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CapitalPress.com
Friday, October 18, 2019
People & Places
A farmer branches out
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
WINTERS, Calif. —
Aomboom Deasy says farm-
ing was not necessarily a
career choice but more about
being born into it.
“My dad was a pomolo-
gist (a branch of botany that
studies and cultivates fruit)
for the University of Califor-
nia and advisor for USDA
for over 20 years,” she said.
“In my college days at the
University of San Francisco
I worked on the farm and
continue to this day with my
husband, Timothy.”
Their 100-acre K&J
Orchards is in Winters.
The operation, which
began in 1990, has a long
fruit season that begins
with the first cherry harvest
in spring and culminates in
pear and apple harvests in
autumn.
“We grow a wide range
of products as we are con-
sidered a year-round farm,
growing and selling directly
to consumers,” Deasy said.
They start their harvest
season in May with cherries
and peaches.
“Then we roll into other
stone fruits: apricots, apri-
ums (a combination of 75%
apricot and 25% plum),
plums, pluots and nectar-
ines,” she said. “Apples and
pears roll in by late summer.
We round out the autumn
with persimmons and then
go into winter with citrus.
We produce nuts as well.”
She said that, depend-
ing on the weather, the most
temperamental crops are the
apples and pears.
But they also grow sev-
eral more exotic crops.
“I was born in Bangkok,
and due to my Asian her-
itage we tend to grow mis-
cellaneous products not usu-
ally found in a local grocery
store,” she said.
The best example, she
said, is the “jujube” — also
known as Chinese dates.
She also balances work
on the farm with a growing
career in finance.
Deasy is involved in a
San Francisco startup as its
finance director and is get-
ting a master’s degree from
Harvard University.
“I spent the last 17 years
of my professional career in
sourcing and product-project
management for some well
known consumer product
companies,” she said. “I am
attending Harvard (through
their extension school)
because I changed my career
focus a couple of years ago.
I go to school online and
attend classes on campus.”
In the meantime, the farm
continues to be a mainstay
of the Ferry Plaza Farmers’
Market in San Francisco.
“K&J Orchards has been
part of the Ferry Plaza Farm-
ers’ Market family for 25
years, bringing a delicious
diversity of the highest qual-
ity, tree-ripened fruit sea-
EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER
Established 1928
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher
Kevin Blodgett ........... Advertising Director
Western
Innovator
AOMBOON
DEASY
Occupation: Farmer
and finance director of a
startup company in San
Francisco
Family: Husband, Timo-
thy, and two dogs
Hometown: Winters,
Calif.
Aomboom Deasy, who operates K&J Orchards on
100 acres in Yolo County, Calif., says farming isn’t for
everyone. Although many outside the industry view it
as romantic, the hard work can be overwhelming.
son after season,” said Brie
Mazurek, communications
director of the Center for
Urban Education about Sus-
tainable Agriculture, known
as CUESA, which operates
the Ferry Plaza Farmers’
Market at the San Francisco
Embarcadero.
“Aomboon Deasy is car-
rying her parents’ legacy
with business savvy and a
warm and generous spirit,
making K&J a go-to for our
chef community and market
shoppers alike,” she said.
Deasy said she would
advise anyone to choose
farming as their life’s work
only if they are willing to put
in the hard work. The idea is
romantic to many outside
the industry but the work it
involves can be overwhelm-
ing for some.
In addition to long hours,
Mother Nature and fluctuat-
ing agricultural prices, she
said another challenge is
facing California farmers.
Education: Bachelor’s
degree in business
administration, National
University, San Diego;
master’s degree in project
management from the
University of San Francis-
co and will earn a master’s
degree in finance from
Harvard University at the
end of 2020.
Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager
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“In my opinion, the big-
gest challenge is the urban
sprawl,” she said. “More and
more farmland is disappear-
ing into housing develop-
ments as the state becomes
more densely populated.
With the population growth
more and more resources —
such as water — are becom-
ing scarcer.”
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Kiwi berry growers look to build bigger demand
By CRAIG REED
For the Capital Press
ROSEBURG, Ore. —
Western Oregon’s few hardy
kiwi berry growers have
raised a bumper crop of the
fruit this year. The 2019 vol-
ume is three to four times
greater than the past couple
of years.
But with that good news
comes the issue of scram-
bling to find enough mar-
kets for the berry that is rel-
atively unknown to many
consumers.
“The crop size surprised
us a little bit,” admitted Ryan
Cleary, an account man-
ager in the sales division of
Domex Superfresh Growers
in Yakima, Wash.
Domex is marketing the
kiwi berries grown by Norris
Farms near Riddle, Ore.
“There are various mar-
kets in the U.S. and around
the world,” Cleary said.
