WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
Homegrown
Ripe for the planting
Hermiston area
boasts right mix
for diverse harvest
By JENNIFER COLTON
Staff Writer
Eastern Oregon isn’t just
for potatoes any more.
'iYersi¿ Fation is tKe
name of tKe inGustry anG
tKe &oOumEia %asin noZ
Kosts more tKan Giffer
ent Frops from tKe famiOiar
to tKe e[otiF.
“We are famous for a
feZ Frops Eut tKere are
some reaOOy GiYerse Frops
Eeing groZn Kere´ saiG
6iOYia 5onGon an ento
moOogist at Oregon 6tate
University’s
Hermiston
$griFuOturaO 5esearFK anG
E[tension &enter “7Ke
&oOumEia %asin is a prime
site for groZing any Frops
EeFause Ze Kave e[FeOOent
soiO e[FeOOent tempera
ture Oong Gays FooO nigKts
anG Ze Kave a Oot of Zater.
7Kose tKings Kave maGe
tKis reaOOy a prime site for
groZing Frops.´
WKiOe potatoes ² Ore
gon WasKington anG ,GaKo
proGuFe more tKan per
Fent of aOO potatoes groZn
in tKe UniteG 6tates ² anG
onions Fontinue to À ourisK
in UmatiOOa anG 0orroZ
Founties tKe EOueEerry in
Gustry is À ourisKing anG
groZers are testing tKe Za
ters ZitK Tuinoa a grain
Frop ZitK FereaOOiNe eGiEOe
seeGs.
%OueEerries
typiFaOOy
assoFiateG ZitK Western
Oregon Kave inFreaseG
“tremenGousOy´ in tKis
area aFForGing to 5onGon
Griven in part Ey GrougKts
in &aOifornia. EFonomiF
Grivers suFK as tKe estaE
OisKment of 3ioneer 6eeG in
Hermiston Kave Griven in
Freases in otKer Frops suFK
as seeG Forn ZKiFK Kas aOso
seen a Oarge inFrease in tKe
past ¿ ve years.
“,f Ze’re e[panGing in
our proGuFtion area tKat
means tKere’s a GemanG´
5onGon saiG. “%esiGes aOO
of tKe environmentaO TuaO
ities of tKis area Ze aOso
Kave tKe Gifferent faFiOities
in our ports nearEy ZKere
you Fan transport aOO your
proGuFts Ey Zater train
or Ey OanG.´
7Ke Eiggest FKaOOenge
toZarG Eringing in a neZ
Frop is tKe amount of time
neeGeG to gatKer Gata anG
testing 5onGon saiG. WitK
tKe Fase of EOueEerries for
e[ampOe UmatiOOa &ounty
ZiOO neeG to estaEOisK tKe
Frop anG gatKer years of
Gata Eefore any FonFOusions
Fan Ee maGe regarGing
yieOG anG TuaOity EetZeen
Eastern Oregon EOueEerries
anG tKose from otKer areas.
'iversi¿ Fation
Goes
Kave otKer Eene¿ ts KoZev
er. WitK Giverse Frops anG
rotations it is KarGer for
pests anG Giseases to tKrive
or resist treatments. 5on
Gon points to tKe 0iGZest
anG tKe Gif¿ FuOties ZitK
Kaving a Forn monoFuOture
ZKere inseFts anG Giseases
GET SPRING
READY!!
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CO BBLER
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A ll Brands
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39 years of experience
541-567-2008
120 NE 3rd St., Hermiston
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2012, Umatilla County Agricultural
Commodity Sales:
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
BY OSU-HAREC
Corn is one crop growing in
popularity and acreage in
Umatilla County thanks to
the development of Pioneer
Seed.
37 percent — Wheat
15 percent — Cattle
13 percent — Potatoes
10 percent — Tree fruits and nuts (including blueberries and grapes)
7 percent — “Other” vegetable and truck crops
7 percent — Other crops
5 percent — Alfalfa hay
3 percent — other animal products
2 percent — grass and legume seeds
1 percent — dry storage onions
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY OSU-HAREC
Far from the potatoes and onions the region is known for, grass seed grows well in Eastern
Oregon and has become a popular crop.
taNe KoOG TuiFNOy Fom
pareG to Eastern Oregon
ZitK a ZiGe Frop Ease.
“%eing Giverse is a re
aOOy gooG tKing for many
reasons´ sKe saiG. “, tKinN
peopOe NnoZ tKat Ze groZ
Kere in tKis area potatoes
tKere is ZKeat tKere is
Forn tKere is ZatermeOon
Eut tKere is so muFK more
to tKe Oist.´
HUNGER:
continued from Page A1
sinFe ZKen farmers
GonateG pounGs
of fooG.
