agriculture 2011

Published in conjunction with the 76th Okanogan County Horticulture

Association meeting

A supplement to The Omak-Okanogan CountyChronicle • Feb. 2, 2011

Agriculture

— Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.

Agriculture© 2011 The Omak-Okanogan

County Chronicle, owned and operatedby Eagle Newspapers Inc.

P.O. Box 553, Omak, WA 98841618 Okoma Drive, Omak

509-826-1110 • 800-572-3446509-826-5819 fax

www.omakchronicle.comRoger Harnack, Editor and Publisher

Dee E. Camp, Managing EditorLynn Hoover, Advertising ManagerCover photo by: Stephanie Clark 509-826-0586 • 631 Okoma Dr, Omak

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By Dee CampThe Chronicle

OKANOGAN – Orchardists andothers in the tree fruit industrywill learn about marketing, pestcontrol and other topics during theOkanogan County HorticultureAssociation’s 76th annual meetingWednesday, Feb. 2.

The meeting begins withregistration at 8 a.m. in theOkanogan County Agriplex andAnnex, 175 Rodeo Trail Road.Sessions begin at 9 a.m.,association Secretary DanMcCarthy said.

The cost is $10. Those wanting to earn pesticide

application license recertificationcredits are asked to register atcheck-in.

Lunch, catered by CornerBistro, 19 E. Apple Ave., Omak,will be available for $10, McCarthy

said. The menu includes soup,sandwich, coleslaw and abeverage. Coffee and doughnutswill be provided.

The meeting includes a tradeshow in the Agriplex.

Speakers include:• Tim Smith, Washington State

University Extension for Chelan,Douglas and Okanogan counties.

• Jim Colbert, Chelan Fruit Co.• Harold Schell, Chelan Fruit

Co.• B.J. Thurlby, Washington

State Fruit Commission.• James Michael, Washington

State Fruit Commission.• Betsy Beers, WSU Tree Fruit

Research and Extension Center,Wenatchee.

• Jay Brunner, WSU Tree FruitResearch and Extension Center,Wenatchee.

• Mac Riggan, Chelan FreshMarketing.

Tree fruit meetingtopics: Marketingand pest control

Horticulture conventionat a glance

76th Okanogan County Horticultural Association annual meeting9-9:45 a.m. New herbicide options, potential new products for fire blight management

and a redesign of the Cougarblight Fire Blight ModelTim Smith, Washington State University Extension for Chelan, Douglasand Okanogan counties

9:45-10:15 a.m. Food safety – what aspects are most important on your orchard?Jim Colbert, Chelan Fruit Co.

10:15-10:50 a.m. Successful conversion of an orchard by grafting – step by stepHarold Schell, Chelan Fruit Co., and grafters and growers

10:50-11:20 a.m. Little cherry virus – an old enemy returns as a serious threat to thelocal cherry industryTim Smith, WSU Extension

11:20-11:50 a.m. 2010 cherry crop and marketing dynamicsB.J. Thurlby and James Michael, Washington State Fruit Commission

11:50-noon Okanogan County Horticultural Association business meetingNoon-1 p.m. Lunch and trade show

Elections and nominations – choosing your representatives1-1:25 p.m. Spotted-wing Drosophila – an important newly introduced pest of cherries,

other stone fruits and berriesBetsy Beers, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee

1:25-1:45 p.m. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: The stink bug on steroidsJay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee

1:45-2 p.m. Leaving a legacy by investing in the futureJay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee

2-2:30 p.m. Herbicide resistance or tolerance in weeds – control strategies past and near futureTim Smith, WSU Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties

2:30-3 p.m. Marketing report – Effects of the world economic situation on fruit sales, prospectsfor 2010 cherry marketingMac Riggan, Chelan Fresh Marketing

Pesticide education credits are available for program attendance;registration required at the door

Meeting sponsored WSU Extension and Okanogan County Horticulture Association

Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle

Pears move along the packing line at the Chelan Fruit Co. facility in Pateros.

Dee Camp/The Chronicle

Red Delicious apples ripen in the fall sunshine near Tonasket.

Agriculture 2011, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. —

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Apple prices improve in 2010By Sheila Corson

The Chronicle

OKANOGAN – Apples didn’tfill as many boxes in 2010 as theprevious year, but the seasonturned out better than anticipated.

Washington Growers ClearingHouse Association AssistantManager Dan Kelly said the firstproblem for apples came with anOctober 2009 freeze, whichdamaged buds that would havebeen the 2010 crop. Then, a cool,wet spring built concerns forrusseting on earlier apples.

Goldens and Fujis did seerusseting, or browning of the skin,but overall, the pack-out wasbetter than January projections,Kelly said.

Tonasket grower Sam Godwinsaid his Goldens battled russeting

and his Red Delicious apples weresmaller, but that was the trendacross the state. Since nearly allgrowers went through the samenatural disasters, it wasn’tdevastating for anybody.

“Every year brings its uniquechallenges,” Godwin said.

Clearing House Manager KirkMayer said for the WenatcheeDistrict, which includes OkanoganCounty, conventional apples filled33.8 million 40-pound boxes inthe 2010 crop, compared to 34.6million in 2009.

Organic apple production wasup – 4.1 million compared to 3.3million last year, Mayer said.

Kelly said several more organicorchards achieved certification lastyear, a two-year process, leadingto the jump in numbers.

Statewide, organic apples areincreasing, though the WenatcheeDistrict is growing faster thanYakima.

That can come with one

negative – the market just mightnot be there for organic apples,Kelly said.

Although organic fruit typicallybrings a higher price, if organicisn’t selling at higher prices,growers might have to sell organicapples at the lower conventionalprice.

Some varieties of organics areselling better than others becauseof their rarity, Kelly said.

For conventional apples, thecrop was comparable to previousyears, and November andDecember saw record-highshipments from the area. Even witha high supply, the pricing structurehas been good, as demand has risento meet it, Kelly said.

Looking forward, Kelly saidthere were no catastrophic freezesthat might damage the 2011 crop.

