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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, January 11, 2019 People & Places Farmers add grocery stores to mix By PADMA NAGAPPAN For the Capital Press Noel and Jerome Stehly are not your stereotypical farmers, despite being third generation growers hail- ing from a family that has worked the land in southern California for decades. The brothers own Ste- hly Farms Organics in San Diego County, where they grow citrus fruit, avocados, berries and vegetables on nearly 300 acres. But they do things differently. They live in San Diego and commute to their farm, which is about an hour north of the city, because they married “city girls.” And they began their own gro- cery stores, Stehly Farms Markets, to sell their pro- duce and that of other select local farmers. Unlike other growers, they don’t have farmstands because their farm is off the beaten track and they don’t own public road front- age. A few years ago, they noticed the trend toward buying local food gathering momentum. And since they lived in the city, they saw there were several under- served areas where residents had to travel far to get fresh organic produce. Noel had toyed with the idea of opening a retail store for several years, but he didn’t bring it up until Jerome suggested it. “I didn’t want people to think I was crazy, but when EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Established 1928 Board of Directors Western Innovator NOEL AND JEROME STEHLY Occupation: Co-owners, Stehly Farms Organics Education: University of San Diego, international relations (Noel), University of San Diego, business (Jerome) Family: Wife, Stella and three daughters (Noel), wife, Chris and three daughters (Jerome) Padma Nagappan/For the Capital Press Website: http://stehlyfarm- sorganics.com Farmers Jerome, left, and Noel Stehly at one of their grocery stores in San Diego. Jerome brought it up, I was excited,” Noel said. His worry was, with all the work that the farm required, how would they find the time to expand into retail? “But my opinion was, how can we not do it?” Jerome said. “If you do it right, it would be a great extension of our business.” They stumbled upon the location for the first store almost by accident, when Jerome noticed a guitar shop had closed and was available for rent. It fit their needs, being neither too small nor too big. There were no other grocery stores and the area didn’t fit the demographics for the larger chain stores like Jim- bo’s or Whole Foods, so they would not be compet- ing against them. Soon after, they opened a second store in another underserved area of the city. On the advice of an early employee, they put a juice bar in their stores, which has been a huge draw for foot traffic into the stores. The brothers resisted the idea initially, want- ing to get the store up and running before venturing into smoothies and juices, but they adapted once they saw how popular it became. “We didn’t know some of this initially, we were ama- teurs, but that’s OK,” Jerome said. “In business you make mistakes, but you learn from them as quickly as possible and correct them.” The two stores consume a good portion of their time, although they represent a small portion of their total business. The brothers make joint decisions, but Noel concentrates more on run- ning the farm while Jerome focuses on the stores. Local residents have appreciated having a store in their neighborhood, and many stop by before or after work or school drop- offs to pick up their favorite smoothie or juice, and stock up on groceries. While the two stores have done well, the Stehlys are not rushing to open a chain of stores, instead biding their time and focusing on doing what they do well. Hiring experienced store managers has been key to the success of the stores. Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers 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 Entire contents copyright © 2019 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. 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 News Staff Oregon’s top forage growers honored By CRAIG REED For the Capital Press CORVALLIS, Ore. — John Myers credits the silt loam soil, the warm days and the humid mornings for the quality of hay he grows on his family’s property in the Butter Creek Valley southwest of Echo, Ore. Judges Glenn Shew- maker, a University of Idaho Extension forage special- ist, and Steve Norberg, a Washington State University Extension regional forage specialist, recognized that quality and presented Myers with three Hay King Contest awards at the Nov. 16-17 Fall Forage Festival. Myers earned Hay King honors in the Retail Alfalfa, Dairy Alfalfa and Grass/Legume categories. His grass hay entry also won Best of Show honors. This was Myers’ fourth year of entering the annual Hay King Contest and his entries have graded high each year. He is the fifth gen- eration in his family to farm the Butter Creek land that has been in his family since 1872. The 63-year-old has been farming it since 1972, when he was a teenager. Courtesy of Mylen Bohl Glenn Shewmaker, left, and Steve Norberg judge a hay entry for the 2018 Hay King Contest during the Fall Forage Festival in Corvallis, Ore. Norberg is a