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2 CapitalPress.com July 28, 2017 People & Places From farming to politics to farming John Chandler trades in Capitol jobs to return to his family’s operation Established 1928 Board of directors Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Mike Omeg Corporate Officer Heidi Wright Chief Operating Officer Western Innovator By JULIA HOLLISTER For the Capital Press SELMA, Calif. — Farm- er John Chandler had his ca- reer planned until a tempting call from Washington, D.C., changed the course. “I grew up on the family farm, in the same house where my father and grandfather grew up,” he said. “As a kid the entire farm is your back- yard.” By the time he was 7, he was working summers on the farm. “Though I was not thrilled about working all summer, I have come to ap- preciate the ethic of work and value of doing a job well,” he said. In college he studied fruit science with the hope of a ca- reer working in the orchards. Chandler learned the latest science on farming so he could stay on the cutting edge of agriculture. However, the farm econ- omy was at a low point and jobs were not easy to come by. Life had other plans, and he ended up going to Wash- ington, D.C., and starting a decade-long career in govern- ment. Chandler went to work for then-Rep. Doug Ose of California as a staff assistant. The stint was a good start in the political world. He met political leaders from all over the nation but missed the open spaces of the West and its bet- ter weather. He returned to California when the opportunity pre- sented itself and worked as a consultant to the California Senate Committee on Agri- culture. Capital Press John Chandler Hometown: Selma, Calif. Education: California Poly- technic State University-San Luis Obispo Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager Entire contents copyright © 2017 EO Media Group dba Capital Press Age: 40 Occupation: Farmer Quote: “The food you eat is a direct connection to the land on which it was grown and the people who grew it.” Courtesy of Fresno County Farm Bureau John Chandler is a farmer and agricultural advocate. He returned to farming after having spent a decade in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. “From Washington I even- tually landed in Sacramen- to,” he said. “I always knew I wanted to return to the land and be a farmer. Knowing how much politics and government were influencing agriculture in California, I figured to make the most of my time and learn how the government-po- litical system worked and be a better advocate and voice for farmers with today’s deci- sion-makers.” His “return to the farm” came in a phone call in 2012. “One day I got a phone call from my parents down on the family farm,” he said. “My dad was getting older and wanted to slow down. He said now was the time if my broth- er and I wanted to return to the farm and help run the business or we could look at selling the business. “I knew that this was my last golden opportunity to try my life ambition of farming,” he said. “John’s experiences on the family farm as well as his policy background have molded him into a strong ag- ricultural advocate,” Ryan Jacobsen, CEO and executive director Fresno County Farm Bureau, said. “He is always willing to step up to promote the industry via media inter- views and educate those deci- sion-makers with a ‘boots on the ground’ visit to his oper- ation.” Like many in the industry, Chandler sees many chal- lenges facing farming. “Water and labor are the two biggest challenges fac- ing California agriculture,” he said. “During the recent drought the lack of water was a serious concern for every farmer in California.” On his farm, he was forced to replace several wells that had gone dry. “The legacy of this drought is a cloud over the future of California agricul- ture,” he said. “How state and local agencies allocate water, and now ground water, will determine the productivity of California agriculture for the future.” He described labor as an- other challenge. “Simply put, there is not enough quality labor to harvest our crops in Cali- fornia,” he said. “All the re- cent talk about immigration reform has created a roller coaster of hope and despair as we try and find a work- able solution to find work- ers.” In addition to the lack of available workers, the cost for farm labor has increased, he said. “Crops that were once affordable to grow are less profitable,” he said. “As a result of the uncertainty of labor availability and the in- creased costs we have been moving away from our la- bor-intensive stone fruit and shifting to crops that take less labor, such as almonds, vines and citrus.” Linn County sheep producer remembered 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. To Reach Us Circulation ......................... 