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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

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Page 2 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

BY JOHN MCEVOYSAN LUIS VALLEY – This year’s winter

weather has been a blessing for ranchers. Livestock is still able to graze and forage without troubling deep snow, which saves money in the short run. Heavy snows in the mountains would be very welcome in reliev-ing the year’s long drought however.

In an interview on Friday, Jan. 9, Marvin Reynolds, area director for the CSU Extension offi ce, gave his optimistic report on livestock in the Valley.

“Calving season is going to be starting up soon,” said Reynolds. “A lot of guys are prob-ably having a few early calves that are on the ground, or they will be before offi cial calving season starts.”

Reynolds said many ranchers shoot for the fi rst three weeks of February to start calving.

“Calving season typically goes for 90 to 120 days, depending on how many animals they have,” said Reynolds. “It’s always a busy time for the ranchers. It is also an exciting time because they get to see the results of what they have been working on the last year.”

Reynolds said some of the sheep producers are also going to start lambing soon.

“Anybody that runs sheep up on the higher elevations, whether it is National Forest or pri-vate land, typically like to get their calves or lambs on the ground early so they can get size and strength to them before they turn them out,” said Reynolds. “The higher elevations have rougher terrain and those animals need to have the strength to traverse that terrain.”

Reynolds said it is a lot of work for the ranchers during this exciting time.

“There are a many early mornings and late nights sometimes,” said Reynolds.

Producers have not had to feed much hay this year because of the mild weather.

“We have had an open winter this year. We have not had the snow on the ground,” said Reynolds. “Last year, we had snow before Thanksgiving that stayed on the ground all winter long.”

Most of this year it has been mild and what little snow there has been was a small amount that melted off in the sun.

“They (ranchers) have not had to feed a lot; they have had open winter where they have been able to utilize that forage that is out there and it has helped save them some money,” said Reynolds. “It was a really nice fall and beginning of winter.”

Reynolds said the Valley produces mostly cattle and sheep, but there are a few horse,

Photo by John McEvoySheep are seen grazing in a fi eld just outside Monte Vista in early January.

Valley ranchers enjoy light winter – so far

chicken, goats and pig producers too.“Most of the people who raise horses, their

foaling season probably won’t start for a little while yet,” said Reynolds. “There have been some folks who raise performance horses and even race horses in the past. They like to have those horses born as close to the fi rst of the year as possible, because a horse’s age is always based on Jan. 1.”

Reynolds said if a horse is born on Dec. 31, of 2014, its birth year will be 2014, essentially making it a year old to start with.

“It does not matter what day it was born in the horse world,” said Reynolds. “In the case of a race horse, you would be at a disadvan-tage if it was born late in the year compared to one born early in the year.”

There are only a few poultry producers in the Valley.

“Some folks are looking at putting in larger

chicken houses and are looking at producing eggs year round,” said Reynolds. “Some of the talk I have heard is that they mostly will try to target spring, summer and fall, rather than the winter months.”

The length of day has a great deal of infl u-ence on how many eggs the chickens produce.

Reynolds said some of the folks who have small fl ocks and sell eggs “here and there” put lights and heaters inside the chicken coops so the animals have a longer sense of daylight which encourages laying eggs for an extended time.

There are also not many pigs in the Valley according to Reynolds.

“There may be 200 pigs or so,” said Reyn-olds. “Most of our pigs are farrow two or three times a year, depending how intensive the producer wants to be.”

Reynolds said some of the people who are

raising 4-H pigs that they want to sell at the county fair in August may be looking to have farrowing happen in January or February.

“We have a few goats in the Valley,” said Reynolds. “If their goal is to have animals for 4-H, they will be having them pretty quickly. If not, they will wait until March or April when the weather is a little warmer.”

Reynolds said goats, sheep and cattle only have a little competition as far as forage is concerned.

“Most of it is a comple ment in forage,” said Reynolds. “The cattle are grazers and the fi rst thing they are looking at to eat is grass and not a lot of shrubs. Goats are on the other end of the spectrum and are usually looking at eating the brush and shrubs before they graze on grass.”

Reynolds said sheep are in the middle and eat a little of both grass and graze items.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Agriculture Progress Page 3

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STAFF REPORTORLANDO, Florida—Rockey Farms was

honored in January for outstanding environ-mental stewardship at the 2015 National Potato Council (NPC) annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Each year, NPC honors a family farm with its Environmental Stewardship Award for demonstrating a commitment to stewardship of its land and protection of the shared environ-ment. The award winner is a leader in adopting innovations that reduce the risks associated with pesticide application, support wildlife habitat and promote improved water quality and water conservation. Their leadership by example encourages other producers to focus their attention on what the industry considers important environmental values.

The annual award is a component of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, a partnership between NPC and the U.S. En-vironmental Protection Agency, to protect the environment and promote the safe and effective use of pesticides.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said Brendon Rockey, who is head of production at the Center farm. “The practices we are being recognized for are environmentally friendly, but they also promote soil health, which allows us to maintain an effi cient yet productive eco-logical system. We also feel that these practices help the San Luis Valley function as a whole.”

Rockey, and his brother, Sheldon, are third generation farmers taking a “biotic” approach to their potato fi elds. Believing “cides” were nothing more than a costly addiction, Rockey Farms shifted its practices several years ago to grow a crop focused on soil health, human nutrition and customer satisfaction. Potatoes are sown with legumes to replace expensive synthetic nitrogen applications with symbiotic nitrogen fi xation, and the fi elds are amended with biological inputs to enhance soil fertil-ity, which green manure and the grazing of livestock complement in the rotation while eliminating the need for deep tillage.

Soil nutrient test results prove Rockey Farms’ approach meets and often exceeds the needs of its cash crop, which has continued to increase in quality and consumer popular-ity over the seasons while no longer adding nitrates to the environment.

