APRIL 2014 Old Armory, Fourth & Lyon, Albany, Oregon...

UUPPDDAATTEEUUPPDDAATTEEAPRIL 2014 Old Armory, Fourth & Lyon, Albany, Oregon 97321, Phone 541-967-3871 VOL. XXXIV No. 4

people helping people grow

OSU’S OREGONSMALL FARMSCONFERENCE

BY MARY STEWART

Every year between theend of harvest and thebeginning of the grow-ing season, farmers

gather at OSU Extension’s Oregon Small Farms Conferenceto learn how to sharpen theirtools — and not just shear bladesfor shearing sheep or loppers forpruning trees, but sharpeningtheir intellectual tools of farm-ing knowledge.

Learn the Latest TechniquesAt the 14th annual conference

in February, 751 farmers, agricul-ture professionals, food policyadvocates, students, and man-agers of farmers markets traveledfrom Oregon, Washington, Cali-fornia, and New Mexico to attendthe daylong event. Their com-mon reason for coming was tolearn the latest strategies in suc-cessful small farm management.According to Chrissy Lucas,conference registrar, the 2014conference had the third highestattendance on record.

Network with OthersConference attendees also

came to make connections withfellow growers and other expertswho might hold solutions to theirfarming issues. “The conferenceattracts such a diverse group offarmers — from those just startingout to those who have been doingthis for more than 30 years and

even a lifetime,” says Melissa Fery,an OSU Extension faculty whoco-manages the Small Farmsprogram in the mid-WillametteValley with Amy Garrett.

Solutions to Unique IssuesPaul Harcombe, 68, is a North

Albany small farmer who cameto this year’s conference to learnhow to improve production onhis five-acre farm and to findpeople who might be a source ofsmall-size farming equipment

built in the 30’s, 40’s or 50’s.The old-time tractors and other

implements Paul is seeking have ashort handling radius, whichmakes them the perfect tools fornavigating narrow growing plotsof vegetables and specialty seeds.“In a farm as small as mine, astandard combine would barelyhave room to turn around,” saysPaul with a smile.

A Choice of 24 SessionsIn addition to networking,

Paul attended five of the 24sessions, including Grain Qual-ity and Storage for Small-ScaleProducers; Schools and Hospi-tals: Good Markets for SmallFarms?; Transition to Organic101; Small Farm Profitability;and the Keynote Session withMichael Ableman — Coming ofAge: Stories, Images and Mani-festos from the Frontiers of Foodand Agriculture.

The 24 class sessions werecarefully selected by a planning

team of OSU Extension facultyand staff. “We try to create sessions on topics that are rele-vant, timely, and will hopefullymeet the many needs andwants,” says Melissa.

“Keynoter Michael Ablemanwas the highlight of my day,”says Paul. “I found him to be aninspiring guy, and he really lit aspark in me,” he adds. Paul grewup in the Willamette Valley andreturned five years ago afterteaching for 35 years at RiceUniversity as a professor ofEcology and Evolutionary Biology. “I left the valley to goto college and always plannedto return to live and farm,” heexplains.

Now Paul produces corn,beans, and squash for a seedcompany, soft white winterwheat and new varieties of barley grain sold at the FarmersMarket and Delicata, sweetmeat and butternut squashesfor direct market and restau-rants.

Hoedown CelebrationAccording to Amy Garrett,

many chose to cap off the day byattending the SFC hoe down. Theevent offered square dancing (noexperience required), live music,locally-produced food and beer.The hoe down extended the op-portunity for conference-goers to interact, to learn from eachother, and to build lastingfriendships.“In fact,” says Amy,“this hoedown marked the wed-ding day of a couple who met atthe Oregon Small Farms Confer-ence a year ago.”

PHOTO BY MARY STEWART

Small farm owner Paul Harcombe visits with a USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service staff

about soil health practices.The Oregon Small Farms Conference included vendors, educational ses-

sions and the chance to meet and learn from other small farmers.

From Horticulture to Hoedown

BY ROBIN GALLOWAYOne of the wonderful as-

pects of being employed byOSU Extension is hearingabout continuing educa-tional opportunities. I justcompleted taking the Ore-gon Master Naturalist(OMN) course through theProfessional and ContinuingEducation department atOSU. With Oregon MasterNaturalist Online, you canlearn about natural history,ecology and natural resourcemanagement practices bystudying many aspects ofOregon’s environment.

This research-basedcourse is offered each year inJanuary and September. Thenext session runs Sept. 8 toDec. 5, 2014.

The class is designed forthose interested in Oregon’snatural history and how ourstate’s natural resources aresustainably managed.

Chapters are written byExtension and other expertsin their field. Our own re-gional administrator, DerekGodwin was a co-author onthe Oregon Watershedschapter, written back whenhe was the OSU ExtensionWatershed ManagementSpecialist.

We learned about: • Natural history of

plants, animals, habitats andgeology.

• History and processes oflandscape change.

• Relevant topics in pres-ent-day sustainable naturalresource management.

There are two parts to theclass currently: An on-lineterm-long course, and anEcoregion section, which ison-site field trips. Students

passing the course can be-come a certified OregonMaster Naturalist. The on-line cost is $225; includingan Ecoregion is $325.

Jason O’Brien, withForestry and Natural Resources Extension at

Oregon State University isthe program coordinator,instructor for the course,and did a super job as thewebsite facilitator. Therewere about 46 studentsfrom all over Oregon takingthe course. Each week hadinteresting course modulesto read, we got to do an as-signment which pertainedto the topic and our per-sonal interest, took a self-assessment exam, and in-teracted with other throughthe Blackboard discussiontool. There was also a finalexam (note to self — study abit next time before takingit!). Jason made personalcomments on every stu-dent’s homework occasion-ally during the course.There got to be some reallyinteresting (and sometimescontroversial) discussionsabout managing Oregonlands, opinions on globalwarming, etc. These inter-actions were totally pacedby the student, and wecould get really involved,or do the minimum.

I highly recommend thisclass to adults who want tocontinue their knowledgeof Oregon natural resources, in a self-directedstudy. And it’s a good wayto become introduced tothe new-fangled technol-ogy of on-line classes theydo on them-there computerthingies!

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn2 APRIL 2014

New Extension publications

available!

The following Extension resources arenow available online:

EM 8328, 2014 — hazelnut pest management guide

for the Willamette ValleyAuthors: Jay W. Pscheidt, Ed Peachey, and

Vaughn WaltonRevised: March 2014, 16 pages, NC• https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/

bitstream/handle/1957/46564/em8328.pdf

EM 8329, 2014 — cherry pest management guide


Steve CastagnoliRevised: March 2014, 15 ages, NC• https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/


EM 8421, 2104 — walnut pest management guide


Vaughn WaltonRevised: March 2014, 7 pages, NC• https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/


EM 8362 — Prune and Plum: 2014 Pest Management Guide

for the Willamette ValleyAuthors: JJay W. Pscheidt, Ed Peachey, and

Steve CastagnoliRevised: March 2014, 11 pages, NC• https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/


EM 8418, Apple — 2014 Pest Management Guide


Steve CastagnoliRevised:March 2014, 14 pages, NC• https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/

BY BRAD WITHROW-ROBINSONExtension has an extensive catalog of

publications and videos about forestryand natural resources, aside from themonthly page in UPDATE (see page 16).Here are some new and revised Exten-sion resources now available online:

Managing Woodland Roads: Afield guide (PNW 641), 2013. SteveBowers & Paul Adams. 104 pages, or-dered on line $11.00.

A full-color field guide to building and

maintaining unpaved roads in woodlandareas. Contains information on roadshapes and surfaces, cross-drainage struc-tures, stream crossings, wet-weather op-erations, and inspection and maintenanceregimes. Discusses legal issues and con-tracts; culvert sizing; designs for fish pas-sage; road capacity; and filtering methods.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat-alog/abstract.php?seriesno=PNW+641

Identifying and Managing Moun-tain Beaver Damage to Forest Resources

(EM 9063), 2013. Jimmy Taylor, DonivanSphar & Glenn Ahrens. 8 pages.

• http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/41675/em9063.pdf

Attracting Birds of Prey for Ro-dent Control (EC 1641) 2012. ShilahOlson, Karen Lamson, Mike Omeg, BrianTuck, Susan Kerr and Ellen Hammond.2 pages, with links to audio files.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat-alog/pdf/ec/ec1641_toc.pdf

PHOTO PROVIDED

Extension forester Brad Withrow-Robinson teaches a class

at Oregon Master Naturalist training.

Extension offers woodland reading

Oregon Master Naturalist Course

UPDATE — people helping people growUPDATE is a monthly publication owned and ad-ministered by the Linn County Extension Asso-ciation, a 501(c)(3) federal income tax exempt or-ganization. The Albany Democrat-Herald, undera contract with the Linn County Extension Asso-ciation, prints UPDATE. Content of UPDATE isfurnished by Linn County Extension Associationmembers, Linn County Extension service agents

and other organizations that contract with LinnCounty Extension Association to print a newslet-ter for their constituencies. Advertising is pro-vided by the Albany Democrat-Herald and doesnot reflect any product endorsement by the aboveAssociation, Agents or Service. The Albany De-mocrat-Herald is located at 600 Lyon St., S.W.,Albany, Oregon. Telephone 541-926-2211.

EXTENSION OFFICE HOURSThe Linn County office of the OSU Extension Service is located in the Old Armory Building on thecourner of Fourth Avenue and Lyon Street in Albany. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon-day through Friday. Phone 541-967-3871. Seed Certification phone 541-967-3810.

ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM SUPPORT SERVING LINN COUNTYOffice Manager — Rosemary Weidman 541-967-3871 x 2396Office Specialist — Laurie Gibson 541-967-3871 x 2391Office Specialist — Michele Webster 541-967-3871County Leader — Robin Galloway 541-967-3871Regional Administrator — Derek Godwin 541-967-3871Communications, editor -— Mary Stewart 541-967-3871

SEED CERTIFICATION**Doug Huff, Tamara Fowler 541-967-3810

LINN COUNTY EXTENSION FAX NUMBER: 541-967-9169LINN COUNTY EXTENSION WEB SITE: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

UPDATE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEELaurie Gibson Robin Galloway Mary Stewart, Editor Kate Schell

LINN COUNTY EXTENSION ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERSKent Burkholder Joy Chase Melissa Corrick Peter Kennagy Rich Little

Tim Rice Jess Ropp Al Severson

Oregon State University offers educational programs, activities and materials — without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital sta-

tus, disability, and disabled veterans or Vietnam-era veteran status — as required by Title VI of theCivil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION FACULTYAND PROGRAM ASSISTANTS SERVING LINN COUNTY

4-H Youth Development — Robin Galloway 541-967-3871 x 23994-H Youth Development — Karissa Dishon 541-967-3871 x 23954-H Youth Development — Anne O’Rourke 541-967-3871

Commercial Agriculture (CA) CA Livestock & Forages — Shelby Filley* 541-672-4461CA Orchard & Berry Crops — Ross Penhallegon* 541-344-1709CA Small Farms — Melissa Fery* 541-766-6750CA Small Farms — Amy Garrett* 541-766-6750Community Horticulture — Brooke Edmunds 541-967-3871Family & Community Health (FCH) — Janice Gregg 541-967-3871 x 2830Community Horticulture — Pami Opfer 541-967-3871 x 2836FCH Oregon Family Nutrition Program (OFNP) — Tina Dodge Vera 541-967-3871 x 2392FCH OFNP — Adejoke Babatunde 541-967-3871FCH OFNP — Iris Carrasc• 541-967-3871FCH OFNP — Leonor Chavez 541-967-3871FCH OFNP — Ana Lu Fonseca 541-967-3871Forestry, Natural Resources — Brad Withrow-Robinson* 541-967-3871

LLiinnnn CCoouunnttyy EExxtteennssiioonn AAssssoocciiaattiioonnAPRIL 2014 3

YES, I want to support the Linn County Extension Association. Here is my annual membership donation.

Name______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________________________

Zip____________ Phone______________________ Email_________________________________________________

___$250 Sponsor ___$100 Benefactor ____$50 Sustaining Member ____$25 Contributing $______ Any amount

Make checks payable to “Linn County Extension Association,” P.O. Box 1851, Albany, Oregon 97321

JOIN LCEA!

Change is hard, but in-evitable in every-thing. UPDATE is a

partnership between theLinn County ExtensionAssociation (LCEA) andOSU Extension in LinnCounty. The monthlynewspaper has had a verysimilar look every monthfor decades. There are ar-ticles written by the LCEAPresident, OSU Extensionstaff, and features done byboth staff and a contractedwriter. It’s been a tool forsharing innovative newprograms, and highlight-ing the amazing range ofeducational opportunitiesoffered by OSU Extensionin Linn County.

Over the years, theLCEA Board of Directorsand OSU Extension staffkept a close eye on thecosts to produce, print anddistribute the paper. BobMcNitt was the paper’sChampion, caretaker, andeagle eye manager regard-ing finances. In the 1980s,it was lovingly typed up atthe Brownsville Times byRalph Sands and his staff.They waxed the copy,carefully stuck it ontosheets of paper, and hur-

ried to Corvallis to get itprinted. If words wereslightly crooked by thetime it was in reader’shands that just added tothe hometown feel of anag-oriented piece! RobinGalloway was the con-tracted feature writer, thenbecame the business man-ager after Bob put downhis pen.

One constant was the financial, editorial, andhands-on support byLCEA. For many years theExtension HomemakersStudy Groups assembledat the office to put mailinglabels on the papers, sort

by zip code, and then mailout to thousands of eagerreaders all over the coun-try. As far as we know, thefarthest readers were Bob’sparents back in New York,and a Poodle named “Puddles” in Brevard,North Carolina!

A new era began whenthe Albany Democrat-Her-ald (DH) started printingthe paper, and inserting itinto the DH at the begin-ning of every month. Thismove improved the ap-pearance, the productionprocess, and gave UPDATEmore exposure to the gen-eral public. Our partner-

ship with the DH has beena wonderful method toshare the knowledge ofOSU Extension staff withreaders.

As Extension staff haschanged, so has the abilityto write for the monthlypaper. Way back when,UPDATE was the primarytool for agents to commu-nicate with their clientele.Nowadays they use e-mail, Facebook, texts,maybe even tweets, etc.Social media has providedan instant tool to get outthe most up-to-the-minute information —making a monthly publi-cation outdated by thetime it’s printed. Thatmeans information needsto have a different pur-posed determined by themedia method.

Readers now can viewthe paper on the internet,through the OSU Exten-sion webpage at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn/. We knowthat many people still liketo sit with a real papercopy, too, and plan to ac-commodate readers in avariety of formats.

UPDATE is Getting Updated!EXTRA EXTRA

Here’s the Hot Scoop!The new format for UPDATE is in process. We can

reveal a few changes which have been decided so far.• UPDATE was a great name in 1985. However, in

2014, it’s being updated to be called GROWING. Grow-ing families, growing crops, growing 4-H youth, grow-ing livestock, growing LCEA’s ability to support OSUExtension in Linn County … you get the root of the idea.

• GROWING will be an every-other-month paper.The first issue of the new and improved paper will hityour mailbox around May 1st.

That’s all the news that’s fit to print. Next monthwe’ll know more, and keep you updated (see, that’sstill a good term)!

The Santiam 4-H GardenClub’s winter session ended ona high note. Curious eyes fo-cused on the seed experimentand the germination results.

As a recycling project, chil-dren brought in old t-shirts andmade them into tote bags. Theyalso snacked on Cuban bakedbananas topped with low-fatvanilla yogurt, a recipe that canbe found on www.foodhero.org.

Future gardeners also learnedabout soil components andwhat makes healthy plants.With their new repurposed bagsthey were able to carry theirradish, sunflower, nasturtiumand kale plants home.

Special thanks to all the vol-unteers - Heather, Jackie, Bill,Jo, and Linda for making it asuccess. Gardening. Get goodat it.

4-H Garden Club wraps up with a party

Oregon State Universityhas launched a new centerthat aims to strengthensmall farms and communityfood systems. OSU’s Centerfor Small Farms and Com-munity Food Systems isan outgrowth of theOSU ExtensionService’s SmallFarms program. Itexpands the pro-gram’s work withsmall farms pro-duction and mar-keting to provide aplatform for collaborationacross OSU and Oregon,which will help the Centersupport farmers and buildstrong local and regionalfood systems.

The Center for SmallFarms and Community FoodSystems was established toexpand OSU’s leadership inthis area, integrating out-reach and Extension withteaching and applied re-search. The Center reachesacross OSU and Oregon toengage with public and pri-vate sector partners to de-velop and deliver programsthat achieve our goals: suc-cessful, resilient smallfarms, robust communityfood systems, and students

with high “food IQ.”The OSU Small Farms

Program is nationally recog-nized for Extension and ap-plied research. For morethan 15 years, the Program

has broken newground, with be-

ginning farmere d u c a t i o n ;whole farmmanagement;women’s farm-

ing networks;annual small

farms conference;small acreage steward-

ship; organic farming re-search; and market channelresearch. Through these ini-tiatives, the Program hashelped build strong localfood systems in Oregon.

The Center broadens anddeepens this work, buildingon this success in four spe-cific ways:

1. Expand the ExtensionSmall Farms Program byadding new field facultyaround Oregon. This is a keygoal.

2. Act as a hub and cata-lyst at OSU for innovative,cross-disciplinary researchand outreach relevant tosmall farms and communityfood systems.

3. Enhance engagementwith Oregon’s growing net-work of statewide and com-munity-based food andfarming non-profits. Theseorganizations help shapeCenter priorities andstrengthen our long-termmutual capacity.

4. Offer college coursesthat use a “connecting fieldto campus” approach to trainthe next generation of farm-ers, consumers, scientists,and community leaders.

The OSU Extension SmallFarms Program has alwaysbeen about more than justsmall farms. We have alwaysunderstood that for smallfarms to be successful, thereneeds to be consumers whoare both willing and able tobuy local food, businessesthat want to sell it, and pol-icy that supports it. These areall part of a successful and

sustainable local food econ-omy. Establishing the centerallows us to take this work tothe next level. Rural andurban communities in Ore-gon are engaging with theirfood systems around issuesof human health, long-termcommunity economic devel-opment and access to healthyfood for all Oregonians. Thiseffort puts OSU on the mapas explicitly valuing a foodsystems approach.

We are building a 21st cen-tury Center: lean, entrepre-neurial, and sustainablyfunded. A crucial ingredientto adding more ExtensionSmall Farms positions in areasof Oregon that are currentlynot served is through privatedonations. Help us build anendowment to expand ourwork. For more informationcontact: Jack Holpuch, OSUFoundation, 541-737-9636.

SSmmaallll FFaarrmmsshttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

Amy Garrett541-766-6750 [email protected]

4 APRIL 2014

Melissa Ferry 541-766-6750

[email protected]

Commercial Agriculture

Learn aboutRaising Pigs

If you are new to raising pigs or planning to getstarted soon, this is the class for you.

