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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, May 1, 2020 People & Places Sweet potatoes gain ground By JULIA HOLLISTER For the Capital Press Eric Buhrmann, general manager of Mininger Foods in Merced County, Calif., says sweet potatoes have every- thing a body needs. “Sweet potatoes are a well- rounded food Sweet pota- that contains toes ready vitamin A, for harvest. vitamin C, calcium and is loaded with potassium,” he told the Cap- ital Press. That, in large part, is why they have gained in popular- ity over the years as a health- ful alternative to potatoes. In 2009, 5.9 million hundred- weight of sweet potatoes were raised in California, according to the USDA. By last year, the state’s sweet potato crop had grown to 8.1 million hundred- weight, an increase of 37%. Overall, California’s pro- duction of sweet potatoes and yams has nearly quadrupled since the late 1970s and is second only to North Carolina in annual volume, according to the USDA. Nathan Mininger, presi- dent of Mininger Foods, said there is a secret to growing beautiful sweet potatoes: the sand. “Heavy, rocky soil can hin- der growth and form crooked EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Established 1928 Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher Western Innovator Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager Entire contents copyright © 2020 NATHAN MININGER Hometown: Atwater, Calif. (Merced County) Family: wife, Debbie, and five adult children Courtesy of Nathan Mininger Nathan Mininger, president and owner of Mininger Foods in Merced County, Calif., grows six varieties of sweet potatoes. He says the public is beginning to eat more sweet potatoes because of their good taste and health benefits. or ugly sweet potatoes; but there is a sand belt here in Merced County where our pretty sweet potatoes grow without resistance,” Mininger said. The difference between yams and sweet potatoes probably goes back to early marketing. A yam is orange inside and out, sweet and has lots of vita- min A and beta carotene. A sweet potato has white flesh on the inside when baked or boiled. They hold their texture and are higher in potassium. Basically, though, both are sweet potatoes. Mininger worked for years at A.V. Thomas Produce before going out on his own in the early 1990s, according to the company website. Mininger grows six variet- ies of sweet potatoes — Cov- ington (traditional), Diane, Burgundy, Bonita, Mura- saki and Stokes Purple — on about 1,000 acres with A.V. Thomas, a California-based grower and packer. “I enjoy row crops because every year you start from the beginning,” he said. “Each variety matures differently, from 90 days to 120 days.” Around the middle of Feb- ruary and into March, work- ers cover seed potatoes in plastic-covered hotbeds. In April and May, the pota- toes are transplanted into the fields. Harvest lasts from August through the end of October. Because of the sandy soil, curing is not necessary. The sweet potatoes are stored year around. The increase in the vol- ume of sweet potatoes grown serves as a beacon for the EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is Occupation: Sweet po- tato grower and founder, Mininger Foods published weekly by EO Media Group, Quote: “I enjoy row crops because every year you start from the beginning.” Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to increase in consumption, and that’s a good sign. “I do think people are beginning to understand the health benefits of eating sweet potatoes on a regular basis,” Mininger said. “There are many, many ways of eat- ing sweet potatoes today: in pies, casseroles, fried, hash browns, soups, salads and baked, of course.” That is a break in tradi- tion, he said, adding that “in the past, many people seemed to think Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas was the only time you were supposed to enjoy sweet potatoes.” Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Circulation ...........................800-781-3214 Email ........... Circulation@capitalpress.com Main line .............................503-364-4431 News Staff Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas ..............208-860-3898 Boise Brad Carlson .......................208-914-8264 Western Washington Don Jenkins .........................360-722-6975 Eastern Washington Matthew Weaver ................509-688-9923 Klamath Water Users offer scholarship drawing By HOLLY DILLEMUTH For the Capital Press KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — All high school students in their senior year in Klam- ath, Modoc, and Siskiyou counties are eligible to enter a drawing to win a scholarship from the Klamath Water Users Association. The association, which represents irrigation districts throughout the Klamath Basin, started the initial fund with a contribution of $500. The more individuals and businesses that contribute, the more scholar- ships can be awarded to seniors through the fund. The deadline for seniors to enter for a chance to win a scholarship is midnight on June 7. The effort has so far col- lected $1,500 — enough to award three scholarships, said Chelsea Shearer, administra- tive assistant to KWUA Exec- utive Director Paul Simmons. Shearer, whose daughter is a The Klamath Water Users Association has set up a schol- arship fund for graduating seniors. 