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.