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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015
Sesquicentennial farms change with the times
By GEORGE PLAVEN
EO Media Group
Wheat harvest is a busy time
of year for John W. Adams and
his family’s 150-year-old farm
north of Pendleton. Schedules
are tight, and he carries a cell-
phone in the breast pocket of
his shirt to communicate with
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Technology has come a long
way from the early days of farm-
ing when his great-grandfather,
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to homestead the area in 1865.
“Basically, it’s gone from
mules to GPS tractors and com-
bines, with a lot in between,”
said John W., the fourth-gener-
ation owner and manager of JK
Adams Ranches Inc.
The Adams ranch is one of
three farms and ranches in Uma-
tilla County celebrating their ses-
quicentennial, or 150th anniver-
sary, in continuous operation by
the same family. AB Lieuallen
Century Ranches, of Athena, and
James Monroe Hemphill Farm,
of Pendleton, have also reached
the sesquicentennial mark.
Recognized at state fair
All three will be recognized
Saturday, Aug. 29, during a cer-
emony at the state fair in Salem.
With this year’s inductions, Ore-
gon now has 33 sesquicentenni-
al farms and ranches throughout
the state.
John F. Adams, the original
founder of Adams Ranches and
namesake for the nearby town
of Adams, initially raised sheep
on the land before transitioning
to wheat. Today, the farm has
roughly 3,500 farmed acres,
split between mostly winter
wheat and green peas.
John W., 58, took over the
farm from his father, John P., in
1982. Someday, he will pass the
farm down to his own son, John
H., extending the Adams legacy
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Antiques
By Renée
Farmer John W. Adams, a fourth-generation farmer, says he
will pass JK Adams Ranches Inc., outside Adams, to his son,
John H. Adams, and keep the 150-year-old farm in the family.
The farmhouse and barn
from the original homestead still
stand to this day, overlooking
rows of fresh cut alfalfa along
Photos by E.J. Harris/EO Media Group
Wildhorse Creek. The structures
An uncut field of soft white winter wheat grows next to the barn and some old farm equipment haven’t been lived in for nearly
at the original homestead of the Lieuallen Century Ranches on Thursday outside of Athena.
50 years and are now treated as
monuments to the past.
Three generations
“It means everything to me,” precision agriculture, he said.
Shandi Scheibner said she
0HDQZKLOH DERXW ¿YH PLOHV is proud of her family’s legacy,
said John W. “To pass it down to That’s where John H., 31, will
up Highway 11 in Athena, anoth- and looks forward to passing
my son is a tremendous feeling.” soon be taking up the mantle.
When John H. does take
John H. recently moved back er wheat farm — AB Lieuallen those values to her daughters.
over, he will inherit an operation to Oregon after 13 years work- Century Ranches — is also turn-
“We have a huge family his-
that has evolved substantially LQJ LQ WKH ¿OP LQGXVWU\ LQ /RV ing 150 and shows no signs of tory that goes way back,” she
over the years. At the turn of Angeles. Though he did plenty slowing.
said. “It’s a neat thing to be a
Three generations currently part of.”
the 20th century, farmers relied of chores growing up on the
on teams of horses or mules to farm, he said there is still a lot live and work on the farm. Brooks
In recent years, Scheibner
Lieuallen, 65, still handles plenty said they have embraced no-till
SXOOFRPELQHVRYHUWKHLU¿HOGV to learn.
Now there are not only tractors,
He can’t really explain why of farm business with help from farming as a way to conserve
but self-driving tractors steered he gave up the glitz of Holly- his daughter, Shandi Scheibner, precious water and cut down on
by GPS.
wood for the life of a farmer and her husband, Kevin. The wind erosion.
The amount of physical labor — it was just a feeling, he said. Scheibners’ daughters, 15-year-
Scheibner said they also use
is much less than it was even de- Taking charge of the family old Sierra and 13-year-old Ellie, computer-guided tractors that
cades ago, notes John W. He can farm comes with a mix of pres- are next in line.
allow precise spraying of chem-
Lieuallen Century Ranch- icals and fertilizer. Like any
remember when it took teams of sure and excitement.
30-40 men to harvest peas, com-
“You don’t want to be the es grows about 3,000 acres of business, farms must embrace
pared to jut three or four guys guy who destroys a 150-year- wheat and alfalfa and runs 250 new technology and methods if
needed to run the machines to- old farm,” he said. “I’m learn- head of cattle. The farm still uses they expect to survive, she said.
day. Seeding has also become ing from my dad, who’s a really the same, slightly altered “JL”
“My dad never had com-
easier, with the use of box drills JRRGIDUPHUDQG,¶PFRQ¿GHQW cattle brand of its 1864 founder, puters growing up. Now he’s
as opposed to lugging around in my abilities to keep it going.” Josiah Lieuallen.
using a computer in his tractor,”
100-pound sacks of seed.
“I sound like an old-timer,
Fre
e
ll
ast
Est F
Ca ime
but I’m not that old,” John W.
i
mat
t
y
es
n
A
said with a laugh.
Things are only going to con-
tinue to change with advances in
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The James Monroe Hemphill
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also turning 150. Members of
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In all, the Oregon Century
Farm & Century Ranch pro-
gram added 11 new century
IDUPVDQG¿YHQHZVHVTXLFHQ-
tennial farms to its ranks. To
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proof of continuous family
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ber must actively manage op-
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