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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, June 17, 2015 Water shortages: Ag gets unfair burden of blame W hile well-heeled urban residents fret about dead lawns, WKHELOOIRU&DOLIRUQLD¶VIRXUWK year of drought is already being paid in the largely rural &HQWUDO9DOOH\ Researchers from University of California- 'DYLV¶&HQWHUIRU:DWHUVKHG Sciences say the drought will FRVW&DOLIRUQLD¶VDJHFRQRP\ ELOOLRQWKLV\HDUDQGFRVW as many as 18,600 workers WKHLUMRE )DUPHUVZLOOKDYH million acre-feet less surface water than they would in a normal water year – about a 33 percent loss of supply on DYHUDJH Growers are expected to fallow 564,000 acres, suffer a crop revenue loss of $844 million and incur $558 million in additional JURXQGZDWHUSXPSLQJFRVWV Packers, processors, truckers, suppliers and retailers — and their employees — will lose PRUHWKDQDELOOLRQGROODUV Lost jobs, lost businesses – and the cost ripples out in the prices we all pay for IRRG Still, some in California would have ag water cut IXUWKHU$IWHUDOOWKHWKHRU\ goes, agriculture takes 80 SHUFHQWRI&DOLIRUQLD¶VIUHVK water – an undeserved boon WRZHDOWK\JURZHUV In a recent op-ed in the /RV$QJHOHV7LPHVMRXUQDOLVW Nathanael Johnson put that often-repeated figure into SHUVSHFWLYH Farmers, he says, actually take 40 percent of the fresh water, while non-farm human uses account for DQRWKHUSHUFHQW +DOIRI&DOLIRUQLD¶VZDWHU IORZVWRWKHVHD,WNHHSV saltwater out of the Delta, fish alive and river habitat YLDEOH7KLVKDOIGRHVQ¶WHQWHU LQWRWKHGHEDWH “We devalue the environment if we leave it out of the equation,” KHZURWH³$QGZHFDQ¶W judge the arguments for and DJDLQVWVXFKXVHVLIZHGRQ¶W DFNQRZOHGJHWKDWWKH\H[LVW´ Forty percent is a lot, EXWLW¶VKDOIWKHDPRXQW so often cited in the SUHVV$QGQRWQHDUO\WKH amount held sacrosanct by environmentalists and SROLWLFLDQV Drought always impacts farmers first, followed shortly by workers and businesses in rural areas who depend on the food and fiber SURGXFHG$OORIWKLVWDNHV place out of sight and mind RI&DOLIRUQLD¶VOLEHUDOHOLWH and popular culture trend- VHWWHUV ,W¶VDOOWRRHDV\WRPDNH farmers and ranchers the bad JX\V ³,W¶VPLVOHDGLQJWR]HUR in on part of the picture,” -RKQVRQZURWH³,IZHZDQW holistic solutions, we have to WDNHWKHKROLVWLFYLHZ´ :HDJUHH Even in the ag community WKHUH¶VDUHFRJQLWLRQWKDW things must – and will – FKDQJH%XWWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQ FDQ¶WEHJLQDQGHQGZLWK more regulations on farmers DQGUDQFKHUV F ARMER ’ S F ATE A combine, a dresser, and a lawn mower By Brianna Walker 7RWKH%OXH0RXQWDLQ(DJOH ,W¶VJRRGWRWU\DOLWWOHUROHUHYHUVDO in your marriage every once in a while – not just for the learning experience, but also for the revelations that always VHHPWRFRPHZLWKLW )RUWKHODVW\HDUV,¶YHEHHQWKH keeper of the laundry: sorting, wash- ing, folding, putting it away, and toss- LQJRXWKROH\VRFNV2QFHDIWHUDSDU- ticularly hectic period of farming, my KXVEDQGQRWLFHGKHGLGQ¶WKDYHPDQ\ PDWHGVRFNVLQKLVGUDZHU³*XHVVLW¶V time to buy some more,” he muttered DVKHFUDZOHGLQWREHG I looked at the big stack of his dirty VRFNV LQ WKH EDVNHW RI ZKLWHV :RZ I wish I had magic drawers like he does – continuously restocking his clean clothes, folded or mated, until WKHWLPHKHQHHGHGWREX\PRUH6LJK- ing, I picked up the laundry basket and headed to the washing machine before crawling into bed beside my already VQRULQJKXVEDQG So recently we decided to try a little UROHUHYHUVDO,QWKHHYHQLQJV,FOLPE into bed with a book and my husband trudges downstairs with the laundry EDVNHWV$IWHUWKH¿UVWORDGKHEHFDPH frustrated as he tried putting them DZD\LQRXUVKDUHGFKHVWRIGUDZHUV ³:KHUHDP,VXSSRVHGWRSXWWKLV"´ KHJUXPEOHG , FRXOGQ¶W KHOS EXW VPLUN ³:HO- come to my world, why do you think ,IROGWKHODXQGU\YHUWLFDOO\",FDQ¿W PRUHLQWKDWZD\´ He grumbled and muttered, and soon the laundry baskets became home to the FOHDQODXQGU\ After only two weeks, he came home grinning like a school ER\ +H KDG SXUFKDVHG D JRUJHRXV GUHVVHUDQGFKHVWRIGUDZHUV ³,I ,¶P JRQQD GR ODXQGU\ WKHUH¶V gotta be a place to put it!” 7KH QHZ EHGURRP IXUQLWXUH ZDV EHDXWLIXO EXW , FRXOGQ¶W KHOS EXW UH- PHPEHUKRZKH¶GWKRXJKWRXURQHROG dresser was satisfactory – until he had WRXVHLW+PP« Not long after that, I sat down at the computer and noticed a web page RIULGLQJPRZHUV<HDUVDJRZHKDG an old riding mower, one that needed 7/& HYHU\ WLPH , VWDUWHG LW 7KH WLUH had 4 plugs and a bottle of green goop, DQGVWLOOZRXOGQ¶WKROGDLUWKHEDWWHU\ ZRXOGQ¶W KROG D FKDUJH WKH LJQLWLRQ GLGQ¶WZRUNDQG\RXFRXOGQ¶WSXVKWKH clutch and brake at the same time be- FDXVHRIDOLQNDJHSUREOHP One day after 45 minutes of tinker- ing and a hand that was still smarting from the shock when I tried to spark across the battery with a screwdriver, , PXWWHUHG ³,¶G JHW WKLV ODZQ PRZHG faster with a push mower!” Guess what arrived weeks later … IRU0RWKHU¶V'D\<HSP\YHU\RZQ SXVKPRZHU $QGLIWKDWZDVQ¶WHQRXJKP\KXV- band hired out my mowing services to a neighbor widow to pay for my new 0RWKHU¶V'D\SUHVHQW$QGQRZ,VHH that after only one time of using my SXVKPRZHUKH¶VLQWKHPDUNHWIRUD ULGLQJPRZHU I thought about the time I was driv- ing combine with a sprained foot; I KDG DQ DLUFDVW DQG ZDV RQ FUXWFKHV 7KH FRPELQH¶V DLU FRQGLWLRQHU ZDV broken, and it was so hot the chickens ZRXOGKDYHODLGERLOHGHJJV7RNHHS the swelling down in my foot, I used a EXFNHWRILFH7KHJODVVHGFDERIWKDW combine was a sauna and I was con- VWDQWO\ ZLSLQJ WKH VZHDW DQG FKDII RXWRIP\H\HV ³7KH VHDVRQ¶V DOPRVW GRQH´ P\ KXVEDQG VDLG ZKHQ , FRPSODLQHG ³, GRQ¶WZDQWWRKDYHWRFKDUJHWKH$& just for a few days before I park it for WKHZLQWHU´ 7KHVHFRQGWRODVWGD\RIKDUYHVW, went on a parts run while he climbed LQWRWKHFRPELQH,PDJLQHP\VXUSULVH a few hours later when I saw the com- bine parked in the yard … and the AC PDQZRUNLQJRQLW My eyes narrowed as I stared at the screen of pretty new John Deere rid- LQJPRZHUV7KHQ,WKRXJKWPD\EH, ZDVORRNLQJDWWKLVDOOZURQJ,NQHZ WKLVUROHUHYHUVDOZRXOGQ¶WODVWIRUHYHU and soon I would be doing the laundry and mowing my own yard – and those neighbors have an awfully big yard WKDWQHHGVPRZLQJ,I,SOD\P\FDUGV right, I can get a riding mower – and KDYHP\KXVEDQGZRUNLWRII Brianna Walker writes about the Farmer’s Fate occasionally for the Blue Mountain Eagle. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR See you at market Blue Mountain EAGLE 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper USPS 226-340 John Day, Oregon MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT E DITORIAL A SSISTANT C OMMUNITY N EWS S PORTS M ARKETING R EP C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County Elsewhere in Oregon Continental U.S., Outside Oregon Outside Continental U.S. 1 year $40.00 $48.00 $55.00 $60.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet www.MyEagleNews.com POSTMASTER — send address changes to Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. indulge in the luxury of this gift of bounty, beauty and community right in the middle of John Day, from 8-12 To the Editor: Grocery shopping need not be a every Saturday, June 20 through Oc- chore of the day but an adventure of WREHU See you there! the senses; right here in your own Jim & Sandy Bay WRZQDQGYDOOH\$6DWXUGD\IDUPHUV¶ John Day Farmers Market market where you will meet friends John Day and neighbors and just have a good WLPHLQWKHIUHVKQHZPRUQLQJ Your sixth annual John Day Farm- ers Market opens Saturday, June 20, Gohmert on the FS DW DP +DYH \RX EHHQ WKHUH \HW" Fresh eggs, honey and grass-fed beef To the Editor: from right here in your valley as well We are being inundated in the news as locally grown fruits and veggies media today with matters of such astro- RI DOO NLQGV 7KH\ DUH VR IUHVK WKDW nomical importance as the recuperating they are still crisp and very tasty, comedian who wrapped his limousine having been lovingly raised and just around a Walmart truck or an aging picked that day, or the day before, Bruce Jenner with his clip and tuck instead of one or two or three weeks challenging the Kardashians for female DJR DW EHVW<RX DOVR KDYH D EHDX- VXSUHPDF\ tiful selection of arts and crafts, all 7KH HQGHDYRUV RI VXFK JURXSV DV locally made with loving hands for the Citizens for Public Access, Forest HYHU\WDVWHDQGVW\OH Access for All, Western Alliance of Choosing not to go to the grocery Rural America and others are going un- store to buy that imported beef, sal- remarked and unheeded by the people DGDQGIUXLWRUWRWKHORFDO¿YHDQG ZKRVKRXOGEHWKHPRVWFRQFHUQHG dime for a dime-a-dozen item or gift, Hidden in the main media news LVDSDWKRIOLEHUDWLRQ:DONLQJWRWKH -XQH865HS/RXLH*RKPHUW5H- Farmers Market and buying those SXEOLFDQIURP7H[DVDQGPHPEHURIWKH locally grown and hand-picked fruits House Natural Resource Committee, and vegetables, eggs, honey, beef in a joint legislative hearing told two and arts and crafts is turning your IHGHUDOODQGRI¿FLDOV'HSXW\'LUHFWRU back on the industries that would of Operations for the Bureau of