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CapitalPress.com
June 12, 2015
People & Places
Researcher focuses on ‘Ag of the Middle’
Amanda Oborne
looks for ways to
help medium-size
farm operations
Western
Innovator
By ERIC MORTENSON
Amanda Oborne
Capital Press
PORTLAND — Amanda
Oborne raised some eyebrows
— and a lot of interest — as
lead author and editor of the
“Oregon Food Infrastructure
Gap Analysis.”
The report by Ecotrust,
a Portland nonprofit, takes
a deep look at the problems
holding back Oregon’s “Ag
of the Middle” — producers
too big to survive by selling
only at farmers’ markets or to
CSAs, but too small to com-
pete in commodities markets.
Oborne, who is vice pres-
ident of food and farms for
Ecotrust, demonstrated in the
report that many mid-sized
producers spend so much
time picking, packing, label-
ing and distributing that they
don’t have time to grow their
businesses.
At the same time, many
students, prisoners, hospital
patients and assisted living or
nursing home residents don’t
Occupation: Vice president of
food and farms for Ecotrust, a
Portland nonprofit.
In the news because: Lead
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Amanda Oborne, lead author of a report on Oregon’s “Ag of the Middle,” says market infrastructure
improvements will benefit mid-sized producers.
have access to local, mini-
mally processed, sustainably
produced food because the
economies of scale push it out
of their price range.
Expanding on one of the
report’s themes, Oborne said
institutions have “massive
purchasing power” that could
bring more nutritious food to
thousands of low-income and
vulnerable people.
“That purchasing power, if
harnessed even a little bit for
the benefit of the local econo-
my, would have huge impacts
on the regional food system,”
Oborne said by email. “These
are not Whole Foods Market
shoppers. The most direct
route to getting good, nu-
trient-dense food to them is
via those food service opera-
tions.”
She said larger producers
can adjust operations to di-
vert some production to local
markets, but it’s in our interest
to help small farmers grow as
well.
“I believe having a broad
base of people who know how
to produce food is going to
matter in the long run,” she
said. “Feeding ourselves has
guided the course of human
history. Those societies who
can do it well are resilient,
those who can’t are at risk.
For that reason alone, I think
letting food production be-
come an abstraction is a dan-
gerous path.
“I don’t think all small
producers should get big,”
Oborne said, “but I hope those
that want to can get the sup-
port they need.”
author and editor of “Oregon
Food Infrastructure Gap
Analysis.” http://www.ecotrust.
org/publication/regional-food-in-
frastructure/
Personal: Age 41, mom to
Olivia, 10, and Hudson, 8.
Cheerfully describes her food
preference as an “omnivore
without a dilemma.”
Background: Holds an
undergraduate degree from
Washington University in St.
Louis, and a master’s degree
in Integrated Marketing Com-
munications from Northwestern
University. Grew up spending
summers visiting Oregon rela-
tives, moved here in 2006.
Professional: Joined Ecotrust
in 2010, first working as sales
and marketing director of Food-
Hub, an online service that
links producers and buyers.
Lamb and wool show features youths’ efforts
By JAN JACKSON
Online
For the Capital Press
TURNER, Ore. — Parents,
teachers and children of all ages
focused on sheep during the 78th
annual Marion County Lamb
and Wool Show on June 6.
Originally started in 1937
so local farmers could show
their sheep, the event morphed
into a family friendly educa-
tional experience that focuses
on youth.
The 2015 show included
about 40 Peewees (pre-4-H), 4-H
and FFA kids who showed 70
registered and commercial ewes
and feeder and market lambs.
Sheep grower Kraig Ohling,
of Shedd, Ore., considers the
event a family tradition.
“I started as a judge in
1972,” Ohling said. “My chil-
www.marioncountylamband-
woolshow.yolasite.com
Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press
Nine-year-old Jackie Leao of Silverton, Ore., communes with her
lamb after winning second place in the showmanship event at the
Marion County Lamb and Wool Show on June 6 in Turner, Ore.
dren and grandchildren have
shown their lambs here and to-
day I’m watching my 5-year-old
great-grandson show a sheep he
owns. It is a great experience for
these young people. It teaches
them responsibility, helps them
learn how to deal with the public
as well as helps them get ready
to show at their county fairs.”
Andrea Leao, an Oregon
State University 4-H coordina-
tor from Silverton, Ore., was
there watching her four daugh-
ters — ages 3, 7, 9 and 12 —
show their family market lambs.
“It is particularly good for
my 9-year-old daughter, Jackie,
who is an autistic special needs
student,” Leao said. “Also a
member of Silver Adventures
Livestock 4-H Club, the pro-
gram gives her a place where
she can compete with peers
when academics and sports are
not as easy for her. She entered
this year for the first time and
she was really excited to have
her lamb take a second place in
showmanship.”
Jula Galvin, the event coor-
dinator who has been volunteer-
ing for the event since her chil-
dren participated in 2003, was
pleased with this year’s show
and even more encouraged
about its future.
“We are seeing more young
peewees coming up and their
parents are becoming more in-
volved,” Galvin said. “This year’s
judges were impressed with the
quality of the lambs that were
shown Saturday and said there
was a large number that were of
the quality that could have gone to
market that very day.”
Norway students see U.S. forestry and Christmas tree industries operate
By MITCH LIES
For the Capital Press
BANKS, Ore. — Eighteen
college forestry students from
Norway visited a Banks, Ore.,
Christmas tree farm June 3 as
part of a two-week stint here to
study Northwest farm and for-
estry practices.
The students, mostly se-
niors, peppered farm owner
Mark Schmidlin with questions:
How many trees does he plant
per acre, they wanted to know.
What percentage of the trees
make top grade? How much
fertilizer does he add and when?