Gene Pirelli, Swine Specialist, and Dr. CharlesEstill, VMD, both with OSU Extension Service,will be teaching about basic health topics includ-ing vaccinations, diseases to be aware of, feedingand nutrition. There will be plenty of time builtin specifically for addressing your questions, sodon’t miss this opportunity to get the answersyou’ve been looking for.

The class will be held Tuesday, April 8 at theOldfield Animal Teaching Facility on the OSUCampus in Corvallis from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Pre-registration is required. Online registration isavailable at: http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/south-valley/events, or by contactingChrissy at [email protected] or541-766-3556.

A portion of the SouthernWillamette Valley has beendesignated as a Groundwa-ter Management Area by theDepartment of Environ-mental Quality due to ele-vated nitrate levels in wellwater. While it is especiallyimportant for householdswith pregnant women ornewborns to test for nitratebecause of a rare type ofblue-baby syndrome, all

homes with private wellsshould be aware of their ni-trate level.

For a free nitrate screen-ing, bring ½ cup of un-treated well water in aclean, water-tight con-tainer. You may either waitfor your results (the testtakes 5 to 10 minutes if thewell water clinic is notbusy), or leave your contactinformation for the results

to be delivered after theclinic date.

Clinics are currentlyscheduled for:

• April 12 at the JunctionCity Community Showcase,1755 Juniper St, JunctionCity from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• April 30 at the MonroeHigh School, 365 North 5thStreet, Monroe from 5-8 p.m.

A water quality educatorwill be available during

clinic times to answer ques-tions about well water andseptic tank issues. For addi-tional information on wellwater and septic systems,free Rural Living Basicsclasses, and other nitratescreening events, visit theOSU Extension Servicewebsite http://extension.oregonstate.edu/benton.

For more information,call 541-766-3556.

PROVIDED PHOTO

New Small Farms Center at OSU

Extension Service offering free well water screenings

LLiivveessttoocckk && FFoorraaggeessShelby Filley, 541-672-4461, [email protected] ◆ http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn


APRIL 2014 5

How’s the sheep business goingfor you? Do you really knowhow productive your sheep are

and where you stand in overall effi-ciency of production? The dreary daysand long nights of winter are an excel-lent time to evaluate your sheep en-terprise. And, I have just the thingthat can get you started on an evalua-tion for your flock.

Jim Thompson, OSU Extension Sheep Spe-cialist, has written an excellent publication ti-tled Evaluation of Flock Production. The articleprovides a comprehensive list of important per-formance indicators, along with the formulas tohelp you calculate them and explanations on in-terpreting the results. You can use the data toevaluate your flock’s performance and to makeimprovements if needed.

The specific performance indicators in theevaluation include the following:

• Percent of ewes exposed that lamb • Percent of ewes that settle on first cycle• Percent of lamb crop born of ewes exposed• Percent lamb crop born of ewes lambing• Percent of lamb mortality from birth to

weaning• Average weaning weight

I encourage you to get the article, go throughthe calculations, and use the information tomake any changes necessary to ensure goodproduction in your flock! The article is posted tothe Regional Livestock & Forages Website. Findit now at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/dou-glas/L&F/pdf/LnF0703EvalSheepProd.pdf. Youcan also call the Linn Co. /OSU Extension Ser-vice to obtain a printed copy.

This is a multi-part seriesincluding sessions on forageassessment, harvest man-agement, irrigation, reno-vation techniques, and fer-tility. We will meet onweekday evenings indoorsstarting in early April andrun through October of2014 (except July and Au-gust). To demonstrate theprinciples of the series, wewill have a “project ranch”that we work on together,including site visits (timeand date determined by thegroup) and an on-line doc-ument sharing and blog.The project ranch will be theWilson Farm, the OSUsheep facility with sheepand cattle grazing the pas-tures. You can also work onyour own ranch as a sideproject if desired. The ob-jective of the series is toimprove knowledge aboutmanaging forage on proper-ties in the Willamette Val-ley. Please [email protected] or call Shelby at 541-672-4461 for more infor-mation and to let her knowyou are interested.

Instructors: Shelby Filley(lead), other OSU faculty,and local experts

Fee: $25 per evening ses-sion per individual or ranchfamily/group ($100 for theseries of five sessions)

Dates/Locations: Wednes-day, April 9, 2014, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Oldfield AnimalTeaching Facility in Corval-lis; other meetings dateswill be determined by thegroup; other meeting loca-tions will include site visitsto the project ranch andpossibly other participants’ranches.

Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Time: 6:30 - 8 a.m.Location: Pioneer Villa Restau-

rant — Truck Stop off I-5 at exit 216Speaker: Dr. Brad LeaMaster,

Oregon Department of AgricultureState Veterinarian

Topics: Brucellosis in Cattle,Sheep, and Goats

Fee: Free to all (supported byLinn-Benton County OSU Exten-sion Service)

Dr. LeaMaster will give a pres-entation on Brucellosis in cattle,

sheep, and goats. Dr. LeaMasterwill provide information on the re-productive diseases caused byBrucellosis and how to controlthem for improved productivity inour flocks and herds. He will alsohave a publication or two on the

topic. Please take this opportunityto join us, and as always, feel freeto bring a friend. For more infor-mation contact: Joel at 541-466-5344 or [email protected],or Shelby at541-672-4461 [email protected].

PHOTOS BY SHELBY FILLEY

Local sheep pro-

ducer sorts ewes

by productivity.

At right, aim for

ewes to birth,

raise, and wean

twins.

OSU ForageManagementSeries

Sheep Production Starts with Evaluation

Linn-Benton Livestock & Forage Breakfast program

6 APRIL 2014

CCoommmmeerrcciiaall AAggrriiccuullttuurree FFiieelldd CCrrooppsshttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

SOUTHVALLEYCROPNOTES

APRIL• Watch for outbreaks

of striped rust in wheat.• Control septoria on

winter wheat when theflag leaf is emerging, usu-ally late- April to early May(Feekes growth stage 8).This is also a critical spraytiming for rust control.

• Don’t forget to signup your Seed CertificationCrop Inspection forms.The deadline is April 15.

• Complete N fertilizerapplications on grassseed fields to meet thepeak uptake demand thatoccurs during April.

• As temperatureswarm in April, preventphenoxy drift problemsby using less volatile her-bicide formulations, driftreduction nozzles, andgood spraying practices.

• Application of Bravoon orchardgrass at bootand early head emer-gence remain the twomost cost effective timesto control headblight.Watch for boot stage inmid to late April.

• Control billbugs withinsecticide if needed inearly April on orchard-grass seed fields.

• Begin plant growthregulator application ongrass seed when you caneasily detect two nodesin the stem.

• Scout fields foraphids and Cereal LeafBeetle in wheat and grassseed fields through May.

BY NICOLE ANDERSONThis year there will be

several spring wheat vari-eties available for growersto consider. The accom-panying table lists thesoft white spring wheat varieties in the preferredorder for the WillametteValley based on OSUspring wheat variety trialdata.

All varieties can be planted after mid-February with the generalthought that yield potential is greater withearly plantings. Laterplantings will benefitfrom irrigation.

The recommendedseeding rate is 33 seeds/ft2.

This will result in 120-150 lb/acre depending onseed size. Approximately 1 lb/acre of N fertilizerper expected bushel isrecommended and can beapplied at planting or justbefore jointing.

Generally, all of the avail-able varieties are susceptibleto stripe rust and will requireat least one fungicide application. It is importantto scout for insect pests likecereal leaf beetle and treatwith a registered insecticide as needed.

There are several plantgrowth regulators (PGRs)now available for use oncereal crops. If lodging isa concern, PGRs are agood tool to keep the crop standing howeversignificant yield increasesshould not be expected iflodging is not a problem.

Recent OSU yield datafor the Willamette Valleycan be found online at:http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/wheat.

Nicole Anderson is anOSU North Valley Field

Crops Agent & MikeFlowers, OSU Extension

Cereal Specialist.

The Field Crops posi-tion held by Paul Mar-quardt was approved tobe refilled immediatelyafter Paul announced hisresignation in early Janu-ary and we began thesearch process.

The position had a fullconsideration closingdate of February 28, andfrom the pool of morethan 30 applicants in

place at that time, twowell qualified applicantswere selected for inter-view in early April.

Additional applicationswill be reviewed follow-ing the final closing dateof March 18, and addi-tional interviews will bescheduled if warranted.We hope to have the newperson in place by thissummer if at all possible.

With this new facultymember on board, we willbe back to a WillametteValley county-based fieldcrops staff of two.

When budgets improve,our intent is to add athird position back to theMid-Valley.

Update provided byRuss Karow, Head, CSSCrop and Soil Science.

South Willamette Valley ExtensionField Crops Position Update

Your Spring WheatOptions for 2014

Variety Y ield Potential Stripe Rust Hessian Fly Lodging RiskAlturas High MR/MS S Medium-HighDiva High MR/MS MR/R Medium-HighLouise High MS MR Medium-HighWhit High MS R Medium-HighAlpowa High-Medium MS S Medium-HighBabe High MS MR Medium-High

S — susceptible, MS— moderately susceptible, MR— moderately resistant, R— resistant

BY MARY G. GRIMES

What comes to mind that happenseach April? Ag-Fest! The LinnCounty Farm Bureau is helping

staff Oregon Farm Bureau Women’s Advi-sory Council Booth at this year’s AgFest, onSaturday and Sunday, April 26 & 27, at theOregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

Here we are some26 years later withmore than 30,000Dirt Babies and otherassorted agriculturalcreated crafts made,and AgFest is stillgoing strong. What agreat way to educatechildren about agri-culture…fun andplay while learning.Linn County FarmBureau will be helping staff the OFBF WAC booth,which is a title sponsor. The popular Dirt Babiescraft is free and lots of fun.

