, Guy says, although variable rainfall patterns&endash;either too much or not enough rain at critical times&endash;makes fertilizer uptake dicier.

In eastern Idaho's high-yielding, irrigated conditions, reaching 14 percent protein can be "extremely difficult," says Robertson. "The plants just have trouble hauling in and translocating enough nitrogen to make that much protein. There's just too much wheat to spread it across."

Still, with appropriate management, every hard red spring wheat variety included in University of Idaho cereal trials statewide is capable of making14 percent protein, Brown says. Key is sprinkler-application of mid- and late-season nitrogen. "Yes, it's more difficult to achieve 14 percent protein under high-yielding conditions&emdash;but it is not hopeless."

Indeed, southern Idaho growers contracting 42,000 hard red spring acres with Koch Agriculture Co. last year averaged 14.7 percent protein, according to Koch wheat management specialist Mike Bergman at Rupert. But that hasn't always been the case. "Back quite a few years ago, some people got burned pretty hard on the protein discount scales," Bergman says.

(For more information, contact Paul Patterson at 208/529-8376 in Idaho Falls, Brad Brown at 208/722-6701 in Parma, Larry Robertson at 208/397-4181 in Aberdeen and Stephen Guy at 208/885-6744 in Moscow.)

One of the most asked questions that we get is how to protect new plantings from beaver damage. There is no easy answer to this question. Beaver are a natural part of most riparian areas. They are very beneficial in the job they do. However, they can cause real problems when you are trying to revegetate riparian zones.

There are several things that you can do to protect your new plants from beaver. No treatment is 100% effective, but generally if you can protect the plants for the first year, they will probably survive. The most method people use is a chicken wire fence around the plant. This works well, but will rust out over time. Welded galvanized wire will last longer and tends to hold up better. There are several commercially available beaver damage protection tubes. Some are hard sided, made out of hard plastic and some are plastic netting. The hard sided plastic tubes can cook the plants and the netting is difficult to keep upright and expanded.

Another method is beaver repellent. There are several brand names. We don't use these products because their effectiveness is very unpredictable. Don Roseboom in Illinois does use a repellent they feel is effective.

Another method is a chemical deterrent. These are bitter substances that are pelletized and placed in the hole prior to planting the cuttings or sprayed on the cuttings. Their effectiveness is limited.

The hay market outlook for 1999 continues to be soft, with the exception of timothy hay. The May 1, 1998, hay stocks (carryover) were up 117% vs. May 1,1997, in the PNW due to the mild 97/98 winter. The December 1,1998, hay stocks for the PNW were also up 28% vs. 1997 again due to a very mild fall and winter. The 1998 hay production for the PNW was also up 9% from 1997. Total supplies (May 1,1998, carryover plus 1998 hay production) for the PNW is up 15%.

The export market was somewhat depressed in 1998. All hay exports from the USA to Japan from the west coast were down about 15%. Alfalfa hay cubes from the west coast to Japan were also down about 11%. In 1998, the USA shipped 1,668,672 metric tons of alfalfa cubes and all hay to Japan.

The 1999 hay market will be soft due to increased carryover, higher hay production, depressed exports, and two mild winters in a row. Premium alfalfa hay will continue to be in demand and will bring a good price. Good hay, feeder hay, and/or rained on hay will not be any easier to sell in 1999 than it was in 1998. Hay producers will need to maximize their output of premium alfalfa hay in 1999.

Should consumers know the "country of origin" of the meats they feed their family? The USDA stamp on meats does not mean that meat was raised in the U.S. Over 1 million animals are imported annually to the U.S. slaughterhouses, given a USDA stamp and put into the American food chain. Why isn't this meat labeled as an import? or "country of origin"?

HR 2222, the Meat Labeling Act of 1999, requires all meat to be labeled as to "country of origin" including blends, such as ground beef, that often ends up being a mix of imported old bull or cow meat blended with U.S. ground beef. The consumers have not been informed.

Town & Country 4-H Beef, Kennewick, WA is asking for help from other organizations to help educate the consumers and obtain support of this consumer right bill by having concerned citizens sign a petition requiring all meats to be labeled as to "Country of Origin". For more information and a petition contact: Todd Hue, Town & Country 4-H Beef (509) 027-3605; Email: huetake@gte.net or Jean Smith, WSU Cooperative Ext. (509)735-3551 or Email: smithjea@wsu.edu

All 20 members of the European Union (EU) Commission resigned in mid-March following publication of a study alleging widespread fraud and mismanagement. The study was compiled by a panel of five auditors and cites instances of friends or relatives being hired for nonexistent jobs, as well as failure to account for massive misspending. The mass resignation is quite extraordinary considering that no commissioner has ever been forced to resign. News reports indicate that some of the "less tainted" commissioners, including Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler, may be able to renew their EU Commission terms.

