2
CapitalPress.com
June 3, 2016
People & Places
Protecting crops naturally
Dani Lightle helps
orchardists battle
pests, diseases
Western
Innovator
Capital Press
Dani Lightle
Age: 30
Residence: Orland, Calif.
Education: Bachelor’s
degree, biology, the College
of Wooster, 2007; doctorate,
entomology, Oregon State
University, 2013
Family: Husband, Lars
Estrem; daughter, Cora
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Website: sacvalleyorchards.
com
Dani Lightle, a University of California Cooperative Extension orchard adviser in Orland, offers a pre-
view of an online resource for growers that will go live this month. She is involved in research projects
to help trees and plants naturally resist pests and disease.
tree and plant diseases will be
critical for agriculture in Cal-
ifornia, which accounts for
about half of all U.S.-grown
nuts, fruits and vegetables.
$3 billion question
Each year, invasive insects
and diseases cost the Golden
State’s farmers about $3 bil-
lion in control costs and crop
and export losses, according
to the state Department of
Food and Agriculture.
“It’s a lot,” Lightle said. “It
obviously varies year by year,
but there are a lot of costs as-
sociated with a pest, including
the cost to control it.”
Moreover, tighter regula-
tions are being placed on the
chemicals that growers use to
treat for pests and disease, in-
creasing the need for Lightle
and other researchers to find
natural alternatives. The U.S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency is considering ban-
ning the use of chlorpyrifos,
a pesticide used on some 60
California crops, including
tree nuts, oranges and grapes.
Lightle became interested
in a cooperative extension ca-
reer while in graduate school,
she said.
pathogenic bacterium associ-
ated with California olives.
Sharing information
Many of her research proj-
ects are long-term. She and
other researchers are several
years into a germplasm breed-
ing process they hope will
lead to new walnut varieties
that are resistant to nematodes
and phytophthora.
“It’s definitely not instant
results,” she said. “Very few
things are instant results.”
Even short-term projects
such as examining flight pat-
terns of insects must be done
over several years because
conditions change each year,
Lightle said.
“Nothing is instant,” she
said. However, most growers
“have a handle on the fact that
it takes time to get results,”
she said.
“I liked the interaction
with growers,” she said. “I
liked sharing information
with them and making the
language accessible to them.”
After earning her Ph.D.,
she rode across the country
by motorcycle and randomly
applied for jobs. She ended up
in Orland, in the heart of the
Sacramento Valley’s almond,
walnut, olive and prune coun-
try. She started in February
2014.
“I’m heading into my third
California summer,” she said.
In the last five years, Ligh-
tle has authored or co-au-
thored seven peer-reviewed
scholarly articles on raspberry
viruses brought on by aphids
and other insects. Other non-
peer-reviewed articles she’s
written deal with such topics
as navel orangeworm in wal-
nuts, olive fly activity and a
No quick fix
Online tool
She and other Sacramen-
to Valley advisers are devel-
oping an online resource for
orchardists that will include
Capital Press
WENATCHEE,
Wash.
— The Washington Apple
Education Foundation will
award more than $1 million in
scholarships to tree fruit-relat-
ed college bound students this
spring.
It’s a major milestone that
the Wenatchee-based founda-
tion’s board only saw as attain-
able in the last year, said Jen-
nifer Witherbee, foundation
executive director.
“We’re very excited. We
were getting pretty certain
in the last two weeks that we
might reach it,” Witherbee
said. “But what’s most import-
ant is the individual students,
their stories and that they are
deserving.”
About 75 percent of the
money will go to Hispanics.
That percentage has been in-
creasing over the years, she
said. Many are first-generation
college students.
Last year, the foundation
awarded $850,000 to 225 stu-
dents.
Five years ago, the founda-
tion gave just over $400,000 in
scholarships, but the industry
really stepped up its giving
when the foundation changed
its philosophy in student sup-
port, Witherbee said.
Instead of focusing on
reaching the greatest num-
ber of students with one-time
scholarships, the foundation
began supporting more with
repeat scholarships as long as
they did well in college, she
said. The focus is on doing
well and connecting to future
careers, she said.
About half the 200 students
receiving scholarships this
month will be repeat awards
and half will be new. Recipient
will be announced at the end of
the month.
Scholarships average about
$3,500 per year with the low-
est being $1,000 and the high-
est being a full-ride, four-year
scholarship averaging about
$90,000, Witherbee said.
The foundation manages
more than 100 scholarship
funds, each with its own crite-
ria but sharing a primary pur-
pose of assisting young people
raised in families connected to
or employed in the tree fruit
industry in Okanogan, Chel-
an, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas,
Yakima, Benton, Franklin and
Walla Walla counties.
“Many of these parents
work in labor positions and
the cost of college is more
than they can bear alone,”
said Gene Sharratt, executive
director of the Washington
Student Achievement Coun-
cil. He assisted the foundation
in organizing its scholarship
program more than 20 years
ago.
