r
Life on the farm
with the Texas
by Elane Blanchet
Tucked away in the middle
of Lexington is a tiny farm
which produces more stock on
its 1,890 square feet than any
ranch . in Morrow County.
T.E.M. Farms, owned and
managed by Truman Messen
ger and his three sons, raises
not cattle but worms.
A year ago January the
Messengers received their
shipment of a bin full of 300,000
Texas Tiger cross worms.
Since that time, halving the
worms about every six weeks
t depending on the weather, the
original stock has multiplied
into 90 standard size bins
measuring 21 square feet
each.
Truman Messenger, retired
from the State Highway De
partment, was planning to fix
up a repair shop as a kind of a
hobby when his sons ap
proached him about the worm
raising project.
"t didn't think they were
serious, I just laughed at
them," Messenger recalled.
Somehow he was finally
convinced, and after a year of
study on the subject and
building bins to house the
prolific animals, the Messen
gers received their stock from
Clear Creek Worm Hatchery
near Vancouver, Wash., for an
investment of $500.
The senior Messenger does
much of the day-to-day work
on the farm, though sons
Frank, Carroll and , Jerry
travel as often as they can
from their homes in Portland
and Bend to help out. Jerry
plans to resign from truck
driving job in Portland and
devote full time to worm
raising as soon as the family
starts getting a cash return on
the business.
There's a lot of work and
worry to worm-raising, as in
any farming operation. The
Messengers are looking for
ward to their first harvest, to
be conducted soon, with some
trepidation. The majority of
the worm bins are located
outdoors in a small orchard
and they think some of the
stock probably died during the
cold weather in spite of bales
of straw stacked on the bins
for insulation. '
The family hopes to get
from five to seven pounds of
worms per bin (about 800
. . - -J f f " ' - ' . U . .
first crop but won't know the
extent of damage until they
actually harvest. They have a
contract with the Clear Creek
hatchery to sell back as many
worms as they can provide
and expect to start harvesting
about once a month.
Truman Messenger, origi
nally skeptical about the
project, now finds worms a
fascinating study.
"They aren't like ordinary
angleworms," he said proud
ly, holding up one of his
striped Texas Tigers.
He explained why worms
are so prolific. Possessing
both male and female repro
ductive organs, worms cross
fertilize each other, and each
is capable of producing an egg
sac containing from seven to
28 eggs every seven days. The
tiny, newly hatched animals,
in turn, are ready, to start
reproducing in about six
weeks.
A current project on T.E.M.
Farms is separating worms
and egg sacs from the straw
used for insulation this winter.
A large rotating ' screened
drum, constructed by one of
BESS I E WETZELL
U OF ORE
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VOL. 96
Messenger's sons, is being
utilized for ths tedious labor,
and will also be used during
harvest to separate the harvest-sized
worms from the
rest of the stock.
Each bin of worms is fed
four cubic inches of processed
barnyard manure scattered,
watered and leached in the
sun to remove impurities per
month.
Problems inherent in the
worm business, besides cold
weather, includes keeping the
bins damp enough so the
worms don't dry out and dry
enough so they don't drown.
The bins are built above the
ground with cracks in the
bottom for drainage. The
worms don't escape, said
Messenger, explaining a little
known psychological ploy of
managing the wiggle critters,
because they are afraid of
falling.
What is the worm's eventual
fate? Besides use as fish bait,
the animals are used as
breeding stock for others
getting into the business and,
because they are very high in
protein, for dog and cat food.
"They even make cookies
out of them," Truman Mes
senger commented. "The big
gest thing coming to the front
is using worms for sewage
disposal. They eat the sludge,
but have to be replaced
because they don't reproduce
in those conditions."
T.E.M. Farms doesn't sell
their stock to local fisherman
because "we're wholesalers,
not retailers, and we could get
Krueger named
Meeting in Executive Ses
sion last Thursday, the Hepp
ner City Council voted to
replace Ray Schierman, the
city foreman for the past 2!2
months, with Randy Krueger,
who has worked as the city's
treatment . plant operator
since March 27.
Krueger's duties as Hepp
ner's fourth city foreman in
the past eight months began
this week.
1 Krnpppr, 2fi, is (Mat? cra
fted as a treatment plant
operator and has considerable
experience in maintenance
and advisory positions. He
realizes many of the problems
now faced by the city are the
result of poor or lacking
maintenance but adds that a
lot of improvements can be
made.
