Pane 6. THK GAZETTE TIMES. Heppner. OR. Thursday. Nov. 13. 1975
World's
largest spud
Chickens without feathers
plant nears completion
The Fitzgerald Corporation is nearing completion o:
construction of the world's largest fresh potato storage
building offices and maintenance facility at Boardman. OR
It represents a joint venture of a $3 million investment foi
Sim-Tag Farms.
The new addition raises Sim-Tag's investment at
Boardman. OR to $16 million since August 1974.
The announcement was made jointly by J R. Simplot. P.J.
Taggares. and Jim Fitzgerald. Simplot is president of .TR.
Simplot Companv and its many subsidiaries. Boise. ID
Taggares is president of Chef-Reddy Foods Corporation and
P J. Taggares Company of Othello. WA and also has an
investment in Snake River Vineyards in Pasco. W.V
Fitzgerald is president of the Fitzgerald Corporation and
several other firms with headquarters in Bellevue. W A.
The storage building w ill have a capacity for 80.000 tons of
fresh potatoes and it will hold the potatoes at a 45 degree
temperature and at a humidity of 95-97 per cent. The project
also includes a giant maintenance facility for trucks, farm
machinery and a new headquarters office building
The project scheduled for completion Dec. I. is two weeks
ahead of schedule despite the fact that financing had not been
accomplished at the beginning of the project. This caused
some delavs and self-inflicted labor problems. rit:gera d
said In order to overcome the delays, the Fitzgerald
Corporation went to two shifts and weekend overtime which
is double the norma! rate.
The expansion is the latest phase in the development ot the
16.600 leased acres. 13 miles west of Boardman by the joint
venture. ...
P J Taggares Co. is a diversified farming company with
substantial farming and storage facilities in the Columbia
Bain At Othello, a 3 million pound capacity cold storage
facility is leased for 15 years to Chef-Reddy Foods
Corporation bv Northern Enterprises. Inc. of which Jim
Fitzgerald is a "major owner and president. A 60.000 ton fresh
potato storage building is leased to P J. Taggares Company
bv Techbuilt Corporation which is owned by Fitzgerald. Hie
Fitzgerald Corporation is adding 20.000 tons of storage
capacity as a $735,000 addition to the Techbuilt facility which
the P J Taggares Company leases.
Sim-Tag is growing the potatoes for use by the allied firms
in the processing of frozen french fries and related products
such as hash browns
At Boardman. the company now has 13.000 acres under
irrigation. The first crop of potatoes is presently being
harvested. Approximately 1 12.000 tons will be trucked to
Caldwell. TD and to Othello, on a prorated basis and will go
directly into the processing plants at thoe locations.
8mmi tons of potatoes will be stored in the Boardman
facility and 20.ooo Ions will be stored in the addition to the
Othello facility The stored potatoes will be. along with
thousands of tons of other potatoes in storage, drawn upon
during the vear. It is anticipated that the plants in Caldwell
and Othello will be running two or even three shifts until they
are shut down for maintenance in late summer. 19,6.
The 16 6io acres are sub-leased from Boemg-gri-Industnal
Company on a 30 ear lease. Boeing Agn-ln-duirial
Company in turn leases the ground from the State of
Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs which in turn leases
the ground from the State of Oregon. The Boeing Agri
Indus'rial Company lease has approximately 6, years
remaining with the State entities.
BLM lands provide
market for public
i-o ..i.tuM fWnnrat ion Drovides turn key facilities for
the food processing industry, food growers, and business
parks for industrial users. The staff consists of architects,
engineers, legal, financial and construction specialists.
Lnder the name Techbuilt Corporation, the same staff
designed and built the Boardman Gourmet Food Products.
Inc plant -during the trying inflationary days of 1974 and
early 1975. The Gourmet plant is comprised of three 15.000
ton capacity fresh potato storage buildings, a 10.000.000
pound capacity cold storage facility and a 100,000.000 annual
pound capacity frozen french fried potato processing plant.
Recently U & i. Inc. (formerly U & I Sugar Co.) purchased a
54 per cent interest in the Gourmet Boardman and Meolious.
Oregon facilities and the leasehold interests of Fitzgerald in
the cold storage building.
Elk season off to good start
Bureau of Land Manage
ment national resource lands
m Oregon and Washington are
providing a virtual supermar
ket of renewable products and
uses for the public, according
to BLM FACTS, an income,
expenditure and statistical
booklet released this week by
the federal agency which
manages 15 7 million acres in
Oregon and 306. oou acres in
the State of Washington.
Timber, the nation's most
valuable natural renewable
resource, is the largest item.
