Picto Diary - 22 May 2018 - Pivot Irrigations Systems
Above: Irrigation Pivot System. US 26. Vale, Oregon. 22 May 2018.
John Galt and Zimmatic, whom I had ridden with, yesterday, two hundred fifty miles from Walla Walla, WA to John Day, OR, parted ways in John Day this AM after breakfast.
Galt and Zimmatic would return to Walla Walla and I would ride east, using US 26 to reach I-84, to cover the 525 miles between John Day and Park City, UT.
I met Zimmatic five or so years ago through my friendship with John Galt. The three of us have since accomplished several rides together, including one to Alaska two years ago. Last year, Zimmatic met me in Smithers, B.C., where we, riding graded dirt, explored the ski resort area above the town.
Zimmatic is a son of Eastern Washington. He has farming running in his veins. He's been a cop. He's a volunteer fireman. He and his wife have two high achieving daughters, the oldest of which will be entering Washington State University on full scholarship this fall.
As you can imagine, the daughters, coming from parents who work the land, are reality based kids "who know how to do stuff." They're not glued to smart phones. Among others, the girls raise their own pigs and enter them into county fair competitions. They are "there may be hope for America yet girls."
In addition to working their own land, Mr. and Mrs. Zimmatic are owners of an irrigation supply business, holding a Zimmatic franchise, based in Touchet, Washington.
Over many shared dinners and shared jacks I've learned a little about farming from Zimmatic. I've learned ... at least some of the headlines... about pivot irrigation systems.
I can't be on the Duc, or in the F350, riding/driving down the road but what I don't try to identify the manufacturer of every irrigation system I see. This is Zimmatic's fault. He's indoctrinated me. I'm a hooked, interested person in pivot irrigation systems.
There is a "big two," of pivot irrigation systems. Valley and Zimmatic. Both are public companies with headquarters and manufacturing based in Nebraska. Valley has the largest share, but, Zimmatic is known for its superior internet connectivity to enhance performance and facilitate operator convenience. They are similarly priced, both at the top end.
Reinke is the number three brand. It costs 20% less than Valley and Zimmatic.
I was talking over the phone to rancher Monk today and he owns a Reinke system. He said he knows that Valley is a better system, but the local Reinke dealer (Central Utah) is great, where the Valley dealer is weak. Monk says most of his central Utah neighbors use Reinke systems and that the excellent dealer is what has influenced him and his fellow ranchers' decision more than Reinke's lower price.
There are a couple of other manufacturers: Pierce, and, the one shown in the image above, GrowSmart.
Monk confirmed what Zimmatic told me yesterday at dinner in John Day. The LDS Church is the nation's largest single customer for pivot irrigation systems. The LDS Church has an exclusive relationship with Valley. It would be interesting to know what percentage of Valley's sales of pivot irrigation systems are purchased by the LDS Church.
Monk noted in today's conversation that John Deere's largest single customer is the LDS Church.
Zimmatic said there were four large farms in eastern Washington and Oregon that are owned by the LDS Church and that the LDS are, by far, the largest customer of irrigation equipment in his market.
Of course, the LDS Church is a private organization, so there would be no way to certify its being a major player in buying agricultural equipment. But, it would appear that the LDS Church is keeping a large chunk of its investments in the land.... a good position to be in, by the way, when the mud hits the fan... as it invariably will at some point.
Today as I rode the Duc on I-84, east across the Snake River plain, from 30 miles east of Twin Falls, ID to Burley, ID, I observed hundreds of pivot irrigation systems. It appears, that in this area, Twin Falls/Burley, Zimmatic owns the market. Nine out of ten systems I saw were Zimmatics... the others were Valley. I cheered privately for my friend Zimmatic, hoping that he could achieve success in his own market like the Zimmatic people seem to have done on Idaho's Snake River plain.
Zimmatic says that in a decent year he will install ten or more pivot irrigation systems in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. The pivot irrigation systems sales represent about 30% of his overall business. There are other ways of irrigating than pivot systems and Zimmatic sells and installs them all.
At dinner in John Day last evening, Zimmatic and John Galt talked about the Walla Walla / Milton Freewater area market. Its bursting at the seams. Zimmatic is having a hard time finding people to work for him. There is upward pressure on wages. Housing prices are rising in the area. There are a lot of boomer retirees from Seattle looking for a nice place to live with a lower cost of living that is found in eastern Washington and Oregon.
In Walla Walla you can get a nice, new three bedroom, two car garage, upscale fixtures, granite counter tops, one acre type of place in the mid 400's. That's good for the just retired Seattle couple who just sold their house for a couple of million, but not so good for the skilled worker who knows how to install pivot irrigation systems. There is a shortage of housing in the 100s to 200s and a shortage of rental properties.
Long haul truckers are in high demand and low supply. Someone willing to be a long haul truck driver, a tough life away from home much of the time, over the last few years would make $75K per year. Trucking companies are upping that number to $85K to attract drivers.
Because of the shortage of truck drivers, supply chains are stressed. Zimmatic says that it takes longer to have a system he has designed for a customer to ship to the farm destination.
I enjoyed the peaceful, lonely ride eastbound on US 26 from John Day, OR to Ontario, OR, about 160 miles. It was a bluebird day with temperatures in the low 60's. I hadn't ridden that section of US 26 for about ten years.
US 26 in this area looks more like "Utah" than it does "Oregon." Rolling mountains, desert stretches, sage brush until you reach twenty miles west of Ontario, Vale, OR, where irrigated farming of alfalfa starts. Note the image above...my only stop on this segment.
From Ontario, OR I rode east on I-84, which connects Ogden, UT with Portland, OR.
My first pit stop after leaving John Day, OR was Nampa, ID, after 180 miles of riding. The "safe" range for the Duc is 200 miles.
Above: Ducati Multistrada Motorcycle. Burley, Idaho. 22 May 2018.
After riding about 390 miles from John Day, Oregon I reached Burley about 4:00 PM.
It was my intention, after refueling and a snack, to continue the 150 miles or so home to Park City.
I would take the back route through City of Rocks... a favorite destination of mine.
I started out, riding south from Burley toward Oakley on ID SR 27, but, I was heading into this big black cloud. Wind was whipping up around me and I could see lightning bolts flashing frequently in the cloud's center.
I continued on... thinking, perhaps, the cloud will move. To the left and right of the disturbance I could see clear spots in the sky.
Nope, I could see the cloud was straight in the path of the direction I wanted to head. In fact, it looked like it could be right over City of Rocks. There are about 60 miles of dirt roads to get into and out of City of Rocks and I didn't relish the idea of riding in the mud.
Discretion being the better part of valor (phrase invented by me just now), I turned around and rode the twenty miles or so I had covered back to Burley. I got a room and hoped that the weather tomorrow would be more favorable for visiting City of Rocks.
Above: Team Photo. Mynduveroan's team. Park City, UT. 28 May 2018.
Addendum:
Sunday brunch at Yankee Doodle's Cafe in Alpine, Wyoming. Safe place to dine. Owner is typically wearing a pistol. Sign at the entrance encourages others to do the same. Owner wasn't working, so I can only assume that some of the wait staff was carrying under their aprons. Active duty military eat for free and veterans get complimentary coffee. Was hoping to dine on steak tacos in Evanston, but Yankee Doodle's food still had us full, as we passed by Don Pedro's.
Guzzi,
Park City, UT
Safe place to eat.