"It's a challenge," Krueger
said. "I wouldn't have come
here if it wasn't."
Krueger said control and
maintenance of the city water
system and upkeep of streets
will be his main priorities for
the present. Of the treatment
plant where he worked for a
month before being selected
as city foreman, Krueger said
simply, "It is in bad shape."
He said he is working
towards Heppner's inclusion
in a federally funded program
that would allow the city to
bring its treatment plant up to
state standards, which it
currently is not doing in some
requirements.
A replacement for the
vacant position on the city
payroll is now being sought.
r&LiILi 11
NO. 16
I
' . . ' &''
7- V
if - v
X
' '
. ,t
Truman Messenger looks over one head of his stock of
Texas Tiger-crosses, raised by him and his sons on their
worm farm in Lexington. A screen drum to be used when
harvesting the 'crop' can be seen in the background.
in trouble with the law,"
Messenger explained.
He said he'd rather not say
how much money the worms
sell for per pound because
there were already too many
people getting into the busi
ness. 1 ffpK
' . wots?"
Kandy Krueger
Republicans sponsor
debate viewing here
The Morrow County Repub
lican Central Committee will
sponsor a no-host luncheon
Friday, April 22, for viewing a
televised debate among the
three leading Republican can
didates for governor.
The luncheon will begin at
noon in West of Willow,
Heppner.
HEPPNER, OREGON
Tigers
J h
A
if -
,"' , " ..
. . . . .
The Messengers plan ' to
eventually expand their 90 bin
operation into 500 to 1,000 bins.
Though T.E.M. Farms
thinks of square feet instead of
acres it promises to be a big
business for Truman Messen
ger and sons.
foreman
Vic Atiyeh, Roger Martin
and Tom MeCall will partici
pate in the debate which will
be televised live from the City
Club in Portland. The debate
will begin at 12:30 p.m. on
KGW-TV Channel 8.
All interested persons are
invited to attend.
K in 1
II ILJ ii
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1978
Vote is May 23rd
Reductions made in BMCC levy
After being sent back to the
drawing board once, the Blue
Mountain Community College
tax levy to be brought before
voters May 23 will be down
$43,020 from the amount
narrowly rejected April 4.
A total levy of $1,950,532, an
increase of less than five per
cent over last year's levy, will
be submitted to voters in
Umatilla and Morrow Coun
ties. Because BMCC has no
established tax base, the
proposed levy is the entire
amount of local taxes neces
sary to support the 1978-79
operating budget.
Changes in the levy amount
were made April 12 during a
joint meeting of the college
board of education and budget
committee. The reduction was
the' result of a transfer of
funds for capital outlay, an
updated estimate of the col
lege's resources and expenses
for next year as well as budget
item cuts.
The increase in resources of
$10,800 came from an antici
pated increase in state funds
due to higher enrollment in an
expanded summer session and
additional programs for part
time students.
Reductions in the previous
. iugf'. f' ( lli ig $6,020 were
Fromwiller added
at First National
Tim Fromwiller has been
named operations officer of
the Heppner branch of First
National Bank of Oregon,
according to Bank Manager
Lyle Lowe. He replaces Scott
Gunn, who has left the bank.
Fromwiller, a 1973 graduate
of Portland State University
with a degree in business
administration, joined First
National as a management
trainee in 1976. After complet
ing training, he was assigned
briefly to the Klamath Falls
branch, and was named assis
tant operations officer of the
Bend branch in December,
1976.
Heppner ievy
vote is May 2
May 2 is the date set by the
Heppner City Council for the
tax levy election to balance
the city's operating budget for
the 1978-79 fiscal year.
Voting will take place from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. in the old
library next to City Hall.
Although the city's tax base
has been raised to $43,974
compared to $41,485 for the
current year it is still inade
quate to cover general opera
tion of the city. If the tax levy
is approved, the operating
budget to be financed by local
taxes for fiscal year 1978-79
will be $38,689 greater than the
operating budget financed by
local taxes for the current
fiscal year.
That leaves $36,200 outside
the six per cent limitation
which is subject to voter
approval. The total operating
HJLvHJLJ,w3
16 PAGES
made by cutting the amount
for sabbatical leave, dental
and medical benefits and
salary resulting from finalized
contract negotiations. An ad
ditional $3,000 was sliced from
negotiators' salary because of
the present three-year agreements.
