Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2016)
REGION Wednesday, September 14, 2016 If you can’t beat it, eat it Master Gardeners compete for best ‘pigweed’ recipes Staff photo by Kathy Aney Staff photo by Kathy Aney Purslane, commonly known as fatweed or pigweed, is a pesky nuisance weed in Eastern Oregon gardens, but the plant is tasty and is packed with omega-3 fatty acids. “It’s everywhere here. It’s edible, so why not pull the leaves off and nibble on it while you’re gardening, or throw it into your salad?” Staff photo by Kathy Aney — Annette Frye, activities chair for master gardeners Fred Hollibaugh, a mem- ber of Umatilla County Master Gardeners, tastes a stew made with a pes- ky weed called purslane. The members were chal- lenged to prepare a dish using the weed and bring it to a potluck to share. said she is constantly pulling purslane out of her garden. She compared the initial taste to lettuce, with an after-texture more like boiled okra. Others say the plant has a lemony and peppery lavor, like arugula. “It’s everywhere here,” Frye said. “It’s edible, so why not pull the leaves off and nibble on it while you’re gardening, or throw it into icate purslane by covering it with black plastic and letting it bake in the sun. Now, she said the class is pushing for pigweed to be recognized locally as a superfood. “It’s good for you,” Mills said. “And it’s free.” ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. your salad?” Purslane can be paired with countless foods, pickled on its own or eaten raw. Recommendations include sprinkling it over pizza, adding it to sandwiches, steaming it with spices, blending it into smoothies or adding to tea, where it is said to ease headaches. Mills said she used to erad- ODA plans for both budget cuts, increases Depends on fate of Measure 97 By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Bureau Oregon’s farm regulators are simultaneously planning for substantial budget cuts and increases due to the state’s uncertain revenue future. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is anticipating a total budget ranging from roughly $103 million to $124 million in the 2017-2019 bien- nium, depending on whether voters approve a corporate tax increase in November. The agency’s budget for the current biennium is about $111 million, which means it faces either a 7 percent reduc- tion from its current level, or a boost of nearly 12 percent. ODA is scrambling to plan for either scenario, as are other state agencies, because Gov. Kate Brown must complete her proposed budget for the next biennium by Dec. 1. — just weeks after the Nov. 8 election. “We’re all kind of schizo- phrenic right now,” said Katy Coba, ODA’s director, during the Sept. 13 Oregon Board of Agriculture meeting in Pendleton. State agencies have been asked to submit proposed budget cuts due to a large expected rise in state spending on the Public Employee Retirement System, as well as higher healthcare costs, said Coba. However, the state govern- ment is also preparing for the possibility that Measure 97 passes, she said. That ballot initiative would raise roughly $3 billion a year by imposing a gross receipts tax of 2.5 percent on certain corporations. Under the $124 million budget request, ODA would hire multiple new employees focused on food safety inspection, agricultural water quality, information services, human resources and public records, among other invest- ments, Coba said. Positions would be cut from those and other programs, including conined animal feeding operations and insect pest prevention, under the $103 million scenario, she said. Much of ODA’s budget is derived from fees on different Friends of the Hermiston Public Library set book sale East Oregonian Everything from volumes to complete a collection of iction, to books on cooking, travel, history and just about any subject you can think of are featured in the annual book sale of the Friends of the Hermiston Public Library. The event opens with a special member’s only sale Thursday, Sept. 22 from 5-7 p.m. in the Lanham Room, downstairs at the library, 235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston. For people who want to get an early start for the best selection, friends memberships are available for as little as $10 at the door. The sale opens to the public Friday Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The inal day is Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which features a $1 per bag sale. The Friends of the Hermiston Public Library are dedicated to promoting libraries in general and speciically providing inancial and donated time to the library. Those interested in becoming a member can pick up a form at the library. For more information, call 541-567-2882. Real Estate AUCTION No Reserve 11 NW 9th St Pendleton Round-Up week means business By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Master gardeners Richard Bertram and Annette Frye hold up egg rolls made from a hearty weed called purslane. Com e and enjoy M ain St. w ith us! Book Signing with Rick Steber Friday September 16th from 5pm-7pm Extended Round-up hours: Preview Sunday Noon–2:30pm M-F 9:30 am - 7:00 pm; Sat. 9:30 pm - 6:00 pm; Sun: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm 125 S. Main, Pendleton, OR 97801 www.MaconBros Auction.com (541) 276-9292 • penbkco@eotnet.net types of farms and other companies who have a good understanding of what service reductions will entail, Coba said. The situation is more complicated when dealing with the portion of the budget that comes from state general