Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2018)
4 CapitalPress.com July 20, 2018 Fruit leader offers immigration solution By DAN WHEAT Capital Press Congress will never pass immigration reform but there is a solution that could work, says the president of the California Fresh Fruit Association. Congress could pass the portions it’s comfortable with, E-verify and border protection, and the president could do the rest, guestworker reform and legal status for existing domes- tic workers, through a trade or executive agreement with the new president of Mexico. That’s the idea of George Radanovich, president of the California Fresh Fruit Associ- ation in Fresno and the former Republican congressman of California’s 19th District from 1995 to 2011. “We could end illegal im- migration once and for all with E-verify (electronic verification of employment eligibility) and border protection but to do that we need a guestworker pro- gram and adjusting the status of those here. Congress will never do that,” Radanovich said. His solution: Congress does what it can. And at near the same time, the president does the rest. A trade or executive George agreement be- Radanovich tween Presi- dent Donald Trump and new Mexican Pres- ident Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would not need con- gressional approval and would be on more solid legal standing than the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that former President Barack Obama did by executive order, Radanovich said. Obama did his Iran deal through an executive agree- ment and it was upheld in court, he said. A future president could undo such an agreement, as Trump undid the Iran deal, but it can be hard to undo, he said. “I was in Washington for 16 years and this thought never occurred to me. It’s never been thought of before when histor- ically initial guestworker pro- grams have been functions of the executive branch,” he said. Trump has domestic policy advisors who either don’t want a responsible end to the issue or won’t allow illegal Mexicans to stay in the country, Radanovich said. “The president has to decide if he wants to end illegal immi- gration once and for all that he has to take the initiative with Mexico,” he said. Mexico has a trade agree- ment with Canada that allows Mexicans to go to and from Canada to work, he said. Guestworkers could even be charged an entry fee at the border to help pay for a border wall, he said. He said he’s talked to mem- bers of Congress, administra- tion and Mexican embassy of- ficials who are interested. “It’s really a solution where there are not many out there,” he said. “It’s the only way to resolve it without harming western agriculture. Seventy percent of specialty agriculture requiring labor is in the West. If anyone can come up with a better plan, I’d dare them.” Shepherd’s Grain brings farmers, customers together Two positions opening on Oregon Board of Agriculture Manager expects Capital Press Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to apply for two positions that are opening on the Oregon Board of Agri- culture, a 10-member body that advises the Oregon De- partment of Agriculture on policy. Candidates must be ac- tively engaged in producing agricultural commodities and have until July 30 to submit applications to Or- egon Gov. Kate Brown’s executive appointments of- fice, along with a resumé, biography and statement of interest. Application materials can be found online at www.or- egon.gov/gov/admin/Pages/ How_To_Apply.aspx. Board members can serve up to two terms of four years. Alexis Taylor, ODA’s director, said the board is intended to represent the di- versity of Oregon agriculture and reflect diversity in age, gender, race and sexual ori- entation. The board provides “in- valuable” insights and lead- ership to the department, she said. “Having that touch- point with real farmers and ranchers keeps us grounded at ODA.” Agricultural water qual- ity, solar developments on farmland and regulation of canola are among the key is- sues that the board will like- ly be advising the agency in the near future, she said. As she makes recom- mendations to the governor, Taylor said she hopes to put forth a candidate from the Klamath basin to replace outgoing member Tracey Liskey, a farmer from that region. The board does have members from Central and Eastern Oregon, but the Klamath area faces distinct challenges, she said. “That’s the amazing thing about Or- egon but also challenging sometimes.” Managing conflicts be- tween different crops and types of agriculture — such as marijuana and hemp, cano- la and related crops as well as genetically engineered or- ganisms and organic crops — will probably continue being one of the major challenges facing the board, Liskey said. “Coexistence is the big is- sue,” he said. During his eight years on the board, Liskey has seen ODA shift its water quali- ty enforcement from being complaint-driven to more proactive. Board members should make sure the agency ensures regulations are workable and landowners receive help with compliance, he said. “More carrots and less