Since 98% of the population is removed from thenatural resource community, AgFest is an opportu-nity for a touch-and-taste experience of wherefood and fiber come from and how they are pro-duced. Many agriculture groups will be setting upshop with lots of free fun things for kids (andadults) to do. Children up to age 12 are admittedfree, those over 12 will pay $9. Parking is free.

Bring the family and make it a day of learningabout osmosis, germination, and photosynthesiswhen you make a Dirt Baby in the OFBF booth.Learning is fun and growing Dirt Babies is science!Imagine that!

LLiinnnn CCoouunnttyyFFaarrmm BBuurreeaauu

Don Cersovski,541-995-8310

Celebrating 26 Years

AGFEST

By now, there is proba-bly no one producer left inOregon who is not at leastsomewhat aware of theimportant relationship be-tween nutrient manage-ment and water quality -excess nutrients in fieldslead to excess nutrients inwater. The trick, of course,is knowing the amount ofnutrients actually neededin the soil to maximizecrop profitability.

Soil labs and fieldagronomists have tradi-tionally been reluctant tooffer soil biology tests,partly due to costly, com-plicated (and outdated)methods. Renewed inter-est in soil quality (read anyfarming periodical) is in-creasingly motivating re-searchers and growers. It’sbeen believed that soil bi-ology is of academic inter-est only — or an exclusivedomain of organic growingalone.

Why test soil microbes?The quantity of active soilmicrobes — fungi and bac-teria — can be representedby actual living carbon as-sociated with respiring(live) cells producing CO2within a soil system. Theseliving microbial activitiesare associated with manypositive properties such astransforming chemicals,aiding pesticide degrada-tion, facilitating the re-lease of nitrogen from or-ganic matter and con-tributing to soil aggrega-tion. The latter propertyalone may account formore than 50% of a soil’sability to resist erosion.

These perennial ques-tions have been the sub-ject of recent research bythe USDA’s Agricultural

Research Service at theGrassland, Soil and Waterresearch laboratory inTemple, Texas. Rick Haneyis an ARS soil scientist atthe facility. He has beencollaborating with NRCSand Districts this spring toshare with farmers the in-novative changes in soiltesting that he has beenworking with recently tobenefit both water qualityand farm profitability. Thetest referred to as theHaney Test or CO2 burstmethod. The researchcombines the old and thenew when it comes to soiltesting.

Haney and colleagueshave been running com-parisons of soil respirationand nitrogen mineraliza-tion using a number oftraditional methods. One

test called 7-day N-min,has shown surprisinglygood correlations to therapid CO2-burst methodthat USDA has developed.The 7-day N-min meas-ures microbial activity andnutrient-release in an in-direct, time-consumingprocess, and labs are hesi-tant to use it, or if they do,they have to charge morethan farmers may be will-ing to pay. Yet the infor-mation is vital to under-standing how to savecostly nitrogen fertilizer-without losing any yields -plus it shows you some-thing important about soilbiological health.

Researchers haven’tbeen able to account for itbefore because theyhaven’t been able to see it.Since they haven’t seen

the water extractable or-ganic nitrogen pool before,they are shocked at whatthey are finding, especiallyif you have been applyingpoultry litter or manure.They see this huge shiftfrom inorganic nitrogen toan organic nitrogen pooland that is really impor-tant. They’re starting tounderstand why manuresupplies nutrients foryears instead of just onegrowing season. That poolis four times bigger thanthey thought it would be.

Researchers are goingkind of old school on someof it. They are extractingthe soil with water becausethat is what the soil actu-ally sees out in the field.Then they’re doing a mi-crobial respiration test thatthey haven’t really had the

ability to do before. Re-searchers are looking atorganic nitrogen com-pounds out of soil from thewater extract that theyweren’t able to see before,but they can see it now be-cause of the technology.They’re using a more inte-grated approach to try tounderstand what is hap-pening in these systems.Instead of trying to figureout a whole lot of thingsfrom one thing, they’reusing a whole lot of thingsto figure out one thing.Since they are looking atthe organic nitrogen com-pounds in the soil as awhole, they’re seeing $15 to$20 per acre savings in ni-trogen. With the new soiltesting methods, re-searchers can get a moreaccurate handle on howmuch nitrogen is actuallyavailable to plants. The peracre savings in nitrogenuse have clear environ-mental benefits, but theyalso have significant eco-nomic benefits.

In one of Haney’s recentstudies, three fertilizerrate treatments were eval-uated: no fertilizer (con-trol), traditional rate, andreduced rate based on hisenhanced soil testingmethod at nine sites inTexas. At each location,fertilizer data (formula-tion, rate, cost, and appli-cation date) and crop datafor wheat, corn, oats, andgrain sorghum (yield,price, and harvest date)were recorded, and the netprofit for each crop wasdetermined. In the four-year study, fertilizer rateswere reduced 30% to 50%and fertilizer costs werereduced 23% to 39% based

on enhanced soil testmethod recommenda-tions, but yields were notsignificantly reduced (0-6%). The oat yields actu-ally increased 5%.

Even if it is saving just$5 or $6 an acre, if you arefarming 1,000 acres, thatis a significant amount ofmoney. Haney is saying,they’re trying to help youget as much out of natureas you can and then sup-plement the rest you need.We need to accuratelymeasure what is there tobegin with because that isbetter for everything.

The profitability de-creased less than 1% forcorn and increased 7% to18% for wheat, oats, andgrain sorghum with re-duced fertilizer rates. Al-though these changes werenot significant, they dorepresent potential benefitthrough increased profitand decreased input costand production risk. Inonly 6% of the time wasthe traditional fertilizerrate the most profitable,compared to 51% for theunfertilized treatment andfor the 43% for the en-hanced soil test treatment.These results do not indi-cate that fertilizer appli-cation should be avoided,but that fertilizer ratesshould be carefully chosenconsidering all sources ofplant available nutrients toensure that fertilizer is ap-plied at the optimal rate.

Finding uses for this testin the Valley is of interestto the District and NRCS.If you interest in the CO2burst test or would likemore information Contactyour District or NRCSDistrict Conservationist.

SSooiill && WWaatteerr CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn DDiissttrriiccttKevin Seifert, 541-926-2483 ◆ http://www.linnswcd.org/ APRIL 2014 7

Understanding a Haney Test.

Respiration Testing Your Soil

CCoommmmuunniittyy HHoorrttiiccuullttuurree

Pami Opfer541-967-3871 [email protected]

8 APRIL 2014 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

Barbara Fick541-967-3871 x2393

[email protected]

INTRODUCING THE LINN COUNTY CLASS!

BY PAMI OPFERThe new Master Gardeners are wrapping up

their classroom training and are getting readyto start serving their volunteer payback hoursin the community. We have a great group ofvolunteers this year, albeit a bit smaller thanprevious years. Quality not quantity, right?And these volunteers are gearing up to pro-vide quality horticulture information andworkshops to the folks of Linn County. Areyou wondering how and when to prune yourfruit trees? Need some advice on how tocontrol those pesky slugs that keep eatingyour garden greens? And what about thoseweird spots that develop on your rose foliageevery year? Master Gardeners are trainedand ready to tackle questions like these as aFREE service to home owners, offeredthrough our many “plant clinics.” We have a

plant clinic at our main Extension office indowntown Albany on 4th and Lyons St. Oryou can reach us there by calling 541-967-3871. Additionally, we have plant clinicsscheduled at most of the Farmers Markets inLinn County: Albany, Lebanon, SweetHome, and Brownsville. So please feel free tocome visit our booth with your questions orjust to talk gardening! New to gardening?Feel free to contact us and we will happilyprovide you with some good starting pointsand beginners tips. Or, you can get more of ahands on feel (and maybe even a tasting ofour delicious garden produce) by visiting ourdemonstration garden that is always free andopen to the public during the main garden-ing season. It is located at the Linn CountyFair and Expo Center, in the northeast cor-ner of the fairgrounds. We are all gettingvery excited about the upcoming gardeningseason and we want to encourage new andseasoned gardeners to get outside and playin the dirt as much as possible this year!

PHOTO BY PAMI OPFER

Meet our new 2014 Master Gardener trainees! Back row from left to right:

Dean Robinson, Susie Kuebrich, Ann Kinkley, Michele Webster, Jon Peek.

Front row: Louise Fassio, Iris Carrasco, Michele Ecker.

Seed to SupperTen Rivers Food Web (TRFW), in partnership with

program developers Oregon Food Bank, and the OregonState University Extension Service Master Garden-erTM Program, is proud to bring Seed to Supper to Linn,Benton, and Lincoln counties. Seed to Supper is a com-prehensive five-week beginning gardening course thatgives novice, adult gardeners the tools and confidencethey need to successfully grow a portion of their ownfood on a limited budget. Nearly twenty Master Garden-ers from Linn and Benton counties will be serving asSeed to Supper Volunteer Educators this spring!

Seed to Supper classes are designed for adults garden-ing on a budget. Class size ranges from 8-25 participants,depending on the location and population served. Com-munity organizations such as health departments, sen-ior centers, food pantries, affordable housing units, andparenting groups with an existing client base will be pri-mary locations for outreach for Seed to Supper students.Neither participants nor agencies are ever charged forSeed to Supper classes.

• In Lebanon at the River Center, 3000 S Santiam Hwy.,Thursday evenings, March 20-April 17, 6-7:30 p.m.

• In Sweet Home at Sunshine Industries, 1333 ClarkMill Rd., Thursday evenings, April 24-May 22

To learn more about Seed to Supper, or to register, visitwww.tenriversfoodweb.org.

