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CapitalPress.com
July 7, 2017
People & Places
Specialist tracks hazelnut industry
Mike McDaniel uses
aerial imagery, field
visits to gauge growth
Capital Press
Tracking growth
With each passing year that
McDaniel collects data about
hazelnut orchards, the in-
dustry will develop a deeper,
more refined understanding of
the state of affairs, Owen said.
“As we move along, it will
help more and more,” she
said.
When McDaniel began his
Western
Innovator
Mike McDaniel
Occupation: Geographic
information system specialist
Hometown: McMinnville, Ore.
Education: Bachelor’s
degree in geography from
Portland State University in
2000, master’s degree in
geography from Syracuse
University in 2003
Age: 39
Matuesz Perkowski/Capital Press
Geographic information system specialist Mike McDaniel stands near a hazelnut orchard in Oregon’s
Willamette Valley. McDaniel uses aerial imagery to track the industry’s surging growth.
venture in 2012, he expected
to see large blocks of old or-
chards suffering from eastern
filbert blight to be replaced
with new EFB-resistant cul-
tivars.
So far, though, that isn’t
happening on a large scale.
Instead, growers are plant-
ing new orchards in fields
traditionally devoted to grass
seed and field crops while
maintaining their old trees
with pruning and fungicides.
“They’ve been doing ev-
erything they can to drag
them along as long as prices
are high,” McDaniel said.
To supplement the aeri-
al images, he also takes field
trips to inspect on-the-ground
conditions. These visits are
necessary to learn facts that
aren’t readily visible from the
air, such as how badly older
trees are infected with blight.
“You can’t expect the same
volume from them year after
year if they’re struggling,” he
said.
Farmers are often opting to
plant new orchards in phases
over several years, which Mc-
Daniel attributes to a limited
number of seedling trees and a
desire to preserve capital.
“They’ll go in small
chunks to slowly plant a new
area,” he said.
Rather than invest all at
once in a large orchard, many
prefer to plant this year’s trees
with last year’s profits.
That’s not to say there ar-
en’t any huge plantings going
in, McDaniel said. “Every
year, you see something really
impressive.”
Fighting for space
Growers are also eager
to fit hazelnut trees wherev-
er they have suitable ground
available, even odd locations
like the corners of a field irri-
gated by a center pivot.
“People are finding all
kinds of nooks and crannies to
cram a few trees in,” he said.
The northern part of
the Willamette Valley has
the greatest proportion of
high-quality soils suitable for
hazelnut orchards, but other
uses compete for that acreage.
“You’re fighting for space
with urban growth,” he said.
“Each year there is less good
land available.”
The southern valley, on
the other hand, has poorer
growing conditions but more
room to grow.
Experienced
hazelnut
farmers are seizing on these
fields and improving them
with soil amendments and
drainage improvements.
“They have a lot more
space to devote to new or-
chards,” McDaniel said.
New blight-resistant trees
developed by Oregon State
University, such as the pop-
ular Jefferson cultivar, are
more compact than other va-
rieties, allowing growers to
pack more of them into an
acre.
Little is known about how
the novel trees will perform
upon reaching full maturity,
which is why it’s important to
observe yields as they grow.
“They basically want to
know what they will be faced
with in the next few years,”
McDaniel said. “The key is to
fill in the blanks on how those
varieties are going to behave.”
More experiments
With the industry undergo-
ing a revitalization, McDaniel
has also noticed farmers are
more willing to experiment
with different tree spacings
and orchard geometry.
Previous work experience:
Mapping infrastructure for
the Portland Bureau of
Transportation, analyzing
satellite imagery of forest
fires for the Sanborn Map
Co., conducting a nationwide
land use survey for USDA’s
Natural Resources Conser-
vation Service
The traditional rules for
planting stalwart cultivars,
such as Barcelona, aren’t seen
as set in stone, he said. “All
of that is really going out the
window.”
McDaniel’s introduction
to the hazelnut industry came
when he was a youngster,
helping out on his aunt and
uncle’s orchard. Later, while
attending college, he became
fascinated with geography.
“It tracks so many differ-
ent parts of life, everything
from economics to politics,”
McDaniel said. “People fight
wars over boundaries. Lines
on a map have mattered since
early human history.”
While his current work
fortunately isn’t likely to in-
spire violent conflict, McDan-
iel is gratified by the potential
to help the hazelnut industry
shape its future.
“There’s a lot of planning
to be done,” he said.
