Agriculture
Published in conjunction with the 75th Okanogan County Horticultural Association meeting A supplement to The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle • Jan. 20, 2010
Page 2 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Okanogan County Horticultural Association 75th annual meeting at a glance 9-9:30 p.m.
Bitter Pit of Apple, Cork Spot of Pear and Other Aspects of Fruit Quality Affected by Weather and Irrigation Tim Smith, Washington State University Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties 9:30-9:55 a.m. Global GAP Food Safety; Pesticide Record Keeping, Chemical Storage and Orchard Sanitation Jim Colbert, Chelan Fruit Co. 9:55-10:20 a.m. Environmental Quality Incentive Program — Financial Assistance to Help You Help the Land Robert Koch, Natural Resources Conservation Service biologist and pest management specialist 10:20-10:50 a.m. Safe and Legal (and Free!) Waste Chemical Disposal Mike McCormick, state Department of Agriculture agricultural chemical specialist 11-11:30 a.m. Are You Digitally Connected to Pest and Disease Management Advice? Update on the WSU DAS Project Dr. Ute Chambers, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee 11:30-11:50 a.m. Okanogan County Horticultural Association business meeting 11:50 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch and trade show 1-1:30 p.m. Chemical Thinning for Various Tree Fruits — Apples, Pears and Cherries Tory Schmidt, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission 1:30-2 p.m. New Pests on the Horizon, Pest Management Issues Yet to Come Mike Doerr, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee 2-2:30 p.m. Marketing Report, Effects of the World Economic Situation on Fruit Sales; Prospects for 2010 Cherry Marketing Mac Riggan, Chelan Fresh Marketing 2:30-3:15 p.m. Weed Control, Cherry Fruit Fly and Advances in Fire Blight — Always Something New Tim Smith, WSU Extension for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties Meeting co-sponsors: WSU Extension and Okanogan County Horticultural Association
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Inside Horticulture meeting.................................3 Extension will continue.............................4 WSU develops apple................................5 Apples: Prices steady...............................6 Pears: Still profitable.................................7 Cherries: Bad taste ..................................8 Commit-to-pack pays off ..........................9 Hay: Prices drop.....................................11 Grapes: A deep freeze ...........................12 Managing manure ..................................13 Ag vs. state purchases...........................14 Legislators keep watch...........................15 Farming: It’s about niches ......................16 Lessening the impact .............................17 Preserving farmland...............................18 Agricultural outlook.................................19
Agriculture © 2010 The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, owned and operated by Eagle Newspapers Inc. P.O. Box 553, Omak, WA 98841 618 Okoma Drive, Omak 509-826-1110 • 800-572-3446 509-826-5819 fax www.omakchronicle.com Roger Harnack, Editor and Publisher Dee E. Camp, Managing Editor
Cover photo by Al Camp
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 3
Horticultural association sets Jan. 26 meeting Extension support is a focus By Dee Camp Chronicle staff OKANOGAN — The Okanogan County Horticultural Association will host its annual meeting and trade show Tuesday, Jan. 26, in the Agriplex at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds. The event begins at 8 a.m. with registration, coffee and doughnuts, Secretary Dan McCarthy said. The theme for this year’s meeting is showing support for Washington State University Extension in Okanogan County. The group is leading an effort to raise money for the extension program. No criticism of the county commissioners is intended, he said. Commissioners cut funding to the extension office this year. They proposed cutting all $72,000 of county support, but ended up allocating $20,185. WSU funds some costs, including the agent position, but requires county support. “Extension is vital to the tree fruit industry in Okanogan County,” McCarthy said. Among its programs are continuing education to growers and horticulturists on a variety of subjects including pest and disease control, pesticide license recertification credits, horticulture and economics. The 4-H, Food Sense and Master Gardener programs also are in jeopardy, he said. The horticultural association is contributing $5,000. Others being asked to contribute are Kinross Gold, Wilbur-Ellis, Northwest Wholesale, Okanogan County Cattlemen’s Association, packing houses, other businesses and individuals. Admission to the horticulture meeting is $10, which includes meeting membership, the trade show and a summer orchard tour. Judy Wells will provide a nohost lunch on site. A short business meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m., with association President Jon Wyss and Vice President Alton
