Thursday, May 8, 1975
Nyssa Gate City Journal, Nyssa, Oregon
Kay Teramura One
Of Top Op Farmers
Pride in what you are
doing, be interested in what
you are doing, enjoy what
you are doing, are all trade
mark* of Kay Teramura and
hi* effort* a* one of Mal
heur* "TOP OP" farmer*.
Teramura. according to hi*
friend*, i* dedicated to
excellence in everything he
doe*. He arrtved in Malheur
County in 1943 when our
country faced troubled year*,
but Kay feel* he alto was
given an opportunity to
achieve and utilize hi*
continuing love of working
with the soil.
Wife, Dorothy, gave birth
to three children. Kenneth, a
graduate of O.S.U. Agri
culture Engineering, now a
farming partner; Daughter*
Dinah, a graduate of O.S.U.
and presently at the Oregon
Regional Primate Center,
and Gayle, an O.S.U. gra
duate. now at the University
of Oregon Medical Center.
The Teramura farming
enterprise is made up of
three separate legal groups
and consist* of 400 acre* of
highly intensified farming
practices. The 1975 cropping
pattern include* 100 acre*
onion*. 100 acre* sugar
beets, 90 acres of potatoes,
with the remaining acreage
in alfalfa and grain.
Teramura is quick to say,
"One must keep on top of
what is happening ■ you
must u»e all the tecnhology
available and change accor
dingly to stay in this highly
competitive game of agricul
ture production.'*
The years of change in
technology and experience
have brought on new vista* of
agricultural endeavor accor
ding to this farmer. He sites
the change in potato produc
tion from a fresh market to
the processing enterprise* a*
a good move for local
producer*, not only in streng
thening the local market hut
also adding to industrial
development and yob oppor
tunnies.
To stay in the potato
business, according to Kay.
one must increase production
rossibly. he say*, "a new
ariety may he the answer, a*
the present Russet Burbank,
while a good potato, just
doesn't produce enough
when caught in these infla
tionary time " He empha
size*. the Teramura farming
operation leans heavily on
the Malheur Experiment
Station and the professional
expertise of the County
Extension Office for new
ideas and technology.
Onions, according to Te
ramura. are a high risk
crop —while he averages
1,000 sack* per acres, he
stressed, production costs
continue to spiral upward,
interest rate* are high and
machinery cost* all add up to
the dilema of making any
farming enterprise work eco
nomically.
Machinery, ac
cording to him. is a necessity,
but careful planning a* to
when and how you buy—i* a
must. Don't buy too much at
one time is a Teramura
rule—but above all, a farmer
today must have a good
machine shop • adequately
equipped • and this farm
operation keep* a man full
time in the »hop.
According to this "TOP
OP" farmer—farmer* of
today need to be in a bar
gaining position
if not he
faces economic problem* •
processor* and producer*
know what it cost* to stay in
business and bargaining by
commodity groups ia be
coming more and more
essential, he stressed. Far
mers of today must work
together through their va
rious commodity groups and
organizations. Kay serves a*
president of the Malheur
Onion Growers Association,
active in the Malheur Potato
Growers Association, and
trustee of the National Onion
Association, director of the
North Board of Control
Irrigation, active in the
Buddhist Church of Ontario,
and a member of the Boise
Vallty Japanese Association,
to name a few.
Land value*, according to
this operator'* annalytis, are
becoming so high, one must
raise crops that are expected
to make the greatest retums-
alfalfa and grain are in this
arginal category, and are
used only in the rotational
part of the farming operation.
When talking about sugar
beets, he feel* beets offer a
stable crop in the future •
two local factories, plus
expected increased produc
tion achievements add to the
security of this crop. Beets
are almost totally automated
and fit into the intense
farming program and rota
tion necessary for this farm
when considering land and
capital investments.
Yes, Kay Teramura is a
"TOP OP" farmer, not just
because he thinks that way,
but because he knows,
understands, and has pride
in doing and achieving hi*
goals and objectives set long
ago Wife Dorothy, who likes
to fish and travel. is quick to
explain • "Women* lib ■
equal rights?—always was
that way here. When Kay
needed a truck driver or any
of the many job* needed to be
done. I—volunteered, and
did it.”
To the Teramura*, the
farming enterprise ha* "Risk
and "uncertainty" but to
them it will always be a
challenge—to achieve excel
lence • for tn their hearts
they believe and feel in what
they are doing—and after all.
isn't this what makes Ame
rican agriculture the best in
the world?
