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CapitalPress.com
Friday, August 30, 2019
People & Places
This nursery offers more than plants
By DIANNA TROYER
For the Capital Press
Along with growing
hanging baskets and carry-
ing unusual plants, Nature
Nursery and Market in Bur-
ley, Idaho, cultivates enter-
taining community events
year-round to thank custom-
ers for their support.
Opened in 2016, the six-
acre nursery in southeast-
ern Idaho opened to provide
hard-to-find plants includ-
ing a variety of succulents,
plants for backyard water
features and koi ponds, and
banana trees.
The nursery is part of the
Gibby Group, a privately
owned agribusiness based in
Burley.
While managing Gibby
Group’s landscaping divi-
sion, Andrew Gibby, 28,
brainstormed about estab-
lishing a retail nursery with
a few distinctive twists at
120 East Highway 81.
“I like challenges and
opportunities and seeing
how plants can make peo-
ple happy and transform
indoor and outdoor living
spaces,” Gibby said. “We
offer classes, home décor,
bulk vegetable seeds and
fountains, and organize a
fall market and free holiday
events.”
His sisters sell a popular
Italian ice and ice cream cus-
tard adjacent to the green-
houses near shaded picnic
tables.
Gibby and co-manager
Terina Davis supervise six
full-time and four seasonal
employees.
Throughout
summer,
EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Western
Innovator
ANDREW GIBBY
Age: 28
Duties: Manages
landscape division and
Nature’s Nursery and
Market for the Gibby
Group, a privately owned
agribusiness in Burley,
Idaho.
Family: Wife and son.
Dianna Troyer/For the Capital Press
Doug Abenroth buys bulk vegetable seeds from Brandi Wilcox and Dawnette
Hutchison at Nature Nursery and Market in southeastern Idaho.
Andrew Gibby
customers come for the wide
variety of hydrangea and
hibiscus colors, Japanese
maple trees, fairy garden
materials, and roses trained
to grow like a tree.
“We have a lot of cli-
ents who bring in their
own pots and ask us to
plant them,” said Dawnette
Hutchison,
coordinator
of the customized potting
program. “We’ll pick the
most suitable plants based
on whether they’ll be in
shade or sun and what col-
ors of flowers clients want.
Some people just tell us,
‘Surprise me.’”
Doug Abenroth of Bur-
ley says the wide plant
selection and customer
service keep him com-
ing back, especially at
holidays.
“Our kids love Crepes
with the Clauses at Christ-
mas,” he said of the annual
event with Santa and
his wife and warm fresh
crepes. “We come for their
Easter egg hunts, too.”
The popular September
event is the Purple Shovel
Market, a market day with
vendors that is a tribute to
Gibby’s grandmother.
“Her family members
were always borrowing
her shovel and not return-
ing it, so she finally painted
the handle purple to remind
them to bring it back,”
Gibby said.
Another popular autumn
event is Lunch with the
Witches at Halloween.
Education: Bachelor’s
degree from Brigham
Young University-Idaho
in business management
with an emphasis on
entrepreneurship, online
marketing and innova-
tive thinking.
Hobbies: Spending time
with family, singing,
being involved in the
local community theater,
videography, triathlons,
and weight training.
“We all dress up and
have cauldrons and treats
for the kids,” Hutchison
said.
Classes are offered, too,
about herbs, cooking, and
making wreaths.
“We’re happy to offer
classes for whatever inter-
ests people have,” she
said. “If people want other
classes, they should let us
know.”
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
Kevin Blodgett ........... 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.
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Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
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Central Washington
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Virgil Lewis Choate, FFA teacher, banker and ag advocate, dies at 84
Virgil Lewis Choate,
a long-time FFA teacher,
banker and agriculture
advocate in The Dalles,
Ore., passed away peace-
fully at home on Aug. 14,
2019, after a short illness.
He was 84.
He was born March 5,
1935, in La Grande, Ore.,
to Virgil Albert Choate and
Louise Wetzel Choate.
He graduated from La
Grande High School in
1953 and from Oregon
State College in 1958 with
a degree in agricultural edu-
cation. He was commis-
sioned as a 2nd Lieutenant
in the U.S. Army.
In college he joined the
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity,
which shaped his life in
many ways throughout the
years. It was at the frater-
nity that he developed life-
long special friendships.
After a short time on active
duty in the Army, Virg came
to The Dalles to teach voca-
tional agriculture and serve
as the FFA (Future Farm-
ers of America) chapter
advisor.
It was there he met
his future bride, a fellow
teacher,
Carolyn.
During the
time
he
was teach-
ing, one of
his students
Virgil Lewis was elected
state pres-
Choate
ident
of
the Oregon FFA Associ-
ation and The Dalles was
selected to host the state
FFA convention. Several of
his students/FFA members
achieved the State Farmer
Degree, the highest degree
awarded to only a small
number of members in the
state. One student and FFA
member received the high-
est honor at the national
level.
Virg was also the first
Vo-Ag instructor in Oregon
to allow girls in his classes
before they were allowed
to be members of the FFA.
