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CapitalPress.com
June 3, 2016
U.S. farms hiring more workers, survey shows
By DAN WHEAT
Capital Press
U.S. farms are hiring
more workers and paying
them more, according to a
USDA report.
In April, farms employed
2 percent more workers than
a year earlier, the report
showed. In January, the num-
ber of workers was 6 percent
more than a year earlier.
The farm labor report for
the fi rst half of 2016 was re-
leased May 19 by the USDA
National Agricultural Sta-
tistics Service. It showed
703,000 people were em-
ployed directly on farms and
ranches the week of April
10-16 and 582,000 were em-
ployed Jan. 10-16.
Those numbers include
field and livestock work-
ers, supervisors, managers
and office staff but do not
include people working for
farm labor contractors, said
Teresa Varner, NASS labor
statistician in Washington,
D.C.
Farm employment has
ups and downs and the re-
port was normal in the num-
ber of employees and their
wages, she said.
The largest percentage
increase in the number of
workers during April was in
Grower: Grain farmers
should join forces,
negotiate higher prices
By TIM HEARDEN
One white-nose
syndrome case
found so far
Capital Press
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Frank Endres discusses barley
varieties and grain marketing
during a fi eld day near Corning,
Calif., on May 26.
Endres has traveled around
the country to make his pitch
for more participation in grow-
er marketing groups. He says
most major commodity grow-
ers only take in 30 to 40 per-
cent of “parity” — the amount
they’d need to remain profi t-
able amid rising input costs. He
contends farm prices need to be
higher to entice younger people
into agriculture.
The term “parity” in agri-
culture has its roots in the early
20th century, when prices were
relatively high and farms were
profi table during a “Golden
Age” of farming before World
War I. The doctrine of parity
led to New Deal-era legislation
and other attempts at govern-
ment-imposed price controls,
but Endres and others are now
advocating a free-market solu-
tion in which growers are vol-
untarily represented as a group.
Such an approach could
work, but it would depend
on having a large share of the
relevant supply, said Daniel
Sumner, a University of Cali-
fornia-Davis agricultural econ-
omist. If a substitute supply of
the commodity is available,
then collective action couldn’t
raise prices enough to improve
revenue, he said.
Moreover, to raise prices
the members would need to
restrict the quantity available,
and that’s diffi cult if growers
outside the group can benefi t
from the higher price without
restricting how much they pro-
duce, Sumner said.
earned $12.01, up 4 percent.
Laborers worked an av-
erage of 40.4 hours in the
April 2016 reference week
compared with 39.9 hours a
year earlier.
Farm workers received an
average of $12.83 per hour
in the January 2016 week, up
2 percent from 2015. Field
workers were paid $11.84,
up 4 percent and livestock
workers, at $12.02, were up
3 percent.
The survey is conduct-
ed twice a year. The sample
is about 13,000 farms and
ranches of $1,000 or more
in sales in all states except
Alaska.
AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, File
In this 2013 fi le photo taken near Fresno, Calif., farmworkers pick
up paper trays of dried raisins off the ground and heap them onto
a trailer in the fi nal step of raisin harvest. U.S. farmers are hiring
more workers and paying them more, a survey shows.
Bat disease continues to surprise in Washington
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
CORNING, Calif. —
Commodity prices that lag
below a farmer’s operating
costs threaten the nation’s
long-term food security, a
grain grower says.
Frank Endres, who grows
about 2,500 acres of barley
and other grains in the north-
ern Sacramento Valley, says
the consolidation of buyers
into multinational companies
has given them more leverage
against growers to keep prices
low.
He argues growers need to
band together in their market-
ing and negotiations.
“You’ve got to get with
your neighbors so you’ll have
the bargaining power to bring
up the markets a little bit,” En-
dres told about two dozen grain
growers during a fi eld day May
26 on his ranch west of Corn-
ing, Calif. “We have to have
people that are aware that our
food security in this country is
being threatened now.”
