Grower Northwest 7.13

Western Edition

GROWER

July 2013 Volume 7 Number 8

$2.50

Servingg Alll Aspectss off Commerciall Horticulture

Greenhouse • Nursery • Garden Center • Fruit & Vegetable • Farm Markets • Landscapers • Christmas

Cover story Education and family fun at Swore Farms ~ Page 3

Alsoo inn thiss issue:

Creekside Gardens ~ finding a niche

Personal hygiene and field sanitation Melissa Piper Nelson

Today’s Marketing

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID UTICA, NY PERMIT #55

Columnist

Plug g Dislodger Designed to accommodate several sizes of plug trays, using a common frame.

See Us At OFA July 13-16, 2013 Columbus, OH Booth #1301

Vandana Tubeless s Seeder Sows entire tray at one drop Templates easy to change Will handle any tray size.

Travelling Irrigator

Page 2 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Custom-built to fit your greenhouse or crop shelter from the highest quality component parts.

Growing g Trays Available in many sizes and styles to match a wide variety of needs.

Growing g Systems,, Inc. 2950 N. Weil St. Milwaukee, WI 53212 Ph (414) 263-3131 Fax (414) 263-2454

GROWER 013 July 2me 22

rn Easte n Editio

R E W GRO

Volu er 7 Numb

$2.50

re icultu ers • Christmas ap l Hort mercia Markets • Landsc m o C of rm spects & Vegetable • Fa A ll A uit g Servin arden Center • Fr

house

• Nurs

ery •

G

Story Cover ing p i Sh p ts plan safely

Green

and safety iene Food yg nal h perso

ant’ resist ‘dual fight New oes h tomat ts wit es p lethal o punch one-tw

nist

Colum Nelson er sa Pip keting Melis Mar ’s Today

See Us At The Shows . . .

OFA Booth #2811 PANTS Booth #1812 Farwest Booth #24061

We look forward to talking with you about # Subscriptions This Can # Story Leads # Advertising Be You # How We Are Doing Stop by our booth and have your picture on the Cover of Country Folks Grower

For More Info Call 800-218-5586 Dan Wren or dwren@leepub.com

Education and family fun at Swore Farms

W

Visitors to Swore Farms enjoy selecting pumpkins and other fresh produce at the farm.

Photos courtesy of Swore Farms

games for them to play and they go through the maze.”

The 13-acre pumpkin patch includes about 15,000 pumpkin plants, which are started in greenhouses and hand planted by Wendy and her children. The Swores have selected about 12 varieties that have proven to be reliable. “Our favorite is the Wolf pumpkin,” said Wendy. “We love the huge, thick stems.

We also grow Howdens, ghost pumpkins, Solid Gold and Gold Rush. Our favorites for the little kids are small varieties like Jack Be Little. We go through crates and crates of those each year.”

In addition to their reputation for providing great fall activities, Swore Farms is known for their sweet corn. Each year, Wendy and Mike establish several successive sweet corn plantings to ensure a steady supply throughout the season.

Wendy recalls that when she and Mike first moved to the farm, they picked sweet corn with wheelbarrows and buckets. Now, they plant alternate wide and narrow rows so that a lawn tractor will fit between the rows. “We have two rows close together, then enough space for an irrigation line, then two more rows, then a space wide enough for a tractor,” said Wendy. “When we pick, we’ll attach two or three carts to the tractor, and my kids can drive the tractor down the rows and I pick into the trailer. I never have to pick it up again — we sell the corn right out of the cart.” Each year, the Swores donate corn to a local food bank; last year they donated 24,000 pounds.

The Swores have two high tunnels and will soon erect three additional 30’ x 100’ high tunnels to start crops and extend the season. “We’re hoping to get them up by fall so we can get some of the cool weather crops in,” said Wendy. “We tried growing hanging baskets in their greenhouses, but found that if the baskets weren’t just right, people didn’t buy them. “We’re having much better luck with strawberry baskets because people don’t care what the individual strawberry plant looks like as long as there are

strawberries on it,” she said.

This year, the Swores offered CSA shares for the first time. “This year we have 29 full shares and some half shares,” said Wendy. “We plan to expand and offer 50 to 60 shares next year, and continue to increase by 30 shares each

year.” Wendy says when they started this season, they had no idea how much a 100’ foot long row of spinach would yield, but after preparing several weeks’ worth of shares, they can now estimate what each row and crop will yield. The first shares included rhubarb, beets, lettuce, spinach, green onions and last fall’s russet potatoes. This summer’s shares will also include freshly milled flour from the farm’s 50 acres of hard red wheat.

Although Swore Farms isn’t organic, they consider themselves minimalists and use both conventional and organic methods. “I want people to understand that there’s a balance,” said Wendy. “We rotate crops, and I explain that we use as little as possible and do we what have to do. People have this idea that farmers dump chemicals on everything, and that just isn’t true. We use beneficial insects in the greenhouse, but if we have an infestation, we’d use something rather than let everything die.”

Wendy uses the farm’s Facebook page to post pictures that show what the family is doing from day to day on the farm.

“People see we’re planting and working,” she said. “It brings people from the city a little bit closer to the farm.”

Visit Swore Farms on Facebook, and online at www.sworefarms.com.

Early-season garden produce is grown in several greenhouses and sold through CSA shares and throughout the community.

The Swore children, ages 5 through 14, enjoy helping their parents on the farm.

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 3

by Sally Colby hen third-generation farmer Mike Swore and his wife Wendy had an opportunity to purchase a 29-acre farm next to Mike’s grandfather’s farm near Pocatello, Idaho, it was the start of a thriving family business. With an additional rented 90 acres, the family has created a multifaceted agricultural enterprise that supplies the local area with fresh produce and family fun each fall.

A corn maze that Wendy and Mike once attended with their family influenced the mazes Wendy creates today.

“The first time I went to a corn maze, which was about 12 years ago, I took my little kids,” she said. “After the first hour, we were all done and wanted to get out.”

Based on that experience, Wendy creates a corn maze that’s different from most mazes. It’s relatively short, taking about 37 minutes to go through, and includes several exit opportunities. “I make it myself with a weed-whacker, and at every fork there’s a question about agriculture,” said Wendy. “If someone chooses the wrong answer, they hit a dead end, and if they answer correctly, they can go further in the maze. But people won’t be lost for too long.”

Questions might read ‘who makes chocolate milk — brown cows or people?’

Wendy says an amazing number of people answer incorrectly. Other questions are true or false, including whether DDT caused the extinction of bald eagles.

“That’s false — it’s one of those myths that won’t die,” said Wendy, who finds herself having to provide facts and details about ag questions their customers ask.

Wendy’s solution to spending extra time explaining the answers to common questions was to create an answer key on the farm’s website. A QR code on the signs throughout the corn maze is linked to the answer key on the site. “The QR code is on the sign, so if they want to learn more about something, they can scan it with a smartphone and learn the facts that support the answer,” she said.

The first mazes at Swore Farms were difficult to create because Wendy waited too long to cut the paths and the corn was too tall. “After a few years of that, I started cutting it when the corn was shin-high,” she said. “But because I’m doing everything else and have five kids, by the time I’m done, it’s up to my hips — it only takes a couple of weeks for it to get that high. Now I usually get it finished before I can’t see over it.”

In addition to the corn maze, Swore Farms offers fall activities aimed at providing families with lasting memories.

Throughout the season, a friend’s draft horse team is on the farm to move wagons from the maze to the pumpkin patch. Weekdays are filled with school and other group field trips, each of which is geared to the age of the group. “We have lots of pre-school trips,” said Wendy. “If the kids are really little, we’ll take turns sitting in the tractor, talk about machinery, then we have several

Oregon hop grower Pat Leavy influences organic hops production

by Karl H. Kazaks n 2007, the USDA — acting on the recommendation of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) — declared that brewers could make organic beer without organic hops. Since then the USDA (again acting on the NOSB’s advice) has reversed itself and ruled that, starting on Jan. 1 2013, organic beer must contain organic hops.

What happened? The USDA — and the organic industry — wants to promote the production and marketing of organic products. But sometimes it’s hard to find organic sources of smaller components of multiingredient products. So the USDA ruled that so long as an ingredient comprises less than 5 percent of the weight of a product’s dry ingredients, is difficult to source in organic form, and is included on its list of exempted ingredients (proposed by the NOSB), organic producers can use a non-organic form.

There’s no question hops are (weight-wise) a small component of beer. At most, hops comprise two percent of the weight of a beer’s dry ingredients — and that’s for the hoppiest brews. Where the brewing industry and the organic hops industry differed was on the question of whether organic hops are hard to source.

In 2007 the USDA agreed with beer producers, who claimed that it was hard to find a consistent supply of quality organic hops.

But Pat Leavy, of Butteville, OR saw it as a chicken-and-egg problem. There could be an adequate supply of organic hops, he figured, if there was enough demand — which could be the case if brewers had to use organic hops in organic beer.

So in 2009, along with a number of other organic hop growers, Leavy formed the

Page 4 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

I

American Organic Hop Growers Association (AOHGA) and started lobbying for a change to the USDA’s standards. Thanks to their efforts, in 2010 the USDA reversed the decision, announcing that hops would be removed from the exempted products list on the first day of 2013.

With that bureaucratic hurdle cleared, now Leavy and the AOHGA can focus on growing, promoting, and marketing their hops.

Leavy grows hops both conventionally and organically, about 30 acres of each. One reason brewers were initially reluctant to embrace organic hops is early versions of the product had sub-optimal brewing value — less than adequate bitterness. Early attempts at organic hops had low brewing value because growers were picking early — before maximum brewing value developed — to avoid pest pressure. Since then, however, with better breeding and pest management, growers have been able to allow hops to reach peak brewing value while using organic production methods.

Dealing with pests is the top challenge for organic hop producers. “No question pests are the limiting factor,” Leavy said.

“But I like the challenge of growing organic hops.”

Each growing area has its own pest problems.

In Washington’s Yakima Valley — where most of domestic organic hops production is found — spider mites and powdery mildew are the primary challenges. At Leavy’s farm in the Willamette Valley, the major challenge is downy mildew.

At present Leavy uses copper hydroxide to control downy mildew. He’s also several years into a farm-based breeding program to develop varieties resistant to downy mildew.

“I want to diminish as much

Harvest time at Pat Leavy’s hop farm. He currently grows 30 acres of organic hops.

Photos courtesy of Pat Leavy

as possible the use of fungicides,” Leavy said, “while obviously maintaining brewing value.”

Leavy grows two varieties of conventional hops — Nugget and Crystal — which he sells through dealers. Much of that production is exported. The organic hops he direct markets himself through his business The Oregon Hophouse (www.theoregonhophouse.com) .

Both Crystal and Nugget — as well as the highly popular variety Cascade — are highly susceptible to downy mildew.

Leavy would like to grow them organically at his farm, which is why he has a breeding program to come up with better downy mildew resistance in those varieties.

The process of breeding requires patience. Hops have male and female plants. Leavy plants them next to each other, collect seeds, propagates seedlings, and then grows the new generation to see how they perform against downy mildew.

Since it is a systemic disease, it takes at least three years to see how susceptible (or, hopefully, resistant) any one plant is to the disease.

“We are making some progress,” Leavy said. “We have some cultivars which do show better resistance.”

Conventionally, hops are grown on trellises which extend 18 feet above ground. Each spring a string is stretched from where the perennial plants are located in the ground to the top of the trellis. The plants can be productive for as long as 30 years, but with recent improvement in genetics, most growers convert their fields more frequently than that.

