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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, February 22, 2019 People & Places Organic, sustainable bridge builder By DAN WHEAT Capital Press EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Established 1928 WENATCHEE, Wash. — Discovering that apply- ing mulch to orchards for weed control was actually more beneficial in protect- ing trees from soil heat and water stress was just one innovation of David Granat- stein’s career. But he says his great- est contribution to agricul- ture was bringing people together over controver- sial issues. The two big ones were organics and sustainability. Granatstein, 67, retired last fall as Washington State University Extension sus- tainable agriculture special- ist, which included being a lead on organic agricul- ture. Now he is a professor emeritus. Years ago, when Granat- stein held the first organics session at the Washington State Horticultural Associ- ation annual meeting, the topic was controversial. Organic was seen as a fringe movement. “It was viewed as a direct attack on conventional, implying it was poisoning the earth. Those feelings were pretty raw,” Granat- stein says. There was division, ani- mosity. Each side had a ste- reotype of the other. Granat- stein believes he helped people overcome that. Building bridges “My goal has always been to build bridges and help people see there are things they can learn from each other,” he says. “The world isn’t black and white, but gray.” Today, many of the state’s tree fruit companies grow conventional and organic fruit. Organics make up about 15 percent of apples and pears and 7 percent of cherries. “It’s been a 20-year evo- lution of the industry to accept organics and under- stand and recognize the ben- efits. There was a whole dis- cussion on whether organics are sustainable,” he said. “We’re still working on acceptance and definition of sustainability.” It’s the idea that agricul- ture should be profitable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. “When USDA started its sustainable ag program, it was ‘What the hell,’ people hated it. ‘You say sustain- able. That’s implying I’m not.’ People took it really personally,” he said. Growers thought protect- ing the environment could only come at the loss of profitability. It was either or. Granatstein helped educate all sides that environmen- tal benefits could pay and that profitability was nec- essary for growers to invest in their land and people. In short, that practices to guard the environment could also guard the pocketbook. For example, erosion eventually depletes the Board of Directors Western Innovator DAVID GRANATSTEIN Age: 67 Retired: Sept. 4, 2018 Born and raised: Syra- cuse, N.Y. Family: Wife, retired WSU research associate; two grown children. Courtesy of Elizabeth Beers/WSU David Granatstein, Washington State University Extension sustainable agriculture specialist, in an apple orchard in 2010. He spent a career bridging gaps between conventional agriculture and organic and sustainable agriculture. soil wheat farmers need. Reduced tillage reduces ero- sion, which in the long run benefits the farmer. Other examples: biological con- trols and natural predators reducing pests in fruit trees and therefore reducing use of pesticides. “David is a key force that put WSU on the map as a leader in sustainable agricul- ture outreach, research and education. His influence and impacts will be long last- ing,” Todd Murray, director of the WSU Agricultural and Natural Resources Exten- sion Program, said upon Granatstein’s retirement. Tracking organics In 2000, Granatstein began tracking organic acre- age, transition acreage, the number of organic farms and varieties and specifics of organic crops. The main categories are tree fruit, veg- etables and forages but he also tracks more than 100 other crops of lesser organic volume. His annual reports have been used by growers, oth- ers in business, academ- ics and policy makers. The reports are in greater depth than efforts by USDA. He gleans the data from state and private organic certifica- tion programs in Washing- ton, Oregon and California and, he says, covers about 98 percent of organic farms in Washington. Organic production has grown from a gross farmgate value of $101 million in Washington in 2005 to $667 million in 2017. That’s 6.2 percent of total farmgate. Granatstein’s initial moti- vation in pushing organ- ics was to lessen farming’s impact on the environment. But he knew he also had to show an economic reason for growers to adopt it. In 2014, production costs of organic Gala apples were estimated at 12 percent higher than conventional Gala, the yield was 8 per- cent lower but the price was 42 percent higher. That led to a 270 percent higher profit margin for the organic crop. In fact, he found, the mar- ket price for organic turned out to be 100 percent more than conventional gala, making it even better. While the profit margin of organics over conven- tional has been narrowing in recent years, it is still large enough to make organics worthwhile, he said. Finding his calling A key moment in Granat- stein’s career was during his undergraduate years at Cornell University. He was good in math and science