Endres, who also raises cat-
tle, is part of a group of grow-
ers in nine California coun-
ties that market their grains
together. He said the group is
different from a cooperative,
in which resources and income
are pooled.
His remarks capped a
fi eld day in which he showed
guests several barley trials he
is working on with University
of California researchers. The
varieties are being bred for dis-
ease resistance, said Endres’
son, Jack.
Endres is a long-time mem-
ber of the National Farmers
Organization, which nego-
tiates with major buyers on
behalf of groups of growers
across the country. Formed in
the mid-1950s, the NFO is best
known to many for organizing
dairy farmers in 1967 to en-
gage in a holding action to get
higher prices for their milk.
The group is separate from
the National Farmers Union,
which was formed in 1902
and is an advocacy group for
growers.
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio at
31 percent. Michigan, Min-
nesota, Wisconsin, Oregon
and Washington also had in-
creases.
The largest decrease
during the same period was
in Kentucky, Tennessee and
West Virginia, down 23 per-
cent. Lesser decreases were
seen in North Carolina, Vir-
ginia, Iowa and Missouri.
Farm operators paid
workers an average of
$12.75 per hour in the April
2016 reference week, up 4
percent from 2015. Field
workers received an aver-
age of $12 per hour, up 6
percent. Livestock workers
A Washington state wild-
life veterinarian calls the so-
far fruitless search for more
signs of the bat disease white-
nose syndrome baffl ing but
promising.
A sick little brown bat
found by hikers March 11 in
a state park 30 miles east of
Seattle was the fi rst confi rmed
case of white-nose syndrome
in the West.
Previously, the disease had
been documented only as far
west as eastern Nebraska.
The discovery raised con-
cern that the fungus, deadly
to insect-eating and farm-
er-friendly bats, had somehow
leaped across the Great Plains
and Rocky Mountains.
Since then, the U.S. Geo-
logical Survey has tested
dozens of live and dead bats,
along with soil samples and
bat guano collected in caves.
The tests have not detected
the virus.
“The fact we haven’t found
anything else is puzzling,”
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife veterinarian
Katie Haman said Wednes-
day. “It leaves a huge ques-
tion mark. This is not the way
white-nose syndrome works
back east.”
White-nose syndrome was
fi rst documented in New York
in 2007. By the beginning
of this year, the fungus had
been confi rmed in 28 East-
ern, Southern and Midwestern
states.
In some states, discovery
of the fungus in bat-dwelling
At a glance
White-Nose
Syndrome
Courtesy of U.S.
Geological Survey
What it is: A disease affecting
hibernating bats, a fungus,
Pseudogymnoascus destructans,
appears as a white patch on the
muzzle and other body parts.
First documented: 2006-07 in
New York state.
Symptoms/mortality: Erratic behavior
during cold winter months, including flying
outside during daylight hours and clustering
at cave entrances. WNS has killed more than
5.5 million bats in the Northeast and Canada.
Where it is now: 28 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces.
Bats affected: Eleven species, including four that are endangered.
Impact to agriculture: Bats are primary consumers of insects. In temperate
regions it’s estimated they provide insect suppression valued at more than
$4 billion per year.
For more information, go to: www.WhiteNoseSyndrome.org
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
caves preceded the fi nding of
diseased bats by one or more
years.
Finding a sick bat in Wash-
ington led to speculation that
the fungus had been in the
Northwest for several years,
becoming established while
going undetected.
The USGS National Wild-
life Center in Madison, Wis.,
has so far tested nine dead and
25 live bats, along with 65
samples of soil and droppings.
Haman on Wednesday sent 16
more dead bats to USGS.
“I do think it’s good news
we haven’t found it,” she said.
“I’m hopeful we have detected
it early and are out in front of
the curve.”
Scientists warn that cave
explorers can spread white-
nose syndrome by picking up
the fungus on their clothing
and equipment.
Haman said fi nding more
samples of the disease may
provide clues of how it reached
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
Washington. “We don’t have
the information to even begin
theorizing,” she said.
