Page 6
East OreJonian/Hermiston Herald
FARM FAIR
NoYember 1
4A with 3hil Hamm
Hermiston station director and plant patholoJist talks about the past few decades of aJ research
stakeholders haYe done
eYerythinJ to make this
station what is today, and it
isn¶t Must Jrowers but others
in the aJricultural sector and
beyond. There is hardly a
buildinJ out here that doesn¶t
haYe a plaque that recoJnizes
and thanks those who haYe
contributed to make it
happen. One could suJJest
that those in aJriculture
should support the station ...
Wait, I thought you said
and they do. But our area is
you were going to retire.
driYen by irriJated aJricul
What gives?
ture. Simple as that, and for
I did retire, sort of, three
that reason there likely isn¶t
and a half years on April 1.
a business in the reJion that
+oZ ¿ttinJ, JiYen Zhat has
isn¶t tied to aJriculture in
happened since. Actually I
some way.
relinquished my tenure and
EnouJh of the soap bo[
EeJan a parttime position
² we haYe new buildinJs,
with OSU and stayed on
piYots, of¿ce space, of¿ce
as director of HAREC.
remodels, equipment,
HoweYer, JiYen the ¿nancial
infrastructure updates, cash to
situation in the state durinJ
support our base budJet, folks
that time, there were no
who loan us equipment and
funds aYailaEle to replace the
operators. The list Joes on
plant patholoJy position I
and on. I know OSU belieYes
had held oYer years. So ...
they own this facility, but
I Must Nept doinJ what I had
in reality the Jrowers haYe
Eeen doinJ. It wasn¶t Eecause
shown their ownership is so
I liNed what I did ² thouJh
many ways oYer the years.
that was certainly true. It was
EO file photo
Well, it is humblinJ. I haYe
about why the position was
Phil Hamm, at right, is the station director for the Hermiston Agricultural Reasearch and Extention Center.
literally made a call or two in
established in the ¿rst place
The addition to the main of¿ce buildinJ to add four
the past when I needed to replace a pump and had the amount
and my commitment to our stakeholders, HAREC and OSU.
of¿ce spaces.
JiYen as easy as that. We are talkinJ thousands of dollars.
This position was one of the critical positions at HAREC,
Update of irriJation infrastructure.
Since I haYe been the director of this station, I am certain that
like they all are, and without this e[pertise aYailable to
ResidinJ most buildinJs with Yinyl sidinJ so that they
at least $1 million has been contributed and none of that for
our stakeholders then we Must would not be doinJ our Mob.
wouldn¶t need to be painted.
research support. Research fundinJ was in addition. I can¶t
%esides, after plus years with OSU, I am truly a belieYer
• Update of all three residences on HAREC to make them stress enouJh the size of or importance of the partnership
in what we do and, besides, these folks are my friends. I
more µliYable.¶
we at HAREC haYe with stakeholders of all kinds whether
wouldn¶t leaYe without haYinJ some way to back¿ll the
• Construction of a parkinJ JaraJe.
they Jrow somethinJ or not. The people we work with are
patholoJy position.
• Construction of a storaJe facility for the plant patholoJy truly the most JiYinJ, supportiYe and nicest people you could
proJram.
¿nd anywhere. Why would anyone want to leaYe that kind of
In your time as director, how have you seen HAREC
• Update to technoloJy to allow all piYots to be controlled situation. It Joes back to why I haYen¶t fully retired.
change?
by a handheld deYice.
So many thinJs haYe chanJed in the 1 years I haYe
• )iber optic line to proYide better Internet serYice.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen used for
serYed as director. I will share with you those chanJes the
•
Wireless and/or hard wire access and phones in all
fertilizer?
ones I remember, but not before JiYinJ the credit where
buildinJs where people work.
