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CapitalPress.com
November 10, 2017
People & Places
Farmers strike out on their own
Bowman-Brown,
partners put values
to work on Idaho
organic operation
Western
Innovator
Capital Press
Alex Bowman-
Brown
Occupation: Co-owner,
Fiddler’s Green Farm, Dry
Creek Valley
Age: 35
Born: Helena, Mont.
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Alex Bowman-Brown sells vegetables to customers at the Boise Farmers’ Market on Nov. 4. After
questioning the value of several previous jobs, he has found his niche as an organic farmer.
After a year, he and two
other farmworkers employed
there decided to start their
own operation, Fiddler’s
Green Farm, a small certified
organic farm that grows gar-
lic, flowers and vegetables
on 6 acres just down the road
from Peaceful Belly.
The farm grew 180 types
of vegetables last year.
“It’s a huge, diverse array
of mixed vegetables” that re-
quires a spreadsheet to keep
track of, Bowman-Brown
said.
Their products are sold at
the Boise Farmers’ Market,
directly to Boise restaurants
and at the Boise Co-op. They
also have a Community Sup-
ported Agriculture program.
Bowman-Brown co-owns
the farm with Justin Moore,
a Vermont native who has
worked on several organic
farms around the country,
and Davis McDonald, a na-
tive Boise resident who has
a background in wholesale
flower sales.
Nampa farmer Janie
Burns, president of the Boi-
se Farmers’ Market board of
directors, said the three are a
great example of young farm-
ers who put in their time on
the farm and then struck out
on their own when they saw
a niche opportunity open up.
“I think it’s wonderful
that a group of young farmers
saw a market and are using
their professional skills to
bring some really beautiful
vegetables to the valley,” she
said. “It’s a great example of
young people kind of doing
their time learning the craft
and then striking out with fin-
gers crossed.”
Bowman-Brown said the
trio felt confident there was
a local market to support
their dream but admitted
that starting their own farm
involved a good dose of
chance.
“We knew that the market
in Boise was pretty open and
we knew we could probably
sell stuff but we didn’t know
how well it would work,” he
said. “It was definitely a big
risk.”
He said their goal is not
necessarily to become big-
ger but to get better at what
they’re doing now.
“Instead of getting big, we
want to get really dialed in
and make it a well-oiled ma-
chine,” he said.
Oregon Make It With Wool contest winners named
By JAN JACKSON
For the Capital Press
THE DALLES, Ore. — An en-
thusiastic audience cheered on the
50-plus contestants who competed in
the 70th Annual Oregon Make it With
Wool contest held Oct. 28.
Traditionally held during the Or-
egon Sheep Growers Association
annual convention, the event took
place during the Columbia Gorge Fi-
ber Festival on the Columbia Gorge
Community College campus in The
Dalles. Children and adults of both
sexes competed in the event. Sponsors
included the Oregon Sheep Growers
Association, Oregon Sheep Commis-
sion and Pendleton Woolen Mills.
The first-place Senior winner was
19-year-old Sara Treichel of The
Dalles. The first-place Junior winner
was 16-year-old Becca Ziegler of Clo-
verdale, and the first-place adult win-
ner was Quinn Hanna of LaGrande.
They will represent Oregon in the
national competition in San Antonio,
Texas, during the American Sheep In-
dustry Association Convention on Jan.
31-Feb. 3.
The first place Pre-Teen winner,
which does not advance to the national
competition, was 10-year-old Tora Jo
Timinsky from The Dalles.
Treichel and Ziegler will model in
Calendar
Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press
Quinn Hanna, of LaGrande, won the
Adult Oregon Make It With Wool contest.
She will compete in the national contest
in San Antonio, Texas.
From left, Sara Treichel , of The Dalles,
was the first place Oregon Make It With
Wool Senior winner and Becca Ziegler,
of Cloverdale, was the first-place Junior
winner. They will represent Oregon at
the National Make It With Wool Contest
during the American Sheep Industry
Association Convention in February.
the national competition while Hanna
will compete by submitting her gar-
ment, photos and a video.