hammer.” Liskey said he hopes his replacement will come from a rural part of Oregon and have a conventional agricul- tural background. “I think we need to en- sure the niche markets aren’t over-represented,” he said. Laura Masterson, the other outgoing member and farmer near Portland, like- wise said her seat should be filled by someone who’s ex- perienced with small, organ- ic and direct-market agricul- ture but also has “curiosity and diplomacy” about other farming sectors. During her eight years on the board, Masterson said she’s tried to expose other members and ODA staff to farmers serving organic and niche markets, who often have a different perspective on policy issues. “The flip side is I got to see types of production I never would have,” she said. While membership on the board helps “build bridges” between various types of farmers, it’s still tough for members to “balance natu- ral resources and economic vitality in the state,” Master- son said. LEGAL ODESSA PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CALL FOR BIDS – PROPERTY SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that separate sealed bids will be received by the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA) for purchase of a 28,000 sq. ft. industrial building located at 206 W. Railroad Ave, Odessa, WA 99159. Legal Description: Tract 1 Odessa Union Sp Steel Flathouse B/170 Adjoining 12 Ft North Line Qcd 457023. This building was once a grain storage flat house then converted to a large warehouse/office space in 2006. Restrooms and office space occupy 3,000 sq. ft. of the building. Additional 60’ of property extends west of the building. The site would be suitable primarily for industrial or ag-related commercial/industrial development as permitted by zoning. Sealed bids will be received until 12:00 noon (PDT) August 20, 2018 at which time they will be held until opened and publicly read aloud at the OPDA Board Meeting, August 20, 2018, 7:00 p.m., located at the Odessa Hospital Guild Room, 503 Amende St., Odessa, WA 99159. Bids shall be mailed prior to bid opening to P.O. Box 763, Odessa, WA. 99159 or hand delivered prior to bid opening to: 207 W. First Avenue, Odessa, WA no later than 12:00 pm on August 20, 2018. All bids must meet a minimum price of $305,000 to be considered. Questions regarding the project may be directed to Stacey Rasmussen, stacey@odessapda, 509-348-0090. Odessa Public Development Authority, Kim Ramm, President 28-2-3/999 growing demand for company’s flour By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press REARDAN, Wash. — Shepherd’s Grain, a farm- er-owned company based in the Northwest, brought farm- ers and bakers together at the same table this week. The company is owned by wheat farmers and focuses on no-till farming practices. It uses the cost of production to set its prices instead of the commodity market. Shepherd’s Grain has sales offices in Seattle and Portland. Farmers grow wheat in East- ern Washington, Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Forty-four customers who use Shepherd’s Grain flour on July 11 visited farms in Ritz- ville, Reardan and Davenport, Wash. “The farmers love to see who it is who’s using their wheat and on the other side, the users like to see who’s growing the wheat,” Shep- herd’s Grain general manager Mark Swenson said. Company co-founder Fred Fleming, who farms near Reardan, said the company tests new wheat varieties to see how well they meet Shepherd Grain standards, checking for milling and baking quality. Some varieties don’t meet the company standards, Flem- ing said. One didn’t have the needed flavor component; another yielded well, but also didn’t have the necessary fla- vor. Others had too strong a mixing component, because Photos by Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Fred Fleming, co-founder of Shepherd’s Grain, addresses farmers and customers as Ryan Higgin- botham, manager of seed and special services for HighLine Grain Growers Inc., looks on. Stacey Shimon, baker for Forest Ridge School in Bellevue, Wash., gets a photo of dark northern spring wheat on Hal Johnson’s farm near Davenport, Wash., during the Shepherd’s Grain tour July 11. much of Shepherd’s Grain flour must be worked by hand, he said. Tom McLaughlin, mer- chandiser for Archer Daniels Midland, told tour participants that his company keeps Shep- herd’s Grain wheat separate from other wheats when mill- ing. “It’s a niche compared to the commodity world, no doubt, but it’s a quality product with much more consistency in its production,” McLaugh- lin said. “The biggest thing is being able to pick the varieties that meet the customer’s end need.” Shepherd’s Grain’s ap- proach is unique, McLaughlin said, primarily because it came from a grassroots level. “A lot of producers don’t By DAN WHEAT Capital Press Farmworker housing fund- ed by USDA loans will soon be available to agricultural foreign guestworkers again. An amendment by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse allowing H-2A workers to be housed in facilities built with USDA loans is part of the