and wanted to become an engineer. But he loved the natural world, hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. In a biology class, he realized there was a whole science to the natural world and later realized agricul- ture had a huge impact on the environment. Combin- ing agriculture and the envi- ronment clicked for him. He had been born and raised in Syracuse, N.Y., with no farm background. His father helped manage a family clothing business. His mother used her Span- ish training to work at the state employment security department. Upon graduation from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in environmen- tal conservation in 1973, Granatstein worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He was about to join the Peace Corps but thought it “ludi- crous” that he was going overseas to teach farming to people who had been doing it for 3,000 years when he never had. Career path A friend from college invited him to an alternative ag conference in Ellensburg, Wash. He went and ended up co-manager of Libby Creek Farm, an organic farm in Okanogan County, for the next seven years. He next spent a year in southern Africa working as an agronomist on a WSU farming systems project while getting his master’s degree in soil management at WSU. He was farm research director for the Land Stew- ardship Project, a private nonprofit, in Minnesota for two years. There he tried to find alternatives to address nitrate and herbicide pollu- tion in groundwater. “It needed to be profit- able and environmental at the same time. It was really my first chance to work on sustainability,” he said. While there he wrote, “Reshaping the Bottom Line,” an early sustainable ag book for farmers. In 1989, he became proj- ect manager of the North- west Dryland Cereal/ Legume Cropping Systems Project at WSU in Pull- man. It was one of the first USDA Sustainable Agricul- ture Research and Extension projects in the West. In 1992, WSU formed the Center for Sustain- ing Agriculture and Natu- ral Resources. Granatstein became statewide coordina- tor and moved to Wenatchee to be more centrally located. He held that position for 26 years until his retirement. He has been involved in many projects relating to soil, compost, orchard floor management, climate, fruit production and was a founder of the Food Alli- ance, an ecolabel program in Portland. He has conducted sustainable ag training in Russia, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Ghana, Chile and Canada. More recently, he spoke in Kyrgyzstan and at an international pear sympo- sium in Uruguay. In retire- ment, he plans to complete at least the 20th year of his organic farming statistical report. Concerns, optimism Looking ahead, Granat- stein said the tree fruit industry needs to be mindful Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental conservation, Cornell University, 1973; master’s degree in soil manage- ment, Washington State University, 1987. Occupation: WSU pro- fessor emeritus. Work history: Statewide coordinator of WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1992-2018; manager WSU SARE, 1989-1992; farm research director, Land Steward- ship Project, Lewiston, Minn., 1987-1988; co-manager Libby Creek Farm, Carlton, Wash., 1975-1982. 2019 OSU Small Farms Confer- ence: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., LaSells Stew- art Center, 875 SW 26th St., Cor- vallis, Ore. Educational sessions in English and Spanish on farming and the food system; exhibits by over 50 organizations. $85 (no registration at the door). http://blogs.oregonstate. edu/smallfarmsconference/. Oregon Pork Producers Annual Meeting: 1-4 p.m., Ore- gon State University Oldfield Animal Teaching Facility, SW 35th St., Cor- vallis. Oregon pork producers are invited to the meeting, which will include the election of delegate can- didates for the National Pork Produc- ers Delegate Body. For more infor- mation, contact the Oregon Pork Producers, 34231 SE Homan Road, Gresham, Ore. 97030. Oregon Pork Producers, burkegayle@gmail.com. SUNDAY, FEB. 24 Sustainable Horse Keep- ing Workshop: 1-4 p.m., Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict, 7175 NE Evergreen Parkway, No. 400, Hillsboro, Ore. Join Tuala- tin Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict and Horses for Clean Water for a free workshop about pas- ture management, horse health and water conservation. Charlotte Trowbridge, charlotte.trowbridge@ tualatinswcd.org, 503-277-3709. https://www.swcd.net/event/sus- tainable-horse-keeping-workshop/. MONDAY, FEB. 25 Changing Hands in Baker City: Workshop on Farm/Ranch Transfer and Access: 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m., Geiser Grand Hotel, 1996 Main St., Baker City, Ore. This workshop is a part of a series that will bring together retiring and aspiring farmers for a full day of training on land access and succession planning. Ash- ley Rood, ashley@roguefarmcorps. org, (971) 409-6806. $20. https://bit. ly/2MexZlW. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 The Commodity Classic: Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Fla. This is the combined trade show and meetings of the National Asso- ciation of Wheat Growers, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Sor- ghum Producers and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. http:// commodityclassic.com/. SEDCOR Ag Breakfast for Polk and Yamhill Counties: 7:30- 9:30 a.m., Northwest Wine Stud- ies Center at Chemeketa Eola, 215 Doaks Ferry Road NW, Salem. This year’s topic is the impact of water reallocation on the agriculture industry. Speakers will be Margaret Matter of the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Mary Ann Cooper of the Oregon Farm Bureau. RSVP by Feb. 22 to tlundy@sedcor.com. http://www.sedcor.com/events. Palouse Alternative Cropping Symposium: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Glad- ish Community Center, 115 NW State St., Pullman, Wash. Local farmers will share experiences from on-farm tri- als and efforts to find what works for their operation. Sponsored by the Palouse Conservation District and the Washington State Soil Health Committee. http://www.palousecd. org/symposium. THURSDAY, FEB. 28 The Commodity Classic: Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Fla. http://commodityclassic.com/. FRIDAY, MARCH 1 The Commodity Classic: Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Fla. http://commodityclassic.com/. SATURDAY, MARCH 2 The Commodity Classic: Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Fla. http://commodityclassic.com/. SUNDAY, MARCH 3 National Farmers Union 117th Anniversary Convention: Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 900 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Wash. NFU’s 117th Anniversary Convention will gather family farmers and ranchers from across the country, industry profes- sionals and notable speakers. Farm- ers and ranchers from Washington, Oregon and Idaho are provided with a special offer to receive a free, one- year Farmers Union membership with their registration. http://NFU. org/nwfu-2019-convention. MONDAY, MARCH 4 National Farmers Union 117th Anniversary Convention: Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 900 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Wash. http://NFU.org/ nwfu-2019-convention. TUESDAY, MARCH 5 National Farmers Union 117th Anniversary Convention: Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 900 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Wash. http://NFU.org/ nwfu-2019-convention. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 Changing Hands in Corval- lis: Workshop on Farm Transfer and Land Access: 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th 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 of its environmental foot- print with the expanding use of orchard inputs such as plastic netting for orchard protection. There’s a lot of plastic waste when the netting gets old. While netting makes economic sense, “what’s the environmental impact, is use of a non-renewable resource sustainable and is it socially acceptable?” he asks. Granatstein has held edu- cational forums on the pros and cons of genetically mod- ified organisms. “Most GMO technology to date doesn’t meet my own personal sustainability per- spective, but I suspect that will change,” he said. Roundup Ready crops help with no-till but weeds become resistant, stron- ger herbicides are used and more genetic engineering is needed for the crop, he said, making it a never-ending cycle. Genetic modification of apples to resist disease bet- ter fits with his sustainabil- ity concept but still needs careful evaluation for unin- tended consequences, he said. “I’m not suggesting it be allowed in organic at this point,” he said. “Overall, I’m really opti- mistic about the future of ag,” Granatstein said. “Par- ticularly our understand- ing of microbiology and the potential for better micro- bial management in agri- culture leading to break- throughs similar to what we see in human health with the human microbiome findings.” CALENDAR SATURDAY, FEB. 23 Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers St., Corvallis, Ore. Join Rogue Farm Corps for “Changing Hands: A Work- shop on Farm Transfer and Access to Land.” This workshop is a part of a series that will bring together retiring and aspiring farmers for a full day of training on land access and succes- sion planning. Ashley Rood, ashley@ roguefarmcorps.org, (971) 409-6806. $20. https://bit.ly/2GqGdHP. NRCS Northwest Working Group Meeting: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 10441 Bayview Edison Road, Mt. Vernon, Wash. The data collected at these meet- ings plays a major role in the agen- cy’s direction at the local level. Sno- homish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Clallum, Jef- ferson conservation districts. Sarah Tanuvasa, 360-428-7684. OFRF’s 22nd Annual Benefit Luncheon: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., The City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 East Katella Ave., Anaheim, Calif. Organic dairy farmer Heather Darby of Allburg, Vt., will be joined by Allie Mentzer, advocacy senior manager at National Co+op Grocers, and Brise Tensor, executive direc- tor at the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Prepare to be inspired by these groundbreakers in the organic industry as you kick off Expo West. https://ofrf.org/events. 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