WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015
WICK:
themselves, but it was an
absolute blast. We had to
touch up a little bit here
continued from page A6
and there after they were
¿UVWKDQG´VKHVDLG³,W¶VIXQ- GRQH EXW LW ZDV TXLWH DQ
ny because, for most of them, experience for them to get
it was culture shock. Some of to do that.”
those kids had never been out
Shari Wick said one of
of the city or never been out the other highlights has been
of their apartments or their KRVWLQJVWXGHQW¿HOGWULSV
trailer parks or wherever they
“I taught elementary for
were from.”
20 years and brought the
Wick said she remem- kids out here for maybe
bers one boy was so ex- 12 to 15 of those years,”
cited to put on some ir- she said. “The kids always
rigation boots and tramp talk about that. You run
WKURXJKWKH¿HOGVZLWKKHU into them now, and they
husband as he changed are adults and they say, ‘I
the sprinklers. Three other still remember going out
siblings were all interest- to your farm, Mrs. Wick.’
ed in painting the barn, so From stepping in the pond,
they did.
to throwing rocks into the
“It was a scene,” she pond, they are just things
said with a laugh. “We that kids just don’t get to
had paint everywhere, and do anymore.”
they had paint all over
'XULQJWKRVH¿HOGWULSV
SILVERDALE:
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9
students changed out arti-
¿FLDOLUULJDWLRQSLSHVWRRN
water samples and did a
variety of other tasks that
allowed them to experi-
ence life on a farm.
During that time, the
Wick family also complet-
ed the daily farm duties,
which involved taking
care of a variety of an-
imals through the years
and managing the irriga-
tion of their farm. Shari
Wick said they split some
of the chores between
each of their children, and
the whole family worked
together to get everything
accomplished.
“They always had
something,” she said.
“Whether it was dog and
rabbits or goats and the
horse, they always had
something that needed do-
ing. Both outside chores
and inside chores, whether
they were male or female,
LWZDVHTXDOO\VKDUHG´
Shari Wick said the chil-
dren also helped with the
raking, mowing, pulling
weeds and helping their
dad string fencing for their
wired fences. Their chil-
dren learned how to drive a
tractor at the age of 10 and
could pack a bale of hay.
LIFE AFTER
CHILDREN
ON THE FARM
Now that their children
are adults, all the farm
chores have fallen back
on Mike and Shari Wick,
which at times, has been
pretty challenging.
“Mike usually gets
up real early, usually to
JHW WKH ¿UVW URXQG RI LUUL-
gating and feeding done
for any of the animals,”
Shari Wick said. “Then
we both work during the
day. Sometimes, if there is
something that needs to be
done, he’ll take his lunch
hour and drive home and
take care of it, but usu-
ally it is right when he
gets home from work and
changes into his farm gear
and he’s out changing pipe
again or moving fence or
whatever he needs to do
until he’s done. I get dinner
on the table. Sometimes it
both cattle and sheep, so it’s
a big, big factor. ... There’s
a lot of factors. Farming’s
changed. A lot of the country
that was grazed by sheep 50
years ago is now in irrigation,
similar to what’s around here
in Hermiston and the Colum-
bia Basin, and all that ground
was pastured at one time. You
¿QGVLPLODUVLWXDWLRQVLQRWK-
er parts of the country. It’s a
changing industry, like all in-
dustries are. Change with the
times.”
so, if she just has one lamb,
that lamb goes to market. If
she singles twice, she’s go-
continued from page A6
ing right along with the lamb
United States is produced
because it costs the same to
overseas, in places such as
feed a ewe that gives you one
Australia and New Zealand,
lamb versus one that gives
where it is less expensive to
you two, and they can easily
produce the meat.
raise two.”
“Just between the dol-
She said, while it is not
lar exchange, they can get
uncommon for a ewe to have
their dressed product here at
D VLQJOH ODPE LWV ¿UVW EUHHG-
the same value as ours,” he
ing year, if that continues, it
said. “I think the Australian
might be a genetic predispo-
dollar is somewhere around
sition, which could be passed
80 cents now, and the New
onto the offspring. If a ewe
Zealand dollar might be a
triplets, she said she will
SPECIALIZING WITH has
little lower, and that’s a huge
remove one of the lambs from
SILVERDALE
advantage for an exporter, not
its mother and feed it with
Karin Watson said the a bottle or try to pair it with
so good for the folks where
couple’s daughters were in- another suitable ewe because
the product is going.”
Despite the competition, volved with 4-H and FFA the ewes only have two teats.
he said the sheep business and and showed sheep at the fair,
The Watsons use a variety
the market for lamb, especial- so they “had a few around all of criteria to select the best
ly last year, has been “good.” WKHWLPH´7KHIDPLO\¶VÀRFN Silverdale rams from the off-
He said the number of sheep of black-faced Suffolk sheep, spring to sell for breeding.
in the country, however, has which are common at fairs,
“We sell about 70 rams for
declined sharply through the grew through the years, she breeding a year,” Karin Wat-
said, but, about 20 years ago, son said. “That’s the top of
years.
“At the end of World War the Watsons started breeding the top. We grow them fast.
