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Friday, December 25, 2020 CapitalPress.com 3 Christmas tree growers see solid year as demand rises By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Demand for Christmas trees noticeably increased during the 2020 marketing season, similar to other seasonal products such as fire- works and pumpkins. “People are spending more time at home,” Bob Schaefer, general manager of Noble Mountain Tree Farm in Salem, Ore., said. Despite reports of a tree short- age, Schaefer said the industry has actually brought supplies back into balance with demand after a pro- longed surplus that depressed prices in Bob the early 2010s. Schaefer The percep- tion of scarcity may have been created by some U-Cut farms running out of trees early, but that’s not reflective of an industry-wide problem, he said. “It doesn’t mean there aren’t people down the road with trees available.” Varying coronavirus-related restrictions on retailers in Califor- nia — a major Christmas tree mar- ket — cost Noble Mountain Tree Farm some customers, but the com- pany was able to compensate with increased sales to other areas, he said. Extravagantly priced Christmas Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File Christmas trees are loaded onto a truck by workers at Noble Mountain Tree Farm near Sa- lem, Ore. Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File Christmas trees grow at Drake’s Crossing Nursery near Silverton, Ore. Growers report that good demand has resulted in higher prices. trees sold by overseas retailers hav- en’t resulted in a windfall for Ore- gon farmers, who say wholesale prices have risen only modestly. While “out of sight” prices reportedly charged in some Asian markets may be attributed to “price gouging,” farmers say they’ve avoided such exploitative tactics, regardless of whether Christmas trees are sold to exporters. “We charge the same price to them as we do to Joe Blow down the street,” Schaefer said. Stroda Brothers Farm only slightly increased its wholesale prices this year because the com- pany was wary of charging more than the market would bear, said Kirk Stroda, co-owner of the Mon- roe, Ore., operation. “If the retailers don’t make any money, that means we don’t make any money,” he said. The isolation and stress of the coronavirus pandemic likely boosted the appeal of Christmas trees, with an industry-commis- sioned survey finding that 39% of consumers were more likely to buy a real tree for their family this year. More than three-quarters of the surveyed consumers also described Christmas trees as “special” and an “experience” rather than a product, according to the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, which raises money for industry research and marketing. “With the year we just had, everyone is needing some feel-good tradition,” said Kari Puffer, exec- utive director of the Pacific North- west Christmas Tree Association. Another trend that farmers noticed in 2020 was that consum- ers began buying Christmas trees before the usual start of the mar- keting season after Thanksgiv- ing. Whether the earlier and stron- ger demand for their product will outlast the coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen, though. “It’s hard to say if this year was just an anomaly or the new normal,” said Casey Grogan of Silver Bells Tree Farm near Silverton, Ore. Though the farm has seen high interest from exporters, reports of high overseas prices aren’t likely to convince growers to invest heavily in this market, Grogan said. The detection of a pest by foreign regulators can result in the rejection of an entire load of Christmas trees, which is “not all that uncommon” and thus seen as an oversized risk by farmers, he said. “If you can sell a tree domesti- cally, you’re going to do that,” he said. The crop’s increased popularity and tight supplies aren’t likely to spur another round of over-plant- ing because the region’s agriculture industry has changed over the past couple of decades, farmers say. “People are cognizant and understanding of not putting them- selves in that predicament,” said Puffer. In the early 2000s, landown- ers with spare 5- to 10-acre fields planted Christmas trees specula- tively but then lacked a sales out- let when they reached maturity, said Stroda. Once the crop was ready to har- vest, the growers sold their trees at steep discounts that affected the entire industry, he said. “I think that’s what really killed the market before.” Farmers who were burned by experience are unlikely to repeat the mistake, while others have also learned from that history, Stroda said. “If you don’t have a market, don’t plant extra trees.” Christmas trees must also com- pete for acreage with other crops, such as hemp, hazelnuts, blueber- ries and wine grapes, which have become more common in Oregon, said Jason Hupp of Drake’s Cross- ing Nursery near Silverton, Ore. Rural Oregon airport expansion clears legal hurdle By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Farmland conservation advocates have failed to con- vince an Oregon land use board to block a controver- sial rural airport expansion plan but vow to continue fighting the project. The state’s Land Use Board of Appeals has dis- missed objections against a planned runway extension and other improvements to the Aurora State Airport, which 1,000 Friends of Ore- gon and other critics claim will urbanize an agricultural area. Opponents of the project may still decide to challenge LUBA’s decision before the Oregon Court of Appeals or move forward with a parallel lawsuit against the expansion project in Marion County Circuit Court. According to LUBA, the Oregon Department of Avia- tion wasn’t required to inde- pendently analyze the airport project’s compliance with statewide land use planning goals as long as the expan- sion followed Marion Coun- ty’s comprehensive plan. “Requiring a separate determination of compliance with both the comprehensive plan and the goals would cre- ate an uncoordinated regula- tory scheme that could apply different standards to identi- cal issues,” LUBA said. The airport’s expansion is