Sharratt, Central Washing-
ton University President James
Guadino and foundation chair-
woman Rachel Sullivan, CEO
of Crane & Crane, a tree fruit
company in Brewster, were to
speak at the foundation’s annu-
al meeting announcing the $1
pest updates, evapotranspi-
ration reports for irrigation
management and a calendar
of upcoming workshops.
Lightle said she enjoys
meeting with growers and
says she learns something
new in every conversation.
“I don’t think you’d do
this job or last very long if
you didn’t enjoy going out
and talking with growers,”
she said. “One of the really
important aspects of this job
in the early years is building
those relationships and net-
works so they know they can
call on me if they need some-
thing.”
Lightle said such measures
as breeding disease-resis-
tant rootstocks have “always
been a first line of defense”
in farming for thousands of
years.”
“Research-wise, I’m re-
ally hoping to pursue strat-
egies that make a differ-
ence in growers’ practices
and production,” she said.
“That’s really what takes a
while.”
million milestone at CWU in
Ellensburg.
“CWU began offering tui-
tion waivers to foundation stu-
dents two years ago as a way
of demonstrating our support
to the students they reach,”
Guadino said.
More than half the money
comes from industry gifts in
May and June and the rest from
earnings from one-time endow-
ments and annual fundraisers.
The foundation was begun
in 1994 as the charity of Wash-
ington’s tree fruit industry with
a mission of impacting lives
through access to education.
Beside the scholarships, the
foundation gives $20,000 an-
nually as grants to English as a
second language programs for
adults.
Long missing frog, turtle species making return to Yosemite
By SCOTT SMITH
Associated Press
FRESNO, Calif. — A type
of frog made famous by Mark
Twain will soon be hopping and
swimming through California’s
Yosemite National Park after a
decades-long absence, officials
said Wednesday.
The California red-legged
frog, named for its colorful legs
and belly, vanished from the
Calendar
Sponsored by:
To submit an event go to the
Community Events calendar on the
home page of our website at www.
capitalpress.com and click on “Sub-
mit an Event.” Calendar items can
also be mailed to Capital Press,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR
97301.
Friday, June 3
park more than 40 years ago. It
is the type of frog featured in
Twain’s short story “The Cele-
brated Jumping Frog of Calav-
eras County.”
Western pond turtles —
missing from most of the park
for 50 years — are also being
reintroduced to Yosemite, both
under a partnership with the San
Francisco Zoo & Gardens, offi-
cials announced.
“This is a landmark event
Citizen Fire Academy Meet and
Greet, 5-8 p.m., OSU Extension Au-
ditorium, 569 Hanley Road, Central
Point, Ore. The Citizen Fire Acade-
my statewide program is for pro-ac-
tive forest landowners, concerned
residents in fire-prone communities
and the public. Learn how to cre-
ate safe, more fire-resilient homes
through online sessions, field trips
and by working on a personalized
wildfire preparedness plan. http://
extension.oregonstate.edu/sorec/cfa
Saturday, June 4
79th Annual Marion County
Lamb & Wool Show, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Turner Elementary School, 7800
School St., Turner, Ore. The show
also includes craft vendors, food
vendors, wool/fiber classes, a local
spinning club and a quilters’ group.
New this year, the children’s classes
will start the day. http://marioncoun-
tylambandwoolshow.yolasite.com/
AOSA SCST Joint Annual Meet-
ing, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Embassy Suites,
Airport Way, Portland. http://www.
seedtechnology.net/
for Yosemite National Park and
a historic opportunity,” said
the park’s superintendent, Don
Neubacher. The zoo has begun
nurturing frogs in a permanent
breeding center. Officials say
they already released 2,000 tad-
poles in March.
Over the next three years,
thousands of tadpoles and adult
frogs from the center will be
transported 200 miles to be set
free in the park’s lush meadows,
alpine lakes and winding Mer-
ced River.
The frog disappeared from
Yosemite in part because
non-native, predatory bullfrogs
first introduced to a reflection
pond spread throughout the
valley and, over time, gobbled
them up, officials said.
The insatiable bullfrogs have
since been eradicated from the
park, clearing the way for the
red-legged frog’s return, said
Capital Press Managers
Mike O’Brien .............................Publisher
Joe Beach ..................................... Editor
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Barbara Nipp ......... Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Entire contents copyright © 2016
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is
published weekly by EO Media Group,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem OR 97301.
Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
and at additional mailing offices.
Washington apple foundation tops $1 million in scholarships
By DAN WHEAT
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester ..........................President
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Sid Freeman .................. Outside director
Mike Omeg .................... Outside director
Corporate officer
John Perry
Chief operating officer
By TIM HEARDEN
ORLAND, Calif. — As
a youngster growing up in
Ohio, Dani Lightle had little
to do with agriculture.
She was a science enthusi-
ast at an early age — an in-
terest her parents encouraged.
They would buy her books on
insects, and she’d go into the
backyard and find each one,
she said.
“I was pretty far removed”
from farming, Lightle said
of her childhood in Copley,
Ohio, a suburb of Akron.