One of the most important results from Rockey Farms’ shift in practices is improved water effi ciency achieved without sacrifi cing yield.

In 2014, Rockey Farms planted a strip of fl owers to lure benefi cial insects like ladybugs, lace wings, predatory wasps and other beetles to its seed potato fi elds to control aphids, which was a success. Although the pests were not entirely eliminated, a more balanced predator/prey population and reduced aphid damage to the seed potato crop was observed.

Before they made it to the fi eld, Rockey Farms introduced benefi cial fl owers into its greenhouse mini tuber production. The fl ow-ers are sown with the mini tubers to attract benefi cial insects to control thrips and aphids,

Flowers have replaced pesticides and are attracting benefi cial insects like la-dybugs to Rockey Farms to help control pests like aphids.

Rockeys win national stewardship award

Rockey Farms’ methods for specialty potato production were recognized in Or-lando, Florida at the 2015 National Potato Council annual meeting.

eliminating the need for an insecticide and ensuring healthier potato seed that often fi nds it ways into fi elds producing for farmers’ markets across the nation.

“Rockey Farms is very deserving of this award,” said CPAC Executive Director Jim Ehrlich. “Their efforts to work with nature to enhance their farming practices have created a model for other farmers nationwide. Every farmer knows soil health is at the heart of their own successful farming.”

He added, “Rockey’s have created a system where soil health is their priority. They practice what they preach and are passionate in sharing their story with other farmers to help educate and assist them.”

Courtesy PhotosBrothers Brendon, left, and Sheldon, right, of Rockey Farms are featured in a video courtesy of DuPont Crop Protectionabout their environmentally sound agricultural practices.

A video of Rockey Farms practices was cre-ated through a sponsorship from DuPont Crop Protection. Schools, agricultural organizations and civic groups will be able to use the video to demonstrate the potato industry’s commitment to sound environmental stewardship.

NPC is involved in a number of different efforts to develop a workable defi nition of sustainability, and is actively participating in

the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC), the National Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (NISA), and the Field to Market project. Potatoes are the fi rst specialty crop to be evaluated using the Field to Market tools.NPC is encouraging these groups to develop acommon set of metrics that are grower-friendly, use largely available data, measure results over time and do not set bright-line standards.

Page 4 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

DENVER—United States Potato Board (USPB) President/CEO Blair Richardson surprised attendees at the USPB-sponsored Thursday Keynote Luncheon at POTATO EXPO 2015 in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 8, with an industry challenge to install 3,000 potato-friendly salad bars in school lunch programs across the United States.

Taking to the stage following Fox News Sunday anchor and keynoter Chris Wallace and in an unprecedented move since the beginning of POTATO EXPO after eight years of USPB sponsorship of the Keynote Luncheon, USPB Chairman Brett Jensen of Brett Jensen Farms, Idaho Falls, Idaho, brought Richardson to the stage to issue the challenge to the entire potato industry.

The challenge:Put 3,000 “potato-friendly” salad bars in

elementary, middle and high schools across the country over the next fi ve years. Targeting 300 salad bars per year for fi ve years, for every one of those 1,500 salad/potato bars donated by growers, potato industry agribusinesses or others vested in the U.S. potato industry, the USPB will match one-for-one for a total of 3,000 potato-friendly salad bars installed by 2020.

But the challenge doesn’t stop with the donation of the salad/potato bar, putting it in a school of the donor(s)’ choice and walking away. No. For every donated salad/potato bar installed by U.S. potato industry stakeholders, the USPB will continuously work with school lunch personnel and school district nutritionists to deliver a nonstop stream of potato-serving ideas, recipes and themes.

Imagine the salad bars with Mexican-themed

potatoes for Cinco de Mayo or red, white and blue potato salad for President’s Day— the possibilities are endless. The USPB will ensure schools never run out of exciting, fun—and most importantly—healthy, nutritious potato ideas students will love— and eat. A 2014 Texas A & M Plate Waste Study said that when “comparing fruit and vegetable consumption, it appears fruit is much more popular than vegetables…but when potato products are served (mashed potatoes, potato wedges, tater tots, etc.), just about every student chooses the vegetable.”

Why salad bars?Today’s children are referred to by the media

as the “Salad Generation,” because they’re so fresh-food focused. There are 55 million of them attending K–12 schools nationwide, and they eat over fi ve billion school lunches each year. If they eat potatoes one more time per week, that will be 3,750,000 cwt more potatoes served each year. The potato industry has a rare opportunity to be on the front lines of getting potato-friendly salad bars and potato nutrition materials in thousands of schools nationwide.

Richardson concluded his challenge with a core statement for this program, “It is govern-ment’s role to help educate consumers on prop-er nutrition. As an instrumentality of USDA, the USPB is delivering to students, nationwide, much needed education on healthy eating and the many positive nutrition facts about pota-toes, ‘America’s Favorite Vegetable’.”

For additional information on the proposed challenge, please visit www.uspotatoes.com/saladbars, call the USPB Marketing Depart-ment at 303-369-7783 or email to saladbars@uspotatoes.com.

Courtesy PhotoThe United States Potato Board (USPB) President/CEO has challenged the potato industry to make “potato-friendly” salad bars common in American schools.

Will potato industry step up to the challenge?

BY TERESA L. BENNSSAN LUIS VALLEY— A strong 2014 po-

tato crop in Idaho sent San Luis Valley potato prices down last year around harvest time, but since then Valley potato prices have been slowly climbing as Idaho’s supply dwindles.

While local potato prices did initially de-cline this year over last year, overall growing conditions this year were good, Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) Executive Director Jim Ehrlich said. The crop was slow to progress because of cooler temperatures and potato size is down, but acreage was up eight percent, with 54,200 acres planted.

