GROW HOW – and WHAT – does YOUR garden grow? The re ’ s boun ty – e ven in the h igh coun t ry Fa r le f t : Lance Ba rke r o f Bea r V a l ley ha rves ts a heap ing bow l fu l l o f g reens fo r d inne r f rom h is ga rden . I B lu e Moun t a in E ag l e Le f t : Jenn i fe r Ba rke r f i l ls a bow l w i th swee t t rea ts – g reen g rapes f rom the ex tens ive ga rden she and husband Lance tend in Bea r V a l ley . Con t r ibu ted pho tos fo r long e r g row ing s e a son s wh i ch l ik ew i s e m ak e fo r e a sy g a rd en ing and v a r i ed c rop s . F ru i t o r ch a rd s , v eg e t ab l e g a r - d en s – you n am e i t , and th ey 01790 f you r g a rd en i sn ’ t a s ro - bu s t a s you wou ld l ik e , b l am e you r g r e en thumb – bu t no t th e e l ev a t ion . G r an t Coun ty bo a s t s a w id e r ang e – n e a r ly 3 ,000 f e e t – in e l ev a t ion , f rom a low o f abou t 1 ,800 f e e t in K imb e r ly to n e a r ly 4 ,700 f e e t in G r an i t e . Th e K imb e r ly -Monum en t a r e a , th e “b an an a b e l t ” o f th e coun ty , i s w e l l -known fo r b e - ing r i ch in ag r i cu l tu r e , th ank s no t on ly to low e l ev a t ion , bu t n e a rby w a t e rw ay s – th e John D ay R iv e r and i t s No r th and M idd l e fo rk s . W a rm e r t emp e r a tu r e s m ak e c an p rob ab ly g row i t . Fo lk s in mo s t o f th e m a in John D ay R iv e r V a l l ey a r e ab l e to a ch i ev e s im i l a r g row ing su c - c e s s e s , a s id e f rom g e t t ing tho s e tom a to e s to ev e r r ip en . Bu t , how abou t S en e c a , Fox o r ev en Long C r e ek ? I f you th ink p rodu c e -p ro - du c ing op t ion s a r e l im i t ed in th e h igh e r e l ev a t ion s o f G r an t Coun ty – th ink ag a in . F o r L a n c e B a r k e r o f M o r n i n g H i l l s F o r e s t F a rm s i n B e a r V a l l e y , t h e r e a r e f ew , i f a n y , l im i t s . D e sp i t e th a t a r e a ’ s co ld c l i - m a t e and sho r t s e a son – 4 ,100 f e e t in e l ev a t ion , u s ing n e a rby I z e e a s a m e a su r em en t – B a rk e r and h i s w i f e , J enn i f e r , h av e b e en su c c e s s fu l ly r e ap ing a h e ap ing h a rv e s t y e a r a f t e r y e a r . And i t ’ s no t ju s t a p l en t i fu l supp ly o f a f ew i t em s , bu t a v a - r i e ty o f food s – roo t v eg e t ab l e s , g r e en s , b e an s , sh e l l p e a s , b ro c - W e can h e lp y ou g e t s ta r t ed w i th y ou r H om e & Ga rd en N e ed s . s ta r t ing a t $239 99 DS 2 2 0 0 & DS 2 4 0 0 s ta r t ing a t $249 99 B lowe rs , Ea r th Auge rs , P rune rs & Much Mo re 5 yea r wa r ran ty WWW . JOHNDAYPO LAR IS .COM Come Check Ou t G regg ’s Inven to ry a t Po la r is 821 W . Hwy | John Day 01766 cho i c e s , tom a to e s and mo r e . Th i s s e a son , th e B a rk e r s h av e b e en “bu r i ed ” in a h e a r ty c rop o f sp in a ch , h e s a id . No t ju s t fo r summ e r on ly , r i t ’ s an end e avo r th ey wo rk a t fo mu ch o f th e c a l end a r y e a r . Th i s s e a son , th ey w e r e ab l e to g e t th ing s s t a r t ed in l a t e J an - u a ry , du e to th e r e l a t iv e ly m i ld w in t e r h e r e . Th ey a r e u su a l ly s to r ing th e l a