“With recent active breeding programs,” Leavy said, “varieties can become obsolete.” The oldest plants at Leavy’s farm are 22 years old.

Leavy’s harvesting facility, build in 1989, encompasses 16,000 square feet. After a machine strips hops from the vine, they are dried to less than 10 percent moisture in one of three drying kilns and then compressed into 200 pound bales.

Growing organic hops also means a different approach to trellis management. When putting a field into new production, only certain materials can be used to construct the trellis.

Leavy used juniper poles.

Growers converting an existing hop stand to organic can use their existing trellises but when those trellises need repair,

The hop kiln, where hops are dried to 10 percent moisture content.

growers must replace them with organically permissible products.

In between rows of hops, Leavy plants buckwheat as a summer cover crop. It works well, he said, because it grows quickly and handles the shade from the hop vines.

“I’m still experimenting with winter cover crops,” Leavy said.

“Slugs have been annihilating our rye, vetch — all that expensive organic seed...With organics you win some and lose some — but I haven’t found the winning side of slugs at all. They won’t even eat weeds.”

Leavy thinks the progress made in organic hops production has also helped non-organic production.

“I grow conventionally, I use insecticides, but I’ve realized

organic has a lot to contribute to agriculture. I see the positives of organics, but not from anti-pesticide point of view.

There’s a lot of benefit to the soil.”

“The craft brew trend is still growing,” Leavy said. “It’s less than 10 percent of the marketplace. The growth of the craft beer industry has halted the decline of hop production, because they use more hops per barrel.

“Over 10 percent of hops producers today grow organic hops. What other crop has that percentage of growers growing organic. That’s a pretty high percentage.”

And that’s a pretty big change — mostly since 2007. And in large part due to the efforts of Pat Leavy.

Pat and Jean Ann Leavy grow several varieties of hops, both organically and conventionally.

Photo by Joan Kark-Wren

Teachable Moments steps to ensure better communication and understanding between employer and employee.

The magic happens when the employee fully comprehends what needs to be done and is equipped to make it happen right the first time.

1. If a staff member cannot complete a project or seems to misunderstand directions, the first step is to frame the situation in a positive way. Yelling or disrespecting the employee (especially in front of others) will have more negative consequences than you might care for.

Look at the situation from the employee’s point of view and try to reconstruct what happened to make the situation breakdown. Framing, or viewing and communicating, what

has happened with a positive perspective sets in motion a teachable moment that will enable the worker to do a better job and learn from his mistake.

2. Be honest and direct in your communication about the situation.

State in very clear terms what the expectations were and repeat the directions that you anticipated the worker would follow. Explain where you think the breakdown in the process occurred and then ask the worker to do the same. You might be surprised that the two conclusions are separate issues in the process.

3. The next step is to repeat the procedure with the employee. Even if you feel you have communicated a process or directions well, there

By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques. may be barriers that are preventing the employee from working through them or misunderstanding a step along the way.

By reviewing the process, you allow some time to not only ease the tension of the immediate situation, but communicate expectations person to person.

4. Ask for feedback from your employee at this point and encourage him to offer opinions about the work — positive or negative. This step allows you to see where a problem may exist either in perception or how you have communicated the task. This doesn’t mean the employee gets to refuse to

do a job just because it is difficult, or that he doesn’t fully understand what needs to be done. A good manager will be able to see where the situation is heading and help fix the problem or remove the employee from the immediate task.

5. The final step in the process is to again reframe the situation into a positive and helpful teachable moment. Explain that you feel the person can do the job and give him the tools and direction to do so. If, however, the situation does not seem to have a positive outcome, it is better at this point to either try a different approach to the task or

seek another employee who is capable of completing the task.

The busy summer months are hectic enough without having to solve difficult labor problems that escalate into bad feelings for both the manager and employee. Good training, combined with clear task goals and objectives, provide the best path to efficiency and getting the job done right at one of the busiest seasons of the year.

The above information is presented for educational purposes and should not be substituted for professional business and legal counseling.

Miles Kohl elected to serve as chairman of WAEF At its annual meeting held in May in Yakima, members of the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) Board of Directors elected Miles Kohl to serve as its chairman. Mr. Kohl has been a member of the board of di-

rectors since 2010. He is the CEO of Allan Brothers located in Naches.

Mr. Kohl followed Brian Alegria as chairman.

Mr. Alegria, CEO of CPC International Apple Company in Tieton, will continue on the board

of directors serving on the Foundation’s executive committee as immediate past chairman.

Also elected at the meeting were Jeff Fagg, Vice President–Account Manager for Northwest Farm Credit Services in Moses Lake, to serve as

vice chairman; Rachel Sullivan, CEO of Crane & Crane in Brewster, to serve as secretary; and Dwaine Brown, CFO at Tree Top in Selah, to serve as treasurer.

It was shared during the meeting that Mr. Kohl received a scholar-

Prices good thru 7/15/13

20357 HWY 99E AURORA, OR 97002 503-678-2700 800-347-2701 (outside OR) ivans@ovg.com www.ovg.com

Also Offering • Poly Carbonate • Exhaust Fans • Shade Cloth • Ground Cover • Code Structures • Non-Code Structures • Poly • Wire Lock • Roll-ups • Heating

20x48 Quonset . . . .$883.63 20x96 Quonset . . .$1590.53 5’ On Center, 4’ sides

5’ On Center, 4’ sides

11-Bows, 1 5/8” 14 ga.

20-Bows, 1 5/8” 14 ga.

48’ Purlin, 4-8’ End Braces

96’ Purlin, 4-21’ End Braces

Hardware & Instructions

Hardware & Instructions

32x50 6mil 4yr Poly . .$162 32x100 6mil 4yr Poly .$304 14 psc. Wire Lock . . . .$175 22 psc. Wire Lock . . . .$275

ship from the Washington Apple Commission a few years before the inception of WAEF. “I can attest to the importance of scholarships. My parents are apple growers and were impacted by stories of Alar in the late 1980s just as I prepared to attend college.

Paying for college suddenly became a much greater obstacle,” shared Mr. Kohl.

WAEF honored retiring board member and long-time foundation treasurer Stan Scheumann during the annual meeting.

Mr. Scheumann joined the board of directors in 2004 and was first elected treasurer in 2006.

He is the

controller at Auvil Fruit Company in Orondo.

Berti Stewart, WAEF chairman 2011-12, was also recognized for her leadership and service to WAEF. Ms. Stewart, Prosser, was a member of the WAEF board of directors from 20062013. She is employed

by ProAg. The Washington Apple Education Foundation is the charity of the tree fruit industry. Its mission is to impact lives by providing access to educational opportunities. For more information, visit the foundation’s website at www.waef.org or contact foundation staff at 509-663-7713.

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 5

by Melissa Piper Nelson With summer comes the busy months of production, harvest, packaging and selling. Focusing on these tasks can reduce the time necessary for scheduling training programs.

Yet summer is when most of the on-the-job training comes into play, especially with seasonal employees.

On-the-job training provides a vital bridge between immediate labor requirements and your staff’s ability to get the job done correctly and efficiently. Teachable moments are those times when the bridge is not complete and employees cannot, for whatever reason, work on or finish a task.

When this happens, five key factors come into play and provide the

Today’s Marketing Objectives

In This Issue Migrant labor immigration finally moving.....................................7

by William McNutt Creekside Gardens ~ finding a niche............................................9

by Kelly Gates U.S. House Farm Bill defeat could lead to more extensions of 2008 Farm Bill........................................................12

by Tracy Turner Emphasize safety for an a-mazingly great time.........................14

by Sally Colby Agritourism — keeping passengers safe on hay rides.............15

by William J. Bamka and Stephen Komar

Page 6 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Cover photo courtesy of Swore Farms The farm’s straw bale maze is the perfect alternative to a larger corn maze and easy for smaller children to navigate on their own.

Country Folks The Monthly Newspaper for Greenhouses, Nurseries, Fruit & Vegetable Growers (518) 673-3237 • Fax # (518) 673-2381 (ISSN# 1065-1756) U.S.P.S. 008885 Country Folks Grower is published monthly by Lee Publications, P.O. Box 121, 6113 St. Hwy. 5, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428.

Periodical postage paid at Palatine Bridge, NY 13428.

Subscription Price: $24 per year. Canada $55 per year.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Country Folks Grower, P.O. Box 121, Subscription Dept., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428-0121.

Publisher, President........................................Frederick W. Lee Vice-President Production ..........................Mark W. Lee, ext. 132..........................mlee@leepub.com Vice-President & General Manager ..........Bruce Button, ext. 104 .....................bbutton@leepub.com Comptroller ................................................Robert Moyer, ext. 148.....................bmoyer@leepub.com Production Coordinator ............................Jessica Mackay, ext. 137..................jmackay@leepub.com Editor ......................................................Joan Kark-Wren, ext. 141...............jkarkwren@leepub.com Page Composition ....................................Allison Swartz, ext. 139....................aswartz@leepub.com Classified Ad Manager ..............................Peggy Patrei, ext. 111 ..................classified@leepub.com Shop Foreman........................................ ...Harry Delong, ext. 154....................hdelong@leepub.com

Palatine Bridge, Main Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518-673-3237 Accounting/Billing Office . . . . . . . . 518-673-0149. . . . . . . . . . . amoyer@leepub.com Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-596-5329 . . . . . subscriptions@leepub.com Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.leepub.com Send all correspondence to: PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 Fax (518) 673-2699 Editorial Email: jkarkwren@leepub.com Advertising Email: jmackay@leepub.com AD SALES REPRESENTATIVES Bruce Button, Ad Sales Manager . . . . bbutton@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 104 Dan Wren, Grower Sales Manager . . . dwren@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 117 Jan Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jandrews@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext 110 Richard Barrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rbarrett@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 118 Dave Dornburgh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ddornburgh@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 109 Julicia Godbout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jgodbout@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 164 Steve Heiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sheiser@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 119 Ian Hitchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ihitchener@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518-210-2066 Tina Krieger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tkrieger@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 262 Kegley Baumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kegleyb@va.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540-255-9112 Wanda Luck / North Carolina. . . . . . . . . wwluck5@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336-416-6198 (cell) Sue Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . suethomas1@cox.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949-599-6800 Lee Publications 6113 State Hwy. 5, PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 We cannot GUARANTEE the return of photographs. Publisher not responsible for typographical errors.

Size, style of type and locations of advertisements are left to the discretion of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. We will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise or reject any and all advertising with or without cause being assigned which in his judgement is unwholesome or contrary to the interest of this publication. We assume no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisement, but if at fault, will reprint that portion of the ad in which the error appears.

Personal hygiene and field sanitation by

Anna

Meyerhoff,

Farm

Safety

Educator, NYCAMH As warmer weather approaches, it’s time to make sure everything is ready — and safe — for the growing season ahead. For orchards and vegetable growers, it’s time to get everything ready: workers arrive and are trained, equipment is repaired, supplies are ordered. It’s a very busy time of year, but it’s important to take time for safety! There’s one topic that’s very important to your operation but may easily be overlooked — field sanitation and personal hygiene.

Fresh produce carries some risk of food-borne illness. In the United States, there are 76 million reported cases of food-borne illnesses a year.

Many cases could have been prevented with proper sanitation and good work practices in the field. Safe handling of food products is crucial in preventing illness, and employers should help their workers to understand and follow the guidelines of good hygiene.

Workers should understand the importance of practices such as thoroughly washing hands with soap and water before and after working, using the toilet, eating, smoking, or handling garbage. Doing so helps to prevent contamination of produce, as well as protect workers from harmful bacteria.