Although there were freezes inisolated areas, next year’s cropshave had a better start than in2010.


Sebastian Velasco, Brewster, works a Cameo tree at Custom OrchardsNo. 1 near Brewster during harvest 2010.

Some growers battle

skin russeting


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By Sheila CorsonThe Chronicle

OKANOGAN – After a 2009record pear crop, numbers aredown and the local size andquality are good.

Washington Growers ClearingHouse Association AssistantManager Dan Kelly said the record10.2 million 44-pound boxes in2009 meant lower prices.

In 2010, with 8.5 million boxes,prices are looking better andstaying higher.

The fruit is moving out at agood pace, with retail sales at goodlevels.

That could indicate economicrecovery is creeping up into thepear market and more are buyingfresh fruit, Kelly said.

Some areas still haven’t seenthat recovery, but for pears itseems OK.

The fruit itself is of a good size.

The organic movement hasn’tquite struck pears in theWenatchee district, which includesOkanogan County, Kelly said.

With such a huge discrepancybetween the numbers of boxes ofapples and pears, organic pearsusually don’t even get noticed.

There are some organic pearsin the Okanogan County area, butso far not many.

The crop faced several of thesame problems as apples, with anOctober 2009 freeze damagingsome of the trees and leading to asmaller crop, Kelly said.

Spring rains were early enoughthey didn’t seem to affect pears somuch as their other orchard fruitcounterparts.

Growers from Gebbers Farmsin Brewster and Gold Digger inOroville mentioned no majorproblems for the 2010 pear crop,with most of the weather-relatedissues striking cherries and apples.

Pear size, qualityare good for area

Dee Camp/The Chronicle

Pears show a pink blush as harvest nears in the Omak area.


OKANOGAN – From thelargest crop ever in 2009 to anaverage crop in 2010, cherries arepricing better with an average size.

“’09 was one of thoseanomalies,” Washington GrowersClearing House AssociationAssistant Manager Dan Kelly said.

When looking at trends, 2009would be a year to throw out tofind the average, Kelly said.

In 2009, the WenatcheeDistrict, of which OkanoganCounty is a part, saw 84,861 tonsof cherries. Prices dropped fromabout $48 per 20-pound box in2008 to $27 per box in 2009.

Now with the 2010 crop of60,560 tons, prices have goneback up to about $40, Kelly said.

Numbers do not includeprocessed and brined tonnage,which would add about 15-17percent to the crop.

Cherries didn’t suffer frommany weather-related issues. Thespring rains and cool weathertimed themselves just right to stopbefore harvest and avoid majorsplits, Kelly said.

Some growers in southernWashington were not as lucky asthe average Okanogan Countygrower, Kelly said.

Organic cherries are hardly onthe radar screen for the area now,Kelly said. Compared to thegrowth in organic apples, neitherpears nor cherries grownorganically get much notice in theproduction numbers.

Some hail damage and freezingaffected some growers around thearea, Gold Digger Manager GregMoser said. Few were struckbadly, and it all depended onlocation of the orchard.

Some growers reported their

biggest season yet, while othershad a smaller or average season,Moser said.

For crops overall, WashingtonGrowers Clearing HouseAssociation Manager Kirk Mayersaid the cool spring meantreduced bee activity and,therefore, marginal pollinization.Starting with the earlier cherrieson through apples and pears, allcrops were smaller.

Some growers delayed the

picking season a few days, such asGebbers Farms, Brewster, OrchardManager Kevin Benson said.

Despite the challenges, Bensonsaid the crop quality was“unbelievable.”


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Bing cherries are sealed into a bag at Chelan Fruit Co., Brewster.


Workers sort cherries on the Chelan Fruit Co. line in Brewster.

By Cheryl Schweizerand Sheila Corson

The Chronicle

OMAK – Peaches are such aperfect summer food that “peachy”describes good things.

And peach and nectarine priceswere pretty peachy in 2010 -$8.50-$18 per 20-pound boxnationwide as of late August.

But peaches, nectarines andapricots – called stone fruits –play a minor role in fruitproduction in Okanogan Countyand those who do grow themmarket them locally, largelythrough fruit stands and farmers’markets.

“Peaches did good” price-wise,said Brian Westerdahl, who raisespeaches, nectarines and other fruiton Bridgeport Bar.

But then, “prices are about thesame every year,” he said.

He planted peaches when hefirst established his orchard in theearly 1980s

“I had 10 acres and now I’vegot three acres,” he said.

There’s a reason for that –peaches and nectarines aren’t thatprofitable in Okanogan County.

“If they were profitable, you’dsee a lot of them put in,”Westerdahl said.

“I think the value and qualitywere good last year,” orchardistRick DeLap said. His orchard nearMalott includes about 13 acres ofstone fruit.

DeLap sells directly to hiscustomers at his fruit stand onU.S. Highway 97 and throughvarious farmers’ markets.

Peach and nectarine treesreally don’t like the weather in

North Central Washington.“They just die. The winter kills

them, mainly. And they’resusceptible to disease, too,”Westerdahl said.

DeLap said winters are hard onstone fruits - “very hard on thenectarines.”

In addition, “it is a little harderup here to get size,” he said.

Size matters in fruitproduction. Consumers like bigapples and fat cherries, and “Ithink it’s even more important insoft fruit,” DeLap said.

In Okanogan County, “if you’regoing to grow soft fruit you, prettymuch have to direct-sell,” he said.

The nearest warehouse thataccepts soft fruit for packing is inthe Tri-Cities.

At Shaw’s Fruit and Produce,Belvedere, Manager Roy Hamiltonsaid this was the best year so farfor nectarines in his orchard.Peaches were also “outstanding.”

With his orchards along theColumbia River, Hamilton saidthey get the “lake effect” so that itdoesn’t get as cold as other partsof the county. While otherssuffered from freezes, Shaw’s 2010crop didn’t.

Size and volume were both

good for Shaw’s soft fruits, whichwere all sold from a fruit stand. Itclosed when the season ended inNovember, Hamilton said.

The Washington FruitCommission concentrates most ofits promotional activities oncherries, Marketing DirectorJames Michael said.

