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2 CapitalPress.com July 6, 2018 People & Places Making the most of walnuts Mollie Sitkin adds organic snack line to her family’s walnut operation Western Innovator By JULIA HOLLISTER for the Capital Press LINDEN, Calif. — Maybe old dogs can learn new tricks. After five generations of ranching in San Joaquin County, Calif., the Sitkin family has added flair to the walnuts they grow in their or- chards. “Our ranch, whimsical- ly named Old Dog Ranch, caught on when it was named after my parents’ dogs, Mollie and Poppy,” said Mollie Sit- kin. “Both dogs were very old when my parents purchased some land from my great grandmother. My dad liked that one dog so much that they named me after her, too.” Sitkin grew up on the ranch near Linden, and though she said she wasn’t always in- volved in it, she has reinvig- orated it with unique products she makes from the organic walnuts they grow. She started the family’s value-added line of snack products about 5 years ago. “The raw honey-and-sea salt walnut butter is one of my favorite products,” she said. “Somehow it is super-healthy Mollie Sitkin Farm: Old Dog Ranch. Orchard: 67 acres of walnut trees (27 acres organic, 40 acres conventional). Hometown: Linden, Calif. Courtesy of Molly DeCoudreaux Roger and Mollie Sitkin with their “crew” at Old Dog Ranch in San Joaquin County, Calif., east of the Bay Area. She started the family’s value-added line of organic snack products about five years ago. but also tastes like cookie dough.” They also grow the organ- ic spices that they use in their flavored walnuts and keep bees for the honey that goes into their walnut butter. All of their products — with the ex- ception of the whiskey spice walnuts — are made with 100 percent gluten-free ingredi- ents. “...We’ve been proud to watch their business grow as Mollie has developed the val- ue-added side of her family’s walnut business,” said Brie Mazurek, communications director of CUESA — the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture — which operates the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in San Francisco. Old Dog Ranch has been part of the market for 3 years. “The ranch is a family op- eration,” Sitkin said. “My dad, Roger, farms our walnuts and seasonings and I hand-make our products, keep our bees and run our food business.” The ranch has three or- chards: two organic orchards totaling 27 acres and one 40- acre conventional orchard, she said. Going organic is just one way the family farms sustain- ably and responsibly, she said. “We use drip irrigation to conserve water, build healthy soil with cover crops and ma- nure, and choose crop variet- ies that flourish in our micro- climate here on the banks of the Calaveras (River),” Sitkin said. Walnuts thrive in the deep, rich topsoil. Old Dog Ranch grows Chandler walnuts for their excellent flavor, gold- en color, and easy-to-crack shells, and for the trees’ nat- ural resilience, the ranch’s website says. Chandlers leaf and flower later than other va- rieties, making them naturally resistant to winter frost dam- age and rainy-season blight. Occupation: Creates add- ed-value snacks and other foods made with walnuts. Online: www.olddogranch. com “As a rule, walnuts are not particularly hard to grow,” she said. “The problem is growing consistently high-quality or- ganic walnuts can take some extra care, time and experi- ence.” The harvest lasts about a day and all the nuts are ma- chine-harvested. In spite of the beautiful weather and excellent soil conditions, there are pitfalls. “The biggest challenge facing the growers is chang- ing market conditions and price fluctuations,” she said. Start-ups awarded $500,000 to help relieve ag labor woes By DAN WHEAT Capital Press IRVINE, Calif. — Two technology start-up companies have each received $250,000 from Western Growers and Radicle Growth to advance automation and help alleviate agricultural labor shortages. One of the companies, Ga- naz, has built an app that helps farms recruit and engage with their workforce. Using their growing net- work of thousands of farm- workers and their social media integrations, Ganaz lets farms recruit farmworkers with a few taps on their smartphone. Once on the job, farmers can get es- sential messages, like shift changes, to their workforce and solicit feedback on work- ing conditions to improve re- tention. The company is based Radicle Growth The winning teams from Ganaz and GroGuru with Kirk Haney, second from right, of Radicle Growth. at Western Growers Center for Innovation in Salinas, GroGuru, in San Diego, has a wireless underground sensor that can transmit from as far below ground as six feet and work with other sensors. The system can instrument, monitor, collect and analyze data, and deliver real-time re- sults for optimal soil and water management across all soil and crop types. This helps farmers with on-farm efficiency, which can streamline operations. The companies participated in an inaugural Radicle com- petition with other companies specializing in improving on- farm efficiencies. They re- ceived the monetary awards and access to farm acreage to pilot their technology. “The labor shortage in ag- riculture has reached a critical stage, and without legislation for workable ag immigration reform, we need to be proac- tive in accelerating technology if we want to continue to have a nutritious and uninterrupted domestic food supply,” said Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers. “The vision Ganaz and GroGuru demonstrated was incredibly impressive, and they both have all the winning elements needed to succeed in the agtech arena and help farmers tackle ongoing labor issues,” said Kirk Haney, Rad- icle Growth CEO and compe- tition judge. The competition was the first in the nation providing ag tech start-ups with an opportu- nity to pitch their technologies in front of a live audience to a panel of investors and indus- try-leading farmers for sub- stantial capital funding. Founded in 1926, Western Growers, of Irvine, represents family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, Califor- nia, Colorado and New Mexi- co. Members provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vege- tables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America’s fresh organic produce. There are 51 start-up com- panies at Western Growers Center for Innovation & Tech- nology that opened in Salinas in 2015. Radicle Growth is an “ac- celeration fund” in San Diego that selects innovative ag and food tech startups for invest- ment and has a unique propri- etary platform to help vision- aries in agriculture. Washington state dairy ambassadors selected BELLEVUE, Wash. — Ab- igail Zurcher, representing the Mid–Columbia Counties, was crowned the 2018-2019 Wash- ington state dairy ambassador. She was