Friday, July 22, 2022
CapitalPress.com 7
Oregon Hop Field Day highlights new facilities, technology
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
A cloud of dust kicked up from
the gravel road as Chuck Weaver
piloted a six-rotor drone over rows
of leafy hop plants at BC Hop
Ranch near Woodburn, Ore.
About 90 people watched from
the ground as the drone dispensed
its payload, airdropping tiny pred-
atory mites known as Neoseiulus
californicus that feed on a host of
crop-munching pests, including the
nefarious two-spotted spider mite.
The demonstration, part of the
Oregon Hop Commission’s annual
field day event on July 15, was
meant to show how some growers
are embracing biological controls to
manage harmful insects, while rely-
ing less on chemical pesticides.
“Biocontrol is not a new thing,
but it’s seeing a revitalization,” said
Tyler Leidig, regional sales repre-
sentative for Biobest Sustainable
Crop Management, which led the
demonstration. “There’s no more
chemicals coming into the mar-
ket. Growers are running out of
options.”
George Plaven/Capital Press
Chuck Weaver prepares a drone
to fly over rows of hop plants
at BC Hop Ranch in Woodburn,
Ore., dropping predatory mites
as a biological control to man-
age harmful pests.
Founded in 1987, Biobest orig-
inally provided bumblebees on
farms to improve pollination before
expanding into other types of bene-
ficial bugs. The company now has
1,800 employees working in more
than 70 countries, with U.S. head-
Trade regulators decide
against tariffs on UAN
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
Urea ammonium nitrate
shipments from Russia and
Trinidad haven’t harmed
U.S. fertilizer manufactur-
ers enough to justify retal-
iatory tariffs on the imports,
according to federal trade
regulators.
The U.S. International
Trade Commission has
unanimously agreed that
UAN imports from those
countries have not “mate-
rially injured” the domestic
fertilizer industry, preclud-
ing the federal government
from imposing anti-dump-
ing duties on the products.
The agency began inves-
tigating UAN imports last
year after receiving a com-
plaint from CF Industries,
a major U.S. nitrogen pro-
ducer that argued excessive
UAN imports had unfairly
driven down prices for the
popular fertilizer.
However, the compa-
ny’s petition was opposed
by certain fertilizer distrib-
utors, which claimed CF
Industries is an “unreli-
able supplier” that’s largely
responsible for its own
problems in the domestic
market.
Several
agricultural
organizations also spoke
out against retaliatory tar-
iffs on UAN, fearing such
measures would further
drive up fertilizer prices
that are already surging and
eating into farm profits.
“If these duties are
finally imposed, produc-
tion costs to farmers across
the country for corn, soy-
beans, cotton, wheat, and
other crops will increase
for the next planting season
and beyond,” the American
Farm Bureau Federation
said in a letter to regulators.
Despite such concerns,
the petition for tariffs ini-
tially made headway with
federal trade regulators,
with the U.S. International
Trade Commission initially
finding there’s a “reason-
able indication” domestic
nitrogen manufacturers are
hurt by UAN from Russian
and Trinidad.
The U.S. Department
of Commerce, which also
evaluates trade complaints,
determined that tariffs of
up to 123% were warranted
because Russia and Trini-
dad subsidized UAN pro-
duction and dumped the fer-
tilizer onto the U.S. market
below fair market values.
For countervailing and
antidumping duties to
become final, however, the
U.S. International Trade
Commission would have to
determine that imports have
materially injured domes-
tic manufacturers. The rea-
sons for the commission’s
negative determination will
be released in a report next
month.
International Raw Mate-
rials, a large fertilizer dis-
tributor, argued that CF
Industries only experienced
a short-term reduction in
profits in 2020 — which
wasn’t caused by imported
UAN — and the com-
pany has since “rebounded
spectacularly.”
A global shortage of
UAN has the company
“printing money” while
imports are necessary to
serve relatively remote
coastal markets, since CF
Industries is focused on
more profitable Midwest-
ern markets that are closer
to its manufacturing base,
according to IRM.
Under federal law, trade
regulators cannot cite the
current profitability or
improved fortunes of CF
Industries to determine that
it hasn’t been materially
injured in recent years, the
company claimed.
Imports from Rus-
sia and Trinidad, rather
than weather disruptions
and depressed commod-
ity prices, caused an “over-
hang” of UAN supplies that
harmed CF Industries, the
company said.
Without massive UAN
imports from Russia and
Trinidad, “the domes-
tic industry’s production,
U.S. shipments, prices,
profits and profitability
would have been materi-
ally greater during full-year
2021, as well as in 2019
and 2020,” the company
said.
quarters in Michigan.
Using drones to release the pred-
atory mites ensures even coverage
throughout the field, Leidig said.
He recommended three applica-
tions to control spider mites in hops
— once in late June at the first sign
of the insects’ presence, followed
by a second four weeks later, and
third three weeks before harvest.
