By Corryn La Rue
The Utah Farm Bureau Federation will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5. The UFBF will be reenacting the first meeting of the federation at the exact location where it all began, at the old Hotel Utah, now known as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The celebration will be an open house, starting with the reenactment and followed by a reception.
“For the reception that night, we’ve invited young and old,” said Spencer Gibbons, the northern regional manager of UFBF. “We invited those who have been involved in the organization just about as long as anyone can remember, as well as those who just joined up. We are really excited about this.”
The actual anniversary is on Dec. 4, but the UFBF wanted to hold the celebration a day later, allowing more guests to make it to the event.
Among those attending the celebration is long-time employee John Keeler. Keeler has dedicated 42 years of his life with the UFBF, representing Utah’s agriculture community.
Keeler has been a field man in the southwest counties since 1980, and has worked directly with the county farm bureaus.
“I was the newest employee at the time, and what was rewarding was how well they accepted me and showed me the ropes,” Keeler said.
The UFBF was organized by a group of sugar beet farmers who were trying to figure out a way to reduce the volatility in their markets. The farmers created the organization to help them market their commodities. Over the past 100 years, it has developed into the largest general agricultural organization in Utah.
In 1939, the UFBF established the Young Farmers Program. It developed into the Utah Young Farmer and Rancher Program. It was established to provide leadership development and opportunities for young members, by offering training to them.
The federation has reached out to schools across Utah to promote agriculture education. This includes the "Agriculture in the Classroom" initiative. Every year USU agriculture communication students volunteer with “Agriculture in the Classroom."
The UFBF has served farmers in Utah. As it celebrates its 100-year anniversary, Gibbons said the federation is looking forward to the next 100 years.
“My favorite thing about the farm bureau is the people that I work for and work with,” Keeler said. “Farmers and ranchers are really down-to-earth people, and they have a great sense of hope. They are always hoping for a better year. That’s really the thing that I have enjoyed the most.”
Friday, December 2, 2016
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
USU Ag Communications Club holds bake sale, with a twist
By Corryn La Rue
Today, Utah State University’s Agriculture Communications Club held its annual bake sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Taggart Student Center patio. This year the club added hot chocolate to the bake sale, which gained more customers. The club received more donations this year including new muffin flavors, frosted “sweetcake” cookies and the most popular, new red velvet cake balls with peppermint sprinkles.
“The cake balls were a total hit this year and something we haven’t had donated in the past,” said Katie Chadwick, Agriculture Communications Club member and bake sale volunteer. “They have been a top seller, along with our hot chocolate. We added the hot cocoa this year because we wanted to add something warm and appealing to this cold weather.”
The club gathers donations of home-made baked goods from students, and packages them to sell.
The club sold the baked goods and hot chocolate at prices ranging from $1 to $3.
The club holds its bake sale every year to raise money. The proceeds help Agriculture Communication Club members go to Ag Media Summit, a conference held in the summer for ag journalism students.
Club member Emma Lane is a freshman and this was her first bake sale.
“I’ve actually never done this bake sale before,” Lane said. “So I’m not that much help but I’m learning. I’m having fun.”
Today, Utah State University’s Agriculture Communications Club held its annual bake sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Taggart Student Center patio. This year the club added hot chocolate to the bake sale, which gained more customers. The club received more donations this year including new muffin flavors, frosted “sweetcake” cookies and the most popular, new red velvet cake balls with peppermint sprinkles.
“The cake balls were a total hit this year and something we haven’t had donated in the past,” said Katie Chadwick, Agriculture Communications Club member and bake sale volunteer. “They have been a top seller, along with our hot chocolate. We added the hot cocoa this year because we wanted to add something warm and appealing to this cold weather.”
The club gathers donations of home-made baked goods from students, and packages them to sell.
The club sold the baked goods and hot chocolate at prices ranging from $1 to $3.
The club holds its bake sale every year to raise money. The proceeds help Agriculture Communication Club members go to Ag Media Summit, a conference held in the summer for ag journalism students.
Club member Emma Lane is a freshman and this was her first bake sale.
“I’ve actually never done this bake sale before,” Lane said. “So I’m not that much help but I’m learning. I’m having fun.”
Monday, November 28, 2016
Cache Humane Society Black Friday: a divine feline destiny
By Corryn La Rue
The Cache Humane Society in Logan, Utah, rehomed 42 cats during its second annual Black Friday sale, including felines from the shelter’s barn cat program. This year, the humane society was able to rehome 10 more cats than last year.
