A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
HeraldBusiness
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Stripe rust found in
irriJDted ZKeDt ¿ eOd
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The interior of Novus Energy’s mobile demonstration plant, housed in a 53-foot semi-trailer. The full-size Boardman plant is
expected to generate 987,000 mmBTU of renewable natural gas per year.
USDA backs Boardman biorefi nery
Stripe rust was recent-
ly spotted in an irrigated
ZKHDW ¿HOG QHDU +HUPLV
ton, according to scien-
tists with Oregon State
University.
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the fungal disease in East-
ern Oregon in 2016. Stripe
rust grows on the leaves of
wheat plants and can re-
duce yield in severe cases.
Larry Lutcher, soil sci-
entist with OSU Exten-
sion Service in Morrow
County, said the disease
is thus far limited to just
RQH ¿HOG ,W KDV QRW \HW
been found in any dryland
wheat.
Stripe rust tends to
thrive in cool, moist con-
ditions when farmers
would otherwise expect a
promising harvest, Lutch-
er said. The last year with
substantial rust damage
came in 2012.
“There’s more rain,
more humidity, more leaf
tissue and more oppor-
tunity for the fungus to
grow,” Lutcher said.
The early start to rust
season suggests farm-
ers should take extra
FDUH VFRXWLQJ WKHLU ¿HOGV
Lutcher said. Fungicides
can help if the infection is
found and treated early.
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much later than irrigated
wheat. However, growers
should be aware of the po-
tential for rust later in the
season.
Untreated stripe rust,
which is also known as
yellow rust, can reduce
wheat yields by 40 per-
cent or more, according
to the U.S. Department of
agriculture. The disease is
caused by spores and the
spores can be spread by
wind.
Fields infected by
stripe rust are commonly
treated with a fungicide
spray.
Company to
process farm
waste to fuel
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Staff Writer
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a Minnesota-based energy
company plans to build its
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that will transform farm
waste into natural gas and
liquid fertilizer at the Port
of Morrow.
Novus Energy has re-
ceived an $11 million
loan guarantee from the
U.S. Department of Ag-
ULFXOWXUH¶V
ELRUH¿QHU\
assistance program. Or-
egon Sen. Jeff Merkley
and USDA Rural Devel-
opment
Undersecretary
Lisa Mensah made the
announcement Friday in
Portland.
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spur economic develop-
ment, create new jobs and
provide new markets for
farm commodities in rural
Oregon,” Mensah said.
Novus plans to take 750
tons of food waste every
day — things like pota-
to peels, onion skins and
dairy manure — and con-
vert it into renewable gas
at the facility. By allow-
ing the scraps to ferment
in tanks, organic material
breaks down and releases
methane that can be cap-
tured and stored.
Joe Burke, Novus pres-
ident and CEO, said the
company has found a way
to make that process 40
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is now ready for commer-
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A rendering of Novus Energy’s proposed renewable natural gas facility at the Port of Morrow.
the East Oregonian. “We
are pleased to see this in-
novation happening in ru-
ral America.”
Novus
will
break
ground on its facility at
the port later this summer,
Burke said, which will be
located near Boardman
Foods. The total cost is
— Lisa Mensah
$25 million, and the plant
will provide 5-10 perma-
USDA Rural Development Undersecretary
nent, full-time jobs.
At full operation, Novus
cial-scale production. The
The issue ultimately will produce 3.8 million
USDA loan was critical to FDPH GRZQ WR ¿QDQFLQJ cubic feet of renewable gas
making the project a reali- Despite successful tests, each day. That’s more than
ty, Burke said.
Burke said banks wouldn’t 28 million gallons, which
“We just can’t wait to lend them money. How- will be pumped directly
go to the next step,” he ever, the 2014 Farm Bill into the Cascade pipeline
said.
expanded the USDA’s on their property. A subsid-
Novus has spent sev- ELRUH¿QHU\SURJUDPWRDO iary of BP is signed on to
eral years in Eastern Or- low the agency to invest buy the fuel.
egon, conducting small- in advanced biofuels and
The plant will also gen-
scale tests using local food renewable chemicals.
erate 350 gallons of liquid
ZDVWH LQVLGH D UHWUR¿WWHG
Mensah said Novus is fertilizer daily.
semi-trailer. Burke said he RQHRIWKH¿UVWFRPSDQLHV
“We’re taking waste
has been working on and to receive a loan under and turning it into valu-
off for three years toward that expansion.
able resources. We’re very
D FRPPHUFLDO UH¿QHU\ DW
“It’s a very competitive excited about that,” Burke
the Port of Morrow.
program,” Mensah told said.
“This biorei nery will spur economic
development, create new jobs
and provide new markets for farm
commodities in rural Oregon.”
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year.
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VOLUME 110 ɿ NUMBER 9
Gary L. West | Editor
gwest@hermistonherald.com
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor
Sam Barbee | Sports Reporter
Jade McDowell | Reporter
sbarbee@hermistonherald.com
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant
Smith appointed to second
smaOO Eusiness committee
Chamber lunch features
agri-tourism consultant
Rep. Greg Smith, R-Hep-
pner, is representing small
businesses on another state
committee.
Smith was
appointed by
House Speak-
er Tina Kotek,
D-Portland,
as co-chair of
the newly cre-
ated
Special
Greg
Committee
on
Smith
Small Business
Growth. Earlier
in February Gov. Kate Brown
also appointed him to the
Governor’s Small Business
Advisory Cabinet.
Smith is the only Eastern
Oregon representative on ei-
ther committee.
The House committee’s
primary goals are to gather
LQGXVWU\VSHFL¿F LQIRUPDWLRQ
on small business needs, iden-
tify solutions to maintain and
grow small businesses in those
Janet Dodson, a
consultant for the
EOVA (Eastern Or-
egon Visitor Associ-
ation) Agri-Tourism
Committee, is the
guest speaker at the
upcoming Boardman
Chamber of Com-
merce luncheon.
The no-host gath-
ering is Wednesday,
March 16, at noon at
the Port of Morrow, 2
Rachel Dagley
Business
Health
Farm
Life
Rachel Dagley
541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521
The Stratton Agency
Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com
Commercial & Farm Agent
Marine Drive, Boardman.
The meal is $12 per per-
son.
Those who plan to at-
tend need to RSVP by Fri-
day, March 11, by calling
541-481-3014.
GIFT
WITH PURCHASE *
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industries and develop recom-
mendations and draft legisla-
tion for the 2017 session.
In addition to his legisla-
tive duties, Smith is also a
small business owner spe-
cializing in economic de-
velopment and commercial
DQG LQGXVWULDO ¿QDQFLQJ +H
said in a news release that
his hope is to bring “private
sector experience and rural
perspective” to the commit-
tee’s work.
Jennifer Colton | Reporter
541-564-4532
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com
541-564-4542
541-564-4536
jjewett@hermistonherald.com
jcolton@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4539
541-564-4531
541-564-4534
Shannon Paxton | 2f¿ ce coordinator spa[ton@hermistonherald.com 541-564-453
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant aworNman@eastoregonian.com 541-564-453
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