But now Lightle, 30, a
University of California Co-
operative Extension orchard
crop adviser, is undertaking
scientific research that could
be crucial for much of Cali-
fornia’s $54 billion agricul-
ture industry.
Having earned a doctor-
ate in entomology from Ore-
gon State University in 2013,
Lightle is working on several
projects to help plants and
trees naturally ward off pests
and disease, including de-
veloping resistant rootstocks
and studying the behavior of
insects.
“Coming out of under-
grad, I was very interested in
managing invasive species,”
said Lightle, who honed her
knowledge by working in
a U.S. Department of Agri-
culture laboratory in Oregon
after earning her bachelor’s
degree in biology from the
College of Wooster in Ohio in
2007.
While taking a class at
Wooster, “I was struck with
how important it is to control
invasives,” she said.
Finding natural means of
controlling invasive pests and
Capital Press
Rob Grasso, an aquatic ecolo-
gist at Yosemite who spearhead-
ed the project.
“Now that they’ve been re-
moved, we know the red-legged
frog will do well,” he said.
Red-legged frogs grow to 2
to 5 inches long. They are the
largest native frogs in the
West — known for commu-
nicating in short, soft grunts
— and listed as a federally
threatened species.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR
97308-2048.
To Reach Us
Toll free ............................. 800-882-6789
Main line ........................... 503-364-4431
Fax ................................... 503-370-4383
Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692
News Staff
N. California
Tim Hearden .................... 530-605-3072
E Idaho
John O’Connell ................. 208-421-4347
Idaho
Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898
Boise
Sean Ellis .......................... 208-914-8264
Central Washington
Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099
E Washington
Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923
Oregon
Eric Mortenson ................ 503-412-8846
Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789
Graphic artist
Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789
To Place Classified Ads
Ad fax .............................. 503-364-2692
or ...................................... 503-370-4383
Telephone (toll free) .......... 866-435-2965
Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds
Subscriptions
Mail rates paid in advance
Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with-
drawal from bank or credit card account)
1 year U.S. ...................................$49.99
2 years U.S. .................................$89.99
1 year Canada .................................$275
1 year other countries ......... call for quote
1 year Internet only .......................$49.99
1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30
9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25
Visa and Mastercard accepted
To get information published
Mailing address:
Capital Press
P.O. Box 2048
Salem, OR 97308-2048
News: Contact the main office or news
staff member closest to you, send the in-
formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com
or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press.
Include a contact telephone number.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
Capital Press ag media
www.capitalpress.com
www.FarmSeller.com
www.AgDirectoryWest.com
www.OnlyAg.com
www.facebook.com/capitalpress
www.facebook.com/farmseller
www.facebook.com/onlyAGdotcom
twitter.com/capitalpress
www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo
www.blogriculture.com
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE Index
20 Northwest Locations
Sunday, June 5
AOSA SCST Joint Annual Meet-
ing, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Embassy Suites,
Airport Way, Portland. http://www.
seedtechnology.net/
Monday, June 6
California Poultry Federation
Summer Meeting, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cliffs Resort, 2757 Shell Beach
Road, Pismo Beach, Calif., http://
cpif.org/2016-summer-meeting
AOSA SCST Joint Annual Meet-
ing, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Embassy Suites,
Airport Way, Portland. http://www.
seedtechnology.net/
Tuesday, June 7
California Poultry Federation
Summer Meeting, 7:30 a.m.-5
p.m. Cliffs Resort, 2757 Shell
Beach Road, Pismo Beach, Ca-
lif. http://cpif.org/2016-summer-
meeting
AOSA SCST Joint Annual
Meeting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Embas-
sy Suites, Airport Way, Portland.
http://www.seedtechnology.net/
Oregon Board of Agriculture
Quarterly Meeting, 8:30 a.m.-5
p.m., Keerins Hall North Room at
the Grant County Fairgrounds, 411
NW Bridge St., John Day, Ore.
Wednesday, June 8
Oregon Board of Agriculture
Quarterly Meeting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Keerins Hall North Room at the
Grant County Fairgrounds, 411
NW Bridge St., John Day, Ore.
OSU Strawberry Open House,
1-5 p.m., North Willamette Re-
search & Extension Center, 15210
NE Miley Road, Aurora, Ore. http://
oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/
Monday, June 13
Summer Water Law and Re-
source Issues Seminar, Sun Valley
Resort, Sun Valley, Idaho. (208)
344-6690, http://www.iwua.org
Tuesday, June 14
Summer Water Law and Re-
source Issues Seminar, Sun Val-
ley Resort, Sun Valley, Idaho.
(208) 344-6690, http://www.iwua.
org
Dairy ...................................... 9
Livestock ............................... 9
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Correction policy
Accuracy is important to Capital
Press staff and to our readers.
If you see a misstatement,
omission or factual error in a
headline, story or photo caption,
please call the Capital Press
news department at
503-364-4431, or send email to
newsroom@capitalpress.com.
We want to publish corrections to
set the record straight.