Its research has shown thatsoft fruits — be they cherries,peaches, nectarines or apricots –often are an impulse buy, but alsosomething consumers lookforward to seeing in the store.

Marketing research shows that53 percent of cherry purchases areimpulse buys, Michael said.

“The quality of the fruit issomething we want to emphasize,”he said.

A small study done at OregonState University in 2006 showedthat consumers preferred the tasteof Washington peaches over thoseof Oregon’s by a margin of two toone.

“Washington fruit tastesbetter,” Michael said.

The Fruit Commission also istaking advantage of the growingpopularity of home canning topromote peaches, nectarines andapricots.


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Miguel Pio, Brewster, fills bags of Bing cherries at the Chelan Fruit Co.cherry processing center in Brewster.

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OMAK – Local grapes are beingused to produce award-winningwines and putting the OkanoganValley on the map for wineconnoisseurs.

The grapes grow in soils leftduring the ice age and are fed bywaters from the snow melt of theEastern Cascades.

They are encouraged by the hotsummer sun and cool nights,according to information fromEsther Bricques Winery andVineyard, 38 Swanson Mill Road,Oroville.

RockWall Cellars, 110 NicholsRoad, Omak, is introducing twonew wines this season to celebrateOmak’s centennial.

Muscat and Pinot Noir grapesare blended to produce thecentennial red. There also is acentennial white.

Both are new and differentthan any of the vineyard’s otherwines, and both are excellent,according to the wine makers.

RockWall’s Stampede Red 2010won best of show honors at lastNovember’s Okanogan-OmakRotary wine tasting. The winedeveloped a unique finish as itaged in the bottle, the wine makerssaid.

Meanwhile Okanogan Estateand Vineyards’ 2005 Bench Rockred blend wine received a silveraward at the San FranciscoInternational Wine Competition inDecember.

The 2005 Syrah picked up abronze award for the winery, 1220Ironwood St., Oroville.

Lake Crest Winery, 817Appleway St., Oroville, is knownfor its ice wines from grapes grownin the Molson area, among otherwines.

The sweet dessert wines aremade from frozen grapes.

When the water in the fruit isfrozen, the juice has a higher sugarcontent.

Lake Crest co-owner BoniMatthews said there are plans forputting some Lake Crest wines inthe Okanogan Estates shop.

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Sheila Corson/The Chronicle

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By Cheryl SchweizerThe Chronicle

OMAK – Not long ago, thebackbone of the North CentralWashington fruit business was thesmall, family orchard spanning20-100 acres.

But in the 21st Century, it’s adifferent business and smallgrowers now farm 400-500 acres.

Staying in business requiresnimble financial footwork and agood understanding where thefruit market is going, growers say.

Whether an orchard is big,huge, small or tiny, “good farmingpractices are No. 1,” and the key tostaying in business, WenatcheeStemilt Growers spokesman RogerPepperel said. “No. 2 is goodbusiness practices.”

“Really good growers havealways made money, for the mostpart,” Chelan Fruit Co. AssistantManager Jim Divis said.

He’s based in Chelan, butrepresents growers throughoutOkanogan County.

Even for good farmers and bigproducers. things have changed.

“The margin of error is notwhat it used to be. It’s muchsmaller,” Pepperel said.

The apple juice market is oneexample.

Twenty years ago, growerscould sell their culled fruit forjuice production, but imports fromChina have left the domesticgrower without a market.

Fruit grading is another. Thereis a lot more emphasis on

optimum-sized fruit.“Today, the heart of the

manifest is those premium sizes,”and a grower who doesn’t targetthose sizes will have a tough timesurviving, Pepperel said.

Premium sizes are 72-100. Thenumbers refer to how many applescan be packed in a standard box.

The variety mix has changed inthe last 25 years, too. The growerwho sticks with the traditionalvarieties – the Red Delicious andGolden Delicious of the mid-1980s – will have a harder timemaking money.

Strategies and practices thatused to work “just don’t workanymore,” Pepperel said.

“Farming the wrong item in thewrong plot of ground is fatal,” hesaid.

What does work is a carefulstudy of the market and adjustingto it. In the 21st Century, asuccessful small grower is“definitely progressive in theirvariety selection,” Divis said.

Progressive doesn’t mean beingtoo far ahead of the pack.

In the fruit business, there arevarieties that were supposed to besure things and weren’t.

Varieties have looked andtasted good, and there’s aconsensus that they’re going totake off, but sometimes they doand sometimes they don’t, he said.

Growers can invest too heavilyin experiments, what Divis called“the bleeding edge.”

It can get ugly out there, hesaid.

Growers should look at thevarieties grocers want on theirstore shelves – “the thingsretailers are excited about,” Divissaid – and plan their variety mixaccordingly.

Even though it takes a few

years for new fruit trees toproduce, it’s a pretty good betretailers will still be excited aboutthe same varieties in a few years,Divis said.

Growers who opt for newplanting methods may have anadvantage there, he said. Where anorchard used to require four to fiveyears to start producing, and notreach optimum production for sixor seven years, new orchards nowstart producing in four years, andare producing a good crop in five.

Successful small growers alsohave distributed their risk amonga number of products.

“They’re diversified,” Divissaid.

“Most of our small growershave apples, pears and cherries,”said Greg Moser, chief executiveofficer for Gold DiggerCooperative, Oroville.

He said he knows a grower whohas five varieties of apples, fivevarieties of cherries and threetypes of pears on 40 acres. If onevariety isn’t making money, it’slikely another one will be.

There’s also the option of“club” varieties.

In those cases, growers pay afee to grow that variety and onlythe franchise participants canproduce it, or the growers belongto a warehouse and only thatwarehouse distributes that variety,Divis said. That allows growers to

control volume and avoid floodingthe market.

Owners of really smallorchards can and do save on laborcosts by doing most of the workthemselves, or with a very smallcrew, Moser said.

