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CapitalPress.com
Friday, March 18, 2022
People & Places
Couple updates traditional drink
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
Established 1928
A Washington state cou-
ple has taken the tradition of
mead-making and updated it
with a focus on honey, polli-
nators and health.
Husband and wife Jeremy
Kyncl and Michelle Scanda-
lis opened Hierophant Mead-
ery 10 years ago. Hierophant
was an ancient Greek priest
who
represented
holy
traditions.
Mead is a fermented bev-
erage made of honey, water
and yeast. It is often referred
to as honey wine.
The couple makes mead
in Freeland, Wash., on Whid-
bey Island. They have two
stores, in Freeland and the
town of Mead, Wash., north
of Spokane. They also sell at
farmers markets.
Both have studied herbal
science. Those studies led to
another question.
“How did we do medicine
for the vast majority of our
history as humans, and what
is the science that actually
informs that now?” Kyncl
said.
As college students, they
got into home brewing.
“Which a lot of people
do, it’s a pretty usual story,”
Kyncl added. “It’s not as nor-
mal for you to take that and
make a business out of it.”
Looking at the Spokane
market a decade ago, they
felt it was nearing a satura-
tion point with breweries.
Since that time, the number
of breweries has at least dou-
bled, Kyncl said.
But the couple “liked a
lot of different things about
mead.”
“Honey tends to taste
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher
Western
Innovator
JEREMY KYNCL
AND MICHELLE
SCANDALIS
Ages: Michelle and Jere-
my are both 37
Location: Freeland,
Wash.
Hierophant Meadery
Michelle Scandalis and Jeremy Kyncl have channeled their love of pollinators and
plants into Hierophant Meadery, with locations in Freeland and Mead, Wash.
good with darn near every-
thing,” Kyncl said.
That gives him a lot of
freedom with ingredients.
“I could pull off of all
of these really ancient tra-
ditions to inform modern
mead-making and really
bring these ingredients to
people’s palates in a way that
was approachable,” he said.
Except for 2020, the
meadery has had dou-
ble-digit growth in sales each
year, bolstered by the gen-
eral interest in craft beer and
cider.
“People are looking to try
new places and new things,
they’re looking for their
experience with alcohol to
bring value in the form of
exploration, challenge and
interest,” Kyncl said.
Kyncl predicted the mead
industry will continue to
grow.
“A really heavy majority
of the population still hasn’t
tried it,” he said. “If they
have, they’ve only had one,
most of the time.”
Some meaderies stick to
the traditional, 15th century
English style of mead, which
has a sweeter taste, Scanda-
lis said.
“There are people out
there that haven’t tried a
mead that they’ve enjoyed,”
she said. “We try to craft our
particular line-up to comple-
ment cider, beer or wine.”
The meadery works with
the farmers who provide
ingredients. The wildflower
honey primarily comes
from Eastern Washington
beekeepers.
Adam and Ashli Manson,
owners of Highland Honey
Farm in Deer Park, Wash.,
supply honey to Hierophant
Meadery. The couples met
while selling their products
at farmers markets.
“It’s an art, it’s an actual
art,” Adam Manson said of
Hierophant’s recipe. “I think
it’s very artistic, the way they
do it.”
Manson marveled at the
way his honey’s flavors
and colors play a part in the
mead. Whether the honey’s
from Eastern Washington or
Idaho or comes from canola
or blueberries makes a differ-
ence, he said.
“It’s a pretty cool deal,”
he said. “They’re good at
what they do.”
The meadery grew from
purchasing buckets of honey
to buying 55-gallon barrels.
They anticipate using more
than 3,000 gallons of honey
this year, Scandalis said.
It took several years of
“intense trial-and-error” to
learn to make a high-quality
mead.
The company now pro-
duces 1,000 to 1,500 gallons
a month. The volume in 2020
was the same as in 2019 due
to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Education: Bachelor of
science degrees in herbal
sciences from Bastyr Uni-
versity, Kenmore, Wash.
Hometowns: Michelle
is from Redmond, Wash.
Jeremy is from Wheat
Ridge, Colo.