“We had pretty good growing conditions this year,” Ehrlich commented. “We got more rain this year than we have in several years in July and August.” About 20 percent of the acres planted this season received hail dam-age, Ehrlich reported, with damage varying from severe to slight.

“Most growers have federal crop insur-ance,” he said, so the impact on the crop was not that great. Aphids were not a problems this year, and there were no other notable pests that farmers battled, either, he added.

More specialty acres were planted this year, including fi ngerlings, reds, yellows and purples.

Harvest began in September and continued until early October, with rain causing only a few delays. Once the crop is harvested, farm-ers place them in their own storage facility

Photo by Teresa L. BennsSan Luis Valley potato prices have been slowly climbing as Idaho’s potato supplydwindles.

Potato prices edging up, acreage upor ship product to local warehouses.

Ehrlich explained that it takes about two months for potatoes to “gradually cool down.” Storage temperatures run 38-40 de-grees at 95 percent relative humidity.

Local varietiesCPAC’s website at http://www.colorado-

potato.org/colorado_potato_varieties_of_the_san_luis_valley.php, shows the different varieties of potatoes grown in the Valley. Some of these include oval russets with tan skins, used for baking; reds, CPAC’s biggest seller, in Colorado Rose, Rio Colorado and Sangre varieties; yellows, or Yukon Gold, one of America’s favorites; also specialty potatoes.

These include All-Blue and Fingerlings, growing in popularity. The website lists as the most recent Valley “star” CPAC’s Purple Majesty, “deep-hued inside and out, and doesn’t lose its color when cooking, also Mountain Rose: a red-skinned, light red fl esh versatile potato that can be used in almost any recipe.”

Potato lovers who would like to try some of those recipes will fi nd plenty of selections on the CPAC website.

According to the website, CPAC was founded in 1941 with the key goal of or-ganizing the then more than 175 Colorado Potato Growers and Colorado Potato Ship-pers throughout Colorado under a common purpose and industry.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Agriculture Progress Page 5

BY LYNDSIE FERRELLSAN LUIS VALLEY— The San Luis Val-

ley is an ideal location for alternative energy sources. With an average of 350 days of sun and almost a constant breeze fl oating through the Valley, such things seem imminent.

In the East end of the Valley on a patch of 80 acres, 150-ft. solar panels reach to the sky soaking up the radiation from the sun and storing it in the substation near by.

These panels produce up to 8.2 megawatts of power for Xcel Energy and other sources around the Valley. Having the substation right next to the site reduces transmission costs. There are now 31 sub stations like this around the valley.

The possibility of having more solar sites is in the near future if a proposal to create higher powered transmission lines required to transmit the energy produced to consumers nationwide passes. The government would charge the customers for the high expense as the lines are built. The proposal is now in the court process awaiting approval in order to move forward. Alamosa Land Use offi ce recently renewed a proposal for another solar

site that could produce up to 80 megawatts.The Valley would need to convert the now

photovoltaic (PV) plant to a concentrated solar power (CSP) system to achieve maxi-mum use of energy. In a 2011 a study done by the Department of Energy, PV plants are more cost effective and do not require the use of water or fossil fuels in order to store and maintain the energy absorbed. CSP plants, on the other hand, require one or both, and the energy must be distributed through the high-powered transmission lines.

The solar developments in the Valley have expanded over the years and now consist of three separate sections. SunEdison, Iberdrola and Cogentrix make up the site near Mosca and Hooper.

There is also a hydroelectric site by Creede that supplies electricity to the SLV Rural Electric Coop. The hydroelectric generator is on the Wagon Wheel Ranch located 12 miles out of Creede.

The local Ecosystem Council in Alamosa is constantly working towards more alternative energy solutions for the benefi t of the San Luis Valley.

Photo by Lyndsie FerrellLarge standing sentinels against the foggy sky, solar panels grace most of the landscape on the eastern end of the Valley

Solar power soaking up Valley rays

SAN LUIS VALLEY —Now, with gasoline prices lowest in years, it could be easy to over-look the need to fi nd alternatives to crude oil.

Researchers continue to emphasize that the happy phase experienced today may be short-lived, since oil is a fossil fuel and the supply is fi nite.

In the San Luis Valley, interest in grow-ing crops for synthetic fuels remains strong, anchored by Costilla County’s successful biodiesel plant at Mesita and the mixing plant operated by Alta Fuels at Alamosa.

While canola has been the top oil crop under production, some farmers have been experimenting with sunfl owers.

According to researchers at Colorado State University, oilseed research is being con-ducted on the following varieties: Camelina, Canola, Saffl ower, Indian Brown Mustard/B.Juncea, straight vegetable oil and other alter-native oilseed crops.

Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of bio-chemistry and molecular biophysics, is part of collaborative team that has received a four-year $1.5 million joint U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy grant. The project, led by Colorado State University, was one of 10 projects funded this year as part of the federal Plant Feedstocks Genomics for Bioenergy research program.

Camelina, a nonfood oilseed crop, can be a valuable biofuel crop because it can grow on poorer quality farmland and needs little irrigation and fertilizer. It also can be rotated with wheat, Durrett said.

“Camelina could give farmers an extra biofuel crop that wouldn’t be competing with food production,” Durrett said. “This research can add value to the local agricultural economy by creating an additional crop that could fi t in with the crop rotation.”

Research is being done on a variety of uses for these crops including biofuel, health ben-efi ts and other trials. Each crop and project has been given a dedicated page with updated results and information.

A team of researchers at Princeton Uni-versity has suggested that the United States

could eliminate the need for crude oil by using a combination of coal, natural gas and non-food crops to make synthetic fuel. While the two former energy sources are limited here, the Valley seems to have been created for agriculture, so innovative crops are on the horizon.

Since plants absorb carbon dioxide to grow, vehicle greenhouse emissions could be cut by as much as 50 percent in the next several decades by using non-food crops to create liquid fuels, the researchers said.

