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4 CapitalPress.com December 1, 2017 Wheat acreage leads the field in Pacific Northwest Region’s top crop with 4.1 million acres By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — When it comes to farming, Idaho is famous for potatoes, Washington for apples and Oregon for its greenhouse and nursery crops. But when you combine the three states, the Pacific North- west is, or at least should be, more famous for wheat, said Idaho Wheat Commission Executive Director Blaine Ja- cobson. Sean Ellis/Capital Press FIle With the help of USDA Wheat is harvested in a field near Nampa, Idaho, on Aug. 3. Wheat National Agricultural Statis- is by far the No. 1 crop in terms of acreage when Oregon, Idaho tics Service employees, Ja- and Washington are combined as a region. cobson found that in terms of acreage, wheat is by far the Jacobson also compiled a National Small Grains Col- top crop in the PNW. list of the infrastructure that lection, USDA’s Agricultur- NASS data shows that on supports the region’s wheat al Research Service Wheat Genomics Program and the an acreage basis, wheat was industry. tops in the three-state region That includes eight wheat Wheat Marketing Center. Jacobson said he has been in 2016 with 4.1 million acres breeding programs, seven of winter and spring wheat. wheat breeders and two wheat sharing that information with Hay was second with 3.3 mil- geneticists and 80 people who trading partners to show them lion acres, followed by barley, work full-time on those wheat how committed the region is grass seed, corn and potatoes. breeding teams. to wheat. “It’s a wheat region,” said “The big story to our over- It also includes five wheat Jacobson. “In terms of acre- quality labs, 35,000 square seas customers is that wheat is age, wheat is tops in the Pacif- feet of greenhouse space, 50 such a dedicated crop in the ic Northwest.” wheat nurseries and variety Pacific Northwest,” he said. According to NASS, trial locations, and 100,000 “It helps them appreciate the Washington growers harvest- test plots. importance of wheat here in ed 2.2 million acres of wheat The wheat industry is the PNW.” in 2016, Idaho growers har- supported by a large amount Growers and wheat in- vested 1.1 million acres and of other resources, Jacob- dustry leaders contacted by Oregon growers harvested son said, including the PNW Capital Press said the acre- Wheat Quality Council, the age numbers showing wheat 797,000 acres. is the region’s top crop are encouraging but they were more impressed with the in- frastructure that supports the industry. All of those resources are in place to ensure the region produces high-quality wheat, which is what enables the re- gion to compete on a global scale, said Idaho wheat farm- er Jerry Brown, a member of the IWC’s board of directors. “The PNW is extremely committed to quality wheat because that’s what our cus- tomers are demanding,” he said. “The only reason we are competitive in the world is because we sell quality wheat.” Steven Wirsching, director of the U.S. Wheat Associates West Coast office in Portland, said growers invest a lot of money in wheat breeding pro- grams as well as other efforts to ensure high quality. When it comes to wheat, “quality is not an accident, nor is it the result of Moth- er Nature,” he said. “It’s the result of the large investment of money by growers over a number of years in land grant universities’ breeding pro- grams.” “Quality is the No. 1 prior- ity of all three commissions,” said Washington Grain Com- mission member and farm- er Dana Herron. “There are several systems in place to ensure that happens.” Investment firm expands with eye for mechanization Agriculture Capital buys farms, facilities in Oregon, California By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Farmworker shortages are a mounting concern for West- ern growers, but Agriculture Capital has resigned itself to insufficient labor. The number of skilled farmworkers is likely to con- tinue dwindling, which is why the investment firm is taking a comprehensive approach to reduce its dependence on them. “We recognize we’re not going to have the harvest labor in the future and we need to adapt,” said Tom Avinelis, the firm’s principal. The first step involves planting firm blueberries that ripen uniformly and easily de- tach from their stem, decreas- ing damage from machine-har- vesting. Those plants are then carefully pruned to encour- age strong canes and upright growth, which also eases me- chanical harvesting. Harvesting machines — Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Tom Avinelis, left, principal of Agriculture Capital, examines ad- vanced fruit-sorting machinery with Jacob Peters, operations man- ager of HBF Services. Agriculture Capital owns a new blueberry packing plant near Silverton, Ore., that HBF Services is operating under contract. which commonly shake bush- es to knock off blueberries — are being perfected to avoid losing and injuring the fruit. Manufacturers are also ex- perimenting with gentler har- vest techniques, such as dis- lodging the berries with blasts of air. Finally, computerized sort- ing machines equipped with advanced infrared optics de- tect bruised