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CapitalPress.com
November 16, 2018
People & Places
Unique crop has Italian accent
Marc Marchini
and his family
grow radicchio
in California
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
LE GRANDE, Calif. —
There is a touch of Italian
heritage in Marc Marchini’s
primary crop.
“I am the fourth genera-
tion of California farmers,”
he said.
In 1989, Marc’s father,
Jeff Marchini, and grandfa-
ther, Joe Marchini, started a
radicchio farm, combining 80
years of farming experience.
“For the last 10 years my
brother Nic and I have farmed
5,000 acres alongside Jeff and
Joe,” Marc said.
Radicchio is Marchini
Farms’ main crop. They grow,
pack and ship 365 days per
year and market it all over the
Courtesy of Marc Marchini
Marc Marchini, a fourth gener-
ation Californian, farms with his
family in Merced County. The
primary crop is radicchio, an
Italian chicory.
world. Radicchio — or Radic-
chio di Chicchio — is a leafy
Italian chicory that is native to
Northern Italy.
A relative of endive, radic-
chio is sometimes referred in
English as “Italian chicory.”
For example, radicchio
comes in many different
shapes and colors. Radicchio
di Chioggia has red leaves
with white ribs and is round,
resembling cabbage.
Marc said he always knew
he would work in agriculture.
Although he grew up in the
fields working summer jobs
and spent weekends doing
farm work, his heart was al-
ways in management of sales,
marketing and packing house
operations.
He almost got a degree
in winemaking to become a
winemaker, but he now makes
his own wine on the side and
jokes that he has the “best of
both worlds.”
“Radicchio is very hard to
grow,” Marc said. “It must be
transplanted and the planting
windows are short.”
Weeding is always a bur-
den, pest pressure is heavy
most of the year, and harvest
must be done on time, he said.
“We are the largest suppli-
er of radicchio I know of,” he
said.
Radicchio is gaining in
popularity. The bitter flavor
and powerful colors make it
a unique ingredient, and it’s
healthy, too. Marc said he
loves to grill it on the barbe-
cue and finish it with a bal-
samic glaze, walnuts, and
white raisins.
“Marc Marchini is an in-
tegral member of J. Marchini
Farms and highly involved in
Merced County agriculture,”
said Breanne Ramos, exec-
utive director of the Merced
County Farm Bureau. “He has
been a member of the Mer-
ced County Young Farmers
and Ranchers for a number of
years and I’m excited to see
his continued growth.”
Although business is
strong, Marc says California’s
farmers face challenges.
“The biggest challenge
facing California farming is
water,” he said. “Our surface
water for farming is being
limited by the water board
every year. More water stor-
age could solve this prob-
lem. SGMA (the Sustainable
Groundwater Management
Act) is coming into play
quickly. All of California is
Western
Innovator
Marc Marchini
Hometown: Le Grand, Calif.
Occupation: Vice president
of operations, J. Marchini
Farms
Family: Married, two children
Personal quote: “Focus on
the little things; the big things
will take care of themselves.”
in an overdraft situation and
in areas such as Le Grand
we are critically over drafted.
Groundwater extraction will
need to be limited in the short
term and farmland will be fal-
lowed, forcing the lower val-
ue crops out of the market.”
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EO Media Group
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An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
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Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
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Dairy Goat Day challenges beginners, experts
By ALIYA HALL
Capital Press
PLEASANT HILL, Ore.
— For newer goat owner
Marit Vike, Dairy Goat Day
was an opportunity for her
and her husband to learn more
information about their an-
imals — and celebrate their
anniversary.
Vike has had goats for four
years, after her goat enthusiast
friends inspired the couple to
get their own. Although they
consider the goats as pets and
do little milking, Vike said she
was most looking forward to
health and pasture manage-
ment seminars.
Vike was one of more than
50 attendees at Dairy Goat
Day, which was sponsored
by Oregon State Universi-
ty Small Farmers Extension
Program and Emerald Dairy
Goat Association (EDGA)
in Cottage Grove. Attendees
traveled from around the Wil-
lamette Valley, as well as from
central and southern Oregon
and Washington.
“We are so happy to be
paired with OSU this year,”
Laura Lounsbury, EDGA
president, said. “They have
been a big asset to us in put-
ting everything together.”
Last year, Lounsbury sug-
gested to the association that
it should host an educational
day to “ramp up numbers for
our nonprofit group and en-
courage 4-H kids.” She was
inspired by the Northwest
Oregon Dairy Goat Associa-
tions’ annual conference, and
attended OSU’s goat educa-
tion event.
