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June 5, 2015 CapitalPress.com 3 GMO control area proposal revived By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press A proposal to increase re- strictions on genetically engi- neered crops has been revived in the Oregon Legislature a month after a similar bill died in committee. House Bill 3554 would al- low the Oregon Department of Agriculture to establish “con- trol areas” where biotech crops — even those deregulated by federal authorities — would be subject to additional rules, such as isolation distances. Growers who fear cross-pollination from ge- netically modified organisms could petition ODA to create a “market production district” in which such crops would face similar regulations. Farm suppliers would also have to report sales of biotech seeds to the agency. The new bill is a compro- mise because state officials could choose whether to des- ignate control areas or market production districts, said Ivan Maluski, policy director of Friends of Family Farmers, a group that supports stronger GMO regulation. “It’s done in a way that gives ODA the authority with- out telling them what to do,” he said. Under earlier legislation, which died in the House Com- mittee on Rural Communities, Land Use and Water in April, the agency would be required to establish control areas for biotech crops. Clarifying ODA’s author- ity over GMOs is necessary because the agency currently believes it loses the power to regulate once they’re commer- cialized by USDA, Maluski said. “Right now, they pretty much argue their hands are tied,” he said. Opponents of the bill are disappointed that the control area concept has been resur- rected, even though such des- ignations aren’t mandatory under HB 3554. “It might be scaled back in some respects, but none that are meaningful,” said Scott Dalhman, policy director of the Oregonians for Food and PNW pear crop will be early, average size By DAN WHEAT Capital Press PORTLAND — Pacific Northwest pear growers this year expect a record early crop but with average volume. The 2015 crop is forecast at 20.4 million, 44-pound boxes, down 2 percent from last year’s crop and 2 percent larger than the average of the past five years. The record crop was 21.6 million boxes in 2013. “We’re pretty pleased with the amount predicted. It means there will be plen- ty available for export,” said Kevin Moffitt, president of The Pear Bureau Northwest in Portland, the fresh pear in- dustry’s promotional arm. The crop forecast was made at the bureau’s annual meeting in Portland on May 28. Last November’s freeze may reduce yields in Hood River, Ore., and there’s been some hail damage in Hood River and maybe Yakima, Wash., Moffitt said. Picking is expected to start with Starkrimson in Medford, Ore., on July 23 and with the same variety in Hood River July 27, Yakima July 28 and Wenatchee, Wash., July 29. It usually ends with d’Anjou in Wenatchee in October. “This crop is probably the earliest ever, by five to seven days ahead of last year but seven to 14 days ahead of the historic norm,” Moffitt said. That’s because of a mild winter and an early, warm spring. The Northwest grows 85 percent of the nation’s pears and provides 94 percent Capital Press Dan Wheat/Capital Press Ben Kern mows grass in his pear orchard near Ellensburg, Wash., May 28. The Pacific Northwest pear crop will be early but of average volume this year at 20.4 million boxes. of pear exports. California grows the remainder of the crop. California’s pear crop also is five to 10 days early, with harvest starting in late June, Moffitt said. Neither California com- petition nor carryover of the 2014 Northwest crop are sig- nificant issues, he said. The Northwest had 1.6 million boxes of the 20.7-mil- lion-box 2014 crop left to sell on May 22, which was 490,000 boxes more than a year ago, he said. “There will probably be some Anjou still available when (new crop) Northwest Bartlett hits the market but that’s not entirely unusual,” he said. Imports are below where they were last year so that’s a positive, he said. As of May 15, exports were at 5.7 million boxes compared with 6.6 million a year ago. Exports will probably end up 600,000 boxes down for the season or $12 million less due to the West Coast port slow- down last winter and closure of the Russian market, Moffitt said. Mexico remains the lead- ing export market at 2.6 million boxes, followed by Canada at 1.2 million. Chi- na, which opened in February 2013, is fifth. China bought 227,900 boxes of U.S. pears this sea- son and would have pur- chased more without the port slowdown, Moffitt said. It bought 185,000 the prior year. “We are certainly very bull- ish on China still,” he said. In general pear prices held up much better than apple prices this season, said Jeff Main, USDA Market News reporter in Yakima. U.S. No. 1 d’ Anjou, size 70s to 90s, were $24 to $26 per box as of June 2, the same as a year ago, he said. The Pear Bureau renewed grower assessments at 38.5 cents per box for promo- tions, 3.1 cents for research and 3.3 cents for Pear Bureau administration and funding the Northwest Horticultural Council. The bureau adopted a pre- liminary $8.3 million domes- tic and foreign promotions budget. The forecast by district in boxes: Wenatchee, 9.4 million; Mid-Columbia, 7.6 million; Yakima, 2.5 million; Medford, 877,550. Capital Press PORTLAND — If the prod- ucts on display at a market