Leatherman in charge. Topics for the meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. include “Bitter Pit of Apple, Cork Spot of Pear and Other Aspects of Fruit Quality,” “Global GAP Food Safety; Pesticide Record Keeping, Chemical Storage and Orchard Sanitation,” Jim Colbert, “Environmental Quality Incentive Program — financial assistance to help you,” “Safe and Legal (and Free!) Waste Chemical Disposal,” “Are You Digitally Connected to Pest and Disease Management Advice? Update on the WSU DAS Pro-
ject,” Dr. Ute Chambers, “Chemical Thinning for Various Tree Fruits — Apples Pears and Cherries,” “New Pests on the Horizon, Pest Management Issues Yet to Come,” “Marketing Report, Effects of the World Economic Situation on Fruit Sales,” “Prospects for 2010 Cherry Marketing,” “Weed Control, Cherry Fruit Fly and Advances in Fire Blight — Always Something New. Three pesticide education certification credits will be awarded for attending pesticide use presentations.
Chronicle photo by Dee Camp
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Page 4 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Extension office will continue By Sheila Corson Chronicle staff OKANOGAN — After much uncertainty, the Washington State University Extension office will not be losing any programs this year, although it may be harder to reach office staff. Suverly Director Norm Suverly said the one big thing up in the air is whether Master Gardener coordinator Rita Jensen will be staying around. County commissioners have not contributed enough funds to pay her salary. The Master Gardeners Foundation has pledged funds to keep her on for a few weeks, but that may not last. Either way, the Master Gardener program will endure. Suverly said if Jensen were to leave, he and volunteers would
take up her work, which would mean not as much would get done. Other programs will continue, although with less staff in the office. Some things will take longer to get done and staff will be harder to reach, Suverly said. Commissioners have allocated $45,185 in salary support to the extension office for 2010. Suverly said the office will need another funding source for operating costs. The Okanogan County Horticultural Association has pledged $5,000 in support. Suverly said he has received phone calls from individuals about contributing. Office hours will be guaranteed from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, but any time after that, folks should call ahead, Suverly said. Last fall, commissioners had suggested cutting all funding to the extension program. But when dozens of letters and individuals came their way to protest, the commissioners reinstated the $45,185, which is
An Okanogan County Master Gardener gets the group’s demonstration garden ready for the 2009 fair. Chronicle photo by Sheila Corson
about $30,000 less than the year before.
Commissioners have had to cut $3 million from its budget
for 2010 due to decreased revenue.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 5
WSU develops its first apple cultivar — WA2 PULLMAN — Washington State University has released its first apple cultivar. Since 1994, WSU has strived to develop new apple cultivars with outstanding eating quality. After 15 years, the WSU apple breeding program, based at the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, has
released WA 2. It was released because of its outstanding eating quality, appearance and productivity and its potential to be a successful cultivar in Washington, according to a WSU announcement. It boasts an orange-red to pinkish-red blush over 70-90 percent of the skin surface over a
yellow background, and has large and conspicuous lenticels that usually make it easily distinguishable from other cultivars “and add to its overall pleasing appearance,” WSU said. A lenticel is an opening that allows gases to be exchanged between air and the inner tissues
of a plant. The fruit shape is round and the size is medium to large, usually larger than Gala, comparable to Braeburn and smaller than Fuji. “The fruit has outstanding texture, being very firm, crisp and juicy, and loses very little firmness in storage and on the
shelf,” WSU said. Fruit of WA 2 ripens in late September and early October and is suited to the fresh market with the potential to be a commercial cultivar both directly off the tree and out of mediumand long-term storage. More information: www.tfrec. wsu.edu/pages/wa2/.