or defective fruit, diverting it for processing while the highest-quality blue- berries are packed for the fresh market. “It’s all about systems man- agement to baby that fruit any way we can,” said Avinelis. Since 2014, the investment firm has bought roughly 4,000 acres of farmland in Oregon and 5,000 acres in California that it’s dedicating to high-val- ue crops. Most recently, the firm converted a Christmas tree seedling facility near Silver- ton, Ore., into a fresh blueber- ry packing plant, with plans to double the building’s foot- print by next spring. Apart from decreasing its reliance on labor, Agriculture Capital’s mechanically ori- ented approach to blueberry farming addresses another problem: Competition from foreign producers who pay lower wages. Harvesting blueberries by hand for the fresh market can cost from 65 cents to $1.20 per pound, depending on the season, Avinelis said. To compare, machine-harvesting blueberries delicately enough for this higher-value mar- ket costs from 17 cents to 30 cents per pound. Blueberries grown on Ag- riculture Capital’s farmland will supply roughly half the capacity of its Silver Moun- tain Packing Co., so the com- pany expects to help other growers adopt its cultivation practices. “We see this as investing in the entire blueberry industry,” Avinelis said. Of the investment firm’s farmland in Oregon, about 1,400 acres are planted to blueberries and the remainder are devoted to hazelnuts. “We feel both these indus- tries have tremendous poten- tial,” he said. For now, Agriculture Cap- ital is selling its hazelnuts to other packers. Eventually, it will probably build its own facility in line with the firm’s vertically integrated philoso- phy, Avinelis said. Sean Ellis/Capital Press File Idaho FFA members from around the state meet in Boise in January 2016. An initiative approved in 2014 has resulted in a significant increase in FFA enrollment, as well as a boost in the number of FFA chapters in the state and agricultural education teachers. 2014 Idaho initiative has benefited ag education and FFA programs By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — An initiative designed to shore up the state’s ag education pro- grams has provided signif- icant benefits since it was approved during the 2014 Idaho Legislature, support- ers say. The Idaho Ag Education Initiative garnered more than $1 million in addition- al ongoing state funding for agriculture education pro- grams. It was backed by the Ida- ho FFA Association, Idaho FFA Alumni Association and Idaho FFA Foundation and was supported by the state’s farming industry. The Legislature ap- proved an annual $25,000 start-up grant for ag edu- cation programs and creat- ed common Idaho quality standards for all ag educa- tion programs and $10,000 incentive grants based on those standards. Lawmakers increased “added cost” funding — money provided by the state for costs associated with certain programs that are above normal class- room costs — for ag edu- cation classes from $10,260 to $15,000 per full-time in- structor. They also approved funding for a full-time FFA Association executive di- rector. That position had been part-time. “There has been signifi- cant growth in the program since” the initiative passed, said Steve Wilder, an FFA instructor at Meridian High School. “The number of FFA members and teachers has gone up, there has been great reward from those grants and the full-time FFA coordinator has had some definite benefits.” According to Idaho FFA Executive Director Clara- Leigh Evans, there were 3,965 FFA members and 81 chapters in the state in 2014 and there are now 4,708 members and 95 chapters. During 2014, there were 120 agricultural and natural resource teachers in Idaho and there are 148 now. There were 45 appli- cations this year for the $10,000 incentive grants and 30 were awarded, and four new programs were started this year, said Marc Bietia, co-chair of the Idaho FFA board of directors and an ag education teacher at Ameri- can Falls High School. “The initiative has been successful. FFA member- ship has increased and so has overall enrollment in ag education classes,” he said. But Bietia said the real success of the initiative, in his opinion, is increased communication with the lo- cal community and agricul- tural industry that has result- ed from the review process that is part of the incentive program. In his American Falls ag education program, up to 50 local businesses have input into what students are taught and the ag industry directly influences the curriculum. “I think that the most valuable part of the whole process is the line of com- munication developed be- tween the program, our administration and our stakeholders,” he said. “That was the intent of the (incen- tive program) all along.” The incentive grants have helped increase the quality of ag education programs, said Shawn Dygert, who teaches ag education classes at Kuna High School. “We’re rewarding pro- grams for pushing toward excellence,” he said. His program is using an incentive grant to help fund a major capital improvement on its greenhouse. “It’s really helping,” he said of the initiative. “We’re seeing program improve- ment and enrollment in- creasing.” Bietia said