A6
BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Farm-related business sweats amid drought
FARM SUPPLY
BIZZ
BUZZ
Who: Craig and Candi
Willis
Where: 319 Golf Course
Road, Enterprise
By Bill Bradshaw
ENTERPRISE — In a
year when farmers are hurt-
ing because of the drought,
related businesses also are
feeling the heat as producers
are struggling to harvest the
meager crops that shippers
such as Farm Supply take to
market.
“It’s a year like no other,”
co-owner Craig Willis said.
“The harvest this year, as
near as we can tell, is about
65% of normal in Uma-
tilla County. It’s just get-
ting going here (in Wallowa
County), but I’m sure it’ll be
aff ected here, also.”
Farm Supply not only
ships grain to market, but
hauls fuel, chips, fertilizer,
logs, cattle and nearly every
commodity grown in the
Northwest. The company,
which Willis owns and oper-
ates with his wife, Candi,
ships throughout Oregon,
Idaho, Washington, Utah
and Northern California.
“We haul ag commodities
everywhere,” Craig said.
“If it fi ts, it ships,”
quipped daughter Kylie.
Craig is even seeing
ranchers shipping their live-
stock early, moving them
from summer to winter pas-
ture earlier or to feedlots.
“Normally, we don’t
haul a lot of cattle this
time of year, but this year
ranchers are getting them
off of pasture or mov-
ing to diff erent pastures”
because of the drought, he
said. “We’re doing a lot of
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 541-426-5915
Email: farmsupply@eoni.
com
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Farm Supply owners, from left, Candi and Craig Willis, stand with daughter, Kylie, near one of the trailers at their Enterprise
operation. Like agricultural producers, related businesses like Farm Supply are feeling the heat from this year’s drought.
Farm Supply/Contributed Photo
A Farm Supply truck takes a load of grain from a farmer’s grain cart as it prepares to haul the
crop to market.
cattle shuffl ing.”
In addition to Craig and
Candi Willis, Kylie helps
out in the offi ce and her hus-
band, Klint, drives truck
part time and takes care of
the cows, while Craig and
Candi’s son, Skyler, and his
wife, Amber, take care of
most of the farming.
Farm Supply has about
55 employees, 50 of whom
are drivers of their 50
trucks. Most of the others
are mechanics who keep the
trucks operating, as do some
mechanics the company
contracts with.
“We are thankful for the
employees we have and
couldn’t provide great ser-
vice without them,” Candi
said.
The Willises have owned
the business since 2004.
Craig went to work there in
1977, but the company dates
to 1938.
“It’s an old, old com-
pany,” Craig said. “I used to
drive a lot. I drove every day
for 32 years before I bought
the company, and then I con-
tinued to drive and dispatch
trucks as we built the com-
pany until about 2010.”
“Now he just has to be
within phone range because
he’s on the phone all the
time,” Candi said.
The Willises both are
Wallowa County natives.
“Our families go back
generations here,” Craig
said.
The company has three
locations. In addition to
Enterprise, they also have
outlets in La Grande and in
Lewiston, Idaho, where a
fl eet of 12 trucks are kept
busy.
In fact, Lewiston is one
& Skylight
Gallery
of the more popular desti-
nations for Wallowa County
commodities, since the city
on the Snake River gives the
otherwise landlocked Idaho
a seaport. While they also
ship to Tri-Cities, Wash-
ington, “Lewiston is way
closer,” Craig said.
“For us, it made more
sense to drive the bushels
to a port closer to the ocean
and that’d net the farmer
more money for the same
freight,” he said.
But farmers here are
going to be hurting once
they get their drought-
stricken crops to market.
“Yields are bad over (in
Umatilla County), but the
dryland here is just a catastro-
phe,” Craig said. “The irri-
gated ground here, I think
will be down, but not like the
dryland. Even irrigated hay,
the yields are down.”
That’s both because of
limited water and heat.
“You just can’t get over
your ground fast enough to
keep from being pinched by
the heat,” he said.
———
Bill Bradshaw is a
reporter for the Wallowa
County Chieftain. Have a
business tip? Contact him
at 541-398-5503 or bbrad-
shaw@wallowa.com.
Church
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Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
Pastor Cherie Dearth
10 AM Worship
Phone: 541-432-3102
409 West Main - Enterprise
Online AND In Person
For More Info
Worship
Online at
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
JosephUMC.org
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St. Patrick’s
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
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107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Summit Church
Sundays at 9:30 am and 11 am
Sundays
at 10 am
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.
at are
the required
Cloverleaf
Hall available
in Enterprise
Masks
- but made
at the door.
Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
Stephen Kliewer, Minister
Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
Wallowa
Assembly
of God
702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
Worship Service • 10:am
Pastor Tim Barton
Visit Us on
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church & School
305 Wagner (near the Cemetery)
P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
School 541-426-8339
Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886
Worship Hour
10:30 a.m. - Noon
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Worship 9:00 a.m.
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Studies:
Bible Studies:
Sundays
9:30 am &
Sundays, 9:30 am &
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Led by Lay Pastor Archie Hook
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044