2020 Henley High graduate, pitched the concept to the board of directors. “It’s just a way to let (the students) know that we’re all thinking of them and we stand behind them and their goals,” Shearer said. Shearer said to enter, seniors must send a senior photo with their first and last name (to be used in KWUA’s social media campaign), the name of their high school and one sentence describing their plan for what they will do after high school. Shearer said she will post a photo of a student who has entered the scholarship contest on KWUA’s Facebook page every day as a way to show the association is behind them. Those still working to com- plete their graduation require- ments are welcome to enter to win a scholarship. “It’s not about who’s bet- ter,” Shearer said. “It’s about, ‘Hey, you did this, you made it this far, and we’re here to sup- port you.’” Ben DuVal, vice president of KWUA, said he and other producers can empathize with seniors under the current cir- cumstances that ended their school year. “Ag producers right now in the Klamath Basin — we defi- nitely understand uncertainty, the disappointment of working hard and making plans to see them fall apart,” DuVal said. “So we can empathize with the seniors and saw that we could hopefully improve the future for them.” Tricia Hill, president of KWUA, also acknowledged that the association wants to do what it can to support the class of 2020 in light of current events. “There’s an excitement to the end of your senior year and a camaraderie with your class- mates that you’ve been going to school with, and all of that they’re never going to get,” Hill said. “They’re going to miss out on it. “In a year that everything is just so grim ... it was something that we could do that was posi- tive and uplifting.” Every senior who enters will have their name entered into a drawing to receive a scholar- ship. All donated funds will go toward a scholarship. Shearer encourages dona- tions from individuals, groups, or businesses of any amount toward the scholarship fund through June 7. Checks can be made payable to: KWUA Senior Scholarship, 2312 S. Sixth St., Suite A, Klamath Falls, OR 97601. To enter a drawing for the scholarship, seniors must sub- mit required information to chelsea@kwua.org by June 7. The recipients of the schol- arships will be chosen at ran- dom and will be announced on KWUA’s Facebook page on June 9. Oregon George Plaven ....................406-560-1655 Mateusz Perkowski .............800-882-6789 Sierra Dawn McClain ..........503-506-8011 Designer Randy Wrighthouse .............800-882-6789 To Place Classified Ads Telephone (toll free) ............800-882-6789 Online ...........CapitalPress.com/classifieds Subscriptions Mail rates paid in advance Easy Pay U.S. $4 /month (direct withdrawal from bank or credit card account) 1 year U.S. ...........................................$55 2 years U.S. ........................................$100 1 year Canada .....................................$275 1 year other countries ...........call for quote 1 year Internet only .........................$49.99 1 year 4-H, FFA students/teachers .......$30 9 months 4-H, FFA students/teachers ..$25 Visa and Mastercard accepted To get information published Mailing address: Capital Press Spokane Junior Livestock Show goes virtual Show managers look to connect youth sellers with buyers By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press The Junior Livestock Show of Spokane will go on — online. Due to the COVID-19 quar- antine, the show will offer a vir- tual version on May 7. Youth participants will vid- eotape themselves at home showing their animals. Judges will view the videos and judge the animals in their market class, show manager Lynn Cot- ter told the Capital Press. Judges will watch the video for quality and whether ani- mals are mar- ket-ready as Lynn Cotter best they can, she said. “It’s a learning year for all of us,” she said. “Our big- gest thing is we wanted to give the kids the opportunity to do something with these animals. They’re home from school, they still have these animals, they’re going to the barn, feeding them every day.” Results will be posted fol- lowing the show. Participants have the option ONLINE http://www.juniorshow. org/ of participating or getting their entry fees returned, Cotter said. About 550 youths were slated to show 700 animals during the show. She’s hoping at least 200 to 300 youths will still participate. There will be no livestock sale in conjunction with the show. Cotter said the show has encouraged youths to pre-sell their animals. She’s