Alfalfa is often referred to as the "queen of forages". It is one of the few forages that can sustain levels of livestock production that is comparable to feedlot gains. However, young alfalfa leaves can cause bloat in ruminants. Traditionally alfalfa is harder to manage under grazing conditions, and many producers shy away from grazing this legume.

Researchers from the Lethbridge and Lacombe Research Centers, The Kamloops Range Research Ranch, and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) have some promising new research to control bloat in cattle grazing alfalfa. Scientists say inter-planting sainfoin with alfalfa can greatly reduce the risk of bloat. It's believed the high levels of tannins in this legume, slows down the digestion in the rumen, and consequently slows the production of gasses that lead to bloating.

A recent study conducted by Dr. Walter Majak at the Kamloops Range Research Ranch, tested a 10 percent sainfoin/90 percent alfalfa mix under a confinement feeding situation. This involved feeding freshly harvested alfalfa which is usually the worst case scenario for bloat, many times worse than in a continuous grazing situation. Using sainfoin along with alfalfa in research trials has resulted in an 80 percent reduction in bloat.

There are a number of new alfalfa varieties that have been developed for grazing such as Grazeland and AlfaGraze that are grazing tolerant. Additionally, alfalfa seeded with 5 to 20 percent sainfoin can minimize bloat.

Tim McAllister, Lethbridge Research Center ruminant microbiologist and nutritionist, says that uniform and regular intake is key to managing animals on alfalfa pastures. High stocking densities, making sure animals are satiated or full when they are introduced to alfalfa pastures; and providing animals with a mixture of good quality alfalfa or alfalfa-grass hay prior to introduction to the pasture can help animals adapt to alfalfa pastures more rapidly and minimize bloat problems. Although animals may still experience some mild bloat during the adaptation phase, mild bloat can usually be treated by simply keeping the animal walking until the gas dissipates. Once the animals are adapted to the alfalfa pasture they should be maintained on it to ensure fewer problems.

Managing livestock on alfalfa is an art, it takes keeping a close eye on factors such as hot weather, storms or biting flies that can influence an animals' intake. During these times, livestock should be observed more frequently, as these conditions can lead to bloat conditions. Bloat is usually not a random event.

Although research results to date are encouraging, there is currently no technology commercially available that can guarantee bloat free grazing of alfalfa. However, with good management combined with the use of sainfoin in pastures, the risk of bloat can be greatly reduced.

Think twice before putting just any old organic waste into your compost pile.

"The best advice regarding what to compost is probably, 'When in doubt, keep it out,'" said Dan Sullivan, Oregon State University's organic waste recycling specialist. "Home compost piles usually don't get uniformly hot for a long enough time to kill all weed seeds and disease organisms."

If you have a slow or cold compost pile, one that decomposes slowly and doesn't generate much heat, then avoid putting in diseased plants and perennial weeds such as bindweed, sheep sorrel, and grasses with rhizomes, or they may resprout and grow. Keep seed heads of weeds out of the pile as well. Or, be prepared for more weeding in the garden.

Slow compost piles that don't get very hot are great for composting leaves, shrub trimmings and vegetable waste. Adding other materials to the pile may limit your options for finished compost.

It is best to keep manure out of a home compost pile that is not intensively managed, said Sullivan.

"You can't be assured that microorganisms in manure that can cause human disease are killed unless you carefully monitor pile temperatures," warned Sullivan. "To be certain of pathogen kill, the pile must reach temperatures greater than 130 degrees, and the pile must be turned often. Turning the pile moves the cooler material on the edges of the pile into the center where it is hottest.

"You need about five turns during the hot composting phase to assure pathogen kill," he continued. "After each turn, temperatures greater than 130 degrees for three days are needed to kill human disease causing organisms. If you do apply partially composted manure to the garden, be prepared to manage the garden differently."

Sullivan recommended planting root crops like carrots and potatoes, and crops whose edible part contacts the soil, such as lettuce, in a part of the garden without manure applied. If there's a question about pathogen transfer via manure application, careful washing or peeling will remove most of the pathogens responsible for disease. Thorough cooking is even more effective at killing pathogens on garden crops.

Also, keep human, pig, dog and cat manure out of your compost pile, he warned.

"Some of the parasites found in these manures may survive the composting process and remain infectious for people," he said.

Herbicide-treated lawn clippings and plant trimmings will most likely break down into non-toxic compounds, said Sullivan. Herbicides are also inactivated by binding with organic matter in the compost. If you let your grass clippings decompose on the lawn, or let your compost with treated grass clippings sit for a year or more, this will allow for nearly complete breakdown of the herbicides. Plants treated with insecticides registered for use on food crops are safe to compost.

Avoid composting chemically treated wood products, such as sawdust from chemically-treated wood. For example, pressure treated wood may contain toxic arsenic, copper and chromium compounds.

Avoid composting meat and fatty food wastes that attract pests like rats.