7KrougK )armers EnGing
Hunger groZers set asiGe
a portion of tKeir Frops to
Gonate to tKe Oregon )ooG
%anN ZKiFK GistriEutes
tKe fooG arounG tKe state.
6ometimes it’s a sKort roaG
EetZeen a farmer Gonating
a truFNOoaG of potatoes anG
a famiOy FoOOeFting a Eag of
potatoes from a fooG EanN.
OtKer times tKere is a more
FompOiFateG proFess in pOay
suFK as seOOing ZKeat anG
using tKe pro¿ ts to pay for
panFaNe mi[ to Ee GonateG.
=iari saiG many pro
grams to feeG tKe Kungry
foFus on putting to use fooG
tKat is past its e[piration
Gate or too ugOy to seOO in a
store Eut )armers EnGing
Hunger strives to preserve
tKe Gignity of it reFipients
Ey pOanting KigKTuaOity
proGuFe for tKem.
“We’re proviGing tKe
rigKt fooG at tKe rigKt time´
Ke saiG.
)armers EnGing Hunger
aOso reFeives support from
inGiviGuaOs anG organi]a
tions ZKo proviGe mon
ey tKrougK tKe nonpro¿ t’s
“$Gopt an $Fre´ program
tKat KeOps Gefray Fosts for
paFNaging anG sKipping tKe
fooG GonateG Ey farmers.
-oKn %urt e[eFutive Gi
reFtor of )armers EnGing
Hunger saiG ZKiOe farmers
in otKer states sometimes
ZorN ZitK fooG EanNs one
on one tKe farmerGriven
moGeO of )armers EnGing
Hunger is fairOy uniTue.
He saiG tKe netZorNing Ee
tZeen peopOe in tKe agriFuO
turaO Fommunity Kas Eeen
invaOuaEOe for GraZing in
Oarge Gonations of fooG.
“7Key may Kave Fon
neFteG ZitK tKe fooG EanN
anyZay Eut tKe faFt tKat Ze
Kave a FOose reOationsKip
peopOe are more ZiOOing ...
7Kose NinGs of FonneFtions
are a Ney tKing´ Ke saiG.
%urt saiG tKe groZtK
from . miOOion pounGs
of fooG GonateG in to
. miOOion GonateG in
Fame from some neZ farms
FontriEuting Eut aOso some
Oongtime partiFipants in
FOuGing 5iverpoint )arms
anG $mstaG 3roGuFe step
ping up ZKat tKey FontriE
uteG. 7Ke nonpro¿ t Kas aOso
EranFKeG out from proGuFe
anG noZ Kas farmers Fon
triEuting items OiNe sNim miON
anG KamEurger. 7Key are sOat
eG for more groZtK in
inFOuGing an offering from
orFKarGists in 7Ke 'aOOes of
to pounGs of
FKerries a ZeeN Guring tKis
summer’s groZing season.
7Ke Oregon )ooG %anN
GistriEutes aEout miOOion
pounGs of fooG a year %urt
saiG so )armers EnGing
Hunger isn’t going to soOve
aOO of Oregon’s Kunger proE
Oems ZitK an e[tra . miO
Oion pounGs. %ut tKe fresK
proGuFe Goes Freate KeaOtKi
er EetterTuaOity options tKan
some of ZKat Fomes tKrougK
tKe fooG EanNs’ Goor.
'arrin 'itFKen ZKo
manages tKe 6tan¿ eOG site
of *oOGen 9aOOey )arms
saiG Ke Kas Eeen invoOveG
ZitK )armers EnGing Hun
ger from tKe Eeginning.
He saiG ZKen =iari starteG
approaFKing OoFaO groZers
ZitK tKe iGea Ke tKougKt it
Zas “genius.´
“,t’s aZesome´ Ke saiG.
“,t’s a FooO tKing. , Oove Ee
ing a part of it.´
%aFN tKen *oOGen 9aOOey
)arms’ 6tan¿ eOG site greZ
peas so 'itFKen pOeGgeG
perFent of tKe pea Frop. 7Ken
tKey sZitFKeG to ZKeat anG
'itFKen starteG Gonating a
perFentage of tKe ZKeat. $s
tKe site Kas sZitFKeG more to
groZing grass to Ee KarvesteG
for seeG 'itFKen stiOO maNes
sure Ke Gonates a portion of
tKe pro¿ ts to tKe program.
He saiG one great tKing
aEout tKe nonpro¿ t is tKat
it’s ef¿ Fient anG easy ² ev
eryone just groZs ZKat tKey
Go Eest ZKetKer it’s onions
or peas anG tKen Gonates a
perFentage of eaFK aFre in
steaG of seOOing it.
“,f you spreaG it out
farmZiGe you Gon’t even
notiFe it´ Ke saiG.