Courtesy of Melissa Fery
A demonstration by Becky Gee with EDGA showed attendees how to build an inexpensive milk stand
from PVC at Dairy Goat Day in Pleasant Hill. Over 50 people from all over the Willamette Valley,
southern and central Oregon and Washington state attended the program.
“It made sense to combine
our efforts,” Melissa Fery,
OSU Extension Small Farms
Program agent, said. “(The
program) is all about com-
munity education and helping
landowners or small acreage
owners meet their goals.”
She said that the program
puts out needs assessments
and workshops to ask farm-
ers what they need to know
to work more efficiently. The
seminar topics were chosen
by EDGA and Small Farms
Extension, and were geared
toward both beginners and
life-long learners.
“Our hope is that every-
one, beginner or expert, can
take away a few new point-
ers,” Lounsbury said.
Seminars included: Ad-
ventures with Pack Goats,
Common Diseases of Goats,
Getting Started with Milk
Certification, Cheese Making
for the Home Dairy, Manag-
ing Internal Parasites, Live-
stock Guardian Animals,
Raising Goats for Meat, Pas-
ture Management, Finessing
Freshening: The 1-2-3s of
Milking, Herbal Goat Foun-
dations and Handling Goat
Emergencies the Herbal Way.
During lunch, a demon-
stration by Becky Gee with
mond and Walnut UC IPM Work-
shop. 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
of the University of California-Davis
and other industry leaders. Website:
https://bit.ly/2OdjFO6
EDGA showed attendees how
to build an inexpensive milk
stand from PVC.
Fery taught the general
pasture management class.
She said that “many Oregon
pastures are overgrazed” and
there are simple strategies to
change that. She liked that it
was applicable to people with
goats as well as other live-
stock.
Katherine Drovdahl, with
Fir Meadow LLC, was anoth-
er instructor. She taught both
Herbal Goat Foundations and
Handling Goat Emergencies
the Herbal Way. She said
she wanted attendees to start
“thinking like a vitalist” and
learn ways to handle simple
emergencies with herbal rem-
edies.
“I hope they leave more
educated and encouraged to
try new methods,” she said.
“This information saves mon-
ey and they learn to be inde-
pendent. If there’s an emer-
gency at midnight, it’s easier
to find some dandelions than
it is to go to the vet.”
Lounsbury said she was
excited about this year’s
growth — double the atten-
dance from last year — as
well as the variety of different
topics.
“The Emerald Dairy Goat
Association is committed to
sharing knowledge of goats
with others,” she said. “It is
also a fundraiser for our non-
profit to keep our group alive,
as well as encourage 4-H kids
in the goat project.”
Teagan Moran, OSU ed-
ucational program assistant,
said these collaborations hap-
pen when a need is identified.
She said people have reached
out to her before who have ex-
perience in milking but want-
ed to branch out to meat goats,
and events like these connect
the community to skill share
and network.
For Fery, after all the plan-
ning, she enjoyed watching
attendees network and learn
from each other.
“Knowing they’re getting
some quality educational sem-
inars today,” she said. “Any-
thing they glean and apply to
their farms is good for every-
one. Good for water quality,
soil and (the) animals.”
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. Include “Calen-
dar” in the subject line.
Through Saturday
Nov. 17
Tri-State Grain Growers Con-
vention. Sheraton Airport Hotel,
8235 NE Airport Way, Portland,
Ore. USDA Special Trade Counsel
Jason Hafemeister, USTR Chief
Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud
and a grain export market panel are
among the many events featured
on this year’s agenda. Website:
www.wawg.org
Friday, Nov. 16
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
social well-being of the state of Ore-
gon. Website: http://www.aglink.org/
event/denim-diamonds/
Third Annual Post-Harvest Al-
Friday-Saturday
Nov. 16-17
Fall Forage Festival. Benton
County Fairgrounds and OSU Old-
field Animal Teaching Facility, Cor-
vallis, Ore. Presenters will include
Glenn Shewmaker, a University of
Idaho Extension forage special-
ist; Steve Norberg, a Washington
State University Extension forage
specialist; Mylen Bohle, an Oregon
State University forage specialist;
and Jon Driver of Farm Credit Ser-
vices. The annual Hay King Contest
will be Saturday. Website: https://
www.oregonforage.org or oregon-
haygrowers.com
Tuesday-Wednesday
Nov. 27-28
California Dairy Sustainability
Summit. Sacramento Convention
Center, 1400 J St., Sacramento,
Calif. Learn how California’s dairy
families are leading the world in
sustainable farming, and gain insight
into the policies and technologies
that will continue to drive innovation
and help the industry improve its
environmental and economic future.