Showering regularly and changing into clean clothes is important, especially for workers who may be exposed to pesticides. Workers should also know the risks of contamination of produce and the spread of bacteria.

Any open wound or cut should be cleaned and bandaged. Workers with open wounds should be provided with gloves to keep dirt and germs from getting in the wound and from contaminating produce.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed and issued minimum standards for field sanitation in agriculture in 1987.

Included are provisions for field worker access to appropriate toilet and hand-washing facilities, as well as drinking water. Non-compliance may

result in penalties, fines, and legal action.

According to the OSHA definition of hand labor operations, anyone performing cultivation, weeding, planting, harvesting or packing in the field is counted as a field worker. Field sanitation standards apply to any farm or orchard where 11 or more field workers are employed on any day during the past 12 months.

Employers should provide workers with ready access to toilet facilities that can be used as needed to avoid field contamination and unnecessary delay of personal elimination needs.

Facilities should not be located near a water source for irrigation or anywhere runoff would be an issue during heavy rains. Runoff has the potential to contaminate soil, water, produce and workers. Employers should have a plan in case of waste spillage and are responsible for ensuring safe, hygienic and private toilet facilities with adequate toilet paper for workers.

Hand-washing stations must include clean water, soap, paper towels and a garbage bin. Facilities must be kept clean, safe and sanitary for workers.

Employers are required to refill stations with potable water, soap and paper towels as necessary, and remove and properly dispose of waste.

Employers are also required to have plenty of cool, potable water available for field workers. It should be in a covered container at a location readily accessible to all employees. Water fountains or single-use drinking cups are acceptable; dippers or shared drinking cups are prohibited as their use may result in the spread of bacteria and germs amongst workers.

It’s the employers’ job to ensure that produce and workers are safe this season by following regulations on field sanitation. By notifying workers as to the location of proper drinking water, hand-washing and toilet facilities, and allowing employees reasonable opportunity to use them, both produce and workers are protected from bacteria and germs that can cause illness.

By ensuring workers know the location of proper drinking water, hand-washing and toilet facilities, and allowing reasonable opportunity to use them, both produce and workers are protected from bacteria and germs that can cause illness.

Photo by Sally Colby

Migrant labor immigration finally moving, important to specialty growers

by William McNutt For the first time in many years, immigration reform has become a possibility. In a period of stalemate between political parties with almost opposing philosophies, each representing about half of U.S. population, any forward movement on such a “hot topic” has been extremely difficult.

The primary wake-up call came with the 2012 national election, when two-thirds of the Hispanic citizen population voted Democratic, in the process becoming a decisive factor in the Obama reelection.

In two recent meetings held in Columbus and Cincinnati, keynote speaker Alex Nowrasteh, policy analyst for the

See Us At OFA Booth #0711

FARM-SIZED PLAN GROW TS OR OUTDOO S R O O D RS! IN

sible to achieve without the help of an attorney.

Legal immigration processing can take from six months to many years, starting with the difficulty of getting U.S. embassies to issue visas plus quotas assigned to various countries. English or Canadian immigrants would be processed almost immediately; those from Eastern Europe or Asian countries will take much longer.

Nowrasteh emphasized the economic motive for immigration, with Hispanic immigrants almost immediately seeing a three time income increase, unskilled natives of India with six fold increase, and an almost 10 time wage expansion for Haitian labor.

The bulk of immigrants do compete with lower wage domestic labor, a big part of the reason for the resentment they receive. The U.S. is happy to accept the more highly educated immigrants as college students, then sends them home immediately after graduation, depriving this country of much needed technicallytrained people with science and engineering degrees. Nowrasteh believes that with the economy moving rapidly toward more specialized, narrowly focused industrial concentration, utilizing digital communication to the fullest, this is not the time to edu-

cate foreign students then force them to return home to work for our world-wide competitors. High skilled immigrants can help expand the economy, while the lower skilled then move upward by securing training needed to take their place.

Both representatives of the legal profession and agriculture commented on the need for simplification of the visa process. Bill Dodd, president of Fruit Growers Marketing Association, said the current H-2A visa for farm hand labor is not working, and is administered by the Department of Labor, who wants nothing to do with it. Growers of specialty crops need assurance that the labor they have hired is legal and can stay without interruption until harvest is completed.

Two children of immigrants who went on to higher education in the U.S were also presenters: Laura Jurcevich came as a child when her parents were hired as seasonal labor in Northwest Ohio. Now a member of the Barrett law firm, she works with recent immigrants and specialty crop employers who wish to hire seasonal workers, expediting non-immigrant visa seekers, and helping them attain permanent residence. Barrett feels that current immigration needs to be simplified so

that legal assistance should not be necessary to facilitate residency.

Inna Simakovsky emigrated with her parents from Russia in 1976 and obtained a college degree in International Studies.

Currently she works as an immigration lawyer in Columbus and is very involved with local immigrant communities. Both see current legislative moves toward easing the immigration deadlock as a promising sign and hope to see it continue.

Current efforts are focusing on providing a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal residents currently in the country by requiring payment of fines and going to the back of the line, behind those applying for legal status.

The Senate is approving a bill that makes visas for highly skilled workers available more quickly and reduces obligations of U.S. companies to prove they tried to hire domestic workers first. This has been a sore point with farm labor employers, since few of them have been able to hire any worker at all outside of the migrant stream. Both Senate and House versions would further tighten border security and require all employers to use a federal database to check legal status, though there have been many complaints about the federal database’s inaccuracy.

New annual caps for both high- and lowskilled labor would be set; former limits have never been sufficient to meet demand. Frank Gasperini, head of the

National Council of Agricultural Employers, says that the farm labor issue is not always governed by how rural legislators feel since there are few of them and many are opposed to any changes at all. He said that some of the most helpful prescribed legislation comes from city-based or urban representatives, many representing constituents receiving food supplement aid, which translates into increased farm income.

Current Senate bill provisions recently introduced would allow workers one of two choices.

Workers could come into the country to contract with employers for specific work at set times.

They would be provided a three year visa, and employers would be required to provide housing. The second option would allow migrant workers to move within the country and work for authorized employers, under the same type visa and housing arrangements. This new program would be administered by the USDA, rather than the Department of Labor, and would replace the very out of date H-2A program with one known as the W visa, plus a revised and streamlined EVerify system. These revisions would be much less expensive to administer, plus permitting undocumented experienced farm labor to apply for a renamed Blue Card, committing them to work legally for three to five years while also undertaking the path toward citizenship.

It’s easy with the new Octopot Garden System for home gardeners and commercial greenhouses.

• Feeds and waters plants up to 2 weeks, or on demand, without electric • Innovative design prevents over and under-watering • Engineered to create healthy root mass for improved growth and yield • Conserves water, soil, fertilizer and energy • Easy to automate hundreds with gravity fed reservoirs

Keep your produce cool and fresh for less New patent pending technology cools your walk-in or insulated room to 35 degrees with just a Window Air Conditioner

OCTOPOTGARDENS.COM

• 10% of the up-front cost of a cooler compressor • Save up to 65% in electrical operating costs compared to same size cooler Order now and try CoolBot 30-Day * RISK-FREE TRIAL * 1-888-871-5723 • www.storeitcold.com

Made in USA

Alternative Refrigeration

Call 855/OCTOPOT

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 7

Alex Nowrasteh, policy analyst for Cato Institute, has testified at congressional hearings and provided commentary for many publications regarding the immigration issue.

Photo by William McNutt

Cato Institute, widely recognized for its conservative-based philosophy, stressed both the need and reasons for immigration reform, including needed improvements on the last reform act, passed in 1986. Enacted during the Reagan administration, this opened the gates to many immigrants who have proven vital to the nation’s economy, including needed agricultural workers. Insufficient safeguards and a flourishing economy allowed many migrants, particularly Hispanics from Mexico looking for a better life, to enter the country illegally with little attempt to stem the flow. There are now an estimated 11 million of this category in the U.S., many who have been here for 15-20 years. But native sentiment changed rapidly after the recent recession began in 2008; the unemployment rate rose to nearly 9 percent, helping create the impression that native labor was being displaced by migrant workers, many of them illegal.

Nowrasteh pointed out that current immigration law is second only to Internal Revenue legislation in complexity. Migration is almost impos-

Are You Involved In More Than One Industry?

We Are Here to Help You. E SUBSCRIPTIONS S BY Y REQUEST * FREE Regional/National Solid Waste Recycling (monthly)

Regional Heavy Construction (monthly)

- Send me Ì YES Hard Hat News!

Handling Ì YES - Send me Waste Equipment News!

Hard Hat News focuses on heavy equipment construction including excavating, construction/demolition, paving, bridge building, and utility construction in the northeastern third of the United States.

TITLE 1 Ì President/CEO 2 Ì Manager/Supervisor 3 Ì Other NUMBER YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS #1, SECONDARY #2, ETC. 1 Asphalt Paving _____________________ 7 Construction Demolition _________________ 2 Concrete Paving ___________________ 8 Landscaping __________________________ 3 Oil & Stone Paving__________________ 9 Land Clearing _________________________ 4 Bridge Construction ________________ 10 Logging _____________________________ 5 Excavating ________________________ 11 Other _______________________________ 6 Utility/Underground _________________

Page 8 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

National Aggregate

Ì

(bi-monthly)

Recycling professionals involved in the wood waste, C&D, scrap metal, asphalt & concrete, and compost recycling industries will find Waste Handling Equipment News a valuable source of new products, product innovation and site adaption.

J Owner/President/VP J J J J

TITLE J Operations Manager TYPE OF BUSINESS (Check all that apply)

J Other

J Asphalt/Concrete Recycling J Scrap Metals Recycling J Ferrous J Non-Ferrous

Construction Demolition Recycling Construction Demolition Landfill Woodwaste Recycling/Land Clearing Composting

Regional Horticulture

Paid Subscription

monthly

Country Folks Ì YES - Send me GROWER! )

YES - Send me North American Quarry News!

Country Folks Grower is the regional newspaper for all segments of commercial horticulture.

Each issue is filled with important information for the Greenhouse, Nursery, Garden center, Landscaper, Fruit, Vegetable Grower and Marketers.

North American Quarry News covers quarries, sand and gravel pits, HMA and ready mix concrete operations in the United States. NAQN provides a combination of strong editorial and advertising for industry professionals.

*This publication costs $24 for one year. *This publication costs $40 for two years.

Your company produces these products or services: 1 2 3 4 5

Ì Ì Ì Ì Ì

(Check All That Apply) Crushed stone and sand & gravel 6 Ì Industrial minerals Crushed stone 7 Ì Machinery/equipment manufacturer Sand and gravel 8 Ì Equipment dealer/distributor Recycled materials, concrete/asphalt 9 Ì Drilling Lime 10 Ì Blasting

(

Regional Agriculture

Paid Subscription

weekly

Ì YES - Send me Country Folks!

Business Type: K Greenhouse K Tree Fruit K Nursery

)

Business Type: K Dairy K Sheep

K Beef K Alfalfa

K K K K

K Farmers Market K Direct Market K Vegetable

Northeast Equine Market

Small Fruit Christmas Garden Center Supplier

(monthly)

Mane Stream is a monthly horse publication reaching Maine to Northern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Not only does Mane Stream go to horse owners who request it, but it goes to all of our Affiliated Horse Association Members.....29 Associations Strong and Growing! In addition, issues of Mane Stream are shipped to tack shops, feed stores, stables, auction barns, and where horse people frequent.

Our premier weekly agricultural newspaper has four editions covering agriculture from Maine through North Carolina. Every issue is loaded with national, regional and local agricultural news, equipment, service advertising and auctions.

*This publication costs $47 for one year.