II, there was 45 million sheep the Suffolks to white-faced By Sept. 1, they’ll weigh an
in the United States, and now Texel sheep to create a cross- average of 180 pounds each.
there’s about 4.5 million,” he breed they call Silverdale for They’re fast-growing, and
said. “That’s what’s happened its speckled, silver face.
they can be sold for breeding,
“The Suffolk has been but before we allow them to
to the industry. Most of it’s la-
bor and availability of range developed into a pretty large be sold for breeding, we ul-
to run them on.”
sheep and pretty stream- trasound the rib-eye and see
Karin Watson said it is dif- lined-looking for the show what size the lamb chop is,
¿FXOWWR¿QGTXDOLW\HPSOR\- ring,” she said. “The meat and they’re ranked. If they
HHV WR WHQG WKH ÀRFN ZKLOH TXDOLWLHV ZH IHHO KDYH EHHQ GRQ¶W¿WRXUFULWHULDWKHUHWKH\
grazing.
secondary, so we were look- go to market, and they’re not
“It’s a 24/7 job,” she said. ing for more muscle, more for sale. We want to tell our
“You can’t leave them. We meat, which, in the layman’s buyers what they’re buying
used electric fence, which is term, creates more yield.”
from us is something we’d
a big help, so they don’t have
Texels, she said, are keep ourselves for breeding.”
to be totally herded, but you “shorter-statured, wider-bod-
She said some of the best
still have to have a human be- ied, bigger-muscled” sheep remaining lambs are kept for
ing there to make sure they’re that originated in Holland future breeding at Silverdale
going to be safe, so it’s a chal- and, when bred with Suffolks, Farms, but most are sent to
lenge.”
SURGXFHWKHGHVLUHGTXDOLWLHV the Superior Farms process-
Sheep operations in the
“You have one animal ing facility in California, usu-
Midwest and eastern United that’s a slender-built animal DOO\E\WKH¿UVWRI6HSWHPEHU
States often keep their ani- and one that’s real meaty,”
The Watsons shear the
mals inside of fenced proper- she said. “This is going to 6LOYHUGDOH )DUPV ÀRFN LQ
ty, she said, but, on the west- give you more meat. It’s just September, Karin Watson
ern side of the country, most natural.”
VDLG DQG WKH ³¿YH PRQWKV
operations rely on federal
Karin Watson said Sil- PLQXV ¿YH GD\V´ JHVWDWLRQ
land for grazing.
verdale Farms’ primary op- period begins again with a
“Sheep producers have eration is selling its best Sil- new round of breeding in
been dependent on the (Bu- verdale rams to commercial October.
reau of Land Management) ÀRFN RZQHUV IRU EUHHGLQJ
and Forest Service for their She said the cross-bred Sil-
summer grazing, and that’s verdale is also a stronger stud
been severely restricted, and animal with “hybrid vigor.”
it’s not getting better,” she
“The Suffolks have been
said. “There’s all sorts of con- bred over the years, and they
ÀLFWVZLWKSUHGDWRUVDNDWKH aren’t noted for longevity,”
wolf, and then we’ve got the she said. “Our goal is to raise
cougar and all the other large a ram that can go out with a
predators that are in the hills. FRPPHUFLDO ÀRFN RI HZHV
,W¶V MXVW PDGH LW GLI¿FXOW and go through breeding time
You can’t afford to put them and then come home and rest
LQ D FRQ¿QHG IHHGLQJ VLWXD- up and be ready to go next
tion. It’s astronomical to keep year. Some Suffolks have a
mother ewes. It’s like putting reputation of not being that
cows in a feedlot to wait for successful. We were looking
them to calve next year. It just for a cross-breed that would
doesn’t work.”
have the hybrid vigor and
Karin Watson said she also create more meat in the
knows people in the North- offspring. It’s what you call
west who have been forced a terminal sire. All of our
25 words, 3 days, private party only
to discontinue grazing their rams’ lambs in a commercial
$20.00 East Oregonian & Hermiston Herald
sheep on land their family has ÀRFNJRWRWKHPHDWPDUNHW
used for generations because They’re not kept for breed-
of new policies.
ing.”
“They’re running big
Karin Watson said Silver-
numbers, and where are they dale Farms maintains about
going to take them?” she said. 150 ewes for annual breeding:
“It’s a challenge.”
about 30 pure-bred Suffolks
Tom Watson said the most and a slightly larger group
GLI¿FXOW FKDOOHQJH FXUUHQW of pure-bred Texels, but the
sheep operations face is gov- majority are Silverdales. The
ernment policy.
goal is for each ewe to pro-
“There’s issues of wolves,” duce two lambs each year,
he said. “There’s issues of she said, but the 150 usually
supporting the folks who produce between 225 and 250
work in the trapping side of each year around March.
the U.S. government. There’s
“We want twins,” she
issues of the spotted owl. All said. “All of our females are
of these issues have shrunk twins or triplets themselves.
the availability of range for We don’t keep any singles,
Place a Yard Sale Ad
our
Y
d
n
i
F
f
P o t s o !
G old
Call Paula
541-278-2678
Yard Sale Kits - $5.00
Includes 2 signs & stakes,
price stickers & coupons
is late and sometimes, if
there is a catastrophe, it’s
really late.”
Sometimes,
Shari
Wick said she feels over-
whelmed by how busy they
are, but just when they
start to consider giving up
farming for a simpler life,
something reminds them
just how blessed they are.
“I don’t know how
many times I’ve said to
him, ‘Do we still want to
keep all this and keep do-
ing this?’ But then you sit
out here on a spring night
or in the summer and you
just think, ‘gosh, we are
so lucky,’ ” she said. “It is
a lot of work, but it is so
beautiful.”