AGRICULTURE 2019  1
Okanogan County Horticultural Association meeting at a glance Feb. 5 Okanogan County Fairgrounds Agriplex 9 a.m.
Sterile codling moth distribution in the orchard*
9:30 a.m.
Sterile insect release for codling moth control*
Noon
Association elections
10 a.m.
Break
12:10 p.m.
10:15 a.m.
Getting to know the good guys in our orchards*
Pesticide education credits distributed
12:15 p.m.
Lunch
10:45 a.m.
Secondary pest update: Apple maggot, clear wing, apple leaf curl midge, BMSB*
1 p.m.
Manejo de fuego bacteriano* (fire blight management)
11:10 a.m.
Cherry powdery mildew management and fungicide resistance results
1:30 p.m.
Cuidando su salud en la huerta* (pesticide safety)
2 p.m.
Palomilla de manzana* (codling moth management)
2:30 p.m.
Conociendo los insectos Buenos en la huerta* (getting to know the good guys in our orchards)
3 p.m.
Pesticide education credits distributed
Red Delicious dethroned; Gala takes over
Survey shows ups, downs of tree fruit acreage
According to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, Gala made up about 24 percent of the 2018 crop, with Red Delicious at 21.5 percent. The Oct. 1, 2018, statewide crop
By Dee Camp The Chronicle
OLYMPIA — Red Delicious, long the king of Washington apples, has been dethroned. Last fall, relative newcomer Gala outpaced the Red Delicious in harvest.
A charts show apple acreages by variety.
Agriculture 2019 © 2019 The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle
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Hort meeting is Feb. 5 By Dee Camp The Chronicle
OKANOGAN — The 84th Okanogan County Horticultural Association will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Agriplex at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds, 175 Rodeo Trail. Doors open at 8:45 a.m. Admission will be charged. Lunch will not be available on site. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided by the horticultural association.
The meeting, organized by the association and the Washington State University Extension office, offers pesticide applicator recertification credits to those who register. Three credits are available for attending morning sessions and two for afternoon sessions. A trade show is planned. Officer elections are planned at noon, said association Secretary Dan McCarthy. Nominees are Corbin Moser, See Speakers 4
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Speakers from Page 3
president; Jason Unruh, vice president, and McCarthy, secretary. Outgoing officers are Rob Wilson, president, and Moser, vice president, and McCarthy, secretary. First up for programs is Rob Curtiss, Michigan State University special projects coordinator at the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, talking about sterile codling moth distribution in the orchard. His presentation starts at 9 a.m. He works with growers, WSU faculty and staff, and others to develop a technology road map for orchard automation and mechanization research and development, according to the commission’s website He has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and a master’s from WSU. He is working on his doctorate in entomology at Michigan State University. Before joining the commission in 2017, he was the Hawaii state entomologist. At 9:30 a.m., Betsy Beers of the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee, will talk about sterile insect release for codling moth control. For the past 25-plus years, her research has been in integrated pest management of apple pests, both those feeding directly on fruit and those dining on roots, shoots and foliage, according to her WSU website. She has also studied integrated and biological control, arthropod phenology and life history, host plant associations, economic injury levels, effects of herbivory on plant gas exchange, sampling, non-target effects of pesticides on natural enemies, and pesticide resistance.
After a 10 a.m. break, a program on “good guys” in orchards will be presented by Chris Strohm, WSU Extension, and Tobin Northfield, WSU entomologist. Strohm has a background in biology, ecology and forest entomology. He worked as a crop scout and consultant for dairy and vegetable producers in upstate New York and south Florida before moving to WSU in 2017. Northfield is an assistant professor in entomology integrated pest management and biocontrol at the tree fruit center in Wenatchee. He has doctoral and master’s degrees from WSU. He is researching insect ecology to identify sustainable pest management strategies in tree fruit groups, according to WSU. Northfield previously was a U.S. Department of Agriculture post-doctoral fellow, and lecturer/senior lecturer in northern Australia. Beers will give a secondary pest update at 10:45 a.m. Those pests include apple maggot, clear wing, apple leaf curl midge and BMSB. Gary Grove, a WSU plant pathologist from Prosser, will talk about cherry powdery mildew management and fungicide resistance at 11:10 a.m. Grove has been with WSU since 2006. Before that, he was director of the Washington Agricultural Weather Network. His research is in epidemiology and management of fungal diseases of stone fruits and grapes. At 11:40 a.m. Tianna DuPont of WSU Extension will talk about fire blight. DuPont is a tree fruit extension specialist with the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center,
Wenatchee. Her program works to bring research-based information to the tree fruit industry through trainings, applied research, technology and consultations. Programs include organic production, sustainable pest and disease management, soil and water management, next generation tree fruit network, and increasing knowledge and application of tree fruit best management practices. Lunch is from 12:15-1 p.m. The afternoon sessions are
geared toward Spanish speakers. At 1 p.m., DuPont will cover flight blight management, or “Manejo de Fuego Bacteriano.” The 1:30 p.m. session on pesticide safety, “Cuidando su Salud en la Huerta,” will be led by Alexandra J. Lewis Lorentz, AJL Productions and Central Washington University. Lewis-Lorentz’s company, AJL Productions, is a video production business that combines digital arts with her experience as a cultural anthropologist. She is a lecturer and adjunct faculty member in the
anthropology department at CWU. Kaz Lorentz of Bluebird will talk about codling moth management, or “Palomilla de Manzana,” at 2 p.m. He is on Bluebird’s field staff and is a former tree and vine crop adviser at the McGregor Co., Quincy. At 2:30 p.m. DuPont will present “Conociendo los Insectos Buenos en la Huerta,” or “Getting to Know the Good Guys in Our Orchards.” Attendees can claim their pesticide education credits after the morning and afternoon sessions.
