Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2007)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times. Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Health studies and research put blackberries in the pink A sign o f the times for Oregon agriculture \ eu and improved crop identification signs help Oregonians learn As the U.S. leader in blackberry' production, Oregon benefits from about ag health message Motorists traveling the highways o f Oregon can learn a little something about agriculture in the near future when new and im proved crop identification signs are erected as part o f an educa tional effort spearheaded by the Agri-Business Council o f Oregon. Between now and next spring, there could be hundreds o f new signs posted on farm s located along major thoroughfares around the state, sure to an swer the question, "I wonder w hat is growing in that field right there?" “These signs are a great opportunity to show the traveling public what a tremendous and unique di versity of crops we have in this state," says Katy Coba, director of the Oregon De partment o f Agriculture. “ODA is a big sup porter o f efforts to teach the public more about an important sector o f Oregon’s economy. I f people know a little more about what we produce, they are better able to appreciate the efforts of our farmers and ranchers." Chances are motor ist have already noticed the older w hite signs with green lettering that identify the crop in the field. The sign program actually began in the early 1980s when the organization Oregon Wom en for Agriculture started putting up signs on their own farms in the central W illamette Valley. Those teaching tools became so popular that other produc ers wanted to erect signs on their own farms. W hen the task o f providing and coordinat ing an increasing number o f crop identification signs became too large, the Agri- B usiness Council (ABC) took over. A newly designed crop sign is now available and is re-energizing the ef fort. By the end o f the sum mer, motorists will be able to see them. “ Ultimately, w e're trying to educate all O r egonians - not just urban residents - about the vast diversity o f product grown in our sta te ,” says ABC executive director G eoff Homing. “The dimensions of the sign will be the same as in the past, but a visual com ponent is part o f the redesign. There will be an actual picture o f the crop as well as the lettering, so that a sign posted in a field o f alfalfa, for example, will include artwork as well as the name o f the crop being grown. Motorists can easily see the lettering on the sign at 65 miles per hour, but the picture will enhance the identification." Also on the sign w ill be an enhanced version o f the “ Landm ark o f Q ual ity" logo associated with ABC that has been part of the old signs. The logo is a green outline o f the state. There w ill also be the phrase “Oregon Agriculture. Ev erywhere. Every Day. ™" which has been the theme o f a public image campaign developed by the Keeping Agriculture Viable (KAV) Committee, KAV is a stand ing committee o f ABC. The Agri-Business Council is still developing a plan to strategically place the signs, but it is expected that Interstate 5 and 1-84 will be major targets - as long as there is agriculture next to the right-of-way. Indiv idual farmers not living along the freeways are not excluded from the program. Produc ers can purchase the signs from ABC for $43.50 each (plus shipping and handling costs) and place them where they wish. The farmers are responsible for maintaining the signs throughout the year. With more than 225 different commodities found in the state, it is unrealistic to think that crop identifica tion signs will be posted for everything that grows in Or egon. But there are as many as three dozen d ifferen t crops produced along a 45- mile stretch o f 1-5 between Portland and Salem alone. Trav elers can expect many of them to be identified by signs within the next year. Some o f those crops might be obvious even to the non-agriculturalist. Christ mas tree farms w ill be clear ly identified by the signs. But less identifiable nursery crops like iris and holly are expected to have signs as well. Oregon is a major pro ducer o f hazelnuts, but even som e native O regonians might not be able to pick out a hazelnut orchard. The crop identification signs w ill help them out. Grass seed species will benefit from signs that will help distinguish bent- grass from bluegrass, fescue from ryegrass. Few people have trouble recognizing the Willamette Valley’s variety o f berries when the fruit has been harvested and is up close. But the signs can identify those berries when they are still in the field. Plans for other parts of the state are expected to include signs that introduce the public to apple, cherry and pear orchards in the Rogue Valley