The research makes up an important part of a white paper recently produced by the Ameri-can Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the nation’s largest chemical engineering as-sociation. In the paper, the chemical engineers call for a greater integration of energy sources and urge policymakers to consider chemical conversion processes as a potential method to produce cleaner and cheaper fuels.

“Right now we are going down so many energy paths,” said June Wispelwey, the insti-tute’s director and a 1981 Princeton alumna. “There are ways for the system to be more integrated and much more effi cient.”

In the Princeton research, it was found that synthetic fuel plants could produce gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels at competitive prices, depending on the price of crude oil and the type of feedstock used to create the synthetic fuel. About two-thirds of crude oil consumed by the United States is used for transportation fuel, according to the federal Energy Informa-tion Administration (EIA). The EIA said the United States imports about 45 percent of its annual crude oil consumption.

The chemistry is complicated, but it basi-cally takes the carbon and hydrogen from the feedstock and reassembles them into the complex chains that make up fuels like gaso-line and diesel.

When the price of oil increased in the past, synthetic fuels became more practical. The U.S. government and the Defense Department have studied synthetic fuels as a way to sup-ply transportation fuel without depending on overseas suppliers.

Slow to take off, biofuel crops explored

Page 6 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

BY TERESA L. BENNSSAN LUS VALLEY — According to

various state and federal websites monitoring snowfall, the Colorado snowpack to date is 99 percent of normal overall, but the Upper Rio Grande Basin totals are currently only at 65 percent.

The Rio Grande is at 78 percent of normal and the Conejos River is only showing 66 percent of normal.

The discouraging news came in a report released by the Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service (NRCS) Jan. 9 and in subsequent updates.

Drought maps show a persistent tan thumb area of increased drought risk right where the Valley sits. And without signifi cant precipita-tion over the next few months, this translates to the fi fth year in a row that south central Colorado will experience insuffi cient snow-pack and runoff.

The San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel basins sat at 90 percent Jan. 1, a seven percent increase from the 83 percent reported Jan. 1, 2014. The South Platte reservoirs earned the highest storage levels for reservoirs in the state, reporting 124 percent.

The Arkansas Valley also reported above normal precipitation amounts. The combined reservoir levels statewide are doing well with a 103 percent average storage rate.

One article at http://www.gjfreepress.com/news/14568602-113/colorado-drought-river-basin, says that this year, recent successive dry years will impact San Juan River Basin water deliveries to central New Mexico — a fi rst in

More snow in the San Juans is needed to help alleviate drought conditions in the Valley. Photo by Teresa L. Benns

There’s still time for more snow fall

the 40-year history of the San Juan-Chama Project. This estimate is based on a recent article from The Albuquerque Journal.

State Engineer Craig Cotton with the Divi-sion of Water Resources in Alamosa says the picture is not all that bleak, noting that there is still plenty of time to get more moisture and more moisture is in the forecast.

“The National Weather Service continues to predict above average precipitation for us this year — we just need to get it,” Cotton said.

Although above Summit the report is only 33 percent of average, the Cochetopa Pass area is reporting 138 percent of normal and the

Sangre de Cristo measurement is 80 percent of normal. Cotton says he thinks Saguache Creek will have a “decent” year this year.

“This year won’t be horrible,” he predicted. “We still have several months to catch up.” The NWS predicts a higher than average likelihood of precipitation from January through March and even possibly through June.

The predictions speculate that Colorado may experience dryer than normal conditions, though, in February.

Cotten noted that The Albuquerque Journal report failed to come down on quite the right note, commenting that water levels in the San

Juan Basin delivery system have gradually declined over the years, resulting in the short-age described.

Last year, adequate moisture in the soil helped prevent forest fi res from threatening the Valley, and Cotten says he hopes that this also is the case this coming fi re season.

One weather forecaster thinks that El Nino, a climate-related condition that occurs when temperatures in part of the tropical Pacifi c Ocean are warmer than normal for months ina row, may be forming once again. As a rule, a continuing El Nino cycle assures more mois-ture for Colorado and western states in general.

SAN LUIS VALLEY—Since the 2002-2003 drought, the Colorado Water Conserva-tion Board has undertaken a comprehensive study of Colorado’s water. The study known as the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) 2010 recognized that water supply is limited and as Colorado continues to grow the need is out pacing the supply. The study identifi ed Colorado’s current and future water need through the year 2030 and further examined approaches that could be taken to meet those needs. That was 2004, with the support of the General Assembly in 2006, SWSI 2 supple-mented the original fi ndings by adding techni-cal work on water conservation, alternatives to agricultural water transfers and meeting the environmental needs of the state. SWSI brought together a collaborative approach to the resolution of these issues by establishing the basin roundtables. The roundtables were to bring together a diverse group of partners whose role was to educate and collaborate on water planning issues.

These efforts were codifi ed by Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act. The act also established the 27 member Inter Basin Compact Committee (IBCC) which serve as intermediaries to facilitate communication between the basin roundtables. Subsequently, the basins were charged with the development of a consumptive and non-consumptive needs assessment along with proposing projects to meet those needs.

SWSI was updated in 2010, the elements of the update included an analysis of water sup-ply demands to 2050, a summary of the non-

consumptive needs within each basin, an ex-amination of the water supply and availability in the Colorado River Basin, implementation plans that were tied to identifi ed water projects, water conservation, agricultural transfers and the development of new water supplies.

The key fi ndings of SWSI 2010 showed that by 2050, agriculture would still be the primary user of water at 82 percent (which is down from the current 86 percent); 15 percent would be used by municipal and industrial us-ers, while the remaining 3% would be used by self-supplied industry. The study highlighted continued shortages for agricultural producers in all basins which could mean a decline in irrigated acres. The study outlined signifi cant increases in municipal demand due to a near doubling of the state’s population –growing from fi ve million to nearly 10 million by 2050. The study also identifi ed the Front Range as being the most populous with 80 percent of the population located along its fl anks. The western slope, however, would experience the fastest growth rate, establishing a need of between 600,000 and one million-acre feet of additional water per year by 2050. An increas-ing energy demand in the state would also require more water.