put the word out on social media to youths to let her know if they don’t have their animal sold. She currently has a list of roughly 12 lambs and goats still to be purchased, and will also take names of potential buyers for steers and hogs, she said. Holding a virtual show may help with the show’s bud- get, Cotter said. There won’t be the cost of renting the Spo- kane County Fairgrounds, for example. But there are still the costs of putting on the event, includ- ing prize money for the hog carcass contest, the ambassa- dor program to promote next year’s show and more funding in senior scholarships. But what the next year will hold for the show’s funding is an unknown, she said. “...Who knows what will happen next year after all of this,” she said. Right now, though, she said, the biggest need is for the youths to sell their animals. For exam- ple, a youth will purchase a pig for $200 and invest $300 in its care and feeding. When the animal is sold, the youth will hopefully make that money back and more. “As the meat prices are rising in the store, I think it’s gonna be a heck of a deal to buy from these kids,” she said. FFA members must wear official dress in their videos. The entry deadline is May 5. P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office or news staff member closest to you, send the information to newsroom@capitalpress.com or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Letters to the Editor: Send your 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. Capital Press ag media CapitalPress.com FarmSeller.com MarketPlace.capitalpress.com facebook.com/CapitalPress facebook.com/FarmSeller CALENDAR Submit upcoming ag-related events on www.capitalpress.com or by email to newsroom@capital- press.com. SUNDAY-TUESDAY MAY 17-19 The Alltech Ideas Conference: Central Bank Center, 430 W. Vine St., Lexington, Ky. The 36th Alltech Ideas Conference will explore inno- vative solutions within the global food-supply chain. More than 40 topics are slated for discussion. Website: http://one.alltech.com WEDNESDAY- THURSDAY, MAY 20-21 AgTC Virtual Annual Meeting: 9-11 a.m. Pacific each day. Online. An amazing line up of speakers, fastest paced Annual Meeting ever, tackling the challenges facing shippers, carriers, ports, all others, right now. Website: https://agtrans. org/events/ WEDNESDAY- THURSDAY JUNE 3-4 Stockmanship Clinic: 8 a.m. Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, Ore. This hands-on clinic will focus on prac- tical applications of various live- stock handling techniques, why low stress handling is important and helping to design a livestock handling facility for a local ranch. Sponsored by Roots of Resilience and Oregon State University Exten- sion. Contact: Andrea Mann at 509- 670-7743 or mannandrea@aol.com, or Beth Robinette at beth@lazyr- beef.com SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Goat and Lamb Clinic: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Red Pavilion, Scio, Ore. Join us for a prac- tice showmanship contest and some hands-on learning on how to get your animal show- ring ready. Contact: Teri Mcken- zie, 503-302-9901, teri@4Mlive - stock.com SATURDAY-SUNDAY JUNE 20-21 Glenwood Ketchum Kalf Rodeo: 12:30 p.m. Glenwood, Wash. The 86th Annual Ketchum Kalf Rodeo will be held in Glen- wood, Wash. The Glenwood Rodeo Association is a non- profit, all-volunteer organiza- tion. Contact: Mary L. Pierce, 509-364-3427 twitter.com/CapitalPress MONDAY-TUESDAY JUNE 22-23 Idaho Cattle Association Sum- mer Roundup: Burley Convention Center, Burley, Idaho. The annual summer conference includes pre- sentations on topics of interest to cattle producers, as well as social events and a golf tournament. Agenda to be announced. Website: http://www.idahocattle.org FRIDAY, JULY 24 16th Annual AgFor- estry Golf Tournament: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Apple Tree Golf Course, 8804 Occiden- tal Ave., Yakima, Wash. Join the AgForestry network of alumni and supporters for an after- noon of golf, camaraderie and supporting future AgFor- estry Leaders. Contact: Melissa Skomer-Kafton, 509-926-9113, melissa@agforestry.org Web- site: http://agforestry.org/ golf-tournament-2020/ SATURDAY SEPT. 19 Small Farm School 2020: Clack- amas Community College, Clairmont Hall, 19600 S Molalla Ave., Oregon City, Ore. Small Farm School is a full- day event with hands-on workshops and classroom sessions for beginning and small-scale commercial farm- ers. Subscribe to the mailing list for updates. The school is a collaboration between OSU Extension, Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District and Clackamas Community College. Fee: $75 Contact: Clint Taylor, 979- 820-3980 or clint.taylor@oregon- state.edu youtube.com/CapitalPressvideo Index COVID-19 ............................................. 4-5 Markets .................................................13 Opinion ...................................................6 Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.