How does he harvest the trees?
How long does it take to produce
a Christmas tree? How does he
process and transport them?
From the Norwegian Uni-
versity of Life Sciences, the
students were primarily inter-
ested in forestry operations, but
also wanted to see a Christmas
tree farm. Tour organizer, Olav
Hoibo, who is spending a year’s
sabbatical at the College of For-
estry at Oregon State University,
called Schmidlin and arranged
the stop.
Two of the students, includ-
ing Lars Raaen, said their fam-
ilies are involved in Christmas
tree production. And, according
to Raaen, many Norwegian
families decorate their homes
each holiday season with a
Christmas tree.
“Christmas trees are as big
in Norway as they are here,”
Raaen said.
Among forestry stops, the
students visited forest products
operations in British Columbia,
Washington and Oregon.
Birger Eikenes, a forest tech-
nology professor at the Norwe-
gian university and one of three
professors to make the trip, said
Mitch Lies/For the Capital Press
Banks, Ore., farmer Mark Schmidlin tells college students from
Norway, who are touring Northwest forestry and farm operations,
how the Northwest Christmas tree industry processes and transports
trees. The students are spending two weeks in the Northwest.
the students already knew a lot
about U.S. forest products prac-
tices. “But it is another thing to
go and see with your own eyes,”
he said.
“They wanted to go out and
see how forestry is done in other
places,” Eikenes said.
“We wanted to see how
things are done on the other side
of the water,” said Terje Olav
Ryd, “and see if it is as big as we
expected. We always hear that
everything is bigger in America.
“It is,” he said.
The students were next
headed to Northern California to
view Sequoia trees and Coastal
redwoods, Eikenes said.
“There is nothing that size in
Norway,” Eikenes said, noting
that trees in Norway are more
similar in size to East Coast
trees.
Of course, there are a lot of
similarities between the two
countries, the students said, in-
cluding environmental regula-
tions.
“We have a lot of environ-
mental rules that will shut down
areas for a while,” said Ingebord
Anker-Rasch.
Also, she said, like here,
the industry has mechanized its
harvest in recent years, and is
recovering from a lengthy eco-
nomic downturn.
Forestry Shortcourse, 10 a.m.-
1 p.m. West Bonner Library, Priest
River, Idaho, 208-446-1680. This
6-session program will help forest
owners understand ecology, silvi-
culture, wildlife and other topics.
Saturday, June 13
Rickreall Gun Show, 8 a.m.-5
p.m. Polk County Fair Grounds,
Rickreall, Ore., 50.-62.-.048.
Sunday, June 14
Rickreall Gun Show continues, 8 a.m.-
5 p.m. Polk County Fair Grounds,
Rickreall, Ore., 50.-62.-.048.
Monday, June 15
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Mike O’Brien .............................Publisher
Joe Beach ..................................... Editor
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Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
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Index
Calendar
Friday, June 12
Capital Press
Small Farm Property, 5: .0-8:.0 p.m.
Southern Oregon Research and
Extension Center, Central Point,
Ore., 541-776-7.71. June 15, 22
and 29. Get the facts about wells,
septic systems, zoning require-
ments and limitations, special as-
sessments, water and soil needs,
farm product marketing restrictions
and water rights. Single attendance
$45. Bring spouse or partner for
additional 50 cents. Register online
at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/
sorec/farms. Call 541-776-7.71,
ext. 208.
Friday, June 19
Forestry Shortcourse, 10 a.m.-1
p.m. West Bonner Library, Priest
River, Idaho, 208-446-1680.
Saturday, June 20
Humane Chicken Processing Sem-
inar, 10 a.m.-2: .0 p.m. Oakville
Regional Event Center, Oakville,
Wash., .60-858-1.17. This
seminar will describe humane
methods for processing chickens
using equipment that can be
rented from the county extension
office.
Wednesday, June 24
Importance of Beneficial Insects
on the Farm, 1-5 p.m. Southern
Oregon Research and Extension
Center, Central Point, Ore., 541-
776-7.71. Instructor: Gwendolyn
Ellen, Integrated Plant Protection
Center, Oregon State University.
This class will cover the basics of
agricultural biodiversity and how
you can increase it. Also covered
will be information on habitat and
practices Northwest farmers use to
keep beneficial insects (including
native pollinators) on the farm. Class
includes a tour of flowering plants
and beneficial insects on the farm.
Register online at http://extension.
oregonstate.edu/sorec/farms
Friday, June 26
Forestry Shortcourse, 10 a.m.-1
p.m. West Bonner Library, Priest
River, Idaho, 208-446-1680.
Tuesday, June 30
Poplar for Biofuels field tour, 10: .0 a.m.
-1 p.m. Hayden Demonstration
Site, Hayden, Idaho, 25.-241-
504.. Learn about the latest
biofuel and biochemical devel-
opments in the Pacific North-
west. Topics include growing
hybrid poplar as a short rotation
woody energy crop; sustainable
production and environmental
impacts on soil water and wildlife;
best areas to develop biofuel
and biochemical industries;
and biomass production tour
highlighting operational and
research poplar plots.
Friday, July 3
Forestry Shortcourse, 10 a.m.-1
p.m. West Bonner Library, Priest
River, Idaho, 208-446-1680.
California ...............................11
Dairy .................................... 14
Drought ................................. 4
Idaho .................................... 10
Markets ............................... 16
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................. 8
Washington ........................... 9
Correction
In a story last week on Page .
about brothers Ebin Barnett, Ben
Prindle and Matthew Prindle,
makers of Thinksect cricket flour
and the Entobar, the source of the
crickets was incorrect. The crickets
are raised in Thailand.
The Capital Press regrets the error.