not incompatible with Marion County’s agricul- tural lands policies because it’s not clear that the project plan calls for improvements that would extend outside the “public” zone and into the “exclusive farm use” zone, the ruling said. About 55 acres proposed for acquisition by the airport would remain farmland even though they’d be included in a runway protection zone, and it’s “just speculation” that other components would be located on farmland, LUBA said. LUBA also rejected the argument that the airport expansion will significantly affect land use because the project plan “does not approve or authorize any development” and does “not change the status quo,” the ruling said. Andrew Mulkey, attorney for 1,000 Friends of Ore- gon, said the airport’s pre- ferred alternative for expan- sion clearly shows that new construction would occur beyond a road that separates the public zone from the farm zone. “I think that LUBA’s interpretation is not sup- ported by the documents in the record,” he said. If the project’s oppo- nents decide against appeal- ing LUBA’s decision — or it’s upheld on appeal — they’d then proceed with a lawsuit in Marion County that alleges the public pro- cess for the airport expan- sion plan violated the state’s Administrative Procedures Act, Mulkey said. The Aurora Airport Improvement Associa- tion, a group of business that supports the expansion, is pleased that LUBA has made clear the project com- plies with all state and local land use rules, said Wendie Kellington, its attorney. “Too bad it took so much time and money to estab- lish,” Kellington said. Opponents have relied on a “false narrative” that the runway extension would spill onto farmland, while the runway protection zone would actually ensure the land remained agricul- tural in perpetuity, she said. “That’s completely consis- tent with EFU zoning.” A utility facility that may have been placed on farm- land has likely been rendered obsolete by improvements to aviation technology, Kel- lington said. “That’s not even going to happen.” Less mess, fuss for Asian giant hornet trappers next year By DON JENKINS Capital Press Volunteers trapping for Asian giant hornets next year won’t be asked to mail in all the insects they catch, Wash- ington State Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Karla Salp said. The department has exam- ined thousands of captured specimens and found 1.5% were bees. The department was worried that the traps, baited with a sweet liq- uid mix- ture, would attract and drown a higher per- centage of pollinators. Thou- sand of col- l e c t i o n s Karla Salp/WSDA still must An Asian be exam- giant hornet ined, but trap in a tree. the depart- ment is satis- fied the traps aren’t a threat to the bees that hornet trappers are trying to protect. “The point of having peo- ple mail in everything was to make sure the traps weren’t having unintended conse- quences,” Salp said. “We’re not killing off a lot of bees with these traps, which was our main concern.” Hundreds of people responded to the department’s call last summer to make and hang traps baited with orange juice and rice cooking wine. One volunteer caught an Asian giant hornet, and many faithfully submitted what they collected each week, either by mail or in drop boxes. The collateral catch included moths, fruit flies, paper wasps, yellow jackets and spotted wing drosophila, an invasive pest that damages fruit. The department also reported detecting for the first time in the U.S. a parasitoid wasp, Leptopilina japonia, that preys on spotted wing drosophila. One was found in British Columbia last year, according to the department. Next year, trappers will be asked to report suspected Asian giant hornets. The rest, though, can be tossed out. Salp said she expects more people will set traps next year, knowing they won’t be asked to mail or take to drop boxes insect remains. “It’s amazing the level of commitment people had,” she said. “But I think it’ll increase the level of participation and decrease the level of drop- ping out. It’s going to make it simpler.” FLAT CARS- THE BETTER BRIDGE • Lower Cost • Custom Lengths up to 90' • Certified Engineering Services Available • Steel Construction Thank you for reading the Capital Press Next week we bid farewell and good riddance to 2020. Usually at this time we are called to reflect on the past 12 months. But who wants to? A global pandemic, economic ruin, wildfires, bitter politics — no, this is a year where you want to keep your eyes forward and sprint right to the end. But, the proprieties must be observed. Contractor License # 71943 P.O Box 365 • 101 Industrial Way, Lebanon, OR 97355 Office: 541-451-1275 Email: info@rfc-nw.com www.rfc-nw.com S193776-1 This has been a difficult year for everyone. But as is often the case, there is no shortage of news during difficult times. Capital Press reporters have been on these stories from the beginning. Since March, we’ve published more than 400 stories about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on agriculture — the government regulations, the changes in the commodity markets and the disruptions in the supply chain. In the aftermath of this summer’s terrible fires, we published more than 100 stories reporting the causes and effects. We highlighted the stories of everyday people who became heroes for helping their friends and strangers. And, we kept on top of the normal course of news, covering the topics that are important to you, your family and your livelihood. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for reading the Capital Press in 2020. Thank you, too, to the advertisers who have sustained us. The Capital Press is dedicated to fair, unbiased and thorough reporting of the issues. We strive to be honest in our dealings with subscribers and advertisers. It is our honor to serve you. In good times and in bad. On behalf of everyone here at the Capital Press, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and wish you the happiest of New Years. Thank you for your patronage. Joe Beach Editor & Publisher EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER S221818-1 S221780-1