funds, which aren’t directly funded by the same agricultural constituency that receives ODA services, she said. Page 3A PENDLETON Even among non- western stores, support is strong By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Like most invasive weeds, purslane can be a major headache if it isn’t dealt with quickly. “Even if you kill it with Roundup, it comes back,” said Carol Mills, president of the Umatilla County Master Gardeners. “It’s a tough little devil.” What makes purslane unique, however, is its rich nutritional content. The plants are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E, and packed with omega-3 fatty acids typically found in ish. Rather than simply spraying for purslane or chucking it into the compost pile, the master gardeners are encour- aging people to try mixing it into their favorite recipes to reap the health beneits while keeping their gardens in top shape. Members of the master gardeners class put their own creativity to the test Monday by bringing in a variety of dishes cooked with purslane, adding it to things like beef stew, basil pesto, potato salad and even a chocolate zucchini roll. Each person voted on their favorite course, with master gardener Richard Bertram’s purslane egg rolls coming out the winner. Bertram said he found the egg roll recipe on the internet. The hardest part was picking enough of the small, tear- shaped leaves to make a full batch. “It takes forever to get a cup and a half of this stuff,” Bertram said. Also known by less appe- tizing names such as pigweed and fatweed, purslane grows wild throughout Umatilla County and across the U.S. Native to Persia and India, the species was introduced to Europe in the 15th century as a salad herb. It is now classiied by the Department of Agricul- ture as a noxious weed, despite its long history of cuisine. Annette Frye, activities chair for the master gardeners, East Oregonian For a Tuesday afternoon, the Pendleton J.C. Penney was positively bustling. Of course it wasn’t just any Tuesday. Early Round-Up week is when many Pendleton businesses — even those that don’t exactly cater to a Round-Up audience — start looking toward the massive inlux of foot trafic to boost their sales. J.C. Penney manager Michelle Mizerka-Peters was heartened by the uptick in sales and was hopeful that momentum would build as the week progressed. Mizerka-Peters said J.C. Penney doesn’t always see more business during Round-Up week, but the store has made an extra effort this year to attract a slice of tourists in town for the festivities. J.C. Penney employees moved their western-style clothing to the front of the store and pinned posters in their front windows that depicted early newspaper ads for the century-old company. That includes an ad announcing the 1911 opening of The Golden Rule Store in Pendleton, the store’s original moniker before James Cash Penney bought the entire franchise and rebranded them under his own name. The Round-Up tide does not lift all boats equally, especially those that don’t sell western goods or serve food, but several local businesses owners said the Round-Up is too important to the community to complain about a momen- tary lull in business. Zimmerman & Co. True Value owner Jim Naughton said his hardware store gets more customer attention in the week leading up to Round-Up as locals prepare their homes for guests. But during the actual Round-Up week, Naughton said customers turn their attention toward the rodeo, while the Main Street vendors and nearby carnival siphon trafic from his business. Naughton igures it’s a wash between the extra money the store gets the week before Round-Up and the slowdown in sales during Round-Up, and the impact the rodeo has in the community is a net plus. “It’s up to us to take advantage of this opportunity instead of bitching or complaining about it.” — Angela Thompson, Pendleton Music Co. operator “Overall, it’s a blessing,” he said. Just before Round-Up is also a good sales time for Dean’s Pendleton Athletic, said owner Cari Broker, because high school athletes are purchasing equipment for fall sports. Like Zimmerman, Dean’s holds shortened hours during Round-Up week, accommodating the occasional customer who wants to buy Pendleton gear. While the reduced schedule might save on operating costs during a slow week, Broker said it also gives her employees a chance to catch the rodeo. Although it is west- ern-themed, the owners of Montana Peaks Hat Co. said the Round-Up isn’t a make-or-break time for them either. Hat maker Laura Wortman said they get plenty of foot trafic throughout the week, but they mostly use it to show them around the store and educate them about the craft of hat making. Some of those Round-Up visitors turn into contacts that even- tually become customers. Pendleton Music Co. operator Angela Thompson also plays the long game when it comes to building up contacts for sales down the road, although she does make some Round-Up speciic sales. Thompson said Pend- leton Music Company is essential to the performers who play music at various events around town and also to a growing international clientele, like the member of a Brazilian rodeo contes- tant’s entourage who buys brass instruments each year. Although she occasion- ally has to guard against drunken revelers who insist on testing out the guitars, Thompson said operating a business during Round-Up is all about perspective. “It’s up to us to take advantage of this opportu- nity instead of bitching or complaining about it,” she said. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836.