“And there are still stones to
be turned over out there to
develop new markets for this
fruit. It’s just a matter of edu-
cating consumers about what
it is. It’s a cousin to the big-
ger fuzzy kiwi fruit without
the mess of peeling. Just eat
it like a grape.”
“It’s a fascinating, emerg-
ing market,” said Ellie Nor-
The kiwi berry has a
smooth, edible skin that
is more convenient for
eating than the bigger,
fuzzy variety of kiwi
because there is no
peeling involved. The
berry is hard when picked,
but softens as it ripens.
Craig Reed/For the Capital Press
Ellie Norris, co-owner of Norris Farms in Douglas
County, Ore., checks on the quality and ripeness of kiwi
berries prior to shipping.
ris, co-owner of Norris
Farms. “The challenge is get-
ting them in front of people
for the first time. People who
do try them, love them.”
Growers are getting $3.50
to $4.50 a pound for the
berries.
The research that has been
done says the kiwi berry is
rich in vitamin C, low in fat,
cholesterol and sodium, high
in fiber and a good source
of potassium, vitamin E and
magnesium.
Jaysen Weidner, sales
manager for HBF Interna-
tional that markets kiwi ber-
ries for Hurst Berry Farms of
McMinnville, Ore., agreed
that many consumers remain
unfamiliar with the fruit. He
added, however, that there
are markets for the fruit
across the U.S. and some in
Asia.
“When people have tried
them, I’ve never had anyone
say they didn’t like them,”
Weidner said. “There’s a
convenience for the kiwi
berry compared to the fuzzy
kiwi. Just pop it in your
mouth and eat it. They have
a smooth, edible skin. The
softer the berry, the sweeter
the flavor.”
Will Ratto of Aurora,
Ore., has 2 acres of kiwi
berries. He sells his crop
directly to New Seasons
stores in the Portland area.
To help educate consumers
about the berry, Ratto adds a
free half flat of the fruit with
each of his deliveries so the
stores can provide samples
to potential consumers.
“I believe in niche mar-
kets,” Ratto said. “It’s just a
matter of educating the end
user so they understand the
ripening process and when
is the right time to eat the
berry.”
On the outside, the berry
has a smooth, green-and-
red skin. It is the size of an
olive or large grape. There is
no brown, fuzzy skin to peel
as is the case with the larger,
better-known kiwis.
The inside of the kiwi
berry is exactly the same as
the larger fuzzy variety. The
fruit is green with tiny black
seeds.
It’s estimated there are
only about 80 acres of the
kiwi berry being grown and
harvested in Oregon.
Harvest of the berries in
Oregon is from late Sep-
tember to mid-October.
After being picked, the ber-
ries needed a couple days at
room temperature to ripen.
They are sweetest when they
are soft. After ripening, they
can be refrigerated and will
remain good up to one to two
weeks, or they can be frozen.
In addition to being eaten
whole, the berries are pop-
ular in smoothies, blended
with yogurt and in salads.
“It’s a niche market right
now for the berries, but we’re
hoping it catches on,” Norris
said.
“It’s a challenging sale to
the retail sector, but there has
been growth even though it’s
been slow growth,” Weidner
said.
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CALENDAR
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
OCT. 18-19
Biochar Workshop: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tualatin Soil and Water Conserva-
tion District, 7175 NE Evergreen Park-
way, Suite No. 400, Hillsboro, Ore.
Learn how charred biomass (bio-
char) can increase soil productivity,
reduce wildfire risk and slow climate
change. Biochar consultant Kelpie
Wilson will provide a history and sci-
ence of biochar followed by a full-
day interactive demonstration of
how to make biochar from your burn
piles using a simple “flame cap kiln.”
She will also share methods for using
biochar in compost and in animal
barns to recover nutrients for use
in soil. This is a free, two-day work-
shop that includes hands-on activi-
ties. You have the option to sign up
for just one of the workshop days if
that’s what best suits your schedule.
Contact: Charlotte Trowbridge, 503-
277-3709, charlotte.trowbridge@
tualatinswcd.org
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
Meaningful Incentives to Sus-
tain Small Forest Lands: 7:30-
11:30 a.m. Willapa Harbor Commu-
nity Center, 916W First St., South
Bend, Wash. A unique partnership
between conservation districts and
state and federal agencies has been
formed to bring financial and tech-
nical assistance to help retain work-
ing family forest lands in SW Wash-
ington. Join us for a free breakfast to
learn about and help shape incentive
programs and conservation efforts
for small forest landowners. Contact:
Patrick Shultz, patrick.shultz@wsu.
edu, 360-740-1213
Oregon Ag in the Classroom
Fall Harvest Dinner: 5 p.m., CH2M
Hill Alumni Center, Oregon State
University, Corvallis. Make plans to
join us for our 2019 Fall Harvest Din-
ner and Auction. All proceeds will
directly support our mission: “To help
students grow in their knowledge
of agriculture, the environment and
natural resources.” Contact: AITC@
oregonstate.edu, 541-737-8629
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 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-
shop series offered to veterans free
of cost. Sponsored by Benton County
Veteran Affairs. Contact: https://
tinyurl.com/yy2fnnyo
SUNDAY, OCT. 27
Young Farmer Tour and Mixer:
6-10 p.m. Washington Hall, 153 14th
Ave., Seattle. Ninth annual Young
Farmer Mixer hosted by Washington
Young Farmers Coalition. Urban farm
tours followed by mixer. Potluck and
live music. Farm tours 2 to 5:30 p.m.