Public meeting Monday
County to air
The Morrow County Budget
Committee and the County
Court will meet for the second
time Monday, April 24 at 9
a.m. in the court house to
finish their review of budget
requests from all departments
financed by the county. The
two groups will then begin
making decisions on changes
in the proposed budget.
Budget requests have put
the preliminary budget
$122,879 over revenue the
county expects to receive in
fiscal year 1978-79 and the
Budget Committee will decide
whether it can trim the budget
down to size or ask for a
special election to go beyond
V
U
Tim Fromwiller
budget proposed for the city is
$451,670.
Major increases in the
budget result from the addi
tion of two city employes,
inclusion of funds for both the
city library and swimming
pool and a 10 per cent pay
raise for city employes.
The additional employes
were included in the budget to
bring the city staff up to the
level proposed last year be
fore the budget was shot down
twice by voters. Last year's
proposed 10 per cent pay raise
was also a budget casualty
and the increase was included
this year to bring city salaries
up to competitive levels.
Funds for the library and pool
were eliminated completely
from the current year's budget.
20c
A transfers of $17,420 from
the operating budget to the
construction fund was made
for equipment for the mecha
nical department. All the
approved equipment is consi
dered capital outlay because
of its long-term use.
the six per cent limitation.
The transfer of revenue
sharing money to the general
fund has kept the budget
within the six per cent in the
past, but it is doubtful this
practice will be continued
since it reduces the amount of
revenue sharing money re
ceived by the county.
Another question facing the
Budget Committee is whether
News Briefs
Lions Charter Night
set for Saturday
The Heppner Lions Club will hold its Annual Charter
Night celebration Saturday, April 22, at the Heppner
American Legion Hall.
This will be the fifth annual charter night for the
49-member club and will begin with a dinner at 7 p.m.,
followed by dancing to the Jim Ackley Band at 9 p.m.
Neil Parks will act as Master of Ceremonies for the
evening and the guest speaker will be Dr. Paul Bassford of
Salem. Bassford is an Oregon Lions candidate for Lions
International Director.
Recently elected officers for the Heppner Lions Club who
will be installed on charter night include: President, Larry
Mills; First Vice President, John Edmundson; Second Vice
President, Dave Dollarhide; Third Vice President, Joe
Miller; Secretary, Bill Kuhn; Treasurer, George Rex; Tail
Twister, Lyle Lowe; Lion Tamer, Lee Hazen; and Past
President. Dave Harrison. Board members elected were Ron
Forrar, Allen Nistad, Al Osmin and Frank Pearson.
lone business sold
The Independent Garage in lone passed into new hands
recently when Ekstrom Chemical Co., lone, took over
ownership and management. The change broke a 60-year,
three generation family ownerhip which started in 1918 when
the business was purchased by E.R. Lundell and continued
when he sold it to his son Cleo Drake and grandson Bob Drake
in 1949.
While Herb Ekstrom Jr. oversees the whole operation, the
service station is managed by his son John. Ekstrom said the
station will offer the same services as in the past.
Former owner, lone mayor Bob Drake, said that his future
plans were "up in the air".
"We don't know what we'll do yet," Drake commented.
"I'm just looking around."
HHS orientation
next Tuesday
An orientation meeting for eighth graders due to enter high
school next year and their parents is scheduled Tuesday,
April 25, in the Heppner High School Cafetorium at 7:30 p.m.
The purpose of the meeting is to make transition from
junior high to high school easier for entering freshmen, to
complete registration for the 1978-79 school year and to
answer any questions students or parents may have.
For more information call Vi Lanham, HHS counselor.
676-9138.
HI Low Pre.
Wed, Apr. 12 55 28
Thurs .Apr. 13 56 30
Fri.Apr. 14 65 34
Sat.. Apr. 15 65 41
Sun., Apr. 16 52 36 .22
Mon.Apr. 17 59 32 .04
Tues.,Apr. 18 64 39
Additionally, budget cuts
allow the college to reduce by
$4,780 the amount required to
cover uncollected taxes.
If the levy is approved, the
total BMCC operating budget
for 1978-79 will be $3,621,992,
an increase of 9.1 per cent
from the present school year.
budget
or not to ask for a new tax base
in November.
Members of the Budget
Committe are Gary Grieb,
chairman; Harry O'Donnell
and Dan Creamer. Also atten
ding the budget meetings is
the Revenue Sharing Advisory
Committee consisting of Pat
Cutsforth, Shirley Zielinsky
and Lyle Lowe.