Supply was also examined and localized shortages were identifi ed. The Colorado basin was identifi ed as a possible source for new sup-ply since compact entitlements were not fully utilized. The study further noted that between now and 2050, there needed to be a decreased reliance on ground water in order to reach a

level of sustainability and reliability for future population demands.

As a result of SWSI, we know more about our future water demands and available sup-plies. It is a given that “the Gap” is widening between supply and demand. In May of 2013, Governor Hickenlooper issued an executive order that directed the Colorado Water Con-servation Board to develop Colorado’s Water Plan. The CWCB has tasked both the IBCC and the Basin Roundtables with the develop-ment of Basin Water Plans. The plans will refl ect a grassroots dialogue and consensus

that will be necessary for the development andimplementation of a robust and meaningful state-wide water plan. The timeline for fi nalBasin Implementation Plans and, ultimately, Colorado’s Water Plan is established through distinct benchmarks that will need to be met.

The purpose of the Basin Implementation Plans is to address the gaps identifi ed in SWSI 2010. The plans will be prepared under the di-rection of the basin roundtables and will build on local input and planning efforts. The BasinImplementation Plans will provide a mecha-

Understanding the Rio Grande Basin Water Plan

Please see WATER on Page 8

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Agriculture Progress Page 7

Page 8 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

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nism for basin roundtable members and other stakeholders to work together to overcome potential project implementation constraints, effectively implement water projects that achieve designated regional water manage-ment objectives, and address the basins’ water supply gaps. In addition, the plan processes will identify prospects and limitations within the basins for meeting water supply gaps, all the while considering the basins variable hydrology—dry, average, and wet conditions. The Plan will identify sources of water used in most basins including native water (surface and tributary groundwater), trans-basin water, water used by exchange, reuse, non-tributary groundwater, and reservoir storage. This will result in a basin water operations summary, which will help basin roundtables and will add a better understanding of which projects and methods may be successful in meeting both the consumptive and non-consumptive gaps. This effort will form a foundation for future SWSI Updates.

Each Basin Roundtable is charged with developing its own plan. These Basin Imple-mentation Plans (BIPs) will then be incorpo-rated into Colorado’s Water Plan. The basin roundtables are at varying stages of developing their basin specifi c plans. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) has committed the following resources to this effort—CWCB staff and the SWSI planning contractor will assist the basin roundtables in developing their plans. The basins will be allowed to tap their Water Supply Reserve Account at both

the basin and state levels. This will help to ensure that the plans are in-depth and address the specifi c hydrologic complexities of each basin. The CWCB has established a timeline for the Basin Roundtables during this Basin Implementation Plan effort.

The Rio Grande Basin Roundtable is busy gathering data for the development of the Rio Grande Basin Water Plan. The Roundtable has contracted with DiNatale Water Consultants for the research and preparation of the basins plan and has set-up an operational oversight “steer-ing” committee. The steering committee has put together a set of sub- committees to gather data and public input within their specifi c areas of expertise and interest. The sub-committees are as follows: Education and Outreach, Agri-culture, Water Administration, Municipal and Industrial and Non-consumptive. The most important part of the plan is that it is a grass-roots effort. This means that the development of the plan requires input and involvement from stakeholders. The most effective method for stakeholders to become involved is in one of 2 ways: 1) attend the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable monthly meetings (These meeting are held the second Tuesday of each month at the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District offi ce at 623 Fourth Street in Alamosa, Colorado.) or; 2) send your comments directly to us online at www.riograndewaterplan.com.

The lead consultant and local liaison from DiNatale Water Consultants is Tom Speeze, Tom can be contacted at tom@dinatale water.com.

WATER Continued from Page 6

BY LYNDSIE FERRELLSAN LUIS VALLEY— The San Luis

Valley is an optimal climate for lettuce to grow. With sandy soil, cool temperatures and mountain water supply, it creates the perfect setting for the leafy plant.

The Valley is one of the top suppliers nationwide for romaine, green leaf and head lettuce. Though the crop is small, it is one of the top lifelines of the Valley and its residents.

In previous years the industry has had to struggle with the availability of labor in the Valley. All lettuce crops must be handpicked due to the delicate nature of the plant. With less people coming to the area to make a home, it has been difficult to find laborers. Lettuce crops are one of the smallest crops in the Valley and yet require the most labor during harvest. “Labor is always a challenge,” said Mike Jones from Skyview Cooling.

Jones reports that the previous year’s crop

was pretty typical as far as harvest amounts. During the mid-summer season, some crops were damaged by a large hailstorm that passed through the Valley. It was a close call for several of the areas growers, but the lettuce crops were still plentiful. Also with high precipitation throughout the growing season, several area growers had to deal with mildew issues within the crop.

High precipitation and water levels prove to be both good and bad for the crop. Stand-ing water and severely wet soil can create mold and mildew on the plant and render it useless. Any extra moisture can be difficult to deal with in this crop and many others throughout the Valley.

As far as predictions for the coming season, most of the area’s lettuce growers anticipate a rather normal heart. Growers expect to see a similar crop as last year and do not anticipate any changes. Market prices are holding steady for the growers as well.

Lettuce hoped to be a leafy success

Photos by Teresa L. Benns

ALAMOSA— The San Luis Valley Soil Health Conference will be Monday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Adams State University Student Union Room A127.

The conference is an opportunity for

farmers and ranchers to exchange ideas while learning from some of the nation’s leaders in soil health and agroecology. Sign up at www.slvsoilhealthconference .org. Those who register before Jan. 23 will receive a free parking pass.