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Page 6 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Prices remain steady as apples zoom out to customers
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
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By Al Camp Chronicle staff WENATCHEE — Apples continue to zoom out of regional warehouses at a record pace this winter while prices for the produce remain steady. But pear and cherry growers are searching for ways to recover from low prices caused by huge crops. (See related stories.) This year’s apple crop may be the third-largest on record, but it’s moving out fast — at a record pace — while prices, though low, are expected to rise in the future, Washington Growers Clearing House Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said. “Price-wise, we’re not seeing as good a price as we saw two years ago,” Kelly said. “In the long run, we will see better prices than we saw last year.” Kelly warned that there is a problem with comparing this year’s prices at this time with those at the same time last year. “Last year’s prices started really high due to a carryover from the 2007 crop,” he said. “They were up there in the beginning. Once we found out we had the largest crop we’ve ever had, we started seeing that price slide.” Kelly said the dip has yet to go below this year’s prices, which have been fairly stable. “We know where last year ended up, and we are already past that this year,” he said. “We expect prices to maintain.” He said in the worst case, without any improvement in price, this year’s crop would still end up being higher priced than last
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year’s end-of-the-year prices. Kelly said part of the problem with the 2008 crop was picking a lot of small-sized apples. This fall’s late freeze did not affect prices, since growers had most of their apples picked. Those apples picked late were shipped quickly. “In the overall scheme of things, that freeze did not affect the overall crop too much as far as price,” Kelly said. Retailers also have been aggressive in their pricing, partly due to the economy, to drive customers to their stores with low apple prices. “They’ve had promotions to move a lot of fruit out,” he said. “We are right on record movement right now,” Kelly said of apples shipped. “We’ve never moved this much fruit at this point. That is a really good thing overall.” The previous record for shipments at this point of the season was in 2007. The top producer for cost per apple the past three years continues to be Honeycrisp. The apple is averaging $1.016 per pound this year ($40.64 for a 40pound box). On Jan. 2, 2009, the price was $1.116, and on Jan. 2, 2008, it was $1.121. New on the chart this year is the Minnieska, which has shipped 1.2 car loads with a price per box of $57.71, or $1.443 per pound. Prices at the warehouse, prior to shipping and other costs being added, for a 40-pound box of apples as of Jan. 2 for 2009, 2008 and 2007: Red Delicious — 5,612.6 carloads, $15.13; 5,605.9, $16.97; 6,751.5, $16.63.