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Trees
from Page 2
harvest figures were not available from the tree fruit association, which tracks crop size. When industry officials announced last fall that Gala was unseating the iconic, deep red, five-bumped Red Delicious that had reigned for more than 50 years, the news made headlines nationwide. Gala is a sweet, red-orange, striped apple that is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd’s Orange Red, and was planted in New Zealand in the 1930s. It was introduced to the market 9n 1965; a U.S. plant patent was obtained in 1974. The latest Washington Tree Fruit Acreage Report, based on 2017 figures, was released recently and tracks with the atree fruit association’s figures showing Red
Delicious is now No. 2. The report was compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Northwest regional field office. According to the survey, there were 121,175 acres of Red Delicious apples in the state in 1986. In 2017, there were 39,207. Gala accounted for 230 acres in 1986 and 41,036 in 2017. As with its rosy cousin, the Golden Delicious also saw a hefty decline in those three decades, going from 22,665 acres in 1986 to 7,760 acres in 2017. Another other big mover was Granny Smith, which climbed from 8,220 acres in 1986 to a peak of 23,593 acres in 2006 and then went into decline, accounting for 16,267 acres in 2017.
Among the players that weren’t even on the map in 1986 but were in 2017 were Cripps Pink (Pink Lady), 8,923 acres in 2017; Fuji/Red Fuji, 28,718, and Honeycrisp, 22,616. Sweet cherries showed similar up-and-down movement with varieties, although Bing, long a leader among cherries, continued its strong numbers, according to the survey.
In 1986, there were 9,895 acres of Bings – the most of any sweet cherry in the state – and in 2017 there were 22,275 acres. Lambert, the No. 2 cherry in 1986, barely registered in 2017, dropping to 297 acres. Big movers over the decades were Chelan, Rainier, Skeena and Sweetheart. Only Rainier made the 1986 survey, at 815 acres. It was at 3,073 acres in
2017. The survey showed Chelan at 4,193 acres, Skeena at 2,468 acres and Sweetheart as the No. 2 cherry, acreage-wise, at 4,462 acres. Total sweet cherry acreage statewide increased from 13,925 acres in 1986 to 42,198 acres in 2017. For pears, total acreage went from 25,750 in 1986 to 20,965 in 2017.
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Okanogan County marijuana industry thrives Omak farmer reports strong crop
and hope for the best,” said Newton. “Light deprivation is a lot more labor. Crews go out at 3 a.m. to put OMAK — Jeff Newton of Green the tarps on, then they come off in Acres farm reported bringing in a the morning.” good crop of marijuana during the Newton said he wasn’t affected 2018 growing season. by last year’s flooding, but fires “We had a good year. The came close. product turned out very good, and “Green Acres is pretty high and my grower who supervises all the dry and we didn’t have any probprocesses and routines didn’t have lem, but a fire started by a lightning any problems,” said Newton. “We strike near Greenacres Road, burnlight-depped and the product was ing over thirty acres. It came up all ready before the fall weather.” to the top of the ridge behind the Light deprivation, which brings farm, but thankfully the helicopters the crop to fruition sooner, is com- put it out,” said Newton. monly done by pulling black-out Another challenge for local plastic over the top of greenhouses growers is russet mites. Aceria to initiate the flowering stage. anthocoptes are some of the most Newton said he started doing damaging and difficult to control light deprivation his first year grow- pests for marijuana and hemp ing in Omak, 2016, when fall came growers. early with the first freeze Oct. 7, “Two years ago, there was a followed by “non-stop rain.” big problem with russet mites for “A lot of people just put it out many farmers in the area. Nobody By Katie Teachout The Chronicle
realized they were in the area until late in the season, but I think everyone got that under control,” said Newton. “They’re bad because you can’t see them with the naked
eye. It looks like the plant has a nutritional deficiency. They sap the THC out of the flower. You might have some beautiful flowers, but you look close and there’s no THC
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on them.” Newton said having healthy plants is the biggest protection against the mites. “The first year, it was pretty
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much too late, but the second year we used neem oil. This last year wasn’t a problem. My grower, Chance, keeps the plants healthy with the organic nutrients that he uses and teas that he brews up to use on them,” said Newton. “Anybody that grows naturally or organically usually uses a tea that they brew. I was very happily surprised we didn’t have predator concerns this year.” Growing on two farms, each one acre in size at Green Acres, Newton said he usually tries to grow 10 different strains. “We might have a few more at any time, testing them out, but for production we try to stay at 10 strains. That way if stores find a strain that is selling well, they don’t run out. If you have just small amounts of any strains, it’s much more difficult to market,” said Newton. Licensed as both a producer and a processor, Newton said most of his product is sold to stores, and he supplies over thirty stores “all up and down the west side.” “Our biggest presence is on the west side, from Bellevue to Vancouver, with a big presence on Capitol Hill at Ruckus, a 502 recreational store,” said Newton. “I have a sales team on the west side. We produce our own and also
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Marijuana at Green Acres farm near Omak awaits harvest.
