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CapitalPress.com
July 24, 2015
People & Places
Researcher helps onion growers tackle major issues
Stuart Reitz helps
navigate food
safety rules,
manage thrips
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
ONTARIO, Ore. — Less
than four months after starting
his new job as an Oregon State
University Extension cropping
systems agent in MaNheur Coun-
ty, Stuart Reitz was tasked with
heNping the NocaN onion industry
tackNe one of the biggest chaN-
Nenges it has ever faced.
He started in September
2012 and in January 2013 the
U.S. Food and Drug Adminis-
tration reNeased its proposed pro-
duce safety ruNe, which incNuded
strict irrigation water quaNity
standards.
The ruNe Nimits how much
generic E. coNi bacteria can
be present in irrigation water.
That’s a major issue for the re-
gion’s $1.3 biNNion onion indus-
try because virtuaNNy none of the
irrigation water in the area can
meet those standards.
“My roNe here is to try to ad-
dress whatever concerns grow-
ers have and that (FDA ruNe)
rose quickNy to the top of my Nist
of priorities,” said Reitz.
Reitz heNped other research-
ers at the nearby OSU experi-
ment station conduct triaNs that
eventuaNNy showed E. coNi bacte-
ria pose no risk in onions.
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Oregon State University Extension agent Stuart Reitz discusses the results of a thrips field trial with
onion growers July 8 at OSU’s Malheur County experiment station. Reitz is helping the local onion
industry address some of its biggest challenges.
Western Innovator
Stuart Reitz
Occupation: Oregon State University
Extension cropping systems agent,
Malheur County
Education: Ph.D. in entomology,
Clemson University
Age: 52
Born: New Orleans, raised on the Gulf Coast
Family: Wife, Katherine; and two sons, Isaac, 14, and Colin, 8
FDA eventuaNNy revised its
produce safety ruNe to incNude
a die-off provision that wouNd
aNNow onion growers and other
farmers to sidestep the water
quaNity standards if they can
present scientific evidence that
shows bacteria die off their com-
modity quickNy after harvest.
The OSU research has prov-
en that for onions but Reitz is
aNso Nooking at possibNe ways
growers couNd meet the pro-
posed FDA irrigation water
standard if the die-off provision
for some reason doesn’t pan out
for them.
That incNudes appNying a
copper fungicide over the top
of onions to eNiminate bacteria,
treating ditch water with a cop-
per suNfate compound or inject-
ing chNorine dioxide through
drip irrigation tape to kiNN bac-
teria.
Reitz is also conducting field
triaNs aimed at heNping onion
growers tackNe their persistent
thrips probNem. Thrips are a
vector for iris yeNNow spot virus,
which can significantly affect
onion size and vaNue.
He is trying to deveNop an in-
tegrated pest management sys-
tem to controN thrip popuNations
that uses bioNogicaN controNs
such as beneficial insects and re-
sistant host pNants in conjunction
with insecticide treatments.
He previousNy studied bio-
NogicaN controN agents in a vari-
ety of vegetabNe crops at CNem-
son University, and performed
research on insect vectors and
pNant pathogens at the USDA’s
AgricuNturaN Research Station in
TaNNahassee, FNa.
“I’ve aNways been interested
in Nooking at integrated pest man-
agement systems where we can
use bioNogicaN controNs and mix
in other management tactics as
weNN ... to give growers the best
approach to try to manage their
crops’ pest probNems,” he said.
Reitz’s new job has been kind
of a trial by fire but the work he
has done and is doing with on-
ions is criticaNNy important to
the region, said feNNow OSU re-
searcher BiNN Buhrig, who grew
up farming in the area.
“Stuart came in at the same
time the (FDA) ruNes came out
and he picked it up and ran with
it,” Buhrig said. “The work he is
doing in those areas is incredibNy
important for NocaN growers.”
45th annuaN Great Oregon Steam-Up chugs into town
By ZANE SPARLING
Capital Press
BROOKS, Ore. — The 45th
annuaN Great Oregon Steam-
Up wiNN take over Antique Pow-
erNand for the next two week-
ends, putting a spotNight on
yesteryear’s finest mechanical
marveNs.
“You waNk in, and pretty
much the first thing you see is a
tractor. And then the second thing
you see is a tractor as weNN,” said
PameNa Vorachek, the executive
director of the Steam-Up.