The humane society waved all adoption fees for the sale. This year, the humane society was able to rehome 42 cats and 46 dogs.
“We were so shocked at how many people showed up and looked at the cats,” said Stacey Frisk, the executive director of the Cache Humane Society. “Normally cats are not that popular.”
The shelter’s barn cat program offers fixed, vaccinated and readily adoptable felines. These cats are not able to be handled or cuddled, and should be considered outdoor cats.
Laura Urness has been a volunteer at the humane society for eight years. She said during the sale, the room was packed full of people, and it was the busiest she has ever seen the shelter.
Urness said seeing all of the cats and dogs finding new homes for the holidays was “heartwarming.”
“We’ve had some cats in here for a very long time,” Urness said. “We had an 11-year-old cat find a new home who had been here for months.”
Urness said she has seen a lot of interesting animals go through the shelter.
“We had this one cat that we actually had to put in foster care because he kept going to the bathroom in his water bowl,” Urness said. “After we put him in foster care, we found out that he was going to the bathroom in his water bowl because he was toilet trained.”
“We thought it was hilarious,” Urness said. “He was adopted out of Friday too, so we are just waiting to hear back from the new owner to see if he flushes.”
Out of the 46 dogs rehomed on Black Friday, a majority of the dogs were working ranch dogs.
“We had a lot of Healers, Border Collies, and other ranch dogs adopted out on Friday,” Frisk said. “That is pretty typical being in a rural community. The working dogs are popular because they are useful to ranchers, but they also make great family pets.”
Frisk said the team members and volunteers are especially careful when rehoming work dogs.
“We always ask the potential adopter what energy level they are looking for, to see if they are a good fit,” Frisk said.
Frisk said the humane society is only able to do the Black Friday sale as long as the shelter is sponsored.
For the second year in a row, Zappos.com, an online merchandise shop, sponsored the humane society. This sponsorship made the Black Friday sale possible.
“I am so happy we got to do the sale again,” Urness said. “We didn’t have time to breathe. It was such a great thing to be that busy. Sometimes there are weeks where we don’t get a single cat adopted out.”
“It was really nice to see that many people so happy to find the right animal,” Urness said.
The Cache Humane Society in Logan, Utah, rehomed 42 cats during its second annual Black Friday sale, including felines from the shelter’s barn cat program. This year, the humane society was able to rehome 10 more cats than last year.
The humane society waved all adoption fees for the sale. This year, the humane society was able to rehome 42 cats and 46 dogs.
“We were so shocked at how many people showed up and looked at the cats,” said Stacey Frisk, the executive director of the Cache Humane Society. “Normally cats are not that popular.”
The shelter’s barn cat program offers fixed, vaccinated and readily adoptable felines. These cats are not able to be handled or cuddled, and should be considered outdoor cats.
Laura Urness has been a volunteer at the humane society for eight years. She said during the sale, the room was packed full of people, and it was the busiest she has ever seen the shelter.
Urness said seeing all of the cats and dogs finding new homes for the holidays was “heartwarming.”
“We’ve had some cats in here for a very long time,” Urness said. “We had an 11-year-old cat find a new home who had been here for months.”
Urness said she has seen a lot of interesting animals go through the shelter.
“We had this one cat that we actually had to put in foster care because he kept going to the bathroom in his water bowl,” Urness said. “After we put him in foster care, we found out that he was going to the bathroom in his water bowl because he was toilet trained.”
“We thought it was hilarious,” Urness said. “He was adopted out of Friday too, so we are just waiting to hear back from the new owner to see if he flushes.”
Out of the 46 dogs rehomed on Black Friday, a majority of the dogs were working ranch dogs.
“We had a lot of Healers, Border Collies, and other ranch dogs adopted out on Friday,” Frisk said. “That is pretty typical being in a rural community. The working dogs are popular because they are useful to ranchers, but they also make great family pets.”
Frisk said the team members and volunteers are especially careful when rehoming work dogs.
“We always ask the potential adopter what energy level they are looking for, to see if they are a good fit,” Frisk said.
Frisk said the humane society is only able to do the Black Friday sale as long as the shelter is sponsored.
For the second year in a row, Zappos.com, an online merchandise shop, sponsored the humane society. This sponsorship made the Black Friday sale possible.
“I am so happy we got to do the sale again,” Urness said. “We didn’t have time to breathe. It was such a great thing to be that busy. Sometimes there are weeks where we don’t get a single cat adopted out.”