initiative sup- porters will meet with other stakeholders to discuss the possibility of seeking addi- tional ag education funding. LEGAL Livestock nutrition company wins $3.85 million from ex-employee By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press An Oregon livestock nu- trition company has won a judgment of $3.85 million against a former employee LEGAL PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE Salem, Oregon Sat, December 9, 2017 10AM 1501 Hawthorne Ave NE Keyla Almestica Looney, 2C54; Tina Barlow, 1A04; Gordon R Bean, 2A65; Debra L Bennett, 2B46; Darrin Cragle , 1G17; Tammy Delfino, 1E43; Carmen Rocio Duran Ramirez, RJ14; Linches Esetok, RE14; Amanda Frechin, 2C65; Michell Graves, 1C41; SheaAnn Greaves, 2A50; Amber Jones, 1B15; Jonathon Jones, 2B56; Kevin M Lent, Y1-1; Andrew McMillan, 2E06; Sam Means, 2B58; Lynn Medina, 1F06; Joselyn Oropeza, 2C37; Christy Packer, 1C24; Dustin Patee, 1G16; Haley Potter, RE19; Kimberly Reitzer, 2C52; Erica Salazar, 2C57; Silas Scott, Y1-8; Shallone Sheets, 2G03; Jared Sheridan, 1F42; Brian Siegmund, 2A71, 2A73; Duane W Stateler, 1F34; Keith Weddle Jr, 1F47; Vincent K Wilson, 2D51; Kimberly Wollin, 2B25; Luis Zavala Santana, 2C39 legal-47-3-4/999 who was found liable for stealing trade secrets. Omnigen Research, which produces feed addi- tives that counteract hemor- rhagic bowel syndrome in cattle, was founded by Neil Forsberg, a former Oregon State University professor. Roughly 20 percent of the U.S. dairy herd is treat- ed with these products, ac- cording to Phibro, an animal health company that bought Omnigen for $23 million in 2012. Last year, Omnigen filed a lawsuit accusing a former employee, Yongqiang Wang, of using its technology to “These actions have deprived the plaintiffs of evidence central to their case and undermined the court’s ability to enter a judgment based on the evidence.” Michael McShane, U.S. District Judge obtain a patent in China and start a competing livestock nutrition business in that country. Wang denied relying on trade secrets obtained from Omnigen during his eight years of employment at the company, which end- ed in 2013, and countered that he was falsely prom- LEGAL LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 98 Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be sold, for cash to the highest bidder, on 12/11/2017. The sale will be held at 10:00am by LITTLE J HOOK INC. 15114 MANNING RD, WOODBURN, OR 2016 FORD FOCUS VIN = 1FADP3K28GL247245 Amount due on lien $3,320.00 Reputed owner(s) UTL OR WA CA PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 98 Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be sold, for cash to the highest bidder, on 12/11/2017. The sale will be held at 10:00am by DELFIN’S TOWING 1255 SUNNYVIEW RD NE, SALEM, OR 2007 CHEV SILVERADO PU VIN = 3GCEK13M87G548953 Amount due on lien $4,640.00 Reputed owner(s) JESSICA L. FORSTER & SEAN S. MATHERS legal-48-2-3/999 legal-48-2-3/999 Attorney: DAVID B. BECKHAM 319 Sixth Avenue SW Albany, OR 97321 legal-47-3-1/999 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF MARION Probate Department IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Harold L. Hayes, Deceased No. 17PB08210 NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them to the undersigned Personal Representative in care of the undersigned attorney at: 319 Sixth Street SW, Albany, OR 97321 within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice, as stated below, or such claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings in this estate may obtain additional infor- mation from the records of the Court, the Personal Rep- resentative, or the attorney for the Personal Represen- tative. DATED and first published November 24, 2017. Personal Representative: DORIS M.Hayes 1064 Camelot Dr. S. Salem, OR 97306 ised a portion of the firm’s profits. In May, U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ruled against Wang because he’d destroyed evidence in the case, including computer files and emails. “These actions have de- prived the plaintiffs of ev- idence central to their case and undermined the court’s ability to enter a judgment based on the evidence,” LEGAL PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE Albany, Oregon Sat, December 9, 2017 1PM 1668 Industrial Way SW Troy Babbit, J017; Teri Barnett, H063; Chelsey LaMora, H021; Richard Miano, H006; Minnie Reimer, E017 legal-47-3-4/999 McShane said in a ruling granting default judgment to Omnigen. McShane has now found that Wang owes $821,000 for breaching his contract with Omnigen, misappropriating its trade secrets and falsely advertising the company’s technology as his own. However, the judge tripled that amount, to $2,463,000, to have a pu- nitive and deterrent ef- fect. McShane also tacked on $92,000 for the sala- ry paid to Wang while he was working against the company and $252,000 for research projects he sabo- taged. Aside from the $2.8 mil- lion in damages, McShane has ordered Wang to pay his former employer more than $1 million in attorney fees and costs. Omnigen has also se- cured $500,000 of collateral in Wang’s home in Corvallis, Ore., to ensure he complies with an injunction barring him from using the stolen trade secrets in China.