Nearlv 1 2 billion board feet,
valued at S186.6jtf.3oft. were
sold in the two states during
the fiscal year ending June 30.
Nearly all of this was market
ed ni Oregon to produce
lumber, plywood and various
building boards for home and
industrial construction
Smallest item in the tally
was 210 split rails valued at
$10 Two cords of wood for
arrows sold for $22 and there
were other such items as $32
worth of pitch and $271 worth
of huckleberry branches used
for floral displays
The spirit of pioneering is
still alive with the sale of
3I.0)0 linear feet of log cabin
logs bringing $28 The 21.608
cords of fuel nod sold for
S23.0H7 to hundreds of do-it-yourself
woodcutters, com
pared with 8.705 cords the
year before, indicating rising
fossil fuel costs.
Altogether, an income of
$108,538,055 came from BI.M
lands in Oregon and $83,716
frm Washington A total of
$34,160,975 was spent for
investments in the land,
resource protection, and man
agement of the resources in
thf two states
In addition. $.V).3.32.1R0.03
was returned to Oregon and its
counties as their share of BLM
income from timber sales,
grazing fees, mineral fees,
rental and sales of land, and
other sources during the fiscal
year.
Douglas County was the
largest recipient with tta'
of $12.532.354 89, trailed by
Jackson with $7.734. 4 15.
Lane with S7.533 4.i3 52. and
Josephine with $5.961.314 39.
Hood River County drew the
smallest check-$5
The State of Washington and
Washington counties drew
$24 3.33 .59 from ail sources.
The week before the Rocky
Mountain elk season opened,
snow was falling heavily in
every popular elk hunting
area east of the Cascades. Elk
hunters looked forward to a
tracking snow and a spectacu
lar opening weekend.
On Thursday the weather
warmed, the snows began to
melt, and by Saturday few
traces of snow remained
below 4.500 to 5.000 feet. The
snow at higher levels had
softened and refrozen so that
walking on it w as like treading
on potato chips.
The w eather was balmy and
pleasant throughout eastern
Oregon over the weekend and.
where there was no snow, at
least the ground was wet and
quiet, providing excellent sta
lking conditions.
Opening weekend success
was more than usually spotty,
according to observations by
Department of Fish and
Wildlife Biologists and State
Police In some areas hunters
killed more bulls than anyone
had anticipated and in others
narv an elk was to he found
The I'kiah unit near Bridge
Creek Flats was the scene of
spectacular hunter success. In
camps along a three-mile
stretch of road in that area. 37
bulls were counted hanging in
camps on the second day. Elk
were found at lower elevations
than usual, apparently lured
there by growth of early fall
grasses.
The newly opened Nore
gaard Area in the Sled Springs
I'nit saw heavy hunting pres
sure as anticipated but hunt
ing success was also fairly
g.wxl over the weekend. Vehi
cle access was restricted and
few violations were reported
In the popular Oiesmmnus
Init of Wallowa County,
hunting success was unusually
poor The elk were not in the
higher country as they usually
are on opening weekend but
had apparently dropped into
the deep canyons where many
huniers never found them.
In general, hunting pressure
was up in some northeastern
areas and down in others. The
same was true of hunter
success. There was a greater
percentage of branch -ant lered
bulls in the harvest than there
was last year, This was the
result of a good escapement of
bulls in many areas last
hunting season which appear
as more mature animals this
vear.
In the eithersex units of
southeast Oregon hunting pre
ssure appeared to be up.
especially in the Grant County
portion w here biologists said it
had doubled. In spite of good
weather, however, hunting
success was only fair. After
Nov. 5. the either sex portion
of (he season closes and only
bulls are legal for the season's
remainder.
Hood River unit, which is
also open for either sex during
the first five days of the
season this year, produced
little for the hunters who tried
it opening weekend. Two elk
were all that biologists or
State Police learned of. ,
In nearby Wasco Unit,
hunting was more productive
and hunters were checked
with 18elk in the country from
Friends on south. More than
half these elk had branched
antlers.
Overall, hunter conduct was
excellent over the weekend
The incidence of illegal cow
elk and out -of season deer
kills was very low and
compliance with road closure
restrictions was very good.
Most hunters voiced approval
of the road closure program,
which is designed to restrict
the overuse of vehicles in
heavily roaded areas, and said
they would like to see more
closures.
Hunters who have not filled
their tags are hoping for a
tracking snow before the
season closes Nov. 19 Success
during the remainder of the
season will hinge on the
weather.
See the completely new Artie Cat
'Tantaia" ipeed. comfort and
agilil. Thr best i.f both worlds
being trosofd between Fltigre
and Panther.