Farmers’ Markets opening soon!

The County Farmers’Marketswill soon be opening for anotherseason of bringing together thevery best selection of locallygrown fruits and vegetables,garden starts, plants, herbs,flowers and specialty foods.

Albany Farmers’ Market opensApril 20. Open Saturdays from9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4thEllsworth, downtown Albany.

Brownsville Farmers’ Marketopens June 15. Open Saturdaysfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ParkAve. and Main St.

Lebanon Farmers’ Marketopens May 23. Open Thurs-days from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.,Grant and Main streets.

Sweet Home Farmers’ Marketopens June 1. Open Saturdaysfrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in theThriftway parking lot (HWY20/228).

For more information, visitoregonfarmersmarkets.org/.

SPRINGGARDENFESTIVAL

Mark your calendar forthe 27th Annual SpringGarden Festival onSunday, May 4, 9 a.m.to 4p.m., on The Arts CenterPlaza, 7th and Madison,in Corvallis. Each year,the Festival featuresdozens of vendors andinformation booths offer-ing gardening products,advice, and inspirationthat will help you limberup your green thumb. Thenew Master Gardenertrainees will be showcas-ing eight different andexciting gardening topics.We hope to see you at theSpring Garden Festival.

Container Planting DaysThere will be two container planting day events at

Wilco Farm Store in Lebanon on Saturday, April 19,from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at Tom’s Garden Centeron Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Master Gar-dener volunteers will be available to pot newly pur-chased plants into containers that you purchase orbring. Soil medium will be provided. Come on down toeither event and visit us, get your plants potted, andtalk gardening with some friendly volunteers!

PHOTO BY BARB FICK

Master Gardener, Debbie Mode potting up some

flowers at container planting day.

The 2014 Master Gardeners

BY DENISE RUTTAN Afraid gardening and your

soil are not compatible?Raised beds can come to therescue.

“By building raised beds,you instantaneously can havegood garden loam,” said RossPenhallegon, a horticulturistwith the Oregon State Univer-sity Extension Service.“Raised beds answer the ques-tion of how we garden in in-hospitable areas that are toosandy, too wet or have toomuch clay.”

Raised beds should be builtin March and April. First selectthe plants you want and learnhow deep their root systemsgrow. Raised beds are generallysix to 12 inches high dependingon the depth of the plant’sroots, Penhallegon said. Raisedbeds are typically three feetwide so you can reach acrosseasily to weed and maintainthe plants, he said. The bedcan be as long as you want.

After you build the structureframing the raised bed, fill ithalf way with loam. Using athree-tined garden fork, mixin an equal amount of organicmatter such as compost, leafmulch or animal manure. Afterthe first season of growingvegetables in the raised bed,add two to four inches of com-post in October. Then inMarch or April, mix the com-post into the soil using a gar-den fork.

To build your raised bed,Penhallegon suggested usingthe following materials:

• Straw bales — Use strawfrom wheat, barley or othergrains but do not use hay be-cause it can contain weeds andseeds, he said. Bales should befree-standing. Dig a hole in thestraw for each plant. The balesare especially good for growingcarrots and potatoes. You canalso plant peas or pole beans inthem if you use a trellis. Fertil-ize and water by hand or use asoaker hose. The straw slowlycomposts for the plants, feed-ing them nutrients.

• Raw wood — Cedar is a goodchoice because it is fairly re-silient, Penhallegon said. Coatboards with exterior latexpaint, which is not as strong aschemical preservatives and canresist moisture. In choosingbetween raw and treated wood,decide how often you want toreplace the wood as it decaysfaster when wet, he said.

• Treated wood — Wood that istreated with preservativessuch as pentachlorophenol,creosote and linseed oil lastslonger in rainy climates, Pen-hallegon said. Research showsthat there is little likelihood ofwood-preserving substancescontaminating the soil, headded. Nevertheless, he stilladvised covering the woodwith plastic sheeting or exte-rior latex paint to reduce therisk.

• Old tires — Old tiresstacked on top of each otherwork especially well for pota-toes.

• Concrete blocks — Concretelasts a long time, absorbs heatwell and is water-resistant,Penhallegon said. Stack one,two or three blocks high. Keepin mind that it is more expen-sive than wood. Look for inex-pensive blocks that arecracked or chipped, he said.

• Railroad ties — Whetherrailroad ties are safe to use ishotly debated among re-searchers and the generalpublic, Penhallegon said. “It’sbeen shown that there is verylittle creosote leakage out ofrailroad ties,” he said, “butthat depends on how old theyare, whether they’re damagedand how long they’ve beenaround. It’s very tough to sayabsolutes.” He recommendscovering railroad ties withplastic sheeting to protectyour plants.

Extension’s “Growing YourOwn” guide offers sugges-tions for building raised beds.Also check out Extension’sguides Raised Bed Gardeningand How to Build a Raised BedCloche.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn APRIL 2014 9

GardenCalendar

Planning• Write in your garden journal throughout

the growing season.• Prepare garden soil for spring planting.

Incorporate generous amounts of organicmaterials and other amendments, using theresults of a soil analysis as a guide.

• Prepare raised beds in areas where coldsoils and poor drainage are a continuingproblem. Incorporate generous amounts (atleast 2 inches) of organic materials.

• Use a soil thermometer to help youknow when to plant vegetables. When thesoil is consistently above 60 degreesFarenheit, some warm season vegetables(beans, sweet corn) can be planted.

Maintenance and Clean Up• Allow foliage of spring-flowering bulbs

to brown and die down before removing.• Apply commercial fertilizers, manure, or

compost to cane, bush (gooseberries, cur-rants, and blueberries), and trailing berries.

• Place compost or well decomposedmanure around perennial vegetables, suchas asparagus and rhubarb.

• Cut back ornamental grasses to a fewinches above the ground, in early spring.

• Cover transplants to protect againstlate spring frosts.

• Optimum time to fertilize lawns. Apply 1pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet oflawn. Reduce risks of run-off into localwaterways by not fertilizing just prior torain, and not over-irrigating so that waterruns off of lawn and onto sidewalk or street.

• Western Oregon: Optimum time of yearto dethatch and renovate lawns. If moss wasa problem, scratch surface prior to seedingwith perennial ryegrass.

• Western Oregon: Prune and shape orthin spring-blooming shrubs and trees afterblossoms fade.

Planting/Propagation• Plant gladioli, hardy transplants of

alyssum, phlox, and marigolds, if weatherand soil conditions permit.

• It’s a great time to start a vegetable gar-den. Among the vegetables you can plant,consider:

• Western Valleys, Portland, Roseburg,Medford: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cab-bage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chives,endive, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes,rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach, and turnips.

PHOTOS BY BARB FICK

Top: Get the whole family involved in gardening. Raised beds

are great for making gardening accessible.

Middle: Peas grow on a decorative trellis, spinach in the front

left side and rows of beets on the right side of this raised bed.

Bottom:Tomatoes grow well in raised beds and can be planted

early in the gardening season using protective “Walls of Water.”

Got Bad Soil? Try Raised Beds

Quinoa SaladIngredients:1 cup quinoa (dry)2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth2 large carrots, peeled and diced3 large celery stalks, diced1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced3 green onions, sliced3 tablespoons minced parsley1/2 cup rice vinegar2 tablespoons water1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 cloves garlic, finely choppedDirections:1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh wire strainerunder running water for 1 minute.2. Bring the water or broth to a boil in a mediumsaucepan. Slowly add the quinoa and bring to aboil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15minutes. When cooked, spread out on a bakingsheet to cool. Refrigerate until cool.3. Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables and placethem in a salad bowl.4. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and setaside.5. Add quinoa to the vegetables. Add the dressingand toss well.6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.Recipe from: https://www.foodhero.org/recipe

10 APRIL 2014

FFaammiillyy AAnndd CCoommmmuunniittyy HHeeaalltthh

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

Tina Dodge Vera541-967-3871 [email protected]

Janice Gregg541-967-3871 x2830

[email protected]

PICK OF THE MONTH

QUINOAQuinoa is called the

“mother of all grains” bythe Incas, who consideredit sacred. Quinoa from theAndes is known for beingrich in high-quality pro-tein. There are more than120 varieties, in manydifferent colors. Pale yel-low quinoa is most com-mon, though red quinoacontains significantlymore phenols and hashigher antioxidant activ-ity. It is not a true grain(often classified as apseudo-grain), but is aseed from a relative oflambs quarters orspinach.

Quinoa cooks up fluffywith a nutty flavor. Be-cause the seeds are natu-rally coated with bitter

compounds (saponins,which defend against in-sects), they must bewashed before cooking.Even if the package saysthe seeds were washed,it’s a good idea to rinsethem to remove any re-maining bitterness.

When the seeds arecooked they becometranslucent and the germband pulls away slightly;they are delicate, pretty,and seem very “light”for a carbohydrate dish.

Quinoa has becomemore and more popular touse in salads, as a sidedish and in soups. It is apopular ingredient invegan and vegetariandiets because of its nutri-tive profile: high in pro-tein, and good sources ofphosphorus, calcium,iron, Vitamin E, and otherB Vitamins.

Eat more whole grains

PHOTO PROVIDED

Research using data from the FraminghamHeart Study refutes the claim that ‘wheatpacks on the pounds.’ It has been found thatadults who consume three servings of wholegrains per day (including whole wheat, rice,oatmeal, etc.) have lower visceral adiposetissue, which positively impacts health. Thedata also show that replacing (not adding)refined grains with whole grains is likelyto translate into greater health benefits.Also, most observational data suggest thateating whole grains as a part of a healthydiet leads to less weight gain over time.