Not sure if it quali¿es as a fertilizer or not, but when we
credit is due. These chanJes couldn¶t haYe been done or
• New farm equipment ... tractors and implements.
had some hail damaJe back in the µs at least one Jrower
happen without the tremendous support from our stake
There are likely more, but need to moYe on to the ne[t
applied molasses to the plants to help them recoYer. No
holders and haYinJ the best staff anywhere.
question ...
reason to suspect that would help, but when you are lookinJ
O., where to start" :e haYe or soon will haYe 1
at nearly a complete loss, one miJht try Must about anythinJ,
centerpiYot irriJation systems on HAREC. There were only
What potential farming breakthrough has you most
like in this case.
four before I started. The newest one is a Yariable rate piYot
excited?
that allows us to control the turninJ on and off of indiYidual
Good question. I could discuss the new information
What’s something grown locally you think might
no]]les. Essentially all were Jifts. This has proYided us with
cominJ from the crops entomoloJy proJram or the infor
surprise you?
tremendous opportunity to ful¿ll our mission, to proYide
mation about fertility that the aJronomy proJram proYided
How about a list? In the Columbia Basin the followinJ
new research base information to our stakeholders. We
or the opportunity of new potato lines with increased
are Jrown commercially ... how many were you aware of
haYe two new screenhouses that allow us to Jrow plants
disease resistance, hiJher yields or hiJher nutritional Yalue,
artichoke, adzuki bean, black eyed peas, celery, chestnuts,
in soil as if they are JrowinJ in the ¿eld, thouJh protected
cominJ
from the work of our biochemist, potato breeder
edamame, okra, peanut, spearmint, or thinJs I¶Ye neYer heard
by a screen that either keeps insects in or insects out of the
or plant patholoJist or the siJni¿cant work cominJ from
of such as aprium, aruJula, bok choi, burdock and celeraic.
plantinJs. This has allowed the deYelopment of siJni¿cant
efforts related to ecosystem serYices. All are important
new information.
breakthrouJhs.
How big was the biggest watermelon you’ve ever seen?
I don¶t haYe the time to relay the importance of each new
It isn¶t about biJ, but about quality. Remember, it is
chanJe, so here is the list
Any unusual superstitions or good luck charms you’ve accurate to say that we Jrow the best sweetest watermelons
HirinJ a new crop entomoloJist.
seen farmers try?
than anywhere else ² anywhere ² due to our area haYinJ all
HirinJ a new plant patholoJist.
While I am sure they haYe some Must like the rest of
the riJht enYironmental, water and soil conditions. California
HirinJ a new potato breeder.
us, what they Yalue most is research information JiYen the
or Arizona or anywhere else for that matter haYe nothinJ oYer
%uildinJ a new research lab for the potato breeder.
amount
of money they inYest each year. Consider what they
us. We haYe it oYer them. That is true for a lot of other crops
Construction of two new Jreenhouses for the potato
Jo throuJh At any time, they could lose their entire crop to
as well.
breeder.
hail
or an early freeze, they could lose their water system in
Construction of the 'on Horneck 0emorial %uildinJ.
the middle of a heat waYe, or the price of what they Jrow
Why should people — not just farmers — attend the
Construction of a pesticide storaJe facility that protects
could decline oYerniJht. If I was a Jrower, I would be on
Farm Fair?
the safety of our staff.
my knees prayinJ eYery niJht and haYe a Jood bottle of
There is a lot to be learned, and lots of fellowship with
Construction of the kilowatt solar array that saYes
somethinJ to help me sleep
fellow folks who liYe in the reJion. 3lus, the added bonus of
us about , per year.
free food
The remoYal of the federal reYersionary clause to the
How have local growers stepped up to support the
title of the land associated with HAREC.
experiment station?
The soontobestarted 3recision IrriJated AJ facility
Where do I start? This station is what it is because of
belonJinJ to %0CC, but this is a cooperatiYe effort with
two thinJs we haYe the best stakeholders that can be found
OSU.
anywhere and we haYe the best staff. Simple as that. The
RemodelinJ the main of¿ce buildinJ.
Phil Hamm is a plant
pathologist, professor
emeritus at Oregon State
University and station
director of the Hermiston
Agricultural Research and
Extension Center. The East
Oregonian recently caught
up with Hamm for a Q&A in
advance of the 42nd annual
Hermiston Farm Fair.
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OUR BOOTH!
830 N. 1st St., Hermiston
541-567-8528
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HOLIDAYS!
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The 42nd Annual
Hermiston Farm Fair!
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ELMER'S IRRIGATION, INC.
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80527 Hwy 395 N., Hermiston • 541-567-5572
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