From Farm to the Far East. Literally.

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

I started this blog with this theme in mind: “From the truck shop to the Far East… Loving on Oregon’s Ag.” For the next 7 days, these words couldn’t be more true. I’m just arriving to Japan, and from visiting beef farms to dairy farms to warehouses to ports to attending the Governor’s Reception in Tokyo to meeting with the ATO at the US Embassy, this trip will be an accumulation of so many things I’m proud to be a part of – and I’m excited to share it with anyone reading.

International travel is exhausting, but I’m learning to appreciate what I get to see in this world. Our farm was able to bring in 102 6th grade students from Memorial Middle School just this Tuesday and I was able to have a discussion about Trade on a local level, on a domestic (US) level, and on an international level. I’m not sure how much the sixth-graders wanted to hear that, but I don’t think it’s ever too early to teach the effect and importance of America’s agriculture on the rest of the world. Take a look at the Adopt A Farmer program – it’s a great program to be a part of and oh so needed in today’s society of trying to bridge the urban-rural divide. It was very cool and timely to talk about something I would literally be doing that next day. We talked about what happens to our crops in Oregon after they leave the field – and what is involved when selling internationally, including different currency, exchange rates, cultures, language, and time zones. Enjoy pictures from the field trip and hope you stay tuned for more blogs later this week and next about my trip!

Snapshots of Harvest 2017 – Views from the Field

July 21, 2017 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

I asked all our harvest crews to send me pictures from the field to share with you all! Safely, of course 😁 Enjoy their “view” from the field courtesy of “Team Boshart” Harvest Crew 2017.

Farm Safety on the Road: Harvest 2017

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

Across America, all farmers have at least this in common: farm safety is important. It is important year round. And it’s even more important during harvest when farm equipment is on the road. For us grass seed farmers in Oregon, harvest is literally around the corner. In fact, there are a few fields already cut and awaiting harvest as I type this. By this time next week, we’ll be heavy into grass seed harvest.

Windrowers, or swathers, headed to a field to “cut” the grass.

Across Oregon, mostly in rural Oregon, there is farm equipment on the road every day now, and will be for the next few months. We’re harvesting over 220 crops in Oregon and that’s going to take a lot of farm equipment – big and small – to get seed, feed, fiber and food from the field to ultimately your dinner table (or front lawn!).

So this morning was a perfect time to appear on AM Northwest on KATU as part of the Oregon Seed Council. Nick Bowers of KB Seed (@kb_seed) and I talked about why on-the-road-farm-safety is important, why farm equipment is on the road, and when it’s safe to pass. Watch the video here.

Some tips for motorists from the the farming community:

Farmers have as much right to use the roads as the rest of the public.
Farmers are simply getting from field to field with their equipment.
Slow down; a car traveling at 55 MPH takes only 5 seconds to overtake a machine traveling at 15 MPH if the length of a football field is ahead.
Don’t pass within 100 feet of an intersection, bridge, corner or overpass because the equipment may be wider than the roadway and need to use both lanes in those areas.
Equipment will need the entire road to turn, either right or left, off the highway.
Don’t assume the farmer knows you’re around. He/she may not be able to see in all directions, depending on the type of equipment he’s using.
Even if the farmer sees you, he/she might not be able to get off the road right away.
Farmers do know they hold up traffic and they will try to pull off the road as soon as they can do so safely.
Motorists should not pass farm equipment unless they can see clearly ahead of the equipment. Drivers must also be aware that someone from behind may be trying to pass.

Farmers have an important obligation to use safe practices on the road too:

Oregon law requires a slow moving vehicle reflector on any machine that travels the road slower than 25 mph.
Edges of equipment should be marked with reflective tape and reflectors.
When on the road, equipment should have front lights on and rear spotlights off.
Avoid using highways during rush hours, bad weather and at night when they can.

Moral of the story? Caution and courtesy goes a long way when dealing with slow moving vehicles on the roads. Pay special attention during the busy travel and farming seasons to make sure everyone stays safe. We all have a stake in safety around farm vehicles. Drivers are counting on farmers to be visible and predictable, and we are counting on them to be cautious so we all make it home safe and sound.

Happy Harvest!

For more information on Oregon grass seed, see here.

For rural road safety from the Oregon Farm Bureau, see here.

For more pictures of farm equipment of the road, see below:

Earth Day from the Farm

April 22, 2017 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

We celebrated Earth Day yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. Oh, and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. You get the picture, right? Every day is earth day on the farm. Literally every decision made has the next year, and the next decade, in mind. Every pesticide sprayed, every crop planted, all matter not just for next crop’s (hopeful) high yield and profit per acre, but what’s next to plant.

