Harvest in the Palouse!

 
     It's harvest time all over the United States.  Harvest is an exciting time in every farming community.  It is the culmination of the farmer's entire year's work.  It is when he learns how well his or her plans and methods worked. It is when the farmer receives his paycheck, and hopefully he will have enough to pay his production expenses and be able to care for his family for the coming year.

A deer leaps across a ripened field of wheat.
Photo taken by Wade Lindquist at Bald Butte Ranch.

     Harvest is an intense time for farmers and their families.  There are long days of work.  There is not a minute for anything else - nothing else happens during harvest-time.  It's also a dangerous time for farmers; they're tired and stressed to the max.  They're frequently sleep deprived.  The weather may not cooperate; everything may be ruined by wind or rain coming at just the wrong time.  And, even though they may have maintained and repaired their machinery properly, they may still have equipment breakdowns, right in the middle of long harvest days.

Grain trucks ready to go.
Photo from Todd Strader, T & H Farms.

    

     For our farmers in the Palouse region of eastern Washington, harvest is one long event, beginning in late July and lasting through the middle of September.  They are just finishing harvesting their winter wheat which was planted last fall.  This includes soft white and hard red winter wheat.  They are harvesting their spring crops this week.  These includes the spring wheats - soft white, hard white and dark northern spring wheat.  Next to be harvested will be dry peas and dry lentils, finally followed by garbanzos.

Mark Richter combining wheat on St. John Farm.
The stalk and wheat head are pulled into the wide "header-bar" in the front of the combine.
Then the chaff (stalk and leaves) and wheat kernels are separated.
The chaff is spit out the back (that's the dust you see in the rear),
and the kernels are dumped into the big rectangular bin on top of the combine.

     Many farmers have just one combine, and harvest their own fields.  In other cases, they may share the work with other family members; their fathers, brothers, inlaws or their neighbors.  There may sometimes be more than one combine harvesting one field at a time.

Pumping the wheat kernels from the combine into the grain truck.
Note the two trucks behind, waiting to be filled.
 The wheat will be hauled to the grainery where it will
be sold for breads, pastries and noodles, all over the world!

     The schedule in most every case depends on the planting date and this season's weather.  In nearly every part of our country,  the rainfall is slightly different as one travels north to south.  Typically, the further north you go, the more precipitation you have. This is the case in the Palouse, so that means that the crop was planted earlier in the southern portion of the community, and so is harvested first.  Families and friends who are sharing the work of harvest work together to harvest the fields which "come off," or are ripened, first.

Three combines at work to bring in the harvest.
That's Todd Strader walking in his wheat field

Combines and tractors, all lined up for a
"Harvest is finally over" photo.
Taken on the Todd Strader Farm.
I think this is an especially beautiful picture, what with the sky and all.

    After a long, intense couple of months, the farmer has all his crops into the grainery.   Then he begins planning for next year!

EAT MORE WHEAT AND THANK A FARMER.

Farmer Profile - Todd and Heather Strader

     This month we are pleased to introduce you to TH Farms LLC, owned and operated by Todd and Heather Strader.  Todd and Heather were both raised in the Colfax, Washington area.  After college they had careers away from the farm, but decided to return home, and go into farming with their families.  Young farmers are a rare breed, and much needed for the future of our food security here in the USA.  We are proud of Todd for taking on the business of farming, and for his success in the four years that he has been at it.

Todd Strader and his son, Grant (future farmer!)

 Your name, family names and interests

     Todd, Heather, Grant and Ava

 Where do you live, your farm name?

     TH FARMS LLC / Colfax WA

 How long have you been farming?
     4 Years

 Why did you become a farmer?
     Prior to farming, I was an FBI Special Agent.  I worked all over the US but mostly in Washington D.C. and Albuquerque, New Mexico.  My wife and I grew tired of living in big cities and wanted to raise our kids where and how we were raised, farming wheat in the Palouse!

What crops do you grow?    
     Wheat, Barley, Garbanzo Beans

 What type of farm do you operate?

     Our farm is dryland, meaning that we don't irrigate.  We use the direct seed method, meaning we don't till the soil.

Todd, combining (harvesting) his wheat

 Tell us about your operation. 

     My wife and I farm throughout Whitman County, Washington in varied micro-climates and rainfall zones.  We raise wheat, barley, and garbanzo beans.   We are sixth generation farmers, our kids are seventh direct generation on the same farm, which was homesteaded in 1877.  It is located due south of Colfax, Washington.  We also raise sheep and cattle for fun and for our kids.

 Do you use any sustainable practices?  Please tell about them.

     We direct seed using a Horsch Anderson, 35’ No-Till drill.  This drill applies 2 separate types of fertilizer as well as the seed all in one pass!  This allows the least amount of tillage to be used, reduces compaction and maintains the soil health, and so preserving and enhancing our soils for the next generation of farmers! 

