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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2019)
NEWS Wallowa County Chieftain A16 Wednesday, October 16, 2019 All about Bear Creek Blossoms: Growing bouquet-worthy fl owers The Accidental GARDENER By Felicity Nullim “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” — Luther Burbank, Ameri- can botanist, horticulturist and pio- neer in agricultural science W hether carried by a bride, arranged in a mason jar, tucked in a buttonhole or growing wild in Lostine Canyon, fl owers make us smile. The Accidental Gardener has always felt that growing fl owers is a celebration of life — grow fl owers, and more fl owers. Cram them into every nook in your yard. If you love fresh fl owers and love having them near you at home or at work, you will be delighted to learn of Bear Creek Blos- soms — a fl ower farm in Wallowa that will deliver fl owers (through the growing sea- son) every week, right to your door. That’s pretty exciting, right? Or, if you fancy a lit- tle fl ower arranging yourself, you can pur- chase them at locations around the val- ley — Lower Valley Farmer’s Market, Bee Charmed, and Dollar Stretcher. Not everyone has the time, the know- Flowers make us happy. Dawn Highberger of Bear Creek Blossoms is full of good cheer. how, or the space to grow a fl ower garden. But Dawn Highberger has all three in abun- dance (well, maybe not the time part). She also has a couple other important ingredi- ents: a passion for fl owers and for spread- ing the fl ower love. She, and her husband Mark, have created an oasis of particular beauty here in the valley. You can take a virtual tour at their web- site: www.bearcreekblossoms.com. While you’re there, you can let them know you’d like some fabulous fl owers delivered…next summer, of course. The Accidental Gardener sat down with Dawn (Mark was knee-deep in fi nishing his book detailing the history of the town of Wallowa) and asked about the challenges of growing bouquet-worthy fl owers, the ideal bouquet, and expansion. AG: Besides dealing with unpredict- able weather, what has to happen to pro- duce fl owers that will look amazing in a bouquet? DH: They need to have long stems so they can actually be arranged — that means lots of netting and staking. I need to get out to pick them early in the morning, before 6 in the summer. It helps to pick them just as they’re opening. They haven’t been pol- linated, which means they’ll last longer in a bouquet. Another aspect is sheer quan- tity — I will start at least 70 of one kind of snapdragon, for example. And variety is key, lots of different colors, shapes, and textures. AG: How are your bouquets special? DH: I want drama, beautiful colors, and so important is the presence of scents. One of the great pleasures of having fl ow- ers in the house is the way they make the space smell. I use lots of “scent-ful” foli- age as well, like mint, bee balm, hyssop, basil. They add a great deal to the fi nished bouquet. Usually fl orist bouquets have no fragrance, the fl owers don’t have a lovely smell, nor does the fi ller material. Because my fl owers are grown organically and are not hot-house fl owers, they retain their nat- ural perfume. AG: Would you share with us some ideas for the future, for the farm’s expansion? DH: Oh, I have lots and lots of plans, projects I’d like to see happen in the next year. This winter I’m going to dry fl owers for cold season bouquets. Next summer I’d like to offer fl ower arranging workshops, particularly for bridal parties. Another idea is to have bouquets available for pick-up here at the farm for “fl oral emergencies” like birthdays and anniversaries. And of course, more fl owers. I’ve just ordered 75 peonies, which is quite an investment, not only fi nancial but the time it will take for them to be making fl owers. I’m always looking to increase the number and variety of blossoms! You should see my seed order! AG: What is the best way for new cus- tomers to contact you? DH: Our website of course. It has links for ordering bouquets, setting up subscrip- tions or just asking questions. It also has links to our Facebook and Instagram pages — lots of great photos of the farm, bou- quets, and us, naturally. I hope your readers will ‘visit’ us soon! The Accidental Gardener took one of the fl ower arranging workshops this past summer — it was incredible. Dawn’s instructions were clear and the fi nished arrangement was very beautiful. Highly recommend this experience, especially if you’ve got a wedding coming up. Get the bridesmaids together and create the perfect bridal