Golden Delicious — 1,712.1, $16.74; 1,859, $18.80; 1,775, $21.49. Braeburn — 565, $16.67; 512.2, $20.00; 538.1, $20.14. Fuji — 2,414.4, $19.95; 2,782.5, $22.43; 2,654.8, $23.58. Jonagold — 353.8, $17.88; 415.6, $21.09; 381.9, $20.33. Gala — 4,943.6, $18.96; 5,133.9, $21.17; 4,785.8, $20.47. Rome — 63.7, $16.41; 32.7, $19.11; 31.2, $16.53. Honeycrisp — 969.3, $40.64; 942.8, $44.63; 576.89, $44.85. Granny Smith — 2,407.9, $17.08; 2,438.8, $18.81; 2,748.9, $18.52. Winesap — 1.7, $15.23; 1.3, $18.64; 2.4, $18.35. Earligold — 7.1, $11.95; 4.2, $22.98; 7.4, $16.85. Jonathan — 21.7, $17.21; 34.7, $23.02; 11.8, $20.02. Ginger Gold — 101.2, $14.54; 200.6, $23.22; 128.1, $23.79. McIntosh — 0.9, $28.35; 0.8, $24.47; 1.4, $30.14. Ambrosia — 52.7, $31.67; 63.2, $35.42; 37.5, $38.95. Akane — 4.9, $18.52; 3.9, $25.75; 5.4, $17.58. Minnieska — 1.2, $57.71. Cameo — 148.4, $16.98; 133.2, $21.57; 175.5, $20.32. Cripps Pink — 208.6, $24.51; 185.1, $26.49; 217.8, $29.64. Golden Supreme — 24.3, $16.25; 56.2, $25.38; 38.8, $24.60. Other apples — 15.8, $43.29; 9.7, $58.35, 1.459; 11.4, $31.73. Mixed fruit — 68.0, $20.43; 44.3 $23.25; 113.1, $22.29. Mixed apples — 9.6, $20.61; 13.6, $23.94; 14.0, $21.12. Grand total (weighted average) — 19,708.5, $18.62; 20,474.2, $20.90; 21,008.7, $20.28.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 7
Pear prices are lower, but allow for a profit By Al Camp Chronicle staff WENATCHEE — Pear prices are lower than in the past couple years, but still allow for a profit. “Pricing is down from the last couple years at this point but still at a reasonable price,” Washington Growers Clearing House Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said. “We are not getting hammered down on the price. We would like to see it higher.” Kelly said sizes are a good mix, which has helped move the fruit. “The pear crop is a little bit challenging due to the volume,” he said. “We still have a ways to go on that.” This year’s overall pear crop is estimated at a record 20.7 million boxes. The 2008 crop was 17.3 million boxes. The previous record was 19.0 million boxes in 2007
and before that, the high was 18.3 million boxes in 2003. “It’s the largest overall D’Anjou crop out of the northwest,” Kelly said. Summer-fall pears, primarily Bartletts, usually have shipped by the first of February. Winter pears, such as Bosc or D’Anjou, have yet to ship. Bosc usually ship by May. D’Anjou usually finish shipping in July. Shipped box cars and prices at the warehouse, prior to shipping and other costs being added, for a 44-pound box of pears as of Jan. 2 for 2010, 2009 and 2008: D’Anjou — 1,437.1 carloads, $17.23; 1,225.1, $21.55; 1,595.9, $18.63. Red D’Anjou — 106.8, $21.28; 85.7, $25.59; 95.6, $23.31. Bartlett — 1,229.1, $16.81; 1,167.5, $20.02; 1,118.2, $18,18. Red Bartlett — 23.0, $20.82;
35.3, $24.80; 40.7, $25.19. Bosc — 290.9, $18.07; 336.8, $20.26; 346.7, $21.52. Asian pear — 2.5, $37.41; 6.5, $32.33; 4.8, $33.63. Comice — 10.9, $28.35; 13.5, #33.98; 6.9, $35.15. Seckel — 5.8, $32.82; 7.2, $30.98; 4.1, $33.38. Packham — 3.6, $22.95; nothing recorded; 3.2, $24.80. Red Sensation — 32.4, $18.15; 19.0, $23.63; 16.7, $25.20. Starkrimson — 31.5, $25.07; 20.8, $28.94; 25.2, $24.63. Concorde — 57.0, $17.96; 44.9, $21.49; 60.3, $19.76. Taylor Gold — 1.8, $19.33; 0.5, $35.23; 1.0, $34.88. Tosca — 12.3, $14.14; 0.8, $21.31. Other pears — 1.8, $17.26; 0.4, $23.37; 0.4, $23.24. Mixed pears — 3.3, $14.24; 2.9, $16.29; 4.4, $16.13. Weighted average (totals) — 3,249.8, $17.48; 2,966.9, $21.12; 3,324.1, $19.18.