Speakers include Karen Ross of
the California Department of Food
and Agriculture, Frank Mitloehner
Wednesday-Friday
Nov. 28-30
Washington Small Fruit Confer-
ence & Lynden Ag Show. NW Wash-
ington Fairgrounds, 1775 Front St.,
Lynden, Wash. The Washington
Small Fruit Conference is a three-
day conference with the latest rele-
vant research information delivered
by the scientists performing the re-
search. Lunches each day are pro-
vided. This conference is presented
in association with the Lynden Ag
Show, a trade show featuring ven-
dors serving the small fruit commu-
nity. Website: www.wasmallfruit.com
Tuesday-Thursday
Dec. 4-6
86th Oregon Farm Bureau An-
nual Meeting. Salem Convention
Center, 200 Commercial St. SE,
Salem, Ore. All voting and support-
ing members of Farm Bureau are
welcome and encouraged to attend.
Besides the grassroots OFB poli-
cymaking process, the convention
offers a chance to learn about Farm
Bureau’s programs and priority is-
sues, network, and socialize with
farmers and ranchers from across
the state. Website: https://oregonfb.
org/convention/
Idaho Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting. Boise. Idaho Farm Bureau
members gather to learn about and
discuss items pertaining to agricul-
ture. A session is convened with del-
egates making policy coming from
resolutions that generated from the
grassroots of the membership. The
delegates also vote for officers of
the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
Board.
Tuesday-Friday
Dec. 4-7
California Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting. Hilton San Diego Bayfront,
San Diego, Calif. The California
Farm Bureau’s 100th annual meet-
ing. Website: http://cfbf.com/stor-
age/app/media/am_assets/2018_
AM_RegForm.pdf
Wednesday, Dec. 12
Mid-Columbia CORE Pesticide
Training. 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Columbia
Gorge Community College Lecture
Hall, Building 2, The Dalles, Ore.
Morning topics include glyphosate,
triclopyr and risk assessments. Af-
ternoon topics include an update on
laws and regulations and case stud-
ies and lessons learned. 4 pesticide
credits are available. The class will
satisfy CORE requirements or can
be taken for 4 additional credits.
Lunch will not be provided. Pre-reg-
istration is required. Cost: $15 Web-
site: http://extension.oregonstate.
edu/wasco
Thursday-Friday
Jan. 10-11
69th Annual Oregon Mint Grow-
ers Meeting. Salishan Resort, 7760
US-101, Gleneden Beach, Ore. At-
tendees will hear the latest on the
mint industry. Pesticide recertifica-
tion credits have been applied for.
Website: oregonmint.org
Friday-Wednesday
Jan. 11-16
2019 American Farm Bureau
Federation Convention and IDEA
Trade Show. Ernest N. Morial Con-
vention Center, 900 Convention
Center Blvd., New Orleans, La.
The Farm Bureau’s annual nation-
al meeting. Website: www.fb.org/
events/afbf-annual-convention/
Wednesday-Friday
Jan. 16-18
Northwest Ag Show. Oregon
State Fair & Exposition Center,
2330 17th St. NE, Salem, Ore. The
49th edition will focus on the emerg-
ing trends in the ag industry such as
small farming, technology and edu-
cation. It will provide useful informa-
tion to attendees regarding equip-
ment, best practices, job training
and state-sanctioned certifications
as well as legal and financial issues
facing all farmers. Cost: $5; $3 for
seniors; free for children under 12.
Website: northwestagshow.com
Thursday, Jan. 17
Oregon Seed Association
Mid-Winter Meeting. 7 a.m.-6:30
p.m. Best Western Premier Boulder
Falls Inn, 505/605 Mullins Drive,
Lebanon, Ore. The one-day event
consists of committee and general
member meetings, workshops and
includes lunch. Scholarship awards
are presented to eligible applicants.
The day concludes with an evening
reception to honor past association
presidents. Website: http://www.
oregonseed.org/events
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Index
Opinion .................................. 6
Dairy ...................................... 8
Livestock ............................. 10
Markets ............................... 12
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