(Demonstrations available now)
Call Glenn Walker
Conine Olds
511 S.E. Court Pendleton Phone 276-1921
Featherlesa chickens are nervous birds, but they might
mean cheaper dinners.
Raising chickens without feathers eliminates one step on
processing the birds for market. And since a fourth of the
protein in a broiler goes Into its feathers, a nude bird would
yield more meat.
Research into featherless chickens began in 1953 when
Ursula Abbott, a professor of bird genetics at the University
of California at Davis, found on in a batch of chicks she had
ordered from New Hampshire.
Since then, scientific breeding has produced hundreds or
the genetic freaks, the National Geographic Society says.
Entire nocks in laboratories wear only an occasional wispy
feather. . .
But there are several reasons why none of the
smooth-skinned birds have appeared on supermarket
shelves. Whether from embarrassment or whatever, he
denuded fowl are extremely nervous and prone to develop
stomach ulcers.
Without their protective coats, they also are susceptible to
chills Their feathered brethren can survive even freezing
weather, but naked chickens shiver if the henhouse
temperature dips even slightly.
They get so miserable that they stop eating and simply
waste aw ay." reports Dr. Ralph Somes. Jr.. who is studying
the mutanis at the University of Connecticut.
Although pre-plucked broilers could save processing costs,
the birds use up so much energy rushing about trying to keep
warm that they eat more than other chickens their weight.
Anv profits to be made from featherless chickens are
further reduced by the added cost of the fuel needed to keep
1 i.d., ti.tniw4
are experiement.ng with economical methods of fa.tr.i.ng
'hAnhe iSSX Maryland. Dr., Max Rubin and Dame.
F Biglehave found .ha. under .he righ. Irn.pi
Sil" r.ritherlo chickens need no. be higher than for
ElaigMered, .he featherless birds ffi
pW cent more .ban conventional rim-ken. fed h aar u ta
diet. When cooked, the mutant, provided up to 16 p. r tint
more meal .
Th researchers believe that because denuded chickens
arSore Z . ic they develop less fa. . which leads to less
shri kage in .he oven Added servings delivered to .he dinner
b e migh more than make up for .hose higher hralinf ; billa.
And I ihefealherlcss chickens might thrive in sunny, oulhern
Tie has drastically altered Jj
late as 1934. more than 90 per cent of the chiike.i. on
American tables were former layer., slaughtered af.er .heir
eg7proluc.im declined. Chicken w as a costly meal reserved
ror holidays and special occasions.
Tod v chickens Ire specially bred to lie layer, or broiler,
raised n ' factories" on assembly line feeding for quick
"suits A chicken dinner now is an inexpensive meal,
h, 973 8 four legged chicken was hatched near Indiana a.
,?. inedav, scientists may .urn .heir attention to th,.
phenomenon, for the benefit of drumstick lovers every
where
t'.-f - u ' -.-.-u tint numbtf
nom jnurT
'H -V- It'll keep ywi wirm and"
vi" L- .L!.L uiltl lm if
I
.,v7Ai;y-xi
rvM 'AAV' h A . Ml 'A
NATIONAL fltOdRAPtOC NIWI IE Vice
Ed's Precision Saw &
Tool Sharpening Service
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Phone 676-9913 or 676 9281
Alfalfa Qf Hnnnner. Orezon
miaiiM ' r r
FARMERS!!!!-
Grain Cleaned & Treated
Bob Oswalt
422-7519 lone, OR.
Friends and savers
enter First Federal's
Vni niuvwiii vour
lliunkstflvliitf Turkey
IMEE
Thirty lucky families arc Uoiiig
to In u free Xorlwst Temler
Timed turkey In FlrM Fcilcriil's
Mtf drawing. To enter. vMt First
Fcdcrul Su lugs now:
Save now with Insured Safety
(25 to 50 fsOc
f tn')
iSSsai CONTEST RULES
on Passbook accounts
compounded daily
on Saving Certificates,
11,000 minimum. 4 yr.
(Certificate subject to sulmUnilul Interest cnuliy if funds arc
withdrawn prior to maturity)
1 Anyone 18 or over may enter,
except employes ot First Federal
Savings and their families
2 Entry must be on official entry
blank
3 No purchase or deposit necessary
to enter contest which ends
Novombor 20
4 Drawing will be held November 20
and the winners will be notified
Turkey certificates may be
redeomed at any store carrying
Norbest brand turkeys and must
be used by Dec 3t. 197S
5 Only one entry per person, please
vk
Sivt lirrt vuur rnmirv buildi Katlem OrrKitn
First Federal aWns
tOt t W Cowl
MiHon lit ft
IK) I Brwrtwaylt
3