AG FINANCE SPECIAL SECTION | PAGES 8-9
EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER
Friday, December 13, 2019
CapitalPress.com
Volume 92, Number 50
$2.00
THE RURAL
VOTE WAS
IMPORTANT
IN THE LAST
PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION,
AND IT’S
GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT
IN THE 2020
ELECTION.
Nati Harnik/Associated Press File
In this July 24, 2018, photo, corn grows in front of a barn carrying a large “Trump” sign in rural Ashland, Neb. President Donald Trump continues to be
popular with many farmers.
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
How voters feel about President Trump
B
UHL, Idaho — Three helped push the New York real estate
years ago, dairy farmer mogul and reality TV show boss over
John Brubaker saw pres- the top in the 2016 election. A recent
idential candidate Don- poll by Grinnell College in Iowa shows
ald Trump as the
that Trump’s approval rat-
ing among rural voters ranges
lesser of two evils.
from 56% to 63% on issues
Back then, Trump wouldn’t
such as his performance as
have been his first pick — but
president, the economy and
there was no way he’d vote
on immigration.
for Hillary Clinton, the former
Voters’ one caveat is the
U.S. senator and secretary of
trade war with China, which
state under President Barack
has cost U.S. farmers bil-
Obama.
lions of dollars in an already
Fast forward to a cold,
Dairyman
windy day checking cows on John Brubaker severe agriculture economic
recession. Even so, the poll
his dairy, and it’s a different
showed a 49% approval rat-
story — Trump is now his top
ing on China.
choice.
Frustration over China and how
“He has done a lot for rural Amer-
ica, and he has done a lot for the nation, long the trade dispute will linger —
in my opinion,” he said.
with Trump now saying a resolution
Brubaker, 65, is one of Trump’s
See Trump, Page 15
many rural backers, a segment that
This portion of The Grinnell College National Poll illustrates how urban/
rural Americans likely to vote view Donald Trump:
Response (by percent)
Category
City Suburb Town Rural Total
Definitely vote to re-elect Trump
31%
32
38
54
38
Consider someone else
12
14
18
10
13
Definitely vote to elect someone else
53
51
42
35
47
Not sure
3
2
2
1
2
Trump approval rate ...
... As president
Response (by percent)
City Suburb Town Rural Total
34% 36
45
56
40
... On the economy
45
48
54
63
50
... On immigration
34
33
45
56
40
... On trade with China
35
31
42
49
38
NOTE: Based on telephone interviews with 1,003 U.S. adults ages 18 or older, including 806 likely
voters in the 2020 general election. Responses were adjusted by sex, age, and race to reflect the
general population. Margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Source: Grinnell College; Selzer & Company, Oct. 17-23, 2019
Capital Press graphic
•••
RURAL
VOTERS
ACCOUNTED
FOR 17%
OF THE
ELECTORATE
IN THE 2016
ELECTION
AND TRUMP
CARRIED 62%
OF THE
RURAL VOTE,
ACCORDING
TO EXIT
POLLS.
Tiegs prevails over Simplot in auction for NORPAC facility
Entrepreneur will buy Quincy,
Wash., processing plant
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
PORTLAND — Farm entrepreneur
Frank Tiegs has prevailed over the J.R.
Simplot Co. in an auction to buy the
bankrupt NORPAC cooperative’s pro-
cessing plant in Quincy, Wash., for up
to $107 million.
The transaction is significant for
farmers and workers in Oregon’s Wil-
lamette Valley because it’s considered
necessary for Tiegs to also take over
the operations of Oregon processing
facilities in Brooks and Salem.
Lineage Logistics, a Michigan-based
cold storage company, has made a $49
million offer to buy the bankrupt NOR-
PAC cooperative’s Oregon processing
facilities in Brooks, Salem and Stayton.
NORPAC Foods has received a let-
ter of intent to purchase the properties
from Lineage Logistics, which would
likely lease the Brooks and Salem
plants to Tiegs’ Oregon Potato Co.,
said Albert Kennedy, the cooperative’s
attorney, during a Dec. 10 bankruptcy
court hearing in Portland.
He did not discuss what Lineage
Logistics planned to do with the Stay-
ton facility.
Tiegs, owner of the Oregon Potato
Co., had previously bid on NORPAC’s
Oregon facilities and its process-
ing plant in Quincy, Wash., but later
backed out, citing environmental and
Capital Press File
See NORPAC, Page 15
Workers at NORPAC Foods prepare onions for process-
ing.
Hemp swamps market and machinery
Problems dampen enthusiasm for new crop
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
The surge of enthusi-
asm that spurred a five-
fold expansion of Oregon’s
hemp acreage this year has
been dampened by numer-
ous problems that prevented
many farmers from cashing
in on the crop.
A shortage of equip-
ment necessary to harvest,
dry and process hemp has
forced many growers to
abandon fields they initially
hoped would reap robust
financial rewards.
“They got caught up in
the grand illusion,” said
Rick Kozen, a hemp entre-
preneur whose Operation:
Hemp Aid is helping dis-
tressed growers. “It was
almost set up for failure.”
Expectations of strong
revenues have often proven
overly optimistic as the
amount of hemp produced
in Oregon and elsewhere
has swamped the fledg-
ling infrastructure needed
to make finished prod-
ucts available to potential
buyers.
“People heard there was
a lot of money and they went
into it fast and furious,” said
Mark Taylor, founder of the
Southern Oregon Hemp
Co-Operative. “Poor plan-
ning produces poor results
in any commerce.”
To compound the logis-
tical issues facing hemp
farmers, ill-timed rain
downpours, hail storms and
freezing weather damaged
the crop’s quality in certain
areas.
While the 2019 season
was bitterly disappointing
for some hemp farmers, the
turbulence and uncertainty
are unfortunate “growing
pains” that likely won’t per-
manently hamper the indus-
try’s potential for profit,
experts say.
See Hemp, Page 15
SAVE $15!
Save on Stocking
Stuffers & More!
5013 River Rd. N, Keizer • 3111 Ocean Blvd. SE, Coos Bay
Hurry in for Great Holiday Deals!
9
99
EVERYDAY PRICE 14.99
Coast HX4 LED
Clip Flashlight
9 99
EVERYDAY PRICE 24.99
Peet Powercell
Portable Shoe
Dryer
PRICES GOOD THROUGH DEC. 22, 2019
S142475-1