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Page 8 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Record cherry crop leaves a bad taste for many growers By Al Camp Chronicle staff WENATCHEE — This year’s record cherry crop, roughly 20 million boxes, easily surpasses the previous record of 14 million in 2006. It also surpasses crops of 9 million 20-pound boxes for 2008, limited hugely by weather-related issues, and 13.6 million boxes in 2007. “So cherries jumped significantly for two years and dropped back last year and then had a big jump in 2009,” Washington Growers Clearing House Assistant Manager Dan Kelly said. “There still argument on how much actually was shipped.” With large crops, prices come down because of overavailability of the fruit. “Most guys don’t want to talk about it,” Kelly said. “It leaves a bad taste in so many people’s mouths.” Kelly said there was so much fruit that certain small sizes were not packed because it was not profitable to do so nor was there time to pack the fruit. “It was a tough deal,” Kelly said. Ideally, packers only have 2448 hours to get cherries shipped once picked, he said. If more fruit comes in than can be packed and shipped, then warehouses must choose which fruit to ship. That would be the more profitable cherries. “Growers left fruit on trees in the orchards,” he said. “So pricing does not tell the whole story because all of the fruit that did not get packed. We still shipped a ton of fruit.” The two largest crops were Bings and dark sweet cherries. Final numbers for 20-pound boxes of cherries (compiled Aug. 22, 2009, 2008 and 2007): Bings (1,798.4 cars) were $26.29 a box this year or $1.32 per pound. That compares to $54.79 a box ($2.74 per pound) last year, when demand was high due to a smaller crop, and $37.77 in 2007 ($1.89 per pound)
in a large crop year. Dark sweet cherries (1,758.6 cars) were $26.01 a box this year ($1.30 per pound), compared to $44.22 last year ($2.21 per pound) and $36.21 in 2007 ($1.81 per pound). Prices for other popular cherries include (number of cars shipped): Rainier (625): $33.47 for 2009 ($2.23 per pound), $50.81 for 2008 ($3.88 per pound) and $39.50 in 2007 ($2.63 per pound). Sweetheart (599.6): $26.50 for 2009 ($1.33 per pound), $48.51 for 2008 ($2.43 per pound) and $47.70 for 2007 ($2.39 per pound). Chelan (331.7): $33.46 for 2008 ($1.67 per pound), $62.10 for 2007 ($3.11 per pound) and $42.71 for 2007 ($2.14 per pound). Lapin (304.5): $26.74 for 2009
Chronicle photo by Sheila Corson
Cherry prices dropped in 2009 because of a huge crop. ($1.34 per pound), $48.51 for 2008 ($2.43 per pound) and $45.20 for 2007 ($2.26 per pound). Skeena (274.8): $29.57 for 2009 ($1.48 per pound), $57.64 for 2008 ($2.84 per pound) and $46.44 for 2007 ($2.32 per pound).
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 9
Commit-to-pack facility starts to pay off for Gebbers Farms By Cheryl Schweizer Chronicle correspondent
Photo by Cheryl Schweizer
Evelia Morales Saucedo, Bridgeport, fills a bag with apples at the Gebbers Farms processing facility in Brewster.
BREWSTER — Staying alive in the farming game requires a lot of different skills, among them efficiency and flexibility. About a year ago the owners of Gebbers Farms, Brewster, started expanding and adapting their operation to get more efficient and flexible, and so far it appears to be working. About six months ago the company installed a new, technologically advanced pre-size line to grade and cull fruit before it was packed. That joined a new and technologically advanced “commit-to-pack” line installed in fall 2008. Like its predecessors, the new pre-size line depends a lot on water, company officials
said. The difference is that the water does a lot of the work, as the vehicle moving the fruit around and acting as the refrigerator to keep it cool. The system recycles the water, cooling and heating it as necessary. The idea was to reduce possible bruising of fruit, increase efficiency, save energy and build a system that could meet future environmental regulations. So far so good, Gebbers Farms Director of Food Safety Bob Grandy said. The new pre-sizer has enabled the company to “efficiently and effectively pre-size our fruit at a much higher rate,” with less bruising, Grandy said. That translates to higher (Continued on Page 10)
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Page 10 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
. . . New line pays off
Photo by Cheryl Schweizer
Lucy Dominguez, Brewster, adjusts apples on a tray destined for shipment from Gebbers Farms in Brewster.
