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DIRECT BEEF SALES SURGE DURING PANDEMIC | PAGE 2 EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER CapitalPress.com Friday, July 17, 2020 Volume 93, Number 29 $2.00 Brad Carlson/Capital Press Clint Shock’s research has included a wide range of plants, from potatoes and onions to hemp. The Problem Solver For a half-century, researcher Clint Shock has followed his curiosity, and his love for agriculture By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press W hen Clint Shock looks at farmland, he sees more than rich soil or abun- dant water. He sees the promise of better things to come. “Look how lucky we are,” Shock said. “There are all sorts of undeveloped resources, like plants with interesting properties, that haven’t been fully utilized for the benefit of mankind.” As a researcher, his curiosity has taken him to far-off lands over the past half-century. He is constantly adding to his list of interests: from staples such as onions and potatoes to the potential of California Yerba Santa and des- ert parsley, which can be used in respiratory medicines. Currently, hemp, which is mainly used for its therapeutic properties, has Shock’s atten- tion. He’s been working on breeding an ideal variety for arid, irrigated southeastern Oregon. The wide-ranging nature of his interests doesn’t bother him. “It means I don’t have a sterling academic career in one narrow field,” Shock said. “The things I have accomplished are all over the place, depending on what was needed in the community I lived in.” At 76, he is the retired director of the Ore- gon State University Malheur Experiment Sta- tion south of Ontario, where he remains an emeritus professor. Shock’s recent research suits his generalist curiosity and desire to help people while tar- geting specific problems. “A lot of people are in one niche or another,” he said. “My niche with plants is See Shock, Page 9 Wine labeling controversy triggers class action lawsuit California winery accused of misleading consumers By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press A Napa Valley winery is accused of misleading consumers about the origins of its Oregon-labeled wines in a proposed class action lawsuit filed June 18. Copper Cane LLC, based in Ruth- erford, Calif., purchases winegrapes from more than 40 Oregon vineyards to make Pinot noir and rosé under the brand name Elouan. The company came under fire in 2018 after several Oregon winemakers and legislators argued the wines illegally referenced specific regional appellations known as American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs. Los Angeles County resident Barry N. Kay is now suing Cop- per Cane on behalf of wine drinkers who felt duped into believing Elouan comes from the Oregon AVAs, when actually it is made in California. Attorneys for Kay did not return messages for comment. The issue, while seemingly arcane, stems from both state and federal laws dictating what can and cannot be included on a wine’s label. Characteristics such as geography, climate, soils and growing practices — collectively referred to as terroir — can all impact wine quality and flavor, making location a key selling point. The federal government des- ignates AVAs based on these unique features. Labeling wine from a particu- lar AVA can significantly increase its value. For example, a bottle of Pinot noir labeled from Oregon sold for an average of $14.64 over a 52-week period ending on June 30, 2018, according to Nielsen cash register data. But Pinot noir labeled from the Willamette Valley AVA sold for an average of $25.06 per bottle. To include an AVA name on the label, a certain percentage of grapes in the wine must come from that area. Federal law requires at least 85%, while Oregon requires 95%. The wine must also be “fully finished,” that is fermented and bottled, in the same state where the AVA is located. Though Copper Cane buys wine- grapes from dozens of Oregon vint- ners, the fruit is trucked back to California to make Elouan wines. However, the labels, box art and online promotional materials for Elouan still contained references to the Willamette, Rogue and Umpqua valley AVAs, which according to See Labeling, Page 9 Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File Wine grapes ripen in a vineyard in Oregon’s Wil- lamette Valley. NW partnership aims to create early warning system for drought Producers encouraged to report crop, livestock impacts DROUGHT CONDITION MONITORING OBSERVING REPORT To report local drought conditions online to the Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning System, visit: By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press PORTLAND — A regional collaborative group wants to hear from North- west farmers and ranchers about how drought is affect- ing crops and livestock. The Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning Sys- tem includes state clima- tologists and USDA rep- resentatives from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and western Montana. Its mis- sion is to provide timely Ryan Brennecke/EO Media Group/Bend Bulletin A wheel line irrigation system waters a field in Culver, Ore., on June 11. A regional collaborative hopes to pro- vide timely information to communities so they can bet- ter anticipate and manage drought-related impacts. information for communities to better anticipate and man- age drought-related impacts, such as water shortages and wildfires. Part of that effort is gath- ering on-the-ground reports of drought conditions from local agricultural producers. Scott Oviatt, snow sur- vey supervisor for the USDA Natural Resources Con- https://survey123.arcgis. com/share/b87db006f- 28c4b4698f53ffe5942d9af servation Service in Port- land, said feedback is cru- cial to updating the U.S. Drought Monitor, which in turn is used by the federal agencies to trigger a num- ber of emergency programs — such as crop insurance, loans and support for spe- cific commodities. “We’re just trying to get information out there, num- ber one,” Oviatt said. “That will help represent those on-the-ground, real-time conditions on the Drought Monitor itself.” While areas of Wash- ington and northern Idaho have received near-average precipitation for the water year dating back to Octo- ber, parts of Oregon are in much rougher shape, Ovi- att said. The Drought Mon- itor shows a little more than 90% of Oregon is in some See Drought, Page 9