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CapitalPress.com
October 19, 2018
People & Places
Farmer tends crops from A to Z
Capital Press
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
SANTA ROSA, Calif. —
Lee James and her brother,
Wayne, started Tierra Veg-
etables in 1980 on 20 acres.
Today they grow everything
from A to Z — asparagus to
zucchini.
The farm specializes in
chiles and grain corn. James
said grain corn is not sweet
corn or feed corn but corn for
human consumption for po-
lenta cornmeal and tortillas.
The farm also has many
heirloom varieties.
“We grow 50 varieties of
pesticide-free chiles,” she
said. “Of these, one dozen are
grown exclusively for drying,
seven are specifically for our
smoked chipotles; 10 are our
milder New Mexico varieties
and our hottest Habanero and
Cayenne are sold fresh and
dried. During the growing
season we can ship fresh chil-
es to customers in our produce
boxes.”
Community
Supported
Agriculture — CSA — cus-
tomers can choose fresh pro-
duce in their own custom as-
sortment of artisan, organic
produce. The boxes are deliv-
ered to customers’ doorstep
or farm pickup and feature
unique selections such as
chiles.
James said in farming
business there really isn’t one
vegetable that is hard to grow.
But, depending on the weath-
er, it’s hardest to get the grain
corn to mature before the end
Western
Innovator
Lee James
Occupation: Farmer and
owner, Tierra Vegetables
Hometown: Santa Rosa,
Calif.
Family: Brother Wayne,
co-owner and operator of
Tierra Vegetables
CUESA
Lee James and her brother, Wayne, grow a vast array of produce on their 20-acre farm near Santa
Rosa, 70 miles north of San Francisco. They have a CSA and sell through their farmstand, a distribu-
tor and at two farmers’ markets.
of the season.
“Yes, we harvest year-
round,” she said. “We have a
lot of processed goods. They
keep us going through the
winter because of our com-
mercial kitchen and the corn
and bean crops. But we pick
fresh almost every single
week of the year: carrots pars-
nips, kale, Brussels sprouts,
celery and celeriac and we
also have ‘hoop’ houses in
which we have salad greens.”
Hoop houses are like
greenhouses but are set up in
the field with a sheet of plastic
stretched over metal or plastic
hoops.
James sells their pro-
duce at several outlets: their
farmstand, CSA, Ferry Pla-
za Farmers’ Market in San
Francisco, Santa Rosa Farm-
ers’ Market and the FEED
Sonoma restaurant distribu-
tor. In addition to the fresh
vegetables, she makes chile
jam and vinegar-based Carib-
bean-style hot sauces. They
also pickle, smoke and freeze
produce.
Earlier this year the farm
also hosted a tortilla-making
workshop led by an aficiona-
do with an extensive back-
ground in the history of torti-
llas. James said the event was
extremely informative, and
the attendees were enthusias-
tic. They will be presenting
the same workshop at the Fer-
ry Plaza Farmers’ Market in
November.
“For 25 years, Tierra
Vegetables has brought an
incredible variety of crops
to the Ferry Plaza Farmers’
Market for San Franciscans
to enjoy, including heirloom
corn, rare beans, and sweet
and spicy peppers,” said
Brie Mazurek, communica-
tions director of CUESA,
the Center for Urban Ed-
ucation about Sustainable
Agriculture. “They are food
preservationists in every
sense of the term — preserv-
ing the season’s best in their
Quote: “We need to encour-
age more young people to
get interested in farming.
So many people don’t
understand where their food
comes from and we’d love to
see agriculture taught in high
school. “
food-craft products, while
preserving biodiversity on
the land and within our food
supply.”
James says challenges are
inevitable.
“Our farm is busy with
new ideas daily, but, in my
opinion, there is a problem
facing California agricul-
ture,” she said. “Our biggest
challenge as a small farm is
the fact that people don’t eat
enough vegetables or cook at
home.”
Future Natural Resource Leaders meet in Scio
By JAN JACKSON
For the Capital Press
SCIO, Ore. — Scio High
School hosted the first-of-the-
school year Future Natural Re-
source Leadership of Oregon
Career Development Event on
Oct. 11, drawing 193 students
who competed in activities that
included forestry skills, tree and
tool identification, first aid pro-
cedures, map reading, speeches
and job interviews.
FNRL, chartered in 2016 to
bridge the gap between class-
room training and real world
applications, is one of seven
Career and Technical Student
Leadership Organizations in
Oregon.
Students from Clatskanie,
Corvallis, Knappa, Sabin
(Milwaukie), Philomath, Scio,
Sweet Home, Tillamook, Wald-
port and Yoncalla high schools
competed in the events.
Rex Lowther, who has been
teaching forestry, wood shop
and small engine classes at
Scio High School since 2004,
said he was satisfied with this
year’s event.
Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press
Competing in the timed cross-cut event from Knappa High School
are Gus Lawson, left; Alexis Whiteside, right; and oiler Ryan Fresh.
