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July 31, 2015 CapitalPress.com 11 Summer jobs on the farm offer more than a paycheck By MITCH LIES For the Capital Press HARRISBURG, Ore. — Agriculture’s influence in Oregon apparently goes well beyond the food it brings to people’s tables and the positive impact it has on the state’s economy. Agriculture, according to farmers and the youths they hire, has a positive impact on high school and college students across the state who help farmers har- vest their crops each sum- mer. Mikayla Sims, who has spent the past eight sum- mers driving combine for Tydan Farms in Harris- burg, Ore., characterized the experience as “invalu- able.” “It has taught me so much,” said the 21-year old. “Especially being a girl and being able to drive big equipment, knowing how to fuel a combine and stuff like that is really cool. “And the long hours helped me pay for school,” Sims said. “For me this is more than just about the money,” said Ethan Brock, 17, who works alongside Sims on Tydan Farms. “Farming is what I want to do, so I am learning as much as I can.” According to the Ore- gon Employment Depart- ment, farmers hire the 14- to 18-year-old age group at a much high percentage than the rest of private industry. The age group represented 6.2 percent of agricultural workers in the third quarter of 2014, com- pared to just 2.9 percent for all private industries. Farmers also frequently apply for permits that al- low their young workforce to work more than 44 hours a week. The Bureau of Labor and Industries issues more than 40 such permits an- nually, with 42 issued in 2015 and 48 in 2014, ac- cording to BOLI statistics. Even permitted employ- ees under the age of 18 are limited to 14 hours a day and 72 hours a week, lim- itations that can become an issue during harvest, when long hours are the norm. Nevertheless, farmers said they are willing to abide by the hour limita- tion and the extra paper- work involved in bringing youthful workers on board. “When you have sea- sonal labor requirements, it almost requires you to go to somebody who frees up during summer months, and that is basically your high school and college kids,” said Harrisburg farmer Wayne Kizer. “We’re looking for a quality seasonal person,” he said, “and most quality adults are not looking for seasonal work. They’re looking for full-time work.” Seasonal student work- ers often start with little to no farm experience, Kizer said. “You have to do a good job of training and educat- ing them,” he said. Once trained, however, students, particularly those who return to the farm year after year, are excellent workers, said Nick Bowers of Tydan Farms. “After a while, I can turn them loose on certain Mitch Lies/For the Capital Press Pictured at Tydan Farms in Harrisburg, Ore., Mikayla Sims, 21, and Ethan Brock, 17, say seasonal farmwork has provided them with an invaluable learning experience. “It has taught me so many things that I can use throughout my life,” Sims said. projects and they know what to do, and that allows me to be more efficient with my time, because I don’t have to micromanage them,” Bowers said. Most students that work seasonally on farms aren’t looking to make agricul- ture their career, Kizer said. But the lessons they learn on a farm can last a lifetime. “It has taught me so many different things that I can use throughout my life,” Sims said. “Long hours. Hard work. Problem-solving. It is all stuff you use in life,” Brock said. “I’ve had some kids come in that had academic problems in school,” Kizer said. “One year on the farm and they went back and hit the books hard. They de- cided they didn’t want to do this type of work for the rest of their life.” Occasionally, Bowers said, former employees come up and thank him for providing them an invalu- able working environment. “They grow up to be adults and raise their own families and establish their own careers, and they say, ‘Thank you for the expe- riences that I had on the farm,’” Bowers said, “and it makes you feel good.” Some employees even stick around after finishing their schooling. Kizer has one seasonal employee, Stephanie Sather, a teacher at Harrisburg High School, who has worked with him for 19 years. “She started working when she was 15 and she’s still here,” Kizer said. “She has more time in the combine than I do.” Sims, who graduated from George Fox Universi- ty this past spring and will be teaching at an elementa- ry school in Junction City next year, could follow Sather’s path. “I’m going to have sum- mers off,” she said when asked if she’ll return to Tydan Farms. “So why not come back and work.” Late blight continues to spread in S. Idaho By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press RUPERT, Idaho — Late blight, the fungal disease respon- sible for the Irish potato famine of the mid-1850s, is beginning to spread in Southern Idaho. This season’s first infection was reported July 10 in a Bing- ham County field near Blackfoot. Samples from three additional fields in Minidoka County were confirmed as positive on July 21, and another Bingham Coun- ty field, located in the Aberdeen area, tested positive on July 24, said crop scientist Jeff Miller, with Rupert-based Miller Research. Miller ran a model early this season that predicted a high likelihood of late blight infec- tions throughout Idaho potato country this season, based pri- marily on wet May weather and the presence of spores last fall in the Blackfoot area. Those spores may have survived the winter on volunteer potatoes or cull piles. Testing revealed the Bingham County sample was the US23 late blight strain — the most common type and the same strain that surfaced in the area last fall. Miller said samples from the other late blight outbreaks have been sent to Cornell University, Submitted by Jeff Miller Late blight lesions are visible on potato plants in Minidoka County, Idaho. The fungal disease has been confirmed in three fields in the northern area of the county. where the strain of late blight will be tested. He said the results are important because US23, unlike some other late blight strains, is sensitive to menenox- am, the active ingredient in the fungicide Ridomil. Miller said afternoon show- ers throughout July have been ideal for spreading late blight, as high winds can carry spores great distances and moisture helps the fungus establish. He fears late blight may already be widespread in northern Minido- ka County, where a large storm swept through the area the day after samples were confirmed as positive. NW cherry exports to Japan down this year By RICHARD SMITH For the Capital Press TOKYO — Northwest Cherry Growers had a simple promotional strategy in Japan this year — focusing on in-store promotions with key retailers. “The crop has been very ear- ly, so we’re promoting earlier than usual,” said Salem, Ore., native Scott Hitchman, presi- dent of Tokyo marketing firm, Milton Marketing. Milton markets the cherry growers’ product here for the Washington State Fruit Com- mission. It also represents the Cherry Marketing Institute of America and the Washington State De- partment of Agriculture. NCG’s international market- ing director, Keith Hu, warned that exporters should not expect to send record volumes here this year. With the early start of the season, NCG had been antici- pating a strong Japan market, Hu said. “However, the situation changed due to the strong U.S. domestic demands and some weather issues in the growing region,” he said. Drought has been a problem for many North- west growers. Exporters had shipped ap- proximately 2,000 tons of prod- uct to Japan as of July 12, Hu said. NCG had projected in May that 3,000 tons would go to the Japanese market. Exporters shipped somewhat more than that amount last year, Hu said. Milton conducted promo- tional activities in about 200 stores nationwide, including the Aeon Group, Japan’s largest re- tail conglomerate; the Ito-Yoka- do supermarket chain; and Cost- co Japan, Hitchman said. “The quality of the cherries coming to Japan has been quite good, so the promotions have been going quite well,” he said. Matt Petrie Media Consultant • SE Idaho • N. Utah • W. Wyoming 208.880.0455 mpetrie@ capitalpress.com 31-7/#16