“Preventative is the way to go
with biocontrol,” he said. “It’s
another tool in the toolbox.”
The visit to BC Hop Ranch was
one stop during the daylong tour
that featured several farms along
the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Michelle Palacios, Oregon Hop
Commission administrator, said
the theme of this year’s gather-
ing was to spotlight how growers
are improving their operations by
investing in new facilities, equip-
ment and technology.
“It’s all about quality and consis-
tency,” Palacios said.
At Scenic Valley Farms north of
Salem, farm manager Brian Ziel-
inski showed off their mechanical
hop picker and dryer that sat idle
inside a converted hay shed, await-
ing next month’s harvest when the
behemoth system will spring to life.
Zielinski said the farm only
began growing 100 acres of hops
in 2016, adding to their diversity of
crops. Scenic Valley Farms is per-
haps most noted for its vineyards
and winery.
“The learning curve has been
steep, but it’s been awesome,” Ziel-
inski said of producing hops. “I feel
less nervous every year we go in (to
harvest).”
Once hops are harvested from
the field, they are fed into the auto-
mated picker, carried along a twist-
ing maze of hooks, conveyors and
trommels that separate cones from
the bines. From there, the cones are
sent to one of four kilns for drying.
While Zielinski said the farm
will remain a relatively small pro-
ducer of hops, he estimated the
equipment could allow them to
double their acreage.
Another significant upgrade was
recently completed last summer at
Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn,
where the fifth-generation family
farm built a new 18,000-square-
foot cooling and baling facility to
accommodate increased acreage.
Blake Crosby, farm president
and CEO, said the facility can han-
dle up to 1,000 acres. The farm cur-
rently grows 600 acres.
“Having too much space is never
a bad thing,” he said.
Overall, hop acreage strung for
harvest this year is down 2% across
the Northwest compared to 2021,
according to the USDA National
Agricultural Statistics Service. That
includes decreases in Washington,
from 43,783 acres to 42,428 acres,
and in Idaho, from 9,694 acres to
9,440 acres.
Oregon, however, is experienc-
ing a slight bump in acres, from
7,395 to 8,028. Palacios said Ore-
gon actually had more than 8,000
acres in the ground in 2021, though
it takes an extra year for the crop to
become established due to a cooler
climate.
A cooler, wetter spring than
normal could delay the start of
this year’s harvest, Palacios said,
though it appears the plants are
looking healthy.
“We expect a quote-unquote
normal harvest,” she said.
Meat, poultry markets see
tight supplies, strong demand
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
Limited supply growth of
beef, pork and poultry and
steady demand have bol-
stered U.S. meat prices by
double-digit percentages.
Both spot market sup-
plies and freezer inventories
are below pre-pandemic lev-
els, and retail meat and poul-
try prices were 18% higher
in May compared to a year
earlier.
The combination of tight
supplies and solid demand
kept meat prices 20% higher
than the five-year average
for the March-May period,
CoBank said in its latest
quarterly report.
But inflation is now the
key risk to meat and poul-
try consumption and strong
sales at the retail meat
counter.
“When producers have
stronger balance sheets, they
usually expand capacity.
Recession fears and higher
input costs and interest rates
are limiting that,” Brian Ear-
nest, CoBank lead econo-
mist for animal protein, said
in the report.
In the beef sector, cow
culling remains elevated as
cattle ranchers and feeders
grapple with drought, poor
pasture conditions and high
corn and hay prices, he said.
“Poor grazing and for-
age conditions and high hay
prices have been especially
taxing on cow-calf opera-
tors, as have higher input
costs across the board,” he
said.
Despite
historically
strong cattle prices, beef
cow slaughter was 16%
higher year over year in May
and up 18% from the five-
year average, he said.
“Beef prices continue to
benefit from strong demand
both from domestic and for-
eign markets, even though
prices followed the typi-
cal seasonal trend lower in
recent weeks,” he said.
Total beef slaughter was
up 2% year over year for the
first five months of 2022,
and exports to key destina-
USDA
Retail meat prices continue to increase as supply can’t keep up with demand.
tions such as Korea, Japan
and China have contributed
to market optimism. A surge
of lean trim beef imports has
assisted in keeping ground
beef prices in check, he said.
After making a strong
run to end 2021, fed cattle
prices have largely flattened
in recent months. However,
cost of gain for feedlot oper-
ators has risen considerably,
further complicating oper-
ational efficiencies, he said.
“We expect this will con-
tinue through the fall period.
Although packer margins
have compressed consider-
ably over the last 12 months,
they remain elevated from
a historical perspective,” he
said.
As a result of ele-
vated packer margins and
depressed cattle prices,
interest in expanding capac-
ity is swelling at a time when
upstream cattle economics
are under severe pressure.
“Over the next 12-18
months, declining cattle sup-
plies are expected to con-
verge with excess capacity,
which should contribute to
more favorable conditions
for producers,” he said.