She said the two-weekend
festivaN is an amaNgamation of
three Ts: Trains, troNNeys and, you
guessed it, tractors.
At the Steam-Up, you can
stroNN past the ticket counter of a
restored 1920s-era Southern Pa-
cific depot and take a ride on a
vintage troNNey; watch chaff and
wood chips fly as volunteers
operate a steam-powered saw-
miNN and thresher; or even duck
for cover as a WorNd War II tank
fires (blanks) to start each day’s
tractor parade.
This year’s featured trac-
tor — and there are about 40
of them — is the MinneapoNis
MoNine.
Marketed as a “comfort trac-
tor,” the Moline was the first of
its kind to offer operators a fuN-
Ny-encNosed cab. Advertisements
from the period promised farm-
ers they could plow their fields,
then drive it to church, accord-
ing to Vorachek.
Before that, “by the time
you got done plowing a field,
weNN you took a bath, and you
Neft as much mud in that bath-
tub as dirt was out in the field,”
show manager Evan Burroughs
said.
Back then, a thresher was an
infernaN, steam-powered con-
traption that sat in one pNace and
cost a smaNN fortune to own —
maybe $5,000. Instead of a sin-
gle combine practically flying
over fields, 20 or 30 men might
share the work, piNing their crops
to a singNe mound in front of the
roving contractor’s thresher.
When you were ready to
move the thresher, you needed
45th annual Great
Oregon Steam-Up
When: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. July
25 and 26, and Aug. 1 and 2
Tickets: Adult tickets are
$12, $20 for a weekend pass
or $.0 for a one-day family
pass. All children under 12
are admitted free; Oregon
National Guard members and
their families are admitted
free with valid military ID on
the second weekend.
Courtesy of the Great Oregon Steam-Up
Steam-powered tractors are among the many featured attractions
at the 45th annual Great Oregon Steam-Up, which will be July 25-
26 and Aug. 1-2 at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Ore.
a team of muNes.
The job was dirty, hot, messy
and Noud, according to Bur-
roughs.
“Take a modern combine,
strip out the mobiNity compo-
nents, and the guts of the thing
are virtuaNNy the same as the
1880 to 1920s threshing ma-
chine,” Burroughs expNained.
“The technoNogy changes, but
it’s nice to know if everything
goes gunny bag with the com-
puter, we can back up a step and
do it mechanicaNNy.”
The Steam-Up is hosted on
the grounds of Antique Power-
Nand, a 62-acre park in Brooks,
Ore., that features 12 permanent
mechanicaN and agricuNturaN mu-
seums.
The event offers pNenty of-
Associated Press
BOSTON — There’s more
green at Fenway Park than the
infield or the monster wall.
The Red Sox are growing
vegetabNes and herbs in a roof-
top garden. The produce is used
in food and cocktaiNs soNd at the
concessions, at nearby restau-
rants and in the team’s flagship
restaurant that prepares meaNs
for about 40,000 peopNe during
home games.
The 5,000-square-foot gar-
den on the third-base side of
Fenway has turned a previousNy
unused part of the historic sta-
dium into the Nargest of a hand-
fuN of farms that have sprouted
up in Major League BasebaNN
stadiums, said Chris Knight,
manager of faciNities services
and pNanning for the Red Sox.
The sight of a Nush, green
garden on the third NeveN of the
stadium excited Sox fan John
AP Photo/Elise Amendola
In this photo taken June 16 fans Michael Moore and his son,
Henry, pause to look at a rooftop garden on the third-base side of
Fenway Park in Boston. Produce grown in the 5,000-square-foot
garden is used in food and cocktails sold at the concessions, at
nearby restaurants and in the team’s flagship restaurant that pre-
pares meals for about 40,000 people during home games.
and mechanical heritage come
to life. Demonstrations include
trolleys, a steam-powered sawmill,
blacksmithing and a tractor parade.
harmonies of Central Oregon’s
Mud Springs Gospel Band.
Headlining the festival will be Susie
McEntire, a multi-award winning
entertainer.