Southern Illinois Univer-
sity fi eld research last year in
Midwest corn fi elds concluded
bats prevent $1 billion a year
in crop damage.
An often-repeated claim
that bats annually provide
agriculture with $3.7 billion
worth of pest control is based
on a rough calculation made in
2011 in a short paper by four
scientists.
The scientists noted that
Texas cotton farmers spend
at least $12 per acre on pest
control. The researchers mul-
tiplied 12 by the more than
309 million acres of harvested
cropland reported in the 2007
U.S. agriculture census. The
resulting fi gure, approximate-
ly $3.7 billion, has since been
reported in news stories, press
releases and government re-
ports as the potential threat to
agriculture.
Courtesy of PAWS Wildlife Center
A photo taken at the PAWS
Wildlife Center in Lynnwood,
Wash., shows the wing
damage infl icted by white-nose
syndrome on a little brown bat.
The bat was found unable to
fl y March 11 by hikers 30 miles
east of Seattle. The bat was the
fi rst and so far only confi rmed
case of white-nose syndrome
west of Nebraska.
A U.S. Department of Ag-
riculture spokeswoman said
she could not fi nd any assess-
ments of actual losses to agri-
culture caused by white-nose
syndrome.
The U.S. Fish and Wild-
life Service last year listed
the northern long-eared bat
as a threatened species under
the Endangered Species Act
because of white-nose syn-
drome.
The bat ranges along the
Atlantic Coast and as far west
as Montana.
Defenders of Wildlife has
sued USFW in federal court
in Washington, D.C., claim-
ing the bat should be given
the broader protections of an
endangered species. The law-
suit argues the infected bats
need more forested areas to
forage and roost because they
emerge from hibernation in a
weakened state.
The Center for Biological
Diversity has cited the threat
white-nose syndrome poses to
bats as grounds for opposing
cave exploring, mining, oil
and gas drilling, and pipeline
construction, according to its
website.
New cider institute aims to guide fast-growing industry
By ERIC MORTENSON
Capital Press
A new organization plans
to help Oregon State Universi-
ty and Cornell University train
people to make hard apple ci-
der, an industry that is growing
rapidly in the Pacifi c North-
west and is attracting the same
LEGAL
http://www.pvmi.org )
Request for Proposals:
To produce a document that evaluates PVMI’s business practices including financial management,
policies/procedures, and board/business operations, and recommends improvements. The work
will include a 10-year business plan and a succession plan.
Background:
In August of 2005, the potato commissions of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho filed Articles of
Incorporation to create the Potato Variety Management Institute (a.k.a. PVMI). Incorporated in
Idaho as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization (501(c)3), and with the potato commissions as its
sole members, PVMI’s stated purpose is “to enhance the agricultural capacity and resources of
Idaho, Washington and Oregon for the benefit of their citizens by coordination of potato varietal
research programs; management and protection of potato varieties created by state funding; and
education of growers, processors and retailers.” The top priorities of PVMI are to ensure
intellectual property protection (via the Plant Variety Protection Act), and to collect license and
royalty income from users of potato varieties develop by the Northwest Potato Variety
Development Program, a cooperative venture of USDA-ARS, the potato commissions, and Land
Grant universities in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. PVMI currently manages thirty protected
potato varieties, collects license fees and royalties from seed potato producers, and after covering
its business costs, returns funds to USDA-ARS and the universities to support potato research at
those institutions.
Much has changed in the potato industry and research programs since PVMI was incorporated
in 2005, and PVMI has accomplished more than the founders anticipated. In light of this change
and success, the potato commission members and the PVMI board of directors have decided to
embark on a formal planning process to launch PVMI into an even more successful second decade
of operation.
To respond to this RFP, please provide:
• A proposal of no more than 5 pages describing how you would provide the
documentdescribed above including a suggested timeline and cost estimate(s).
• A description of at least two successful projects you have completed, similar to the one
contemplated here.