In the pork sector, pro-
ducers remain challenged
by porcine reproductive
and respiratory syndrome
(PRRS), higher input costs,
domestic regulations and
shifting export markets.
“However, pork prices
remain well supported,
and the wholesale cutout
enjoyed a 30% premium to
the five-year January-June
average,” he said.
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
07/25/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2021 KYRV HIDEOUT TT
VIN = 4YDT26B20MN243807
Amount due on lien $2355.00
Reputed owner(s)
MICHAEL RAY KELIN
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
07/25/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2016 AUDI Q3 UT
VIN = WA1EFCFS4GR014479
Amount due on lien $1555.00
Reputed owner(s)
NIKKI & MONICA CONNELLY
AUDI FINANCIAL SERVICES
Associated Press File
The retail prices of beef
and other meats continue
to increase.
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
07/25/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2013 NISSAN FRT 4D
VIN = 1N6AD0CW8DN763074
Amount due on lien $1535.00
Reputed owner(s)
SHERRYL LEIGH MOORE
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 819
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/05/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
PREMIER TOWING & RECOVERY
305 JEFFERSON ST SILVERTON, OR
2019 TOYT CAM 4D
VIN = 4T1B11HK1KU698403
Amount due on lien $952.00
Reputed owner(s)
>WILLIAM WOODS & ANGELA EPPING
TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT 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
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2017 LNDR RRV LL
VIN = SALWR2FKXHA669153
Amount due on lien $1515.00
Reputed owner(s)
TRAVIS JAMES STAFFORD
IQ 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
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2020 CHEV CLD PU
VIN = 1GCGSBEN2L1143538
Amount due on lien $1515.00
Reputed owner(s) CMTS LLC
CAPITAL LEASE GRP LTD/LSSR
BERSHIRE BANK
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2019 BMW X5 UT
VIN = 5UXCR6C59KLL04621
Amount due on lien $1535.00
Reputed owner(s)
JOSHUA THOMAS CHRISTENSEN
FINANCIAL SERVICES VEHICLE TRUST
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2016 HONDA CIVIC 4D
VIN = 2HGFC2F57GH539674
Amount due on lien $1535.00
Reputed owner(s)
MARLANA HANEY
FIFTH THIRD BANK NATIONAL ASSOC
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2017 CHEV EXP VA
VIN = 1GCWGAFF8H1249661
Amount due on lien $1535.00
Reputed owner(s)
> SIDWELL AIR FREIGHT INC
FIRST BANK DIV OF GLACIER BANK
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2020 SUBARU IMP 4D
VIN = 4S3GKAB68L3606388
Amount due on lien $1535.00
Reputed owner(s)
SUBARU OF AMERICA
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2016 NISS V2S VA
VIN = 1N6AF0LY3GN802508
Amount due on lien $1415.00
Reputed owner(s)
VERTICAL WINE/BEER CO LLC
NISSAN MOTOR ACCEPTANCE 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
08/01/2022. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR
2008 JYCO FLIGHT C.T
VIN = 1UJBJ02N9878B0482
Amount due on lien $1435.00
Reputed owner(s)
NICHOLAS HENRY ROBERT REYES
Between PRRS, a declin-
ing breeding inventory and
high feed costs, market hog
supplies should be tight well
into 2023, he said.
In the poultry arena, the
broiler layer flock is show-
ing moderate contraction
and was down 2% year
over year in the most recent
USDA chicken and eggs
report.
“Hot weather, tight sup-
plies and a potential con-
sumer shift away from
higher-priced beef cuts all
suggest chicken prices will
remain strong throughout
2022,” he said.
Turkey and egg markets
have been roiled by highly
pathological avian influenza,
with the loss of roughly 40
million commercial birds.
Egg prices skyrocketed
ahead of Easter and fresh
tom breast meat eclipsed the
$6 a pound threshold, previ-
ously considered unattain-
able, he said.
LEGAL
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF
THE STATE OF OREGON FOR
THE COUNTY OF MARION
PROBATE DEPARTMENT
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF
PAUL MELVIN STUDER, deceased.
Case No.: 22PB05623
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS
NOTICE IS HERBY GIVEN that the
undersigned has been appointed
Personal Representative of the
above estate. All persons having
claims against the estate are re-
quired to present them to the un-
dersigned attorney at: 319 Sixth
Street SW, Albany, OR 97321 with-
in four months after the date of
the first publication of this notice,
as stated below, or such claims
may be barred.
All persons whose rights may be
effected by the proceedings in
this estate may obtain additional
information from the records of
the Court, the Personal Represen-
tative, or the attorney for the Per-
sonal Representative.
DATED and first published July 8,
2022.
Personal Representative
CHRISTOPHER S. STUDER
796 S. Grice Loop
Jefferson, OR 97352
Attorney
DAVID B. BECKHAM
319 Sixth Ave SW
Albany, OR 97321
