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2 CapitalPress.com December 23, 2016 People & Places Flower grower follows her love Joan Ewer Thorndike sells certified organic blossoms 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 ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press If you’re invited to dinner at someone’s house here, you might bring a dish to share. But in Santiago, Chile, where Joan Ewer Thorndike grew up, that’s an insult to the cook. So flowers are the gift of choice, and on many street corners there were stands selling inexpensive, beautiful blooms. Which was why Thorn- dike’s jaw dropped the first time she saw flowers for sale in San Francisco: $5 for a single flower. “I was absolutely stunned,” she said. “It made my head reel.” She realized American florists were focused on what she calls the “Hallmark hol- idays,” and put together gi- ant arrangements for hotel and concert hall lobbies or “roundy-moundy” baskets with flower stems stuffed into foam. Not to mention fake floral displays. “A plastic flower is a thing,” Thorndike sniffs. “It’s not a flower.” She allows none of that in her organic cut flower busi- ness, Le Mera Gardens. It was an Ashland, Ore., flow- er farm that had fallen into disrepair, and Thorndike and others had attempted to keep it going. At the time she was looking for a business that would allow her to keep her young daughters out of child- care while providing a bit of additional income, and grow- ing flowers seemed an ideal way to do that. In 1992 she took over the lease, and her daughters spent much of their summers and after-school hours roaming freely on the farm. Capital Press Western Innovator Joan Ewer Thorndike Occupation: Owner of Le Mera Gardens, an organic cut flower business in Talent, Ore., that is associated with Fry Family Farms. Personal: Age 59, married to Dan Thorndike, third-gen- eration operator of a family metal fabrication business. Lives in an old farmhouse in Ashland, Ore. Two grown daughters, Camila and Isabella. Background: Grew up in Chile with an Australian mother and an English father. Spoke English at home, Spanish on the streets and attended a French immersion school, so is fluent in all three languages. Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Joan Ewer Thorndike owns Le Mera Gardens, an organic cut flower business based in Ashland, Ore. “We don’t have automation,” she says. “You cannot pick a good flower without using your hands and your eyes.” Gardening had been Thorndike’s mother’s solace in life, and Thorndike found love in it as well. “I voted for flowers,” she said. “I had it in my bones.” She wanted to grow beau- tiful blooms in a natural man- ner. As the business grew, she obtained USDA organic cer- tification. The move struck some as overkill — you don’t eat flowers, after all. But it was important to Thorndike as she “hustled flowers wherever I could sell them” in the early days. There hadn’t been a farmer in her or her husband’s fami- lies before, and “no one knew quite what to do with that,” she said. She persisted and suc- ceeded, with a major break- through coming in 2001 when Le Mera Gardens merged with Fry Family Farms, a major organic producer in the area. Thorndike manag- es flower production for the farm, supervising the work- ers who grow, harvest and ship flowers. From a base in Ashland, the combined com- panies have fields, propaga- tion greenhouses and hoop houses in Medford, Phoenix and Talent, Ore. She continues doing it her way. “We don’t have automa- tion,” she said. “You cannot pick a good flower without using your hands and your eyes.” The business sells to flow- er shops and a grocery chain, and does a thriving trade with people who are assembling their wedding bouquets. “It’s our responsibility to send flowers out the starting gate in the best possible con- dition,” Thorndike said. Over the years, she’s seen Americans increase their ap- preciation for and knowledge of real flowers. She credits farmers’ markets with do- ing for flowers what it did for local food. In Oregon, production of cut flowers is a $13.3 million annual business. In early December, Thorn- dike was among three women chosen to be part of a “trail- blazers” panel discussion at the Women in Sustainable Agriculture conference in Portland. Thorndike told the 400 women attending, many of them beginning farmers, that she fell in love with growing flowers and enjoys that ro- mance to this day. She said sustainability can mean “sticking with it.” “For all of you, that’s what I hope — that you will stick to it,” she said. From there to here: Emigrat- ed to British Columbia when she was 22 because Chile was ruled by a repressive military regime and young women were expected to be attending university or married, not at loose ends. Met her husband and moved to the U.S. in 1984. About Le Mera: Grows about 150 varieties of flowers, branches and greens. Sells to 11 flower shops in Southern Oregon, and to New Seasons grocery stores in the Portland area. About half of her business is do-it-yourself wedding arrangements. Guiding business princi- ple: “My first partner is my land.” Online: www.lemer- agardens.com 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. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. 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Wednesday-Friday Jan. 4-6 Potato Expo 2017. Moscone Center West, 800 Howard St. San Francisco, Calif. potato-expo. com Friday-Wednesday Jan. 6-11 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Phoenix Con- vention Center, 100 N Third St., Phoenix, Ariz. http://annualcon- vention.fb.org Tuesday, Jan. 10 Idaho-Eastern Oregon Alfalfa and Clover Seed School. Caldwell Elks Lodge, Caldwell, Idaho. Con- tact: benjamin@amgidaho.org Thursday, Jan. 12 Inside the Family, Outside the Business. 7:30 to 9 a.m., Bridge- Port BrewPub, 1313 NW Mar- shall St., Portland. This session will explore how family members involved in the business can best communicate and collabo- rate with non-active members. We will share first-hand insights from a panel of non-active fam- ily members on how they have faced the challenges of being inside the family, but outside the business. Presented by the Aus- tin Family Business Program, Oregon State University. $40 per person. 800-859-7609 http:// bit.ly/2gQX6M4 Thursday-Friday Jan. 12-13 Oregon Mint Growers Annual Meeting. Salishan Lodge & Golf Resort, 7760 Hwy 101 North, Gleneden Beach, Ore. oregon- mint.org Monday, Jan. 16 Oregon Blueberry Confer- ence. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Salem Con- vention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem. Presented by the Oregon Blueberry Commission and the North Willamette Re- search and Extension Center. 503-589-1700 or oregonblueberry. com. Tuesday, Jan. 17 Succession Planning Work- shop orientation. 9 a.m.-noon. This is the first of two workshops on succession planning. Cost in- cludes planning workbook and food. Presenters from: OSU’s Ties to the Land, Green Belt Land Trust, Farm Credit Services and attor- neys specializing in conservation and farm and ranch estate plan- ning. Western Oregon University Werner University Center, Pacific Room, Monmouth, Ore. Cost: $50 per family. http://www.polkswcd. com/success.html Tuesday-Thursday Jan. 17-19 38th Annual Ag Expo. Idaho Holt Arena, 921 Pocatello, Idaho. ductions.com Eastern Idaho State University South 8th Ave., www.spectrapro- Wednesday-Thursday Jan. 18-19 49th Annual Idaho Potato Con- ference. Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union Building, 921 South 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho. Speakers include Idaho Potato Commission President and CEO Frank Muir, Potatoes USA Pres- ident and CEO Blair Richardson and National Potato Council Exec- utive Vice President John Keeling. http://bit.ly/2fayqPE Idaho Noxious Weed Con- ference. Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho. www. idahoweedcontrol.org Wednesday-Friday Jan. 18-20 Idaho Horticulture Expo. Boise Centre on the Grove, 850 W Front St., Boise, Idaho. Sponsored by the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association, this annual event of- fers seminars and workshops on topics important to the nursery industry. inlagrow.org Thursday, Jan. 19 GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE Mail rates paid in advance www.oxarc.com Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with- ry, managing forests in the face of droughts, effectiveness of pre- scribed burns in preventing fire; re- search updates on forest biofuels, managing family forest habitats for moose and the annual family forest economics/policy update. Register by Jan. 13. Cost: $85-$90, www. uidaho.edu/FamilyForesterWork- shop Tuesday, Jan. 24 Western Idaho Ag Expo. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Caldwell Events Center, 2207 Blaine St., Caldwell, Idaho. http://www.spectraproductions.com Tuesday-Thursday Jan. 24-26 Alfalfa U. Learn how alfalfa can contribute to a farm’s profit- ability. Canyon Crest Dining and Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho. alfalfaU. com Tuesday-Thursday Feb. 7-9 Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spo- kane Falls Blvd., Spokane, Wash. Spokane Ag Expo is the largest farm machinery show in the In- land Northwest. https://greater- spokane.org/ag-expo/ Northwest Agricultural Show. Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Drive, Portland, Ore. The hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tues- day, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday. www.nwagshow.com Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 2017 Con- vention. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, Wash. This annual event includes the second largest industry trade show in the nation and a welcome breakfast. wawgg.org Wednesday-Friday Jan. 25-27 Wednesday-Feb. 8 FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food Course. Idaho De- partment of Labor, 600 N. Thorn- ton St., Post Falls, Idaho. The new Food Safety Modernization Act regulation requires every process- ing facility to have a trained re- source person or “Preventive Con- trols Qualified Individual” who has completed a specialized training course (such as this one) devel- oped by the Food Safety Preven- tive Controls Alliance that is recog- nized by the FDA. This person will oversee the implementation of the facility’s food safety plan and other key tasks. http://bit.ly/2f6cogT Wednesday-Saturday Jan. 25-28 American Sheep industry As- sociation Convention. Denver Mar- riott City Center, 1701 California St., Denver, Colo. www.sheepusa. org/About_Events_Convention Wednesday, Feb. 1 Oregon Tall Fescue Commis- sion meeting. 