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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 Homegrown Local farm wins radish seed dispute Favorable decision may affect other growers in lawsuit with bank By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI EO Media Group FILE PHOTO Watermelons roll by on a conveyer belt on a melon sizing machine at Pollock & Son’s production facility outside of Hermiston. Hermiston and watermelons: BRANDING AND HISTORY By SAM BARBEE Staff Writer Wander through Herm- iston and there¶s no doubt watermelon is king. The water tower south of town is marked with the green and red fruit on its north side. Signs welcom- ing motorists to Hermis- ton greet them with it. ,t¶s on city letterhead, signs for private businesses and, come July, ¿lling the entry- ways to grocery stores and fruit stands alike. Even its seeds play a part in the long-running seed-spitting competition at the Umatilla County fair. Why is the fruit such a large part of Hermiston¶s identity? ,t¶s not economic. According to Assistant City Manager Mark Mor- gan, watermelon actually makes up a relatively small percentage of the area¶s annual production. Onions and potatoes, are were cul- tivated on 25,000 acres of land in Morrow and Uma- tilla Counties in 2013, are the lucrative crops. But watermelon has latched onto Hermiston, or vice versa, not because of eco- nomics, but because of its uniqueness. “<ou¶re not going to be growing watermelons in Joseph or Burns,” Morgan said. “We can grow water- melons better than anyone else. They¶re a good posi- tive to be known for even if it isn¶t a direct economic impact in itself.” In terms of branding, watermelons are a good sell. They are attractive in hot Hermiston summers, and purchased and recog- nized widely. “The ¿rst reaction ev- eryone has (about Herm- iston) is, ‘Oh, watermel- ons,” Morgan said. “The biggest thing to overcome in marketing is for people to understand and know in the ¿rst place ... Between mid-90s and 2012 one of big drivers for local jobs was burning off chemical weapons. <ou don¶t really A favorable ruling won by a Hermiston farm in a legal dispute over radish seed may have positive consequences for other operations involved in the lawsuit. Several farms in Or- egon are ¿ghting a legal complaint ¿led by 1orth- west Bank of Warren, Pa., that claims it has a secu- rity interest in radish seed they grew in 2014. The bank claims the radish seed serves as col- lateral for a $7 million loan taken out by Cover Crop Solutions, a seed company that contracted with Oregon growers to produce a proprietary va- riety. Radish seed is used as a cover crop in the Mid- west, but weather in 2014 reduced demand among farmers in that region and resulted in an oversupply. 1orthwest Bank¶s law- suit contends that its secu- rity interest in the radish seed has priority over that of the growers, but a fed- eral judge in Portland has disagreed with that argu- ment in regard to at least one farm. U.S. Chief District Judge Michael Mosman has found that Hawman Farms of Hermiston agreed to grow roughly $180,000 worth of seed and has a “possesso- ry lien” on the crop that takes precedence over the security interest held by the bank. Under a possessory lien, a party can retain possession of property un- til a debt has been paid. 1orthwest Bank claimed the contract be- tween Hawman Farms and Cover Crop Solutions invalidated all such liens, but Mosman decided that it only barred liens against the licensed radish cultivar — which was owned by another company — and not the physical seed crop. Sanford Landress, at- torney for Hawman Farms, said Mosman¶s opinion may also be consequen- tial for other farms, which claim they have possesso- ry liens on the seed. Hawman Farms grew, cleaned and stored the radish seed, which puts the company in a different legal position than grow- ers who had another ¿rm clean and store the crop, Landress said. “People with contin- uous possession of the seed, like Hawman, are going to beat the bank,” he said. FILE PHOTO Walchli )arms has used an inÁatable giant Zatermelon on its Áoat during the 8matilla &ounty )air Parade. want to be known for that.” Part of it, Patrick Wal- chli of Walchli Farms ex- plained, is that watermel- ons have been a mainstay of Hermiston farming for decades. “There are other things here, there are other in- dustries, but it¶s made its name over several years and people know who it is,” he said. “Growing the crop has been passed down through generations. It¶s been a generational thing. <ou¶ve grown up in it.” One reason the Colum- bia Basin is such a good area for growing anything, including watermelon, is the hot days and cold nights during growing season. This creates the uniquely sweet watermel- ons that are shipped across 1orth America. Walchli said most of his watermel- ons are distributed with- in the 1orthwest, but the Midwest has recently been a large buyer. They¶ve also shipped to Texas and just about everywhere in Can- ada. “I mean, if you go around the area and it¶s no different to me than saying, ‘the Pendleton Round-up¶ and they instantly recog- nize it,” Walchli said. “And Hermiston is recognized for the watermelons, which is a good deal for us melon growers because it shows we¶re doing our job.” FILE PHOTO Field hands collect Zatermelons from a Àeld oZned by %ellinger Farms in 2015 outside of Hermiston. Watermelons aren¶t easy to grow. They require speci¿c conditions, both of the air and of the soil, and require much care and attention during its growth period, which lasts about 80 days. Once ready to harvest, the large fruits must then be gathered and stored, often by large crews working 80-hour weeks. “It¶s labor-intensive,” Walchli said. “It¶s a tough crop to grow. It takes a spe- cial kind of cat to want to get involved in a crop like watermelons.” CELEBRATING 58 YEARS OF SERVING AREA FARMS & RANCHES! • Bulk Gas • Heating Oils • Solvents & Kero • Lube Oils in Bulk Quantities • Diesel Fuel • Off Road • On Road • Lubricating Oils AN INDEPENDENT FRANCHISEE OF PACIFIC PRIDE THE COMMERCIAL FUELING SYSTEM Lube Oils: Chevron • Shell • Mobil HELLER & SONS DISTRIBUTING, INC. 541-567-6582 • 1-800-698-6582 • 615 N. 1st • Hermiston MEAT CUTTING & CUSTOM PROCESSING BEEF • PORK • SHEEP • WILD GAME PROCESSING • CURING SMOKING • JERKY • SMOKED SAUSAGE E.O.M.S. 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