Friday, April 23, 2021
CapitalPress.com 5
Despite frost damage, Washington
tree fruit growers predict good crop
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
WENATCHEE, Wash. — After
a frost that nipped about 10% of
their crop, Washington state tree
fruit growers say they are eager to
clear the remainder of frost season
without any more damage.
This spring, especially during a
cold snap around April 10, Eastern
Washington tree fruit faced frost
damage. But growers don’t seem
concerned — overall, they say, the
bloom is big, more than enough to
compensate for losses and domes-
tic demand looks favorable.
“This is the fi rst time in about
four years we’ve had a real, true
frost season,” said B.J. Thurlby,
president of the Washington State
Fruit Commission and Northwest
Cherry Growers. “We’re seeing
impacts all throughout the grow-
ing districts from Tri-Cities up to
Canada. It defi nitely took its toll.
But the good news is, we have a
huge bloom going.”
Thurlby estimated about 10%
of this year’s cherry crop was
lost, but because the overall crop
is larger than last year, he said it
shouldn’t be a concern.
Craig Oswald, fi eld and fore-
cast meteorologist for AgWeath-
Courtesy of Pat Sullivan
Bees pollinate Chelan cherry blossoms on April 6.
erNet, said that although some
growers suff ered damage, overall,
“We haven’t seen any drastic cold
air intrusions.”
Washington, which leads the
nation in apple, pear and cherry
production, should wrap up frost
season by mid-May.
Bloom this year is about on
time with average.
Apricots bloom fi rst, followed
by cherries, peaches, nectarines,
apples and pears. Across much of
the southern Yakima Valley, cher-
ries and stone fruits have fi nished
blooming, and in some places,
fruitlets are emerging. Orchards
farther north lag slightly behind.
Apples in the Wenatchee area
are expected to hit full bloom
around April 24, close to average.
Cherries and stone fruits tend to
be most susceptible to frost.
Pat Sullivan, a Tri-Cities area
grower, said although his cherry
and stone fruit trees faced frost,
he’s not worried because of the big
bloom.
Charles Lyall, a Mattawa
grower, said his cherries were
barely touched by frost, while
his friends elsewhere “got nipped
really good.”
Last week, growers also faced
winds that knocked down blossoms
and inhibited pollinators. Despite
the few windy days, growers say
pollination is going well.
Washington
Legislature
sends OT
bill to Inslee
California is also expected
to have a big cherry crop. Some
years, this might worry Washing-
ton growers, but because the pan-
demic increased demand for fresh
cherries, growers say the extra vol-
ume could help meet demand.
“A big California crop is not
necessarily a problem for us,” said
Sullivan, the Tri-Cities grower.
Meanwhile, apple growers
are eyeing New York and Michi-
gan, second and third to Washing-
ton in apple production, because
the markets are interconnected.
In 2012, freezes wiped out about
50% of New York’s apple crop
and 95% of Michigan’s. Washing-
ton growers that year made good
money.
Cynthia Haskins, president of
New York Apple Association, told
the Capital Press Monday her state
faced a cold snap last week, “but it
was quick and brief with no lasting
eff ects at all.” Growers, Haskins
said, are optimistic they’ll have a
good crop.
Don Armock, president of Riv-
erridge Produce Marketing, one of
Michigan’s largest apple producers,
said growers haven’t had any dam-
aging temperatures yet, but trees
are likely to be vulnerable in the
next three to four weeks.
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
OLYMPIA — The Legislature on
Thursday sent Gov. Jay Inslee a bill
that will make Washington the fi rst
state to give all farmworkers time-
and-a-half overtime pay after 40
hours in a week. The bill will phase in
the requirement in 2024.
Washington will nose out Califor-
nia. The Golden State has been phas-
ing in overtime pay since 2019, but
not all farmworkers there will be paid
time-and-a-half after 40 hours until
2025.
Beginning in 2022, Washington
farmworkers must be paid overtime
after 55 hours. The threshold drops
to 48 hours in 2023 and fi nally to 40
hours the next year.
The bill also protects farms from
back-pay lawsuits fi led after the state
Supreme Court ruled in November
that it was unconstitutional to deny
dairy workers overtime. The suits seek
to apply the decision retroactively.
The bill doesn’t change the court’s
ruling. Dairy workers are receiv-
ing time-and-a-half after 40 hours a
week now. But the Washington State
Dairy Federation said Thursday it was
thankful for protection from lawsuits.
Farm groups had lobbied for a sea-
sonal exemption to overtime, allow-
ing farmers to choose 12 weeks a year
to pay time-and-a-half after 50 hours.
Labor groups opposed the provision,
and Democrats rejected a Republi-
can-sponsored amendment to add it.
Nevertheless, the Washington
Farm Bureau said the bill was “tre-
mendous news for all connected to
agriculture in Washington,” consider-
ing the “ag-overtime disaster created
by the state Supreme Court.”
The Senate voted 42-6 to accept the
House’s changes to Senate Bill 5172.
The House didn’t change the overtime
provisions, but did strengthen protec-
tions against back-pay lawsuits. Six
Republicans voted against the bill.
On California farms with more
than 25 employees, workers will
receive time-and-a-half after 40 hours
beginning in 2022.
Workers on smaller farms will
receive time-and-a-half after 55
hours. The threshold will drop to 50
hours in 2023 and 40 hours in 2025.
Parma orchard researchers assess damage from recent frosts
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Frosts in southwest Idaho on
April 9 and 11 caused some dam-
age in orchards at the University of
Idaho Parma Research & Exten-
sion Center.