(Check All That Apply)

*This publication costs $78 for two years.

(Check All That Apply)

K Poultry K Corn

National Vineyard

K Horse K Soybeans

K Goat

Subscription (Paidbi-monthly )

Wine & Grape Grower offers features, news and information on growing grapes, and making and selling wines.

Learn tips on how to start or improve your business.

How Many Horses Do You Have?_____

LEE PUBLICATIONS, INC. PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 800-218-5586 • FAX 518-673-2381

SUBSCRIPTIONS 888-596-5329 email: subscriptions@leepub.com Name _______________________________________________ Farm/Business Name ___________________________________ Address ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ City ________________________ State _____ Zip __________

Business Type: K Grape Grower K Vineyard

(Check All That Apply)

K Wines K Supplier

County ____________________Email _____________________ Phone (

) _______________Fax (

) _________________

Date ___________Signature______________________________

Creekside Gardens ~ finding a niche

by Kelly Gates When Edward Thomas acquired Creekside Gardens nearly four years ago, the company was a standard independent retail operation with a small assortment of landscape plants common to the Redding, CA region. With big box retailers in the area selling many of the same items, the business had failed to thrive and was in need of a new strategic plan.

According to Thomas, altering the product mix was the first step in the process of turning the company around.

“I felt that it was important to diversify so Creekside Gardens had a broader spectrum of ma-

terial to offer customers,” he told Country Folks Grower. “We added annuals, perennials, vegetable plants and bareroot fruit trees, plus vines and a collection of unique plants, shrubs and trees that people can’t find anywhere else around here.”

In order to have such an array of unique plant material, Thomas and his company manager, Mary Rosales, grow most of the rare varieties inhouse.

Some are started from seed. Others are propagated using basic cuttings. A select few require a different process altogether.

Consider the Japanese

ORDER NOW FOR NEXT SPRING DELIVERY

Producing Quality Apple, Cherry, & Pear Trees For More Than 50 Years.

Extensive Inventory of er m Ord Budded Trees Custo 015

Orchard Supplies

Wildlife Packages

30%

r2 Now fo e & Sav Up To

ASK ABOUT OUR NEW GISELA 6 & GISELA 12 CHERRY ROOTSTOCK 10748 Slaght Rd., Wolcott, NY 14590 • (315) 594-2399 • www.waflernursery.com

TEW W MANUFACTURING G CORP. FRUIT & VEG. CLEANING & SIZING EQUIPMENT QUALITY LATEX & POLY SPONGE DRYING DONUTS TUFF FOAM® PROTECTIVE PADDING BRUSHES - BEARINGS - SIZING CHAINS - SCRUBBER RUBBER STANHAY, TEW JR.™ & TEW MX™ VEGETABLE SEED PLANTERS

CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: 800-380-5839 TEW MFG. CORP.

TEL: 585-586-6120

PO BOX 87 PENFIELD, NY 14526

FAX: 585-586-6083

www.tewmfg.com

ventory from frost and other inclement weather conditions. When the weather warms, the poly is replaced with shade cloth to create copious cross-ventilation.

“We focus on having a wide variety of products that are native to the area and plants that grow well in this zone.

Drought tolerant and deer resistant varieties are especially popular,” said Thomas. “We order in many of the more standard varieties and focus on growing the unique ones ourselves.”

The company sells regular varieties like organic watermelon, squash, eggplant and tomato starts, among many others. But shoppers can also sort through an assemblage of Mister Stripey tomatoes, Ancho chilies, Weeping Santa Rosa plums, weeping cedars, weeping cherries, weeping junipers, Purple Smoke trees and a number of other uncommon cultivars.

While growing and stocking such products helps Creekside Gardens distinguish itself from the competition, there are other things that bring shoppers back time and time again.

“Customer service is very important to us,

them from seed. Many of the other plants sown there are also placed in organic soil too and organic fertilizers are used whenever possible.

Ladybugs are introduced into the greenhouses as natural aphid prey. The beneficial insects are also sold in the Creekside Gardens retail store.

After just a few years at the helm of the business, Thomas has successfully found the niche that works for the independent retail outlet.

And if economic conditions improve, the owner envisions expanding to a larger property, possibly a nearby parcel that has a creek running directly through it, he said.

Owner Ed Thomas inspects a Japanese Maple specimen.

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 9

Manager Mary Rosales carries a tray of new seedlings.

Maples that are air-layered using moss and aluminum foil in a manner that tricks the trees into sprouting roots above ground.

“We start by taking wet sphagnum moss and wrapping it around a node on a branch,” explained Thomas. “Then we wrap that tightly in plastic wrap, twisting both ends of the plastic tightly around the branch and wrap all of that with aluminum foil, shiny side out. This fools the branch into thinking it is buried in the ground and it soon begins growing roots in the moss.”

The branches are eventually cut — roots still attached — and immediately planted into a container filled with organic soil.

Many of the plants propagated at Creekside Gardens are kept in a propagation greenhouse, complete with bottomwarmed benches, until ready for sale.

Each of the three greenhouses onsite is covered in polyethylene plastic during the winter months to protect the in-

and not just greeting everyone with a smile,” said Thomas. “Mary and I both have extensive backgrounds in the growing and retail business so we are able to help all of our customers select the proper plants for their landscapes and gardens. We also do a lot of custom ordering when people want plants that can’t be found anywhere locally.”

The company also yields frequent calls from customers in need of gardening advice. As specialists in organic vegetable production, Thomas and Rosales are always willing to help in any way they can.

Vegetables have quickly become one of the top sellers at Creekside Gardens. Thomas attributes the downturn in the economy for the new found popularity of the produce plants.

“This area, like many other parts of the country, has been hit hard by the recession,” he noted.

“The unemployment rate is still quite high here and as a result, we have been selling a lot of vegetable starts to people who want a more affordable way to feed their families.”

All of the vegetable products are grown in organic soil with organic practices used to start

Far West SHOW

Page 10 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Find the latest in plants, products and insights at the 2013 Farwest Trade Show, the west’s largest green industry trade show The 2013 Farwest Trade Show, Aug. 2224 in Portland, OR, will spotlight spectacular new plants, hard-tofind varieties, networking opportunities, nursery tours and informative speakers sharing the latest in the evolving horticulture industry. Now in its 41st year, the show is a must-attend for industry leaders looking for the latest solutions.

“The horticulture industry is strengthening as the economy improves, bringing with it both opportunities to provide customers with the newest plants and products and challenges as shortages and gaps in inventory start to appear,” said Allan Niemi, director of events and education at the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “The Farwest Trade Show is known for providing the latest in innovation and will again feature networking opportunities, nursery tours and a robust line up of speakers designed to help horticulture professionals grow their businesses.”

The Farwest Trade Show is designed to offer education — and continuing education credits and pesticide certification — and networking for garden center professionals; growers; landscape architects, contractors and designers; and those involved in planning, maintaining, managing the urban canopy and plantings on public lands.

Three tours are planned for Aug. 20 and 21 as a way to showcase the best that Oregon’s climate has to offer and meet excellent suppliers in the heart of nursery country. Each tour is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests: • “Heart of the Valley” offers a taste of edibles — a hot industry trend — and features innovative uses of plants and a vast plant selection • “Innovation & Tradition” features a diverse array of plant material and the latest in “green” greenhouses • “New & Unusual — Plants and Places to Inspire” features every-

thing from South African and other exotic plants to the country’s largest dahlia grower and the display gardens of a renowned perennial breeder More than 35 hours of professional development seminars will feature a fresh lineup of speakers covering everything from ideas to increase sales, the latest in plant trends and design to eco-friendly production techniques and landscape maintenance to the impact of increased habitat

restoration on the future of the nursery industry.

Other show features include networking events for Women in Horticulture, Young Nursery Professionals and an evening of fun at the Thursday night, Aug. 22 Pub Crawl, which takes advantage of Portland’s renown microbrew scene; New Varieties Showcase featuring 45 new plants; and the New Products Showcase.

The Farwest Trade Show is produced by

Know what you are injecting!

Accurate, Flexible & Dependable www.heanderson.com

800-331-9620

the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), a trade organization representing and serving the interest of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvest into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations.

For more information about the 2013 Farwest Show seminar schedule, nursery tours,

show hours and other features, visit www.FarwestShow.com or call 800-342-6401.

Tour Schedule One of the highlights of the show each year is the Nursery Tours, planned for Aug. 20 and 21, as a way to showcase the best that Oregon’s climate has to offer and meet excellent suppliers in the heart of nursery country.

Far West 11

Tree Fruit Industry awards grants to community and school programs The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) Farmworker Education Committee selected 10 recipients this spring to receive grants for their activities fostering and promoting scholastic success for farmworkers and their families.

In total $24,222 was

awarded to community and school programs through the WAEF Farmworker/Ag Worker Education program this year.

The grant selection committee made award decisions focusing on the four key priorities of the program: to reduce high school drop-out

rates and improve higher level education achievement rates of atrisk students; to improve long-term learning outcomes through access to effective early education programs; to increase economic selfsufficiency and further generational upward mobility; and to im-

Belden Plastic’s Innovation

OFA Booth #1540

&

IGC Booth #2400

Presentation is everything.

When you see it you will love it.

Flowers,Vegetables, Greens...

What will you plant?

Hangers - Flexible & Extra Strong patent pending

• Holds shape after shipping all the way to the consumer’s home. % on n labor. No bending by hand.

• SAVESS 50% • It clips on at the rim.

• No moree “ugly”” hangers!

Extreme Value Flower Box Planter Great price.

Fits 1020 tray.

Easy to handle.

Sustainable and US made Sturdy & often Reused.

Made from 100% USA recycled material. 100% recyclable after use. Nothing has to go into the land fill.Ask about our zero carbon footprint.

Belden is available at most fine distributors in the US

www.BeldenPlastics.com • 651-389-3600 GROWERS since 1915, making pots since 1965.

Come see “What’s New”

School received $2500 to support its accelerated reading program.

Madison House, a program of the Yakima Union Gospel Mission, was granted $3500 to underwrite needs of its student tutoring curriculum.

Adult ESL: Lake Chelan School District was selected to receive $2672 for its parent empowerment program serving parents in Chelan and Manson school districts.

Friends of Buena Library was granted $2900 for adult ESL classes. La Casa Hogar (Yakima) received $2000 for educational programs and administrative support. Ready

by Five received $1500 to purchase headphones for adult learning. Chelan Douglas

Community Action Council (Wenatchee) was selected to receive $3000 to support the Literacy Council of Chelan & Douglas Counties.

WAEF partners with others in the community to provide funding for the Farmworker Education Program grants. Thank you to corporate donors Costco Wholesale, Chelan Fresh, Jim Matson Memorial Fund, Oneonta Trading Corporation, U.S. Bancorp Foundation, Washington Fruit and Produce Company and Wells Fargo for your contributions that make these awards possible.

For more information, please contact the Foundation office at 509-663-7713 or visit www.waef.org.

these nurseries.

Tour 2: “Innovation & Tradition” (Aug. 21) This tour is recommended for garden centers, landscape architects, contractors, designers, rewholesalers, growers and brokers.

This tour provides tremendous variety and a good taste of the diversity of Oregon’s nursery industry. It starts and ends with a focus on innovation — a cascade flood floor to energy saving, light diffusing greenhouse covering. In between, enjoy a diverse array of nursery material, including a nursery with operations in Oregon and California that takes advantage of the best of both locations, and a nursery with its own tissue culture operation.

Tour 3: “New & Unusual — Plants and Places to Inspire” (Aug. 21) This tour is recommended for garden centers and greenhouse growers.