800-882-6789 Email ........ Circulation@capitalpress.com 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 Walter “Lynn” Barnes of Halsey passed away on July 13, 2017, just a couple weeks shy of 99 years old. He was born Aug. 7, 1918, in Carri- er, Okla., to Walter and Opal Barnes. His mother passed away when he was 10 years old and his father a week later. All four children were raised by their grandparents, Chancy and Minnie Sickels of Halsey, Ore. At the age of 13 he was given two bummer lambs, bought one old Romney ewe and began his journey of be- coming a world-class shep- herd and farmer. He graduated Calendar in 2013. Lynn served his communi- ty well by taking part in the American Romney Breeders Association, Oregon Pure Bred Sheep Breeders Asso- ciation, Charity Grange in Harrisburg, Linn/Lane Soil & Water Conservation Dis- 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. Through 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/ 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 up close 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, a daily parade, a huge flea market, traditional tractor pulling, machinery 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 Sunday, July 30 Walther “Lynn” Barnes from Halsey High School and married the love of his life, Ethelma Titus, on Feb. 11, 1939. They were married 74 years be- fore she died Summer Farm Day. Noon-4 p.m. Ruby & Amber’s Farm, Dore- na, Ore. Sponsored by the Willa- mette Farm & Food Coalition. Web- site: willamettefarmandfood.org Monday, July 31 Agricultural Technology Day, 1-6 p.m. Washington State Univer- sity Ag Technology Building, 24106 N. Bunn Road, Prosser, Wash. Highlights of this year include plena- ry talks on “Drone Data Decisions in Agriculture” and “Precision Irrigation Technologies” followed by a live demonstration of low energy preci- sion irrigation and UAS-based mul- tispectral sensing technologies. The event will also feature displays and short demonstrations of key technol- ogies such as robotic weeding, preci- sion pollination, mechanical pruning, direct root-zone deficit irrigation, nov- el chemical application technologies, robotic apple harvesting, intelligent in-orchard bin-managing systems and high throughput crop phenotyp- ing technologies. A networking social will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Cost: Free, but registration is required. Website: http://cpaas.wsu.edu/ 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/. Friday, Aug. 4 9th Annual Friends of Agricul- ture Golf Tournament. Chehalem Glenn Golf Course, 4501 E. Fern- wood Road, Newberg, Ore. The trict and Muddy Creek Water Control District. He was a member of the OSU Withy- combe Club in recognition of significant contribution to an- imal agriculture. The country of New Zealand gave him one of three awards in the world called the New Zealand Rom- ney Ambassador Award for his outstanding work in the breeding of Romney sheep in America. Survivors include his sons, Jerry Barnes of Cheshire, Ore., and Dennis Barnes of Halsey, Ore. Grandchildren include Bryon Barnes and wife Janet; Bradley Barnes and wife Elaine; and Belinda Lewallen; step-grandchildren, Lori Burrows; Ranee Werd- er and husband Tim. He had seven great-grandchildren, two step-great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grand- children. He was preceded in death by his wife, his sister Louise, brothers Chancy and Louis “Dee”, and his parents. The funeral services for him were held at Harrisburg Christian Church on Saturday, July 22, at 10 a.m. Interment was at Alford Cemetery on Highway 99 N in Harrisburg. In honor and memory of Lynn, the Lynn Barnes Me- morial Fund has been estab- lished. The memorial fund will sponsor a future award for both FFA and 4-H youth who are the premier sheep exhibitor at the Oregon State Fair. Lynn was a proud sup- porter of the FFA and 4-H programs and this memorial will be a lasting tribute to this great man. In lieu of flowers, you are welcome to contrib- ute toward this fund. Arrangements by Mur- phy-Musgrove Funeral Home in Junction City. Please ac- cess the obituary, and you are invited to sign the guestbook at www.musgroves.com. GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE www.oxarc.com tournament benefits Oregon Aglink, which is dedicated to growing ag- riculture in Oregon through educa- tion and promotion and bridging the gap between urban and rural Ore- gonians. Contact Mallory Phelan at 503-595-9121 or mallory@aglink. org. Website: www.aglink.org Left Coast’s Run for the Oaks, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Left Coast Cellars, 4225 N Pacific Highway W, Rick- reall, Ore. The course will pre- dominantly be on gravel roads or off-road with trail and paved road segments. The run will meander throughout the Left Coast Cellars estate and runners will pass oak forests, vineyards and gardens with spectacular views of the Willamette Valley. All proceeds from the race, food and wine sales for the day will be devoted to the Oak Savanna Restoration Project. 