As I took some pictures yesterday, my focus was grabbing a cute shot of Uncle Amos and baby Jude. But as I look at it today on Earth Day, it’s amazing to see all that is happening in this one picture.

Water! Drip line irrigation saves water resources by pinpointing exactly where and when the trees need it.

Planting alfalfa in between the rows:

Prevents topsoil erosion
Increases organic matter in the soil
Prevents soil compaction
Provides a return on investment for us while we wait for the trees to produce hazelnuts as we sell the alfalfa to a local dairy.

And the trees! As trees grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon in the trees and soil, and release oxygen into the atmosphere.

Farmers, ranchers and foresters are the original environmentalists and live off of the land literally – believe me when I say our top priority is taking care of our most precious resources.

Happy Earth Day from farmers, ranchers and foresters all over working to provide food and fiber for us all!

Check out the below for more Earth Day fun!

Communication and farming – one family’s story

November 23, 2016 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

How often do you hear of “fifth generation farm” or “family business since 1935”? They are out there, in fact I know a few personally, but it doesn’t happen very often. This statement has haunted me since I first read it years ago:

It’s been said that more than 30% of all family-owned businesses survive into the second generation. 12% will still be viable into the third generation, with only 3 percent of all family businesses operating at the fourth-generation level and beyond.

Why is this? I’d say that everyone might have a differing opinion on this — taxes, regulation, lack of interest, markets change, the next generation just doesn’t have what it takes, and the ideas go on. My opinion: a lack of communication. It might not be the main reason, but I would suggest it to be a contributing factor in any family business problem.

I don’t have the answers, and anyone that knows me and my family all know that we are not masters of communication. But we have one thing for sure going for us: we are aware of it, and we try to work on it.

How does this family work at bettering communication?

Family meals – every Monday. If you can make it, great. If you can’t, no worries. My mom can be thanked for this. She is an excellent cook and we all are ever so grateful for a prepared meal every Monday.
Group text. Oh boy, the in-laws might not always love this (in fact my husband is just grateful for the mute option on his phone), but every family member is included, and we are all up to date on the latest shenanigans. We talk farming, we talk kids, we talk business, and we share in each others successes and share in each other’s failures. Every day, every week it’s different. But we communicate about it – and we’re better for it.
The kids and grandkids are ALWAYS welcome on the farm or in the office. I have never heard my parents shoo any of us or our kids away – if they are busy, they let the grandkids be a part of it. I try to mimic that. My kids and nieces and nephews are always welcome. I want them to know they are a part of this family farm and business. It happens regularly that a salesman will walk into my office and my nephew Jude is sitting on my lap. When my daughter Samantha was 4, she was the one that welcomed our future Operations Manager in the door when he was checking to see if we were hiring. That day she just happened to be watching cartoons on a computer while I was finishing up some work before leaving for the day. We were hiring, and he was hired soon after. I’m pretty sure he knew exactly what kind of business he was walking into: a family oriented one.
Like my dad says in the article I reference below: “you have to get over yourself.” We all have faults and we all have failures. But we also all have successes and things we are great at. If you asked my siblings, they could write a list of things I’m not good at. But they’d also give you a few things I am good at, too.

Like I said, we work on it. When Progressive Forage called and wanted to interview us about communication, I jumped at the chance. I’ve learned so much from others around me, maybe someone can learn from our failures and successes as well.

I’d also encourage everyone to share their failures and successes with others. We’re not perfect, none of us are! But I certainly hope more family businesses and farms succeed. I have a group of friends that share with each other – and I am better because of it. I’d encourage you to find your group as well.

And please read our interview and article here – thank you for reading and I wish you success in whatever you do.

Progressive Forage – Farming’s Communication Conundrum

A big thank you to the author: Cassidy Woolsey. She took what I didn’t think to be coherent ideas and made them a fantastic story. My hat is off to you Cassidy, thank you.

Earth Day thoughts from a “modern” farmer

April 18, 2016April 22, 2016 / shellyboshart / 1 Comment

So, what is Earth Day anyway? And why do farmers care? I thought Earth Day was some sort of environmentalist’s day? Right and wrong – the farmer is the original environmentalist. Yes – this is our day. And we care.

Farmers, simply put, make their living off the land. The land is our most precious resource and we take care of it. My family has been farming the same 150 acres since 1972. My grandpa made farming decisions with me in mind 44 years ago. Farmers are forward-thinkers, because they have to be. It’s in their job description. Yesterday’s and today’s forward-thinking farmers adopt modern technology is order to produce more with less. All in effort to take care of the dirt that takes care of them.