Something interesting, cutting-edge, fascinating, you would like readers to know?

     All of our fertilizer and herbicides are applied using GPS technology which automatically turns the fertilizer and herbicide on and off automatically in order to reduce the amount of chemicals used.  The computer system in the tractor maintains a GPS/Satellite map, showing where we have and have not sprayed, and adjusts the amount and rate of fertilizer/herbicide to be applied. Our tractor is also equipped with “Auto Steer” which controls the steering while working in the field.

Wheat harvest - cut on the left, uncut on the right

     The seedbox on our seeder has scales on it so that we can accurately meter how much seed we are putting out, and we can change our seed rate on the fly!

What are the biggest challenges you face as a farmer?

     The biggest challenges I face as a farmer is the volatility of the wheat/garbanzo bean markets and weather.  No matter how hard we work, our success and outcome as a farmer is determined by outside forces including international politics, US monetary policy, and other commodity prices such as fuel prices which we use to power our equipment, and use to make fertilizer, as well as gold and silver prices.  Sometimes the wheat market can swing 3-6% in one day due to these factors.

Dumping the wheat kernels from the hopper into the grain truck,
which will haul it to market.
Note there are two other big grain trucks waiting to be filled.
You can't see her, but that's a girl driving that big John Deere tractor!

What are farming's biggest rewards for you?

     The biggest reward for me as a farmer is harvest-time.  Harvest is when we cut all of our wheat and garbanzo beans which we have been working for a full year to cultivate, plant and care for and is the fruit of all of our labor.  A successful harvest is very rewarding!

 Do you participate in any civic or industry organizations?

     I am a volunteer firefighter with the Onecho Fire Department.

 Are there any stories about farming that you’d like to share?
     My son's first tractor ride was when he was about 2 months old.  Our tractors are climate-controlled, very quiet and dust-free in the cab, so don't be alarmed!  My daughter is almost 2 and our son is 3, and they both love to drive in the tractors and trucks with their dad!
     Also, I am a pilot, and I love to fly over our fields to check them for issues, weed problems and the overall health of the land and our crop.

Heather, Grant and Ava, framed in Farmer Todd's tractor tire!

Notes From the Palouse

Rolling hills and patchwork farm fields

   
     This past week I visited the farmers who live and farm in the Palouse Region of Eastern Washington state.  This area comprises roughly in the south-east portion of the state, and goes into the panhandle of Idaho.  It is very rich agriculturally, with silty soils and abundant rains, which come during the spring and early summer.

Winter wheat beginning to turn from green to gold.  

     Geologically, the region is made of unusual and beautiful silt-dunes, which were formed during the Ice Age.  They were the result of a glacial outwash, which made huge, random humps and hollows.  I often describe them as endless giant gopher mounds.  The big, open portions of the dunes are cropped fields.  In the gullies and hollows, are timber, brush, creeks, deciduous trees and shrubs.  The combined fields and trees are gorgeous.

See how the cab is level, and the header follows the contour of the land?
This is a self leveling combine.  Pretty helpful.

     You might imagine that it could be dicey attempting to drive a tractor or combine on these steep hillsides.  It is!  The self leveling combine was developed by Washington State University, which is in this region.

      The farmland here is like none other.  Precipitation ranges from 15" to 22" annually, so farmers have no need to irrigate.  The top soil is very deep, ranging from 3' and deeper throughout the Palouse.  Crops are predominantly wheat, barley, dry peas, lentils and garbanzos, with some oats, flax and canola.  Whitman County, in the heart of the Palouse, is the largest grower of Soft White Wheat in the United States.

     The region was settled in the late 1800's by German, Irish and Russian immigrants - you'll hear their surnames all over the Palouse.  Most farms are still being worked by original families - with 4th and 5th generation now tilling the land that their ancestors homesteaded.

Fields with dry peas growing in the foreground

      Harvest is just beginning in the Palouse.  The first crop to ripen is winter wheat (hard red and soft white winter wheats), then dry peas and dry lentils, then the spring wheats (dark northern, hard white and soft white spring wheats), and finally, garbanzos.  Harvest runs from the end of July through September.

     After harvest, farmers plant their fall crop of winter wheat and in some cases, dry winter peas. Also, they prepare fields which will be planted in the spring.  They spray weed killer and incorporate fertilizer in the soil, so that it can work over the winter.  Usually they are done with all their fall work by mid to late October.

Dry peas growing.

     Then, they rest.  They  make repairs and upgrades to all of their equipment.  They go to seminars and conventions which pertain to the crops they grow, or type of farming they practice.   They plan and budget for next season, and talk with their banker, accountant and crop advisors.  They sleep in a little bit, maybe till 7 am or so.  They enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And, if they're lucky, they go on a winter vacation with their families and friends. The farmers of the Palouse know they live in God's country, and they don't take it for granted!