“It was really nice to see that many people so happy to find the right animal,” Urness said.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Artificial Insemination mooooving up in the charts, Logan cattlemen prosper
By Corryn La Rue
This year Logan cattle producers chose to use artificial insemination more than ever. The process of artificial insemination, or AI, is used heavily in the Logan commercial cattle industry. This year marks the highest number of semen collections and AI process requests for Hoffman AI Breeders.
Hoffman AI Breeders, based out of Logan, has been in higher demand for services this year than recorded before.
Owner Doug Coombs said the past three years AI service requests have been unusually high, but 2016 marks the highest.
“Every year the amount of people wanting to do AI gets bigger,” Coombs said. “But really, a lot of the customers we work with are corporate owned, with a lot more volume.”
Coombs said he believes the reason for the spike in AI numbers is a reaction to high beef prices.
The process of artificial insemination, or AI, is a method used in the agriculture industry to breed livestock by injection of semen into the uterus of an animal by something other than the natural breeding process.
Utah State University’s Animal, Dairy & Veterinary Science Professor Lyle McNeal said he likes AI for confined or less extensive operations.
“It’s been a trending procedure to access genetics for improvement instead of buying live bulls,” McNeal said. “Live bulls are physically limited to the number of cows they can live mate.”
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Beehive theft puts LDS beekeepers out of business
By Corryn La Rue
Owners of B&B Honey, in Tremonton, Utah, called it quits this month after years of tragedy. B&B Honey is not the only beekeeping company that has struggled after experiencing theft of their beehives.
Tate and Bryce Bunderson both said their luck with the beekeeping business has run out.
“I think B&B isn’t for me,” Bryce Bunderson said. “It was a great learning experience and taught me a lot, but it’s hard to continue something, when each year there are set backs that are hard to recover from.”
Tate and Bryce Bunderson’s hives got stolen in 2014, but they started to think seriously about shutting down after their bees died in the Box Elder County fire. The brothers had originally started the company to fund their LDS missions.
“If it means anything, it’s not like we were inexperienced bee keepers that did a bad job at taking care of our hives,” Tate Bunderson said. “At one point my dad left his job to do beekeeping full time, along with my brother. I was on my mission in Tennessee when we got them stolen.”
“I was planning on having it be my career, but plans change,” Tate Bunderson said.
In 2014 the brothers’ hives were stolen. On Aug. 5, 2016 the entirety of the Bundersons’ hives were killed in a fire in Box Elder county.
The fire and the theft the brothers’ experienced is the main reason they are shutting down B&B Honey.
Hive thefts in Cache Valley have affected more people than just the Bundersons. Logan resident Jerry Stoddard had 60 of his beehives stolen in 2014.
“The thief took the actual boxes,” said Stoddard, the current president of the Utah Beekeepers Association. “Normally they just take the heart of the hives and leave the boxes. It looks less suspicious.”
Stoddard said hives can be stolen from multiple states, and then driven over state lines to California. Due to the almond pollination season in Calif., the demand for honey bees is high.
The increase in beehives being stolen from northern Utah beekeepers brings attention to the nation-wide theft issues the beekeeping industry is facing.
“This year we don’t have enough bees,” said Roger Stephenson, appointed secretary of the UBA. “And now the keepers’ established hives are disappearing. This is very detrimental to the guys who are trying to pay their bills this winter.”
Michael Stephenson, UBA’s president-elect for next year, said he is not sure of how to address the issue.
“I am still mapping out a way to solve this problem,” Michael Stephenson said. “It’s never an easy task to try to take down beehive thefts like this.”
Former UBA president Gaylon Yack said beehive theft has not been an issue in Utah.
“When I was president I never saw anything like this,” Yack said. “But I guess if there’s something to steal, there’s a thief to steal it.”
Owners of B&B Honey, in Tremonton, Utah, called it quits this month after years of tragedy. B&B Honey is not the only beekeeping company that has struggled after experiencing theft of their beehives.
Tate and Bryce Bunderson both said their luck with the beekeeping business has run out.
“I think B&B isn’t for me,” Bryce Bunderson said. “It was a great learning experience and taught me a lot, but it’s hard to continue something, when each year there are set backs that are hard to recover from.”
Tate and Bryce Bunderson’s hives got stolen in 2014, but they started to think seriously about shutting down after their bees died in the Box Elder County fire. The brothers had originally started the company to fund their LDS missions.
“If it means anything, it’s not like we were inexperienced bee keepers that did a bad job at taking care of our hives,” Tate Bunderson said. “At one point my dad left his job to do beekeeping full time, along with my brother. I was on my mission in Tennessee when we got them stolen.”