(Continued from Page 9) packouts. Past the culling stage, the process is completely automated, which helps reduce costs, he said. The new pre-size facility was the second step; the first was the commit-topack line, which isn’t new to the fruit industry but is new to Gebbers Farms. For most fruit processors there are two ways of approaching the job of packing apples, said John Gebbers, one of the warehouse managers. One is to sort the apples before they get to the packing line. That’s what the pre-sizer is all about. Apples are sorted by size, condition and color, and fruit that doesn’t make the grade never sees the packing line. It’s a “sound theory from an efficiency standpoint,” Gebbers said, and allows a processor to put a lot of fruit out the door in any given time period. But it’s not the best way to handle fruit that’s susceptible to bruising, Gebbers said. The commit-to-pack technique has
been around the industry for a long time. Apples used to come straight from the field or from storage and never saw a presize line. On a commit-to-pack line, “it’s all mixed up in the bin,” said Brian Thompson, part of the food safety management team. Everything in the bin - “big and small, good color and not so good, bruised and not” — hits the line, he said. All apples are washed, dried and waxed, then run through an automated grading system. It looks inside the fruit and evaluates the outside, Gebbers said. Some of those washed and waxed apples are culled, but the losses are small enough to stay acceptable. The crew recently ran Fujis on the commit-to-pack line; Gebbers estimated there were about 50 different color, size and grade combinations. They were destined for different markets, too. Big apples with a deep red color command a premium price in the Far East; that fruit is destined for export. Big and midsize apples with less blush
— and more flavor, Gebbers said — are attractive to American consumers. Every apple has its market; smaller fruit was bagged and packed in boxes marked with the Disney Corp. label for distribution throughout the company’s properties. That flexibility is a good thing when it comes time to sell apples, Gebbers said. There are more choices for customers and orders can be filled quickly. The company’s fruit is sold through Chelan Fresh, the consolidated marketing agency that includes the Chelan Fruit (Trout-Blue Chelan-Magi) Cooperative, Gold Digger Cooperative in Oroville and a Wenatchee producer. Most fruit is sold under the Trout and Chelan Fresh labels; the old labels Magi, Danny Boy, Starcrisp, Blue Chelan, and others — are still sold when customers ask for them, Gebbers said. The commit-to-pack line increased the company’s production capacity by about 40 percent, from about 145,000 to about 210,000 bins per year, he said.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 11
Hay prices drop, but business remains healthy By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff CURLEW — Hay prices have dropped in the last year, but business should still be good. The Halo Ranch and Twisted River Ranch, a 160-acre operation owned by the Geldermann family, specialize in premium alfalfa grass and alfalfa mixtures for horse people, Manager Pat Hamod said. Prices reached $200 a ton in 2008, but fell to around $150 last year. The lower prices will be OK as long as fuel prices don’t go crazy, Hamod said. “You don’t get rich growing hay,” she said, adding that it is a labor-intensive business. Additionally, seed, fertilizer and fuel needed to grow the grasses are expensive, she said. The Geldermann ranches will offer certified weed-free hay in 2010. That is important for those who frequent state-owned or U.S. Forest Service land, which have weed-free policies, she said. It also is preferred by customers who don’t want to bring noxious weeds on their property in the form of hay, she said. The ranches sell several premium products: Pure alfalfa hay, alfalfa and orchard grass, alfalfa and timothy, and grass hay. Typically the first cutting is around the beginning of July with some property producing two cuttings and lower altitude property giving a third cutting, Hamod said. The hay varies in size, with some having very fine stems that horse people usually prefer, she said. When prices were high, horses were being sold for very low prices and even given away on Internet sites, but the market has stabilized in the state since 2008, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics. Hay prices dropped between 50 and 56 percent in some western states between 2008 and 2009, but have since leveled off, USDA said. The projection is for slow price increases in 2010.
‘You don’t get rich growing hay’ —Pat Hamod Ranch manager Some local hay was going for less than $150 a ton, but the quality wasn’t as good as the Geldermann ranches’ premium quality products, Hamod said. “Quality hay tends to be a little more expensive,” she said. Typically customers reserve hay from the Halo and Twisted River Ranches early in the season, and the Geldermann operation always sells out, Hamod said.
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
Alfalfa is cut near Riverside. The Geldermanns also raise miniature Hereford cattle, Bert Geldermann said.
