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Friday, December 21, 2018 CapitalPress.com 5 NRCS invites farmers to ‘soil your undies’ Burying underwear can help determine soil health Four steps to healthy soil The USDA Natural Resourc- es Conservation Service recommends four steps to maintaining soil microbes and health: By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press George Plaven/Capital Press From left, Erik Andersson, president of SEDCOR; Chris Sarles, CEO of Oregon Fruit Products; Ed Maletis; and Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett cut the ribbon on the new Oregon Fruit Products headquarters and processing plant Dec. 11 in southeast Salem. Oregon Fruit Products expands into new building By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press SALEM, Ore. — When Chris Sarles joined Ore- gon Fruit Products as CEO five years ago, the long- time West Salem, Ore., company was already looking to leave its origi- nal facility and move into a new home where the business could grow and thrive. “It wasn’t optimal for food manufacturing,” Sarles said of the original plant, which was cobbled together by necessity over the decades and limited by space. Oregon Fruit Products officially moved into its new building — the for- mer NORPAC Foods veg- etable cannery in south- east Salem — in October. Approximately 200 peo- ple attended a ribbon-cut- ting ceremony Dec. 11 to celebrate the 83-year-old food processor’s fresh start in spacious new digs. “It allows us to shape and diversify our business so we can continue for another 80 years,” Sarles said. Oregon Fruit Prod- ucts operates four pro- cessing lines and makes a wide variety of products for consumer retail and the food service indus- try, such as canned fruit and purees. The company has also expanded in more recent years to provide fla- voring and ingredients for craft beverages, including beer and soft drinks. Sarles said the 165,000-square-foot building is better equipped to serve their needs, and will allow them to keep growing while complying with more rigorous food safety requirements. “We continue to lis- ten to our customers about what their needs are, and innovate to meet those needs,” Sarles said. “We’re consistently look- ing to attract new folks to the team.” Oregon Fruit Products was founded in 1935 by Max Gehlar after working on his family’s cherry and plum orchard in the Eola Hills area outside Salem. The Gehlar family ran the business for three genera- tions before selling to Ed and Cindy Maletis in 2011. At the time, Ed Maletis, a third-generation Orego- nian, had just sold his own beer and wine distribu- tion company, Columbia Distributing. Both Sarles and Male- tis said their goal was to keep the company and its 85 year-round employees in Salem. They looked at sites elsewhere, including in neighboring Clacka- mas County, before Sarles stumbled upon the NOR- PAC cannery last year. In July 2017, NORPAC Foods, a local food pro- cessing co-op, announced it was selling its can- ning business to Seneca Foods Corp. Sarles said he reached out to Shawn Campbell, NORPAC pres- ident and CEO, and the two began discussing plans for the old plant on Southeast 22nd Street. “Our goal was we wanted to stay here and retain jobs,” Sarles said. “It’s pretty darn cool to be able to do that.” City and economic development officials are equally excited about the opportunity to keep a company like Oregon Fruit Products. The Salem Urban Renewal Agency chipped in a $300,000 grant to help Oregon Fruit Products with the $13 million move. Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett spoke during the ribbon cutting, calling the com- pany a legacy business that helped to put Salem on the map as a food pro- cessing and agricultural powerhouse. “This is such an import- ant business here,” Ben- nett said. “The city con- tinues and will continue to value your contribution.” Talk about a strange harvest. Earlier this year, six East- ern Oregon farmers and ranchers agreed to bury pairs of cotton underwear in their fields and dig them back up later in the season as part of the “Soil Your Undies” challenge, organized by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Not much remained of the tattered, torn and threadbare britches — and that’s pre- cisely the point. The “Soil Your Undies” challenge was devised to illustrate the pres- ence of tiny microorganisms like mites, bacteria, fungi and protozoa that make up healthy soil, and which devour the organic cotton fibers in underpants. NRCS Oregon is now ready to roll out the chal- lenge statewide, inviting any and all growers to partici- pate in 2019. “This challenge is no sub- stitute for lab testing,” said Cory Owens, NRCS Ore- gon state soil scientist. “But it’s a fun way to start think- ing about what’s going on in the soil.” According to the NRCS, one teaspoon of healthy soil contains more microbes than 1. Avoid soil disturbance wherever and whenever possible. 