“I was planning on having it be my career, but plans change,” Tate Bunderson said.
In 2014 the brothers’ hives were stolen. On Aug. 5, 2016 the entirety of the Bundersons’ hives were killed in a fire in Box Elder county.
The fire and the theft the brothers’ experienced is the main reason they are shutting down B&B Honey.
Hive thefts in Cache Valley have affected more people than just the Bundersons. Logan resident Jerry Stoddard had 60 of his beehives stolen in 2014.
“The thief took the actual boxes,” said Stoddard, the current president of the Utah Beekeepers Association. “Normally they just take the heart of the hives and leave the boxes. It looks less suspicious.”
Stoddard said hives can be stolen from multiple states, and then driven over state lines to California. Due to the almond pollination season in Calif., the demand for honey bees is high.
The increase in beehives being stolen from northern Utah beekeepers brings attention to the nation-wide theft issues the beekeeping industry is facing.
“This year we don’t have enough bees,” said Roger Stephenson, appointed secretary of the UBA. “And now the keepers’ established hives are disappearing. This is very detrimental to the guys who are trying to pay their bills this winter.”
Michael Stephenson, UBA’s president-elect for next year, said he is not sure of how to address the issue.
“I am still mapping out a way to solve this problem,” Michael Stephenson said. “It’s never an easy task to try to take down beehive thefts like this.”
Former UBA president Gaylon Yack said beehive theft has not been an issue in Utah.
“When I was president I never saw anything like this,” Yack said. “But I guess if there’s something to steal, there’s a thief to steal it.”
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Drastic change to butter market in Cache Valley, thanks to Hyrum dairy
By Corryn La Rue
West Point Dairy in Hyrum, Utah, released an expansion plan for the upcoming production period. The dairy product manufacturing company plans on increasing its butter production by 500,000 pounds a week.
Assistant plant manager Ron Duvall said the current butter production is 2.5 million pounds a week.
“We have such a market for it, and we have the demand in that market,” Duvall said. “We just need to bump up our supply to meet that demand.”
The plant’s quality manager Todd Rasmussen said the “product will remain butter, but our growth is what is truly changing the facility.”
“The biggest growth is with our quantity of butter,” Rasmussen said. “More butter, rather than more of a diversity of products.”
The company started manufacturing butter from cream in 1976 and does not plan on stopping production.
“The company is projecting considerable growth in the next five to ten years,” Rasmussen said.
West Point Dairy in Hyrum, Utah, released an expansion plan for the upcoming production period. The dairy product manufacturing company plans on increasing its butter production by 500,000 pounds a week.
Assistant plant manager Ron Duvall said the current butter production is 2.5 million pounds a week.
“We have such a market for it, and we have the demand in that market,” Duvall said. “We just need to bump up our supply to meet that demand.”
The plant’s quality manager Todd Rasmussen said the “product will remain butter, but our growth is what is truly changing the facility.”
“The biggest growth is with our quantity of butter,” Rasmussen said. “More butter, rather than more of a diversity of products.”
The company started manufacturing butter from cream in 1976 and does not plan on stopping production.
“The company is projecting considerable growth in the next five to ten years,” Rasmussen said.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Horse ranch in Utah hangs its halters for the last time
By Corryn La Rue
Green Acres Stables, a horse boarding ranch in Willard, Utah, decided to close its doors permanently this month. Green Acres Stables owner Terry Teeples said the reason for closing was personal, and that it was not an easy decision to make.
Green Acres Stables, a horse boarding ranch in Willard, Utah, decided to close its doors permanently this month. Green Acres Stables owner Terry Teeples said the reason for closing was personal, and that it was not an easy decision to make.
“The decision to close our doors was a hard one, and one we struggled with making for years,” Teeples said. “It was my home and my life. I loved that ranch, but it was that time in my life where we had to shut our doors.”
Teeples wouldn’t comment on the exact reason for closing.
The stable held 20 horses at full capacity and “had all the amenities a horse lover could want,” said Joel Martinez, a ranch-hand that lived at the stables. “I really liked working there. I made money and then sent it back to my family at home, in Mexico. My son is going to college and I would send him money to help pay for it. I am going to miss it.”
Teeples wouldn’t comment on the exact reason for closing.
The stable held 20 horses at full capacity and “had all the amenities a horse lover could want,” said Joel Martinez, a ranch-hand that lived at the stables. “I really liked working there. I made money and then sent it back to my family at home, in Mexico. My son is going to college and I would send him money to help pay for it. I am going to miss it.”
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