Small-scale growers can takeadvantage of their orchards’ sizeby marketing fruit directly to theconsumer, either through theirown fruit stand or a popular venuesuch as the Pike Place Market in

Seattle, Moser said.“You have to keep adapting,”

Pepperel said.Small growers can, and should,

take advantage of the informationand assistance available throughtheir warehouse, he said. Some ofthose tools are too expensive for asmall grower, and in those casesthe warehouse can help.

“You have to rely on tools thatlarger resources can provide,” hesaid.


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Orchards in their fall colors and newly mown hay turn the OkanoganValley into a patchwork.


OMAK – The developmentboom of 2006-07, when a numberof orchards were knocked down tomake way for new housing, turnedinto a bust during the recenteconomic downturn.

Cities along the Okanogan andColumbia rivers were headed for apartial transition from anagricultural town to riverrecreation and second-homecommunities.

Gates erected as entrances tonew developments now stand atthe edge of empty ground.

“I think we’re a long way froma residential boom,” WenatcheeStemilt Growers spokesman RogerPepperel said.

“I think it’s going to be awhile.”

So what about the land whereorchards were removed inanticipation of development?

Chelan Fruit CooperativeAssistant Manager Jim Divis liveson Brewster Flat and commutesback and forth every day.

“I don’t see a lot of that land.Where’s it at?” he asked.

In Okanogan County, at least,the process of redevelopment maybe under way already.

Some land isn’t going back intotree fruit production.

A few landowners are optingfor hay or alfalfa, orexperimenting with crops that areuncommon to North CentralWashington, like wine grapes orblueberries.

“I think blueberries have beenplanted like mad (in the region),and I think that’s done for awhile,” Pepperel said.

“There are a lot more alfalfafields in the ground,” Oroville-based Gold Digger CooperativeChief Executive Officer GregMoser said.

Some owners, especially thosewho don’t live on or near theirproperty, have opted to wait andnot replant anything, Moser said.

Wine grape production hastaken over some acreage aroundChelan, but grape growers mustcope with the same challenges thatface cherry growers.

Growers have put in a lot ofcherries in the last half-decade,and the expansion came back tohaunt profit margins in 2009.

Perfect growing conditions inWashington produced a bumpercrop, which hit the market at thesame time as a delayed crop fromCalifornia. The state’s record-largecrop combined with the wobblyeconomy to produce a crash in thecherry market.

Growers haven’t forgotten that– and they also know there are alot of cherry trees out there juststarting to come into production.

As a result, cherry plantingshave slowed, and Pepperel said hethinks cherries have peaked for awhile.

“People are fearing that nextbig crop,” Divis said.

“There’s a lot of room forcherry consumption to grow,which is fortunate,” Pepperel said.

But orchard owners haveanalyzed acreage, and anticipatedproduction, and are consideringother options. Landownersthinking about growing winegrapes also are doing the math ofconsumption versus production.

“There is a teeny bit of pearproduction,” Pepperel said, butpears have challenges.

Bartlett production hasincreased, Divis said, but overallpear production will not increasesignificantly.

Many growers are opting forapples, and planting apples haschanged in ways that speed up theproduction cycle.

High-density planting and the

smaller trees it produces means amore expensive initial investment,but the trees are cheaper tomaintain once they’re in, Divissaid.

In addition, newer orchardsmature more quickly. It used to bean orchard matured in four to fiveyears and started producingoptimum quantities of fruit in fiveto six years.

Now, orchards are startingproduction in three years, andproducing “a lot by four and awhole lot by five,” he said.


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OROVILLE – Oilseed cropscould become a popular rotationcrop in the Okanogan.

A canola crushing plant isbeginning production in Oroville,the Colville Confederated Tribes ispromoting canola production forbiodiesel fuel and an oilseed cropworkshop was planned Jan. 25 inOkanogan.

Once considered a Canadianspecialty crop, canola andcamelina are touted as a newalternative wheat rotation crop,and green energy production isgrabbing headlines.

Farm-produced biodiesel canbe used to power everything fromschool buses to jet planes.

Locally-produced biodiesel hasbeen used to power a PaschalSherman Indian School busduring a tribal demonstration.

Entrepreneur Tim King saidthe Oroville crushing plant should

start producing biodiesel bymonth’s end.

King said 12-15 new hires willget the first crusher operationaland assemble more equipment,gradually increasing the facility’soutput. It should be fullyoperational in about two months.

Spokane International, BoeingField and Seattle-TacomaInternational airports havecommitted to use 1 percent bio-based jet fuel, LM Energy LLC.’sArnie Marchand said.

His company is involved withthe Oroville crushing operation.

If there were crushingoperations every 50 miles fromOroville to California, “we mightbe able to supply that 1 percent,”he said.

The meal left over from thecrushing operation is high inomega-3 fatty acids and makesexcellent food for chickens andother livestock, Marchand said.

The process leaves no big pileof waste, and has the capacity to

increase egg production and meatquality while reducing the cost offeed, he said.

The green industry was metwith open arms in Oroville, he

said. King said the plan is to bring in

seed from Canada through theheavy haul corridor and toencourage local farmers to

produce seed locally as well. When the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s Risk ManagementAgency announced it will insurecanola against crop loss inDouglas and Okanogan counties,the crop became moreappealing.

King has held meetings at localGranges to urge farmers toconsider growing canola as arotation crop.

Canola is a natural soilfumigant and can increasesubsequent wheat yields on thesame field 15-20 percent, he said.

King has said he would offerthe meal to farmers for less thanhe would pay for raw seed.

Also, canola and camelina canbe grown without herbicides orpesticides, he said

Initially, the Oroville operationwill crush about 120 ton of seedper day, but eventually will havethe capacity to process 400 tons asmore equipment is brought online, Marchand said.

Oilseed crops rotate into popularity

The Chronicle

Canola flowers bloom bright yellow in a Washington State University-monitored test plot east of Okanogan.


OMAK – Who knew that themiddle of a recession would be agreat time to be a cattle rancher?

“It’s as good as it gets rightnow, as far as the market isconcerned,” cattleman CraigVejraska said.

Vejraska, of Omak, also is thepresident of the Cattle Producersof Washington.

