A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
COMMUNITY/BUSINESS
POTATO FARMERS HAPPY WITH HARVEST
ANNIVERSARY
BRIEFCASE
Farmers eligible to win
$2,500 for nonprofi ts
Minimal adverse
impacts seen from
October rains
Farmers in Umatil-
la, Morrow and Malheur
counties are among those
eligible to win $2,500 for
a nonprofi t of their choice
through the America’s
Farmers Grow Commu-
nities program, sponsored
by the Monsanto Fund.
Since the program be-
gan in 2010, America’s
Farmers Grow Commu-
nities has awarded more
than $22 million in do-
nations to organizations
across the country. Two
years ago, Joe and Cheryl
Taylor, of Double T Farms
in Boardman, were recip-
ients and chose to donate
their prize money to Mor-
row County 4-H.
One winner will be ran-
domly selected by the pro-
gram in each of the 1,331
eligible counties across 41
states. To become eligi-
ble, a county must grow at
least 30,000 acres in corn,
cotton or soybeans. Farm-
ers have through Wednes-
day, Nov. 30 to apply.
More information and
open enrollment is avail-
able online at www.grow-
communities.com or by
calling 877-267-3332.
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Staff Writer
Laura and Milton Casper in
1951
Milton and Laura Casper
Milton
and
Laura
Casper’s 65th wedding
anniversary was held in
Lake Havasu City, Ariz.,
with friends and neighbors
where they have spent their
winters.
Milton and Laura grad-
uated from Hermiston
High School on May 29,
1948. They were married
Nov. 3, 1951, at the Trinity
Lutheran Church in Herm-
iston with a huge recep-
tion following at the ARC
Building
Milton worked with the
Department of Defense for
19 years after one enlist-
ment with the Army artil-
lery in Okinawa and one
enlistment with the Army
Combat Engineers in Ko-
rea. He accepted DOD
assignments in Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Alabama,
Colorado and southeast
Asia. His family joined
him in all assignments ex-
cept Asia. They returned
to Hermiston in 1964 and
began a real estate devel-
opment and management
business.
Laura worked in the
banking business in Oregon
and Colorado. They still
maintain some commercial
ventures in the area.
The couple had two
sons, both deceased.
When asked the se-
cret of their living a long
and healthy lifestyle, they
agreed good communica-
tions and patience were
their daily habits.
There should be no
shortage of locally grown
potatoes to serve up at this
year’s Thanksgiving din-
ner.
As fall potato harvest
wraps up around the Co-
lumbia Basin, farmers are
expecting above-average
yield and quality thanks
to an exceptional growing
season.
Bill Brewer, CEO of
the Oregon Potato Com-
mission, said early spring
conditions helped to jump-
start the crop’s growth,
while summer cooled off
enough to avoid stifl ing
the plants. Most farms
fi nished harvesting ahead
of schedule, Brewer said,
with only minimal delays
from October’s record
rainfall.
“The weather was ac-
tually very cooperative,”
Brewer said. “It ended up
working out well.”
According to the Na-
tional Weather Service
in Pendleton, 1.9 inches
of rain fell last month at
the Hermiston Municipal
Airport, making it the
wettest October on re-
cord.
Soggy weather can
make for a diffi cult time
harvesting potatoes —
especially spuds bound
for the storage shed. If
there’s too much mud,
it could block airfl ow to
the plants and cause them
to rot before they can be
sold to supermarkets or
food processors.
Fortunately, the early
start allowed most grow-
ers to avoid that issue,
Brewer said. The Colum-
bia Basin is also home to
sandy, well-drained soils
that dry out more quick-
FILE PHOTO
In this September 2014 fi le photo, potatoes ride a conveyor
belt into a cold storage facility outside of Hermiston.
ly, meaning farmers don’t
have to wait long after it
rains to get back out into
the fi elds.
“I really don’t think
it was an issue,” Brewer
said. “Most people were
done by the time the
moisture really started
coming.”
Greg Harris, farm
manager for Threemile
Canyon
Farms
near
Boardman, said they fi n-
ished harvesting stor-
age potatoes by Oct. 10,
which was a few days
ahead of schedule. The
farm grows 7,000 acres
of spuds — including
several varieties of Rus-
sets — which are sold
to processors including
french fry giant Lamb
Weston.
“Because most of the
rain came during the
second half of October,
most people had the bulk
of storage done,” Harris
said. “Otherwise, it defi -
nitely would have been a
problem for us.”
Along with storage,
Threemile Canyon deliv-
ers potatoes directly from
the fi eld to customers
through early November.
That’s where having san-
dy, absorbent soils comes
as a benefi t, Harris said.
In particular, processing
plants around the Tri-Cit-
ies leaned heavily on the
farm during the late Oc-
tober rains.
“They were almost
doubling our output out
of here for three or four
days to get potatoes to
those plants,” he said.
The early season grow-
ing conditions have made
for an excellent crop, Har-
ris said. He estimates pro-
duction to be about 2 tons
per acre higher than usual.
“We’re happy with
how it turned out,” he
said. “Certainly, it was
one of our better crops.”
Statewide,
Oregon
farmers grew nearly 1.22
million tons of potatoes
in 2015, worth $176.45
million. Brewer said the
region from Hermiston to
Boardman averages 30-
plus tons per acre, most-
ly for processing into
products like fries, potato
chips and potato fl akes.
Basin Gold, a coopera-
tive of Oregon and Wash-
ington growers, also spe-
cializes in producing and
marketing fresh market
potatoes, like the ones
on supermarket shelves.
Bud-Rich Potato, of
Hermiston, is part of that
co-op.
Most farms should be
producing at or above
average throughout the
area, Brewer said.
“Everybody had a
pretty good fall harvest,”
he said.
———
Contact George Plaven
at 541-966-0825.