Rather than getting your entire whole-grain intake from wheat, choose a varietyof whole grains, including brown rice,

oats, quinoa, popcorn and so on.”Almost everyone recommends eating more

whole grains. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines,for instance, advise that at least half yourdaily grain intake be whole grains. That’seasier said than done, in part because it canbe hard to identify truly “whole grain” foods.

Whole grains retain the bran and germ andthus all (or nearly all) of the nutrients andfiber of the grain. But in many breads, cere-als, granola bars, pastas and other productslabeled “whole grain” or “multigrain,” thewhole grain sits midway down the ingredi-ents list, playing second fiddle to “wheatflour” (also called “white,” “refined” or“enriched” flour) and added sugars.

Go Green: Growing and Enjoying Leafy Greens

When: Thursday, April 24, 9:30-11:30a.m.

Where: Lebanon Senior CenterAh vegetables! It is easy to get into a rut

(iceberg lettuce, tomato, carrots, greenbeans) when preparing meals. Leafy greenslike kale, chard, and collards can expandthe variety in our meals and they all pack awallop of nutritional value! Do greensseem too pricy in the store? It is very sim-ple to grow your own in a garden or in con-tainers. Greens grow well in a winter gar-den, too. Growing instructions and easy

recipes will be included in the lesson.Cost: $1.00.Contact: Please call 541-967-3871 to

register for this class. The lesson can bere-taught; call to request leader and par-ticipant materials.

Lunch and Learn at senior centerWhen: April 14, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Jams

and Jellies; and April 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m.,Pickles

These one hour classes will be taught byMaster Food Preservers. Contact theLebanon Senior Center at 541-451-1139 toregister, and for more information aboutthe class series.

Healthy Choices, Whole Grains Classes Offered at Senior Center


The mission of the FoodHero program is to helplow-income Oregoni-ans improve theirhealth through theincreased con-sumption offruits and veg-etables andmore familymeals cooked athome.

Whether you’re abeginning cook or akitchen pro,www.foodhero.org can beyour go-to site for quick,tasty, healthy recipes andhelpful tips - you’llfind something newfor your family toenjoy. With FoodHero, you willbe able tobudget for,plan, and createcountlesshealthy, supertasty meals.

Here are some tipsto make mealtime fam-ily time.

• Eat meals together whenpossible.

• Start eatingmeals together as a

family when yourkids are young.

This way, it be-comes a habit.

• Plan whenyou will eat to-gether as afamily. Write it

on your calendar.• Try to have fam-

ily meals most days ofthe week.

• Focus on the meal andeach other. Turn off the

television. Takephone calls later.

• Talk about funand happy

things. Try tomake meals astress-freetime.

• Encourageyour child totry foods. But

don’t lecture orforce your child

to eat.

Master FoodPreserver Volunteertraining will again beoffered in Linn andBenton Counties in2014 every Thursday (9a.m. to 4 p.m.) begin-ning May 1 throughJune 19. All potentialvolunteers are requiredto attend the afternoonorientation meeting onThursday, April 24.Training will be held inthe Evelyn DowningRoom, Linn CountyExtension Office inAlbany.

Volunteers aretrained to teachOregonians about safefood handling and stor-age/preservation. Theylearn “why” as well as“how” to preserve foodby freezing, canning,drying, and more.

Persons with interestin learning and sharinginformation abouthealthy food; how weget it, keep it safe, andprepare it for familyfor immediate andfuture use will beinterested in the pro-

gram. Trained volun-teers will supportExtension foods andnutrition programmingin communities/areasin which they livethroughout the sum-mer and fall months.

If you are interestedin these learningopportunities and wishto attend, please visithttp://extension.ore-gonstate.edu/linn/linn-benton-county-master-food-preserver-program/, or call 541-967-3871.

Be a Food Hero for Your Family

Training for Master Food Preserver VolunteersComing Soon!

Oregon is reporting a smaller number offarms, a larger average size of farms, and anolder average age of farmer and rancher, ac-cording to preliminary data from the 2012Census of Agriculture just released by theU.S. Department of Agriculture’s NationalAgriculture Statistics Service (NASS). Theprocess of collecting and tabulating infor-mation from the nation’s farmers andranchers has been completed. A quick lookat the figures shows that Oregon is gener-ally following the trend seen throughoutthe rest of the nation in many areas.

“The number of farms in Oregon is downsignificantly from the previous census, evenby a greater percentage than the rest of thenation,” says Dave Losh, state statisticianwith the Oregon field office ofNASS. “But like the rest of thenation, the decrease has takenplace in all income categoriesof farms except those opera-tions that reported more than$250,000 in income for 2012.”

The Census of Agricultureis conducted every five years,and is the most ambitious andimportant compilation of allagriculture surveys. Data from all fiftystates has been gathered and is being ana-lyzed following a comprehensive survey ofnearly every known farmer and rancher inthe United States.

The federal government shutdown inOctober came at a critical time and delayedthe analysis of this preliminary, partial re-lease of the data.

Among the national highlights:• There are more than 2.1 million farms in the

US, but that is a 4.3 percent decrease from the2.2 million farms counted in the 2007 census.

• Despite fewer farms, the average size of USfarms is 434 acres, which is an increase over the418 acres reported as an average size in 2007.

• The decrease in number of farms national-ly is registered in all size categories with theexception of those farms a thousand acres ormore.

• Average age of operator is 58, up from theaverage of 57.1 years old reported in 2007.

• Oregon’s preliminary census data showsthat the state is headed in the same directionas the rest of the country in key categories, butto a greater degree.

• The number of farms in Oregon is 35,439,down 8.1 percent from 2007 when there were38,523 farms reported. Going back 10 years,there has been an 11.4 percent drop in thenumber of Oregon farms.

• Average size of farms in Oregon increasedto 460 acres- up 8.2 percent from 2007.

• The amount of land in farms in Oregon fellslightly to 16,301,578 acres in 2012.

• The number of farms dropped in all cate-gories of size and all categories of income withthe exception of operations with more than$250,000 in annual sales. The number of farmsreporting $1 million or more in annual salesincreased in Oregon from 858 in 2007 to 989 in2012. The biggest category drop was farmsreporting less than $50,000 in annual sales.

• Market value of agricultural products soldincreased 11.3 percent in 2012 to $4.8 billion,which is a whopping 52.8 percent increasefrom the market value reported 10 years ago.

• The percentage of principal operators inOregon reporting something other than farm-

ing as their primary occupationis still in the majority, but hasdropped from 54 percent to justbarely over 50 percent.

• The average age of operatoris now 59.6 years, up from 57.5years in 2007 and 54.9 years in2002. Oregon’s average age ishigher than the national average.

More detailed statistics, in-cluding county level data, will

be released in May.Losh says economics and the higher cost

of being a farmer is probably most respon-sible for the exit of part-time farmers andsome of the small-scale operators.

“We’ve seen farm expenses increase sincethe last census, and that could be making itdifficult for those without a scale of pro-duction to continue at this time.”

Losh is also pleased with the participa-tion in the census by Oregon agriculture.

“Oregon had a good response rate. Nearly83 percent of our producers took the time tocomplete the Census of Agriculture, whichis better than the national average of about80 percent.”

“This census data once again shows thestrength of Oregon agriculture and its con-tribution to our state’s economy,” saysKaty Coba, director of the Oregon Depart-ment of Agriculture. “I’m still very con-cerned about the increasing age of ourfarmers and ranchers, and if the number offarms and total farm acreage will continueto decrease in Oregon. I will be very inter-ested to see additional details from the cen-sus, including some of the production andsales numbers for specific types of cropsand livestock as well as what is takingplace in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. Thissnapshot is extremely important and I’mgrateful for the majority of operators whorecognized the value of participating in thesurvey.”

Census gives ag snapshot

“The number of farms

in Oregon is down significantly.”

DAVE LOSHSTATE STATISTICIAN

OOrrcchhaarrdd && BBeerrrryy CCrrooppssRoss Penhallegon, 541-344-1709, [email protected]

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn


12 APRIL 2014

It is April, 2014... The prunetrees started blooming in mid-February and are still blooming,the peaches are near bloom, thepear and cherry trees have beenpushing for two months and westill have more than a month ofpotential freezes - just like everyyear.

The damage from the very coldDecember, and icy, branch-breaking February are still to beevaluated. I have seen manyshrubs with brown, freeze-dam-aged leaves, camellia bushesdropping their blooms, and roses

freeze-burned back 6-12 inches;on top of this, plants are reallyearly this year. Hazelnuts beganleafing out before March 1. Maplebuds have been huge and ready toburst for a month also. Manyhouse shrubs have leafed out.Daffodils have been up all monthand tulips are following. So, withearly leafing and emergence,there is a great potential forfreeze damage.

With temperatures being verychilly one day and then upwardsof 60 degrees the next day, thisreally does confuse plants, as

they key off of day light and tem-peratures. So if we look at the“average” it looks like we areabout a week or two ahead ofnormal. (But what is normal forthe Willamette Valley?!)

It looked like the peach budsbroke clear back in mid-January,so we may see a huge peach leafcurl problem again this year.

The snow was a blessing as theground had frozen 8 inches al-ready, and if the snow had notcome, we would have lost rosesand blueberries. Tree fruits arecontinuing to develop, and with

the typical last hard freezearound mid-April in the valley,some of the fruits will probablyhave some freeze damage. Coldweather and rain can cause poorpollination. If the weather turnswet, then the fruit will have in-creased disease problems. Keepup with fungicide cover sprays.

If possible, spray the trees be-fore it rains, so the blooms andleaves will be protected. With thefruit set from the huge crop lastyear, thinning will be less critical,and the trees will typically haveless fruit.