Farmer Profile - Mark Richter

     This month, we are happy to introduce you to Mark Richter of Endicott, Washington, located in the Palouse Country of Eastern Washington state.  We have worked with Mark since 1993; in that time, we have seen him become very progressive and conservation minded in his farming practices. Mark and his combine are featured in the header photo of our blog!

Farmer Mark Richter and his wife, Kathleen

Your name, family names and interests: 

     Mark and Kathleen Richter.  We have two daughters, Kayla and Claire, and a son, Colson.  Kayla is married to Eli, and they have a baby boy, Gavin.

Your farm name, and location:
     We are a family operation, and the name is R& R Farms, Endicott, WA

How long have you been farming?  

     I have farmed for 34 years.  I came back to the farm in 1979 after college

Why did you become a farmer? 

     I loved being out on the land and being my own boss.

 

What crops do you grow?

 We grow Soft White Winter Wheat, Hard Red Winter Wheat, Hard Red Spring Wheat, Soft White Club Wheat,  Peas, Lentils and Garbanzos

Mark Richter's farm from the air

What type of farm do you have?

      Our region is all dryland, meaning we don't irrigate.  We are a Direct-Seeded producer.  This means we don't plow, disc or cultivate the soil, but plant directly into last year's stubble.  We don't raise any livestock.

Tell us about your operation. 
     We are an all grain and legume farm. We are in the Palouse country, which in the southeast portion of Washington State.

Do you use any sustainable practices?   Please tell about them.

     We have been direct seeding 100% of our operations continuously since 1997.  In the Palouse our terrain is very hilly, we can get to over 50% slopes which creates unique challenges for equipment and operator. 

     Within that challenge we receive most of our precipitation in the winter, which has very erosive affects when the land is not properly cared for. The traditional practice of summer fallow using tillage to combat the weeds would give us water erosion of more that 200 tons per acre*. That practice is not sustainable, which is why we went to direct seeding.  Direct seeding is also known as no-till. That is where the crop is planted into the previous years stubble with one or two passes across the field, to fertilize and plant the crop. We have eliminated erosion on our farm and we are trying to be the best stewards of the land that we have been blessed with.

Something interesting, cutting-edge, fascinating, you would like readers to know?

     We have been using GPS for guidance and automatic boom shutoff for the last 10 plus years. It has been a real money saver and also good for the environment. It shuts off valves that apply fertilizers so that they are not being over-applied.

During last summer's wheat harvest

What are the biggest challenges you face as a farmer?   

     The biggest thing we deal with are regulations and red tape from special interest groups. We are the only industry that produce goods that sell for wholesale and we pay the freight both ways.

What are farming’s biggest rewards for you? 

     I wake each morning to a new day that has a new set of rewards and challenges. I appreciate the beauty of each and every sunrise and sunset, and the ability to be in God’s creation.

Do you participate in any civic or industry organizations?   

     Yes, I’m a member of the Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Association of Wheat Growers and the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association (PNDSA). I served as the President of the PNDSA which is a three-state organization that encourages farmers and industry to wise stewardship of our resources. Website: www.directseed.org


*Water erosion of more than 200 Tons per acre means that the rain and/or frozen soil conditions have allowed the loss of 400,000 lbs. of soil to be moved from its original place.  This could be down to a lower draw where it flattens out, or further down stream into our creeks, rivers, lakes and/or reservoirs.

 

Book Review: DIRT

DIRT:  The Erosion of Civilizations

     Author: DAVID R. MONTGOMERY
                  Professor of Earth and Space Sciences
                  University of Washington
                  University of California Press, Berkeley, California  94704
                  www.ucpress.edu
                  paperback

     The uppermost 6 inches of dirt, the topsoil, is what is cherished by farmers throughout the world.  It's what they live on.  It is the material which supports their families and those to whom they sell their crops.  This precious topsoil is the key to allowing civilizations to thrive, and without it, when it blows or washes away, peoples tend to wither.
     From Darwin and his worms to the 1930's dustbowl of the Oklahoma panhandle; from the Appalachians to once fertile Babylon; from North Africa, once the bread basket of the Roman Empire that supported its legions, to the rolling Palouse hills of Eastern Washington state.  This small book covers a lot of territory and makes a case that peoples rise and fall with the care they take with their topsoil.
     The author makes a case for the rise and fall of civilizations and of farmers, based on how they tended to their soil.  Farmers take great care to learn from others, and especially, from the past.  If you are a farmer who values and cares for his land, if you are a farmer's friend or an urbanite, this book is for you.  It is a quick and easy read.

                                                                                    Submitted by James R. Wylie, March 25, 2013

Great Vintage Footage of Farming in the Palouse!

These videos were taken by long-time Colton, WA resident Greg Druffel's father. They give us an excellent reminder of how far farming technology has come since 1939! Enjoy!