one of five finalists at the 63rd Annual Washington State Dairy Ambassador Coro- nation June 23 at the Bellevue High School Performing Arts Cente, according to a Washing- ton State Dairy Women press release. Rebecca Ford, represent- ing Lewis County, and Jacoba “Cobi” VanSlageren, repre- senting the Yakima Valley area, were selected as equal alternate state dairy ambassadors. “I am so excited to be rep- resenting the dairy farmers across the state this year,” Zurcher said. As representatives of the Dairy Farmers of Washington, the state dairy ambassador and alternates will visit schools, attend local and state fairs, ap- pear at Washington Interscho- lastic Activities Association events, parades and many more activities including addressing the Washington state legisla- ture promoting the health and nutrition benefits of dairy prod- ucts. The dairy industry was well represented by their 2017-2018 Washington State Dairy Am- bassador Anna Teachman, of Sea Tac, and Alternate State Dairy Ambassadors Juliana LeClair, of Mount Vernon, and Claire Leininger, of Everson. They traveled around the state educating students, parents and others on the positive impact and value of Washington’s dairy industry and the impor- tance of dairy products. Administered by the Wash- ington State Dairy Women, the dairy ambassador program began in 1955 to mentor and support outstanding young women and promote the dairy industry. Through Saturday July 7 St. Paul Rodeo. 7:30 p.m. Ro- deo Grounds, Main Street, St. Paul, Ore. The 83rd annual St. Paul Rodeo runs July 3-7 and celebrates Inde- pendence Day with five days of fun. Website: http://www.stpaulrodeo.com Eugene Pro Rodeo. 5 p.m. Ro- deo Grounds, 90751 Prairie Road, Eugene, Ore. Rodeo, dances and fireworks are featured. Closed Thurs- day, July 5. Website: http://www.eu- geneprorodeo.com/ Wednesday, July 11 Caneberry Field Day. 1-5 p.m. OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley Road, Aurora, Ore. This is the annual field day for commercial and back- yard caneberry growers. Sponsored by Oregon State University. Website: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/ Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.- noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This is the fourth session of a six-session course on forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife habitat, and other forestry topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@ uidaho.edu Friday, July 13 Forest Root Disease Workshop. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. UI Extension, Koote- nai County, 1808 N. Third St., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. This program is aimed at both forest managers and forest landowners who are interested in learning more about forest root dis- eases. The event spends the morn- ing indoors learning about the basics. The afternoon is spent outside in the forest. This workshop is limited to 35 participants. Cost: $20 by mail, $22 online. Website: http://www.uidaho. edu/extension/forestry/ Friday-Sunday July 13-29 California State Fair. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. California Expo Center, 1600 Ex- position Blvd., Sacramento, Calif. Cal- ifornia’s state fair brings out the best is the state’s agriculture. Website: http:// www.castatefair.org Monday, July 16 Growing Organic Peaches. 5-7 p.m. Cloud Mountain Farm Cen- ter, 6906 Goodwin Road, Everson, Wash. Participants will be able to ask questions and discuss the advantag- es of growing peaches, including the economics and potential for profits. Website: https://bit.ly/2N5mqOf Wednesday, July 18 Blueberry Field Day. 1-5 p.m. OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley Road, Aurora, Ore. This is the annual field day for commercial and backyard growers. Sponsored by Oregon State University. Website: http://oregonstate. edu/dept/NWREC/ Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.- noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N. 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. 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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. Washington State Dairy Women From left to right are Alternate State Dairy Ambassador Cobi VanSlageren, Washington State Ambassador Abigail Zurcher and Alternate State Ambassador Rebecca Ford. 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@capital- press.com. Write “Calendar” in the subject line. Capital Press 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 Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This is the fifth session of a six-session course on forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife habitat, and other forestry topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu Friday, July 20 Agriculture Law Seminar 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oxford Hotel, 10 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend, Ore. This program will examine key legal issues affecting Or- egon agriculture including issues relat- ed to the environment, water, land use, employment, and bankruptcy. The program will include a timely recap of the 2018 legislative session, and a look ahead to the 2019 legislative session. Attendees will also benefit from a spe- cial presentation from representatives of the Oregon Department of Agricul- ture and Oregon Farm Bureau Feder- ation, who will provide an industry up- date. Website: https://bit.ly/2L8dE0D Wednesday, July 25 Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.- noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This is the last session of a six-session course on forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife habitat, and other forestry topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@uidaho.edu Thursday, July 26 Fresno Food Expo. 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center, 848 M. St., Fresno, Calif. The Fresno Food Expo is a food industry trade event that exclusively show- cases California’s biggest brands and hottest new food trends, featuring food and beverage products from every category. Website: www.FresnoFoo- dExpo.com Friday-Sunday Aug. 17-26 Western Idaho Fair. Western Ida- ho Fairgrounds, 5610 Glenwood St., Boise, Idaho. Website: www.idahofair. com Thursday, Aug. 23 Inaugural Washington FFA Foun- dation Golf Tournament. 1:30-6 p.m. Apple Tree Golf Course, 8804 Occi- dental Road, Yakima, Wash. To take part, contact FFA Foundation Execu- tive Director Jesse Taylor at jesse@ washingtonffa.org or 253-208-9071. A dinner and auction will follow the tour- nament. 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 Markets ............................... 10 Opinion .................................. 6 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. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.