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4 CapitalPress.com Friday, September 6, 2019 Washington sets up panel on farmworkers Ag Pavilion tells farmers’ story By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press FILER, Idaho — Bridg- ing the gap between the rural and urban under- standing of agriculture is a tall order but one the Twin Falls County Farm Bureau fully embraces. The organization is in its third year of operating the Ag Pavilion at the Twin Falls County Fair, taking over from Food Producers of Idaho in 2016. “Our mission is to bring in Idaho ag to teach aware- ness of and importance of ag through hands-on ag education,” Judy Woody, Ag Pavilion supervisor and chairwoman of the Idaho Farm Bureau women’s leadership committee, said. Farm Bureau started from scratch when it took over operations and keeps adding things each year, she said. “We just do what we can to get the message out about agriculture,” she said. educational games. There’s also a scaven- ger hunt to drive visitors to educational booths to find answers to ag-related ques- tions. Scavengers return their completed game sheet to receive a ticket for a drawing in the dairy barn to get them to explore the live- stock barns. In addition to booths and activities, there were pre- sentations this year on con- servation, pollinators, ATV safety and cooking with Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press beans and beef. Aidan Wright, 11, left, and Anthony Machado, 10, pose The pavilion also held with Maggie the cow in the Ag Pavillion at the Twin Falls its second annual weld- ing competition for FFA County Fair on Aug. 30. chapters. The pavilion displays soil and rangeland. Commodity groups and different aspects of agri- The most popular are commissions, universities, culture in the Magic Valley the seed “sandbox” and government agencies and through games, activities milking Maggie, a mechan- local businesses all pitch in and presentations to edu- ical cow, Woody said. with displays, manpower cate visitors. But there are also educa- and cash and prizes, Woody Displays and volun- tional games such as pinball said. teers who interact with to teach visitors about the Visitors to the pavil- the public fill the open-air beef industry, target toss to ion often say they learned building providing infor- explain soil and water con- something new they didn’t mation on commodities, servation and iPads loaded know about agriculture, she technology, weeds, seeds, with My American Farm said. “A lot of educators will say ‘Wow, this is great you’re doing it, especially hands-on,’” she said. For agriculture, “it’s a way to tell our story,” she said. Anthony Machado, 10, said he didn’t know there were different types of thistle. He also learned if you blow into soil with crops covering it, it doesn’t go anywhere — but with- out crops, it blows everywhere. He also discovered that worms and no-till are good for soil and plowing is bad, he said. Aidan Wright, 11, lives on his family’s farm and said he already knew a lot about agriculture. But he didn’t know that flaked corn is good for cows until he visited the Ag Pavilion, he said — before running off with his scavenger sheet to find out how many beef cows are in Idaho. By DON JENKINS Capital Press Cosmic Crisp offered at Asia Fruit Logistica For the second year in a row, Washington’s new Cos- mic Crisp apple is being sam- pled at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong to build interest for when the apple is avail- able for export. More than 13,500 people, including many from Pacific Northwest tree fruit compa- nies, attended the 12th annual Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong, Sept. 4-6. The Washington Apple Commission, Pear Bureau Northwest and Northwest companies have a booth at the show. There are exhibits from more than 40 countries. Annual fruit logisticas in Berlin, Hong Kong and Shanghai are the world’s largest fresh fruit and vege- table trade shows for produc- ers, exporters, importers and retailers. The Washington Apple Commission expects Canada to be the first Cosmic Crisp export market since Canadi- ans like new varieties, says Toni Lynn Adams, commis- sion spokeswoman. Cosmic Crisp was sam- pled at Fruit Logistica in Ber- lin last February and will be introduced at the Canadian Produce Marketing Associa- tion, next May 12-14. Harvest of the new apple will start soon and an esti- mated 467,000, 40-pound boxes of Cosmic Crisp will enter the domestic market this December. With 2 million boxes of Cosmic Crisp harvested in the fall of 2020, Washing- ton tree fruit companies will decide whether to export it or wait another year. Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong and China Fruit Logistica in Shanghai underscore the importance of Asian markets for U.S., European and South Ameri- can suppliers. Peru increased its exports of agricultural products to Asia by 22% in 2018 and was the first country to part- ner in the show 12 years ago. This year it led exhibitors by sending 300 representatives from 60 companies to the show displaying blueberries, avocados, mangoes, table grapes, citrus, bananas and pomegranates. The show’s discussions included packaging and grading, technology, cold chain management, market- ing and trade. NOTICE Applications sought for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) Board of Directors. Pursuant to OAR 629-065-0400, the purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) Board of Directors. Applicants meeting all the qualifications will be maintained on a list to be used by the State Forester for filling existing vacancies and to fill vacancies caused by expiration of an existing member’s term. Each applicant must certify in the application that he/she meets the qualifications for the position. Each “producer” applicant for the board of directors shall have the following qualifications: 1) be a citizen of the United States; 2) be a bona fide resident of this state; 3) be a “producer” in this state, an employee of such a producer or own between 100 and 2,000 acres of forestland in this state on which harvest taxes are paid, but have no direct financial interest in any forest products processing activity; 4) have been actively engaged in producing forest products for a period of at least five years; 5) derive a substantial portion of income from the production of forest products (“substantial portion of income” means that 50 percent or more of the gross income of a member of the board of directors is derived from timber or timber products ownership or affiliation); 6) have demonstrated, through membership in producers’ organizations or organizations representing landowners who meet the requirements of ORS 526.610(4), a profound interest in the development of Oregon’s forest products industry; 7) is available to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the OFRI Board of Directors; and 8) meets the producer class eligibility requirements for the position to which nominated. Each “employee” applicant shall be: 1) a citizen of the United States; 2) a bona fide resident of this state; and 3) an hourly wage employee of a producer or a person who represents such employees. Leadership Idaho Agriculture Foundation Stewart Dairy, near Nampa, was among the stops on a congressional aides’ tour of southwestern Idaho. Ag tour draws congressional aides to Southwest Idaho By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press A southwest Idaho agri- cultural tour for congres- sional aides succeeded to the extent that organiz- ers plan to replicate it next year in another part of the state. Idaho Sugarbeet Grow- ers Association Executive Director Brad Griff, for- mer staffer for Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, coordi- nated the Aug. 12-16 tour with help from the non- profit Leadership Idaho Agriculture Foundation and commodity and farm organizations. Next year’s location is yet to be selected, but one good candidate is the ag-heavy Magic Val- ley, Griff said. Northern and eastern Idaho have hosted similar tours in the past. “Our goal is to provide an overview of the diver- 2019 TOUR STOPS • Gross Farms potato oper- ations. • Sawtooth Winery (with Idaho Preferred and state wine commission represen- tatives). • J.R. Simplot Co. pota- to-processing facility. • Amalgamated Sugar (Nampa factory). • McKellip mint and sod farm. • Lucky Peak Dam (with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials). • Gooding, Obendorf family hop operations. • Siminis vegetable seed facility. • National Interagency Fire Center. • Stewart Dairy. sity of crops in Idaho,” he said. “We hope it goes for many, many years.” Organizers also hope the tour, held during the August recess of Con- gress, will include more staffers from Capitol Hill. The tour’s mission is education rather than lob- bying, per House ethics rules. “We wanted them to get off the bus and into the field, and experience LEGAL Pursuant to ORS Chapter 87 Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be sold, for cash, to the highest bidder, on 9/12/ 2019. The sale will be held at 10:00am by A-1 TRANSMISSION 3653 SILVERTON RD. NE SALEM, OR 1999 FORD F 250 CW VIN = 1FTNW21F8XEB87861 Amount due on lien $5092.00 Reputed owner(s) DREW CLINTON COOPER DUSTIN SULLENGER The “producer” class eligibility requirements are: LEGAL Class 1 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on 20 million board feet or less per year in the most recent year preceding the appointment. Class 2 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on more than 20 million board feet but less than 100 million board feet per year in the most recent year preceding the appointment. Persons wanting to apply for the OFRI Board of Directors must request application materials from Kathy Storm at OFRI, storm@ofri.org or 971-673-2953. Send completed application packets to the State Forester: Oregon Forestry Department, Attention Brandy Ritter, 2600 State Street, Bldg. B, Salem, Oregon 97310, or via email at brandy.ritter@oregon.gov. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 27, 2019. 36-4/999 36-1/103 Class 3 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on 100 million board feet or more per year in the most recent year preceding the appointment. Small Woodland Owner An owner of between 100 and 2,000 acres of forestland in this state on which harvest taxes were paid in at least one of the five years preceding the appointment, and who has no direct financial interest in any forest products processing activity. the different commodities up close and personal,” said Griff, who, as a con- gressional staffer partic- ipated in similar tours. “Once they come, expe- rience and live in agri- culture, they walk away with an understanding and appreciation for the issues and challenges facing the industry.” Speakers at pre- and post-tour events included Idaho Gov. Brad Little and state Agriculture Director Celia Gould. 35-2-1/999 By DAN WHEAT Capital Press PUBLIC LIEN SALE U-STORE SELF STORAGE SAT, September 21, 2019 1st location 10 AM 1668 Industrial Way SW Albany, Oregon Heidi Henderson, J031; Darrel R Loughmiller, H061; Curtis S Ostlund, J008; Darrell Eugene Sandvig, H037; Drew K Matthews, J015; Brandi Wiebe, H004 2nd Location 11 AM 1501 Hawthorne Ave NE Salem, Oregon Andy Bill Jr, 2F05; Express Medical Supply, RD11, RJ16; Michelle Gomez, 1F47; Marcella Gonsalez, 2A19; Leah D Grey, 1B12; Randall Jordan, 2A77; Ayla Martin, 1C32, 1G03; Heather A McPherson, 2D72; Ignatius T Mera, 1C27; Kimberly Munz, Y217; Joaquin Alejandro Resendiz Pena, 2A69; Amy Rachelle Russell, 1B16; Brian Siegmund, 2A73; Jordan C Thatcher, 1C04; Mary Lou Vasques, 1D28; Kristina Wason, 2B23; Kimberly Wollin, 2B23, 2B25 36-2-4/999 OLYMPIA — Labor and grower representatives last week adopted a wide-rang- ing charter to study how for- eign and American farm- workers are recruited and treated in Washington. The eight-member com- mittee — four farmer and four worker advocates — is expected to produce a report for state lawmakers in 14 months. Any policy rec- ommendation will take five votes to pass. Committee members said they expected tough discus- sions at their monthly meet- ings, but were hopeful the panel could agree on some issues. “We don’t expect mira- cles overnight. We know it’s hard work,” said Rosalinda Guillen, executive director of Community to Commu- nity Development, a critic of farm labor practices. The committee stems from the Employment Secu- rity Department’s proposal this year to tax farms that hire foreign workers through the federal government’s H-2A visa program. The department said the federal government wasn’t giving it enough money to verify a shortage of Amer- ican workers, investigate complaints and conduct a wage survey. Farm groups opposed the tax, and legislators didn’t adopt it. Lawmakers did, however, authorize a new office within the employ- ment department charged with protecting and helping farms get workers. The office will have 14 full-time positions and an annual budget of about $1.7 million, according to legisla- tive records. Lawmakers also created the committee to advise the office. At its first meet- ing, the committee took care of housekeeping and embraced a mandate from the employment depart- ment to study whatever the panel “determines requires consideration.” The committee con- venes as Washington farms increasingly rely on foreign seasonal workers. Labor activists say the imported workers are vulnerable to exploitation and displac- ing Americans. The indus- try says the H-2A program is expensive and regulated and necessary because of a labor shortage. “That’s an issue that requires a fact-finding dis- cussion,” Washington Grow- ers League Executive Direc- tor Mike Gempler said. “I think it’s going to be a major part of what this committee deals with.” Ramon Torres, president of the farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Jus- ticia, said he’s seen “a lot of abuse.” “We don’t want to have strikes. We want to have open dialogue,” Tor- res said through an inter- preter. “We’re glad we have a voice. We want to be heard.” Besides Torres and Guil- len, workers are represented by Northwest Justice Proj- ect attorney Michele Besso and United Farm Work- ers Vice President Erik Nicholson. In addition to Gempler, growers are represented by Washington State Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney, Zirkle Fruit human resources director Delia Pena and King County farmer Rosella Mosby. 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