He so loved teaching and
cherished his relationship
with each student. He was
so dedicated to his students
that he neglected to keep up
with the U.S. Army corre-
spondence classes and thus
became the oldest 2nd Lieu-
tenant in the Army.
Virg remained involved
with high school activi-
ties by running the down
marker at TDHS Friday
Night Lights home football
games for nearly 40 years.
In 1966, Virg began a
30-year career with U.S.
Bank as an agricultural rep-
resentative. He so loved
working with the agricul-
tural community and help-
ing them with their needs.
In 1995, Virg began
working part-time for
Columbia River Bank and
then Columbia Bank until
the age of 84. He cherished
the relationships built with
bank customers and his
many co-workers over the
years.
Virg was the last living
officer of the original offi-
cers of the Ft. Dalles Days
Rodeo. He was a long-
time treasurer of the Wasco
County Livestock Asso-
ciation. He was active for
many years in the wheat
industry and served for
several years as the gen-
eral manager of the Oregon
Wheat Growers League
Junior Livestock Show. He
https://oregonbunnypalooza.org/
6-7:30 p.m. Southern Oregon
Research and Extension Center, 569
Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore. In
this class, we will discuss the bene-
fits of using fall-planted cover crops,
learn about the species and mix-
tures well suited to southern Ore-
gon, and detail the process of grow-
ing and managing cover crops for
multiple benefits to your farm{/
span}. $10 per person http://bit.ly/
JacksonExtAgriculture
was also active for years at
the Wasco County Fair.
He was a member of
The Dalles Lions Club
and Elks Club for over 50
years. He was selected as
the grand marshal for the
Wasco County Fair (1993),
as well as the grand mar-
shal for the Fort Dalles
Days Rodeo (2008) and
The Dalles Cherry Festival
(2019).
Virg received a Dia-
mond Pioneer Award from
the Oregon State Univer-
sity College of Agricul-
tural Sciences in 2010 for
his work in the banking sec-
tor and his service to many
agriculture-related organiza-
tions and events.
He was proud of his com-
munity and surrounding
areas and loved promoting
and touring interested peo-
ple around and educating
them on the area.
The best description of
Virg is that he was, and
enjoyed being, a people
person. He never knew a
stranger. Virg always cared
for others and helping when-
ever he could. He had a long
and eventful life.
Virg is survived by Car-
olyn, his wife of 55 years;
his daughters Cathy (Perry)
England of Bellevue, Wash.,
and Judy (Tyler) Kendall
of Oregon City; grandchil-
dren Austin Kendall, Zach-
ary England and Sophie
England; step-grandchildren
Adam Kendall and Alyson
Kendall Anderson; five spe-
cial cousins Brent Lewis and
Mike Babic of LaGrande,
Susan Lewis Kubler of Port-
land, and Wells Matthews
and Bob Turner of Beaver-
ton; and several nieces and
nephews. He recently lost his
sister, Nancy Christensen.
A celebration of Virg’s
Life will be held on Sun-
day, Sept. 8, at 1 p.m. at
The Dalles Civic Audito-
rium, 323 E. Fourth St., The
Dalles, Ore.
In lieu of flowers, dona-
tions may be made to these
organizations dear to Virg’s
heart: The Dalles Com-
munity Flag Program with
checks made payable to
Boy Scout Troop 398, P.O.
Box 1610, The Dalles, OR
97058; Providence Hospice
of the Gorge; or the Celilo
Cancer Center.
shop series offered to veterans free
of cost. Sponsored by Benton County
Veteran Affairs. https://tinyurl.com/
yy2fnnyo
Thursday. Linn County Fair and
Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Rd.
E, Albany, Ore. The expo is over
250,000 sq. ft. of exhibitors, equip-
ment, seminars, classes, food and
fun. Attendees will have the oppor-
tunity to work with exhibitors and
vendors directly. In addition to the
exhibitors and classes, attendees can
enjoy other attractions such as “Dine
Around Oregon,” an antique farm
equipment display and an educa-
tional area from Oregon Women for
Agriculture.http://wvaexpo.com/
CALENDAR
THROUGH SEPT. 2
Oregon State Fair: Oregon State
Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th
St. NE, Salem, Ore. Oregon’s annual
11-day-long celebration features 4-H,
FFA, livestock, horses, concerts and
many other activities. https://oregon-
statefair.org/
AUG. 30-SEPT. 7
Eastern Idaho State Fair: Eastern
Idaho State Fairgrounds, 97 Park St.,
Blackfoot, Idaho. Eastern Idaho cele-
brates country living each year at the
fair. https://funatthefair.com
AUG. 30-SEPT. 22
Washington State Fair: Wash-
ington State Fairgrounds, 110 9th
Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. Washing-
ton’s statewide celebration opens at
9:30 a.m. on weekends and 10:30 a.m.
on weekdays. It will be closed Sept.
3-4, 10 and 17. www.thefair.com
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Oregon Pork Producers Breed-
ing Stock Sale: 6 p.m. Oregon State
Fair and Exposition Center, 2330 17th
St. NE, Salem, Ore. Most breeding
stock shown will be available in sale.