s t o f th e roo t v eg e - t ab l e s in th e c e l l a r in Nov emb e r . N in e ty p e r c en t o f wh a t th e B a rk e r s g row i s don e ou tdoo r s , s t a r t ed in th e hoophou s e . L an c e s a id h e g row s ev e ry - d th ing f rom h i s own s e ed s , an h a s a “w a r ehou s e ” s to ckp i l ed and c a t ego r i z ed . J enn i f e r adv i s ed p eop l e to s av e s e ed s f rom th e i r b e s t p l an t s a s a good w ay to d ev e lop v a r i e t - r i e s th a t do w e l l in th a t p a r t i cu l a a r e a . Th e r e a r e a f ew food s L an c e h a sn ’ t b e en ab l e to g row , su ch a s m e lon s and w in t e r squ a sh , and co rn i s p r e t ty mu ch ou t o f th e qu e s t ion . Bu t th a t do e sn ’ t m e an i t won ’ t ev e r h app en . t “ Ju s t b e c au s e I h av en ’ su c c e ed ed y e t , do e sn ’ t m e an I c an ’ t , ” h e s a id . Th e B a rk e r s h av e l iv ed in B e a r V a l l ey s in c e 1979 . l i t t l e g a rd en b ed , wh i l e con t inu - d ing to exp e r im en t , exp lo r e an exp and e a ch y e a r . H i s m e thod : “Mo s t ly I t ak e wh a t I know , and u s e wh a t I don ’ t know to m ak e m e w an t to know mo r e . ” H e s a id h e l e f t “ r egu l a r g a r - d en ing id e a s ” a long t im e ago . H e a l so exp e c t s to h av e to wo rk w i th wh a t ev e r th e w e a th er i s go ing to d i sh ou t in o rd e r to a ch i ev e any k ind o f su c c e s s , b a - s i c a l ly , “ f a c i l i t a t ing a b io log i c a l p ro c e s s , ” h e s a id . L an c e , who h a s g a rd en ed h i s who l e l i f e , g r ew up in K an - s a s , wh e r e h e s a id th e r e a r e “ s ix mon th s o f a s su r ed f ro s t - f r e e cond i t ion s . ” Comp a r e th a t to a gu a r an - t t e e o f abou t two w e ek s w i thou f ro s t up in B e a r V a l l ey . How ev e r , L an c e add ed , “Ad ju s t ing you r g a rd en ing p l an s du e to co ld w e a th e r and f ro s t i s a p i e c e o f c ak e comp a r e d to h av ing you r who l e g a rd en e a t en by g r a s shopp e r s . ” Th e v a s t m a jo r i ty o f th e ir e f fo r t s go tow a rd f e ed ing t th em s e lv e s , w i th p l en ty to l a s th rough th e en t i r e y e a r . J enn i - f e r do e s a good d e a l o f c ann ing , roo t v egg i e s a r e s to r ed in th e coo l c e l l a r , and o th e r food s go in to th e f r e e z e r . Th e r e ’ s o f t en enough ex t r a good i e s on h and to u s e r ep aym en t fo r f avo r s o r ju st n e ighbo r ly g i f t s . Th ey a l so g row g a r l i c to don a t e to p l a c e s l ik e th e lo c a l food b ank . F rom t im e to t im e , g roup s su ch a s M a s t e r G a rd en e r s , th e H a rn ey Coun ty P r epp e r s and th e N ew L e a f G a rd en C lub o f John D ay v i s i t th e B a rk e r s ’ f a rm for l e s son s and to sh a r e t ip s . A c co rd - r ing to J enn i f e r , a r e c en t v i s i to f rom C en t r a l O r egon s a id th ey cou ldn ’ t g row th e s am e food s wh e r e th ey l iv e , and con c lud ed it mu s t b e w a rm e r in B e a r V a l l ey . Fo r th e B a rk e r s how ev e r , “w a rm th ” i sn ’ t a r equ i r em en t . And “ c an ’ t ” i sn ’ t in th e d i c - t ion a ry .