They took part in the Future Natural Resource Leadership of Oregon
Career Development Event on Oct. 11 at Scio, Ore., High School.
“As far as I know, Scio’s
program started in the 1970s
as the Associated Oregon For-
estry Clubs and ended in 2008
when they lost their funding,”
Lowther said. “A core group of
instructors kept the CDEs go-
ing until FNRL of Oregon was
chartered in 2014 and began
chartering chapters in 2016.
“We had several industry
volunteers help us on Thurs-
day, which is great because it
exposed the kids to different
job opportunities. For instance,
Jeannie Shuttleworth, a log
buyer from Giustina Resourc-
es, was our job interviewer and
two kids were asked to inter-
view for real with the compa-
ny,” he said. “The two foresters
who were teaching compass
and pacing are local and man-
age a large family tree farm. It
is nice to have people who are
in the industry support these
kids and give them exposure to
potential future careers.”
entertainment and booths with infor-
mation about various programs that
may benefit farmworkers and their
families.
water rights, title issues, transfers and
other related issues. Sponsored by
the Marion Soil and Water Conser-
vation District. Cost: $25 Website:
https;//www.marionswcd.net/
Each high school program
is locally controlled and varies
by needs of the communities,
strengths of the advisers and
direction of the local school
district. The FNRL is a state
Career Technical Student Or-
ganization and is basically the
leadership portion of the pro-
gram. The CTSO also hosts
different events for students in-
cluding leadership training and
FNRL state convention.
“The primary difference is
that our students at the chapter
level have the opportunity to
grow in their leadership abili-
ties and work and share directly
with industry professionals,”
Lowther said. “These students
gain valuable experience,
which gives them opportunities
to learn to communicate direct-
ly with industry professionals
and share what we do not only
in our local programs, but also
as a statewide organization.”
There are 24 students — 18
boys and 6 girls — in Scio High
School’s forestry program.
“We are a little down from
previous years mainly due to
a decline in this year’s school
enrollment,” he said. “We’ll
be focusing on recruitment for
next year to try to bring up the
numbers a bit. There is a point
of diminishing returns, how-
ever, because if we get too big
then it limits what we can do
as a class overall. The most ef-
fective number is 15 per class
period.”
Scio High School senior
Grant Ortiz, current FNRL
president, was also happy to see
the event going so well.
“I competed in my first
CDE in middle school, so this
one will be my eighth,” Ortiz
said while waiting to compete
in the log rolling contest.
Scio always hosts the first
meet of the season, the next one
will be held in Tillamook in
two weeks and then we won’t
do any more until next spring,”
he said. “This year’s event was
different for me, though, be-
cause it is the first one I’ve
participated in a leadership
role.”
For more information on
FNRL contact Kirk Hutchin-
son at 503-550-0471 or email
him at hutchfnrl@gmail.com
end of learning, building relationships
and sharing best practices for growing
a healthy food system The speakers
will include Mai Nguyen, who grows
heirloom, ethnic grains in Sonoma,
Calif., and is the California Organizer
for the National Young Farmers Coa-
lition, and Audra Mulkern, the founder
of “The Female Farmer Project,” a
documentary project chronicling the
rise of women working in agriculture.
Website: www.tilthalliance.org
nock Hotel and Event Center, 777
Bannock Trail, Fort Hall, Idaho.
The meeting brings industry lead-
ers together for a single post-har-
vest event to discuss the growing
season, field trends and forecasts,
and research. Website: https://bit.
ly/2IPifUY
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. Include “Calendar” in the
subject line.
Saturday, Oct. 20
Preparing for Winter on Horse
Properties Workshop. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation
District, 7175 NE Evergreen Parkway
No. 400, Hillsboro, Ore. Join the Tu-
alatin Soil and Water Conservation
District and Horses for Clean Water
for a free workshop about managing
mud, manure and pastures along
with winter health care for horses.
Website: https://www.swcd.net/event/
preparing-winter-horse-properties/
Saturday-Sunday
Oct. 20-21
All About Fruit Show. Saturday, 10
a.m.-4 p.m. Clackamas County Fair-
grounds, 694 NE Fourth Ave., Canby,
Ore. The show offers hundreds of
varieties of heirloom fruit to see and
taste. Types of fruit include apples,
pears, quince, grapes, kiwis and
more. Custom-grafted fruit trees are
also available. Bring unknown apples
for sleuthing by the Apple ID team.
Website: http://www.homeorchardso-
ciety.org/contact-us/
Sunday, Oct. 21
AgroFiesta. Noon-4p.m. O’Con-
nor Field House, 2207 Blaine St.,
Caldwell, Idaho. Families and indi-
viduals who show proof of agricultural
employment, such as a pay stub, will
get in free. The event will feature food,
Tuesday-Wednesday
Oct. 23-24
Nutrient Management Confer-
ence. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Embassy Suites,
1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside, Calif.
The agenda will focus on the latest
FREP-funded research results and
practical applications of fertilizing
materials for agricultural production in
the state of California. Grower, CCA,
and PCA credits will be requested.