The 45th annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Antique
Powerland, Brooks, Ore. 971-600-
2275. Watch Oregon’s agricultural
and mechanical heritage come
to life. Demonstrations include
trolleys, a steam-powered sawmill,
blacksmithing and a tractor parade.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Hood River County Fair: Noon-10
p.m. Hood River County Fair-
grounds, Hood River, Ore.
North Willamette Research &
Extension Center Community Open
House, 4-7 p.m. Oregon State Uni-
versity North Willamette Research
& Extension Center, Aurora, Ore.
Saturday-Sunday,
Aug. 1-2
The 45th annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Antique
Powerland, Brooks, Ore. 971-600-
2275. Watch Oregon’s agricultural
“Rise Up Country” Music Festival,
1-5 p.m. Antelope Church lawn,
Antelope, Ore. 541-.95-2507.
Don’t miss the “Rise Up Country”
Music Festival kicking off at 1 p.m.
with Joni Harms, followed by a
Chuckwagon Barbecue and the
Spotted Wing Drosophila Work-
shop, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Eugene Unitar-
ian Universalist Church, Eugene,
Ore. 208-850-6504. Topics include
understanding SWD biology,
behavior and seasonal needs;
management tools and practices;
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food. The Knights of CoNumbus
wiNN seNN sesame garNic chicken
and mashed potatoes, whiNe
the Kiwanis wiNN serve burgers.
Other fare incNudes German sau-
sage, pie, Reuben sandwiches,
root beer floats and biscuits and
gravy.
Fan-favorite featured artist
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peopNe Niked.”
Starting a farm at the icon-
ic baNNpark required checking
the structuraN integrity of the
roof and using Nightweight soiN,
BanhazN said.
Growing crops atop a sta-
dium packed with screaming
fans can be distracting. Some,
surprised to see a garden on the
roof, wander over to ask ques-
tions.
“But we actuaNNy reaNNy en-
joy that part of it. Being abNe
to engage with the pubNic is a
huge reason why we do what
we do,” she said.
Determining what’s grown
invoNves consuNtations with
chefs at the Red Sox flagship
EMC CNub restaurant.
“I’ve been here since 2006
and aNong with that came that
farm-to-tabNe mentaNity,” said
Rob AbeNN, senior executive
chef at Fenway concessionaire
Aramark, who oversees food
preparations at the restaurant.
though a Not of peopNe Nove to
come to Fenway and eat a hot
dog, some peopNe don’t want
to eat a hot dog, they want to
eat something eNse — maybe a
saNad or a wrap with vegetabNes
Corporate officer
John Perry
Chief operating officer
powerland.com/html/steam-
up.html
in it,” Bunker said.
The garden is unique be-
cause the crops are grown in
miNk crates, which make it pos-
sibNe to move the farm if need-
ed, said Jessie BanhazN, whose
company, Green City Growers,
is responsibNe for pNanting and
maintaining the garden.
Growers use intensive
methods, incNuding drip irriga-
tion and pNanting fresh crops
right after others are harvested.
That’s enabNed the garden to
yieNd more than 2,000 pounds
of tomatoes, cucumber, egg-
pNants, aNN sorts of peppers,
rosemary, basiN, diNN, parsNey,
tarragon and kale in the first
three months, BanhazN said.
“So we’re growing a NittNe
bit of everything,” she said.
“It’s our first year doing the
farm and so we thought we’d
try out a bunch of different
varieties to see what the kitch-
ens were using, and aNso to just
kind of experiment with what
Bunker, who recentNy traveNNed
from his home in PaNermo,
Maine, to see the team in action
and make a piNgrimage to the
rooftop farm.
“This is great because aN-
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester ..........................President
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Sid Freeman .................. Outside director
Mike Omeg .................... Outside director
Website: http://www.antique-
Rooftop farm thrives at Boston basebaNN stadium
By RODRIQUE NGOWI
Capital Press
Saturday-Sunday,
Aug. 15-16
Harvest Fest, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Yamhill Valley Heritage Center
Museum, McMinnville, Ore.
50.-4.4-0490. Tractor parade,
threshing, binding and baling oats
using antique farming equipment
and horses. Pioneer kids area,
agricultural displays, music and
food.
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Index
Dairy ......................................11
Drought .............................. 4-5
Livestock ............................. 10
Markets ............................... 1.
Opinion .................................. 6
Organics ...............................11
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