Prices are “the best I’ve seen.Ever,” said Charlie Moses, arancher on the Colville IndianReservation and president of theColville Indian LivestockAssociation.

A pregnant heifer is bringing$1,400-$1,500, a price that for abred cow is “unbelievable,” hesaid.

Although production costs arerising, “cattle are keeping pace,”Vejraska said.

Corn prices are increasing,since approximately one-third ofU.S. production goes to makeethanol, as are fertilizer and fuelcosts.

“The guys who still have somecows for sale are in the driver’sseat right now,” Vejraska said.

The strong market reflects therealities of supply and demand.The number of cattle nationally isthe lowest it’s been since 1952,Vejraska said.

Fewer calves are being born,Moses said.

And there’s good demand onthe export market.

Export demand is up“dramatically,” especially to SouthKorea, Taiwan and Japan,Vejraska said.

“The Asian Rim countries areour mainstay,” he said.

Drovers Cattle Networkreported Chicago cattle futuresclimbed to a record Jan. 18 amidexpectations a foot-and-mouthdisease outbreak in South Koreawill boost demand for U.S. meat.

South Korea has destroyedabout 15 percent of its combinedpig and cattle herd – some 2.1million animals – after 120 casesof the disease were reported sinceNovember. Russia also isbecoming a good customer ofAmerican beef, Vejraska said.

Even in a rocky economyworldwide, demand for beef isgood. People have moredisposable income and upgradetheir eating standards.

“People want to eat a nice, juicy

steak when they can,” he said.Still, the export market is

always vulnerable.“All it takes is one BSE cow,”

Vejraska said, referring to “madcow disease.”

It is transmitted by cattle andfatal to cows and humans alike.

Quarantine rules can remain inplace for years after a BSE cow isdiscovered, as Washington cattleproducers learned when thecountry’s first BSE-infected cowwas found in Sunnyside in 2003.

Steady demand, limited supplyand the possibility of profitnormally would attract eitherranchers who got out of thebusiness or those who want tostart a new operation.

“The market has been real goodfor three years,” Vejraska said, andordinarily that would attract moreproduction.

But it’s not happening.Vejraska said producers may be

staying on the sidelines becausethere are some challenges out there.

Corn as feed — used to helpfatten cattle — is more expensivebecause of its use as fuel, and thatalso pushes up the fuel price.Fertilizer costs are impacted bythe increase in fertilizer prices.

Cattle producers also areconcerned about thereintroduction of predators,especially gray wolves, into areaswhere cattle graze.

On the Colville reservation, theherd has dropped from about30,000 American Indian-owned

cows in the 1980s to about 3,000today, Moses said.

He said he’s not sure why, butuntil the recent economicdownturn, there were jobs in thetribal properties, which reducedthe economic need to work theland.

Tribal officials are looking forways to promote agriculture,orchards and ranches as aneconomic option in the future, hesaid.


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MALO – Ferry Countycattlemen are concerned abouttwo big issues — wolves andwilderness.

Both could spell doom for areacattle ranchers if handled wrong,Ferry CountyCattlemen’sAssociationPresident GordonStrandberg said.

If the KettleCrest, from theCanadian bordersouth to theColville IndianReservationbecomeswilderness asproposed by ConservationNorthwest and the NortheastWashington Forestry Coalition, itwill take out most cattle ranchers,he said.

Although ConservationNorthwest says the ColumbiaHighlands Initiative, which mapswilderness and working forestareas, is a cooperative planproduced by a partnership oftimber industry leaders, privatelandowners, small businessowners, public agencies,conservation and recreationgroups and community leaders,

Strandberg said local cattlemenhaven’t been involved.

“Those people don’t speak forthe cattlemen. Their proposal isn’ta win-win for the cattlemen,”Strandberg said.

He said rules and regulationsfor the proposed wilderness wouldbe strict and eventually squeezeout cattlemen who graze theirherds in the Kettle Crest area ofthe Colville National Forest.

Tim Coleman, director of theColumbia Highlands Initiativedisagrees.

Cattlemen have beenparticipants in the collaborativeprocess, he says.

Coleman also says grazing willcontinue whether the areabecomes wilderness or not.

The Forest Service grazingpolicy takes priority overwilderness designation. Rancherscan do what their grazing plansays they can do, Coleman said.

The forest isn’t as pristine asStrandberg says he and many

others imagine a wilderness areato be.

People can stand deep in theforest and hear large trucks onstate Highway 20 and at night seelights from the Colville area, hesaid.

“They think it’s so pristine, butit’s not, it’s just not,” Strandbergsaid. “It is a nice piece of realestate.”

When the Pasayten WildernessArea in Okanogan County becamewilderness, the rules were so strictthat cattlemen quit, he said.

“The conservationists wouldlike us to think those rancherswere ready to go out of businessany way, but if that was the case,they could have sold their grazingpermits to other cattlemen. Theydidn’t,” he said.

Chainsaws can’t be used toclear a trail into the forest andwatering areas for the cattle can’tbe built, he said. That makeswilderness unusable for grazing,he said.

The second issue he says couldbring down area ranchers is thestate’s proposed wolf plan.

Wolves are predators andthere’s nothing great about them,he said.

People in British Columbiahave been trying to get rid of themfor years, he said. They are hardon game animals as well aslivestock.

The state Department of Fishand Wildlife is working on a wolfmanagement plan, and has said itunderstands that there could be aconflict between wolves and

livestock. The draft plan saysfunding will be sought tocompensate ranchers for livestocklost to wolves.

But Strandberg said a provisionin the proposed wolf plan thatallows 15 breeding pairs before apack’s numbers can be managed isunrealistic.

“If you’ve seen one wolf, theyclaim there are 20 out there,” hesaid.

“We’ve protected enough.When is enough enough? It willnever be enough to some,”Strandberg said.

Strandberg also said many ofthe politicians who decide on

these issues, especially those onthe East Coast and west of theCascade Mountains, don’t have aclue what goes on here.

He is optimistic about locallegislators educating their peers,though, and said now that there isa Republican majority in the U.S.House of Representatives, thingsmay get better.