buy other people’s product. We sell Newton said strains he speciallots of strains, and we are very agizes in include DJ Short Blueberry, gressive on our pricing. With a big a cross of three indicas. client list and a big store base, we “The blueberry is delicious, it move a lot of product.” smells like blue berries. Another Newton said sales to the Sage See Marijuana 19 Shop in Omak make up less than five percent of their total production. He said he recently began selling to the House of Cannabis in Tonasket, and the Carlton House of Cannabis. He and his partners sell under the Heritage Cannabis brand.
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Industrial hemp producers harvest knowledge along with crops
By Katie Teachout The Chronicle
KELLER — The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) planted 120 irrigated acres of industrial hemp last June, and had a successful harvest in October of an average yield of 2.5 tons per acre on fiber and around 800 pounds of seed per acre. They were the only industrial hemp-growing operation in Washington state under the state Department of Agriculture (WSDA)’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot (IHRP) to grow in 2018. The CCT bought a combination state license allowing them to grow, possess, process and market industrial hemp for research purposes, and harvested their first crop in
2017. They doubled the acreage planted in 2018. “Part of our research included germination rates and pounds per acre,” said Jackie Richter with the Colville Conservation District, who initiated the project for the tribes. “We found that contrary to others, the varietie s we used were very successful at 18 pounds per acre.” Richter said they were allowed to grow for fiber as well as seed this year, but due to state regulations and “last-minute decisions” on rules about crossing state lines, they were not able to cross state lines with the baled fiber last fall. “Currently, the tribe is licensed through the state, which means we have to adhere to state guidelines.
However, with the passing of the farm bill, Tribes and Universities will be able to have their own programs through the federal government with minimal requirements,” said Richter. “So we are looking to the future.” The 2018 Farm Bill removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, legalizing hemp production. However, according to the WSDA, a legislative change to the IHRP statutes in Washington state law is still needed for the program to be consistent with the changes in the Farm Bill regarding hemp. Until then, WSDA will continue to manage the IHRP under existing state law. Richter said she sees a lot of potential for hemp in the area with the
passage of the farm bill. By law, all industrial hemp must contain a THC concentration of 0.3 percent or less by dry weight. THC, or terahydrocannabinol, is
the component of marijuana that gets a user “high.” According to the WSDA, if any aspect of an industrial hemp projects tests higher for THC, it no longer meets the definition of
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industrial hemp. IHRP currently requires a fourmile separation between hemp and marijuana crops to prevent cross-pollination, until more research is done on how cannabis pollen spreads. Richter said the tribe has been focused on seed variety research and growing, as well as harvesting and market research. They are required under the license to provide annual reports to the state. According to the WSDA, research goals of the IHRP include topics ranging from industrial hemp seed planting depth to Genomics-assisted crop improvements, as well as processing and marketing the product. “Growing a new crop is continual data gathering, from the purchase of the seed, through the planting, growing and harvesting; and then development of value-added products or wholesale. You are continually assessing what worked, what didn’t and how shall we tweak it next year to make it more cost-effective,� said Richter. “This crop is constant research, from seed variety to growing, to harvesting equipment, to processing and available
and development stages of this industry, even though we know it can be grown,� said Richter. “Product demand and acreage has exploded, creating a need for processing, manufacturing, specialized equipment development, markets, supply chains, access to certified seed, and we’re needing more agronomical information on varieties.� Richter said that while the CCT’s pilot crop remained in the same location in 2018 as the previous year due to equipment and irrigation capabilities, she believes there are many areas within the reservation boundaries that should be great for Colville Confederated Tribes hemp. The tribes planted 120 acres of industrial hemp last June. “Hemp is an amazing plant and it will grow in most soil, but it prefers well-drained soils and is markets.� growers and universities.� nitrogen sensitive and needs proper Richter said the CCT tried out New guidelines issued from the nutrients and fertility to be producnew varieties of seed in 2018 . federal government through USDA’s tive,� said Richter. “There are so many varieties and National Institute of Feed and AgRichter pointed out some of the more coming every year. Just like riculture allow federal funding for many ways hemp crops benefit the marijuana, each variety is different research into industrial hemp agri- environment. and they all depend on your cliculture to universities and colleges. mate, soil and care as to what kind Despite hemp being one of of performance you will get and if mankind’s oldest domesticated they are right for you,� said Richter. crops, research into the product is “We are looking forward to all the burgeoning. research that is coming out from “We are definitely in the learning