bouquet, boutonnieres and center- pieces. What fun! Jeffrey Parker of Highview Ranch honored for Angus production By Bill Bradshaw Wallowa County Chieftain Jeffrey D. Parker, of Highview Angus Ranch just west of Enterprise, has ranked as the seventh-larg- est Angus beef cattle pro- ducer in Oregon. His new- ly-registered 160 Angus calves put him into the top- ten spot. “We only registered the good ones,” Parker said. “You’re going to keep the others for replacement heif- ers and sale bulls.” Angus breeders across the nation in 2019 registered 304,577 head of Angus cat- tle, the association reported. “Despite a challeng- ing year, our Angus breed- ers continue to see a strong demand for Angus genet- ics,” McCully said. Parker said the real dif- ference between registered and commercial beef is that the registered beef cattle are certifi ed with the associa- tion. Commercial beef can be sold in whatever manner a rancher wishes. In registering his beef with the association, Parker is charged to provide their pedigree, genetic data, artifi - cial insemination certifi cates for bulls and DNA sam- ples showing the animals’ genetic profi les. “I have (a DNA sample) for every cow on the ranch,” he said. “It’s kind of like when people send in a sam- ple to 23andMe.” He said the extra cost to register is worth it. “It costs more on my end,” he said, but he’s tied into a computer net- Bill Bradshaw Jeff rey Parker, of Highview Angus Ranch near Enterprise, tries to round up a top-quality Angus bull calf Monday, Oct. 14. Parker was recently named the seventh-largest in registering the most Angus beef cattle in Oregon by the American Angus Asssociation. work with the association to enable him to obtain AI samples with the best DNA to pass on the best traits to Thanks improve his herd. Highview Angus Ranch, which was named by his grandmother, Ingrid Peters, was run for many years by his parents, Dave and Shir- ley Parker. He grew up there until going to college at the California Polytechnic Insti- tute San Luis Obispo. He then spent several years work- ing in corporate agribusiness and managed some of the largest ranches in the North- west before returning in 1997 when his parents retired and he took over. He now leases the ranch from them. Serving our Community! to our Blue Sky participants. Dr. Geoff Maly A Non-Profit Community Health Center In Enterprise & Joseph www.windingwaters.org 541-426-4502 HOURS: Monday - Friday 7:00am to 7:00pm Saturday 9:00am to 1:00pm We are proud to partner with more than 129,000 Blue Sky SM customers, including the business leaders listed below. Thank you for supporting renewable energy development and creating a more sustainable future for our community. Join the movement and enroll at pacificpower.net/bluesky. Chieftain K IDS “I’m the operator,” he said. He now runs a ranch with about 300 Angus mother cows and just one bull. “Hopefully, he doesn’t get much use,” Parker said. “That way I don’t get barn blind thinking my bull’s the best there is. (By using association AI,) this way I get the best in the nation that Angus breeders have to offer.” He said he typically uses semen from six to eight bulls a year but mixes it up to keep the gene pool fresh and for his customers who buy bulls. “Almost never do I use a bull more than three years,” he said. His peers in the beef industry seem to have rec- ognized the quality of his work. Recently, Parker was named the Oregon delegate to the annual conference of the association, which will be held in early November in Reno. Parker said he plans to keep running the Highview ranch until he retires. “It’s been a long but rewarding journey,” he said. “But it’s a lot of hard work.” The association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the U.S., Canada and several other countries. The associ- ation provides programs and services to farmers, ranch- ers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef indus- try and quality beef for consumers. To learn more about Angus cattle and the asso- ciation, visit www.ANGUS. org. For more informa- tion on Parker’s operation, visit www.HighviewAngus- Ranch.com. C C C Divide Camp Fishtrap, Inc. High Lostine Maint Comm Wallowa Lake Camp Wallowa Lake County Service District © 2019 Pacific Power Wallowa Resources Costume Contest Stop by the Wallowa County Chieftain office in your costume on Halloween night for candy between 3 pm and 6:00 pm. We’ll take your photo and put it on our website. Readers will vote on their favorite costume until November 16. 1st place $25, 2nd place $15 www.wallowa.com • 209 NW 1st Street, Enterprise. • 541-426-4567