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Cattlemen’s concerns:Wolves and wilderness top the listFerry County ranchers

are upset with the

Highlands Initiative

Brenda Starkey/The Chronicle

Cattlemen rely on grazing in the Colville National Forest, rancherGordon Strandberg said.

Gray wolf

“Their proposal

isn’t a win-win

for the cattlemen.Gordon Strandberg

”


BREWSTER – Gebbers Farmswill celebrate 101 years this spring.

A hands-on approach is theprime reason Gebbers Farms isstill in the fruit business, companyspokesman Bob Grandy said.

“It’s a big part of their success,that work ethic,” he said.

In 1885, stories began tocirculate about a strike of gold inthe isolated Methow River Valleyof Washington Territory.

Dan Gamble came from NovaScotia but didn’t find a lot of goldalong the Methow River.

Gamble built a sawmill,founded a hotel and planted anapple orchard near Brewster. Theapple orchard went into theground in 1910 and fivegenerations later, his descendantsare still farming.

Gamble and his wife, Cora,opened the Gamble Hotel.

The Gamble Hotel was apopular spot, even after moving ahalf-mile downriver. The railroadarrived in 1912.

By that time Dan Gamble hadbuilt a new sawmill on ParadiseHill just south of town, planted hisorchard and was running somecattle in the hills.

His daughter, Martha, and herhusband, John Gebbers, latertook over.

World War II eased economicconditions of the 1930s, butbrought a labor shortage.

Gebbers Farms solved theproblem with the area’s firstcontract workers — labor broughtfrom Mexico to work the harvest.

The willingness to innovate, tolook for the solution that works isan important component ofGebbers Farms’ success, Grandysaid.

“They’ve never stood still with

their methods of running thecompany,” he said.

The managers listen to theemployees, and “they put a lot offaith and trust in the people thatwork for them,” Grandy said.


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Gebbers: A century of orcharding

Okanogan County Historical Society

A crew works on the Whitestone Irrigation District dam outsideBrewster.

Gamble on mining

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Guest worker program unaffordable, unworkableBy Cheryl Schweizer

The Chronicle

OMAK – After a few years ofexperimentation, OkanoganCounty fruit producers maycontinue their involvement withthe federal H2A guest workerprogram – or they might not.

In its current configuration, it’snot very workable, they say.

Okanogan County FarmBureau President Jon Wyss wasexplicit: “For Okanogan CountyFarm Bureau members, thecurrent H2A program isunaffordable and unworkable.Until the rules and regulations arereformed, the program willcontinue to be unaffordable andunworkable.”

In fact, most Okanogan CountyFarm Bureau members can’t useit, Wyss said.

Crane Family Orchards inBrewster has used H2A workersfrom Mexico; Gebbers Farms,

Brewster, contracted for H2Aworkers from Mexico and Jamaicafor the 2010 growing season.Neither company would commentfor publication.

The H2A system provides a

stable labor force, but it isn’tflexible enough to meet thedemands of agriculture, accordingto the Washington Farm Bureau.

Wyss cited some examples ofrequirements that make it difficultto use H2A – prospectiveemployers must apply for visas forworkers at least three and a halfmonths (75 days) before theemployers actually need theworkers, and in at least oneprogram, the required hourly wageis $10.80.

That’shigher than normal farmworker wages.

Most H2A workers who cameto Brewster last summer had longexperience in the program -picking apples in New York andMichigan, cutting sugar cane in

Florida, working row crops andtobacco fields in the Northeast.

Frequently, H2A crewscombine workers from severalcountries, although not always.

Spending patterns of H2Aworkers were different fromseasonal workers who came upfrom California and theSouthwest. Most of their moneywent home, whether to Jamaica orLatin America.

Some business ownersbenefitted – Jamaican workersbought electronic equipmentbefore they left – but othersdidn’t.

Clothing stores in the Brewsterarea reported less business duringharvest season 2010 than harvestseason 2009.

“For Okanogan County Farm Bureau

members, the current H2A program is

unaffaordable and unworkable.Jon Wyss

”

By Dee CampThe Chronicle

TONASKET — Stability in thetree fruit industry during the pastfew years means fewer problemswith abandoned orchards servingas a haven for tree fruit pests.

Growers aren’t walking awayfrom their orchards nearly the waythey did just a few years ago,Okanogan County HorticulturalPest and Disease Control AgentDan McCarthy said.

“We’ve seen stable times in thetree fruit industry in the last threeor four years,” he said. “There isnot the abandonment there was.”

In the early 2000s, manyorchards were pulled up as pricesdropped and growers were puttingmore money into growing theircrops than they were getting backfrom selling the fruit.

Some orchardists left theiruprooted trees where they fell; afew just walked away and let theirorchards sit, untended.

Pests moved in, threateningremaining orchards. Although appleswere the hardest hit, the whole

industry felt the effects.Five years ago, Tim Smith of

the Washington State UniversityTree Fruit Research and ExtensionCenter advised growers gatheredfor the Okanogan CountyHorticulture Association annualmeeting to use effectiveinsecticides and be vigilant intheir quest to eradicate cherryfruit fly, one of the opportunistic

pests that plague orchardists.Just one cherry fruit fly can

send an orchardist’s whole crop tofumigation, reducing its valuetremendously, he said.

In 2010, net orchard loss inOkanogan County was minimal,McCarthy said. There were 23,608

acres in tree fruit, down about 15acres from 2009.

“There are a lot of newplanting,” he said.

One way growers can tacklepests is through integrated pestmanagement, in which knowledgeof pest and natural enemy biologyand ecology is used, to makepredictions about infestations anddetermine control tactics.

Those tactics — from biologicaland chemical controls to genetics— are used to avoid crop loss,produce quality fruit andminimize harmful environmentaleffects, according to the

Washington Apple Commission.


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OKANOGAN – While areaweed offices are battling a fewstubborn, invasive species, arearesidents’ help is needed to knockthem out.

In Ferry County, aggressiveprograms have led to theeradication of many Class A weeds– those designated by the state asthe first to be eliminated.