• At least two references from previous clients
Deadline for receipt of proposals: June 15, 2016.
Send all materials as a single PDF to Jeanne Debons, PVMI Executive Director, at:
mailto:jeannedebons@msn.com
Proposal review process and timeline:
Proposal review will begin immediately after the June 15 deadline, with the aim of the PVMI
board of directors selecting the successful consultant during its mid-July board meeting. We
anticipate that most of the work of this project will be completed in the fall and winter months
when the PVMI board members have more time available to dedicate to PVMI, with a completion
deadline of March 15, 2017.
Legal-23-2-7/#4
sort of connoisseurs who favor
the region’s craft beer and fi ne
wine.
Formation of the Cider
Institute of North America —
known by the acronym CINA
— was announced in late May.
Nick Gunn, co-owner of Wan-
dering Aengus Ciderworks in
Salem, Ore., is chair of the new
group’s board of directors.
Gunn said the new orga-
nization sprang to life be-
cause English cider guru Peter
Mitchell is retiring. Mitchell’s
Cider & Perry Academy —
“Perry” is hard cider made
from pears — is based in the
United Kingdom and Mitch-
ell has been teaching cider
makers in the U.S. since 2003.
Gunn said he took one of the
fi rst classes Mitchell taught in
the U.S.
“Education at this point in
our industry is maybe the most
critical thing to maintain cider
quality in America,” Gunn
said. “Maintaining a high lev-
el of quality is the only way to
keep moving forward.”
Gunn said CINA will work
with instructors at Oregon
State’s Fermentation Center,
which focuses on such things
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Nick Gunn of Wandering Aengus Ciderworks in Salem, Ore., is
board chair of the new Cider Institute of North America.
as beer, wine, cheese and yo-
gurt production. He said foun-
dational laboratory work and
“Introduction to Cider Mak-
ing” classes are necessary.
He envisions students ob-
taining a certifi cate that would
help them get jobs in the in-
dustry.
The organization is apply-
ing for nonprofi t tax status,
which Gunn said will provide
fl exibility in obtaining grants
and conveying money to the
university programs. CINA
hopes to help universities pay
for tenured faculty and for re-
search and development costs.
Making and drinking hard
cider is particularly popular in
the Pacifi c Northwest. Mem-
bership in the Northwest Cider
Association grew from 17 to
70 in a three-year span, and
cider accounts for 4 percent
of alcoholic beverage sales
in Portland and Seattle, com-
pared to 1.7 percent nationally.
A former Cornell Universi-
ty cider expert estimated that
people in Oregon, Washington
and California drink about 80
percent of the cider consumed
in the U.S.
LEGAL
LEGAL
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 98
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold, for
cash to the highest bidder, on
6/7/2016. The sale will be held at
10:00am by
PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 98
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder,
on 6/7/2016. The sale will be
held at 10:00 am by
RETRIEVER TOWING
1768 13TH ST. SE, SALEM, OR
2009 Chevrolet Suburban
VIN - 1GNFK26319J116081
Amount due on lien $1,511.00
Reputed owner(s)
Sugar Bowl Ski Team Found
Car Auto Wholesale Legal-22-2-4/#4
REVISED LOCATION FOR
OREGON WHEAT
COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING
The Oregon Wheat Commis-
sion public budget hearing on
June 15, 2016 has been moved
to Padget Ranches Shop at
60945 Lonerock Road, Grass
Valley, OR 97029. The hearing
will start at 1:30 p.m.
For
further
information,
contact the Oregon Wheat Com-
mission office, 1200 NW Naito
Parkway, Suite 370, Portland, OR
97209-2800 or by phone at (503)
467-2161.
legal-23-2-7/#4
DISCOUNT TOWING & RECOVERY
3750 MAINLINE DR. NE, SALEM, OR
2013 INFINITY EX 37 4DR
VIN - JN1BJ0HR2DM480570
Amount due on lien $3,241.00
Reputed owner(s)
UTL OR WA CA
legal-22-2-7/#4