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“Hemp is known for its benefits to soil, and it’s phytoremediation capabilities because it is fast-growing, has deep roots, and is unaffected by the toxins it accumulates from the soil and air,� said Richter. “And while hemp is cleaning the soil, it can act as a carbon sink, to reduce greenhouse gases. It’s got a great root system for soil aeration while providing biomass and organic matter. It can be a great cover crop, out-competing weeds and beneficial for crop rotation. And the bees love it!� Richter also sees hemp production as very beneficial to local economy. “I believe that hemp, along with a wider regenerative agriculture program, can have a significant positive economic impact on Colville Tribal members, in Indian Country and beyond. The hemp industry is ready to explode and with over 25,000 different uses for hemp, everyone can find a niche,� said Richter.
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Slaughterhouse proposed in Tonasket By Katie Teachout The Chronicle
TONASKET — A slaughterhouse has been proposed for Tonasket, following a countywide study of livestock producers last spring. A study was conducted by the Okanogan Conservation District, TwispWorks, and the Methow Conservancy to assess the need for improved access to slaughter and butchering in the county. The project was funded by a grant from the USDA Rural Business Development Program, and the study was led by the Methow Conservancy’s Agricultural Coordinator, Alyssa Jumars, and advised by a group of 12 livestock producers from across the county. The closest USDA-inspected facility is in Othello, 200 to 300 miles away from area livestock producers. There are currently
28 percent of responses coming from the Methow Valley, 38 percent from the Omak-Okanogan area and 17 percent from Tonasket. The additional 17 percent of responses were from producers in Brewster, Conconully, Nespelem and areas around Oroville. According to Jumars, 59 percent of respondents indicated their current processing options are not meeting their needs; 93 percent indicated a desire for access to USDA-inspected processing; and 31 percent indicated that access to USDA-inspected processing is a primary barrier to the Katie Teachout/The Chronicle growth of their business. Double S Meat cutters, from left, Julio Alatorre, Jorge Juarez, Servindo Garcia and Ned Van The study estimated potential Brunt gear up for a day of processing beef Friday, June 15. Van Brunt and Juarez have 60 years demand for USDA-inspected of experience cutting meat. slaughter, and processing services three custom-exempt butchers in Okanogan County, down from five two years ago, but they cannot distribute meat to stores or
restaurants. A survey in early spring, 2018, and reaching 95 farmers and ranchers across the county had
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in the county amounts to approximately 680 beef (or beef equivalents) per year. A beef equivalent is one beef being equal to two and a half hogs, six sheep or goats or three-fourths of one bison. “While these estimates represent significant demand, they also fall short of what is generally considered by the industry as a bare minimum of 1200 beef (or beef equivalents) needed per year to justify or sustain a small, new USDA meat plant,” said Jumars. That led study participants to opt out of building a brand-new plant, and looking into upgrading and expanding an existing, custom-exempt meat plant within the county, and they determined Double S Meats in Tonasket to be the prime spot. Double S Meats is located at 81 Hwy 7. “Double S Meats is newly-constructed and located in close proximity to the majority of livestock raised in the county,” said
Jumars. Double S Meats, operated by Gavin Pratt and founded in 1983 by his father, built a new facility in 2013 “with future USDA-inspected applications in mind,” according to Jumars. “Looking countywide, this facility is the newest and bestequipped to serve,” said Jumars. Tonasket City Council members adopted an ordinance amending the municipal code to permit slaughterhouses as a conditional use in the commercial (C-2) district in September, after Double S Meats was identified as a prime location. Amendments to the zoning code contain minimum conditions for any proposed slaughterhouse, including the number of animals held on-site to be limited to no more than 16 beef equivalents in a period not to exceed 48 hours. Other conditions address sanitation and waste management;
a minimum buffer of 100 feet between the slaughter and enclosure of animals and existing residential uses; slaughtering to be conducted out of view of the public and no animals allowed to run at large. “Having a USDA certified slaughterhouse in Tonasket is going to be a super deal for the locals,” said Ned Van Brunt, an employee at Double S Meats. “Not only will it help the local ranchers, but it will bring in more work and hopefully create some more jobs.” City Planner Kurt Danison said he thought it would provide jobs as well as reduce gas and carbon generated to haul the cattle great distances. Council member Jill Ritter agreed. “It would provide more services and generate revenue,” said Ritter. Danison said the next step is for Double S Meats to make an