forage specialist from Washington State University and Shewmaker is a forage specialist from the University of Idaho. “We have 16 feet of soil in this valley,” said Myers, explaining the soil report- edly settled in the valley after a landslide brought it from the northeast during the Ice Age. “It has high organic matter and drains very well.” Myers said while he has ideal conditions to grow alfalfa, grass and barley, he admires other hay grow- ers who grow quality hay despite having problem- atic ground with thinner or rocky soils, a higher eleva- tion, colder weather and elk issues. “I admire them for the effort they put forth to grow the quality hay they do,” Myers said. “The other contestants I talk to have learned how to turn disad- vantages into advantages. I really respect them for that.” The McGinnis Ranch of Bend, Ore., under the man- agement of Greg Mohnen, won the Grass King honor and Scott Pierson of Silver Lake, Ore., won the Cereal King. The Fall Forage Festival was a two-day event that was co-hosted by the Oregon For- age and Grasslands Coun- cil and the Oregon Hay and Forage Association. Presen- tations about nutrient value of hay, hay storage and its impact on quality, matching hay to livestock, coping with drought, and current research and resources in the Pacific Northwest were given on the first day and the Hay King Contest was the main event on the second day. Previously the two asso- ciations had held separate annual gatherings. This first- time festival drew about 70 people who were both grow- ers and buyers. The hay con- test had 20 entries. “I was pleased with the turnout,” said Jerome Mag- nuson, a member of OFGC and co-coordinator of the fes- tival. “It was a more diver- sified group that attended, meaning a broader range of producers and people inter- ested in forages. It was very good to have west side-east side interaction. People took the opportunity to network, to better understand where they could source hay or sell hay.” Magnuson added that having the festival on the OSU campus was important because it connected the land grant college and its research with producers who benefit from that work. “It gave producers the opportunity to cooperate on present and future research projects,” he said. “Produc- ers in the field have a differ- ent perspective than some- body on campus. This was a chance to bring those per- spectives together, a stron- ger opportunity to make those research projects more relevant.” Mylen Bohle, an OSU Extension forage special- ist in Central Oregon, said the quality of the Hay King entries was “very good.” He said the top two entries in one category were sepa- rated by less than a point and another category was almost as close. The two associations are evaluating this year’s fes- tival and are considering holding a similar event again in 2019. CALENDAR SATURDAY, JAN. 12 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show: Ernest N. Morial Conven- tion Center, 900 Convention Cen- ter Blvd., New Orleans. The Farm Bureau’s annual national meet- ing. http://www.fb.org/events/ afbf-annual-convention/. SUNDAY, JAN. 13 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans. http://www.fb.org/ events/afbf-annual-convention/. MONDAY, JAN. 14 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans. http://www.fb.org/ events/afbf-annual-convention/. Precision Ag VISION Tech Confer- ence: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Hyatt Regency Waterfront Hotel at Seattle’s South- port, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd., Renton, Wash. The conference offers attendees the opportunity to take away an actionable long-term view of their business and gain a more stra- tegic competitive advantage. https:// www.thevisionconference.com/. TUESDAY, JAN. 15 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans. http://www.fb.org/ events/afbf-annual-convention/. Precision Ag VISION Tech Confer- ence: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Hyatt Regency Waterfront Hotel at Seattle’s South- port, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd., Renton, Wash. https://www.thevi- sionconference.com/. Cereal Grains Workshop: 8:20 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Walla Walla Air- port, 45 Terminal Loop, Walla Walla, Wash. Workshop covers Hessian fly, soil health, weed issues, winter wheat, legumes. Becki Green, becki. green@wsu.edu, 509-524-2685.$25. https://www.brownpapertickets. com/event/4025007. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16 Northwest Hay Expo: Three Riv- ers Convention Center, 7016 W Gran- dridge Blvd., Kennewick. Two full days of presentations and workshops plus a trade show. Presented by the Washington State Hay Growers Asso- ciation. http://www.wa-hay.org. 2019 American Farm Bureau Fed- eration Convention and IDEA Trade Show: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans. http://www.fb.org/ events/afbf-annual-convention/. Precision Ag VISION Tech Confer- ence: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Hyatt Regency Waterfront Hotel at Seattle’s South- port, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd., Renton, Wash. https://www.thevi- sionconference.com/. North Willamette Horticulture Society Conference and Trade