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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2021)
BUSINESS & AG THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 3B RETIRE Continued from Page 1B A year later, the family moved again, to Corvallis. His dad, who had injured his back and could no longer do agricultural labor, took a job as a Spanish teacher. Holderread soon had three sisters, and his family owned a small farm. Third grade brought Holderread’s fi rst foray into raising ducks. His teacher brought two yellow Pekin ducklings to school and told the students whoever wrote the best essay about ducks could take them home. Holderread won. “I have a hard time believing I really wrote the best paper. I think she just knew how much I wanted them,” he said. With the encourage- ment and help of his par- ents, Holderread expanded his fl ock. Around age 8, he got his fi rst clients: Jenks Hatchery Inc. in Talent and a local general store both off ered to pay him for hatching eggs. Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press A pair of black East Indie ducks waddle about in this undat- ed photo on the Holderread Waterfowl and Preservation Center, Philomath. Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press Dave Holderread in this undated photo holds a Silver Appleyard duck. Holderread, a world-leading breeder of waterfowl on his operation in Central Oregon, recently retired. The little geneticist By age 9, Holderread hungered to know more about genetics. His dad took him to live- stock fairs and got him books on poultry. Through his readings, Holderread learned that studying pigeons is one of the best ways to learn about genetics. Many geneticists, including Charles Darwin, raised pigeons, widely con- sidered a “model organism” for understanding genetic variations. Holderread subscribed to three pigeon magazines, which he read cover to cover. Even after his parents said “lights out” at night, he secretly read the magazines by fl ashlight. Teen years Rare birds Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press Brown Chinese geese in this undated photo strut on the Holderread Waterfowl and Pres- ervation Center, Philomath. As a teen, Holderread continued studying genetics and raising birds. “If it had feathers, I had it,” he said. In high school, he got into racing pigeons and using pigeons to send messages. Historical records show pigeons, which have a strong “homing” instinct and can therefore carry messages home, have been used in communication sys- tems for millennia. Holderread bred pigeons selected for speed, endur- ance, feather quality, aero- dynamic body shape and homing instinct. “Let me tell you, there is no smell as bad as mink urine-soaked wood burning,” Holderread said. Today on the farm, green pastures grow thick and lush and more than 50 types of fruit, nut, shade, timber and decorative trees adorn the property. Ducks in a row Back to Puerto Rico As a young man, Holder- read considered becoming a pilot or wildlife biolo- gist, but eventually chose to study horticulture, animal science and poultry science at Oregon State University. Then the Vietnam War disrupted his plans. Holderread, a Menno- nite, applied as a conscien- tious objector and was sent to do development work as alternative service in Puerto Rico. He took leave of OSU in 1972. On the island, he served as a vocational poultry instructor and director of a research and breeding center. In a cut-out of dense jungle on the side of a hill, he raised more than 100 varieties of water and land fowl — ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, pheas- ants, guinea fowl, quail and pigeons. “Ducks and geese per- formed by far the best,” he said. “That’s what solidifi ed my path.” He taught people about feed conversion, small-scale poultry management, incu- bation, how to handle dis- similar to horses: powerful, intelligent beasts that must trust and respect you in equal amounts. “I also enjoy their chatter — and their grace,” he said. Ducks, too, are effi - cient meat, egg and down producers, are hardy and require minimal shelter. They consume fl ies, mosquito larvae, slugs, snails, fi re ants, spiders and weed seeds. Most important, Hold- erread said, ducks’ playful antics “bring beauty” to people’s lives. The Holderreads have produced what many experts consider the best books in the world about ducks and geese. Dave wrote them; Millie illus- trated them. “I would say that they’ve touched thousands and thousands of people with their books,” said John Metzer, owner of the Cali- fornia hatchery. Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press Mini Silver Appleyard ducklings huddle together in this undated photo on the Holderread Waterfowl and Preser- vation Center, Philomath. eases and run a business. His required term of ser- vice was two years, but Holderread stayed four. And that’s where he met Millie. Millie Miller, origi- nally from Delaware, was in Puerto Rico serving with the Mennonite Voluntary Service Program. Holderread and Miller were an unlikely couple; he was already engaged to someone in the states, and Miller had promised herself long ago she would never marry a farmer. But Holderread’s engagement broke off when he and his fi ancée realized they didn’t share the same vision for life, and Miller gradually softened to the idea of farm life. The two fell in love. “As you can see, he changed my mind,” Millie said. She leaned against him and laughed. The two married in Del- aware and then moved to Corvallis to build the water- fowl business. Beginnings The couple lived with Dave’s parents while they looked for land. Knowing that they’d make multiple trips to a post offi ce daily during shipping season, they searched for land near one. At last, they found a parcel in Philomath about 2 miles from the post offi ce. The property was an abandoned mink farm turned junkyard with waterlogged clay soils, stunted weeds and a few scrawny trees. Several acres were piled with buildings, mink cages, pizza ovens, stacks of old cars. “My dad was like, ‘No, you don’t want this place.’ But we knew we’d never fi nd another place this close to the post offi ce. So we took it,” he said. They burned and bull- dozed for months. The couple also faced challenges with permitting, high feed prices and ship- ping logistics. “People thought we were crazy,” Holderread said. But word about Holder- read spread. Soon, commer- cial farms and homesteads across the nation and world began ordering hatchlings. Major hatcheries, including Hoover’s Hatchery in Iowa and Metzer Hatchery in Cali- fornia, also bought from the Holderreads. In a peak year, the Hold- erreads typically shipped 20,000 to 25,000 birds. Feathered friends One of Holderread’s greatest contributions, some experts say, was in edu- cating people about the benefi ts of “underutilized” and “underappreciated” waterfowl. Geese, experts say, pro- duce excellent meat, fat for baking and fl avoring, huge eggs and soft down. They eat pests, break par- asite cycles and are good foragers. Geese also can serve as sentinels, scaring away hawks and small preda- tors. The birds have been acclaimed as “watch- dogs” as early as 309 B.C., when they were credited with saving Rome from an attempted sneak attack by the Gauls. Holderread, who also raises horses, said geese are Holderread has focused his career on preserving rare and endangered breeds. Without his eff orts, experts say several species would likely have gone extinct. At its peak, his farm was full of color and life, including chubby-cheeked Call Ducks, emerald green East Indies and tall Indian Runners that walk upright like humans. He even invented a new breed of duck, which Millie named the Golden Cascade. “He’s a brilliant color geneticist,” said Beranger, the rare breeds expert. Generosity The Holderreads, friends said, have been generous with their knowledge. Millie said Dave gets letters and emails from around the world and has spent countless hours on the phone answering people’s questions. On one occasion, a 14-year-old boy from Aus- tralia who had read Holder- read’s books stayed a week with the couple when vis- iting the U.S. “He was brilliant. He had memorized the geno- types for every color and he would quiz me,” Holderread said, and laughed. The boy wanted to breed a color of duck that didn’t exist in Australia. He and Holderread stayed up until midnight diagramming how to make the color. “When he went home, he tried it. He sent us pictures of the crosses. And in two years, he did it,” Holderread said. Kids who came late Through the years, Dave and Millie welcomed fi ve college students to live with them and learn about agriculture. One young man, Beau McLean, grew up on a cattle ranch in Montana. At age 10, he found a used copy of one of Holderread’s books at a garage sale, which furthered his desire to raise poultry. When pre- paring to attend OSU a decade later, he met, then lived, with the Holderreads. “They became like second parents to me,” he said. Today, McLean co-runs a pastured poultry and beef operation in Montana. Phillip Landis, a sheep rancher in Albany, also lived with the couple during college. Landis said he learned how to be frugal, wise and a keen observer of animals. He also learned about hos- pitality and putting others fi rst. Holderread said helping young people has brought him and Millie joy. “We thought we’d have kids, but they never showed up. But we like to say they showed up as young adults,” he said. A legacy When Holderread began planning for retirement, he strategically spread out his bird genetics. “We still need more champions of waterfowl, but Dave went above and beyond to place the genetics with people who want to carry on the legacy,” said Beranger. Davis, owner of the waterfowl preservation farm in Canada, bought many of Holderread’s birds. Davis said Holderread changed his life. Davis now aims to prevent breeds from going extinct. “I have a chance in his- tory to preserve something beautiful that would other- wise be lost,” he said. Today, the Holderreads continue to raise horses and keep a small fl ock of geese and ducks. “I can say one thing about life,” Holderread said, grinning. “It’s been interesting.” FAMILY OWNED 215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440 northwestfurnitureandmattress.com www.gossmotors.com 1415 Adams Ave, La Grande 541-963-4161