Mixer 6 to 10 p.m. More details on
coalition’s Facebook page. Contact:
http://washingtonyoungfarmers.org
or wayoungfarmers@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY-
SATURDAY OCT. 30-
NOV. 2
92nd National FFA Conven-
tion and Expo: Indiana Conven-
tion Center, 100 S Capitol Ave.,
Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the
organization’s annual gather-
ing. Contact: https://convention.
ffa.org/
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
Goat Discovery Day:
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Pleasant Hill High
School, 36386 Highway 58, Pleas-
ant Hill, Ore. If you are an experi-
enced “goat person” or you hope
to be, this event is for you. A full
day of workshops, demos with
live goats, vendors and network-
ing. Presented by Emerald Dairy
Goat Association and Oregon
State University Extension Ser-
vices. Contact: Teagan Moran, tea-
gan.moran@oregonstate.org,
541-713-5011
SATURDAY-TUESDAY
NOV. 2-4
2019 Angus Convention:
Reno-Sparks Convention Cen-
ter, 4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nev.
From outstanding educational
seminars to nationa: Centre on
the Grove, 850 W Front St., Boise,
Idaho. Annual meeting of Idaho
and Utah dairy industries. Contact:
https://www.dairywest.com
MONDAY, NOV. 4
Exploring the Small Farm
Dream: 6-8:30 pm. OSU Exten-
sion Office, Josephine County,
215 Ringuette St., Grants Pass,
Ore. This three-session beginning
farmer training series meets in
Nov. 4, 11 and 18. Southern Ore-
gon abounds with enthusiastic
or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press.
farmers involved in pursuing the
commercial small farm dream.
TUESDAY-
WEDNESDAY
NOV. 5-6
Intermountain Native Plant
Summit IX: Boise State University
Student Union Building. The use of
native plants on rangelands in the
West. Open to the public. Contact:
Thomas Jones, thomas/jones@
usda.gov
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
Women and Leadership 3:
5-8 p.m., Urban Studio, 935 North-
west Davis St., Portland. Jor-
dan Ramis PC announces the
Third Annual Women & Leader-
ship event. Designed to moti-
vate, inspire and educate women
who are leaders or aspiring lead-
ers. Food, drinks, and whiskey tast-
ings will be provided with the goal
in mind of bringing women and
allies in the agricultural indus-
try together to network, dis-
cuss issues regarding careers and
growth and enjoy the company of
like-minded colleagues. A panel
discussion features Caylin Bar-
ter, an environmental and natu-
ral resources attorney with Jor-
dan Ramis; Cory Carman, owner
of Carman Ranch in Wallowa
County, Ore.; Leigh Geschwill,
owner of F&B Farms and Nurs-
ery; and Mallory Phelan, execu-
tive director of Oregon Aglink.
Contact: info@jordanramis.com,
(503) 598-7070. https://bit.ly/
WomenAndLeadership3
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
NOV. 6-10
American Agri-Women Con-
vention: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Embassy
Suites by Hilton, 9000 SW Wash-
ington Square Road, Tigard.
Hosted by the Oregon Women
for Agriculture, the American
Agri-Women Convention will
bring members from around
the nation. Contact: Oregon
Women for Agriculture, 541-
791-6031. https://owaonline.
org/2019-aaw-convention/.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
NOV. 8-10
Tilth Conference 2019: Yakima
Convention Center, 10 N. Eighth
St., Yakima, Wash. Every year, the
Tilth Conference brings together
hundreds of farmers, producers,
researchers and food system pro-
fessionals for a weekend of learn-
ing, building relationships and shar-
ing best practices. Contact: Kevin
McAleese, kevinmcaleese@tilthal-
liance.org. http://www.tilthconfer-
ence.org
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY
NOV. 11-13
Idaho Cattle Association
Annual Convention: Sun Val-
ley Inn at Sun Valley Resort, Sun
Valley, Idaho. The annual ICA
event is focused on cattlemen’s
needs, putting them face-to-face
with some of the industry’s most
renowned experts. Contact: 208-
343-1615, www.idahocattle.org/
Include a contact telephone number.
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comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
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Index
Dairy ........................................................8
Markets .................................................10
Opinion ...................................................6
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