Consoli- LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87 Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be sold, for cash to the highest bidder, on 8/3/2018. The sale will be held at 10:00am by COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 2014 KW TRK VIN = 1XKAD49X8EJ400295 Amount due on lien $1,695.00 Reputed owner(s) JOEGESHWAR SINGH HITACHI CPTL AMERICA CORP ELT SPRINT CARRIERS INC dated Appropriations Act of 2018. Farmworker housing fund- ed by USDA Section 514 loans was closed to H-2A foreign guestworkers by the Obama administration un- der the premise they could displace domestic workers, said Dan Fazio, director of the farm labor association WAFLA in Olympia. The problem was brought to light by Bob Boehm, Mich- LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87 Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be sold, for cash to the highest bidder, on 8/2/2018. The sale will be held at 10:00am by AUTO TEAM CAR CARE CENTER LLC 2305 MCGILCHRIST ST SE, SALEM OR 2014 DODGE CARAVAN VAN VIN = 2C4RDGBG9ER162267 Amount due on lien $6,256.96 Reputed owner(s): FERY ASSOCIATES LLC/ GOLD STAR TRAN ADVANTAGE FUNDING COMM CAP CORP 29-2-3-999 igan Farm Bureau commodity and marketing manager, more than a year ago when the or- ganization was assisted by WAFLA in setting up an H-2A program, Fazio said. Fazio learned the rules prevented H-2A workers from using a 70-bed Yakima Housing Authority facility in Granger, Wash., and would impact housing in Oroville, Wash., this year. Fazio took the matter to Newhouse, who sponsored an amendment. The rule change will ben- LEGAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces a meeting of the Washington State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) on Thursday, July 26, 2018 from 9:30am to 4:35pm at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Conference Room, 6730 Martin Way E., Olympia, WA 98516. For more information contact Nick Vira at (360) 704-7758. 29-3/999 LEGAL 3995 Brooklake Rd. NE • Brooks, OR 97303 Vintage & Antique Tractors Parades & Tractor Pulls Swap Me et & Quilt Show 15 VIntage machinery & Implement Museums Great Food & Family Fun! Kids 12 & under FREE! $12.00 General Admission www.PowerlandHeritagePark.com look at net margin per acre,” he said. “They focus on yield. If we could get producers to start looking at net margin per acre — we’re going to give up 10 percent yield, but guess what? (The farmer is) getting 20 percent more revenue — that would facilitate the process.” Swenson estimated 20 per- cent of the wheat produced by its 37 farmers goes to Shep- herd’s Grain. Farmers sell the remainder on their own or on the commodity market. The company would like to in- crease demand to sell the re- maining 80 percent, he said. Shepherd’s Grain farmers received $9.54 per bushel for dark northern spring wheat, $6.71 per bushel for hard red winter wheat and $5.63 per bushel for soft white wheat. Prices are arrived at by cal- culating the grower’s costs of producing the wheat and a fair rate of return to the farmer, Swenson said. USDA-funded housing open to H-2A workers again 29-2-3/999 By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI PUBLIC NOTICE The Soil and Water Conservation Commission (SWCC) will hold its regular quarterly meeting on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center Museum, 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville, OR, 97128. The meeting agenda covers SWCC reports, advisor reports, Soil and Water Conservation District programs and funding, Agriculture Water Quality Management Program updates, and other agenda items. The Oregon Department of Agriculture complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need special accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Sandi Hiatt at (503) 986-4704, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. 29-3/999 efit the Granger and Oroville facilities and farmworker housing built by growers with Section 514 loans, Fazio said. It also should apply to US- DA-funded housing in other states, he said. “Congressman Newhouse did a great job getting this through the legislative pro- cess,” Fazio said. “The more housing available, the better as an aging and shrinking do- mestic workforce is causing greater use of H-2A.” WAFLA is the largest pro- vider of H-2A workers in the Northwest. In a news release, New- house said labor scarcity con- tinues to be a growing prob- lem for agricultural producers nationwide and that improv- ing access to guestworkers is a top priority for farmers in Central Washington. “I applaud USDA’s an- nouncement that it is imple- menting my legislation to allow housing to be used for both domestic and legally ad- mitted temporary workers,” he said. LEGAL CHERRY AVENUE STORAGE 2680 Cherry Ave. NE Salem, OR 97301 (503) 399-7454 AUCTION SAT., AUGUST 4, 2018 • 10 A.M. Unit AS-11 Anthony Ballentine Unit AS-93 Alena Virgilio Unit 75: Lisa Gayman Unit 103: Brian Clem Unit 124 Cynyhia Mendoza Unit 149 Gene R. Boyd Unit 156 Able Martinez Unit 162 Erik Vincent CherryAvenue Storage reserves the right to refuse any and all bids. 29-2-3/999