The tour starts with a

visit to a mecca for urban gardeners: Garden Fever! Minutes from the Oregon Convention Center, this full service garden center has a small footprint but a big vision: Good plants, good tools, and good dirt! Then it’s on to exotic and unusual plants in a Spanish villa setting. Walk the fields of the country’s largest dahlia grower and the display gardens of a renowned perennial breeder and wrap up the day at annual plant trials and displays.

Tours are small, with just one luxury coach bus per tour and a maximum of 50 people.

All tours leave the Oregon Convention Center at 8 a.m. and return by 6 p.m. Early bird discounts are available for registrants before July 31, and registration closes Aug. 13.

Early bird price is $85; $115 for registration beginning Aug. 1.

Tour price includes lunch, snacks and beverages, and entrance to the Farwest Trade Show exhibition floor.

Far West from 10 “Participating in the Farwest Trade Show tours allows attendees to meet growers and allied suppliers in a personalized setting, and then greet them on the trade show floor like old friends,” said Allan Niemi, director of events and education at the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “The relationships and knowledge cultivated during the tours underscore one of the many extra values that the Farwest Trade Show offers.”

Tour 1: “Heart of the Valley” (Aug. 20) This tour is recommended for garden centers, landscape architects, contractor, designers, rewholesalers, growers and brokers.

This tour takes you around the renowned Willamette Valley. Clustered within 25 miles of each other, several of the nurseries will give you a taste of a top industry trend: edibles!

Big material, innovative use of plants, vast selection, and specialized service are hallmarks of

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 11

3-tier Bongo

prove cross-cultural communications through English language literacy.

2013 Grant Recipients Early Education: Orondo School District’s Ready for Kindergarten program received $2150 to support involvement for families in their district with pre-K children.

Catholic Family & Child Services Child Care Resource & Referral received $2000 for its Madison House (Yakima) Kaleidoscope Play and Learn program needs. Children’s Reading Foundation received $2000 for a pilot summer Ready for Kindergarten program to be conducted in a housing development near Pasco.

At-Risk Youth: Columbia Elementary

Page 12 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

U.S. House Farm Bill defeat could lead to more extensions of 2008 Farm Bill

by Tracy Turner COLUMBUS, Ohio – The defeat of the U.S. House farm bill on June 20 over disagreements in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and costs associated with crop insurance and other farm subsidies could lead to another extension of some provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, similar to what happened last year after Congress could not agree on a new 2012 farm bill, an Ohio State University farm policy expert said.

A new farm bill likely won’t pass until legislators are able to cobble together a majority coalition in a politically d i v i d e d Congress, which in turn reflects a divided country and a divided farm bill constituency, said Carl Zulauf, an agricultural economics professor in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The Republican-led House defeated the fiveyear, $500 billion measure by a vote of 234195, with many Democrats concerned about $20.5 billion in cuts to SNAP and other food nutrition programs. On the other hand, 62 Republicans voted no because of concerns about the cost of the bill.

The Senate passed a version of the farm bill June 10, with some $2.4 billion a year in cuts and a $400 million annual decrease in food stamps, which is about one-fifth of the House bill's proposed food stamp cuts. The Obama Administration had said it supported the Senate version of the farm bill but indicated that it would veto the House bill.

So now, Zulauf said, the real question is, “What do we do from here?”

“It’s not clear why individual members voted against this bill – the SNAP program was an issue, as was cost,” he

said. “But in my experience, few legislators vote against a bill for a single reason.

“It’s really important

to understand the broadly divergent individual reasons lawmakers voted against the bill. Only by attaining

this understanding can you arrive at a compromise that will pass. The objective is to get a bill passed. The farm bill is

an omnibus bill and thus has to satisfy a broad range of constituency concerns in

Farm Bill 14

Farmers Market tokens simplify sales for SNAP customers New design available from TokensDirect TokensDirect has just released a new design to support Farmers Markets across the country.

SNAP Tokens, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Tokens, let farmers accept payment without purchasing expensive POS (point of sale) terminals to read the new electronic benefit swipe cards. Tokens are used to shop at all el-

igible food booths in the market. Customers purchase SNAP tokens by swiping their EBT (Electronic Benefit Card) at a centrally located POS device. The market’s management obtains a SNAP license which works for all farmers so only 1 POS terminal is needed.

For as little as $400 a Farmers Market can purchase 1,000 tokens

with the SNAP token design on the front and any stock design on the back like a peace sign (design number #0036) or Eagle with Stars (#0009). An order of 5,000 aluminum tokens can be purchased for $620 (less than $0.13 each), with delivery 2 - 3 weeks later. Tokens can even be customized with the market’s logo for a one time set up charge.

Aluminum SNAP tokens are food safe and fully recyclable. The design stays on forever.

Unlike wooden tokens, they don’t absorb dirt, crack or warp and if they need cleaning, a little soap and water works fine. They can be used for years.

For high volume markets, redeeming tokens for cash to farmers can

be quick. SNAP tokens work in high speed electronic coin counters, accurate tallies at up to 1,000/min.

For more information on the SNAP program go to www.fns.usda.gov/ snap.

TokensDirect, a division of Osborne Coinage Co., offers a full line of tokens through their online store with factory direct pricing, low minimum order quantities and fast turnaround time on all orders. Over 250,000 tokens in a variety of designs and sizes are available for immediate shipment.

Whether stock or custom, every token is

minted with crisply detailed impressions and accurate dimensions.

Large or small orders ship from a conveniently located Cincinnati mint, minimizing transit time and cost. Many metals choices are available, including Brass, Red Brass, Nickel Silver, and aluminum, as well as nickel plating and bright color anodizing.

To contact a Sales specialist at TokensDirect, call 866-274-0868, or via mail to TokensDirect, 2851 Massachusetts Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45225, or via e-mail at ask@tokensdirect.com, or visit them online at www.tokensdirect.com.

Farmers markets credited in fitness survey – California cities place high Four California communities have placed in the Top 15 fittest cities in the country, according to the 2013 American Fitness Index. The Bay Area (defined as San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont) placed fourth; the Sacramento area was seventh; the greater San Jose area placed 10; and San Diego finished 14.

The index considers a number of factors in determining fitness, including the percentage of the population consuming more five or more

servings of fruits and vegetables per day and access to farmers markets. The number of farmers markets per capita was mentioned as a factor for all four of the California communities mentioned above.

Visit CDFA’s web site for more information about California’s Certified Farmers Markets, including a listing of their locations.

Source: California Department of Agriculture, http://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.go v/wordpress.

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 13

TokensDirect has just released a new design for SNAP Tokens letting farmers accept payment without purchasing expensive POS terminals to read the new electronic benefit swipe cards.

FAL L HARVE S T

Page 14 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Emphasize safety for an a-mazingly great time

by Sally Colby When a Massachusetts family became lost in a corn maze in October 2011, they frantically dialed 911 and waited for assistance.

The family had entered the maze with their two young children during daylight and found themselves still in the maze at dusk. The police found the family (safe and sound) shortly after arriving at the farm, but the story made national news.

If your farm’s fall activities include a maze constructed of corn or other living material, take steps prior to the season to ensure that all guests have a positive and memorable experience. Farms that offer agritainment should be fully aware that most of their patrons are not from farms, and are likely to be unfamiliar with the farm setting.

Begin the maze experience by planning far in advance of the season. Create a clear list of rules, a policy on how violators will be han-

dled, and train employees on how to handle everything from parking to injured or lost guests.

Employees should be mature enough to follow instructions from management, and be able to think on their own for emergency situations.

Prior to opening the maze, review safety rules with all employees — even those employees who return each year.

Employees should wear distinct, brightcolored T -shirts, ideally imprinted with the farm logo, and with wording that makes it clear that they’re staff members and have the authority to monitor corn maze activity.

Employees should understand that they are the key to ensuring a memorable experience for all guests.

Items that should be prohibited in any maze should include food or beverages of any kind, although some larger mazes allow water bottles during hot weather.

If water bottles are permitted, be sure to place trash receptacles

throughout the maze and encourage guests to recycle.

Define policies for extreme conditions including severe weather such as excessive heat, thunderstorms, hail or heavy wind; and train staff on how to deal with such conditions.

Determine whether the maze is suitable for all ages, and if it isn’t, designate and post the age limitations clearly at the maze entrance.

A list of rules should include a statement about why picking or throwing corn is prohibited. Guests should understand that the maze is a living puzzle and any corn that is knocked down cannot regrow. Use signage to remind guests to stay on the path and not cut through rows of corn.

Encourage guests to wear closed-toe shoes in the maze for their own safety. Alert guests that a corn maze is a living, natural environment and to expect ‘natural’ occurrences such as insects, rocks and mud.

World d Famouss Doyle’s Thornlesss Blackberry Thomas E. Doyle (6/26/1900 1/13-01)

Farm Bill from 12 order to move the bill forward.”

Going forward, the House Agriculture Committee could come up with a new farm bill formulation and then move through the process, although most observers think this is unlikely at present, Zulauf said.

“Or the House could take up the Senate farm bill and vote on it with no amendments. If it passes, then we would have a farm bill,” he said. “But it is likely the House won’t pass the Senate version

Some farms that have large or intricate mazes supply guests with maps and clues about how to find their way through.

Employees should be familiar with the layout of the maze and be ready to assist guests. Take a day or so prior to the maze opening to allow employees to spend time in the maze and become familiar with the layout.

Employees who will be stationed in the maze as ‘corn cops’ should be supplied with two-way radios, and instructed on how to communicate clearly and concisely with management. For example, if someone has fallen and perhaps injured, the employee should be able to describe the incident using key words in short sentences rather than trying to explain details.

At least one first-aid kit should be placed at the maze entrance, and

since the House-proposed farm bill differed from the Senate farm bill.

“So that leaves the possibility of a one-year or multi-year extension of some version of the previous farm bill.

That’s something that we will have to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks.”

The 2008 Farm Bill extension expires in September.

Some policy actors have said that the farm provisions should be in a separate bill with the SNAP program in its

own bill.

“I raise caution against separating the bill because as it stands, it makes the connection between farming and the consumption of food,” Zulauf said. “Also, if you remove nutrition programs from the farm bill, will there be enough interest from legislators who don’t have farming interests in their communities to get a farm bill passed?

“Separation of the bill could lessen broadbased support to get a farm safety net passed.”

LOOK WHAT YOU CAN GET FROM ONE PLANT

• Totally thornless and does not sucker • Yields 10-20 gallons per plant!

• Proven producer since 1975!

• Grows from Alaska to Florida — ALL 50 states • Just one Doyle Thornless Blackberry yields more than 30 ordinary plants!

• Large, Sweet, Juicy Berries—sooo good!

• Adapts to patios and small yards—a big plus • No other blackberry compares to the Doyle!

• Great for commercial growers and hobbyists

Doyle’s Thornless Blackberry, Inc. 1600 Bedford Road, Washington, IN 47501 PH: (812) 254-2654 FX: (812) 254-2655 doyle@fruitsandberries.com

www.fruitsandberries.com

extra kits placed throughout larger mazes. Kits should include basic supplies such as Band-Aids, bee sting sticks and cleansing wipes. Make sure employees understand what kind of injury or sudden illness constitutes an emergency, and that employees know who to contact in the case of an emergency.

The most common injuries in mazes are from slips and falls, which are usually related to weather conditions. If excessive rain causes wet or muddy areas in the maze, be prepared to put down wood chips or shavings to soak up excess moisture. Have a supply of wood chips or shavings to use on muddy spots.