Family: Married 12 years;
sons George and Leos
Website: https://www.
hierophantmeadery.com/
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Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor
Samantha Stinnett .....Circulation Manager
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but in 2021, the couple dou-
bled the amount of mead they
sold compared to the year
before, Scandalis said.
“We’re getting to that
point where we’re thinking,
‘OK, how big do you want to
get?’” she said.
The couple wants to be
as sustainable as possible,
focusing on beehive health
and the inputs they use.
“Choosing mead was
really based around that,”
Scandalis said. “We are
also very passionate about
plants. Working with honey
as a medium is a wonderful
marriage.”
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E. Oregon fairgrounds get funding for improvements
By JAYSON JACOBY
EO Media Group
BAKER CITY, Ore. —
Several county fair boards
in Eastern Oregon will
get an injection of money
from the state legislature to
make improvements at their
fairgrounds.
Among them are Baker,
Wallowa, Grant, Harney and
Union counties.
The Baker County Fair
Board has received a $2 mil-
lion boost to help turn its
5-year plan for improve-
ments to the fairgrounds into
reality.
The Oregon Legisla-
ture allocated the money in
House Bill 5202.
That’s the 114-page
spending bill, approved
during the Legislature’s short
session that adjourned last
week, that allocates tens of
millions of dollars for proj-
ects statewide.
“It’s very exciting for the
fair to have this opportunity,”
Ron Rowan, chairman of the
fair board, said on March 8.
Jayson Jacoby/EO Media Group
Baker County, Ore., has received $2 million from the state legislature for improve-
ments at the county fairgrounds.
Dean Defrees, the fair
board’s vice chairman,
agreed.
“We feel really fortunate
to get it, as funding has been
so hard to come by,” Defrees
said.
Rowan said the Oregon
Fairs Association, which lob-
bied for House Bill 5202,
asked county fair boards to
send a list of priorities were
they to receive state dollars.
Baker was among several
counties that will get money
to improve their fairgrounds.
Grant and Harney counties
each were allocated $2 mil-
lion, and Union and Wal-
lowa counties each received
$1 million.
In Baker County, Rowan
said the board is weighing its
options for the funding.
“We’re very excited about
it,” he said.
Rowan said the Fair
Board’s 5-year master plan,
written by LKV Architects of
Boise and adopted in 2021,
will serve as the starting
point for the discussions.
The overall goal, he said,
is to make the 17.7-acre fair-
grounds attractive for a vari-
ety of events in addition to
mainstays such as the Baker
County Fair in early August,
and the Baker City Bull and
Bronc Riding events in July.
“One of our focuses is
to make this facility user-
friendly to the public, a
venue people will want to
use,” Rowan said. “Some-
thing we can all be proud
of.”
He emphasized, though,
that the board needs to con-
firm whether there are any
restrictions on the money.
Among the projects that
board members have talked
about are replacing the
dilapidated green-painted
wooden fence around the
rodeo grounds, improv-
ing the 750-person capac-
ity rodeo grandstand and
fortifying the crow’s nest at
the rodeo grounds to bet-
ter accommodate the large
video screen used during the
rodeos.
Defrees pointed out that
the board made structural
improvements to the grand-
stand several years ago,
but minor work is needed
on supports for stairs at the
south end. Another goal is to
repaint the grandstand and
do other cosmetic work.
Other possible projects
include adding more seat-
ing to avoid the need to
bring in portable bleach-
ers and installing restrooms,
although the latter would be
expensive and have long-
term maintenance costs.
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American Farm Bureau vice president, Dale Moore, to retire
Capital Press
Dale Moore
American Farm Bureau Fed-
eration Executive Vice President
Dale Moore today announced his
plans to retire in 2022 after four
decades as an agricultural leader in
Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
“Dale has been a tireless advo-
cate on behalf of farmers and
ranchers throughout his career and
has certainly contributed to Amer-
ican Farm Bureau’s strength over
the past four years,” Zippy Duvall,
Farm Bureau president, said in a
written statement.
“He has become a trusted
adviser to me and to many state
Farm Bureau presidents and
staff,” he said.
“More broadly, Dale has ded-
icated more than 40 years of his
professional life to being a cham-
pion for agriculture through his
work on Capitol Hill, at USDA
and in the private sector,” he said.