application for a Conditional Use Permit which includes a SEPA Checklist and a public hearing before the Tonasket Planning Commission. According to building inspector/permit administrator Christian Johnson, a 1965 zoning ordinance allowing slaughterhouses and feedlots with no conditions was in effect until 2013. “The planning commission was careful in establishing baseline conditions and site-specific conditions,” said Johnson. “The planning commission did take into significant concern the area they were looking at. It’s in the commercial service district. Generally speaking, that’s where they decided it would be suitable with those minimum conditions.” The study further determined that an incremental approach would offer the highest possibility of success with the least risk to the small, family-run busi-
ness. Jumars reported utilizing a temporary, pre-manufactured, USDA-inspected slaughter unit as an alternative to building a brick-and-mortar kill floor will allow Double S Meats to test assumptions about demand for USDA-inspected slaughter in the region, before determining to make a bigger investment in a more permanent kill floor. “The study concluded there is significant interest among livestock producers to play an active role in any future project implementation,” said Jumars, “and that a non-profit could play an important facilitator role, to ensure a successful outcome that would meet the needs of diverse producers and ensure their buyin to such a project.” A copy of the full feasibility report is available by request from the Methow Conservancy at 509996-2870 or by emailing alyssa@ methowconservancy.org.
AGRICULTURE 2019
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From farm to table:
Farmstand delivers fresh, local goods kitchen that well sell in the store,” she said. “We use organic tomatoes from 8th Street Greens that are oven roasted and preserved and use them in our pizza sauce. I even have some flourless and gluten free options in our store.” Okanogan Farmstand offers a variety of fresh baked goods and pastries, which are prepared in the certified kitchen. Okanogan Farmstand sells
By Amber Hedington The Chronicle
OKANOGAN — Shannon Gilbert’s passion for fresh, local organic and natural foods is a key ingredient for the success of local business Okanogan Farmstand. “I started growing at my farm 8th Street Greens,” Gilbert said “8th Street Greens is made possible every year because of the (Community Supported Agriculture) CSA, which was the first CSA in the area.” “The CSA was a prepaid way for members to pay and pick up fresh produce each week,” said Gilbert. “The money and networking from the CSA helped get the farm up and running to produce and sell at Okanogan Farmstand.” CSA is families supporting local farms. The prepaid memberships help pay crewmembers, while they are working, before the produce sales happen in May. The membership also covers the cost of seeds, fertilizers, potting soil
everything from Blue Star Coffee, Winter Woods Tea, Sudsy Mtn. soap , Earth Soap and black beans from Iris Rock Farm. The store also offers cabbage, potatoes and onions from Channing Brothers Farm, milk from Doubletree Farm, cheese from Pine Stump Farm, and Sauerkraut from Willowbrook Farm. See Fresh 20
Sales • Service • Accessories Amber Hedington/The Chronicle
Shannon Gilbert (left) bags groceries for a customer at Okanogan Farmstand, 227 S. Second Ave. and such. The membership gives members priority of the available produce. “I have 3.25 acres of crop production on the farm,” Gilbert said. “I became a certified organic farmer and built an WSDA certified kitchen, where I my employ-
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ees make baked goods that I sell at Okanogan Farmstand and to wholesale accounts.” Gilbert said fresh ingredients are key to producing tasty, healthy, and delectable treats. “We use fresh produce in the filling of the pastries baked in our
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By Amber Hedington The Chronicle
WINTHROP — Brooke and Sam Lucy wanted to figure out how to make a living in the Methow so they began grain farming. “We both had an interest in agriculture and food and curiosity about providing locally-sourced grains to our community,” said Brooke Lucy. “At the time, 15 years ago, it was very difficult to source local grains.” “Treebeard of Raintree Farm from Tonasket, the first local organic grower in the state, was very supportive of helping us get a foothold,” said Lucy. “He had been providing locally milled wheat to area bakeries. Treebeard gave us some of his accounts as he transitioned into retirement.” Most of the farm’s grains are spring varieties, which are farmed from mid April to the beginning of November. Grain yields can vary from year to year depending on moisture levels and soil composition, according to Lucy. “Our general range is anywhere from 60 to 80 bushels per acre on irrigated land,” Lucy said,
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Grain is harvested last summer in the Methow Valley. noting the farm has one harvest season per year. “Keep in mind that ancient grains are quite different than modern wheat.” Bluebird Grain Farms sell their products to natural food stores – including PCC Markets and WholeFoods Market - throughout the U.S. west coast and beyond.