and the Co lumbia Gorge. The grains o f Eastern Oregon will be HEARING AID SALE 39^75Digitai 'Hcwcdt 7 ecAnoloyff “Capabilities to See & Hear Your Hearing Loss!" “Pay Nothing Until You Are Satisfied! ” P O T T E R ’S H E A R IN G C E N TE R H«rmiston 8 & £ .M » 0 SL Toll Free Pendleton L'877-949-3668 920 SW Frazier. Ste 123 poftersheerfciqcom (541) 379-1028 n, pointed out to passers by w hether it is w heat, bar ley, oats, or canola. Garden vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes can also be identi fied by the signs. Those who raise livestock - even some o f the more exotic species - can also participate in the program by placing signs in the pastures where the ani mals feed. Some crops have already been harvested this year, but it’s not too early to get prepared for next year. “Despite a late start this year, our goal is to have 100 new' signs placed state wide by the end o f 2007,” says Horning. “The months ahead will still be prim e time for some crops, like C hristm as trees and sev eral nursery crops. But we would like to get the signs out and about now so that farmers are ready to go next spring when their crop is in season.” The crop id en tifi cation signs are ju st one o f several strategic efforts undertaken by the A gri- Business Council. ABC has a presence at the State Fair, Ag Fest, and various paid media campaigns. All are addressing a critical need to educate an increasingly urbanized Oregon about the importance o f agriculture. A recent survey given to ag industry leaders asked about public perception. N ear ly all respondents believe Oregonians do care about agriculture, they just don’t understand it very well. “The call to action for farmers is to do what they can to educate the pub lic, and placing these signs in the field can help,” says Homing. “The call to action for Oregon consumers is to leam more about agriculture and what it means to their daily lives. We think the signs can be a part of that education.” For more informa tion contact Geoff Horning at (503) 241-1487. HHS class of 1997 to hold reunion All 1997 graduates o f H eppner High School are inv ited to several activi ties on Saturday, August 11. There will be golfing, a pool party, and dinner and music at the Heppner Elks Club. For more informa tion on times and cost con tact Brandi Sweeney at 676- 5530. It sounds impressiv e and it is. Blackberries are the number one antioxidant food per serv ing o f 1,130 grocery store products tested as part o f a collaborative scientific study. Meanwhile, a second study identifies an extract derived from fresh blackberries that reduces cancerous tumors and pre vents the spread o f cancer cells in animal models. Combined, the two studies puts some emphasis on health claims made by the blackberry industry. That is important to Oregon, the nation’s leading producer of commercially-grown black berries. “ E v e ry o n e has known for years that eating berries is good for you," says Kris Anderson, manager of the Oregon Department of A g ric u ltu re ’s C o m m o d ity Commissions Program. “ With the latest research on blackberries, we know even more about how much and why those berries are good for you.” The health message is being aggressively pushed by the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission (ORBC), which is using as sessments from growers and processors to promote the industry and contribute to blackberry research. With the perfect cli mate and ideal soils, O r egon grow s nearly all o f the n a tio n ’s com m ercial blackberries - including the renowned Marionberry, the premium o f all blackberries - and the industry has a pro duction value o f more than $35 million. So anything that helps create consumer demand for blackberries w ill help O regon’s agricultural economy. Consumer and pro duction trends show the blackberry industry in a growth mode. Those in the business say it has to do with people changing their diet to include more healthy foods. “Aging baby boom ers are m ore co n cern ed about health and they want to live longer,” says Dave D unn, m an ag er o f W il lamette Valley Fruit Com pany o f Salem, and ORBC. “They’re staring cancer and other health issues in the face, so they are changing their diets and habits. Black berries are really good for the digestive system, aging properties, and more. Plus, they taste good.” This is not a case of berry wars with blackber ries claim ing to be better than their cousins. But the LiT Irish Gossip'™ Y«\) l<NOyJ /* " ” >. \ ¿ov/Lp LtkfcV. - that a UirtLfc ^-------\IRoNIN<& • r " amp D omt TM£ 4 ;— I «S t a r c M - recent study by U.S. and Norwegian scientists on the antioxidant value of v arious foods certainly gives black berries a boost. Antioxidants neutralize the effects o f free radicals - those unstable compound molecules that can attack human cells and damage DNA. In