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
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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
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;— 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.
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