“Town and Country Markets are some of our customers and many independent food coops such as Bellingham food coop,” said Lucy. Bluebird Grain Farms sells five varieties of grains in all different forms such as whole grain cereals, fresh milled flour, and mixes.
Bluebird Grain Farm grows on approximately 250 acres. “The past couple of years we have started contracting with other certified organic growers in Okanogan and Chelan County,” said Lucy. “We have six full-time employees that work year-round processing, packaging, and ship-
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Growers reconfigure orchards
Ag landowner services firm studies prices, trends OMAHA, Neb. — The Northwest is experiencing major reconfigurations of orchards as growers try to get higher production from the same number of acres. That’s the conclusion of Farmers National Co., an employeeowned, agricultural landowner services company that recently released a nationwide study of farm and ranch land prices and trends. Other major issues for Northwest growers continue to be immigration and labor, trade and tariffs, and the federal Farm Bill. Most of 2018 was plagued by shortages of labor for the labor-intensive crops – asparagus, tree fruits, vineyards and livestock operations, said the company. Higher-density planting, re-grafting and removal of some varieties is taking place, said Flo Sayer, Farmers National Co. real estate broker. Lenders are tightening financing requirements more than in the past and many growers are experiencing a drop in equity as a result. While there appears to be adequate small properties (less than 20 acres in size) to satisfy the market, larger acreages are scarce and the values to the grower are
ket is at hand. While not a lot of farmland is changing hands, there is a lot of interest in where trade issues will head in the future. The land market is leveling off and may decline a bit more over the next year or two.” Nationwide, questions abound in the current land market, the company said Will the negative farm financial situation finally overcome other factors to drive land prices the final leg lower? Will outside influences put more stress on land values or actually support prices? Will regional pockets of stress spill
over into the overall land market? Farm and ranch land is the key financial bedrock for American agriculture as land makes up 82 percent of total assets for the industry. With today’s uncertainties in agriculture, everyone involved with owning, buying or selling ag land is holding their breath to see what will happen next with the market and prices. “At Farmers National Co., we are seeing an uptick in our land sales as more families and inheritors want to sell now,” said Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations. “Within our
Al Camp/The Chronicle
Apples ripen on trees along Monse River Road last fall. far less than the sellers and landowners would like for returns, according to the report. Properties in the Basin have ranged from a high of $18,000 per acre to other areas that have seen a decline in prices to near the $10,000 per acre value. For the
most part, prices are at a plateau. “Interest rates appear to be holding for at least the next few months,” said Sayer. “This is a good sign that stability in the mar-
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Young trees are staked along Monse River Road in October 2018. 28-state service area, we are also seeing more landowners coming to us to market and sell their land as evidenced by our volume of land for sale increasing 21 percent. “These landowners are just deciding now is the time to sell and capture today’s price.” Overall, agricultural land values have held up surprisingly well over the past few years despite
lower commodity prices and much lower farm incomes compared to five years ago, according to the company. There are a number of reasons, including the low supply of land for sale, cash rental rates remaining stronger than expected and interest rates that have been historically low. But there are some important
Dee Camp/The Chronicle
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be interested in owning agricultural land for the long-term, Dickhut noted. “The overriding question in the land market is about supply and demand. At this time, there are enough buyers at most sales to bid up the price to a good level for the seller. But as we move ahead over the coming months, will buyers become even more cautious than they are now while at the same time will we see more land come up for sale for various reasons? All of this is why those involved in the land market, from owner to lender, are holding their breath to see what comes over the next year,” Dickhut said. Farmers National Co. has sold 3,811 properties and more than $2.23 billion of real estate during the last five years. The company manages more than 5,000 farms and ranches in 28 states comprising more than two million acres.