The likelihood of a fire in a corn maze is relatively low because corn is planted somewhat late to ensure green

corn through October.

However, an unusually hot and dry summer can lead to early corn maturation and increased fire risk.

Maintain a strict no smoking policy and instruct employees on how to handle anyone who is caught smoking around or in the maze.

Even if there is a ‘no smoking on the premises’ policy for the entire farm property, it’s a good idea to post extra no smoking signs in or around the corn maze.

If the corn begins to mature prior to the end of the maze season, consider placing fire extinguishers throughout the maze and be sure that employees know how to use them.

Many people check out agritainment websites prior to visiting, so take advantage of your website and post rules and safety guidelines for mazes by mid-summer.

FAL L HARVE S T

Agritourism — keeping passengers safe on hay rides ingly important issue.

Many of the accidents associated with hay rides could be avoided or eliminated by following simple safety precautions.

Without proper conrol measures in place, you have an accident waiting to happen. Many accidents can be attributed to inadequate supervision or training, poor site and crowd control, or improper vehicle operation. This fact sheet will provide information to help reduce risks and increase the safety of hay rides.

Before the Hay Ride Route inspections and maintenance The initial planning of the route of the hay ride

is very important. Remember these 5 P’s: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Your hayride route should be planned to allow for the most efficient movement of your visitors across the farm, and emphasize any points of interest you may wish to highlight. However, your first and foremost priority is to ensure the safety of your guests.

After determining the route of your hay ride, you should inspect the route with a critical eye looking for potential concerns. For example: • Identify any hazards or risks that must be addressed or avoided. Concerns can include and

are not limited to overhead branches, wires, irrigation heads, sharp turns, uneven ground, and poorly drained soil.

• Avoid on-road travel to the extent possible.

This eliminates the need to deal with automobile and truck traffic.

• Consider whether emergency vehicles can access areas of the farm covered by your hayride, should they be needed.

Once the route has been determined, the job is not over. A daily preride inspection should be conducted. Check to make sure there are no tire ruts, pot holes, fallen branches or other hazards that could change daily along the route. If needed consider grooming the trail after the day’s use with a York hay or roller. This will help ensure a flat and smooth surface for the hayride.

Tractor and equipment preparation Maintaining and selecting the proper tractor for the hayride is critical for safety. When selecting a tractor for the hayride, use a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) equipped tractor large enough to handle and stop the load without trouble. Remember your wagon will be filled with guests. The tractor pulling the wagon must

have the power, weight, traction and braking ability to control the load.

A complete service should be performed prior to putting a tractor into service running hayrides. This will help ensure tractors are safe and in good operating condition. Conduct a visual inspection of both the wagon and tractor each time a wagon is hitched to a tractor.

• Check tires, fuel, oil, draw bars, lights, brakes and hitch pins.

• Make sure the wagon has no loose boards, screws or splinters.

• Consider the use of a safety chain connecting the front axle of the wagon to the tractor.

• Make sure all tractors have proper lighting and markers. Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems and appropriate lighting should be provided for both tractors and wagons.

• Warning lights on tractors can help increase visibility and provide protection from motorists. This is essential if on-road travel is necessary.

• When using a public road use escort vehicles with flashers to lead and follow the hay wagon to warn traffic. All tractors should also be equipped with a fire extinguisher, flashlight, first aid kit,

and communication equipment.

Never use more than one wagon per tractor.

The use of multiple wagons can lead to “snaking” which can cause sideswiping or overturning of wagons.

Training and communication Training is essential for all staff involved in the operation of the hayride. All tractor drivers should be trained in the operation of the tractors they will be using.

Just because an employee can operate a tractor, does not mean they are a trained and qualified operator for your hayride.

Make sure the tractor operator can start and stop smoothly. This is very important when there is a wagon load of people. Passengers can be thrown from the hayride and face serious injury if vehicles stop abruptly or accelerate rapidly. Drivers should be instructed to run the wagons at a slow speed, generally a walking pace.

Make sure all drivers know how to brake properly and are familiar with the use of the differential brake lock should they begin to slip. It is a good practice to perform several rehearsal runs under the conditions drivers will be driving (i.e.,

Agritourism 16

Produce Packing Line At Lowest Prices MODEL H Packing Line 4” Recv. Belt Washer Absorber RT-5 Factory Direct Prices

www.tewmfg.com

TEW MFG. CORP. P.O. BOX 87 PENFIELD, NY 14526 (585) 586-6120

61st Year Serving the Industry 1-800-380-5839 Call or Write for Free Catalog and Prices

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 15

by William J. Bamka and Stephen Komar Introduction In order to remain economically viable, many farms are taking advantage of the rural and outdoor appeal of the farm and developing entertainment attractions which offer visitors a “farm experience.” There are many agritourism options including corn mazes, hay rides, pumpin patches, and pick your own. A common component of many of these attractions is transporting guests on a hay ride using a tractor and hay wagon. With the potential liability of transporting guests, hay ride safety is an increas-

Page 16 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Agritourism from 15 night time or day time) prior to driving a hayride full of guests.

Training is not only crucial for drivers, but also for the employees who will be responsible for loading, unloading and supervising the hayride. It is suggested that all wagons have a wagon supervisor or tour guide that is adequately trained. It is imperative that all employees know their roles and responsibilities, as well as their expected response during different scenarios. It is also advisable to have several employees who have basic first aid training and fire extinguisher training in the event of an emergency.

Another important part of your safety program is a reliable communication system. It is important that the tractor driver and the wagon supervisor, or tour guide, have effective communication in the event of an emergency such as a flat tire, unruly passenger or other situation that may require the ride to make an unexpected stop.

Many well managed hayrides use two-way radios to communicate.

These radios are costeffective and allow communication between all farm employees. If radio communications are not available, visual communication is essential.

Crowd control Managing customer flow is a crucial component of a welldeveloped safety plan. Crowd control should start by directing customers to your farm, and ultimately to a designated parking area. Once on your farm, it is essential that visitors know where to go and how you want them to move around your property during their visit. Make sure that you have adequate signage leading your customers from your parking area, through your ticket or

FAL L HARVE S T sales area, and throughout your farm.

These signs should be short, simple and clear to understand. In some situations, it may be required that your signage conform to state or local ordinances. It is also important to clearly designate areas where you do not want visitors to go. Areas such as chemical sheds, equipment storage, the farm residence, and other areas where a visitor may be injured should be clearly marked and locked if possible.

In addition to signage, consider using rolled barricade fencing to clearly mark the route that visitors should follow when approaching the hayride loading station. This fencing is cost-effective, portable and provides a highly visible barrier.

Employees stationed at critical points can also provide directions to assist in customer flow.

Loading and unloading Many hayride accidents can be avoided by having a well organized loading and unloading procedure. To avoid confusion and reduce the risk of accidents or injuries, two clearly designated wagon loading and unloading areas are essential. Having these separate areas not only helps visitors, it also helps staff focus their efforts on either loading or unloading passengers. This also will reduce the risk of visitors coming in contact with moving tractors and wagons.

Loading and unloading areas should be as flat as possible, with a clear field of view to reduce the possibility of passengers jumping in front of moving wagons.

The loading and unloading platform should be designed to allow visitors to load and unload quickly, easily, and safely.

Employees

should be stationed to assist participants when loading and unloading the wagons.

Many wagons include built-in steps to aid in loading. Consider the use of a handrail or a designated employee to assist with loading children or individuals with restricted mobility.

Barricade fencing can be used to keep visitors in designated areas while they wait for their turn to ride.

Fresh, dry straw should be used for the hayrides. Straw that has become wet from rain or dew is susceptible to mold and potentially slippery.

Waiting areas should include signs that clearly list the basic safety rules of the ride as well as the minimum age and height requirements to ride alone.

These rules should be recited by employees as visitors load the wagon.

These rules should be explicitly designed to promote the safety and enjoyment of visitors.

Some examples of common rules include: • No smoking • No standing while the hayride is moving • No lighters • No camcorders or flash cameras • No laser pointers • No food or drink on ride • No alcohol • Keep arms and legs in ride at all times • No horseplay on ride During the Hayride The safe operation of the tractor during the hayride is of the utmost priority. Drivers should be thoroughly familiar with how to operate the tractor they are using.

The tractor operator should take care to start and stop smoothly when people are on the wagon. This is a non-negotiable safety rule that all drivers must follow.

Tractor drivers should never allow anyone between the tractor and the wagon while they are moving. This includes never allowing anyone to ride a wagon while standing on the

wagon tongue. Tractor operators should drive slowly at all times; full throttle speeds are not necessary.

On-road travel should be avoided whenever possible. If on road travel is necessary, escort vehicles with proper safety lighting should lead and follow the wagon. This will provide a warning to vehicular traffic that is traveling at faster speeds than the tractor and wagon. Never allow a tractor operator to take a spontaneous detour. A significant amount of time was invested in selecting the chosen route and insuring that hazards and risks were eliminated from the route. An unplanned route change could place visitors at risk.

Supervision In order to ensure safety of visitors adult supervisors should beplaced on the wagon.

The supervisors should enforce the rules of the hayride. The supervisors also serve as a vital communication link to

tractor operators. Supervisors should not allow people to climb on waiting tractors. The supervisor should make sure all passengers keep their hands and feet inside the wagon at all times during the hayride.

Supervisors should also make certain that all participants remain seated and do not move around or stand during the hayride.

Supervisors should also assist with loading and unloading of wagons.

The addition of a hayride to your agritourism operation can greatly enhance the experience for your customers. By following some simple, commonsense safety guidelines, you can help ensure that your customers have an enjoyable and safe visit to your farm.

Source: Rutgers University http://njsustainingfarms.rutgers.e du/Agritourismwp/_p df/Agritourism_Keeping_Passengers_Safe_o n_Hayrides.pdf

Country Folks Grower Classifieds

( 800 ) 836-2888 PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy. 5 ( ) Fax: 518 673-2381 Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 E-mail: classified@leepub.com Announcements

Announcements

AUGUST ISSUE

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

Thursday, July 18th For as little as $9.25 - place a classified ad in

Country Folks Grower

Call Peg at

1-800-836-2888

or 518-673-0111

or email classified@leepub.com Announcements

# # # # #

CHECK YOUR AD - ADVERTISERS should check their ads. Lee Publications, Inc. shall not be liable for typographical, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the first months insertion of the ad, and shall also not be liable for damages due to failure to publish an ad.

Adjustment for errors is limited to the cost of that portion of the ad wherein the error occurred. Report any errors to Peg Patrei at 518-6733237 ext. 111 or 800-8362888.

ADVERTISERS Get the best response from your advertisements by including the condition, age, price and best calling hours.

Also we always recommend insertion for at least 2 times for maximum benefits. Call Peg at 1-800-836-2888

Number / Classification 35 Announcements 50 Applicators 80 Auctions 110 Bedding Plants 120 Bees-Beekeeping 130 Bird Control 155 Building Materials/ Supplies 165 Business Opportunities 210 Christmas Trees 235 Computers 330 Custom Services 415 Employment Wanted 440 Farm Machinery For Sale 445 F a r m M a c h i n e r y Wanted 470 Financial Services 500 For Sale 505 Forklifts 510 Fresh Produce, Nursery 515 Fruit Processing Eq. 530 Garden Supplies 535 Generators 570 G r e e n h o u s e Plugs/Cuttings 575 Greenhouse Supplies 580 Groundcover 605 Heating 610 Help Wanted 680 Irrigation 700 Lawn & Garden 805 Miscellaneous 820 Nurseries 840 Nursery Supplies 855 Orchard Supplies 910 Plants 950 Real Estate For Sale 955 Real Estate Wanted 1035 Seeds & Nursery 1040 Services Offered 1130 Tractors 1135 Tra c t o r s, Pa r t s & Repair 1140 Trailers 1155 Tree Moving Services 1165 Trees 1170 Truck Parts & Equipment 1180 Trucks 1190 Vegetable 1205 Wanted

NEED BUSINESS CARDS? Full color glossy, heavy stock.