To effectively managediseases and insects inyour orchard, you’llneed to combine a num-ber of techniques. In ad-dition to using pesti-cides, there are culturaland biological practicesthat can help preventand/or manage diseasesand insects.

• Cherry trees havehad disease problems forseveral years. The symp-toms are brown spots onthe leaves, causing themto die and fall. Rake upthe old leaves and de-stroy them. Brown RotBlossom Blight can becontrolled similarly tocherry leaf spot. Removeany mummified fruit,prune out deadbranches, and beginsprays at early popcorn,full bloom, and petalfall.

• Apple scab is a bigproblem most years. Ifgrowers have not appliedany copper or lime sul-fur clean-up sprays,apple scab will be amajor problem.

• Sycamore anthrac-nose is a common funguswhich lives year-to-yearon infected sycamoretwigs. The disease occurswhen the trees leaf out incool, wet weather. Youngleaves turn brown and dieas they emerge from thebuds, and infection mayoccur late, causing irreg-ular spots on the leaves.Use copper or Daconil inMarch, plus clean up oldleaves and branches.

• Dogwood trees werehammered last springdue to the wet and warmweather. Leaf infectionhappens during the wetspring weather. Dogwoodanthracnose is a fungusthat over winters on deadtwigs and leaves on thetree, or fallen leaves. Thedisease is common onnative dogwoods. Usecopper and Daconil.

For more informationon controlling problemsin tree fruits, see the following website:http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/. Alwaysfollow label instructions.

Orchard andBerry FertilityFirst fertilization should

be applied by April 1. Checkyour leaf analysis and soiltests to see what nutrientsyou need for 2014. ManyNatural Resource Conser-vation Service offices aredoing soil testing. Checkyour local NRCS office tosee if they are still provid-ing this service. Soil testsshould be done at leastevery 3-5 years.

Fertilize while there is stillmoisture/rain to move thefertilizer into the root zone.Remember to look at theplant and see how well itgrew this past year. Hint: Onmost tree fruits, the terminalsucker growth should havebeen between 12-18 inches.If the growth is less than 12inches, the tree was understress or didn’t have suffi-cient fertilizer. If the growthwas over 18 inches, the treeis very vigorous, so begin re-ducing the total amount ofnitrogen being applied.Berries also need a good ap-plication of fertilizer to keepthem healthy and producinggood quality fruit.

Useful publicationsat your fingertips

New Spray GuideNew spray schedules will

be available for backyardand commercial plantingsof cherry, plum, walnut,filbert (hazelnut), peach,apple, and pear. The Ex-tension and ExperimentStation communicationspeople say the publicationsshould be available thesecond week in March. Theguides are a completespray schedule for the dif-ferent pests that affect treefruits. The spray sched-ules are updated and re-viewed yearly to keep thepublic informed of currentcontrol practices. Withthe reduction of manypesticides, biological, cul-tural, and mechanical con-trols, it is important tohave the most up-to-dateinformation. The guidescan be obtained at the localExtension office or visithttp://extension.oregon-state.edu/catalog/, andtype in the fruit you are in-terested in. Among themany publications aboutthe desired fruit will be thespray guides.

Pacific NorthwestHandbooks

The three Pacific North-west Control Handbooks -Weed, Insect, and Diseaseare available at:

• http://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/

• http://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/

• http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/

If you are interested inobtaining a copy, contactPublications Orders, Agri-cultural Communications,OSU, ADS A422, Corvallis,OR 97331-2119, or call 541-737-0796.

Getting ready for the growing season

APRIL• Control blueberry mum-

myberry.• Begin strawberry replant.• Keep up with apple and

pear scab sprays.

• Begin peach popcornand full bloom sprays.

• Control dead bud andbacterial canker in cherries.

• Begin tree fruit fertiliza-tion April 1.

Commercial Horticulture HintsProtect your trees

44--HH YYoouutthhDDeevveellooppmmeenntt

Robin Galloway 541-967-3871 x2399

[email protected]

Karissa Dishon541-967-3871 x2395

[email protected]

APRIL 2014 13http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn

PHOTO BY KARISSA DISHON

WANTED!Youth ingrades 9-11

interested in becom-ing trained to teachelementary agedyouth in environmen-tal and nutritionalhealth related topics!

Learn the skills neces-sary to become a terrificteacher!

Through this programyou will:

• Learn how to createand present health re-lated lesson plans

• Learn to effectivelyteach elementary agedchildren

• Gain leadership, pub-lic speaking, facilitationskills, and confidence!

• Have fun with otherteens and younger chil-dren!

How to get involved?It’s a competitiveprocess. Interested teensshould complete an ap-

plication and attend aTeens as Teachers Train-ing and interview on Sat-urday, April 5, from 10a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ben-ton County ExtensionOffice. (lunch will beprovided).

At the training, teenswill be selected. Teammembers will be expectedto attend two supple-mental trainings:

• April 17 from 5-7 p.m.• April 30 from 5-7

p.m.

If selected, Teens asTeachers Team memberswill be given opportuni-ties and expected to teachseveral sessions in healthrelated topics to area ele-mentary school agedchildren.

For more informationand to be sent an applica-tion, please contact Carolyn Ashton at [email protected], or MaggieLivesay at [email protected].

Right: Loyal Burnsteaches sheep fittingand showing at the2014 Linn County 4-H Livestock Clinic.Despite the fact thatthe clinic had to becancelled andrescheduled due tosnow in February,more than 300 peo-ple attended thishighly informativeclinic at the BentonCounty Fairgroundson Sunday, March 2.

Left: Here is ourGrand Prize winnerfrom our LivestockClinic. He gets totake home a TON ofShowmaster feed ofhis choice. A bigthanks to CoastalFarm & Ranch andthe Benton CountyFairgrounds forsponsoring andhosting this event!

Winning and learning at livestock clinic

Teens as teachers! Some fun facts for April• April is National Garden Month and National

Volunteer Month.• April 5 is School Librarian Day.• April 10 is National Garlic Day.• April 21 is Kindergarten Day.• April 22 is Earth Day and 26 is Arbor Day.• Pears grow best in volcanic soil.• Unlike apples, pears do not float.• About 99% of agriculture today depends on 24

plant species.• The peach is related to the almond.• Radishes can be red, black, white or green.• Cattle have an acute sense of smell, able to

smell something up to six miles away.• Garlic is considered a vegetable and an herb.• Leeks are related to garlice and onions. • Garlic was once believed to ward off heart dis-

ease, cancer, colds and flu.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn14 APRIL 2013

FEBRUARY

Foods ContestThe annual Linn County 4-H Foods contest is

April 11 and 12, in Brownsville. Members must beenrolled in the foods project area to participate inthe contest. Classes included in the contest areAfter School Snacks, Breakfast Quick Breads,Foods of the Pacific Northwest, Mini-Meals, Pre-Package Preparation, Measuring Contest, Quick FixMeals, and 4 for 6-8-10. Full class descriptions canbe found online with the rest of the Foods Contestmaterials. The public is welcome and encouragedto attend. The contest is held at the BrownsvilleChristian Church and there is a great viewing area.

If you have any questions regarding the contest,please contact Suzanne Wallace at 541-466-5859or [email protected].

Fashion RevueFollowing last year’s successful inaugural event,

Linn County will once again be hosting a FashionRevue contest. The Linn County Fashion Revue andPresentation Contest will be held Saturday, April26.Registration forms are available online.

Fashion Revue will include two ready-made divi-sions, as well as the traditional contests. “MyFavorite Outfit” is an outfit of the members choos-ing that they already own. This can be a favoritedress that they wore to a special occasion, a teamuniform that is special to them, or an outfit thathighlights their fashion style. The second ready-made division is based on consumerism. The mem-ber selects one article of clothing for $25 dollars orless, and then accessorizes it with items from theirown closet. The traditional divisions are modelingan outfit or article that the member has made.

For more information, contact Karissa Dishon at [email protected].

Communications ContestThe communications contest will be held in con-

junction with the Fashion Revue contest onSaturday, April 26. Registration forms are availableonline. This contest includes presentations withvisual aids, demonstrations (starting with anunfinished product and showing how to completethe product), public speaking, and impromptuspeaking.

There are opportunities for members of any proj-ect area at these contests. Members do not have tobe enrolled in Clothing or Communications in orderto participate. The only exception would be if themembers want to exhibit an article of clothing thatthey sewed.

Call or e-mail Karissa Dishon for more informa-tion at 541-967-3871 or [email protected].

UPCOMINGEVENTS

You pickthe theme!

We are hosting a con-test for the best 2014 fairtheme, and it is open toall 4-H members andgroups. Ideas should besubmitted to [email protected] they must be re-ceived by April 15.

This theme will be usedin decorations and ourpromotion of fair events.Get those creative juicesflowing and start sendingin your great ideas!

LINN COUNTYPHOTOGRAPHY CLINIC

Are you working on a Pho-tography project and want toexpand your skills? Do youenjoy taking pictures andwant to learn more about themechanics behind photogra-phy? If either of these sen-tences fit you, the upcomingLinn County PhotographyClinic is for you.

We will be holding a pho-tography clinic on Sunday,April 13, from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. at the Linn County Fairand Expo Center. The clinicwill be held in the conferencerooms and participants areencouraged to bring your own

lunch. You must pre-registerfor the clinic by April 9, inorder to attend, and space islimited so don’t delay. Regis-tration forms are availableonline. A minimum of 20 par-ticipants is required in orderhold the clinic.