Modern technology in every other industry is celebrated. Do you want to have heart surgery with 1920 technology? How about your kids… would you like them to go to a school where the administration doesn’t believe in using computers? Do you watch TV on a black and white television where you have to walk across the room to turn the knob? And where did you get your news lately? Was it at the touch of a button? The modern farmer embraces technology that helps them to be sustainable for future generations and to ensure their neighbors have food, clothes and a roof over their head. Let’s celebrate this Earth Day with this in mind.

Farmers use the tools at their disposal in order to maximize yields and minimize inputs.

Farmers use bigger, faster combines. For example, with a larger header they can make less rounds in the field. With less rounds, we use less fuel, and produce less emissions.

Stacking hay in Nebraska, circa 1950’s

Stacking straw in Oregon, circa 2013

Farmers use more efficient pieces of equipment. That old “stacker” was the most efficient piece of equipment at the time. The new stacker is the best we’ve got right now. To put into perspective, the mound of hay in the picture above is probably 12 ton. Compare that to the grass straw stack below it is about 60 ton. It took probably 2-3 men to hand stack that, and most likely took all day. My brother stacked the 2 truckloads of grass straw in about 45 minutes. Simply put, we can do more with less. That’s what we as modern farmers strive for.

Let’s talk water.

Do you see the black “hose” running through the orchard? That’s called “drip irrigation”. Drip lines are an efficient method for delivering water to specific areas. A drip irrigation system delivers water directly to the soil around the roots of the trees. Drip irrigation lines deliver water to the trees slowly, so that very little water is lost from evaporation or runoff. And that’s my youngest daughter, Sam, helping move the irrigation lines closer to the trees as they sometimes slip down. See, my dad and I are making decisions with her and my other two daughters and nieces and nephews in mind.

This Earth Day, I’m thankful for modern farming.

For another farmer’s story on Earth Day, check out my friend Brenda’s blog here.

Unfortunately: “I told you so.”

April 6, 2016 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

I started this blog in November 2014 because I needed an outlet and a platform to explain to the general public the possibility of economic tragedy on the west coast if the status quo was allowed to continue. I’ll be extremely brief: the west coast port slowdown was the result of a failure to collectively bargain between the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) and the PMA (Pacific Maritime Association). Collective bargaining absolutely and categorically FAILED the United States. It failed the import/export business on the west coast especially. It failed American agriculture that relies on an efficient transportation system to get its superior goods to market. And in essence it failed the American economy. It’s failure is my reality.

One of the main theme’s of my advocacy on this issue is this, and stated in this blog post:

Oregon’s Agriculture is NECESSARY for the continued strength of the state. But if we can’t get it to market, then what good is any of it?

I would suggest the same for American agriculture. According to a Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress report:

“The agricultural sector makes an important contribution to the U.S. economy, from promoting food and energy security to supporting jobs in communities across the country. Exports are critical to the success of U.S. agriculture, and population and income growth in developing countries ensures that this will continue to be the case in the decades to come. U.S. agricultural exporters are well positioned to capture a significant share of the growing world market for agricultural products, but some challenges remain. Taking actions to facilitate exports would help to strengthen the agricultural sector and promote overall economic growth.”

The AgTC (Agriculture Transportation Coalition) has been stating this for years:

“There is nothing that we produce in this country in agriculture, that cannot be sourced somewhere else in the world. We can grow the best in the world, but if we can’t deliver affordably and dependably, the customer will go somewhere else… and may never come back”.

The theme here is obvious and overwhelmingly simple: for the sake of America’s economy, our ports need to work efficiently and productively.

And then this article drops today: Chinese Goods Bypass California.

Wall Street Journal: Chinese Goods Bypass California

Let me explain this in simple terms. Let’s say Fred Meyer’s is your favorite grocery store, but for some reason the traffic is horrible specifically in front of that store. One mile down the road, there is a Safeway with no traffic and has easy access. It’s a little harder to get there, but you start going to Safeway because it is efficient to do so. If Fred Meyer’s fixes the traffic problem, do you go back? Maybe. But also maybe do you stay with Safeway because you like the store and you’re now used to it? Possibly.

This is what the Wall Street Journal article speaks to. The west coast ports has a traffic problem. The east coast ports do not. China is choosing to spend a little more time and effort to ship into the east coast ports. And they might just find they are easier to work with. Will they make the move? Maybe. Will they ever come back? Maybe.

Anyone want to take this risk? I don’t. But it’s not up to me.