10K Trail Run: $60 Start time 9 a.m. 5K Trail Run/ Walk: $50 Start time 9:15 a.m. Reg- istration Includes complimentary wine tasting; free Patagonia Cap- ilene T-shirts; finishers receive a GoVino wine glass; music, awards and snacks. Left Coast Cellars has over 100 acres of ecological com- pensation areas and 70 acres of old growth oak forest. Through time the forest has become populated with invasive species and our goal is to restore the forest to a native oak savanna. We have partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Website: http://leftcoastcellars.com/ Saturday-Sunday Aug. 5-6 Mother Earth News Fair. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Linn County Expo, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Alba- 20 Northwest Locations ny, Ore. The Mother Earth News Fairs are fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle events that feature dozens of practical, hands- on demonstrations and workshops from the leading authorities on re- newable energy, small-scale agri- culture, gardening, green building, green transportation and natural health. Cost: $15-50. Website: http://www.motherearthnewsfair. com/oregon/ 47th Annual Great Oregon Steam-Up. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Pow- erland Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Road NE, Brooks, Ore. Packed with vintage power, this annual event celebrates the steam power, machines and people who drove Oregon agriculture, logging, transportation and more from the 1800s through early 1900s. Get upclose to the team-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, tradi- tional tractor pulling, machinery demos, threshing and quilt show. This year the featured makes are Aultman-Taylor and Rumely. General admission $12, children under 12 are free. Website: http:// www.antiquepowerland.com/html/ steam-up.html Wednesday-Saturday Aug. 9-12 Skagit County Fair. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Skagit County Fairgrounds, 479 W. Taylor St., Mount Vernon, Wash. Website: https://www. skagitcounty.net/Departments/Fair/ main.htm 1-800-765-9055 Tuesday-Thursday Aug. 15-17 Future Farm Expo. Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, Ore. The Expo has a new name and a program more ambitious than ever. The Future Farm Expo 2017 will now span three full days and feature outside technology demos in addition to its tradition of world-class presenters and exhibitors. Growers, processors, crop consultants, ser- vice providers, and technologists are all invited to connect and share knowledge. The 2017 Expo will cover topics such as ground sensors, crop imagery, data use, precision irrigation, robotics, automation, soil science and more. Website: http://www.futurefar- mexpo.tech/ Friday, Aug. 18- Sunday, Aug. 27 Western Idaho Fair, noon-11 p.m. Western Idaho Fairgrounds, 5610 Glenwood St., Garden City, Idaho. Website: http://www.idaho- fair.com/ Thursday, Aug. 17 Stream Restoration Workshop. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Federal Building Meeting Room, corner of Seventh Street and College Avenue, St. Maries, Idaho. Those wishing to participate should pre-register at the University of Idaho Extension office in Benewah County by Aug. 11. Registration is limited. A $20 registration fee covers resource materials and refreshments. For registration questions, contact the UI Extension office at (208) 245- 2422. Website: www.uidaho.edu/ extension/forestry 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 marketplace.capitalpress.com www.facebook.com/capitalpress www.facebook.com/farmseller twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo Index California .............................. 14 Idaho .................................... 10 Markets ............................... 13 Opinion .................................. 6 Oregon .................................. 7 Washington ..........................11 Correction A story in the July 21 edition about USDA grants incorrectly reported that Cloud Mountain Farm Center in Everson, Wash., formerly used laundry washers and dryers to wash and spin lettuce. While other places have used the appliances, according to the center, it has not. The nonprofit farm received a grant from the USDA to buy equipment to wash and spin lettuce. The Capital Press regrets the error.