Orchard Manager Tom Elias
said frosts “haven’t done a lot of
damage, but have done some.”
Quality and yield should be
mostly good barring further dam-
age before mid-May, when the
area’s frost risk typically drops sub-
stantially, Elias and UI pomology
professor Essie Fallahi said.
The Parma center runs orchard
trials on crops including almonds,
peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples,
plums and pears. The work in the
irrigated orchards aims to help pro-
ducers choose varieties and prac-
tices that minimize frost risk and get
the most benefi t from the region’s
Brad Carlson/Capital Press
Tom Elias, orchard manager at
the University of Idaho Parma Re-
search & Extension Center, checks
almond blossoms April 15.
warm days and cool nights.
For example, a grower may
diversify frost risk and harvest
timetables by choosing a mix of
varieties.
Recent frosts “came at a time
when these crops were at a stage
of advanced bloom,” Fallahi said.
Parma temperatures were 24 to
25 degrees April 9 and 26 degrees
April 11.
The April 9 freeze occurred
as peaches, almonds and cherries
were at early or full bloom stages,
he said. Apricots were post-bloom
or post petal-fall across the region.
“A lot of people think that after
petal fall, fruitlets are less suscepti-
ble to frost,” Fallahi said. “Not so.
They are still very susceptible to
frost. That was the case for apricot.”
Researchers’ analyses and con-
versations with growers “show
there has been moderate to severe
damage” to apricots depending on
the location, cultivar and bloom
stage, he said. Parma saw some
moderate to severe damage.
Peaches fared better.
“We think we are OK on
peaches,” Fallahi said. “We do
have some injury — but at the level
of natural thinning, which is not a
bad thing.” Remaining fruit prom-
ises to be larger.
He said a need for some thin-
ning also reduces the net impact of
“relatively minor” damage to Asian
pears, which were at or near full
bloom.
Empress Plum orchards are in
good shape. They were at 60-75%
bloom when freezes occurred
depending on the location, Fallahi
said. “They have survived very
well. I expected that. They sur-
vived well in similar conditions in
the past.”
Honeycrisp was the only apple
variety at Parma that saw some
damage from recent frosts, he said.
The extent is not yet known.
Cherries were from early to
about 75% bloom, depending on
the site and cultivar. “We have
seen some damage even on blos-
soms that were still closed,” Fallahi
said. Analysis continues, including
whether tree canopy type and size
aff ected the likelihood of freeze
injury.
Trail opponents win attorney fees in bridge fi ght
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2017 BMW 330 E 4DR
VIN = WBA8E1C54HK895216
Amount due on lien $1,515.00
Reputed owner(s)
KARLI A & HAZEL C ADAMS
BMW BK OF NORTH AMER
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2014 TOYOTA 4RN UT
VIN = JTEBU5JR8E5185041
Amount due on lien $1,515.00
Reputed owner(s)
JILLIAN ANN HIGHT
UNIFY FINANCIAL CU
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2016 V W JETTA 4DR
VIN = 3VWD67AJ0GM370479
Amount due on lien $1,515.00
Reputed owner(s)
SHANNON SODORFF & ALYSSA
RUTHERFORD
ONPOINT COMMUNITY C.U
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2017 HONDA CRV UT
VIN = 2HKRW6H30HH218610
Amount due on lien $1,515.00
Reputed owner(s)
BRENT DANIEL FISK
AMERICAN HONDA FINANCE CORP
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2010 LNDR RRV UT
VIN = SALSH2E49AA232027
Amount due on lien $1,455.00
Reputed owner(s)
OLINDA MARIA JEFFERSON FINLAY
ADVANTIS CREDIT UNION
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
05/03/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2007 CADI ESCALADE UT
VIN = 1GYFK63807R175356
Amount due on lien $2,535.00
Reputed owner(s)
IGNACIO EULIGIO BAUTISTA
MARION/POLK SCHOOLS C.U
S240457-1
S240451-1
S240458-1
S240456-1
S240446-1
would conclude the county’s
position had legal merit and
its defenses were “premised
on the same unreasonable,
post-hoc argument,” LUBA
said.
The county’s claim that
the bridge wasn’t necessarily
a portion of the larger trail
and would be used for other
purposes is “not supported
by anything in the record
or the challenged decisions
themselves,” LUBA said.
The LUBA ruling also
rejected the county’s argu-
ment that awarding attorney
fees would result in “basic
unfairness” because the
opponents waited 84 days
after the construction agree-
ment was awarded to chal-
lenge the bridge work.
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Opponents of a recre-
ational trail in Oregon’s
Yamhill County have won
$47,500 in litigation costs
for prevailing in a legal dis-
pute about a bridge along
the route.
The county decided
against moving forward
with the 3-mile “rail-to-
trail” project earlier this
year after the state’s Land
Use Board of Appeals
blocked the proposal for the
third time.
However, the county
began building a bridge
along the route last year
even though LUBA had
overturned a conditional use
permit for the trail itself.
Farmers along the trail
who opposed the project
convinced LUBA to order
the bridge construction
halted, defeating the coun-
ty’s argument that it was
merely an access bridge for
fi re vehicles that’s not sub-
ject to land use approval.
The opponents are enti-
tled to their attorney fees
and other costs for that por-
tion of the litigation because
the county’s argument was
made “without probable
cause to believe that it was
well-founded on factual sup-
ported information,” accord-
ing to LUBA.
No reasonable lawyer
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
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