Chandra Worman, director of Or-
egon MIWW contest since 2012 and
National MIWW fashion show direc-
Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press
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 “Submit
an Event.” Calendar items can also be
mailed to Capital Press, 1400 Broad-
way St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 or
emailed to newsroom@capitalpress.
com.
ganized by the Idaho Potato Com-
mission, the meeting includes other
potato organizations and presen-
tations on topics of interest to the
industry. Website: https://idahopo-
tato.com/industry/harvest-meeting
Saturday-Sunday
Nov. 11-12
Washington Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting. Yakima Convention Center,
10 N. Eighth St., Yakima, Wash. Web-
site: www.wsfb.com
OFB Young Farmers & Ranchers
Leadership Conference. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Ore-
gon Farm Bureau office, 1320 Capitol
St. NE, Salem. Keynote speakers will
be Kim Bremmer of Ag Inspirations,
a nationally recognized motivational
speaker who will discuss communi-
cation and advocacy in agriculture,
and Derek Pangelinan of Derek Rey
Consulting, the developer of “The 6
Perspectives of Leadership,” a model
for teaching leadership skills. Speakers
include Mary Anne Cooper, OFB Public
Policy Counsel; Jenny Dresler, OFB
Director of State Public Policy; Doug
Hoffman, Wilco president and CEO;
Joanne Humphrey of Aldrich CPAs and
Advisors; Sarah Brown of Oregon Tilth;
Andrea Krahmer of Northwest Farm
Credit Services; John Williams of Or-
egon State University Extension, Wal-
lowa County; Jana Peterson of the Ore-
gon Department of Forestry; and Stacy
Davies, Country Natural Beef and Roar-
ing Springs Ranch. Cost: $40 for Farm
Bureau members age 16-35. Website:
http://oregonfb.org/yfrconference
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meet-
ing. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Shoshone-Ban-
nock Hotel and Events Center, 777
Bannock Trail, Fort Hall, Idaho. Or-
Established 1928
Board of directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Mike Omeg
Corporate Officer
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
By SEAN ELLIS
BOISE — Until he start-
ed working on a farm, Alex
Bowman-Brown often ques-
tioned the value of his pre-
vious jobs, which included a
variety of occupations.
“I always kind of ques-
tioned every job I’d done.
Was there really a point to me
doing it?” he said.
But then he volunteered at
an organic farm about seven
years ago and the questions
stopped.
“Farming wasn’t some-
thing I could question the
meaning of,” said Bow-
man-Brown, 35. “It’s essen-
tial. Food is something that
everyone needs. It’s also a
way for me to be a land stew-
ard and do something that
benefits the community, and I
can’t question the value of it.”
After working on several
organic farms during summers
in Montana and Washington,
Bowman-Brown moved to
the Boise area in 2015 and be-
gan working at Peaceful Belly
Farm, an organic operation
in the Dry Creek Valley just
north of Boise.
Capital Press
Tuesday-Wednesday
Nov. 14-15
Tuesday-Thursday
Nov. 14-16
Willamette Valley Ag Expo, Linn
County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox
Butte Road E, Albany, Ore. The expo is
over 250,000 square feet of exhibitors,
equipment, seminars, classes, food
and fun. The Ag expo is put on each
year by the Willamette Valley Ag Asso-
ciation. The WVAA is a nonprofit and
proceeds from the Ag Expo go toward
the association’s college scholarships.
Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, 10
a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m.-5
p.m. Thursday. Website: www.wvaex-
po.com
Wednesday-Thursday
Nov.15-16
Pacific Northwest Vegetable As-
sociation Annual Conference. Three
Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W.
Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, Wash.
Join other growers, vendors, and
support sponsors for talks about the
industry, breakout speakers, and so-
cial events. Website: http://pnva.org/
Thursday, Nov. 16
Four-Part Farm and Ranch Suc-
cession Workshop 6-8:30 p.m. Online
tor since 2013, was thrilled to see this
year’s competition was such a success.
“I set a goal of 50 contestants and
60 entered,” she said. “It took a lot of
volunteers and sponsors to put it on
but it was definitely one of our best.”
Contestants were judged on quality
of construction, fit, poise and market-
ability of the outfit.
“Years ago, it was common to see
business suits in the Junior and Senior
categories, but now it has shifted to
age-appropriate garments that reflect
the contestant’s lifestyle,” Worman
said. “Sara won with houndstooth
wool skirt and skirt length vest ensem-
ble, Becca won with a wool skirt and a
hooded wool coat made from a Pend-
leton Woolen Mills Melton and Tora
Jo’s outfit was a wool summer dress.”
Hanna, a first-year seamstress
whose daughter challenged her to en-
ter the contest, won with a pencil wool
skirt and open front vest.
In addition to other prizes, each
contestant received 1½ yards of Pend-
leton wool fabric, which many will
use in the garment they enter next
year, Worman said.
The 2018 Oregon MIWW contest
will be at The Dalles Middle School on
Oct. 27; deadline for entry is Sept. 20.
For more information, visit oregonmi-
ww.com or contact Chandra Worman
at cwloves2sew@yahoo.com.