Soil health conference is Feb. 2 at Adams State

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Agriculture Progress Page 9

“Use Our Water and Other Natural Resources Wisely”San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District

Proud supporters of the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

589-2230slvwcdco1

Alamosa, COO

BY SYLVIA LOBATOSAN LUIS VALLEY—Alfalfa is one of

the top crops in the San Luis Valley, which is a major hay-producing region, with alfalfa a close second as a major cash crop to growing varieties of potatoes.

A perennial fl owering plant in the pea family, alfalfa is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world.

It superfi cially resembles clover, with clus-ters of small, purple fl owers followed by fruits containing 10-20 seeds. It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Alfalfa seed tea has also been valued as a remedy for arthritis.

It may be hampered by the prevailing drought, however, since it depends upon the aquifer and generally pivot irrigation.

Offi cial crop reporting services aim con-cerned eyes toward the snowpack which, de-spite recent storms, leaves a lot to be desired. Sales are slow at this point, though prices for large squares of premium alfalfa are good, due to its desirability as a feed crop in very dry areas.

Treasured as a value-added crop on potato acreage, it has also been touted as a natural fertilizer.

Once alfalfa is planted, the farmer generally leaves it in the ground for fi ve to seven years; however, when it is removed, potatoes are often planted on the barren acreage due to the fact that the valuable grain leaves many nutrients behind in the soil, especially benefi cial for potatoes.

The San Luis Valley seems to have been created for agriculture and alfalfa farmers to enjoy the benefi ts of both spring and fall plant-ings, while potato growers have one bountiful season.

Alfalfa still top San Luis Valley crop

File photo

COLORADO—The 2015 Governor’s Fo-rum on Colorado Agriculture, themed “Water: Colorado’s Treasure,” highlights the challenges facing Colorado in meeting the water demands of a diverse state with competing needs. The event is scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Renais-sance Hotel in Denver.

“Water is vital to all aspects of Colorado’s economy,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said. “This forum will help connect businesses, municipal-ities and rural communities that are dependent on agriculture and meeting our water needs.”

The Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agri-culture will include speakers from all facets

of Colorado’s agriculture, including produce growers, water managers and climatologists.

“We’re approaching the entire event to ad-dress the challenges we face in meeting future water needs,” said John Salazar, former Colo-rado Commissioner of Agriculture. “We, as a state, will need to meet those needs while ensur-ing our agriculture industry remains vibrant.”

Presenting an overview of Colorado’s Wa-ter Plan, John Stulp will deliver the keynote address. Colorado’s economic future will be shaped by how we manage our limited water resources. As director for the Interbasin Com-pact Committee and water advisor to Governor

Hickenlooper, Stulp is charged with bringing together a mixture of ideas and pathways for a water plan that will balance Colorado’s future water needs.

The 2015 Governor’s Forum will be hosted by the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP), the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and Colorado State University (CSU). This is the second year that CALP will plan and manage the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture. The event was originally co-created by members of CALP, CDA, and CSU.

CALP is a leadership-training group that

exposes emerging leaders in Colorado agricul-ture to the diverse aspects of the state’s farm economy. The program was re-instated in 2012 under the leadership of former Commissioner John Salazar and Senator Jerry Sonnenberg after several years of inactivity. Now, CALP’sClass 11 graduates are using the knowledge they’ve gained about Colorado agriculture over the past year in order to create a dynamicprogram for the 2015 Governor’s Forum onColorado Agriculture.

For further information, please visit gov-ernorsagforum.com or contact Angie Cue at info@governorsagforum.com.

Governor’s Forum on state ag set to discuss water

www.shoppelocal.bizwww.shoppelocal.bizFind Business in your backyard.

Page 10 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

COLORADO—Gov. John Hickenlooper announced in December that John Salazar, Colorado’s commissioner of agriculture, would retire at the beginning of January 2015. He has served in the role since 2011.

“For the last 12 years, Colorado has benefi t-ted from the generous, noble and extraordinary service of John Salazar,” said Hickenlooper. “We are honored and privileged to have had him join our fi rst term. His commitment and dedication to the farmers, ranchers and produc-ers across the state is unparalleled and his suc-cesses will continue to benefi t the agriculture community and all of the Colorado for years to come. We offer heartfelt and since thanks for all he has given the state, and wish him years of glorious sunrises and sunsets on his ranch.”

“I want to thank Governor Hickenlooper for entrusting me to lead the Colorado Department of Agriculture where our accomplishments have been many,” said Salazar. “Under his leadership, we were able to complete a project 38 years in the making - consolidating our divi-sions under one roof to create signifi cant sav-ings for taxpayers while providing a one-stop shop for our customers. We came back even stronger as an industry following the listeria outbreak and in working with cantaloupe grow-ers and the Rocky Ford Growers Association. Through our marketing efforts, we helped Colorado producers double agriculture exports over 2009 levels and helped Colorado’s farmers and ranchers achieve record net farm incomes.”“I also want to thank the great team assembled

Salazar retires as commissioner of agin the Department of Agriculture. They are the most dedicated and professional staff that I have ever worked with. Most importantly, I want to thank my family for the great sacrifi ces they have made while I have been away. I am so looking forward to being close to my fam-ily and working on what I consider the most honorable profession - farming and ranching,” Salazar added. “Thank you to the people of Colorado for giving me the great opportunity to serve you.”

Salazar served three terms representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Veteran’s Affairs Committee, and the Trans-portation Committee. Salazar’s advocacy in Congress earned him recognition for outstand-ing service by the American Farm Bureau and the Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union.

He played a key role in passing the his-toric farm bill of 2008 and authored the rural broadband and specialty crop provisions. With a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee in his third term, Salazar worked on national energy issues, jobs creation and the economy. Before his time in Congress, Salazar served in the Colorado General Assembly for two years.

