Wheat League Names Jepsen
Conservation Man of the Year
Named Conservation Man of
the Year for 1970 wag Bob Jep
sen at the spring meeting of the
Morrow County wheat growers
League Tuesday evening In the
Lexington Grange Hull.
A man of many Interests and
talent, thU young man applies
BOB JEPSEN checks the number of tillers from one of his best
looking fields. This one hod seven. With plenty of moisture
each one will produce a head of wheat.
- fl 1
BOB JEPSEN shows how far he
From his hand to the top of
morning.
. . , - , .mm
ft, - t '' - - " " I
Us ;..-. ' " ' j
7
A WELL TRIMMED lawn sets the scene for the remodeled com
fortable family home enjoyed by the Jepsen family.
z2T -47- y.'
BOB SITE and Bill sit for a bit
receptionist for Dr. Wolff, was
great fervor to his ranching as
well an anything else he sets
out to do.
He feci that sound conserva
tion practices are a must In or
der to save his soil. He first In
.iniioii uvral short diversion
ditches In vital places two or
.i
has built up the siltertion dam.
the dam had been added that
4
on the front steps. Mrs. Jepsen,
not available for the picture.
. m:ii!ij,U!1
V l a j
11 1 CMl
three years before the Christ
ma flood of llHil.
Long Range Plan
Working with County Agent
Harold Kerr and District Conner
vatlonUt. Dale Boner, a long
range plan has been developed
for his ranch on Keck Creek.
To prevent erosion he has
grassed waterways, developed
diversion ditches, made grass
seedings, leaves a stubble mulch
when possible by using a chisel
plow, does contour farming and
trip farming.
When asked what else U con
sidered when choosing Conserva
tion Man of the Year, the com
mittee said "how he sprays his
weeds, treats his wife and his
community activities.''
Bob Jepsen comes through in
flying colors on all counts.
When approaching the spac
ious farm house, over on the
right can be seen a line through
the growing wheat that would
Indicate years previously, there
had been a roadway. When
questioned, Bob said there had
been a road there In the early
days that led over to a spring.
When viewed later, the spring
Is still running quite a sizeable
stream of water. Bob said he
had tried to plant trees around
the area but then comes a wa
ter spout" and everything is
washed away. An area of wash
ed rock shows the truth of his
statement. When a roadway is
farmed the soil is changed. It
is packed down so that it does
n't hold water as well and the
grain Is light green.
The part of the ranch over on
the breaks of Rhea Creek is sub
jected to summer cloud bursts
more than the other areas of
the ranch. This spring Bob is
in the process of building an
additional diversion ditch on
this slope 3000 feet long, and
a siltation dam on one of the
more critical parts of the slope.
In working on the siltation
dam he was using his ownl
equipment to pack in the soil.
In its moist condition it packs
the best. There's lots of moist
ure In the soil. The ranch has
Condon, Ritzvllle and Walla
Walla soils.
By saving his soil, he expects
to maintain present production
and in the long run increase
the yield which makes for more
stubble which in turn gives bet
ter water holding capacity.
Even though working and
manipulating machinery around
the diversion ditches in a field
takes more time and is diffi
cult, Bob says he likes the feel
ing of accomplishment he has
when he finishes each section.
It seems to make the Job less
formidable to do three smaller
sections than one BIG section,
The 1969 yield for the farm
was 35.99 bushels per acre.
Fights Weeds
For 18 years since farming the
ranch, he has fought weeds. To
get rid of rye which was prev
alent when he took over, he first
used a sterilant, used the swath
er, hired a dozen kids to pull
rye, one year had an all-woman
crew pulling rye until today his
son Bill can pull the rye in a
couple of evenings after school
He says this rainy spring has
been a good year for cheat grass,
A continuing project is to get
a good stand of grass on the
diversion ditches and the grass
ed waterways. On these he
plants 12 to 16 pounds per acre.
He has had success with Pubes
cent, Stream bank wheat grass
and Intermediate wheat grass.
He used to farm over areas
now grassed waterways. The
grassed waterways provide a
route for water runoff that holds
the soil except in a continual
downpour.
He has 535 acres in Nugaines
wheat, 327 acres in Spring Flynn
barley, 78 acres in double sum
mer fallow. He has 940 acres
in summer fallow.
He and his son, Bill, do all
the work on the ranch which
includes 350 hours of spring
plowing. After weeding and
down low on the list before
seeding is rock picking. He
pointed out an area that would
have to be done this summer.
When asked which of the
farm jobs had the most appeal
to him, Bob, without reservation
said "seeding". It's the last time
around. Seeding is a gamble.
You never know when to do it."
Then he said he liked harvest
ing, too . . . "If you've got a
good crop."
Speaking of this year's crop
he says "It looks good". We
could use about a half inch of
rain any time. Then if the
weather doesn't get too hot too
soon, we should average about
50 bushels this year." Rainfall
averages 11" on his ranch but
will vary from 7" 'to 16" on var
ious years.
Well Equipped Shop
Bob has a well equipped shop
where he does all of his own
mechanical work. This shop
figures also in some of his hob
bies. In the early 50's he erected a
TV tower up on the hill from
the ranch house. He Is able to
THE
GAZETTE
Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, May 21,
get TV from Portland and Spo
kane. lie has an extensive short
wave set In his office on the
2nd floor of their ranch home,
ilia mnst recent "mercv" contact
was following the earthquake In
the rhllippines. ne rciayea a
miwcifi) to a woman In La
Grande from her daughter. Told
her to disregard ine stories on
the earthquake, that she was ok.
He Is a serious type mount
ain climber , and Is a member
Family Man
of the Mazamas.