“He certainly deserves to step
back and enjoy time with family,
but he will be deeply missed. I’m
very happy for him and his wife,
Faith, as well as their kids and
grandkids as they open this new
chapter together,” he said.
“I know I speak for farm-
ers, ranchers and elected leaders
across the country when I thank
Dale for his tremendous service,”
he said.
Moore has agreed to assist in
the selection of his successor.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
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.
Capital Press ag media
CapitalPress.com
FarmSeller.com
MarketPlace.capitalpress.com
facebook.com/CapitalPress
CALENDAR
Submit upcoming ag-related events on
www.capitalpress.com or by email to news-
room@capitalpress.com.
THROUGH SUNDAY
MARCH 20
Oregon FFA State Convention: Deschutes
County Fair and Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport
Way, Redmond, Ore. Oregon FFA members
from around the state will gather to compete
and to learn during their annual convention
in Redmond. Website: https://oregonffa.com/
state-convention/
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
MARCH 23-26
High Desert Stampede: Deschutes County
Fair and Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way, Red-
mond, Ore. This annual ProRodeo Tour stop is
going forward the last weekend in March as
one of the top 60 rodeos in the country. We are
expanding to three nights to give contestants
and fans additional opportunities to participate.
Let’s rodeo! For the full schedule, go to the web-
site: https://bit.ly/33tT2hE Contact: 844-414-
2242, info@highdesertstampede.com
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
MARCH 25-27
Northwest Horse Fair and Expo:
10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday
and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Linn County Fair and
Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E, Albany,
Ore. The Northwest Horse Fair and Expo is a
huge horse expo packed with family-friendly
fun, exciting equine entertainment and edu-
cation. It features daily clinics with top-notch
trainers and riders; Colt Starting Challenge USA;
stunning stallions and beautiful breeds per-
forming daily; giant trade show; and much
more. More information: https://bit.ly/3rvKaA9
or 765-720-2098.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
MARCH 26-27
Central Oregon Agricultural Show: 9 a.m.
Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center, 3800
SW Airport Way, Redmond, Ore. Welcome to the
first-ever Central Oregon Agricultural Show, fea-
turing exhibitors, presentations, seminars and
facebook.com/FarmSeller
more. See you in Redmond! Website: https://
northwestagshow.com/ Phone: 800-882-6789
SATURDAY-TUESDAY
MARCH 26-29
California FFA State Leadership Confer-
ence: Golden 1 Center, 500 David Stern Walk,
Sacramento, Calif. More than 7,000 FFA mem-
bers will gather for this year’s convention in Sac-
ramento. Website: https://bit.ly/3sgmiRr
TUESDAY
MARCH 29
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Legislative Conference. 5:30-8:30 p.m. J.W.
Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C. The confer-
ence will focus on federal policy. Website: www.
ncba.org
SATURDAY
APRIL 2
Free Waste Pesticide Collection Event in
Pendleton: Pendleton Convention Center, 1601
Westgate, Pendleton, Ore. The Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture through the Pesticide Stew-
ardship Partnership is sponsoring a Free Waste
Pesticide Collection Event. This event is an
opportunity for landowners, farmers and other
commercial pesticide users to rid storage facili-
ties of unwanted or unused pesticide products.
Registration for this event is required by March
23. Contact: Kathryn Rifenburg, 971-600-5073,
kathryn.rifenburg@oda.oregon.gov Website:
https://oda.direct/PSP
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
APRIL 2-3
Spring Farming Days at Pomeroy:
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Garfield County Fairgrounds, 99
Fairgrounds Road, Pomeroy, Wash. Horse farming
and antique equipment displays. No entry fee.
Fun for the whole family. Contact: 509-566-7027
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
APRIL 6-9
2022 Idaho FFA State Convention: Col-
lege of Southern Idaho, 315 Falls Ave., Twin
Falls, Idaho. More than 1,400 FFA members from
around Idaho will gather for this year’s conven-
tion. Website: https://bit.ly/3J2JAB1
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Index
Dairy .......................................................7
Markets .................................................12
Opinion ...................................................6
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