New Washington state dairy ambassadors selected
ARLINGTON, Wash. —
Anna Teachman, representing
King and Pierce counties, is
the 2017-2018 Washington
state dairy ambassador.
She is the daughter of Mi-
chael and Lorilyn Teachman
of SeaTac, Wash., and was one
of three finalists at the 62nd
Annual Washington State
Dairy Ambassador Corona-
tion on June 24 at the Byrnes
Performing Arts Center in Ar-
lington.
The new 2017-2018 Wash-
ington state alternate dairy
ambassadors are Juliana Le-
Clair, representing Skagit
County, the daughter of Joe
and Annette LeClair of Mount
Vernon, Wash., and Claire
Calendar
Leininger, representing What-
com County, the daughter of
Erik and Paula Leininger of
Everson, Wash.
“I am so excited to be rep-
resenting the hard-working
dairy farmers of Washington
for this year,” Teachman said
in a press release. “Thank you,
dairy farmers, for this oppor-
tunity!”
As representatives of the
Dairy Farmers of Washington,
the state dairy ambassador and
alternates will visit schools,
attend local and state fairs, ap-
pear at Washington Interscho-
lastic Activities Association
events and many more activ-
ities including addressing the
Washington State Legislature
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 or emailed to newsroom@
capitalpress.com.
Friday-Saturday
July 7-8
2nd Annual Prineville Truck
and Tractor Pull. 7 p.m. Friday, 4
p.m. Saturday. Crook County Fair-
grounds, 1280 Main St., Prineville,
Ore. Website: www.crookcounty-
fairgrounds.com
Idaho State Ram Sale. Twin
Falls County Fair Grounds, 215 Fair
Ave., Filer, Idaho. The “Suffolk Show
of the West” begins at 6 p.m. Friday
and continues at 10:30 a.m. Satur-
day. For more information, call 208-
344-2271 or email idahowool@
gmail.com Website: idahowool.org
Saturday, July 8
Great White Wine Festival.
Noon-7:30 p.m. Left Coast Cellars,
4225 N. Pacific Highway W, Rick-
reall, Ore. Join us for the first Great
White Wine Festival. Top Willamette
wineries will showcase some of
the valley’s most interesting white
wines. Unique tasting stations will
be spread across the grounds. Spe-
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
As hazelnut orchards pro-
liferate across Western Ore-
gon, geographic information
system expert Mike McDaniel
uses a bird’s-eye view to mon-
itor their progress.
McDaniel is constantly
scouring aerial photographs
taken by USDA and commer-
cial image providers to detect
where new trees are being
planted and where old ones
are being removed.
Over the past several
years, he’s documented a
surge in hazelnut acreage
— up roughly 60 percent, to
nearly 60,700 acres, between
2012 and 2016.
“I don’t think it can main-
tain that pace forever, but
there’s plenty of room to grow
if the market can support it,”
said McDaniel.
Pacific Agricultural Sur-
vey, McDaniel’s company,
is contracted by the Oregon
Hazelnut Marketing Board to
track the industry’s growth
and anticipate future crop
supplies.
“The industry infrastruc-
ture has to be ready to han-
dle new product as it comes
online,” said Polly Owen, the
board’s manager.
Fueled by strong prices,
healthy Chinese demand and
disease-resistant varieties, the
hazelnut industry is rushing to
take advantage of the fortu-
itous circumstances.
Capital Press
cially crafted food stations will serve
menu items created to pair with the
featured wines. Yard games and
carnival games will be accompa-
nied by a variety of live music. $25
general admission includes 7 drink
tickets, 3 game tickets and a sou-
venir GoVino glass. $15 admission
for club members of all participating
wineries. Children 10 and under
are free. People aged 11-20, desig-
nated drivers and non-drinkers are
admitted for $10. Website: http://
leftcoastcellars.com/
Wednesday, July 12
promoting the health and nutri-
tion benefits of dairy products.
The new ambassador and
her alternates take over from
2016-2017 Washington State
Dairy Ambassador Alicia
Smaciarz, the daughter of
Terry and Lana Smaciarz of
Raymond, and Alternate State
Dairy Ambassadors Jana Pla-
german, the daughter of Le-
roy and Rhonda Plagerman of
Lynden, and Tiana Peterson,
daughter of Tom and Bianca
Peterson of Graham.
They traveled around the
state educating students, par-
ents and others on the positive
impact and value of Washing-
ton’s dairy industry and the
importance of dairy products.