Weed coordinator Mary Feesaid residents should still watchout for buffalobur and velvetleaf,two Class As recently knocked out.

For now, a few Class B-designates will get focus this year,Fee said.

Atop the the list are commonbugloss and hoary alyssum, joinedby Russian knapweed, spottedknapweed and orange hawkweed.

Last year, the county was ableto knock out plumeless thistle, andreduced leafy spurge to only twoactive sites, Fee said.

The program for 2011 willdepend on funding, as the officewaits to hear on grants.

Fee said the office can helpFerry County residents with thecosts of treating Class A and Bweeds, as well as do on-site visitsto help set up a weed managementplan.

Anyone has a weed problem,especially Class A varieties, shouldcontact the office, Fee said.

In Okanogan County, five ClassAs are being targeted.

Coordinator Anna Lyon saidthe two on the top of the list areMirabilis (wild four o’ clock) andspurge flax. The latter is hard tofind until it has become a hugepatch.

Other area Class As arebuffalobur, velvetleaf and Syrianbean caper.

Two new invaders to look forare hawkweeds and yellow starthistle, which are Class B’s, Lyonsaid.

She said her office wants to dothe same programs as before, butwith low funding will have to findmore effective and efficient waysto do them.

That could mean somepreviously grant-funded programsfree to landowners will now haveto become the landowners’responsibility. Instead of the weedoffice treating some infestations, itmight just oversee applications,she said.

The office hopes to keep all itseducational programs, especiallythe state pesticide applicationlicense re-certification classes.

Employees also have foundspeaking to area student camps

has helped raise awareness, Lyonsaid. Another option for saving costsis to cut back office hours.

Lyon said the weed office wouldwork with the Washington StateUniversity Extension office sosomeone is always there to answerquestions.

Lately, public awareness ofpuncturevine has led to a drop inits spread, Lyon said. The office isnot mandated to treat this weed,but encourages landowners toattack it themselves.

Puncturevine, or goat head,produces hard, spikes that canprick feet and puncture bicycletires.

The office will have to workwith whatever grants it gets and

then set a priority list, whichalways means Class A weeds ontop, Lyon said.

Some headway has been madeon Class A Mirabilis in the lastyear, Lyon said. Class B muskthistle and diffuse knapweed arenow in small patches, and are evenhard to find.

Class A spurge flax, present inthe county since 1997, haddropped down a bit, but last yearsaw another huge instance with 65acres having to be treated, Lyonsaid. That may have been becauseof the right weather conditions forthe plant.

People with weed problems orsuggestions for the office cancontact the weed office, Lyon said.


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OLYMPIA – Agricultural issuesmay get some attention in apredicted tumultuous session ofthe Washington Legislature thisyear.

Lawmakersare looking at theperennial issue ofwater rights andallocation, andthere may besome movementthis year, said12th District Rep.Mike Armstrong,R-Wenatchee.

His districtincludes part ofOkanoganCounty.

Water issuespopped upalready during ameeting withofficials of thestate Departmentof Ecology overpotential budgetcuts, he said.

Departmentofficials said budget cuts woulddelay granting water rights andArmstrong said he asked, “pointblank,” how the process could getany slower than it already is.

“The bottom line is they don’twant to issue water rights,” hesaid. “It’s a real frustration.”

The Legislature may have to actto force Ecology to get moving, hesaid, and there appears tobe abetter chance of that this yearthan in the past.

Among the bills alreadyintroduced is one that would takewater rights management away

from Ecology and establish aseparate, six-member board ofthree members from each side ofthe state.

Another would reviserelinquishment laws and use-it-or-lose-it clauses.

A third would revise thetransfer process.

Armstrong said he’s not sureany of them will pass, but any billthat’s introduced in this sessionautomatically will be reintroducedduring the 2012 session.

Facing budget cuts and staffreductions, agencies are lookingfor ways to raise revenue byraising fees, some of them onagriculture, Armstrong said.

He referred to the so-called“ladybug bill” that would establishfees for organic farmers who usebeneficial insects for pest control.

It’s going to be important forlegislators – and farmers – to keepan eye out for those proposals, hesaid.

Members of the WashingtonCattlemen’s Association visited12th District Sen. Linda EvansParlette, R-Wenatchee, last week,and left information detailing theirconcerns.

Cattle producers are

considering starting a producer-owned beef processing center inEastern Washington, and theywant state regulatory officials tohelp, and not hinder, theirresearch.

There are proposals in theLegislature to allow thedepartments of Natural Resourcesand Fish and Wildlife to sell landback into the private sector incertain circumstances —Washington Cattlemen memberssaid they support that.

They are asking for stateregulation that will allow access towater for cattle, and they supportbills that would allow ranchers touse lethal force against predatorssuch as cougars, wolves and bears.

Bills have been introduced thatwould expand a pilot program thatallows people to hunt cougars withdogs, Armstrong said.

“I think we have a real chanceto make some difference,” he said.

The 2010 election changed thebalance in the Legislature.

Although Democrats stillcontrol both chambers, they areinviting Republicans to play alarger role in shaping policy.

In addition, legislators whounderstand agriculture issues are

now playing a greater role in theleadership, he said.


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”

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”


TONASKET – Trichomoniasis,a reproductive disease affectingcattle, has emerged in OkanoganCounty, and will be the subject ofan upcoming informationalmeeting.

Although the disease does notaffect the meat of a beef herd, itcan be economically devastating toranchers.

Trichomoniasis is a sexuallytransmitted disease of cattle thatcauses infertility, open cows andoccasional abortions in cows andheifers. It is commonly referred toas “Trich.”

There are treatments available,according to Casey Kuchenbuch ofthe Haeberle Ranch, Omak.

The disease can spread easilythrough a herd.

Infected cattle frequently are

slaughtered.“We’re encouraging cattlemen

to test their bulls,” he said. “Rightnow, this is at a small stage.”

Since calves on the groundtranslate into income for thosewho raise beef herds, the diseaseis considered catastrophic tomany, he said.