Salazar served on the Rio Grande Water Con-servation District, the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program board, and the Colorado Agricultural Commission before being elected as a state Representative in 2002. He has also

John Salazar

been a member of the Farm Credit Services Board of Directors, the Seed Export Commit-tee with the Colorado Certifi ed Seed Growers, and was the founder of the Saint Joseph Youth Athletic Program.

The Salazar family celebrates 14 generations of farming; John Salazar was raised on a San Luis Valley farm, where he and his fi ve siblings

shared a bedroom and had no electricity or run-ning water. He earned a bachelor’s degree inbusiness administration from Adams State Col-lege after serving three years in the U.S. Army.

Salazar continues to call the San Luis Valley home. He works on the family farm where they have farmed and ranched the same for seven generations.

DENVER —In early December, Gov. John Hickenlooper presented the fi rst draft of Colo-rado’s Water Plan, praising the work of hundreds of participants across the state for their role in building a collaborative approach for navigating Colorado’s water challenges.

“The collaborative and comprehensive nature of this plan marks a new way to conduct our water business”, said Hickenlooper.

“We owe a great debt to the hundreds of volun-teers who’ve dedicated enormous amounts of their time and energy to this process, and to the thou-sands from every corner of the state who provided their thoughtful comments to our basin roundtables and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.”

Gov. Hickenlooper issued an executive order in May of 2013 directing creation of Colorado’s Water Plan. The plan draws on nine years of un-precedented discussion and consensus-building from a wide cross-section of interests participating in roundtables within every river basin in Colo-rado, as well as through the Interbasin Compact Committee, a statewide group with participants from every basin roundtable.

“This plan represents hundreds of conversations and comments involving people in our cities, our rural communities, from both sides of the Conti-nental Divide. It benefi ted from the engagement of farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, utilities and water districts, industry and business, and the public at large,” said James Eklund, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

“This extraordinary level of dialogue has helped every interest gain a greater understanding and ap-preciation for the values of fellow stakeholders and created an environment where all parties can work more productively together to develop solutions.”

The initial draft of the water plan aligns with the governor’s executive order in working to strike

the right balance between many important and competing interests.

At the same time, the plan upholds key Colorado water values that ensure water is available to support a strong economy, vibrant and sustainable cities, productive agriculture, a thriving natural environ-ment and world-renown recreational opportunities.

“The completion of the draft plan represents not only the countless staff and roundtable hours invested in its development but also the beginning of a new process of review, refi nement and ulti-mately implementation of the important concepts and challenges facing Colorado’s water future,” said Eric Kuhn, general manager of the Colorado River District.

“Now is the time for all of those involved - to focus collectively and collaboratively on how to meet Colorado’s current and future water needs in a manner that works for all Coloradans.”

“With strong leadership and hard work, grand ideas can become reality, said Jim Lochhead, chief executive offi cer of Denver Water. “We know col-laborative efforts can work because we’ve seen it fi rst-hand through the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement. We look forward to working with the Governor’s Offi ce and water interests across the state to chart a course for our water future.”

Colorado’s Water Plan refl ects agreement from water interests statewide on broad, near-term ac-tions needed to secure our water future. These include efforts to conserve and store water, addi-tional re-use and recycling of water and providing more options to agriculture to avoid the permanent dry-up of our farm and ranch land.

“The release of the draft Colorado Water Plan is a great milestone in planning for the state’s fu-ture,” said Eric Wilkinson, general manager of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. “It is imperative that the statewide collaboration,

cooperation, compromise, and problem solving discussions represented by the draft Water Plan continue if Colorado is to fi nd ways to best manage our available water resources for the benefi t of the generations that follow.”

Colorado’s Water Plan doesn’t prescribe spe-cifi c projects, but outlines how various interests across basins can attain locally driven, collabora-tive solutions, and how balanced approaches can garner the broad support needed to accelerate environmentally sound projects and shorten the federal regulatory process often associated with water-related actions in Colorado. The plan does not do anything to change the status of water rights as a property right, nor prevent the buying and sell-ing of those rights. Nor does it affect Colorado’s longstanding Prior Appropriation Doctrine.

“This draft Colorado plan is a milestone in the mapping of alternatives to meet Colorado’s

diverse current and future demands of our limited water resources within the framework of the prior appropriation system,” said Bruce Whitehead, executive director of the Southwestern Water Conservation District.

“Multiple interests in southwest Colorado and throughout the state have participated in the de-velopment of the plan, resulting in a balanced and detailed draft that will continue to evolve as it is fi nalized by the partners in the process.”

Work on Colorado’s Water Plan will continue as the public and stakeholders are encouraged to comment upon the draft plan.

Comments can be submitted to coloradowater-plan.com as revisions continue ahead of a fi nalized version to be submitted to the governor next year.

The plan itself is not intended to be formally completed, however, as public priorities and evolv-ing conditions continue to shape its future.

Gov. presents first draft of state’s water plan

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Agriculture Progress Page 11

MONTE VISTA—Colorado State Univer-sity Extension has opened registration for its annual Colorado Energy Master program. The program offers participants up to 30 hours of energy education in three different courses covering topics such as energy policy, re-newable energy opportunities, transportation alternatives, climate change and home energy effi ciency. The courses are offered through a mix of online webinars and in-person fi eld trips. The program is suitable for both those simply curious about our energy system and those who have been learning about energy for years.

Certifi cation as a Colorado Energy Master is optional. Those wishing to become Colorado Energy Masters complete all coursework and an energy-related project of their choice in

their community. Continuing education units are available for realtors and graduate credits are available for teachers.