Land control us and let us forget who we 0DQDJHPHQW %/0 6WHYH (OOLV DQG DUHDQGZKHUHZHFRPHIURP 'HSXW\&KLHIRIWKH86)RUHVW6HUYLFH Every time we say “NO” to con- /HVOLH:HOGRQ³,FRPHEHDULQJJRRG sumer culture, we say “YES” to QHZV,WKLQNLI\RXUHPSOR\HHVNHHSXS something more beautiful and sus- the arrogance, keep denying access to WDLQLQJ WKHODQGWKHQYHU\VRRQZH¶OOEHDEOHWR ,WKDVDPD]HGPHIRUWKHODVW¿YH dramatically cut your employees back years that every weekend we meet and start turning those powers over to local John Day folks who have not WKHVWDWHV EHHQDZDUHWKHUHLVDORFDOIDUPHUV¶ ³7RGD\,ZDQWHGWRWDNHDGYDQWDJH market every Saturday morning, all of your presence here by letting you VXPPHUDQGIDOO$QGRIFRXUVHDOO NQRZ ,¶YH EHHQ KHDULQJ DERXW WKH DU- those who are aware of it who “just URJDQFHRISHRSOHRQ86)RUHVW6HU- have not made it there yet,” as if it YLFHODQGDQG'HSDUWPHQWRI,QWHULRU is a one-day, once a year thing that land – national forests – even from law is only a novelty to be enjoyed per- HQIRUFHPHQW WKH\ VD\ LW¶V MXVW JRWWHQ chance, if one has the time to be tougher and tougher to deal with arro- ERWKHUHG,VWKLVWRZQVRELJDQGGL- JDQWSHRSOHRQWKHQDWLRQDOIRUHVWV´ YHUVHWKDWRQH¶VRZQIDUPHUVPDUNHW “Some of us have been pushing LVVRHDVLO\RYHUORRNHG" IRUDZKLOH±OHW¶VMXVWGUDPDWLFDOO\FXW So, it is time to get there and EDFNWKH86)RUHVW6HUYLFHWKH%/0 the Department of Interior and let each state manage the federal land within its ERXQGDULHV´«³WKH\¶OOGRDPXFKEHW- ter job at managing your land than your GHSDUWPHQWVKDYHEHHQGRLQJ´ 1HHG,VD\PRUH" Judy Kerr Canyon City Sweat with us To The Editor: , GLGQ¶W DWWHQG JUDGXDWLRQ VR , FDQ¶W FRPPHQW VSHFL¿FDOO\ RQ WKH ³SRRU´ FKRLFH RI DWWLUH WKDW 0U 7KRPVHQ IURP $XURUD WDNHV LVVXH ZLWK LQ ODVW ZHHN¶V OHWWHUV %XW , know well the person that he was criticizing and would suggest that LIKLVDSSHDUDQFHZDVQ¶WRQSDUZLWK the occasion that there was probably JRRGUHDVRQ:K\GR,EHOLHYHWKDW" %HFDXVH WKLV SHUVRQ¶V FRQWULEXWLRQV to our county have at least earned KLP WKH EHQH¿W RI WKH GRXEW LI QRW the deference to wear whatever he ZDQWV , GRQ¶W NQRZ 0U 7KRPVHQ WR sit on any boards or commissions here, volunteer for neighborhood activities, coach youth sports, donate money to local causes, have kids in our schools, or anything else that I would consider to warrant my re- spect as a contributor to our commu- QLW\+HPD\EHDJUHDWJX\EXWKH also could have just come to Grant County to “ranch” our way of life and, like so many others resembling him, wants to change the very char- acteristics of our area that attracted KLPKHUHLQWKH¿UVWSODFH We may be a little rough around the edges sometimes but remem- ber – you made the choice to move KHUH ZH GLGQ¶W DVN %HVLGHV ZH built this community and we are generally the ones who struggle GDLO\WRVXVWDLQLW<RXZDQWWRFULW- icize; put a little skin in the game, collect some scars and sweat a little bit with us – then you can lecture us poor mountain folk on how we VKRXOGOLYHRXUOLYHV Shaun W Robertson John Day