Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2018)
2 CapitalPress.com June 1, 2018 People & Places From Saudi Arabia to California John Carlon uses Middle East experience to grow organic blueberries Western Innovator By JULIA HOLLISTER For the Capital Press F0REST RANCH, Calif. — John Carlon grew up in Northern California and al- ways had an interest in agri- culture. But to realize the dream of having his own farm he would first have to go to Saudi Ara- bia. “I managed the college farm when I attended Chicago State, graduated from Chico State with a degree in agrono- my and horticulture,” he said. He also has a master’s degree in international agriculture development. “But I always wanted a farm of my own,” he said. He heard of a well-paying opportunity in Saudi Arabia and decided to go for it. He farmed 8,000 acres of wheat in the Middle East for five years. “By this time, I had saved enough to come back to the states,” he said. In 1989 most of the blue- berries on the West Coast were grown in Oregon. “We settled in the foothills and today we have nine acres in blueberries,” Carlon said of their location in Butte County. Carlon and his wife, Ar- men, believe their operation John and Armen Carlon Address: Forest Ranch, Calif. Occupation: Owners, Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm Website: www.sierracas- cadeblueberries.com CUESA John Carlon owns and manages Sierra Cascade Blueberries in Northern California. Blueberries are seasonal — from the first of June to the first week in July. The farm sells 80 percent of its blueberries to retail chains and 20 percent to farmers’ markets. is one of only a few organic blueberry farms in the state. It was certified organic in 1993. “Blueberries are hard to plant but easy to grow,” he said. “The soil has to be exact- ly right because of the acidity. We just gambled and picked some good plants.” They grow eight varieties from Michigan and New Jersey. The farm is nearly self-suf- ficient. “With the exceptions of electricity to pump water, fuel to power our tractor and trucks and containers to package the fruit, our farm has become self-sustaining,” he said on the farm’s website. “We have replaced off-farm inputs with ecosystem ser- vices.” For example, birds are a pest on the farm, but Coo- per’s Hawks make short work of them. The hawks eat the other birds as their main food source and have saved the farm hundreds of dollars. Blueberries are harvested from June 1 through the first week in July. The farm sells 80 percent of its blueberries to retail chains and 20 per- cent at farmers’ markets. “We are grateful to have Sierra Cascade Blueber- ry Farm in the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market community and eagerly await their re- turn every spring,” said Brie Mazurek, communications director of CUESA — the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agricul- ture — which runs the farm- ers’ market. “The Carlons truly embody ecologically holistic farming, caring for wildlife, waterways and the land, while providing deli- cious organic berries for us to eat.” Carlon also serves on CUESA’s board of directors. He said the demand for blueberries has increased since information came out about their health benefits. Studies have found that they help maintain healthy bones, promote skin health, reduce blood pressure, help manage diabetes and promote heart health, among other benefits. Carlon is also the co-found- er of River Partners, an envi- ronmental nonprofit that has planted over a million native trees and restored thousands of acres of natural habitat. He is justifiably proud of the family farm. “With a combination of good soil, water, organic and sustainable growing practices, and careful selection of vari- eties that would grow in the local climate, the blueberries harvested from Sierra Cas- cade Farm have been consis- tently outstanding in quality and flavor,” he said. Capital Press Established 1928 Board of Directors Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers Corporate Officers Heidi Wright Chief Operating Officer Rick Hansen Chief Financial Officer 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 © 2018 EO Media Group dba Capital Press 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 Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898 Boise Brad Carlson .................... 208-914-8264 Cent. Washington Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099 W. Washington Don Jenkins ...................... 