I’m going to be frank. The only person or entity that can take on the ILWU and the PMA is the President of the United States and the United States Government. I tend to be an optimist, but the fact that my hope is in the U.S. Government isn’t appealing and leaves me with a sense of hopelessness. I’m a believer in the Free Market. But, collective bargaining isn’t typically conducive to the free market. It’s ugly out there folks.

I could blather on for another couple hours about global trade routes and manufacturing in Asia moving east, ultimately making it easier to move product into the east coast ports of the U.S. Considering 2/3 of the population lives in the eastern U.S., this sounds like a good idea. What happens to our empty containers that we need to load for export on the west coast if all the containers are on the east coast? Even those not familiar with agriculture knows we can’t move our 250 different crops from Oregon to Kentucky. Also, I would suggest the southeastern states are more conducive to this little word: business. That is all for another discussion on another day.

My point: Let’s not give ship lines any more reason to bypass the west coast ports. I feel like I’ve said this too much lately, but: Wake Up America.

For more background information, visit my previous blogs on the West Coast Port Slowdown.

Why this affects you.

Day 29… and counting.

AgTC: Statement of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition

Port Crisis 101: history of, where we stand, and a little of my own opinion…

The battle continues… West Coast port crisis not over.

Port Crisis? Still. Not. Over.

1-Year Recap of the West Coast Port Crisis – the ship that sailed

Happy National Ag Week!

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 / shellyboshart / Leave a comment

National Ag Day was Tuesday, March 15 this year (2016). For those of you unfamiliar with National Ag Day, it is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture. It started in 1973.

Agriculture’s contribution to Oregon’s economy, environment, and social well-being is worth celebrating. In observing National Agriculture Week March 13-19, Americans are encouraged to say thank you to the more than 2 million farmers and ranchers who produce food and fiber for a living. Statewide, there are more than 35,000 agricultural operators for Oregonians to salute.

Here is a numerical snapshot of agriculture’s importance to the state’s economy:

Oregon agriculture supports more than 326,000 full or part-time jobs, making up almost 14% of total jobs in the state.
Oregon agriculture is responsible for $22.9 billion or 10.6% of the net state product.
More than 98% of Oregon’s farms are family operations – dispelling the notion that agriculture in the state is made up of big corporate farm factories.

Go out and enjoy Oregon agricultural products! Whether it’s food, nursery items, grass seed or a farmer’s market; whether it’s slowing down behind a tractor or combine on the roads; or whether it’s thanking a farmer for working to provide food and fiber for us all… As we look for ways to continue to improve the economic, environmental, and social contributions that agriculture makes to Oregon, your support of Oregon agriculture is critical to achievement.

And just for fun – here are some fun facts and great pictures. Enjoy!

(Thank you to Oregon Department of Agriculture and American Agri-Women for the great ag facts and information in this post.)

The most important crop I grow… my children.

April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 / shellyboshart / 3 Comments

Last Thursday, I received a call from Monsanto. A lady told me that I had been nominated and had won the NW Farm Mom of the Year. Wait, what? I hadn’t heard of this before other than an email from someone saying I would be a great candidate. How in the world did I win this? Well, the lady said, I had been nominated and apparently many had written letters on my behalf. I was asked to fly out on Wednesday – yesterday – to St. Louis to meet the 4 other division winners, to receive media training, a photoshoot, and interviews – both national and local.

Wow. I’m sitting on the plane starting to write this now, headed towards one incredible opportunity, and have had little time to reflect on this. Humbled. Honored. Grateful. Excited. Thankful. Nervous! Farm Mom of the Year. I guess what makes me the most excited about this award are the first two words: FARM MOM. Anyone that knows me knows these are my passions.

Farming. I grew up on a grass seed farm. I started driving combine at 12 years old. This isn’t an abnormal story if you grow up in ag. Childhood was simply different for me from a lot of my friends, and I expect that my daughters will be telling the same story eventually. Summers = Harvest. A very simple fact. My family worked hard, and that’s simply all I knew. I’m realizing that our way of life is becoming more and more foreign to those living in the city. Our practices are strange, apparently questionable, and the urban/rural divide is getting larger and larger. What I see is an opportunity for a youngster to learn life skills while working a summer job on a farm and get some cash in the process – the urban dweller see’s it as “child labor.” What I see as respect and value of the farmer and the small business entrepreneur who took a risk, the urbanite see’s as someone who owes the employee a legislated, mandated higher wage, a mandated flexible schedule, and mandatory sick leave. What I see as responsible care-taking of the land through farming, the city-dweller see’s as questionable farming practices and dousing fields with chemicals. What I see as the trucking industry delivering goods to all of us – 75% of Oregon’s freight is delivered by truck – and being very thankful for the truck driver and transportation industry, city-folk see’s that truck only as a polluter. And finally what I see as Oregon being an Agricultural state proudly rooted with traditions of hard work, Portland and Eugene want to become California and adopt all of their rules and regulations.

