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4 CapitalPress.com Friday, January 25, 2019 Ag labor bill needs guestworker reform, employers say By DAN WHEAT Capital Press A new Democratic bill to give legal status to ille- gal immigrant farmwork- ers is positive but lacks any foreign guestworker reform, says Michael Marsh, presi- dent of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. The Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2019, H.R. 641, was introduced in the House, Jan. 17, by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., with a companion bill in the Senate by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Farmworkers who have worked in agriculture at least 100 days in the past two years, pass background checks and pay a fine could obtain blue card legal work status. Those who maintain that status for three to five years, depending Michael on hours Marsh worked in agriculture, would be eligible to adjust to lawful permanent residency or green card status. The bills are supported by the United Farm Workers and Farmworker Justice. “This is very similar to the agricultural component of the Senate bill of 2013 in that it takes care of the exist- ing workforce, but it needs to address guestworker reform to take care of the flow of future workers,” Marsh said. The concern is that as existing domestic farm- workers retire there aren’t sufficient workers to replace them so guestworker improvements are needed to ensure adequate labor, Marsh said. Specifically, changes are needed to allow H-2A-visa guestworkers to stay longer than 10 months at a time to work at dairies, greenhouses and in mushroom produc- tion, he said. “Michael makes a good point that a workable pack- age needs to address both the current workforce and future needs,” said Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association in Yakima and Wenatchee, Wash. “If Rep. Lofgren is inter- ested in adding meaning- ful guestworker reform, we would be happy to work on permanent residence sta- tus for undocumented farm- workers,” said Dan Fazio, director of the farm labor association WAFLA. Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Grow- ers, Irvine, Calif., issued a statement applauding Fein- stein and Lofgren’s efforts but saying a new guest- worker program is needed. Acute labor shortages plague production agricul- ture and farmwork is chal- lenging work that most native-born Americans are not interested in doing, Nas- sif said. “Solving the immigra- tion crisis is a priority and necessity for the agricultural industry and we need legis- lation that will create a new guestworker visa program and provide a workable path to legalization for our exist- ing workforce and their fam- ilies,” Nassif said. Western Growers rep- resents farmers in Califor- nia, Arizona, New Mex- ico and Colorado who grow about half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. Mark Powers, president of the Northwest Horticul- tural Council, Yakima, said he looks forward to working with Feinstein and Lofgren and other members of Con- gress to fix a broken immi- gration system and views the bills as a starting point. Marsh said the House bill will go to the Judiciary Committee’s subcommit- tee on Immigration and Bor- der Security, chaired by Lof- gren, where it will pass. It may pass the full House but probably faces greater uncertainty in the Senate, he said. NCAE has no position on the bills at this point but will discuss them at its annual board meeting, Feb. 5-7, in Washington, D.C., he said, adding he’s heard of no other bills addressing the supply of farm labor. A dozen senators and 61 House members sup- port the bills. All are Dem- ocrats. Supporters include Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, all of Oregon. Another backer is Rep. Pra- mila Jayapal, D-Wash. New Oregon dairy princess ambassador crowned By GEOFF PARKS For the Capital Press Washington State Fruit Commission 2019 Cherry King Mike Willett, center, with his wife, Laura, and son, Nick, and 2018 Cherry King Lynn Long and his wife, Marlene. Willett crowned cherry king By DAN WHEAT Capital Press YAKIMA, Wash. — Mike Willett, manager of the Washington State Tree Fruit Research Commis- sion, was crowned the 75th cherry king at the annual Cherry Institute of North- west Cherry Growers at the Yakima Convention Center on Jan. 18. Willett’s career in North- west tree fruit started with picking peaches at an Orondo orchard in 1969 when he “slept in a ditch” and will end 50 years later this summer when he retires as commission manager, said B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherry Grow- ers, the industry’s promo- tional arm. The main part of Wil- lett’s career was 20 years at the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, where he began as technical issues manager in 1996 and spent many years as vice president of scientific affairs before leaving in December 2015 to become manager of the research commission. At NHC, he worked on many market access and free trade issues, including open- ing Australia to Northwest cherries. Willett, 67, was born into a working-class family in Detroit, Mich., in 1951. He grew up in the inner city and worked from an early age. On a road trip after his first year at Eastern Michi- gan University in 1969, Wil- lett heard of fruit harvest in Washington and arrived in FLAT CARS- THE BETTER BRIDGE Orondo where he “slept in a ditch near an orchard and waited for the next morn- ing’s opportunity to begin what would become a long career in tree fruit,” Thurlby said. Willett received his bach- elor’s degree in horticul- ture at Michigan State Uni- versity and his master’s degree and doctorate in hor- ticulture at Washington