Website: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Is/
ffldrs/frep/FREPConference.html
Wednesday-Saturday
Oct. 24-27
91st National FFA Convention
and Expo. Indianapolis, Ind. This is
the culmination of the year’s work for
FFA members from around the na-
tion. Website: https://convention.ffa.
org/schedule/
Monday-Wednesday
Nov. 5-7
2018 Advances in Walnut Pro-
duction Short Course. Activities and
Recreation Center Ballroom, Univer-
sity of California-Davis. This course
is designed for new and experienced
growers as well as other industry
members interested in commercial
walnut production. Website: http://
ucanr.edu/sites/walnutshortcourse/
Tuesday, Nov. 6
Water Rights Boot Camp. 10
a.m.-3:30 p.m. Keizer Community
Center, 930 Chemawa Road NE,
Keizer, Ore. This seminar will address
Wednesday-Thursday
Nov. 7-8
Dairy West Annual Meeting.
Boise Centre, Ninth and Front
streets, Boise, Idaho. Guest speak-
ers Nov. 7 include former U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack,
now president and CEO of the U.S.
Dairy Export Council and a Feeding
America board member; Sara Dor-
land, managing partner at Ceres
Dairy Risk Management; and Alison
Van Eenenaam, University of Cali-
fornia-Davis animal biotechnology
and genomics researcher. A public
showing of the film “Food Evolution”
is slated at 7 p.m. Website: https://
dairywest.com/
Wednesday-Friday
Nov. 7-9
Weed Conference. Wenatchee
Convention Center, 121 N.
Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, Wash.
The 68th conference provides infor-
mation on all aspects of weed control
and management. It covers crops of
all kinds, turf and ornamental, vegeta-
tion management and aquatic. Web-
site: www.weedconference.org
Friday-Sunday
Nov. 9-11
Tilth Conference. Davenport
Grand Hotel, 333 Spokane Falls
Blvd., Spokane, Wash. Tilth Confer-
ence brings together hundreds of
farmers, producers, researchers and
food system professionals for a week-
Tuesday, Nov. 13
Washington Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting. Yakima Convention Cen-
ter, 10 N Eighth St., Yakima, Wash.
Among the speakers will be An-
dré-Denis Wright, dean of the College
of Agricultural, Human and Natural
Resource Sciences at Washington
State University; Brian Hodges,
senior attorney at the Pacific Legal
Foundation; and Caroline Lobdell,
executive director and clinical law
professor at the Western Resources
Legal Center. Website: https://bit.
ly/2ObTgge
Tuesday-Thursday
Nov. 13-15
Willamette Valley Ag Expo. Linn
County Fair and Expo Center, 3700
Knox Butte Road E, Albany, Ore.
The Expo features 250,000 square
feet of exhibits, seminars, antique
farm equipment and the unique Dine
Around Oregon progressive dinner.
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: http://
wvaexpo.com/
Wednesday, Nov. 14
Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meet-
ing. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Shoshone-Ban-
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
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Capital Press ag media
Friday, Nov. 16
Index
Washington State Grape Society
Annual Meeting and Trade Show.
Church of the Nazarene, 500 N. Elm,
Grandview, Wash. Thursday lunch
is included in registration. Cost: $80
Website: https://www.grapesociety.
org/annual-meeting.html
Denim and Diamonds Dinner
Auction, 5-10 p.m. Salem Conven-
tion Center, 200 Commercial St. SE,
Salem, Ore. Oregon Aglink hosts
Denim & Diamonds, an awards din-
ner and auction, which raises funds
for the Cultivating Common Ground
initiative, ultimately supporting all of
Aglink’s programs like Adopt a Farm-
er and telling ag’s story. This event
serves to recognize those who have
gone above and beyond in advocat-
ing the importance of agriculture to
the economic, environmental and so-
cial well-being of the state of Oregon.
Website: http://www.aglink.org/event/
denim-diamonds/
Third Annual Post-Harvest Almond
and Walnut UC IPM Workshop. 8-11
a.m. Chico Veterans Memorial Hall,
554 Rio Lindo Ave., Chico, Calif. A
panel of Sacramento Valley IPM and
farm advisors will talk about the latest
research, 2018 field observations and
discuss key pest management issues.
Website: sacvalleyorchards.com
www.capitalpress.com
www.FarmSeller.com
marketplace.capitalpress.com
www.facebook.com/capitalpress
www.facebook.com/farmseller
twitter.com/capitalpress
www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo
Dairy .................................... 10
Livestock ..............................11
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Correction
A story posted Oct. 3 on the Cap-
ital Press website, capitalpress.
com, incorrectly stated that a
Washington appeals court upheld
a nearly $300,000 fine against
Iowa-based Food Democracy
Now. The correct name of the
organization is Food Democracy
Action! The case involved a
violation of the state’s campaign
finance disclosure law by failing
to report the names of people
who contributed through the orga-
nization to a campaign to pass a
GMO-labeling initiative in 2013.
The Capital Press regrets the
error.