What happened to the idea that here in America, anyone anywhere can do anything? What happened to work hard and you will succeed? You want my opinion? While our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents were working really hard, and keeping their heads down, raising a family, and expecting the lawmakers to be like-minded… well, in simple terms, they were wrong. And, we are now faced with a fight. A battle. The agricultural community is rising up, and I’m proud to be on the front lines.

Mommy-hood. Had to take a breath for this one. My heart swells with pride when talking about my 3 daughters: we lovingly call them Small, Medium and Large – a name penned by their dear Aunt Jen-Jen. My daughters will be contributing members of society. They will be givers, not takers. They will know how to “suck it up cupcake”. They will know how to work hard. These are my goals for their life. And each one is different – just like every crop is different. Our hazelnuts require a different plan than our grass seed. Some crops require constant care, while others require more time and attention during certain times of the year. But, each grow differently, look differently, bloom differently – and each are beautiful in their own right. And they each have their individual and riveting story that will be told in their own time.

Many know, some don’t, that not all of my daughters are biological. Not that it matters, it doesn’t to me, but it is a fact of my life as well as theirs. Just like learning about different crops, I’ve had to learn about what makes each one special. I learned about ADHD and learning disabilities, and a program called HELP that has changed her. I learned about asthma and allergies. I learned about encopresis and how stress affects young children’s bodies. I learned about mental health, coping skills, parenting a child that lost her biological mother. And, throughout all of this – this has made me a better MOM.

Every family has a story… welcome to ours.

Farm. Mom. You literally couldn’t hand-pick a better title for me. I’m incredibly honored and humbled to accept this award, and learn what’s next in store for me. Like I said, I’m headed to St. Louis, and apparently more information to come about the “National Farm Mom of Year.” I’ll be learning more about it. If you want to follow this journey with me, I would be honored.

And if you’d like to vote for me, please do! Click here – one vote per day per email. Truly, I feel like I’ve already won, that just being recognized for my passion is thanks enough. But, any platform I’m given the opportunity to stand on and shout out to the masses how important Oregon’s agriculture is to us all, then I’ll take whatever someone wants to give me!

Note: Voting opens on Friday, April 24th and goes through Wednesday, May 6th. Your email is only used as verification of 1 vote per day per email, and won’t be used in any marketing.

The battle continues… West Coast port crisis not over.

February 24, 2015 / shellyboshart / 2 Comments

It’s not time to pour the champagne just yet. “Ship” hit the main-stream news fan late last week when Labor Secretary Tom Perez game both sides until Friday to settle the dispute or he would ship them off to DC to continue talks downstream from the White House. All puns intended. When news broke Friday evening that a contract had been tentatively signed, my Twitter blew up. Anyone not completely familiar with how things work thought this was over. Far from it. I know of both Ports of Oakland and Portland have both had skirmishes over the weekend. Apparently Local 10 in Oakland was found guilty of work stoppages. And the Hanjin Copenhagen is yet to sail from Terminal 6 at Port of Portland! That ship has been sitting for 19 days… We have 45 containers sitting on dock still waiting to load. Some of those containers have been there since January 15th. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that this is hurting the small businessman and farmer alike.

For a timely update aired by the Ag Information Network, see here.

Shippers have a very tough road head of them. Ship lines are trying to clear the backlog at whatever means necessary. We are fighting every day to keep ahead of schedules, getting trucks to port within the very short time-frame we are given – and us Oregonian businesses and farms are now behind the 8-ball because our options just became much more limited with Hanjin announcing they are pulling out of Terminal 6 at the Port of Portland. In one announcement, Port of Portland lost 80% of their containers business.

The complete lack of remorse and total disregard by both the PMA and ILWU for the havoc that ensued during this continuing crisis is repulsive. See very brief press release here. No “thank you for your patience”. No “we’re incredibly sorry for the suffering that America has endeavored.” And definitely no sign of “we will all work together to make sure the West Coast ports become synonymous with the best ports in the world!” Because of this and because of the economic pain and damage, we simply cannot let this happen again. We’re hearing that the contract was for 5 years. The clock is now ticking, the deadline is now set, and our next battle has been named: preventing a small group of people from holding the American economy hostage the next time the contract expires.

Wish us luck.

In the meantime, some comic relief… Here are our new names for a couple of vessels: