Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2018)
October 26, 2018 CapitalPress.com Willamette Valley winemakers help S. Oregon vineyards Attacks by Smackout wolfpack in northeast Washington flare up Heifers killed on private land By DON JENKINS Capital Press Wolves are attacking cat- tle on private land in Stevens County in northeast Washing- ton, killing at least three cattle within the past two weeks and three in a little over a month, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife consid- ers culling a wolfpack after three verified attacks within 30 days or four in 10 months. The department docu- mented attacks on cattle by Smackout pack wolves on Aug. 20, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 that wolves killed heifers in territory occupied by the Smackout pack, sources said. The department investigat- ed the death of a third heifer on Tuesday, but concluded the cow had not been killed by wolves, Fish and Wildlife wolf policy coordinator Don- ny Martorello said. The department did con- firm Tuesday that a calf was killed by the Old Profanity pack, he said. The attack is the second confirmed by the de- partment since shooting two wolves in the pack in Sep- tember to curb depredations. Martorello said the depart- ment has not decided whether to remove more wolves. By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press The recent attacks by the Smackout pack are occurring about 80 miles from the dep- redations by the Old Profanity pack. Wolves have been active this year, attacking cattle in northeast Washington. The Fish and Wildlife Department counted 16 wolfpacks in that corner of the state at the end of 2017. In response to attacks on cattle grazing in the Colville National Forest, Fish and Wildlife killed one wolf in the Togo pack, as well as the two in the Old Profanity pack. Grazing on federal land is coming to a close for the season, but cattle on private ground remain. The Smackout pack has a history of attacking livestock. Fish and Wildlife trapped and euthanized two pack mem- bers in July of last year to curb depredations. The month before, a ranch hand shot a Smackout pack wolf chasing cattle on Forest Service land. The department ruled the shooting of the state-protected species was lawful under the state’s caught-in-the-act law. The Smackout pack had six wolves survive to the end of 2017, according to Fish and Wildlife. The depart- ment reported last year that the pack had attacked live- stock belonging to at least three producers in the past four years. Feared plant pathogens pop up in Western Washington By DON JENKINS Capital Press Black leg and black rot, plant diseases that Wash- ington agricultural officials have long been on-guard for to protect the vegetable and oil seed industries, appeared this month in Western Wash- ington in separate incidents. Seeds from an organic radish farm in Island Coun- ty tested positive for black leg, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, black rot ap- peared on leaves of a brassi- ca crop in Skagit County. It’s unknown how either disease was introduced, Washington State University plant pathologist Lindsey du Toit said. Growers in both places reported the patho- gens, helping efforts to con- tain them, she said. “Both have the same re- percussions for the seed in- dustry,” du Toit said. “I was pleased to see there wasn’t an attempt to cover it up.” Black leg is a fungal dis- ease that infects cruciferous crops such as canola, brocco- li and cabbage. An outbreak of black leg in the Midwest and eastern U.S. in the 1970s was traced to Northwest-pro- duced seeds, devastating Western Washington’s veg- etable seed industry. It had not been detected in Western Washington in recent years, according to the agriculture department. Black rot is a bacterial disease. According to the American Phytopathologi- cal Society, black rot “must be considered the most im- portant disease worldwide of vegetable brassicas.” To guard against both, the agriculture department re- quires crucifer seeds planted in Island County and five 3 Lindsey du Toit/WSU Black leg fungus on cauliflower. Seeds grown in Island County, Wash., tested positive for the pathogen. other Western Washington counties to be tested and treated for black leg and black rot. The department extended the requirement to 20 Eastern Washington counties in 2015 after black leg was found in canola fields in Oregon and North- ern Idaho. In Island and Skagit counties, the farmers planted seeds that had been tested, du Toit said. Seeds, howev- er, are destroyed during the test, so samples from seed lots are screened. Du Toit said she exam- ined plant matter that she collected from the field in Island County, but did not find black leg. The seeds had been harvested about a month earlier, and the dis- ease was discovered in test- ing at Iowa State University. Black leg and black rot can be spread in the rain or by wind. The crop in Skagit County will have to be de- stroyed, du Toit said. The Oregon Department of Agriculture mandated statewide testing for black leg in 2015 after an outbreak in the Willamette Valley. The five other Western Washington counties in the quarantine area are Clallam, Lewis, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom. The quaran- tine also covers all of East- ern Washington. Oregon winemakers may be fierce competitors in the marketplace, but when it comes to the industry as a whole, they look out for one another. When a Napa Valley win- ery rejected 2,000 tons of grapes from Southern Oregon growers just before harvest due to concerns about smoke taint in the fruit, a group of ri- vals from the Willamette Val- ley decided to lend a hand. The coalition — King Es- tate Winery, Willamette Val- ley Vineyards, Silvan Ridge Winery and Eyrie Vineyards — purchased over 140 tons King Estate of grapes from six growers in Southern Oregon, at full Ed King, CEO and co-founder of King Estate winery and vineyard in Eugene, Ore., is part of a coa- contract price, which they lition of Willamette Valley wineries that bought grapes from the Rogue Valley to produce “Solidarity” will use to create a 2018 vin- wine. The grapes were rejected by a California winery over smoke taint concerns. tage of Pinot noir, Chardon- nay and rosé wines under the Pinot noir on Aug. 1, 2019. name “Oregon Solidarity.” King said they expect to Proceeds from net sales produce between 3,000 and 4,000 cases. will go to vintners in the Each wine will be labeled Rogue Valley who were left from the Rogue Valley Amer- with grapes to rot on the vine. ican Viticultural Area. “We are proud to be part “Labeling these wines of this first-of-its-kind soli- darity effort, working with with the Rogue Valley AVA our colleagues to save what emphasizes the high quality grapes we could from this that comes from this wine high-quality vintage,” said region, and represents our confidence in these wine- Jim Bernau, founder of Wil- lamette Valley Vineyards in growers and vintage,” King said. Turner, Ore. King said he has no con- Copper Cane LLC, a win- ery in Rutherford, Calif., cern about the wine quali- ty, and that it will be “top buys grapes from approxi- mately 50 vineyards in Ore- notch.” Smoke taint has gon to make Pinot noir and Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File been described as producing rosé, though it recently re- Wine grapes ripen in a vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. a “leather,” “burnt” or “ash- jected orders from at least 15 tray” flavor in the wine due to vineyards worth an estimated tion notices came so close to Vineyards already buy some organic compounds released $4 million over smoke taint harvest, growers say they did grapes from Southern Ore- by fires. Copper Cane, mean- not have enough time to find gon, but together the coali- from the region’s wildfires. Joe Wagner, owner and a new buyer for the grapes, tion purchased an additional while, has also run afoul operator of Copper Cane, said leaving them stranded in the $323,750 worth of grapes to of Oregon winemakers in a previous interview that vineyard. Ed King, co-found- make the “Oregon Solidari- stemming from allegations earlier this year of mis- no contracts were canceled, er of King Estate Winery in ty” wines. The wines are now fer- leading labels on its Ore- and the winery will continue Eugene, Ore., said that is to work with Oregon growers when he and other Willa- menting in the wineries’ cel- gon-sourced wines, such as in the future. However, those mette Valley winemakers lars until they are brought “The Willametter Journal” same growers are defend- came up with the game plan. together for blending. Cus- and “Elouan.” Wagner, the ing the quality of this year’s “We just decided, rather tomers can pre-order wines owner, said the winery is grapes, and Bernau said in- than sit on the sidelines, we online beginning Feb. 1, working with state and fed- dependent testing revealed would figure out what we 2019, with the release dates eral agencies investigating smoke taint at levels below could do to help,” King said. for Oregon Solidarity Rosé the claims, though he feels cause for concern. Wineries like King Es- on March 1, 2019, Char- they are doing nothing Because the 2018 rejec- tate and Willamette Valley donnay on June 1, 2019 and wrong. Weekly Fieldwork Report Item/description (Source: USDA, NASS; NOAA) • Days suitable for fieldwork (As of Oct. 23) • Topsoil moisture, surplus • Topsoil moisture, percent short • Subsoil moisture, surplus • Subsoil moisture, percent short • Precipitation probability (6-10 day outlook as of Oct. 23) Presented by ® Ore. Wash. Idaho Calif. 6.7 0 79% 0 91% 6.8 0 59% 0 53% 6.7 0 50% 0 63% 40% Above 50% Above 33-40% Above 7 0 80% 0 80% Normal/ 40% Below Congratulations to Mountain View Seeds/ Pratum Co-op on the completion of their new shipping warehouse Pre-order your Baumalight generator now for delivery in 8 weeks and get an 8% discount. Trusted experience providing solutions for complex ag projects 503-581-0048 .COM ELLIS EQUIPMENT 800-949-2336 CCB# 47432 40-4-3/102 MFG OF BRUSH MULCHERS | STUMP GRINDERS | DRAINAGE PLOWS | BOOM MOWERS | PTO GENERATORS | AUGER BITS & DRIVES | TRENCHERS | TREE SPADES TREE SAWS | LIMB SHEARS AND MORE www.cdredding.com 42-2-3/106