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CapitalPress.com
February 17, 2017
People & Places
Keeping an eye on the future
Dana Herron looks
at the big picture
for Washington’s
wheat growers
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Building trust
In recent years, the com-
mission has worked hard to
build relationships with over-
seas buyers.
“How do we ingratiate
ourselves and our product to
them?” he said. “How do we
make it more attractive than
the next guy’s and keep them
paying a premium for the
product?”
Herron worries about un-
anticipated events, such as
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CONNELL, Wash. —
Dana Herron sees a day in the
not-so-distant future when de-
mand may exceed supply for
soft white winter wheat, the
Pacific Northwest’s premier
wheat crop.
If Washington’s wheat in-
dustry continues to success-
fully market soft white wheat
to new and emerging markets,
showing buyers how to make
a higher-quality product for
less money — “which gets
the attention of a businessman
real quick” — farmers may
not be able to keep up with
demand within the next five
to 10 years, Herron predicted.
“That would be wonder-
ful,” he said. “That means we
have done our job well.”
Herron has long been one
to look at the big picture. He
is co-owner of Tri-State Seed
Co. in Connell, Wash., and
a member of the Washington
Grain Commission, a position
he’s held for the past decade.
Herron said the commis-
sion has a “fiduciary responsi-
bility” to spend farmers’ mon-
ey wisely. They must be able
to defend the organization’s
spending in public, plus the
return on investment, he said.
What will benefit “the
long-term health of the indus-
try?” he asked.
Capital Press
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press
Tri-State Seed Co. co-owner Dana Herron sorts the seeds of a Slo-
vakian hard red winter wheat variety, Mandala, in the company’s
Connell, Wash., offices. Herron is a member of the Washington
Grain Commission.
Western Innovator
Dana Herron
volunteer genetically mod-
ified wheat plants found in
fields, but said the commis-
sion was proactive in building
relationships and trust.
“The relationships we’ve
built with our customers paid
huge dividends because they
trust us now,” he said. “That’s
invaluable. We could have
very easily lost this entire
market, and it didn’t happen.”
Back home
Herron was born on a dry-
land wheat farm in Kahlotus,
Wash. His family moved to
Connell in 1958. Herron’s
father died when Herron was
a college sophomore, and the
farm was split between Her-
ron, his mother and Herron’s
uncle.
Herron returned home to
farm with his mother for 16
years. Then his brother Chris
wanted to farm, so Dana took
over the small seed business
they’d started on the farm to
add value during “lean” years.
In 1994, Connell Grain
Growers hired Dana to run
their seed division. In 2005,
he started Tri-State Seed with
partner Craig Teel and han-
dles marketing and sales.
Chairman Mike Miller
asked Herron to remain on the
commission during his tenure.
A visionary
“Dana is the historical
book of what’s gone on in
the past, but he also probably
has the most vision of what’s
coming forward and what
we’re facing of anybody I
know, and I know a lot of peo-
ple,” Miller said. “He’s got his
thumb on the pulse. He knows
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Current location: Connell, Wash.
Member Dana Herron stands outside the Washington Grain
Commission building in Spokane. The commission has a “fiduciary
responsibility” to spend farmers’ money wisely, he says.
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what ag’s going to look like
here for the next generation.”
Rich Koenig, director of
Washington State University
Extension and interim chair-
man of the Department of
Crop and Soil Sciences, says
Herron has advocated for
long-term research with “un-
certain but potentially huge”
returns for wheat farmers.
He also credits Herron
with building stronger rela-
tionships between the com-
mission, the university, state
Department of Agriculture
and Washington Association
of Wheat Growers.
‘Frank feedback’
“I have always appreciat-
ed his willingness to provide
frank and open feedback and,
at times, constructive criti-
cisms of WSU and USDA,”
Koenig said. “We do not
always do things right and
he has respectfully pointed
out faults and areas where
we need to improve. Most
often, he has pointed out
that we should operate with
a more business-oriented
approach.”
Herron expects to com-
plete his term on the com-
mission in December 2018.
He’s also begun preparing the
succession plan for the seed
company, expecting to begin
working part-time in 2018.
“Half-time for me is 40
hours a week,” he said.
But he won’t vanish.
“You’re gonna laugh,
but I’m going to start an-
other business,” he said. He
declined to give specifics,
but said it would be agricul-
ture-related.
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Calendar
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To submit an event go to the
Community Events calendar on
the home page of our website at
www.capitalpress.com and click
on “Submit an Event.” Calen-
dar items can also be mailed to
Capital Press, 1400 Broadway
St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 or
emailed to newsroom@capital-
press.com.
Through Friday
Feb. 17
Oregon Board of Agriculture
meeting. 8:30 a.m. Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture Hearing Room,
635 Capitol St. NE, Salem, Ore.
Legislative developments, the Jap-
anese beetle eradication program
and other issues will be discussed
during the two-day meeting. http://
bit.ly/2cKsbhX
Friday, Feb. 17
Farm Bureau Women’s Leg-
islative Reception, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oregon State Capitol Galleria, 900
Court St. NE, Salem, Ore. Join the
Oregon Farm Bureau Women’s
Advisory Council for coffee and
cake to kick off the 2017 legislative
session and recognize the import-
ant roles women play in Oregon
agriculture. www.oregonfb.org
Rural Farmers’ Market Work-
shops. 1-3:45 p.m. Adair Club-
house, 6097 NE Ebony Lane,
Corvallis, Ore. This interactive
series of workshops and small
group discussions will focus on
topics particularly relevant to
rural, small scale or resource
limited farmers’ markets. Travel
scholarships available. Spon-
sored by the Oregon Farmers
Markets Association. Free,
RSVP required. Website: http://
bit.ly/2iatQ6Q
Soil acidity workshop. 8 a.m.-
4 p.m. Marcus Whitman Hotel, 6
W. Rose St., Walla Walla, Wash.
Washington State University Ex-
tension educator Steve Van Vleet
plans to show farmers how to
manage nutrients and increase
soil pH levels. $50 by Feb. 10.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
event/2736297
Saturday, Feb. 18
Oregon State University Ex-
tension Service Small Farms Pro-
gram. 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m. LaSells
Stewart Center and CH2M Hill
Alumni Center, 875 SW 26th
St., Corvallis, Ore. A day-long
event geared toward farmers,
agricultural professionals, food
policy advocates, students and
managers of farmers’ markets.
Twenty-seven educational ses-
sions are offered on a variety
of topics relevant to the Oregon
small farmers and include a track
in Spanish. Cost: $150 at the
door. http://smallfarms.oregon-
state.edu/sfc
Monday-Tuesday
Feb. 20-21
Larry Branen Idaho Ag Summit.
Red Lion Downtowner Hotel, 1800
W Fairview Ave., Boise, Idaho.
www.idahoagsummit.org
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Marion Soil and Water Con-
servation District annual meeting
and celebration. 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Macleay Conference and Retreat
Center, 2887 74th Ave. SE, Sa-
lem, Ore. RSVP by Feb. 7 to jan-
ice.calkins@marionswcd.net or
call 503-391-9927.
Oregon Ryegrass Commis-
sion meeting. 6-8 p.m. Cascade
Grill restaurant, 110 Opal St. NE,
Albany, Ore. www.ryegrass.com
Wednesday-Friday
Feb. 22-24
2017 Family Farm Alliance
Annual Meeting and Conference.
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino,
3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Ve-
gas, Nevada. www.familyfarmalli-
ance.org
Saturday-Sunday
Feb. 25-26
Second Annual Mid-Valley
Winter Ag Fest. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Polk County Fairgrounds and
Event Center, 520 S Pacific High-
way W, Rickreall, Ore. This event
will promote all aspects of local ag
commerce and provide a family
friendly event that is fun and ed-
ucational for kids. Proceeds will
benefit Polk County 4-H and FFA.
www.mvwagfest.com
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Managing large poultry flocks
workshop. 5:30-8:30 p.m. South-
ern Oregon Research & Extension
Center, 569 Hanley Road, Central
Point, Ore. Demand for local eggs
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
and poultry meat is hot, but how
does one manage larger flocks of
birds? James Hermes will present
this poultry class with a focus on
breed selection, poultry health and
disease, feeding and nutrition and
economics. http://extension.ore-
gonstate.edu/sorec/farms
Successional Planning Work-
shop. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Chemekata
Eola Hills Campus, 215 Doaks
Ferry Road NW, Salem, Ore. This
is the second part of a workshop on
succession planning. If you missed
the orientation, you can still attend.
Presenters in the morning will be
Clarie Fiegener, Green Belt Trust
and Ron Marek, attorney. Afternoon
presenters will be Carl Sohn, Farm
Credit Services and Riley Makin,
attorney. Lunch is provided. Spon-
sored by the Polk and Marion soil
and water conservation districts,
the Greenbelt Land Trust and the
Luckiamute Watershed Council.
$50 per family http://www.polkswcd.
com/success.html
Thursday-Friday
March 2-3
Idaho Hay and Forage Con-
ference. Best Western Inn, 800
N. Overland Ave., Burley, Idaho.
Speakers will include Dan Under-
stander, a University of Wisconsin
forage specialist; Steve Orloff, a
University of California Extension
adviser; and Doug Robison, se-
nior vice president of Northwest
Farm Credit Services. www.ida-
hohay.com
Wednesday, March 8
Taxes and Succession Plan-
ning. Noon-1 p.m. Join us for a
free online webinar and an intro-
duction to how planning ahead
for estate and gift taxes can
help address family and busi-
ness needs and meet retirement
goals for the current generation.
Presented by: Carol Wachter
and Heather Tomsick, Deloitte
Tax LLP, and the Austin Family
Business Program, Oregon State
University. 800-859-7609, http://
bit.ly/2gW7Kjq
Thursday-Sunday
March 9-12
Natural Products Expo West,
Anaheim Convention Center, Marri-
ott and Hilton hotels, 800 W. Katella
Ave., Anaheim, Calif. www.expow-
est.com
20 Northwest Locations
Saturday, March 11
Northwest Bison Association
annual meeting. 8:30 a.m.-5:30
p.m. Forest Grove Senior Center,
2037 Douglas St., Forest Grove,
Ore. The NWBA annual meeting will
focus on small-scale bison ranching
and facility setup and lots of sto-
ries from ranchers that have seen
everything from tires as a fence to
our setups and everything in be-
tween. Dr. Richard Veeman with
Veterinary Services of Oregon will
speak on his experience with bison
along with Pat Fitzgerald with Fitz-
gerald Corrals. A ranch tour of the
L Bar T Bison Ranch is included.
Pre-registration is preferred but
not required. www.nwbisonassoci-
ation.com
Wednesday, March 15
Agricultural Biodiversity on
Farms: Conservation Practices
Working for Western Farmers. 8
a.m.-5 p.m. McMenamins Edge-
field, 2126 SW Halsey St. Trout-
dale, Ore. A first-of-its-kind confer-
ence on the benefits of agricultural
biodiversity in Western farming
systems and the practices that
support it. Sponsored by the
Oregon State University Inte-
grated Plant Protection Center,
the Xerces Society and Oregon
Tilth. http://bit.ly/2kpWRsK
Thursday, March 16
Building Family Business Val-
ue 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 en-
terprise, and the earlier the pro-
cess begins, the more sustainable
the results will be. In addition to
building value, most businesses
become more efficient and profit-
able along the way. Presented by
Francis Brown, Key Private Bank
and the Austin Family Business
Program, Oregon State Univer-
sity. 800-859-7609, http://bit.
ly/2gR3KC0
Sunday, March 19
Home Orchard Society 42nd
Fruit Propagation Fair. 10 a.m.-
4 p.m. Clackamas County Fair-
grounds Main Pavilion, 694 NE
Fourth Ave., Canby, Ore. Hundreds
of varieties of free scions and cut-
tings. If you graft this is paradise, or
you can choose custom grafting by
experts for $5. Free with your ad-
1-800-765-9055
mission are hundreds of varieties of
apple, pear, cherry, plum and per-
simmon scions; cuttings of grapes,
kiwis, and figs to root; and experts
to answer fruit growing questions.
Cost: $7 per person (family $12)
www.homeorchardsociety.org/
events
Friday-Sunday
March 24-26
18th Annual Northwest Horse
Fair and Expo. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Linn
County Fair and Expo Center,
3700 Knox Butte Road, Albany,
Ore. Three days of clinics, semi-
nars and performances for horse
enthusiasts. Cost: Adults $12 a
day, children ages 6-12 $6 a day.
Parking $4. www.equinepromo-
tions.net
Friday-Monday
March 24-27
Oregon FFA State Convention.
Deschutes Fair & Expo Center,
3800 S.E. Airport Way, Redmond,
Ore. www.oregonffa.com
Saturday, March 25
Clackamas Tree School. 8:15
a.m.-5:15 p.m. Clackamas Communi-
ty College, Clairmont Hall Room 117,
19600 S Molalla Ave., Oregon City,
Ore. Tree School attendees can learn
about basic forestry from “A to Z” —
tree identification, woodland man-
agement, pest management, wildlife
enhancement, chainsaw operations,
safety and maintenance, truffle hunt-
ing and cultivation, among many oth-
er topics. Advanced sessions focus
on business management, managing
for timber, forest roads, wildlife and
biodiversity. Cost is $50 per person
in Clackamas County, $65 per person
outside Clackamas County and $25
for youths 13-18 with an adult. http://
bit.ly/1Txt8Lk
Tuesday, April 11
Do Your Kids Want the
Business? Planning for Yes or
No. 7:30 to 9 a.m. Hayden’s
Lakefront Grill, 8187 SW Tu-
alatin-Sherwood Road, Tuala-
tin, Ore. Presented by Steve
Bennett, Farleigh Wada Witt
and the Austin Family Business
Program, Oregon State Univer-
sity. 800-859-7609, http://bit.
ly/2h3k8Ck
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
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Index
California .............................. 10
Dairy .................................... 14
Idaho ...................................... 8
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................11
Washington ........................... 9
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