360-722-6975 Don Kruse, well-known Oregon farmer, dies at age 87 By CRAIG REED For the Capital Press ROSEBURG, Ore. — Don Kruse, a long-time area farm- er who was instrumental in the expansion of his family’s farm to 500 acres of row crops and orchards, died May 13. Kruse was 87. Due to his health, he had been forced off his tractor and into retirement about 5 years ago. After a recent hospital stay, the ambulance that was giving him a ride back to his assisted living facility apartment detoured to Kruse Farms Market, Bakery & Gift Shop that is a mile west of Roseburg. He was able to look out over the crops one more time and family members said the visit “perked him up.” He died six days later of heart-related issues. As a youth, Kruse helped his father, Bert Kruse, on the farm that was originally a 20-acre parcel purchased in 1923. After graduating from Roseburg High School and spending one term at Ore- gon State University in Cor- vallis, Kruse returned home to farm full-time. He became a partner in the business with his father and then when Bert Kruse semi-retired ear- ly in the 1970s Don Kruse became partners with his Calendar 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. Write “Calendar” in the subject line. Saturday, June 2 81st Annual Marion County Lamb & Wool Show. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Turner Elementary School, 7800 School St., Turner, Ore. The show is a day of fun with 4-H & FFA events, wool animals and market lambs. The show also includes craft vendors, an ice cream vendor, a local spinning club and plants for sale. Again this year we will start the day with the children’s class- es: Most Beautiful Lamb, Young Herdsman and Young Market Lamb classes for children under the age of 10. Website: http://marioncoun- tylambandwoolshow.yolasite.com/ Farm to Table Dinner and Soil Health Field Walk. 2:30-8 p.m. Springs Ranch, 51801 County Road 1, Fort Bidwell, Calif. There will be live music from Huckleber- Craig Reed/For the Capital Press Don Kruse, a long-time farmer in the Roseburg, Ore., area, is seen at his produce stand in this file photo. His business, Kruse Farms, still grows about 60 different crops on 500 acres west of Roseburg. own two sons, Denny and Jeff. His daughter Karen and his grandson Evan also work in the family business. “I think you’re born with some of that ability,” Denny Kruse said of his father be- ing a successful farmer. “He had the intuition to do things right. He wasn’t one of those people who used science to figure everything out. He used his gut reaction to re- spond to whatever the situa- tion was. “Farming was his life and I think in his later years when he wasn’t working anymore, he could look back and see what he had accomplished,” Denny Kruse added. Kruse Farms originally specialized in growing about a half dozen crops for the wholesale market. Truck- loads of produce were hauled to distribution warehouses throughout Oregon. Larry Geraci, a produce salesman and manager in Portland and later in Med- ford, Ore., did business with Don Kruse and his farm for almost 60 years. ry Road, a meal featuring Surprise Valley and Modoc grown products as well as regionally sourced adult beverages and a tour of Springs Ranch. All proceeds from the event will go to Modoc Harvest to improve local food access and education in Modoc County. Cost: $75/person, kids under 12 free. Website: https:// bit.ly/2ImyUCd islative issues, reports on ODA’s Natural Resource and Internal Ser- vice and Consumer Protection Pro- grams, project updates from groups receiving Specialty Crop Block Grant funding. A panel presentation on Northwest fruit moving from the grower to the marketplace will fol- low. The afternoon agenda includes tours of H-2A worker housing and a fruit packing operation. At 8:45 a.m. June 7, board members will receive an update on the recent trade mis- sion to China and hear a presen- tation from the Cultivating Change Foundation. Website: https://bit. ly/2cKsbhX Tuesday, June 5 Pre-Harvest Cherry Tour. 7:45 a.m. Tour Dahle Farms on Cherry Heights Road and Omeg Family Farms, 3157 Knob Hill Road, near The Dalles, Ore., for presentations on rootstock selections, New Pearl series cherries, little cherry dis- ease, cover crops for orchards and to meet WSU’s new cherry breeder, Per McCord. Website: extension. oregonstate.edu/wasco Tuesday-Thursday June 5-7 Oregon Board of Agriculture Meeting. Best Western Hood River Inn, 1108 East Marina Way, Hood River, Ore. The board meets at 5 p.m. June 5 for board resolutions and subcommittee meetings. At 8:30 a.m. June 6, the agenda in- cludes an update on the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s leg- Wednesday, June 6 Our Valley, Our Future Break- fast. 7:15-8:45 a.m. Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1515 College Way, Mount Vernon, Wash. Join us for our fourth annual celebration of past, present and future Skagit Valley agricultural leaders over a hearty breakfast. This year our key- note speaker will be Ciscoe Morris of King 5 TV. Awards will also be presented to honor the Skagito- nians that shape our industry. This event is a great way to connect with regional businesses and farmers, celebrate successes, and start the day feeling informed and inspired. Cost: Free; donations requested “Don was one of the better growers out of a lot of good growers in that area,” Geraci said. “When you would give him an order, you could de- pend on him to make it good. He grew quality products. When you would tell peo- ple it was Kruse corn, Kruse peaches, Kruse cantaloupes, they would know it was a quality product.” In the mid-1980s, Kruse Farms purchased a produce stand and expanded its busi- ness to the retail market that soon added a bakery and gift shop. The farm went from growing a few crops on a large scale to about 60 crops, each on a smaller scale. In an interview with this reporter in 2009, Don Kruse said he wouldn’t make any changes, even if he could, in his life. “We had some bad years on the farm,” he said in that interview. “But in those tough years, we kept saying the year of the farmer was coming. It did get here. If I was going to do life over again, I wouldn’t change my life at all.” Although busy on the farm, Don Kruse also found time for community service. He was a member and a strong advocate of the Farm Bureau. He was a member of the Roseburg School Board for 17 years and of the state Board of Education for 10 years. He was also a mem- ber of the Douglas County Fairgrounds board, repre- senting agriculture, for 12 years, was a board member of South Umpqua Bank, now Umpqua Bank, was a board member of the Douglas County Farmers Co-op and was a member of the Voca- tional Agriculture Advisory Committee for Roseburg High School. His farm made many food donations to the local food bank. The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce named Kruse its 1982 First Citizen of the Year. “When somebody would ask him to contribute, to serve on a board, he would always rise to the occasion,” Denny Kruse said of his father. “He would take time out of work to do those things. Commu- nity service was in his per- sonality. He always wanted to help people. If there was a need, he would help.” Family members said a celebration of life for Don Kruse has been scheduled for 1 p.m. June 21 at Redeemers Church in Roseburg. “Don was a good one,” Geraci said. “His name and the Kruse Farms name is known throughout agricul- ture in the state of Oregon.” Website: http://www.skagitonians. org/events/valley-future-breakfast/ 8:40 a.m.-noon. Sherman County Station, 66365 Lone Rock Road, Moro, Ore. Topics include wheat breeding and variety testing, weed control, disease control and agron- omy. Website: http://cbarc.aes.ore- gonstate.edu Monday-Tuesday June 11-12 Water Law & Resource Issues Seminar. Sun Valley Resort, 1 Sun Valley Road, Sun Valley, Idaho. Brenda Burman, the Bureau of Rec- lamation commissioner, will provide updates on the agency including the ongoing discussions about in- frastructure and title transfer. A va- riety of other presentations is also planned by the sponsoring Idaho Water Users Association. Website: www.iwua.org Tuesday-Friday June 12-15 Agriculture Transportation Co- alition Annual Meeting. Greater Tacoma Convention Center, 1500 Commerce St., Tacoma, Wash. The meeting will be the largest annual gathering of ag shippers sourcing and delivering to foreign markets. The agenda includes an off-the- record best practices session for members, a port tour and sessions on other topics. Website: www.ag- trans.org/events Wednesday, June 13 Sherman County Field Day. Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.- noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This is the first session of a six-ses- sion course on forest ecology, silvi- culture, wildlife habitat, and other forestry topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu Saturday-Sunday June 16-17 84th Annual Glenwood “Ketchum Kalf” Rodeo. 12:30-10 p.m. The Glenwood, Wash., Rodeo Association is a nonprofit, all-volun- teer organization that sponsors this rodeo. Cost: $10 for adults, $3 for ages 4 to 12. Wednesday, June 20 Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.- noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This is the second session of a six-ses- sion course on forest ecology, silvi- culture, wildlife habitat, and other forestry topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu E Washington Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923 Oregon George Plaven ................. 406-560-1655 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) .......... 800-882-6789 Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds Subscriptions 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 Fieldwork report ..................... 3 Opinion .................................. 6 Markets ............................... 13 Clarification A page 4 story in last week’s Capital Press needs to be clarified. Norcal Nursery LLC of Anderson, Calif., is entirely unrelated to Norcal Nursery Inc. of Red Bluff, Calif., which is the defendant in a lawsuit filed by an Oregon company over supplying strawberry plants. Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com.
