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CapitalPress.com
Friday, December 25, 2020
People & Places
Getting small farmers together
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
Aba Kiser knows food
comes from farmers. But
she wants to go the next step
and organize events to help
them form communities and
support one another.
Kiser is project manager
of Washington State Uni-
versity’s food systems pro-
gram and coordinator of
the Cascadia Grains con-
ference, which supports
small-scale grain farmers.
In her job organizing
ag-related events, she helps
farmers get together to
share their experiences and
expertise and, in the pro-
cess, form communities.
The COVID-19 pan-
demic is a “wild time” to
think about defining or
expanding
agricultural
communities, she said.
“We’ve realized, with
this constraint we all have,
it’s really a huge oppor-
tunity to be able to define
your community however
you want to,” she said.
Kiser sees her role as
giving people the space to
share their expertise.
“I’m really interested
in structures that are equi-
table, revelatory and the
idea that the best idea can
come from anywhere in the
room, and it likely will,”
Kiser said.
“Aba is fearless in advo-
cating for social equity
and inclusiveness in agri-
culture, and tireless in
her efforts to reach out to
under-represented commu-
nities in the U.S. and across
South America,” said
Kevin Murphy, WSU spe-
cialty crop breeder. “Aba
has had, and will continue
to have, a positive impact
on marginalized farmers
and communities who are
not otherwise represented
by established industries.”
Equity, social justice
and inclusion are Kiser’s
priorities when planning a
conference or event, said
Lane Selman, director of
the Culinary Breeding Net-
Courtesy of Aba Kiser
work in Oregon, which
connects breeders, seed Aba Kiser is project manager of Washington State Uni-
dealers, farmers and chefs. versity’s food systems program. Part of her job is orga-
“It’s also really fun to nizing events to get small farmers together.
work with her,” Selman
added. “She brings a lot ast to help people connect pop, with a heartache for
country swing and jazz.”
of joy and honest interest and tell their stories.
“In some ways, my jour-
But putting together
in what she’s doing. She
believes in it, and it comes ney has always been con- meaningful events, both
nected to food,” she said.
in-person
and
online,
through.”
Kiser still performs as remains her priority.
Kiser grew up in Vir-
ginia, and when she was a musician. She appears
“It’s always been a focus
young she sang with a jazz under the name Abakis. She of mine to create these
group at her father’s restau- made an album, “I’m One, events that bring together
rant during brunch.
Too,” and plays in a band — culture and food, that cre-
She uses her back- “me and whoever I can con- ates revelatory experiences
ground as a musician, vince to play at the time.”
for people, and allows
farmer, farmers market
She describes her music them to connect and enjoy
manager and food enthusi- as “roots-y orchestral folk beautiful food, but with a
EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER
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ABA KISER
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Entire contents copyright © 2020
EO Media Group
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Title: Statewide Project
Manager, Washington
State University Food
Systems Program; coor-
dinator, Cascadia Grains
Conference
Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is
Hometown: Fairfax, Va.
published weekly by EO Media Group,
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Family: Single
Education: Bachelor’s
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Websites: https://
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com/
context and understanding
of where it comes from,”
she said.
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Wilco awards grants to two Oregon FFA chapters
Crook County, Astoria
FFA each receive $4,000
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
MT. ANGEL, Ore. —
Wilco, a farmers’ cooper-
ative based in Mt. Angel,
Ore., has awarded two,
$4,000 grants to a pair of
Oregon FFA chapters to
install new equipment and
expand agricultural educa-
tion programs.
The donations are part of
Wilco’s FFA Forever pro-
gram, which
has
sur-
passed more
than $1 mil-
lion since it
started.
Astoria
Sam
FFA will use
Bugarsky
its $4,000
grant to help
purchase drip irrigation,
benches and other supplies
for a larger greenhouse.
Crook County FFA
received $4,000 to help
install pod irrigation and
cross fencing, adding two
additional pastures for its
land lab.
Sam Bugarsky, president
and CEO of Wilco, said the
co-op is committed to help-
ing youth in agriculture
thrive.
“We look forward to
continued support of these
youth programs as we part-
ner with our vendors, cus-
tomers, employees and
farmer-owners to assure our
future is bright,” Bugarsky
said in a statement.
As part of the FFA For-
ever program, Wilco ear-
marks more than $125,000
annually to support the Ore-
gon FFA Foundation. Of
that total, $25,000 goes
directly to benefit local FFA
chapters.
Wilco also helped 11
Oregon county fairs pivot to
virtual livestock auctions for
FFA and 4-H members amid
the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to providing
$2,000 for fees and expenses
associated with hosting a vir-
tual auction, Wilco members
were active bidders, con-
tributing to the purchases of
more than 100 animals and
helping to bump up prices.
“Many of our team mem-
bers were in FFA and 4-H as
kids, so we immediately rec-
ognized how disheartening
the situation was with fairs
canceled,” Bugarsky said.
“We were happy to add the
additional donations and be
active in virtual auctions to
add good things in tough
times.”
Finally, to help jump-
start youth projects in 2021,
Wilco has also mailed out
over $150,000 in rebates for
those with youth accounts in
Oregon and Washington.
Established in 1967,
Wilco today serves more
than 500,000 customers and
has more than 3,000 farmer
members across the Pacific
Northwest.
Western Washington
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Do you have the best farm dog? Tell us
By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN
Capital Press
Courtesy of Valley Wide Cooperat
Carly Weaver of Valley Wide Cooperative, left, pres-
ents a $10,000 check to Idaho FFA Foundation Exec-
utive Director Marcia Jedry and Programs Director
Liz Wilder.