250 ($45.00); 500 ($60.00); 1,000 ($75.00). Call your sales representative or Lee Publications 518-673-0101 Beth bsnyder@leepub.com YARD SIGNS: Full color with stakes, double sided. Stakes included. Starting at $15.00 each. Call your sales representative or Beth at Lee Publications 518-673-0101 or bsnyder@leepub.com. Please allow 7 to 10 business days when ordering.

Business Opportunities

Irrigation

Fencing

8 CYL. 6” IRRIGATION PUMP on wheels w/800’ 6” aluminum pipe, $4,500. 641-862-3713

F O R SALE

CHRISTMAS TREES & CEDAR POSTS CHRISTMAS S TREES S HIGH H QUALITY

Sheared d & Naturall Christmass Treess up p to o 12'+ Balsam and Fraser Fir

CEDAR R POSTS POSTS: 7', 8', 12' 4x4 POSTS: 8', 9' RAILS: 12'6" (pheasant fencing) 16" shingle block

2011 1 Forestryy Stewardship p Award Duane e orr Janett Olson Phone:: 715-623-6590 E-mail: olsonsbalsams@hotmail.com Website: www.olsonsbalsams.com

Fruits & Berries

Nursery Stock DAYLILIES & HOSTAS, PERENNIALS, wholesale pricing, shipped bare root.

Pot for retail, use in mass plantings, landscape jobs.

Pictures and pricing at http://stores.ebay.com/Sawflyr -lawn-and-garden?_trksid= p2047675.l2563 or contact us at http://www.sawflyr.com/ Or phone at 608-290-9256

Miscellaneous

Plants

BUSINESS CARD MAGNETS only $75.00 for 250. Free Shipping. Call Beth at Lee Publications 518-673-0101 or bsnyder@leepub.com Please allow 7-10 business days for delivery

Landscapers & Homeowners: Great plants & lowest wholesale pricing. Salem, OR. For current inventory contact Jeff at 503-932-2396 or email: hihopes2000@yahoo.com

Nursery Stock

Nursery Stock

Help Wanted

A

Fruits & Berries

®

Specializing in Edible Landscaping.

Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Grapes, and Fruit Trees.

TN: 931-467-3600 • Fax 931-467-3062 email sales@freedomtreefarms.com www.freedomtreefarms.com

Greenhouse Supplies Help Wanted CARLIN HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES, 800-657-0745.

Greenhouse, Grower, Lawn & Garden and Landscape Supplies. www.carlinsales.com info@carlinsales.com

Business Opportunities

Do You Grow Grapes?

Do You Make Wine?

CHECK OUT www.wineandgrapegrower.com Or Call For a Sample Copy

800-218-5586

www.cfgrower.com

WRITERS WANTED Country Folks Grower is looking for self-motivated free-lance writers to contribute to their monthly horticulture trade paper.

is a Thousand

Knowledge of the industry a must.

Articles could include educational topics as well as feature articles.

Please send resume to Joan Kark-Wren jkarkwren@leepub.com or call 518-673-0141

It’s easy & economical to add a picture to your ad!

For Information Call

800-836-2888

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 17

Announcements

Fencing

Country Folks Grower Classifieds

( 800 ) 836-2888 PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy. 5 ( ) Fax: 518 673-2381 Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 E-mail: classified@leepub.com Refrigeration

Refrigeration

Sprayers

Sprayers

Vegetables PRECISION PLANTER for planting seeds through plastic. The Poly Planter Does It All, www.ferrisfarm.net

AMERICAN WHOLESALE CO.

NEW/USED WALK-IN-COOLER ~ FREEZER BOXES REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS ~ EQUIPMENT Large Inventory ~ All Sizes • Buy • Sell ~ Nationwide • Wholesale Prices

Phone: (216) 426-8882 • www.awrco.com Scales

Scales

5 EASY WAYS TO PLACE A COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER CLASSIFIED AD PHONE IT IN 1.

Just give Peggy a A1 Mist Sprayers call at 1-800-836-2888 Sprayers

Sprayers

Spray up to 140’ Without Booms

Page 18 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

New Orchard / Vineyard Sprayer

2.FAXForIT INyou MasterCard,Visa,American

Express or Discover customers.. Fil out the form attached completely and fax to Peggy at (518) 673-2381

NEW ATT-ATV Fruits & Vegetables For Narrow Crops

Seeds V I S S E E D C O M PA N Y: Specializing in flower seeds from around the world.

Seeds, plugs, cuttings.

Offering the best annual, perennial, vegetable & herb seeds. Celebrating 29 years!

Contact us for a current catalog. PO Box 661953, Arcadia, CA 91066. (P) 626-4451233, (F) 626-445-3779, hvis@visseed.com, www.visseed.com

Services Offered WEDDING INVITATIONS printed and designed by Lee Publications: 100 (4.5x6) Invitations including envelopes with 100 RSVP postcards.

Only $150.00 +tax. We can also do smaller and larger amounts. Call for pricing and designs 518-673-0101, or bsnyder@leepub.com Also Save the Dates • Shower Invitations • Baby Announcements and more.

Call 800-836-2888 to place your classified ad.

Calendar of Events E-mail announcements of your regional event(s) to: jkarkwren@leepub.com We must receive your information, plus a contact phone number, prior to the deadline that’s noted under the Announcements heading on the 1st page of these Grower Classifieds. ***

Vineyards Orchards Cranberries High/Low Bush Blueberries Tomatoes Pumpkins Sweet Corn AND MORE!!!

3Pt Terminator

Fungi Control Black Rot Downy Mildew Powdery Mildew Leaf Spot AND MORE!!!

Low Maintenance Farmer Tough Insect Control Aphids Beetles Stinkbugs Mosquitoes AND MORE!!!

URX Ranger

TR-Boss

877-924-2474

www.mistsprayers.com green Park Dr., Olympia, WA. Life in the Underground will be the theme of the annual meeting of the Western Forestry and Conservation Nursery Association.

The agenda will offer both field trips and presentations relating to the science and technology of raising seedlings in forest nurseries.

Cost is $250 before July 29.

AUG 10

JUL 16-17

AUG 6

International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) Tour Gettysburg, PA. On Internet at www.ifruittree.org JUL 17-20

WALP Annual Golf Tournament Golf Course At Redmond Ridge, Redmond, WA. 7 am.

On net at www.walp.org /pdf/2013 Reg & Sponsor Brochure.pdf

Fun ‘N Sun: California Floral Convention Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort by Hilton, Santa Barbara, CA. On Internet at www.cafgs.org

AUG 6-7

NCTA Pre-Season Clinic Renaissance Arlington Capital View, Arlington, VA. The Clinic is designed to help Christmas Tree growers and retailers get their businesses in shape for the coming sales season and beyond. Contact NCTA Staff, 636-449-5070 or e-mail info@ realchristmastrees.org. On net at www.christmastree

The Western Forest & Conservation Nursery Association Annual Meeting & Workshop Red Lion Hotel, 2300 Ever-

All American Selections Summer Summit Waterfront Hotel, Burlington, Ontario. Annual gather-

AUG 12-14

ing to learn more about AAS and see a few of our many trials.

On Internet at www.all-american selections.org AUG 15 WALP Bus Tour Sites Around Greater Seattle Area. 8:30 am. Visit a handful of previous Environmental Landscape Award winner projects/sites around the greater Seattle area. On Internet at www.walp.org/ pdf/Pruning & Bus Tour Reg Form.pdf AUG 15-16 36th International Carrot Conference Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, Madison, WI. To bring together everyone interested in carrots: growers, packers, shippers, seed producers, breeders, pathologists, sellers, marketers, university and government researchers,

3.

MAIL IT IN Fil out the attached form, calculate the cost,enclose your check or credit card information and mail to: Country Folks Grower Classifieds PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge,NY 13428

4.E-MAIL IT INE-mail your ad to 5.

$9.25

$9.55

$9.85

$10.15

$10.45

$10.75

$11.05

$11.35

$11.65

$11.95

$12.25

$12.55

$12.85

$13.15

$13.45

$13.75

$14.05

$14.35

$14.65

$14.95

If you have used equipment for sale,ask about our group of

classified@leepub.com weekly farm newspapers that cover from Maine to North Carolina.

ON-LINE- Go to www.cfgrower.com Name:(Print)______________________________________________________ and fol ow the Place a Classified Address:_________________________________________________________ Adbutton to place your ad 24/7! City:_____________________________________St.:_______Zip:___________

FOR BEST RESULTS, RUN Phone:_____________________________Fax:__________________________ YOUR AD FOR TWO ISSUES! Cell:_________________________E-mail:______________________________ Cost for each Issue per Zone: $9.25 for the first 14 words, 30¢ each additional word.

(Phone #’s count as one word) # of issues to run______ Total Cost $________ Zone(s) to run in: East Midwest West

I have enclosed a Check/Money Order Please charge my credit card: American Express Discover Visa MasterCard Acct#:__________________________________________Exp.Date:(MM/YY) _________ Signature:________________________________________Date:____________

extension specialists, students and others. For complete information, visit the conference website at http://vcru.wisc.edu/simon lab/carrotconference/index. html. Contact CALS Conference Services, 608-263-1672 or e-mail conference @cals.wisc.edu.

SEP 6-7 Pacific Northwest CTA Tree Fair & Trade Show Red Lion on the River -

Required w/Credit Card Payment Only

Jantzen Beach, Portland, OR. Contact Bryan Ostlund, 503-364-2942 or e-mail bryan@ostlund.com.

On Internet at www.pnwcta.org SEP 20-21 California CTA 29th Annual Tree Expo & Trade Show Crest Ranch, Santa Cruz, CA. Contact Sam Minturn, 800-454-8733 or e-mail califcta@aol.com. On net at www.cachristmas.com

Golf tournament raise $50,000 for the Washington Apple Education Foundation WENATCHEE, WA — Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) golfers turned out in force for the June 4 golf tournament at the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club supporting the good

works of the tree fruit industry’s charity. The tournament was sponsored by Wilbur Ellis and DuPont. The event raised approximately $50,000 for scholarship and educational programs bene-

fiting tree fruit industry families and students.

Four teams took the top honors. The Sinclair Systems team of Tyler Fischer, Karl Snyder, Cameron Mitchell and David Ramynke and the

Bank of the West team of Brian Birdsall, Casey Garten, Dave Maslyk and David Millheisler achieved low net bragging rights. The DECCO team of Randy King, Garrett Babst, Nick Fleisher and

Mark Babst and the Dow AgroSciences team represented by Lee Gale, Aaron Gale, Neil Johnson and Gregg McPherson earned low gross awards.

Course contests were sponsored by Bayer Crop-

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 19

Science. Winners included: Brian Hendricks Closest to the Pin; Dave Maslyk - Accurate Drive; Jessica Woodward Women’s Long Drive; Bryon McDougall - Men’s Long Drive; and Scott Harker - Longest Putt.

Reiny Juengling had the winning Poker Run hand in the Poker Run sponsored by Gebbers Farms.

Kailan Dunn was this year’s grand raffle prize winner of a TaylorMade Rocketballz driver and fairway metal sponsored

by SmartFresh. The putting contest was presented

by Keyes Fibre Corporation on the putting green prior to the tournament.