6-8 p.m. Cascade Grill restaurant, 110 Opal St. NE, Albany, Ore. www.oregontallfes- cue.org/ California Prune Industry Sum- mit. Orchard Creek Lodge, Lincoln, Calif. www.californiadriedplums. org Friday, Jan. 20 Pesticide Short Course-IPM. 8 a.m.-4:10 p.m. Lane Community College, Center for Meeting and Learning, Bldg. 19, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene, Ore. $85 if regis- tered by Jan. 23; $95 after. http:// extension.oregonstae.edu/lane/ farms Family Foresters Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Coeur d’Alene Inn, 506 W. Appleway Ave., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The program will feature presentations on up and coming forest products, changes in Inland Northwest family forest- 20 Northwest Locations Tuesday, Feb. 7 Oregon Clover Growers Annual Meeting. Noon-1 p.m. Holiday Inn, Wilsonville. www.oregonclover.org Wednesday-Thursday Feb. 8-9 The 8th Annual Organic Farm- ing Conference. Canyon Crest Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho. The event is organized by the North- west Center for Alternatives to Pesticides. www.pesticide.org/ events Friday, Feb. 10 University of Idaho Crop- ping School. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Best Western Plus Caldwell Inn & Suites, 908 Specht Ave., Cald- well, Idaho. This event will have presentations on fertilizer and ir- rigation water management, crop diseases, falling numbers, soil health, precision ag, unmanned aerial systems and a drone flight demonstration (weather permitting). CEU’s available. The cost is $20 and includes breakfast and lunch. owalsh@uidaho.edu, 208-722- 6701 Friday-Sunday Feb. 10-12 2017 Women’s Conference. Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray, Mont. Women’s lead- ership, communication and other agriculture-related topics will be discussed. Sponsored by the Mon- tana Farmers Union. montanafarm- ersunion.com 1-800-765-9055 Tuesday-Thursday Feb. 14-16 World Ag Expo. Internation- al Agri-Center, 4500 Laspina St., Tulare, Calif. The nation’s largest agricultural exhibition celebrates its 50th year. www.worldagexpo.com Practical Food Safety & HAC- CP. The Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho. HAC- CP, or Hazard Analysis Critical Con- trol Points, is a preventive system for the control of health-threatening food hazards during food process- ing. The comprehensive three-day workshop is designed for individ- uals responsible for implementing and managing a HACCP system in a food processing facility. Par- ticipants who pass a final test will receive a certificate of completion. http://bit.ly/2f2iJ9Q Thursday, Feb. 16 Keeping Your Family Business Communication on Track. 7:30 to 9 a.m. Hayden’s Lakefront Grill, 8187 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, Tualatin, Ore. This session will provide tools and techniques that attendees can use right away to cul- tivate better communication among family members, employees, and shareholders. Presented by: Mark Wickman, Family Business Coun- sel. $40 per person. 800-859-7609, http://bit.ly/2fPK987. Wednesday, March 8 Taxes and Succession Plan- ning. Noon-1 p.m. Join us for a free online webinar and an introduction to how planning ahead for estate and gift taxes can help address family and business needs and meet retirement goals for the cur- rent generation. Presented by: Car- ol Wachter and Heather Tomsick, Deloitte Tax LLP, and the Austin Family Business Program, Oregon State University. 800-859-7609, http://bit.ly/2gW7Kjq 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 marketplace.capitalpress.com www.facebook.com/capitalpress www.facebook.com/farmseller www.facebook.com/onlyAGdotcom twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo www.blogriculture.com Index California ................................ 9 Idaho ...................................... 8 Markets ............................... 13 Opinion .................................. 6 Oregon ................................ 10 Washington ..........................11 Thursday, March 16 Building Family Business Value from the Inside Out. 7:30 to 9 a.m. BridgePort BrewPub, 1313 NW Marshall St., Portland. Much can be done to build the value of the business from inside the enterprise, and the earlier the process begins, the more sustainable the results will be. In addition to building value, most businesses become more ef- ficient and profitable along the way. Presented by Francis Brown, Key Private Bank and the Austin Family Business Program, Oregon State University. 800-859-7609, http://bit. ly/2gR3KC0 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.