New pediatrician
taking patients
Hermiston has a new
pediatrician in Daniel G.
Canal, M.D., who has
joined Good Shepherd
Medical Group Pediatrics
practice.
Canal comes to Herm-
iston from St. Louis, Mis-
souri. He said in a news
release that he was drawn to
Hermiston’s location, which
provides opportunities for
outdoor recreation and ex-
ploration of Portland and
other Pacifi c Northwest cit-
ies. He also was impressed
by the staff at Good Shep-
herd Health Care System
and their dedication to fi nd-
ing the right physician for
the community.
Canal said he takes a
holistic approach to care,
working with children and
their caregivers to help them
maintain healthy lifestyle
habits they can carry into
adulthood.
“Bottom line, I care
about a child’s future,” he
said in a statement.
Canal, who is bilingual, is
accepting new patients from
infants through pre-college
age, at 600 N.W. 11th St.
Suite E-33. To schedule an
appointment call 541-667-
3740 or go online at www.
gshealth.org/good-shep-
herd-medical-group.
Port of Umatilla
accepting applications
The Port of Umatilla is
seeking a commissioner
to fi ll John Turner’s seat
after he resigns in Decem-
ber.
Turner,
Pendleton’s
mayor-elect who will take
that offi ce in January, has
been on the fi ve-member
port commission since
2008. His term ends next
year.
The four remaining
commissioners — Kurt
Bendixsen, Tim Mabry,
Jerry Imsland and Jerry
Simpson — will review
candidates who submit
their information and
choose one to fi nish the
term. The county-wide
seat will be up for election
in May 2017, with a fi ling
deadline in March.
Applicants can send
their information to Kim
Puzey, general manager
of the Port of Umatilla, by
email to kimpuzey@uci.
net, by mail to P.O. Box
879, Umatilla, OR 97882
or by dropping it off at
the port offi ce, 500 Willa-
mette Ave. in Umatilla.
IN BRIEF
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
Agape House gobbles Club invites all
up murder mystery cultures and races
The public is invited to
bring an appetite for murder
as Agape House presents
“Gobble, Gobble Death and
Trouble.”
The murder mystery
dinner presentation features
smoked turkey, mashed po-
tatoes, vegetables, rolls and
dessert. The event is Satur-
day at 6 p.m. in the Altrusa
Room at Agape House, 500
Harper Road, Hermiston.
The participatory event
includes an opportunity for
amateur sleuths to play Sher-
lock Holmes. Dinner guests
will investigate the murder
of chef Ramsey Gordon,
whose turkey recipe is fa-
mous around the world.
Money raised from
the event will be used by
Agape House to serve those
in need in the community.
For more information or to
purchase a ticket, call Dave
Hughes at 541-567-8774.
With a focus on practic-
ing the wisdom of Martin
Luther King Jr., the Black
Awareness Club invites peo-
ple of all races and cultures.
The group meets the sec-
ond Saturday of each month
at 2 p.m. at Starbucks, 1235
N. First St., Hermiston.
For more information,
call John Carbage at 817-
795-6161.
IMAC meeting
features author’s
sharing
IRRIGON — The an-
nual meeting of the Ir-
rigon Multicultural Arts
Center features a spaghet-
ti meal and a program
with local authors.
Everyone is invited to
the event, which is Satur-
day at 6:30 p.m. at Stokes
Landing Senior Center,
195 Opal Place, Irrigon.
The cost of the meal is $6.
Local authors can still
join the program to share
about their books and dis-
cuss their inspiration in
writing them.
Money raised benefits
the Irrigon Multicultural
Arts Center project. The
nonprofit group hopes to
develop a regional arts
center and preserve Irri-
gon’s 1921 school build-
ing.
For more information,
call Jeff Wenholz at 541-
571-6944, Peggy Price
at 541-567-3806 or Don/
Donna Eppenbach at 541-
922-3197.
er generation.
Serving the Aging and
Those Who Care for Them
is Saturday from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First
Presbyterian Church, 201
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend-
leton. The guest speaker is
Quentin Holmes, editor of
Presbyterian Older Adult
Ministries Network News.
In addition, local service
providers and pastors will
share.
There is a suggested
donation of $10, which
includes lunch and mate-
rials. Register by calling
541-276-7681.
G O O D
VOLUME 110 ● NUMBER 44
Gary L. West | Editor • gwest@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4532
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539
Jade McDowell | Reporter • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Shannon Paxton | Offi ce coordinator • spaxton@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4530
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news,
advertising or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR
97838, (541) 567-6457.
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Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2016
W O M E N ’ S
C E N T E R
Workshop addresses
ministering to older
adults
An upcoming work-
shop will present informa-
tion on providing services
and ministering to the old-
Public Meeting
Columbia River System
Operations
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power
Administration invite the public to help identify issues that the agencies will analyze
in the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement.
The agencies will use this EIS to assess the eff ects and update their approach to
operations of 14 federal dams and related facilities in the interior Columbia River
basin.
The agencies welcome your comments, suggestions and information to help
inform the scope of issues, potential eff ects and range of alternatives evaluated in
the EIS.
Monday, November 21, 2016
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
4525 Convention Place
Pasco, Washington
For more information about the Columbia River System Operations EIS, please
visit this website: http://www.crso.info
Information is also available by calling 800-290-5033.
Good Shepherd Health Care System
is proud to introduce
Allison Khavkin, M.D., OB/GYN
“
I provide women with preventative
healthcare services as well as
treating both short- and long-term
medical conditions. I take a holistic
approach to caring for my patients
understanding your specific
needs—while keeping your quality
of life at the forefront of your care.
”
Welcoming New Patients
Good Shepherd Women’s Center
541.667.3801
620 NW 11th Street, Suite 103
Hermiston, OR 97838