SHE’S WAITING
In horn— and f ............ a al over tfw country lut
you to aafl hat a FCP horn* wetot purtftor Ae oar
pwbte company
panda Into naftonai dtotrtbvtton.
many prtnx daatorahipa ata haroadnf avalahla
adiar h atd and p**Mkl*od la akaady a proven ader
lacruaM your Incom«.
Fall or part Has« daalarahip
opportunities available.
Hr have a fine »election of
beautiful fiowen, bloom infl plant»,
green plant», terrarium»
and hanfiinfi ba»ket» that trill
thrill HOH on her »pedal day.
----------------- @------------------
Get Your Garden Ready . . .
a'
Hr have geranium», bedding and
vegetable plant» . . . All now ready
for »pring planting.
Fangen Floral
Flbwie 372-3437
H'r»t of City on Adrian lllvd.
AHS CALENDAR
May 9. Musical. "Calamity
Jane" sponsored by the
Drama Class, gymnasium.
8:30 p.m.
District Track Meet at La
Grande.
May 10, Musical. "Cala
mity Jane" gymnasium, 8:30
p.m.
at Vale, 4 p.m.
May 15, KHA Skating
Party.
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
Friendship Club met at the
IOOF Hall Friday. May 2
This was a Mother's Day
luncheon. Twenty members
and nine guests enjoyed a
bountiful potluck luncheon.
The business meeting was
opened by President Leona
Reeves. Twenty members
answered roll call. President
Reeves thanked hostesses*
Kathleen Wheeler arid Nellie
Jenkins.
The next meeting will be
the first Friday in June The
meeting was adjourned with
five tables of Bunco in Play
afterward. Nina Lowe took
high honors, with Emily
Clapp taking low and Ola
( hard traveling. Mae Bellon
won the door prize.
Page Nine
TENNIS
Wed., April 30
ONTARIO 9, NYSSA 3
Boy* Singles
Grasty (0) def T Baker 6-3
6 1
Johnson (0) def. Marquez
3-6 6 1 6-3
Wood (N) def Ansel 6-1
60
Girls Singles
Schutts (0) def. Anderson
6- 4 6 2
Oldcmeyer (N) def. Flint
7- 5 7-6
Finkbetner (0) def. Cleaver
6-1 6-0
Boys Double*
Uylki-( ollins (O) def. Rodri
quez Meadows 6-0 6-1
McKone-Burrows (O) def.
Savage-Kouns 7-5 6-4
Girls Double*
Poole-Jones (0) def Kurtz-
Dority 6-3 6-4
Elquezabal-Marcum (N) de
Watts-Wakasugt 6-0 6-2
Mixed Doubles
Burns Manser <O> def My-
rick-Nelson 6-2 6-4
Taylor-Irons (O) def Per-
renberg V Baker 6-1 6-0
A misinformed
gas gossiper.
\
%
%
%
‘They’ve got plenty of
natural gas in the summer, but
I hear we’re going to be left
out in the cold this
winteiT
%
A
a
/
a
Balderdash! That s unfounded rumor you
shouldn't believe. The facts are these:
Government priorities have been set to as
sure a continuing flow of natural gas to resi
dential and commercial customers (but new
industrial accounts are being served on a lim
ited basis, and many present industrial cus
tomers are subject to curtailment, if needed, to
make certain that homes and small businesses
are served without interruption).
Happily, there is gas for all of Cascade s cus
tomers most of the time, but it’s comforting to
know that homes and essential businesses will
not be "left out in the cold” when weather
conditions could tighten the situation.
Meanwhile, your gas company is participat
ing in the benefits that will derive from the
operation of the big liquefied natural gas plant
on the Columbia River in south central
Washington, ready in the near future We have
a firm supply from an underground gas storage
operation in western Washington wherein sur
plus natural gas. always more plentiful in the
summer, is pumped into dry wells and held for
distribution during peak-use months. This in
creases our winter delivery capability by al
most 20%. In addition. Cascade has its own
propane-air/natural gas plant of large capacity
in Yakima which serves to "stretch out" and
increase the volume of gas we normally receive
in one intensive-use area
On a broader scale, drilling for new sources
of natural gas has been stepped-up in the West
in several sectors. The industry is working dil
igently to bring the Alaska gas to market, a
far reaching plan of great magnitude still sev
eral years away
It all adds up to this: If you are a residential or
commercial gas customer, you can be certain
of a steady, year- round supply of the clean,
efficient energy you have chosen.
A fuel as vital as natural gas is worth saving,
in order that the greatest number of people
may be served Please do what you can, in
every way. to conserve its use Remember: we
have gas to burn, but none to waste
I
Cascade Natural Gas
Corporation