Each of the three courses in the program costs $65 for regular registrants or $35 for aspiring Colorado Energy Masters, students or teachers. Discounts are available for those registering for the entire program. The pro-gram runs from Feb. 17 to March 28. Classes are taught by a mix of CSU professors, Ex-tension agents, and industry professionals. Registration is open from Jan. 5 to Feb.10. For more information and to register, please visit www.ext.colostate.edu/energymaster or call Marvin Reynolds, Area Extension Director, San Luis Valley Area Extension, 852-7381 or visit us at 1899 E Hwy 160, Monte Vista, CO.

SAN LUIS VALLEY— Few places in the country produce as many potatoes as the San Luis Valley – and few places have such creative uses for them, according to the latest issue of a statewide magazine. Recipes for Colorado potatoes, ranging from nachos to desserts, appear in the article “Spuds Take Center Stage” in the January/February 2015 issue of Colorado Life Magazine.

“Potatoes are usually relegated to sup-porting roles in meals, but the folks in Colorado’s San Luis Valley think the humble spud is ready for its close-up,” the magazine writes. The recipes are drawn from the Colorado Potato Cookbook, com-piled by the Monte Vista-based Colorado

Potato Administrative Committee. Mashed potato candy and potato fudge are among the treats that showcase the potato’s unex-pected versatility.

The four-page article appears in the cur-rent issue of Colorado Life Magazine. This issue also includes photos and stories on the Ouray Ice Festival, the mountain town of Buena Vista, how Fort Collins inspired Disneyland, a weekend at Denver’s re-vamped Union Station and a photo essay on Colorado’s birds of prey.

Colorado Life Magazine publishes six issues a year in celebration of the nature, history, wildlife and people of Colorado. For more information, call 970-480-0148 or visit www.ColoradoLifeMagazine.com.

Second water sub-district progresses

CSU Extension offering Energy Master Program

SLV potato recipes featured in statewide magazine

SAN LUIS VALLEY — The proposed Rio Grande Alluvium (aka sub-district #2) is proceeding.

The State of Colorado has assigned or grouped non-exempted wells together to form Response Areas that will become sub-districts. Wells in the Rio Grande Alluvium Response Area are known as Sub-district #2. These are unconfi ned aquifer wells in close proximity to the Rio Grande River in the general area between Del Norte and Alamosa.

“The work group which is comprised of lo-cal land and well owners in the proposed area has been meeting for several years,” said Karla Shriver a work group member. “We have had numerous meetings among ourselves trying to hash out the details of the proposed sub-district formation, and having numerous public meet-ings trying to get input from those who will be

impacted by it.” The Colorado Division of Water Resources

will be submitting Rules Governing the With-drawal of Ground Water in Water Division #3 for non-exempt wells. Once the rules have been adopted, well owners will have only three options, which include:

1. Be a part of a sub-district; 2. Prepare and submit their own augmenta-

tion plan; 3. Cease using non-exempt wells on their

property. Proposed Sub-district #2 is a voluntary sub-

district, and participation is the well owner’s choice.

“For those in proposed Sub-district #2 if you are wanting to join the sub-district and have visited with Deb Sarason from Davis Engi-neering about your farm plan, please contact

me at 589-6301 to pick up your petition,” said Cleave Simpson, Rio Grande Water Conserva-tion District program manager.

“If you own non-exempt well(s) in proposed Sub-district #2 and have not completed your farm plan, you will fi rst need to have a meeting with Deb Sarason from Davis Engineering at 719-589-3004 to verify the wells on your lands that you want included in the District” said

Simpson. “The goal is to have all the petitions signed by January 31 and then let staff reviewthe petitions for completion and correctness, and then go before the RG Conservation Dis-trict Board in March.”

The work group is hosting another public meeting so that those interested may come askquestions Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Monte Vista Co-op Community Room.

SAN LUIS VALLEY—The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offi ces for the San Luis Valley has announced that county committee elections are over, the ballots are counted and the results for Alamosa, Cone-jos, Costilla and the Saguache, Rio Grande, Mineral and Hinsdale county committee are in. The following were elected for their re-spective Local Administrative Area (LAA).

Lisa Sykes of Alamosa was elected to represent LAA-3 for the Alamosa County Committee; Fred Melgoza will serve as fi rst alternate.

Virgil Ruybal of Antonito was elected to represent LAA-3 for the Conejos County Committee. Mr. Ruybal ran unopposed.

Stephen Lucero of Blanca was elected to represent LAA-3 for the Costilla County Committee. Kathy Christensen will serve as fi rst alternate.

Terry Freel of Moffat was elected to represent LAA-1 for the Saguache County Committee. Anthony Lobato of Center will serve as the fi rst alternate and John Albert of Moffat will serve as second alternate.

Carol Dove of Del Norte was elected to represent LAA-6 for the Saguache County Committee. Don Jolly will serve as the fi rst alternate, and Charles Whitmer will serve as second alternate.

Elected county committee members serve a three-year term and are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, con-servation, commodity, and price support programs, as well as other important federal farm program issues.

“County committee members are a valu-able asset because they are comprised of local producers who participate in FSA programs themselves and have a direct connection to farmers and ranchers in the community,” said Saguache County FSA CED Reeves. “All recently elected county committee members and alternates will take offi ce on Jan. 1, 2015 and join the existing committee,” he said.

For more information about county com-mittees and the election process, please contact your respective county FSA offi ce or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

Farm Service Agency announces election results

Page 12 Agriculture Progress Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Nutritional stress is a thing of the past

fewer service parts Operated from either side— Provides level hopper operation at all heights. Convenient for most low clearance applications. Full hydraulic cylinder (cylinders) operation Allows swing-away hopper to be used in line with the main auger.

(*Important: Keep all shields and safety devices in place at all times. Observe all safety signs and warnings shown on the product and in the operator’s manual).

See Monte Vista Coop for more information.

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The M2000 is all new and improved. It takes less effort to operate, has more control through finer adjustments and leaves the operator with a clear working space.

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Now is the time to book your WL Alfalfa seed and save.

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Call your fieldmen at 852-4046 or 754-2218.

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