Show: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Clackamas County Event Center, 694 NE 4th Ave., Canby. Morning sessions on regulations and regulators: what farmers need to know. Afternoon concurrent ses- sions for Berry, Organic and Vegeta- ble Crops. Stick around for the Wine, Beer, & Cheese Social. If you cannot register online or are interested in being an exhibitor for the first time, contact Jan. Egli at 971-373-5912. http://nwhortsoc.com. Northwest Ag Show: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem. The 49th edition will focus on the emerging trends in the ag indus- try such as small farming, technology and education. It will provide useful information to attendees regarding equipment, best practices, job train- ing and state-sanctioned certifica- tions as well as legal and financial issues facing all farmers. $3, $1 for seniors, children under 12 are free. http://northwestagshow.com. Oregon Ryegrass Growers Association 58th Annual Meeting: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Linn County Fair and Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road, Albany, Ore. The keynote speaker is Kevin Swatzell of Columbia Bank. Other topics include best practices for cybersecurity and hemp, Ore- gon’s new “grass.” http://www.tan- gentcps.com/2014/01/oregon-rye- grass-growers-association.html Northwest Hay Expo: Three Riv- ers Convention Center, 7016 W Gran- dridge Blvd., Kennewick. Presented by the Washington State Hay Growers Association. http://www.wa-hay.org. Northwest Ag Show: 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem. The 49th edition will focus on the emerging trends in the ag indus- try such as small farming, technology and education. It will provide use- ful information to attendees regard- ing equipment, best practices, job training and state-sanctioned certi- fications as well as legal and finan- cial issues facing all farmers.$3, $1 for seniors, children under 12 are free. http://northwestagshow.com. N Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley. Spon- sored by the University of Idaho Extension, the program will include presentations research on the appli- cation of stand density index for the inland Northwest, newer forest inventory technologies for family for- ests, using drones for forest metrics and fire, cross-laminated timber, a new online curriculum to help forest- ers and forest owners navigate car- bon markets and hunting and fish- ing leases. Registration forms are available at UI and Washington State University Extension offices. Informa- tion: Chris Schnepf at 208-446-1680 or Andy Perleberg 509-667-6540.$85 ($90 online). https://www.uidaho. edu/~/media/UIdaho-Responsive/ Files/Extension/forestry/events/Fam- ily-Foresters-Workshop-2019.pdf. FRIDAY, JAN. 18 SATURDAY, JAN. 19 Northwest Ag Show: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem. The 49th edition will focus on the emerging trends in the ag indus- try such as small farming, technology and education. It will provide useful information to attendees regarding equipment, best practices, job train- ing and state-sanctioned certifica- tions as well as legal and financial issues facing all farmers. Everyone is free Friday. http://northwestagshow. com. Family Foresters Workshop: 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Mirabeau Park Hotel and Convention Center, 1100 Cattlemen’s Workshop: 8:45 a.m.- 3:30 p.m., Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th St., La Grande. The Cattlemen’s Workshop began in 2005 as the result of contentious current issues highlighted by regional beef seedstock producers, allied industry and university research & extension personnel. Over the years, the Cat- tlemen’s Workshop has continued to highlight the most current and rele- vant issues facing the U.S. beef cat- tle industry..not just in the North- west, but nationwide! Kim McKague, kim.mckague@oregonstate.edu, 541-562-5129. http://www.cattle- mensworkshopnw.com. THURSDAY, JAN. 17 Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas ..............208-860-3898 Boise Brad Carlson .......................208-914-8264 Central Washington Dan Wheat ..........................509-699-9099 Western Washington Don Jenkins .........................360-722-6975 Eastern Washington Matthew Weaver ................509-688-9923 Oregon George Plaven ....................406-560-1655 Mateusz Perkowski .............800-882-6789 Graphic artist Alan Kenaga ........................800-882-6789 Designer Randy Wrighthouse .............800-882-6789 To Place Classified Ads Telephone (toll free) ............800-882-6789 Online ...........CapitalPress.com/classifieds Subscriptions Mail rates paid in advance Easy Pay U.S. $4 /month (direct withdrawal from bank or credit card account) 1 year U.S. ......................................$49.99 2 years U.S. .....................................$89.99 1 year Canada .....................................$275 1 year other countries ...........call for quote 1 year Internet only .........................$49.99 1 year 4-H, FFA students/teachers .......$30 9 months 4-H, FFA students/teachers ..$25 Visa and Mastercard accepted To get information published Mailing address: Capital Press P.O. 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