Trico Farm's Balancing Act

I met Austin Arnoldus at the Pendleton Experiment Station Field Day in June. He shared that they grow sugar beets in the Grande Ronde Valley. Arnoldus' farm, Trico, comprises 6500 acres, with roughly 2/3 of it irrigated. They also grow mint, seed crops, alfalfa, corn and wheat. Always curious, I wanted to know more about his family farm operation.. Austin always wanted to be a farmer growing up. He was moving a mile of hand line daily at 10 years of age. When Austin was 13-14 years old he was responsible for operating an IH 1480 combine to harvest 160 acres of barley. His family gave him responsibility and a strong work ethic at a young age! Roben Arnoldus, Austin's father, had the opportunity in 1992 to obtain a sugar beet acreage allotment from Amalgamated Sugar Company. The sugar beet processor operates plants in Nyssa, OR,and Nampa, and Twin Falls, ID. Trico begins digging beets on September 19 as financial incentives are offered for early harvest. Yields are only 30 tons/acre which is less than the 40 ton production in Idaho and Malheur counties). However, the sugar content is higher (18- 21% sugar versus 15% in Malheur county. Sugar beets are a profitable crop with sugar content determining the market value. Trico was encourged by AM Todd, mint oil buyer, to plant peppermint and they operated the first mint oil still in the valley. Mint is chopped into a tub trailer, driven to a still, then hooked up to steam hoses, where the mint oil is separated from the hot water. A good crop is 90#/acre and they get 2 cuttings per year. They will remove fields when yields dip below 60#/acre. Wilt disease eventually infects tmint field soils. Farmers are always striving to plant in virgin farmland, but after 20 plus years of cropping in the valley virgin acres are not available.. AM Todd developed a wilt resistant mint variety that is a cross between Spearmint and Black Mitcham varietals that Trico has been growing successfully on recropped mint fields. Peppermint is a profitable crop at the current contract price of $25-$28/lb. The Grande Ronde Valley was once renown for grass seed production . “We are plowing our last 3 grass seed fields this fall. Oversupply and weak grass seed demand has slowed grower's payments, ” said Arnoldus. Trico also grows alfalfa and has their fields custom baled. Trico was busy harvesting wheat when I met Austin. Some wheat yields were reduced by a May frost. “Our current price at the Alicel Elevator is only $4.85/bu, and wheat production is not profitable at that price,” said Arnoldus. “We are striving to grow more commodities that have a contracted price.” Seed wheat is grown for Columbia Grain, Lewiston, ID. Camelina, canola, pinto beans and garbonzo seed is successfully grown in rotation under contacts. Pinto beans are sold to ADM, yielding 1800-2100#/acre at $.45-$.48/lb price. They hope to grow garlic seed next year. Last year was the first year of growing field corn for Baker City Cattle Feeders. (Who would have ever imagined growing field corn in the LaGrande?) The feedlot has expanded and has a capacity of 15,000 head. “Corn is a good rotation crop and can help clean up some weedy fields,” said Arnoldus. Corn harvest begins in November and they deliver dry corn. Last year the field averaged 210 bu/acre. Trico receives an $.80 /bu over Dec. CME futures price at delivery. They are growing an 82 day Pioneer corn variety on 311 irrigated acres this year. Austin has strong leadership and management skills. Trico Farms is prospering because of their diversified cropping rotation. Management is constantly looking at new crops to grow, under contract prices that are profitable. AGRITIMES enjoyed the privelage of meeting and visiting the Arnoldus family and wants to thank them for agreeing to share their story.