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questions looming about the land market that are causing many to figuratively hold their breath in anticipation of what comes next. “Even though the rate of bankruptcies and forced land sales is low, there is the expectation that numbers will increase somewhat in the year ahead as farmers’ cash flows are stressed,” Dickhut said. “There is also an increase of quiet
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sales to neighbors or investors where the land is never exposed to the market to see what the true price is. The ultimate question here is how many more properties for sale can the market handle before the volume overwhelms the number of buyers and puts downward pressure on land prices.” Factors outside agriculture are hanging over the land market and may have a further effect on values. Landowners, lenders and producers are watching interest rates and wondering how high they might go. Higher rates not only affect borrowing costs, but also influence capitalization rates for land investors. Those in agriculture are concerned about the current trade issues and if there will be lingering effects, according to the report. On the positive side, investors, both small and large, continue to
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Mother Nature not cooperating on snow OKANOGAN — Snow pack should be accumulating in the mountains for adequate water supply next summer, but so far Mother Nature is not cooperating. The first Water Supply Outlook report of 2019, issued in early January, shows that above-normal temperatures at the end of 2018 hindered normal snow accumulation statewide, except at the high-
est elevations. Continued forecasts of rain or snow at pass level are disappointing, according to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service report. Another report is due in early February, after The Chronicle’s Agriculture magazine’s deadline. Jan. 1 statewide SNOTEL readings were 90 percent of normal and slightly lower than at the
same time last year. The lowest readings were 61 percent of the 30-year median for Jan. 1 in the Tolt River basin in western Washington. The Walla Walla basin had the most snow, at 117 percent of the median. Locally, the Okanogan River basin recorded 92 percent of median, the Methow River 95 percent and Conconully Lake 62 percent. Last year, the Jan. 1 readings were 112 percent, 124 percent and 100 percent, respectively. Moisture continued, with the Okanogan Valley eventually experiencing some of the worst flooding in recorded history. According to the report, the Similkameen River at Nighthawk recorded a December stream
flow at 90 percent of average. The Okanogan River at Tonasket was 96 percent of average and the Methow River at Pateros was 82 percent. Jan. 1 snow cover in the Okanogan Basin was 92 percent of normal, Omak Creek was 68 percent and the Methow River was 95 percent, according to the report. December precipitation in the upper Columbia Basin was 100 percent of average, with precipitation for the water year at 78 percent of average. Snow-water content at the Salmon Meadows SNOTEL was 2.9 inches, or 62 percent of normal for Jan. 1. Snow-water content is a measure of how much moisture is in the snow.
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Donation supports tree fruit research Funds will help WSU, USDA scientists improve fruit quality YAKIMA — Northwest Farm Credit Services has donated $250,000 to support post-harvest tree fruit research at Washington State University. The donation ultimately will help Pacific Northwest growers deliver plentiful, sustainable fruit crops to consumers in future harvests, said the company. Mandy Minick, state president of Northwest Farm Credit Services, presented the contribution to Andre Denis Wright, dean of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, at the Northwest Horticulture Expo in December in Yakima. Once fruit crops are harvested, growers and packers face challenges bringing enough
“
endowed chair for post-harvest systems, alumna Carolina Torres. “Northwest Farm Credit Services understands the challenges that Washington growers face,” said Wright. “Working together with growers and Northwest FCS, (the college) provides our state’s $6 Andre Denis Wright billion tree fruit industry with a science based competitive advantage.” Northwest Farm Credit SerFruit Research and Extension’s vices provides financing, relatpost-harvest research facilities ed services and crop insurance and equipment. to farmers, ranchers, agribusiBuilding on investment by nesses, commercial fishermen, Washington growers, the donatimber producers and rural tion also supports WSU’s new homeowners in Montana,
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”
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Okanogan County Historical Society
Frank S. Matsura/Okanogan County Historical Society
A ship leaves Omak for Wenatchee for a tour of the city and a baseball game. Omak Fruit Growers was the name of the Omak town team.
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Marijuana from Page 7
popular one is the Sour Tsunami, a CBD strain. We are able to sell all of that, that we have, off to processors. They love it,” said Newton. “It varies year to year, but last year the THC levels (in the Sour Tsunami) were below .5 and the CBDs were up to between 11 and 14 percent.” Indicas, a short, stout plant commonly higher in CBDs and lower in THC, are favored by people seeking pain relief or a more sedating effect than that produced by the tall, lanky sativas, favored by people looking for a more energizing and cerebral high. Strains called “hybrids” are a combination of Indica and Sativa. Newton said it has been a learning curve, discovering which plants do best in this environment. “To do the production on a large scale, we have between 3,000 to 4,000 plants on the two farms at Green Acres,” said Newton. “It’s trial and error to see what plants are going to do well in this area, where it’s pretty arid with an early winter. Sativas like to grow early and tall, so if you try to cover them
at night, that’s kinda the problem.” Newton is in the process of buying another farm in Tonasket. He currently employs five people full-time, year-round and hires temporary workers for planting and harvest. “One of the main problems in the area is getting enough good people at harvest time, because everybody needs them at the same time,” said Newton. Newton said prices have dropped from the earlier days of marijuana selling wholesale for between $10-$15 per gram and retailing at between $45 to $50 per gram. Newton is one of several producers providing product for the Sage Shop in Omak. “We work with a lot of farms locally in the county,” said owner Montana Dutton. “It is a good industry for our community. It creates a lot of legitimate jobs and tax revenue.” Dutton opened her store in May of 2015. She moved to a new location, 309 N. Main Street, last May,
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where she employs nine people. “Prices started coming down Dutton said business had “defi- so low that the black market no nitely increased” over the years. longer made sense,” said Dutton. “At first I think people were a little skeptical, it being illegal for so long made them a little gun-shy,” said Dutton. “It took some time for people to be comfortable showing identification. Then people started seeing the benefits, and that there were no risks in purchasing legal marijuana. Now it’s more like buying alcohol, just showing your ID to show you are of a legal buying age.” Dutton said another element to increased business is lower prices.