Top 25 prospect pigs will sell. http://
www.facebook.com/OregonPork
SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
Oregon Bunny Palooza 2019:
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oaks Park Dance Pavil-
ion, 7805 Southeast Oaks Park Way,
Portland. The Oregon Bunny Palooza
by Rabbit Advocates, is a festival cele-
brating domestic pet rabbits and the
people who love them. Karen Wilson,
Karen.Wilson@rabbitadvocates.org
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4
WSU Extension Forest Health
Seminar: 6-8 p.m. Mason County
Auditorium, 2621 Johns Prairie Road,
Shelton, Wash. Forest health is a com-
plex concept and tree death is a nat-
ural part of it, which can make it dif-
ficult to know when a dead or dying
tree is truly a bad thing. This semi-
nar will help you understand when to
be concerned, what to look for, and
what you may be able to do about it
on your own property. Please regis-
ter ahead of time by sending an email
to patrick.shults@wsu.edu or calling
360-740-1213 with the total num-
ber of people in your party. http://for-
estry.wsu.edu/sw/events/forhealth/
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
Pomology & Viticulture Fruit
Field Day: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., University
of Idaho Parma Research and Exten-
sion Center, 29603 U of I Lane, Parma,
Idaho. In addition to grapes, peaches
and apples, the field day will feature
almonds, walnuts, cherries, nectar-
ines, quince, Asian pears and other
fruits. Maurine Baucom, maurineb@
uidaho.edu, 208-791-6228
SEPT. 6-15
Spokane County Interstate Fair:
Spokane County Fair & Expo Center,
404 N. Havana St., Spokane, Wash.
Spokane County, Wash., invites peo-
ple from around the region to cele-
brate. https://www.spokanecounty.
org/1077/General-Information
MONDAY, SEPT. 23
Fall Cover Crop Workshop:
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26
Oregon Aglink Open House:
9 a.m.-noon. Oregon Aglink’s new
office, 2195 Hyacinth St. NE, No. 105,
Salem, Ore. Join the staff and mem-
bers of Oregon Aglink at the orga-
nization’s new Salem office. Pastries
and coffee provided. http://www.
aglink.org
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
Sauvie Island Jubilee:
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Howell Territorial Park,
13901 NW Howell Park Road, Port-
land, Ore. The event is free and open
to all. Celebrate Sauvie Island his-
tory and culture, and the West Mult-
nomah Soil and Water Conserva-
tion District’s 75th anniversary. It will
be a fun-filled day of activities for all
ages. https://www.sauvieislandjubi-
lee.org/main
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9,
16, 23
Exploring the Small Farm
Dream for Veterans: 1-3:30 p.m.,
Benton County Extension, Sunset
Meeting Room, 4077 SW Research
Way, Corvallis, Ore. A 3-part work-
WEDNESDAY-
SATURDAY
OCT. 30-NOV. 2
92nd National FFA Convention
and Expo: Indiana Convention Cen-
ter, 100 S Capitol Ave., Indianapo-
lis, Indiana. This is the organization’s
annual gathering. https://conven-
tion.ffa.org/
SATURDAY-TUESDAY
NOV. 2-4
2019 Angus Convention: Reno-
Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Vir-
ginia St., Reno, Nev. From outstanding
educational seminars to nation-
ally known entertainment, the 2019
Angus Convention in Reno, Nev., is an
event you won’t want to miss. http://
www.angusconvention.com/
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
NOV. 6-10
American Agri-Women Con-
vention: Embassy Suites by Hil-
ton, 9000 SW Washington Square
Road, Tigard, Ore. Hosted by the
Oregon Women for Agriculture,
the American Agri-Women Con-
vention will bring members from
around the nation. https://owaonline.
org/2019-aaw-convention/
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
NOV. 12-14
Willamette Valley Ag Expo:
9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Wednesday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
NOV. 13-16
Tri-State Grain Growers Con-
vention: Davenport Grand Hotel,
333 W Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane,
Wash.This is the annual convention
of grain farmers in Washington, Ore-
gon and Idaho and features a full
slate of presentations and breakout
sessions. Sponsored by the Wash-
ington Association of Wheat Grow-
ers, Idaho Grain Producers Associa-
tion and the Oregon Wheat Growers
League. Early bird registration ends
Oct. 18. http://www.wawg.org/
convention
FRIDAY, NOV. 22
Denim and Diamonds Awards
Dinner and Auction: 5 p.m. Salem
Convention Center, 200 Commer-
cial St. SE, Salem, Ore. This is Oregon
Aglink’s annual awards dinner and
fundraising auction to support the
organization’s activities, including
Adopt a Farmer, roadside crop signs
and a multimedia campaign pro-
moting Oregon agriculture. http://
www.aglink.org
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
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Index
Markets .................................................11
Opinion ...................................................6
Trade .......................................................5
CORRECTION
Natural Milk Dairy in
Snohomish County, Wash.,
is a partner in a project to
treat manure. The name of
the dairy was incorrect in
a page 1 story Aug. 23 on
manure-treatment projects
funded by grants from the
Washington State Conser-
vation Commission.
The Capital Press regrets
the error.