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2 CapitalPress.com November 23, 2018 People & Places Variety makes irises irresistible Schreiner family produces many new crosses of flowers every year Capital Press 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. Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press From left, Ben Schreiner, his father, Ray Schreiner, and his aunt, Liz Schmidt, operate Schreiner’s Iris Gardens north of Salem, Ore. The company produces roughly 1,200 selections of irises on about 100 acres. summer. The company begins digging up rhizomes to fill or- ders in July, which often over- laps with planting rhizomes in August for the next year’s crop. “When the weather is nice, you have to go like crazy,” said Ray. More efficiency Unusual flower Flowers are hand-pollinat- ed, the seeds are later harvest- ed from cucumber-like pods and planted in November, then germinate the following year and have their flowers evaluated during the spring bloom. Those handful of plants judged to be superior or unique have their rhizomes replanted to begin commer- cial production — each rhi- zome will produce three or four more, so scaling up takes time. The Schreiners considered using tissue culture propaga- tion, in which tiny plants are split up and regrown over a relatively short period of time in a lab. While the technique does exponentially increase the numbers of a new selection, they found that those descen- dants didn’t stay true to type compared conventional vege- tative propagation. “They didn’t stay stable,” Ray said. 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 “Submit an Event.” Calendar items can also be mailed to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308 or emailed to newsroom@capitalpress.com. In- clude “Calendar” in the subject line. 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. Speakers include Karen Ross of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Frank Mitloehner of the University of California-Davis and other industry leaders. Website: https://bit.ly/2Od- jFO6 Wednesday-Friday Nov. 28-30 Washington Small Fruit Con- ference & Lynden Ag Show. NW Washington Fairgrounds, 1775 Front St., Lynden, Wash. The Washington Small Fruit Conference is a three-day conference with the latest relevant research information delivered by the scientists performing the research. Lunches each day are provided. This conference is presented in associa- tion with the Lynden Ag Show, a trade show featuring vendors serving the small fruit community. Website: www. wasmallfruit.com Thursday, Nov. 29 Willamette Valley Oilseed Produc- 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 By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI SALEM, Ore. — A hob- by discovered late in life has provided the Schreiner family with a thriving niche business for the better part of a century. F.X. Schreiner was a “gen- tlemen farmer” in Minnesota when in 1925 he began hy- bridizing irises for fun. Shortly before his death six years later, he’d offer his three children some practical advice: “This would be a good business.” Bob, Connie and Gus took the guidance to heart, and nearly nine decades later, their father’s words continue to ring true. Schreiner’s Iris Gardens, now operated by the third and fourth generations of the fam- ily, produces roughly 1,200 selections of iris on about 100 acres north of Salem, Ore., that are sold around the U.S. and the world. The company also makes about 20,000 crosses a year to hybridize new varieties, re- sulting in about 15 to 18 mar- ketable new selections a year offered to customers. “Most of them will be thrown away because they’re not that much different,” said Ray Schreiner, the founder’s grandson. “People are going for bigger flowers, beards, bud counts and any new color break.” Capital Press Schreiner’s Iris Gardens Employees of Schreiner’s Iris Gardens work at the company’s 100- acre farm north of Salem, Ore. The company produces roughly 1,200 selections of irises and releases new ones every year. Brand new selections tend to fetch the highest prices — $60 to $65 per rhizome — but the volume tends to be low, said Liz Schmidt, Ray’s sister. “We don’t have a lot, so we don’t sell a lot,” she said. Most people will not fork over $60 or more per rhi- zome, but collectors, breeders and farmers often will, said Ray. These new varieties can generally be freely cultivated, as irises haven’t traditionally been subject to plant patents. Elusive color That would likely change if anyone eventually manages to produce a red iris, which has so far proven elusive, he said. “It’s almost the colors of ers Association Annual Meeting. 7:30 a.m. Roth’s Hospitality Center, 1130 Wallace Road NW, W. Salem, Ore. This is the association’s annual meet- ing. All members are invited. Phone: 541-974-3624 Tuesday-Thursday Dec. 4-6 86th Oregon Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. All voting and supporting members of Farm Bureau are welcome and encouraged to attend. Besides the grassroots OFB policymaking pro- cess, the convention offers a chance to learn about Farm Bureau’s pro- grams and priority issues, network, and socialize with farmers and ranch- ers from across the state. Website: https://oregonfb.org/convention/ the rainbow, except red.” Some traits, such as irises that bloom more than once a year, take a longer time to breed. Weather fluctuations can affect this particular char- acteristic, but it’s getting more consistent, Ray said. “The trouble with re-bloomers is they don’t al- ways re-bloom,” he said. The contributions of Schreiner’s Iris Gardens to iris breeding have been repeated- ly recognized with prestigious awards, such as winning the Dykes Memorial Award — considered the industry’s top honor — 11 times since 1958. Growing irises on a com- mercial scale is particularly labor-intensive during the 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-registration is required. Cost: $15 Website: http:// extension.oregonstate.edu/wasco Thursday-Friday Jan. 10-11 69th Annual Oregon Mint Growers Meeting. Salishan Resort, 7760 US- 101, Gleneden Beach, Ore. Attendees will hear the latest on the mint industry. Pesticide recertification credits have been applied for. Website: oregon- mint.org Idaho Farm Bureau Annual Meet- ing. Boise. Idaho Farm Bureau mem- bers gather to learn about and discuss items pertaining to agriculture. A ses- sion is convened with delegates mak- ing 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. Friday-Wednesday Jan. 11-16 Tuesday-Friday Dec. 4-7 Wednesday-Friday Jan. 16-18 California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, Calif. The California Farm Bureau’s 100th annual meeting. Web- site: http://cfbf.com/storage/app/me- dia/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 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show. Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans, La. The Farm Bureau’s annual national meeting. Website: www.fb.org/events/afbf-annual-con- vention/ Northwest Ag Show. Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem, Ore. The 49th edition will focus on the emerging trends in the ag industry such as small farming, technology and education. It will pro- vide useful information to attendees regarding equipment, best practices, job training and state-sanctioned cer- tifications as well as legal and financial issues facing all farmers. Cost: $5; $3 for seniors; free for children under 12. Labor shortages are noth- ing new in agriculture and the problem is growing worse, which has the company look- ing for ways to improve effi- ciency. Currently, iris rhizomes are harvested mechanically with an implement attached to the back of a tractor. As the har- vested plants fall out the back, four workers scurry to throw them into bins on top of it. In the heat and the dust, it’s hardly the most desirable task on the farm, and those four workers would be happy to be assigned other duties. “It’s a horrible job,” said Ray. “Nobody wants to do it,” Liz added. To improve the process, the company is modifying a combine harvester that would dig up the iris rhizomes on the front end. Dirt would be shaken from them while tumbling across rods under the machine, then they’d be directly deposited into bins out the back without human intervention. 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 pre- sented to eligible applicants. The day concludes with an evening reception to honor past association presidents. Website: http://www.oregonseed.org/ events Wednesday-Saturday Jan. 23-26 39th Annual EcoFarm Confer- ence. Asilomar Conference Grounds, 800 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove, Ca- lif. The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) presents the 39th annual EcoFarm Conference, featuring over 70 workshops, intensives, keynote speakers, an exhibitor marketplace, seed swap, live entertainment, mixers and organic culinary fare. Workshops cover practical information on crop production, livestock, soil health, mar- keting and distribution, social justice and cutting-edge information to help farmers succeed. As the oldest and largest organic farming event in the West, EcoFarm Conference is a prime networking and educational hub for farmers, ranchers, distributors, retail- ers, activists, researchers, and edu- cators. Website: www.eco-farm.org/ conference. Wednesday-Friday Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Cattlecon19. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans, La. This is the annual convention of the cattle industry and 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 Western Innovator Boise Brad Carlson .................... 208-914-8264 Schreiner’s Iris Gardens W. Washington Don Jenkins ...................... 360-722-6975 Cent. Washington Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099 Founded: 1925 E Washington Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923 Location: Salem, Ore., after relocating from St. Paul, Minn., in 1946. Oregon George Plaven ................. 406-560-1655 Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789 Family: Founded in Minneso- ta by R.X. Schreiner, relocat- ed to Oregon by his children, Bob, Connie and Gus. Now run by Gus’s children, Ray Schreiner, Steve Schreiner and Liz Schmidt, as well as Ray’s son, Ben. Graphic artist Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789 Size: 100 acres Crops: 1,200 selections of irises, as well as day lilies Employees: 21 year-round, roughly 100 seasonal Sales channels: Online, print catalog, wholesale and di- rect-marketing from 10-acre display garden “It’s not like any other crop, where you can just buy the machinery,” said Ben Schreiner, Ray’s son and the family’s fourth generation to grow irises. NCBA Trade Show. Website: https:// bit.ly/2ycMLDW Sunday-Wednesday Feb. 3-6 North American Strawberry Grow- ers Association Conference. Wyndam Orlando Resort, 8001 International Drive, Orlando, Fla. The conference will be held in conjunction with the North American Strawberry Sym- posium. Workshop topics include automation and precision agriculture, physiology and production manage- ment, sustainable organic cropping systems, strawberry breeding tools and tips, alternatives to fumigation, weed management, insect and mite management and disease manage- ment. Website: www.nasga.org Monday, Feb. 4 Oregon Blueberry Conference. 7:55 a.m.-6 p.m. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, Salem, Ore. A season recap and market projections, export markets, trade show and industry reception are among the many topics and events scheduled for this year’s conference. 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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. 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 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 Opinion .................................. 6 Innovations ............................ 9 Markets ............................... 12 Correction policy Thursday-Saturday Feb. 14-16 Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. Organicology 2019. Hilton Port- land and Executive Tower, 921 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, Ore. Organicolo- gy seeks to bring all of the stakeholder groups to the table to not only develop skills in their own areas of activity but to gain exposure to the challenges and accomplishments of those in oth- er areas of the trade and movement. Website: www.organicology.org/wel- come/ 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.