Bob Is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Jepsen of lone. He
Is a graduate of lone High
c.hvnl mH attended Pacific Uni
versity and EOC in business ad
ministration., ue met nis wtie,
the former Suzanne Lleuallen on
the ski slopes at Spout Springs.
They have two children, Sue a
senior and Bill a freshman at
lieppner High School.
The family has hosted a
County Agent from Jordan and
IFYE students In their home.
When asked how he felt about
the family type ranching now
enjoyed in Morrow County, he
said that 10 stay in ousiness,
the ranches will have to be big
ger and run more economically.
When questioned about the
19 year old vote, he hedged be
cause his 18 year old daughter
onH hop friend were on hand to
hear his reply so he said, "Some
are ready to vote ana some are
tint"
For the last seven years, he
has taught in the bin graae uui
door School at Bull Prairie. He
endeavors to teach them "out
door manners, pii.-k up the lit
ter, don't pollute the air or wa
ter or Iana
Community Activities
He has many farm-oriented
activities.
Presently Bob Is national
chairman of the special proj
ects committee or me national
Ass'n. of Wheat Growers. Their
nrlme nromotion Is the Day of
Bread. The Germans started this
special holiday until it Is cele
brated equal to inanKsgivinR.
Ho I nast president of the
Oregon Wheat League and Mor
row County Wheat League, ne
has been a supervisor of the
iimmner Soil and Water Conser
vation District. He Is a member
of the Morrow County Extension
Advisory Council.
The Jensens lease the ranch
from Noel Dobyns of Florence
and Ester Dobyns 01 tugene.
He has an air strip on the ranch
which was used frequently by
Mr. Dobyns who flew in nearly
every week. He says he has the
best landlords in the state, un
doubtedly they feel they have
leased their farm to one of the
hest also the 1970 Soil Con
servation Man of the Year, Bob
Jepsen!
Conservation Practice Statistics-
1. Diversion Ditches 37,965
feet (3600 feet staked out);
2. Diversions seeded to grass
17.5 acres;
3. Grassed Waterway 14.8 ac
4. Cropland seeded to grass
390 acres;
5. StriDcroDDinc 98 acres;
6. Crop Residue Management
940 acres;
7. Minimum Tillage 910 acres;
8. Contour farming 620 acres;
9. Conservation Cropping Sys
tem 1212 acres.
The Soil Conservation Man of
the Year is sponsored each year
When It
It's
With low cost electric power, you can forget about sudden wash-day shower,
wind blown dirt and never ending trips to your clothes line. ?j
For your electric clothes dryer makes its own sunny weather. Moreover, Ifr
close at hand, easy to operate and actually dries clothes softer and fluffier
than any other drying method. 1
So don't wait for a rainy day. Visit your electric appliance store today and
select the dryer that fits your particular needs. You'll find a wide selection or
sizes, styles and colors (with matching washers).
Do it better, for LESS . . . Electrically
iolumbia Basin Electric Co-op
"Serving Morrow, Wheeler and Gilliam Counties"
Telephone 676-9146
HEPPNEIt
-TIMES
1970
Sec. 2
by the Oregon Wheat League.
Winners are picked by seven
Eastern Oregon counties and
one for the valley. The winners
compete for state Conservation
Man of the Year.
A liieal committee of farmers
makes the selection. They re
viewed the soil conservation
practices of 12 ranchers. The pro
gram started In the late 1930's.
IRRIGON NEWS
inRinoN Mrs. John Matth
ews attended a convention of
thA Lutheran Women s Mission
irv I mmo. May 5 to 7. In Sno
homlsh, Wash. The theme of the
convention was "Gods wont in
you".
Miss Mary Kenney of Seattle
visited her parents, Rev. and
Mrs. John Kenney, on Saturday
and Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bessler and
Mrs. Nina McBride of Portland
visited at the homes of Mr. and
Mrs. Chester Wilson and Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Wilson, neph
ews of Mrs. McBride, on Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lavern Christ
iansen and family visited her
brother Jerry Dunn in Pasco, on
Sunday. They were joined by
her mohter, Mrs. Bessie Dunn
and Mr. and Mrs. Homer
Raekes of Richland.
Mrs. Ed Gonty recently enjoy
ed a trip to Portland with her
daughter, Mrs. Terry Blevins of
Ukiah. Mr. and Mrs. Blevins are
Hniiriincr n new lotr home ud in
Ukiah, a handsome spacious one.
Rains . . .
Dry
'Love for God and
Country', Theme of
Naxarene Services
Pi.inr Flvt Everhart extend
a cordial invitation to a speci e
Memorial Day Commemoratio
Sorviee to be held at the Hep.'
ner Church of tho Nazarene o i
May 29 at 7:30 p.m.
All military personnel, menv
bers of the VFW, American Le ;
Ion and other patriotic organiz
tlons of the community wmr ;
are Interested in the preserve
Unn nt the nrecentS of "Llf '.
Liberty and the Pursuit of Ha;.
plness" are especially urgea i
attend this inspirational an
nntrintlA KPrviee. There Will li
a variety of special music..1.
numbers and a suae series
help encourage "Love for Go '.
and Country'", the theme chos
en for the service.
4-H Camp Plans Made
Four-H members ages !)
through 12 were mailed appllca
tlons to attend the annual cam.
at Cutsforth Park. Dates of th
camp this year are June 24-27
Camp is a much anticipate',
even In the lives of the young
er 4-H members. Deadline, f
returning the application to the
county office Is June 12, but an
earlier return will be appreciat
ed to enable plans to be com
pleted. '. - ,
Camping serves many pui
es in the life of the young mem
ber. It is intended to offer op
portunltles for mental, physical.
social ana spiruuui growm.
soncn nt rosnnnslbllitv. under-
standing and leadership are do
veloped by the camping excel
lence.
1