Co-ops donate $10,000
to Idaho FFA Foundation
Valley Wide Coop-
erative, with grant part-
ner Land O’ Lakes, has
donated $10,000 to the
Idaho FFA Foundation.
Funds will be used for
items such as educational
resources, digital plat-
forms and programming,
and scholarships. The two
cooperatives contribute
more than $100,000 annu-
ally to local communities
and organizations.
“We know and work
in ag, equipment, energy
and mechanics indus-
tries every day and see
new generations com-
ing to work and making
a real difference,” Valley
Wide Cooperative CEO
Dave Holtom said in a
news release. “It’s critical
to support the education
of up-and-coming farm-
ers and industry leaders in
any way we can; investing
in their future is investing
in the future of our co-op
and ag industry.”
Idaho FFA Founda-
tion Executive Director
Marcia Jedry thanked
Nampa-based
Valley
Wide for its donation
and detailed activities
the cooperative supports.
“Great
businesses
always think about the
future of the industry they
work in,” she said in the
release. “Valley Wide’s
donation, which will sup-
port Idaho FFA members’
learning and growth, is
an investment in future
industry leaders. The
foundation is grateful for
the support of Valley Wide
Cooperative, Valley Agro-
nomics and their family of
companies for activities
like (FFA) State Leader-
ship Conference, agron-
omy career-development
events at state and national
levels,
career-success
tours, in-classroom partic-
ipation, FFA adviser train-
ing, and so much more.”
Valley Wide said agri-
cultural education “pre-
pares students for success-
ful careers and a lifetime
of informed choices in
the global agriculture,
food, fiber and natural-re-
sources systems” by pro-
viding opportunities rang-
ing from education and
career preparation to lead-
ership development and
personal growth.
The Capital Press is look-
ing for stories about farm
dogs. If you think you’ve got
the world’s best farm dog,
tell us why.
Maybe your dog pro-
tected your livestock from a
coyote attack. Perhaps your
dog does a great job herd-
ing sheep. It may have saved
your life. Or maybe it’s just
a faithful friend that follows
you around on the ranch
every day.
If you’ve got a spe-
cial farm dog, the Capital
Press wants to know about
it. You, and your dog, just
might be featured in an
Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press
A Maremma livestock
guardian dog in a snow-cov-
ered sheep pasture.
upcoming story.
What to do:
Write one short paragraph
about your dog. Include the
dog’s name and breed and
tell us why it’s such a great
farm dog.
Send your paragraph to
our reporter, Sierra Dawn
McClain, at: smcclain@cap-
italpress.com. In the email
subject line, write “Best
Farm Dog.”
Please include your full
name, age, city and state in
the email.
Deadline: Jan. 4, 2021, at
5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Who may enter: Anyone
in California, Oregon, Wash-
ington or Idaho may partic-
ipate. Individuals affiliated
with Capital Press, including
employees, interns and their
household family members
may not participate.
Tell us about your farm
dog today.
or credit card account)
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1 year Canada .....................................$275
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Washington native crowned ag advocate
40 miles southeast of Seattle. Her parents,
Michael and Sondjia Edwards, own Midnight
Mountain Farm. Lundquist and her husband,
Washington native Sondra Lundquist was Michael, currently live in Florida, where he’s
crowned America’s Miss Agribusiness at a a technical adviser for a heavy equipment
pageant last month in Florida.
dealer.
Lundquist, 33, won the Elegant
Lundquist said they plan to eventu-
ally return to Washington. “I love the
Miss title, one of 11 age categories.
snow. I’m not made for 100 degrees,”
She also won the title National AgVo-
cate, a separate competition held the
she said.
same day.
Lundquist has won national
Reigning titleholders promote
horse-showing and pageant titles
agriculture, make appearances and
before. Miss Agribusiness was the
Sondra
perform community service, accord-
first farm-related pageant she has
Lundquist entered.
ing to the organization.
“I’ll be a representative for the
Lundquist won the Florida Miss
farmer,” she said. “I will talk to farmers to Elegant title and competed in a seven-woman
understand their problems and how to fix field Nov. 22 in Crestview, Fla., for the
them. ... I want to explain to people in (cities) national crown. About half the contestants
where food comes from.”
were unable to attend because of coronavirus
Lundquist grew up in Enumclaw, about restrictions, she said.
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY
JAN. 10-13
American Farm Bureau Annual
Convention (virtual): The conven-
tion will focus on top issues includ-
ing the impact of COVID-19, sustain-
ability and the future of the supply
chain. Website: https://www.fb.org
THURSDAY, JAN. 14
Create a Plan for Your Land
Workshop (virtual): Learn from
experts about soil, water and wild-
life conservation. Classes are geared
toward small farms and rural prop-
erties, but anyone is welcome. We
will provide technical assistance to
complete conservation plans and
potentially find funding for conser-
vation projects on your land. Plan to
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
CALENDAR
Submit upcoming ag-related
events on www.capitalpress.com
or by email to newsroom@capital-
press.com.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
Opinion ...................................................6
attend all four free sessions, which
will be from 5 to 8 p.m.:
Jan. 14: Conservation planning
— Soil.
Jan. 21: Water and vegetation.
Jan. 28: Streamsides and
woodlands.
Feb. 4: Working lands — Put-
ting it all together.
Contact: Marion Soil and Water
Conservation District, 503-391-
9927. Registration: http://virtualp-
fyl.eventbrite.com
Correction policy
Accuracy is important to Capital Press
staff and to our readers.
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caption, please call the Capital Press news
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