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
or Clackamas Community College
Harmony Campus, 7738 SE Harmon
Road, Milwaukie, Ore. Learn from an
attorney, an accountant, an appraiser,
a banker, the director of Oregon State
University’s Austin Family Business
Program and farmers who’ve been
through the process. Receive free
one-on-one succession counseling
sessions between each event. Part
two of four parts. Cost: Free. Website:
http://bit.ly/2elYcPx
Friday, Nov. 17
Denim and Diamonds Dinner
Auction. 5-9 p.m. Oregon Convention
Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King,
Jr. Blvd., Portland. This is the premier
fundraiser for Oregon Aglink. Web-
site: aglink.org
Saturday, Nov. 18
Women in Agriculture Confer-
ence. The 2017 conference is a one-
day event held simultaneously in 39
locations. Washington: Bremerton,
Chehalis, Colville, Coupeville, Des
Moines, Elma, Everett, Goldendale,
Mount Vernon, Nespelem, Olympia,
Pasco, Port Angeles, Pullman, Ray-
mond, Republic, Ritzville, Spokane,
Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee
and Yakima. Idaho: Bonners Ferry,
Caldwell, McCall, Salmon, Sand-
point and Twin Falls. Oregon: La
Grande, Redmond, Roseburg,
Salem and The Dalles. Montana:
Broadus, Great Falls and Missoula.
Alaska: Delta Junction, Fairbanks
and Palmer. Website: www.Wome-
nInAg.wsu.edu
Saturday-Sunday
Nov. 18-19
Thanksgiving “Before & After”
Weekend Festivals. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
20 Northwest Locations
Redhawk Vineyard & Winery, 2995
Michigan City Lane NW, Salem,
Ore. Join us for wine and barrel
tasting, delicious food and our in-
credible view. We will be serving
our popular tri-tip sandwiches,
Betty’s famous butternut squash
soup, homemade sausage, smoked
salmon pate and cheeses. Meet the
winemaker, sample our current se-
lection of wines and barrel taste a
future release. All included with $10
tasting fee. Website: redhawkwine.
com
Friday-Sunday
Nov. 24-26
Thanksgiving “Before & After”
Weekend Festivals. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Redhawk Vineyard & Winery, 2995
Michigan City Lane NW, Salem,
Ore. Join us for wine and barrel
tasting, delicious food and our in-
credible view. We will be serving
our popular tri-tip sandwiches,
Betty’s famous butternut squash
soup, homemade sausage, smoked
salmon pate and cheeses. Meet the
winemaker, sample our current se-
lection of wines and barrel taste a
future release. All included with $10
tasting fee. Website: redhawkwine.
com
Tuesday-Thursday
Nov. 28-30
Montana Grain Growers Associ-
ation Convention and Trade Show.
Best Western Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox
Farm Road, Great Falls, Mont. With
nearly 900 in attendance, a dynamic
and educational agenda, and a full
trade show with over 70 exhibitors,
the MGGA Convention is one of Mon-
tana’s largest agricultural gatherings.
1-800-765-9055
Website: mgga@mgga.org
Tuesday-Friday
Nov. 28-Dec. 1
Oregon Water Resources
Congress Annual Conference.
Best Western Hood River Inn,
1108 E Marina Drive, Hood River,
Ore. Website: https://owrc.org/
Wednesday-Friday
Nov. 29-Dec. 1
Farm Fair Ag and Tradeshow.
Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Cen-
ter, 1705 E. Airport Road, Hermiston,
Ore. The event is a partnership with the
Hermiston Chamber of Commerce and
the Oregon State University Hermiston
Agriculture Research and Extension
Center. Local and regional agricul-
ture-related businesses will display their
services and products both inside and
outside the center. Topics and sessions
include the Oregon Bee Project, Pollina-
tor Workshop, Pesticides, Water, Potato
Production, Organic Session, Cereal
Session and more. Website: hermis-
tonchamber.com
Thursday, Nov. 30
Four-Part Farm and Ranch Suc-
cession Workshop 6-8:30 p.m. Online
or Clackamas Community College
Harmony Campus, 7738 SE Harmon
Road, Milwaukie, Ore. Learn from an
attorney, an accountant, an appraiser,
a banker, the director of Oregon State
University’s Austin Family Business
Program and farmers who’ve been
through the process. Receive free
one-on-one succession counseling
sessions between each event. Part
three of four parts. Cost: Free. Web-
site: http://bit.ly/2elYcPx
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
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Index
California ................................ 9
Idaho .....................................11
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon ................................ 10
Washington ........................... 8
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