We have industry profes-sionals coming to help teachincluding Kris Stalnaker ofStalnaker Photo Studios whowill be teaching action pho-tography. You don’t want tomiss this opportunity to learnfrom the best in the business!Other topics include learningabout camera to subject dis-tance, composition, macrophotography, preparing totake a photograph, and cam-era positioning.

Weigh Indates

April 5 — Second beefweigh in 9-11 a.m., LinnCounty Fair and Expo

May 13 & 14 — Sheep,Swine, and Goat weigh in4-8 p.m., Linn County Fairand Expo

State Ambassador ap-plications are due in thestate office by June 1,2014. Youth in grades 9-11 may apply. Applicationand reference forms areavailable on the statewebsite.

(This application isnew this year, so makesure youth are using thecorrect form.)

Go to : http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/ambassador-program/.

Applicants must attendSummer Conference for atraining session and an

interview. Youth who arecurrently State Ambas-sadors must reapply toremain on the team.

State Ambassadorshelp at many state eventsand serve on state com-mittees. Their mainfunction, however, is topromote 4-H in theircounties and across thestate.

They do this by visitingschools, presenting toservice organizations,talking to the media, anda variety of other activi-ties.

OSU MCDONALDFOREST HOSTS

FAMILIESBY MAGGIE LIVESAY

Again this year, OSU Col-lege Forests and OSU Exten-sion Service, Benton Countyand many community part-ners will be hosting a Na-tional Get Outdoors Dayevent at Peavy Arboretumnorth of Corvallis.

The event will be held onSaturday, May 31, from 10a.m. to 3 p.m. It is a no-costevent and will feature a vari-ety of hands-on activitiesfor youth (including freefishing for youth under 12)and bilingual (Spanish &English) guides will be in-volved in the activities. Anumber of local organiza-tions will be on site to intro-duce participants to the out-door activities and opportu-

nities for families in the OSUCollege Forests and otheroutdoor areas in theWillamette Valley.

National Get OutdoorsDay is a national effort toconnect youth and first-time visitors to the greatoutdoors. Join us and dis-cover the forest in yourbackyard. For more infor-mation, contact OSU Exten-sion Service, Benton Countyat 541-766-6750.

Get Outdoors Day is May 31

Everyone Say“CHEESE!”

State Ambassadors

Some fun facts for April• Wheat is the primary grain used in the U.S.• A bushel of wheat makes 43 lbs. of flour.• Over 50% of corn grown is for animal feed.


One of the most im-portant components of4-H camp is havingteenage counselors tostay with the youngercampers.

Potential counselorsattend a Selection Day,which was held March8th at the OSU Exten-sion office in LinnCounty.

This year there were

40 interested applicantsfrom Linn, Benton, Lin-coln and TillamookCounties. They got to getacquainted with newfriends and re-connect ifthey have been at campin past years. Learningnew songs and shortgames was a highlight ofthe day.

Those skills help tomanage younger campers

by keeping them busy indown time, and duringthe evening campfire en-tertainment.

The number of coun-selors who were selectedwill be determined by thenumber of campers whoregister.

This year’s camp willbe held from June 20-24at the Oregon 4-H Centernear Salem.

4-H Summer Confer-ence will be held fromJune 25-28, at the OSUcampus.

Registration for Sum-mer Conference will open

May 1 and run throughJune 1. The plan is forregistration to be doneonline.

One advantage of thiswill be that youth will

know immediately whatclasses they will be in.

Visit http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/4h-summer-conference formore information.

4-H Summer Conference

Camp Counselor Selection Day

Staff and volunteers from OSU Ex-tension in Linn County support thecommunity in many ways. For thirteenyears, we have joined Oregon StateUniversity’s challenge to raise moneyor donate food items for Linn BentonFood Share.

The Master Organizer each year isJanice Gregg, our Family and Commu-nity Education agent. Janice plans themenu, buys the food, does preparation;other Extension staff and volunteersset up, serve, and clean up — all toraise money for this organization thatprovides food for pantries, food

kitchens, and Gleaners.OSU Extension staff and Master

Food Preserver volunteers prepare fivedifferent soups, which are sold to thepublic. The event is especially popularwith Linn County employees fromdowntown Albany, who make it a pointto fill up on delicious hot soup everyyear.

In 2014, $475 was raised by thelunchtime event. This year the CleverClovers 4-H Food club from Lebanonmade chocolate chip cookies to sell,with all proceeds also going to the foodshare.

Annual Soup Bar Fundraiser

PROVIDED PHOTO

Potential counselors attended Selection Day in Linn County on March 8.

A fun time for any one who has completed 4th-8th grade.

Held at the beautiful 4-H Centerin the foothills of West Salem.

What is 4-H Camp?

BY SARAH KARRPOLK COUNTY MASTER WOODLAND MANAGER

As I write these words, icy coldrain is falling on about 17 inchesof snow outside my window.When you read these words, daf-fodils should be making an ap-pearance, and migratory birdswill be singing to one another inour forests, hoping to pair upwith the perfect mate. While re-alizing the mix of birds in ourwoods will be quite different in acouple of months, I am writingtoday about a bird that has beenwith us through the winter andwill continue to be here even asthose flashy migrants settle in:the Spotted Towhee.

The Spotted Towhee, onceknown as the Rufous-sidedTowhee, is a beautiful bird with adistinctive, buzzy “chweee” song.Smaller than the American Robinby an inch or so, it has a glossyblack head and neck, a white-

spotted black back, rufous sides,and a white belly. The female isonly slightly paler. It is in the samefamily as most of our sparrows,along with the Dark-eyed Junco.

During the winter months, youmay have seen the Spotted Towheedouble-scratching through leaflitter. It has been looking for seedsand any bugs it can find. Kickingup the top layer of leaves and nee-dles allows it to reach all of thesefavored food items. It typicallysearches for food at the edge ofbrushy areas, not deep inside andseldom out in the open. Coverminimizes the chance that it willbe spied by its major predators: theSharp-shinned and Cooper’sHawks. Once spring arrives andnesting season begins, the SpottedTowhee’s diet shifts to one that ishigher in bugs...beetles, moths,caterpillars, ants, spiders. Nests,active in our area from late Aprilinto July, are usually located on orjust above the ground. Because of

this, predators such as WesternScrub Jays and ground squirrels,not to mention feral and domes-tic cats, can become a threat tothe eggs and nestlings.

Spotted Towhees are monoga-mous and territorial. The maleswill fight one another aggres-sively to maintain their favoredpatch: brushy vegetation. Spot-ted Towhees live, nest, and huntfor food where there are thicketsand other vegetation that offerdeep cover and shrubby edges.When managing forests, to en-courage these birds, remember toleave things messy.

So, as spring rolls in, don’tforget that along with all of thecolorful, melodic activity of mi-gratory songbirds, just under theedge of that poison oak thicket isa bird that has been with us allwinter long, the Spotted Towhee.

The full version Birds to knowappears in the Compass elec-tronic newsletter.

FFoorreessttrryy && NNaattuurraall RReessoouurrcceessBrad Withrow-Robinson, 541-967-3871, [email protected], http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn16 APRIL 2014

UPCOMING EVENTSAPRIL

Additional details of these and other events can be found on theForestry and Natural Resources website for Benton, Linn and PolkCounties http://extension.oregon state.edu/benton/forestry/events,and will be sent out electronically through the Needle. To subscribe to theNeedle please email Jody Einerson (jody.einerson@oregon state.edu).

Discover Your ForestlandThis is a guided discovery of information available on-line. Learn where

to find aerial photos, topography maps, soils maps, and other useful infor-mation pertaining to your land.

Co-sponsored by Linn County Small Woodlands Association and OSUExtension.

Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 Time: 7 - 8:30 p.m.Location: Lebanon Center LBCC, Computer LabEvent is free, and registration not required.

2014 Starker Lecture SeriesThe 2014 Starker Lecture Series “Working Forests Across the

Landscape” continues in April and May.http://starkerlectures.forestry.oregonstate.edu/

May 29 — Capstone Field Trip: The field trip will visit and discuss the“Cool Soda All Lands Project” in the Sweet Home area of Linn County, a10,000 acre collaborative project among local landowners. Featured speak-ers include Dave Furtwangler, Cascade Timber Consulting, Eric Hartstein,South Santiam Watershed Council, and Cindy Glick, Willamette NationalForest. The field trip will leave at 9 a.m. and return at 4 p.m.

Note: Registration for the field trip is open until May 20, or until seatsare full http://starkerlectures.forestry.oregonstate.edu/capstone-field-trip-registration.

Linn County Twilight TourThe tour will focus on early stand management and three Douglas fir-

plantations (origin dates of 1998, 2003 and 2008). Discussion will include:• Number of trees per acre planted, and did they plant the right trees?• Vegetation management and early seral vegetation.• Non-timber products: broom sticks, essential oils, furniture poles and

firewood.• Impact trees per acre have on tree diameter and limb size.• When do you have too many trees and need to do your first precom-

mercial thinning (PCT), or commercial thinning.Date: Tuesday May 13, rain or shineTime: 4 p.m.Location: Dave and Karen Bateman property, 42755 Fish Hatchery

Drive, LacombDirections: At the end of the pavement on Fish Hatchery Drive take the

left fork uphill for a half mile to their driveway on the left at the top of thehill. If you can see Weyerhaeuser’s gate, you just missed the driveway.Phone 503-394-2051.

Early Essential Oil Distillation Demonstration: Jim Merzenich and DaveBateman recently purchased a still to cook essential oil out of conifer nee-dles. Process takes about 2-hours. They plan to fire up the still around2:30 p.m. You are welcome to come early to watch or help.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER ...

Spotted Towhee/Rufous-sided Towhee

APRIL 2014 Old Armory, Fourth & Lyon, Albany, Oregon...

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