2. Maximize soil cover with living plants and residue. 3. Maximize biodiversity by growing a variety of plants and managed integration of livestock. 4. Maximize living roots in the soil throughout the year. NRCS Joe McElligott, who farms dryland wheat in Morrow County, Ore., participated in the “Soil Your Undies” challenge through NRCS Oregon, burying 100 percent cotton underwear in his field to test the presence of microbes in healthy soil. the entire human population on Earth. Working in con- cert, the bitty organisms are a critically important feature in soil, cycling nutrients for plants, storing moisture and helping to resist erosion. Robert Hathorne, a spokesman for NRCS Ore- gon, said the more microbes break down undies, the stronger the indication of healthy soil. “It’s a way to start think- ing about what’s happen- ing that causes soil health,” Hathorne said. Six Oregon producers Evans Fruit seeks $3.7M Strong Since 1959 Trusted Manufacturing Diverse Bag Capabilities By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press A Washington apple farm is seeking about $3.7 million from an Oregon juice com- pany for allegedly breaching contracts to pay for apples. The Evans Fruit Co. of Cowiche, Wash., has filed a complaint seeking a judg- ment against the Hood River Juice Co., and its owner, David Ryan, in the U.S. Dis- trict Court of Oregon. The lawsuit alleges that between August 2013 and the end of 2014, Evans Fruit delivered $3.5 million worth of apples to the Hood River Juice Co., which sells prod- ucts under the Ryan’s brand. In 2015, Evans agreed to accept a promissory note from Hood River Juice Co., under which it would be repaid in 36 monthly install- ments followed by a $2 mil- lion balloon payment, the complaint said. The terms of the promis- sory note were renegotiated in early 2018 to allow Hood River Juice Co. to repay the balloon payment in install- ments, but the company has since breached the con- tract and owes more than $1.8 million in principal and $20,800 in interest, the com- plaint said. took the challenge in 2018, including Joe McElligott and Corey Miller, of Mor- row County, and Woody Wolfe, Joe Dawson, Alan Klages and Mark Butter- field, of Wallowa County. “They thought it was all pretty funny,” Hathorne said. “All of them had really strong results from what we found.” The only exception was Butterfield, who was unable to find his underwear after sneaky cows stole the marker flag he had used to mark the spot. Even McElligott and Miller, who farm dry- land wheat in an area that receives just 9-12 inches of rain every year, found their undies were eaten down to just the elastic. Both grow- ers use a no-till or reduced tillage system, leaving crop residue in the field to replen- ish soil organic matter. Hathorne said the NRCS is hoping the results lead to more interest in the “Soil Your Undies” challenge in 2019. To participate, farm- ers should “plant” a pair of 100 percent cotton under- wear at the beginning of the normal growing season, and leave them for at least 60 days. Send “before” and “after” photos, along with information about the farm and growing practices, to orinfo@nrcs.usda.gov, or to any local NRCS office. 1-800-456-7878 www.justusbag.com • SPOKANE PLANT & HEADQUARTERS 11205 E. Trent Ave. Spokane Valley, WA 99206 - 4630 darin@justusbag.com 509-924-8353 • PORTLAND PLANT 2734 N. Hayden Island Dr. Portland, OR 97217 ctoombs@justusbag.com 503-287-3885 • MOSES LAKE BRANCHES 417 E. 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So much has changed in our business and in your business over those decades. Some things have endured. Over the years you have trusted us to be an unbiased source of news and a partner in advancing your business interests. We have dedicated ourselves to providing the most relevant content to keep you informed, and to providing an engaged audience for your commercial messages. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! HAY PRESS SUPPORT: • Hay Sleeves • Strap • Totes • Printed or Plain • Stretch Film (ALL GAUGES) WAREHOUSE PACKAGING: • Stretch Film • Pallet Sheets • Pallet Covers LOCATIONS: Albany, Oregon (MAIN OFFICE) Ellensburg, Washington CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 855-928-3856 Fax: 541-497-6262 info@westernpackaging.com It is our honor to serve and empower the producers of food and fiber in the Pacific Northwest. On behalf of the staff at the Capital Press, I wish our readers and our advertisers a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. 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