the study, several berries grow n in Oregon crack the top ten including straw berries, cranberries, raspberries, and blueberries. But none match the antioxi dant content of blackberries. The industry is also touting the fact that consumers don’t need to eat a lot o f blackber ries to get the antioxidant benefit - a half cup a day o f fresh or frozen will do. Findings from the second study are concise and clear: Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is a natural product derived from blackberries, and it exhibits chemopre- ventive and chemotherapeu tic activity. “C3G has extremely high cancer fighting poten tial," says Cat McKenzie, marketing and promotions c o o rd in a to r for O R B C . “ It not only stops existing tum ors from grow ing, it shrinks them and stops them from spreading to other parts o f the body. The researchers studied lung and skin cancer w ith good resu lts. They were so impressed that they took out a patent for the C3G extraction process.” Commercial produc tion of the blackberry extract is a ways off and more stud ies need to be conducted, but there is a great deal o f potential and excitem ent regarding the natural health benefits o f blackberries. While the message is be ing marketed to consumers, there is a corresponding message to Oregon grow ers. “There is a sense o f pride in the fact that the grow ers are farm ing and producing something that has value for people’s lives, not just that they are putting something out on the table,” says Dunn. “ Blackberries are healthy and good, and they are fun to eat.” Those health ben efits are not confined to fresh berries. A tablespoon o f g ran d m a’s hom em ade blackberry jam can also be a source of goodness. No one is suggesting a steady diet o f high-sugar foods like jam or preserves, but the fact is processing does not radically affect the health com ponents o f blackberries. Dunn says, in some ways, there are actu ally nutritional advantages to processed berries. “One the fresh side, because o f shelf life consid erations, you have to pick the berry before it is ripe, and before all the flavor and nutritional value has reached its peak," says Dunn. “ In many cases, the processed berry is picked by machine and it won’t be released from the bush until it is fully ripe. That type of fruit will not hold up in the fresh market. The processed market most often has ber ries with all the health com ponents locked in.” T h e b la c k b e r r y health message transcends all markets. Local consum ers have the added benefit of a fresh, sustainable product. But the export market is interested in a healthy food no matter where it comes from. O regon’s top agri cultural export custom er- Japan-has been ahead o f the curve in marketing healthy, nutritional food products. The health theme has played well for blueberry exports to Japan. Although blackber ries and th eir caneberry relatives have not yet caught on overseas, efforts by the industry and ODA in recent years have raised awareness in Japan and there is an op portunity to continue the discussion. Meanwhile, the do mestic marketing o f black berries has been bolstered by the latest health news. The market for frozen black berries sold in ply bags is showing increases o f up to 12 percent. “ C onsum ers, who are buying poly bag berries as either berry blends or individual berries, are more health conscious, using the berries in sm oothies and other ap p licatio n s,” says Gery Amos, marketing di rector o f RainSweet Inc.-a cooperative of Oregon berry growers. “ We are beginning to see blackberries available in all major grocery markets year round, both fresh and frozen, as a result o f con sumer awareness o f health benefits.” As Oregon blackber ries continue to be harvested this month, the industry w ill continue its cam paign o f public awareness, confident that an informed consumer will choose to be a big berry eater. For more informa tion contact Cat McKenzie at (800) 859-0355 or (5 4 1) 456-2264. Painted Hills auto tour offered Jo h n D ay F o ssil Beds National Monument staff will offer a Painted Hills Unit auto tour on Sat urday, August 4. This two-hour tour will travel along the roads o f the Painted H ills and feature the cultural history and geological landscape of the area. The Painted H ills auto tour will begin at 10 a.m. at the Painted Hills Unit picnic area, 10 miles west o f M itchell. Participants will need to bring their own vehicle, and good tires are recommended for the gravel roads. Reservations are not needed and there is no fee. For more informa tion contact the monument at 541-987-2333. Marriage Licenses The Morrow County Clerk's Office has released the following marriage li cense report: -Ju ly 30: R o b ert W esley C rum , 29, Echo and Lauren Denise Scofield, 27, Echo. GT DEADLINE for all news and advertising: Mondays at 5 p.m.