Brown-Borba. Proceeds will benefit
the Ag One Ross Borba Sr. Family
Endowment established in 1990,
which supports deserving Fresno
State students pursuing Jordan
College of Agricultural Sciences
and Technology degrees. Website:
http://bit.ly/2qLfdLD
Friday, July 14-
Sunday, July 30
California State Fair. 10 a.m.-10
p.m. Cal Expo Center, 1600 Exposi-
tion Blvd., Sacramento, Calif. Web-
site: www.castatefair.org/
Blueberry Field Day. 1-5 p.m.
North Willamette Research and
Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley
Road. Aurora, Ore. Find out about
the latest research in blueber-
ries. http://oregonstate.edu/dept/
NWREC/
Saturday, July 15
Manure and Compost Applica-
tion Workshop. 1-5 p.m., Swager
Farms Dairy, 1749 East 3800 North,
Buhl, Idaho. Cost: Free.
Farm to Table Dinner and Auc-
tion. 5:30-9 p.m. Oregon Garden,
879 W. Main St., Silverton, Ore.
Guests to this event will savor the
flavors of the season with food do-
nated from local farmers picked at
the peak of ripeness and prepared
by Chef Daryl Gossack at Loustic
Catering. Tickets are on sale now at
our website or by phone. Through
June 17 tickets are $85 per and $95
after June 18. The event is present-
ed by Bonaventure Senior Living
and all proceeds will feed people in
Friday, July 14
Ag One Community Salute. 6-9
p.m. Fresno Convention Center Ex-
hibit Hall, 700 M St., Fresno, Calif.
The event’s 18th edition is the first
to honor a family and will spotlight
third-generation member Tina
Borba and her sons, Ross Jr. and
Mark, as well as Mark’s wife Peggy
Washington State Sheep Pro-
ducers Ram and Ewe Sale. 1:30-6
p.m. Grant County Fairgrounds,
3953 Airway Drive NE, Moses Lake,
Wash. For questions, call 509-200-
2112. Email: wssp@gmx.com
Entire contents copyright © 2017
EO Media Group
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20 Northwest Locations
our community through Marion-Polk
Food Share. Website: http://bit.
ly/2qth9a1
Tuesday, July 25
Dairy Sheep and Goat Work-
shop. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gooding Coun-
ty Fairgrounds, 203 Lucy Lane,
Gooding, Idaho. University of Idaho
Extension workshop. Lunch includ-
ed. The workshop is $30 with pre-
registration until July 21 and $40
after that.
Friday, July 28
Forest Insect and Disease
Field Day. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Benewah
County Fairgrounds, 2330-2398
St. Maries Ave., St. Maries, Idaho.
The event will give participants first-
hand exposure to a wide range of
organisms that impair the growth of
trees and forests in Northern Idaho
including: Douglas-fir beetle and
other bark beetles; Armillaria and
other root diseases; white pine blis-
ter rust; indian paint fungus, pini rot
and other stem decays; and dwarf
mistletoes. Experts will help partic-
ipants identify insect and disease
symptoms and discuss practical
long- and short-term methods of
dealing with them. Those wishing
to participate should pre-register at
the University of Idaho Extension
Office in Benewah County by July
21. A $10 registration fee covers re-
source materials and refreshments.
1-800-765-9055
Saturday-Sunday
July 29-30
47th Annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Powerland
Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Road
NE, Brooks, Ore. Packed with vintage
power, this annual event celebrates
the steam power, machines and peo-
ple who drove Oregon agriculture,
logging, transportation and more from
the 1800s through early 1900s. Get
upclose to the power farm machinery,
vintage trucks, antique cars, logging
gear and a working steam sawmill.
Kids of all ages will enjoy train and
trolley rides, daily parade, huge flea
market, traditional tractor pulling, ma-
chinery demos, threshing and quilt
show. This year the featured makes
are Aultman-Taylor and Rumely. Gen-
eral admission $12, children under 12
are free. Website: http://www.antique-
powerland.com/html/steam-up.html
Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 1-4
7th World Congress on Conser-
vation Agriculture. Rosario, Argenti-
na. A world meeting presented by the
American Confederation of Farmers
Organizations for a Sustainable Ag-
riculture, which began with associa-
tions of farmers that promoted the no
till system and are currently working
to promote sustainable production
systems. Website: http://congre-
soaapresid.org.ar/.
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Index
Opinion .................................. 6
Idaho ...................................... 8
Oregon .................................. 9
California .............................. 10
Markets ............................... 13
Dairy/Livestock .................... 14
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