State University, under noted sweet cherry innovator Ed Proebsting. He worked for Oregon State University Extension in Medford and then WSU Extension in Yakima before joining NHC. Willett previously received the silver pear and distinguished service awards from the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. SALEM, Ore. — Emily Henry was chosen the 2019 Oregon dairy prin- cess ambassador at the pro- gram’s 60th annual corona- tion and banquet Saturday night at the Salem Conven- tion Center. A three-judge panel picked Henry from a field of seven candidates at the Oregon Dairy Wom- en-sponsored Diamond Jubilee Coronation Ban- quet. The contestants par- ticipated in two days of interviews, speeches and preparing commercials promoting dairy products. The 20-year-old from Scio represents Linn and Benton counties. She takes over this year’s ODPA duties from Stephanie Breazile, who crowned Henry during the ceremony. Natalie Berry, 17, was ODPA first alternate. She was crowned by her pre- decessor, Megan Sprute. Berry was also chosen by the other finalists as Miss Congeniality. Henry was home- schooled and participated in 4-H and FFA. She is now a student at Linn-Ben- ton Community College majoring in animal sci- ence. Directly after the cer- emony, she was presented scholarship awards from various businesses, groups and individual sponsors, which last year totaled $14,000 for Breazile. She begins a year of statewide travel, mak- ing presentations at fairs, meetings, schools and public events represent- ing Oregon’s dairy indus- try. The presentations focus on depicting life on a dairy farm and the nutri- tional benefits of dairy products. The other finalists included Samantha Arnold of Clackamas County, Belle Erhardt of Columbia County, Donata Doornen- bal of Marion County, Allyson Durrer of Til- lamook County, Jessica Monroe of Yamhill County and Berry of Washington County. “All of our candidates were outstanding repre- sentatives for the dairy By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press Contractor License # 71943 4-3/100 P.O Box 365 • 101 Industrial Way, Lebanon, OR 97355 NORTHWEST GRAZING CONFERENCE CORVALLIS, Ore. — A little perseverance has paid off in a big way for Den- nis Glaser at his hazel- nut orchards near Tangent, Ore. in the Mid-Willamette Valley. When Glaser first planted hazelnut trees at Mid Val- ley Farms in 1981, he said “everyone thought I was cra- zier than a pet coon.” And why shouldn’t they? Tradi- tionally, the region’s heavy clay soils and high rain- fall make it the ideal place for growing grass seed, not filberts. Over the years, Glaser has worked to diversify crop Courtesy Oregon Hazelnut Industry Dennis Glaser, of Tangent, Ore., was named the 2019 Nut Growers Society Grower of the Year during the group’s winter meeting Jan. 17 at Oregon State University. rotation and break up the monoculture of grass seed on the family farm. Today, he and his son, Ryan, manage 370 acres of Barcelona and Jefferson hazelnut trees, and are at the forefront of drain- age, nutrient, irrigation and mulching practices. On Jan. 17, the Nut Grow- ers Society — a member- ship group representing the Oregon Hazelnut Industry — met for its annual win- ter meeting at Oregon State University in Corvallis, and named Glaser, 72, the Grower of the Year for 2018. “I appreciate the recogni- tion,” Glaser said in a phone interview with the Capital Press. “That’s always well appreciated.” Glaser graduated from OSU in 1969 with a degree in agricultural engineering and crop and soil science. 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All of our generous sponsor support, alumni and volunteers helped to create a memorable evening. “I’m thrilled to be work- ing with Emily and Natalie and we have an amazing year ahead of us.” The Oregon Dairy Wom- en’s Dairy Princess Ambas- sador Program was begun in 1959 to advocate for the Oregon dairy industry in collaboration with the Ore- gon Dairy Farmers Associ- ation and the Oregon Dairy Nutrition Council. Oregon hazelnut farmer named Nut Growers Society Grower of the Year • Lower Cost • Custom Lengths up to 90’ • Certified Engineering Services Available • Steel Construction Office: 541-451-1275 Email: info@rfc-nw.com www.rfc-nw.com Geoff Parks/For the Capital Press Newly crowned 2019 Oregon Dairy Princess Ambassador Emily Henry, representing Linn and Benton counties, receives one of her scholarship awards from a dairy industry representative. CherryAvenue Storage reserves the right to refuse any and all bids. 3-2-3/999 over Mid Valley Farms from his father, Frank, in 1972. At the time, they grew mostly grass seed as the combination of soils and moisture made it difficult to mix in rotation crops locally. By the 1980s, Glaser said the farm was facing tough times with high interest rates and fluctuating income from grass seed markets. Two out of five years, he said, the farm would turn a profit. The other three years, it would either break even or struggle to min- imize losses. Glaser focused on diversi- fying crops to smooth out the ups and downs. In 1979, he bought 160 acres of new land capable of growing around 50 to 60 bushels per acre of wheat. With the help of a men- tor, Wayne Chambers, they incorporated tile drainage in the fields to remove excess water from soil beneath the surface, which bumped the wheat crop up to 100-plus bushels per acre. Chambers, a premier hazelnut farmer north of Albany, Ore., also helped Glaser with planting the first Barcelona hazelnut trees on the property. “The biggest thing down here on these heavier, wet soils is drainage,” Glaser said. “That was the big key to that whole evolution ... I was the first one to really start working with that in mind.”