showcase event are true indica- tors of future food trends, farm- ers ought to get busy raising new livestock and crops. Such as crickets and sea- weed. The annual market event at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center features prod- ucts developed by graduates of a Getting Your Recipe to Market program. Vendors taking part hope to attract the attention and shelf space of store buyers. Most of the products are variations of the familiar, such as new lines of granola or salsa. But some are more exotic. World, meet brothers Ebin Barnett, Ben Prindle and Mat- thew Prindle, makers of Think- sect cricket flour and the Ento- bar, a protein bar made from the former and flavored with peanut butter-chocolate, cherry-choco- late or coconut-almond. “That gets you over the ick factor,” Barnett said. Yum. Or, as the smiling brothers noted on fliers they handed out at the June 2 market event: “Cricket. It’s what’s for dinner.” Why? Because crickets and other insects are high in protein and can be raised using less wa- ter and feed than it takes to raise an equivalent amount of beef or chicken, according to the broth- ers. With the world population projected to hit 9 billion by 2050, they say sustainable food production is crucial. The brothers raise crick- ets in Portland. To make their FDA-approved flour, they boil the crickets twice, roast them and pulverize them into a fin- ished product. “It’s the highest quality cricket flour on the market, we believe,” Barnett said. For now, it’s an expensive proposition. It requires 132 crickets to produce enough flour to make a 60 gram coco- nut-almond Entobar, for those keeping score. A 1-kilogram bag (2.2 pounds) of Thinksect contract terms are met, he said. Dahlman and other biotech proponents want lawmak- ers to pass House Bill 2509, which would create a media- tion system overseen by ODA to resolve conflicts over ge- netically engineered crops. Critics of GMOs, on the other hand, claim that a stronger statewide policy is necessary because lawmak- ers pre-empted most local governments from regulating such crops in 2013. “There’s a lot of interest in the legislature following through on that promise,” Ma- luski said. 106-year-old pear trees still producing By DAN WHEAT Entrepreneurs chirp about food ideas at market event By ERIC MORTENSON Shelter agribusiness group. Subjecting biotech crops to control areas is a “draconi- an” idea that was previously rejected because it effectively allows some farmers to dictate what others can grow, Dahl- man said. Traditionally, farmers who signed contracts that guaran- tee price premiums in return for high seed purity were re- sponsible for living up to those specifications themselves, he said. Under HB 3554, growers can demand that the govern- ment dictate their neighbors’ farming practices to ensure the ELLENSBURG, Wash. — There was a time, when he was young, that Ben Kern planned to cut down the oldest pear trees in Kit- titas Valley and replant the ground to apples. Kern had purchased the orchard from his father and the trees hadn’t been pruned for several years. “Even with 14-foot lad- ders you couldn’t reach the tops. I was going to cut them down,” said Kern, now 65. “Dad said, ‘You’d bet- ter think twice. Cut the tops but keep them because you’ll need the income.’ Sometimes Dads know more than we think they do,” Kern said. He kept the trees, topped them and many years lat- er they’re still producing good fruit. Some of them yield two bins. “That’s real good,” he said. The trees are Green Anjou, known as d’Anjou. They cover about seven acres. Their trunks range from 2 to 3 feet in diame- ter. They were planted in 1909. Kern isn’t sure by whom, but he says water was hauled to them before Cascade canal was built. His great uncle pur- chased the farm and then sold it to his brother, Kern’s grandfather. Kern isn’t sure what the future holds. His three daughters aren’t interested in farming and his oldest grandson is 6. He has 80 acres of pears, 20 acres of apples and the oldest pear trees in the valley. Dan Wheat/Capital Press Ben Kern shows a green d’Anjou pear on one of his 106-year-old trees near Ellensburg, Wash., on May 28. He says they are definitely the oldest pear trees in the Kittitas Valley and among the oldest in the state. Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Brothers Ben Prindle, left, and Ebin Barnett show samples of their high-protein Entobar, made with cricket flour. The brothers were among entrepreneurs displaying products June 2 at OSU’s Food Innovation Center in Portland. flour sells for $79.95, according to the company website. Ben Prindle came up with the idea, approaching his broth- ers with a PowerPoint presen- tation, providing samples and urging, “We need to get into this business.” The product line invokes the memory of the brothers’ late grandfather, Ellis MacLeod, a University of Illinois ento- mologist who instilled an ap- preciation of bugs in the boys. rop-6-26-5/#17 Bill would give Oregon farm regulators more authority Joyce Capital, Inc. In agriculture, nothing is certain. Your interest rate should be. We offer competitive interest rates for your agricultural financing needs: • Term agricultural loans (purchases & refinances) • FSA Preferred Lender • Amortizations up to 25 years CONTACT: Kevin Arrien, or Joe Lodge at Joyce Capital, Inc. Agricultural Loan Agents (208) 338-1560 • Boise, ID joe@arrien.biz 23-2/#17 23-2/#6