The free informational meetingis planned for 6:30 p.m. Friday,Jan. 28, in the Tonasket HighSchool commons, 35 Highway 20.

State veterinarian LeonardEldridge will give an overview of“Trich” and procedures that can betaken to help prevent infection.

There will be testimony from

ranchers who have had to dealwith the disease in the past.

Those who raise cattle will begiven information about how toprevent Trich and how toeradicate the disease if it appearsin a herd, Kuchenbuch said.

Everyone with cattle isencouraged to attend, askquestions and give comments, hesaid.

During the meeting, NicoleKuchenbuch will give apresentation from the Coalitionfor Property Rights.


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CONCONULLY – George“Buzz” Berney likes to experimentand tinker with everything,including his cattle herd.

Some experiments are more orless successful; the experimentwith Irish Dexter cattle has beenthoroughly successful.

“I guess these guys could bedescribed as mini-cattle,” saidBerney, 74.

“They are one of the oldestbreeds in the world as a purebreed,” he said.

Optimum size for an IrishDexter bull, as far as breedstandards are concerned, is 45inches tall or less at the shoulder.An optimum-size bull will weigh600-650 pounds.

“That’s half to one-third thesize of some of the cows they’rebreeding nowadays,” he said.

They may not be big, butthey’re good.

Berney said the meat quality issimilar to the famous — andextremely expensive — Wagyu orKobe beef of Japan, and maybe asgood.

The cattle grow more slowlythan standard cattle breeds thatpopulate commercial herds, and ittakes longer for the animal toreach optimum size and meatquality — called finishing — “butthe meat quality is better,” he said.

Berney and his wife, Jean, havelived on their Conconully ranch alltheir married life, and they andtheir four sons have cattle all thattime.

Originally, his customersincluded people who wanted tobuy beef directly from theproducers – a half or quarter beef.

A smaller animal like an IrishDexter would – at leasttheoretically – be easier to sell.

“I could sell them half a beef inone animal this way,” he said.

That idea never panned out,since for regulatory reasons itwould’ve required Berney to sellthem live, rather than slaughteringthem first.

Still, the smaller cattleappealed to his experimental side.

He’s been experimenting with

breeding animals most of his life,he said.

“I was taken by the fact theseguys were small, and gentle if youtook the time to gentle them,” hesaid. “They are very easily tamed,like pets. But mine aren’t. I’venever run them that way.”

Berney’s Irish Dexters are liketheir bigger bovine cousins who’vespent most of their time on therange, and shy away from peoplewho approach them.

Berney said he wanted to tryraising them, and found a rancherin Western Washington who wasgetting older and wanted to sell.Berney bought a bull and four orfive heifers, “and that was toward20 years ago.”

It’s known, both fromanecdotes and through research,

that slower-growing cattle makehigher-quality steaks and roasts –more flavor, more marbling,tenderer.

Irish Dexters are slow growers,and they live longer than mostcattle, about 14-16 years.

And “birthing problems arealmost nonexistent,” Berney said.

He said he’s impressed withthe long-ago and anonymouscattle breeders who produced theanimals.

“There must’ve been people along time ago that did a lot ofsorting for quality,” he said.


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Berney takes on a small experimentIrish Dexter

mini-cattle are half

to a third the size

of standard bovines

Irish Dexterse, right, are smallerthan standard cattle. The meat issimilar to that of Japanese Wagyuor Kobe beef.

“

I was taken by the fact these guys

were small, and gentle if you took the

time to gentle them. They are

very easily tamed, like pets.Buzz Berney

”

Buzz Berney


yoyouoouyoyyoyoyyyoyouououuou.ONE FOCUS.

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The Chronicle

PULLMAN – Washington StateUniversity has developed a newapple, known as WA 5.

According to the university, thefruit ripens in early to mid-September, after Galas, and isround and medium-sized. It has ared-orange stripe over a yellowbackground, and experiences littlerusseting or bitter pit.

The apple is crisp, very juicyand firm out of storage. It has agood sugar-to-acid balance.

Trees are compact andproductive, with moderatesusceptibility to mildew and fireblight.

The apple is a cross ofSplendour and Coop 15.

WA 5 is available for growerevaluation, and follows on theheels of last year’s WA 2.

Trees will be distributed thisyear under the commercializationplan developed by the WashingtonTree Fruit Research Commission,the master licensee.

The plan is designed to ensurefair access by all growers in thestate, protect WSU intellectualproperty and ensure accessibilityto the university’s apple breedingprogram.

Growers can apply for treesnow, WSU officials said.

Application forms are availableat www.treefruitresearch.com.

WSUdevelopsnewapple

The Chronicleproudly supportsthe agriculturecommunity in

Okanogan County!www.omakchronicle.com

618 Okoma Drive, Omak509-826-1110 800-572-3446


Public Utility District No. 1

of Okanogan County1331 2nd Ave. N., Okanogan, 422-3310 • 1500 Main, Oroville, 476-3531 18 1st. Ave. W., Omak, 422-8380 • 307 S. Western Ave., Tonasket, 486-2131 101 S. Bridge, Brewster, 689-2502 • 201 Hwy. 20 South, Twisp, 997-2526

Your Okanogan County PUD has an array of energy efficient measures to help stretch your

operating budget. Our Energy Services Department can pull together a mix of energy

experts, technicians, energy evaluations and financing programs that creates a collective approach

to finding solutions to save energy, water and ultimatelydollars. Irrigation systems delivering the right amount ofwater at the right time and pumps and motors working efficiently helps to ensure that your hard earned dollars areworking as hard as you.

Call your Okanogan County PUD Energy Services Office at(509) 422-8427 or 422-8428 and speak with a staff member.See what programs and resources they have to offer for enhanced performance and to ensure your continued success.

OKANOGAN COUNTY PUD AND OUR CUSTOMERS -A PARTNERSHIP FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY!

agriculture 2011

Documents

omakokanogan countychronicle

tree fruit meetingtopics

tree fruit industrywill

chelan freshmarketing

chelan fruitco

extension center

omakokanogancounty chronicle

wsu tree fruitresearch