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Fresh from Page 12
And if you’re craving garlic, tree fruit or honey, Okanogan Farmstand has plenty. Garlic from 8th Street Greens, pure honey from Blumbees, apples from Apple Cart Fruit, Filaree Fruit, and Bunny Laine Fruit are sold at the store, too. For adults, there’s wide variety of local wines, beers and ciders, too. Clovers Marketplace Apple Salsa is also sold at select locations, including Okanogan Farmstand. Clovers Marketplace Apple Salsa is produced in Wenatchee by Clover Simon and is produced with certified organic apples from Apple Cart Fruit, and certified organic tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapenos grown by Iris Rock Farm. “If you grow something naturally, who’s monitoring whether you used herbicides or chemical fertilizers?” said organic farmer and owner of Tonasket-based Apple Cart Fruit, Michael Simon. “It’s possible that something grown naturally could be identical to something grown organically depending on the farmer’s actual integrity. “When you go to the grocery
store, you see many items labeled ‘all natural,’ but is there a genetically modified ingredient in your granola bar?” said Simon. “Most all granola bars will say all natural, but only a select few would say organic. A natural protein bar could have soy in them, but most soy is genetically modified, so the soy wouldn’t be considered certified organic or all natural.” “An important part of Okanogan Farmstand is I really like to source identify,” Gilbert said. “If anyone wants to know the source identity of the produce, they can ask me or Debbie, and we can answer.” “Every organic farmer is inspected every year for inputs; what we put on our product,” said Simon. “Conventional farms could be inspected for food safety, because that’s a big new thing.” Gilbert said organic farming is well monitored, to ensure every aspect is reported. “I got involved in farming and growing by landscaping,” said Gilbert. “My body would get sore, and I thought I shouldn’t work so hard mowing lawns and spreading beau-
20 AGRICULTURE 2019
ty bark. If I’m going to use my body like this, I should grow food; it’s much more important in the world.” “I had this dream 19 years ago, to grow organic greens locally, because I saw that it wasn’t happening in the area,” said Gilbert. “I look forward to expanding in the back of the store. This is not my end, I have a phase three, and I look forward to being more of a community gathering place and offering more food that’s ready to eat. I’ve got some good plans. I look forward to having an oven down here and some outdoor seating.” “To get more people to eat locally and support local business, I think it’s important for there to be a fun event,” said Gilbert. “It’s important for it to be fun and educational. I look forward to having some things here this summer, maybe invite kids to plant seeds that they could take home.” Okanogan Farmstand logo was made by local artist Michael Azzano and Gilbert, store dishtowels were from Okanogan and Twisp and made by Fletcher Rickabaugh, a local artist who does silk
screening. “I used to get criticized for growing organic,” said Gilbert. “Now people want organic product, especially people with kids.” “I think the time is right finally to grow organically and sell locally in Okanogan,” said GIlbert. “Customers are so glad this store is here, and customers seem to be supporting local businesses more. Spending local and supporting local business is so important.” “The more people support this store, the more local row crop farmers I will need to reach out to,” said GIlbert. “That’s food security right there. Bringing energy to downtown; people getting out of their cars and interacting with people, you can learn a lot. You need to get to know your farmers.” “When I started selling products from different distributors here, it started with my CSA,” said Gilbert. “8th Street Greens started having a CSA, and I realized this was fruit country. I had a farm, not an orchard. I had been working at Filaree Farm and I asked if I could have their fruit in my CSA, so we started
working together that way, and if they didn’t have something in season that I needed, I would reach out and around.” “I started putting my feelers out, to get whatever I didn’t have,” said Gilbert. “If there was something in season that I did not grow myself, I would reach out. This store really is about me expanding my network of working with producers. That’s part of why I’m so grateful of the support.” “The producers from around here are willing to work with me; they recognize me as having farmed for a while. We’re being a network; they’re supporting me, I’m supporting them; we’re networking.” Okanogan Farmstand is currently open Monday through Friday, from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. “I look forward to expanding days and hours,” said Gilbert. “As the store’s customer population grows, I can grow my offerings and my hours. And then I’ll be able to build phase 3! The more I can offer, then the more I can afford to have the store open. Customers vote for my store with their dollars!”