Jim Gilbert was the putting contest champion with a hole-in-one.

Tournament sponsors included: Wilbur Ellis Company and DuPont presenting sponsors; Fine Americas - banquet sponsor; ProAg - cart sponsor; BASF - lunch sponsor; Bayer CropScience course contest sponsor; RCIS - beverage sponsor; RaboBank Agrifinance driving range sponsor; Gebbers Farms - Poker Run sponsor; SmartFresh - raffle sponsor; C&S Orchards - hole in one sponsor. Both hole and team sponsors were Valley Tractor, Bank of the West, Sinclair Systems, International Paper, Michelsen Packaging Company, NW Farm Credit Insurance Services, Pace International and DECCO-US Post-Harvest, Inc. Hole sponsors were: Banner Bank, Blue Bird, Chelan Fresh Marketing, Chelan Fruit, Compu-Tech, Excel Fruit Brokerage, G.G. Richardson, Gebbers Farms, Homchick, Smith & Associates, Key Bank, Kibble & Prentice, McDougall & Sons, Moss Adams LLP, Nichino America, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Papè Material Handling, Price Cold Storage, The Confluence Group at D.A. Davidson, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, and Wenatchee Valley Medical Center. Team sponsors were: CMI, Columbia Fruit, Dow AgroSciences, Sage Fruit Company, Tree Top, Washington State Horticultural Association and the Yakima Pomological Club.

The Washington Apple Education Foundation is the charity of the tree fruit industry. Its mission is to impact lives through access to educational opportunities. For more information, please call 509-663-7713 or visit www.waef.org.

C H R I S TMA S S E CTI O N

NCTA’s 2013 Pre-season Clinic

Page 20 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Grow your business. Grow your profit. Grow your market.

Online registration is open for the only national event for the Real Christmas Tree industry in 2013 — the Pre-Season Clinic. Set for Aug. 10-11 in Arlington, VA and hosted by the National Christmas Tree Association, the clinic is designed to help Christmas Tree growers and retailers get their businesses in shape for the coming sales season and beyond.

The event will offer solutions for enhancing business profitability and sustainability, as well as maximum networking time to connect with fellow industry members and suppliers.

Educational sessions will focus on helping attendees better manage risk within their business, with topics such as: • Christmas Tree Marketing & Branding • Planning for the Future of Your Farm • Building a Better Business Plan • Keeping Your Business in Compliance • Adapting to Market Change • Take Your Email Marketing to the Next Level • Building a Winning Customer Service Team • And more The program has also been structured to provide plenty of time for sharing ideas, from discussion forums to smallgroup Learning Labs to networking receptions.

The clinic will feature the best of NCTA’s educational and networking offerings, compressed into an affordable, information-packed weekend experience. From the Networking Center to the Learning Labs to the Experiential Learning to the Education Workshops, attendees will have lots of options — all focused on helping you grow your business. The clinic program will also include NCTA’s 2013 National Tree and

Wreath Contests.

The event will take place at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, 2800 South Potomac Ave, Arlington, VA. It will begin Aug. 10 at 8 a.m. and run until 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 (Eastern Time.)

Registration Take advantage of the new online registration system that will allow you to register for the Preseason Clinic, make your hotel reservation, and make a secure credit card payment in one easy process (and one great price).

To complete the online registration form, you will need a valid email address. During the registration process, you will create a password. If you need to register an additional guest, or make changes to your registration, you may log in at any time with your email address and password.

As you complete the online registration form, be sure to clock on “Details” for more information or instructions.

Registration Rates: • NCTA Member (includes 2 nights lodging): $550 • NCTA Member — Guest/Spouse: $225 • TIP State Member Rate (includes 2 nights lodging): $575 • TIP State Member — Guest/Spouse: $250 • Non-Member Rate (includes 2 nights lodging): $600 • Non-Member Rate — Guest/Spouse: $275 • Industry Partner (includes 2 nights lodging): $1,000 • Industry Partner — Guest/Spouse: $225 • Conference Only (no lodging): $225 Each Clinic registration is an all-inclusive package, including: • Hotel accommodations for two nights at the beautiful Renaissance Arlington Capital View (you may add additional nights before/after the meeting at a reduced rate) • Welcome Reception on Friday night • Lunch and continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday

• Awards Reception on Saturday night • Access to the Networking Center, Learning Labs and Educational Workshops • Resource Guide • Access to educational materials and virtual education (email, conference call, website) after the event To register, go to www.regonline.com/Regi ster/Checkin.aspx?Even tID=1214030.

Schedule Friday, Aug. 9 8 – 9:15 a.m. NCTA Executive Committee Meeting 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.

Committee Meetings (Protection, Professional, Resources) 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

NCTA Board and CSF Trustees Meeting (combined) 12 - 6 p.m. Registration Open 1 – 5 p.m. Afternoon Tour (optional - based on demand) 1 – 4 p.m. Setup and Judging for Tree &

Wreath Contests 3 – 5 p.m. Major Growers Forum 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception 8 p.m. Informal optional meetup at Socci (hotel bar) Saturday, Aug. 10 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

“Come and Go” Continental Breakfast in the Networking Center 8 – 9:15 a.m. Learning Lab in the Networking Center 9:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

NCTA’S 21

National Tree Contest Schedule of Events Friday, Aug. 9 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Tree Contest Setup 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Tree Contest Judging 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception (popular voting will be open during this time) Saturday, Aug. 10 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Popular Voting for Tree Contest 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Awards Reception Important Reminders: • All trees must be in place by 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, in order to be judged.

• You (or someone you designate) must be on-site to check in and set up your tree. NCTA staff and/or contest judges may not handle the setup of contest trees.

• Stands for all trees will be provided by the contest sponsor; trees will be drilled on-site.

• Please review all rules and guidelines carefully before entering. Rules can be found at: www.christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/30/Files/TreeContestRules.pdf

BIG SPRINGS NURSERY and TREE FARMS We Look Forward to Supplying You With Quality Fraser Fir Christmas Trees.

We Specialize in Supplying Quality Garden Centers, Farm Stands, and Choose and Cut Operations with Beautiful Fraser Firs.

We would be delighted to discuss your needs for the 2013 Christmas Season Now! WE WELCOME YOUR INQUIRY PLEASE CALL OR WRITE WITH YOUR NEEDS Richard Calhoun rkcdoc@skybest.com

PO Box 878 Jefferson, NC 28640

Phone/Farm (336) 384-8733 Fax (336) 384-8734 Cell (336) 877-0386

C H R I S TMA S S E CTI O N

PNWCTA Christmas Tree Fair and Trade Show The Pacific Northwest’s premier Christmas tree event The Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association will hold their 2013 Christmas Tree Fair and Trade Show Sept. 6 - 7 at Red Lion on the River, 909 N Hayden Island Drive, Portland, OR.

The Tree Fair, premier event for the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association, presents Christmas tree buyers with a rare chance to meet and talk with hundreds of the world’s

finest Christmas tree growers.

Members have the advantage of market exposure at the Tree Fair and Trade Show, where buyers and sellers traditionally meet. It features in-

dustry equipment and supplies on display as well as retail lot demonstrations, research and marketing information and much more! The PNWCTA Tree Fair and Trade Show is the

largest show of its kind in the industry.

A major attraction at the show is the annual tree contest. For this event growers bring their best trees, with an eye to winning the PNWCTA competition — the first step in qualifying for the finals, in which the win-

ner is honored with the opportunity to provide the White House Christmas tree.

To register for this year’s event, go to: www.pnwcta.org/treefair-registration/ To learn more about the event or about the PNWCTA, go to www.pnwcta.org.

NCTA’S from 20 - Advocacy Clinic Part 1

National Wreath Contest Schedule of Events Friday, Aug. 9 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wreath Contest Setup 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wreath Contest Judging Saturday, Aug. 10 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Awards Reception Important Reminders: • All wreaths must be in place by 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 in order to be judged.

• You (or someone you designate) must check in and set up your wreath. NCTA staff and/or wreath contest judges may not handle the setup of wreaths.

• Easels for all wreaths will be provided by the contest sponsor.

• Please read and review the rules and guidelines for the contest at www.christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/30/Files/WreathContestRules.pdf

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 21

- Beyond the Smile: Building a Winning Customer Service Team 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

Breakout Sessions - Christmas Tree Marketing & Branding - Adapting to Market Change Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Keynote Luncheon — Stan Pohmer, Pohmer Consulting Group 1:45 – 3 p.m. Breakout Sessions - Planning for the Future of Your Farm Take Your Email Marketing to the Next Level 3 – 4 p.m. Break in the N e t w o r k i n g Center/Learning Labs 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Discussion Forums - facilitated roundtable discussions 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Awards Reception in the Networking Center

Sunday, Aug. 11 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

“Come and Go” Continental Breakfast in the Networking Center 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions - Choose & Cut and Retail Forum - Real Tree Advocacy Clinic Part 2 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Break in the Networking Center/Learning Labs 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Breakout Sessions - Building a Better Business Plan - Keeping Your Business in Compliance Noon – 1:30 p.m. Closing Luncheon & General Session Contests Don’t miss your opportunity to showcase at the 2013 National Tree and Wreath Contests — held in conjunction with the Pre-Season Clinic in Arlington, VA. If you have any questions, contact NCTA at 636-449-5070 or lmangnall@amrms.com.

Page 22 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013

Restrictions lifted for Asian citrus psyllid in Tulare County

SACRAMENTO, CA — Restrictions have been lifted on the movement of citrus fruit and citrus plants in Tulare County following the completion of agricultural officials’ activities in response to detections of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in the Lindsay/ Strathmore and Terra Bella areas in October and November 2012. The restrictions were enforced in two zones totaling 163 square miles, each area with a five-mile radius surrounding the sites where the insects were found.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner worked collaboratively to conduct extensive trapping and visual surveys in the restricted areas. Neither the visual surveys nor the trapping yielded additional ACP detections.

“Thanks to the responsiveness and cooperation of our farmers and their neighbors, we have determined that the limited population of psyllids detected in the area last year has not developed into a sustained infestation,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “As with so many invasive pests, when we can detect infestations early and respond swiftly, we stand the best chance of protecting our farms and gardens. The disease that the ACP can spread remains the single biggest threat to California’s citrus trees, both in our backyards and in our farmers’ groves, so we will remain vigilant and respond to any future detections as quickly as possible.”

The restrictions prohibited the movement of nursery stock out of the zones unless it had been grown in approved pest-resistant structures. While the restrictions were in effect, citrus fruit was allowed to move outside the zones only if it had been treated according to requirements then commercially cleaned and packed. Any other fruit, including residential citrus, was not permitted to be removed from the property on which it was grown, although it was allowed to be processed and/or consumed on the premises. All of these restrictions are now lifted.

The fatal disease huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, carried by ACP, has not been detected in

Tulare County. To date, HLB has been found at just one California property in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County. HLB is known to be present in Mexico and in parts of the southern United States.

Florida first detected the

pest in 1998 and the disease in 2005, and the two have now been detected in all 30 citrus-producing counties in that state. The University of Florida estimates the disease has tallied more than 6,600 lost jobs, $1.3 billion in lost

revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity. The disease is also present in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. The states of Hawaii, Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama have detected the pest but not

the disease.

The ACP was first detected in California in 2008 and is known to exist in Ventura, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

If Californians believe they

have seen evidence of HLB in local citrus trees, they are asked to please call CDFA’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-800-491-1899.

For more information on the Asian citrus psyllid and huanglongbing, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant /acp/

July 2013 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Section A - Page 23

Page 24 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • July 2013