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EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Friday, June 12, 2020 Volume 93, Number 24 CapitalPress.com $2.00 PL AN BEE How farmers are using native mason bees to boost crop production MASON BEE FACT SHEET · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Watts Solitary Bees Jim Watts and daughter, Hope Watts, package mason bee shipments. Genus: Osmia Family: Megachilidae Origin: the Americas Nature: Gentle, nonaggressive, solitary Males do not sting; females only sting if attacked Nests in a cavity instead of a hive Named after mud "masonry" used to seal nests No queen to protect; every female is fertile Hibernates in winter inside cocoon Doesn't produce honey Outperforms other pollinators in many crops Carries dry pollen on its abdomen Color: varies by species, usually dark-colored (metallic green or blue) Size: .25 to .75 inches long “Generalist” pollinator; moves at random instead of systematically Adversaries: Houdini flies, predatory wasps, pollen mites, some ants Only flies in 300- to 400-foot radius from nest Source: Washington State University By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN Capital Press B OTHELL, Wash. — Jim Watts calls himself a farmer, but he doesn’t raise livestock or crops. Watts is a bee farmer. Across the West, growers are turn- ing to a tiny, overlooked insect to pollinate crops: the native mason bee. In Washington state, Watts is leading the movement. Researchers call mason bees “the new fron- tier” for crop pollination. In recent years, many farmers say they have bought or rented mason bees because they are affordable, low maintenance, improve crop yields, repopulate areas with native species and even push honey bees working alongside them to be more efficient. Researchers have known about mason bees’ Photo courtesy of Jim Watts Mason bees are smaller than honey bees and have many other characteristics that make them unique, entomologists say. NORPAC creditors seek $5M claw back from farmers By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Creditors of the former NORPAC cooperative want to “claw back” nearly $5.3 million from farmers for crop payments and seed they’ve already received from the bankrupt processor. A committee represent- ing unsecured creditors — who don’t have collateral for loans to NORPAC — argues the crop payments were “fraudulent transfers” the farmers must return under bankruptcy law. Recovering the $5.3 mil- lion on behalf of the coop- erative would benefit the unsecured creditors, who cur- rently stand to be repaid only 10% to 45% of the money they’re owed by NOR- PAC. Under bankruptcy law, money from debtors can be “clawed back” if it’s paid out improperly. Earlier this year, the for- mer NORPAC cooperative, now called North Pacific Canners & Packers, filed a lawsuit against 10 farm members seeking a decla- ration that they were owed no additional payments for 2019 crops beyond advances for harvesting and hauling expenses. Now, the unsecured cred- itors want to file another complaint seeking to recover additional funds that were already received by those same 10 growers, with the lawsuit serving as a test case. However, the litigation may have additional reper- cussions for all of NOR- PAC’s 140 grower-owners. The unsecured credi- tors allege that NORPAC NORPAC Foods Creditors of the former NORPAC cooperative seek to “claw back” more than $5.3 million from farmers. growers were paid cash for crops in 2018 and 2019 even though the cooperative was insolvent and had sustained a net economic loss from processing and selling those vegetables. NORPAC’s bylaws required the cooperative to reduce cash payments to farmers during money-losing years and instead compen- sate them more with patron- age retains, or ownership in the cooperative, according to a court document filed by unsecured creditors. Despite sustaining heavy losses in 2018 and 2019, NORPAC made cash pay- ments to the defendant grow- ers that exceeded what they See NORPAC, Page 12 pollinating potential for decades, but their use in agriculture has been overshadowed by the ubiqui- tous honey bee. USDA’s most recent data show farmers in the Western U.S. spend more than $300 million annu- ally on crop pollination by honey bees. Western farms use honey bees in dozens of crops across millions of acres. For example, 2020 reports show California farms are using honey bees to pollinate 1.2 million almond acres, and Northwest farms this year are pollinating nearly 300,000 fruit tree acres. Until recently, large-scale propagation of mason bees has been a pipe dream. Now, it’s taking wing. See Bees, Page 12 WATER SLIDE OWRD cautions against expanding groundwater use in Harney Basin By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press BURNS, Ore. — Pre- liminary findings of a four- year study in the Harney Basin of southeast Oregon indicate groundwater is being lost faster than it can be replenished, and farms will likely need to start using less in an effort to sta- bilize shrinking aquifers. As a result, state water regulators are urging grow- ers in the basin not to irri- gate any more land with groundwater — even if their permit allows addi- tional pumping. The Oregon Water Resources Department is sending letters to permit holders cautioning them against increasing ground- water development, which could be curtailed to pre- vent wells from running dry. Under Oregon water law, farmers and ranchers must apply for a water right per- mit to use groundwater for irrigating crops and water- ing livestock. OWRD then designates a time period to “develop” the water right, such as digging wells and installing pivots. If permit holders cannot put all of the water to use right away, they can apply Area in detail OREGON Baker 395 Grant Crook 20 Deschutes Burns Hines 20 78 Malheur lake Harney Basin Malheur Steens Mountain 395 Lake Harney Harney Basin Counties 24 miles Oregon Nevada Capital Press for an extension allowing them to add more irrigated acres in the future, some- times years after the permit was first issued. Now, OWRD is ask- ing those producers not to expand and instead brace for cutbacks to slow the rate of groundwater declines. The department previously notified permit holders in October 2019 that requests for exten- sions were unlikely to be approved. “It is important for the community to understand See OWRD, Page 12