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Page 12 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
you. yo you ou ou
ONE FOCUS. Submitted photo
Clusters of grapes ripen in the sun near Oroville.
Deep freeze affects some vineyards By Sheila Corson Chronicle staff OMAK — The grape crop this year varied, with some suffering damage and other growers able to save vines from a deep freeze last winter. RockWall Cellars, Omak, took a big hit with deep freezes in winter 2009 damaging some vines so badly they never grew grapes this season, owner Doug Sheets said. Only three of seven varieties came through well. Next year, the vines will have recovered, but Sheets said he will pull out some varieties and put in more that are friendlier to the area’s weather. Sheets said he will use grapes from other local growers to make wine, he said. The three varieties that did come through are a great quality, Sheets said. A freeze hit the pinot noir in October, but workers were able to get the frozen, slushy grapes off the vines immediately and process them so that they turned out well. At Lake Crest Winery, Oroville, only a little damage was received, but nothing to worry about, staff said. Grapes were a very good quality, and bottling will begin this spring. For Dave Taber at Copper Mountain Vineyards, Oroville, the crop was really good, he said. The weather didn’t factor in as a problem — deer were a bigger concern as they ate grapes off the vines. All eight of his varieties on 11.5 acres were an average sized crop and should turn out to be really good wine, Taber said.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 13
Programs help producers with manure management By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff OKANOGAN — Several programs are available in Okanogan and Ferry counties to help smaller livestock operations manage manure, which can contribute to water quality issues. The Okanogan Conservation District is launching a manure exchange program, Conservation Planner Dan Olson said. The program aims to match livestock raisers with gardeners who want manure to fertilize their soil, Olson said. “Without proper management, manure can have detrimental effects,” according to Olson. “We all know that manure piles up quick when livestock are kept in confined areas. If this waste is not regularly removed from these areas, it can cause an unhealthy environment for the animals.” The nutrients and pathogens from manure can be readily transported to water bodies. Such movement occurs from surface runoff, leaching through the soil and wind, and can be detrimental to aquatic ecosystems and human health, he said. In addition, air quality issues such as odors, particulate matter, and aerial pathogens also may arise from improper manure management. That could affect human health — and possibly the rancher’s friendship with neighbors, according to Olson. The Okanogan Conservation District and Ferry County Conservation District both offer technical assistance for livestock growers who are concerned about manure management. The state Department of Ecology has started asking about the effect of manure on water quality, but most of the available funding is going to help large feedlots, said Lloyd Odell, Ferry County Conservation District manager. Generally, for someone who owns a couple of horses or sheep or llamas, manure is not a major issue if barns are built away from stream banks and people are careful when disposing manure, the Ferry Conservation District Web site said. The district offers assistance with soil nutrient — or manure — management through a risk assessment worksheet, he said.
The worksheet is the first step, and the district has funding for technical assistance to help livestock owners become better stewards of the land, Odell said. The Okanogan Conservation District also offers technical assistance. The problem is a lack of funding to help pay for nutrient management projects, both Odell and Olson said. Information on the manure exchange program will be on the Okanogan Conservation District Web site — www.okanogancd.org — by the end of the month, Olson said. “Manure can be a valuable soil amendment that can improve soil function and increase crop production,” Olson said. “Manure is a great source of nutrients for plant growth. Also, it
will increase the soil organic matter, which in turn, improves soil health, soil structure and water holding capacity.” The Web site will include information for gardeners on proper use of manure. Anyone wishing to donate or receive manure through the program can contact Olson at 4220855 or dano@okanogancd.org. Those participating in the program are responsible for manure content, handling, use, transport and storage, and the conservation district assumes no liability for any negative impacts associated with the participation in the program, conservation officials said. Olson said the district’s sole responsibility is to act as a point of contact to organize the exchange of materials among individuals.
Photo by Norm Williams
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Page 14 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Conservation purchases, easements questioned By Sheila Corson Chronicle staff OKANOGAN — A quarterly update from conservation partners left a few dozen audience members with questions and challenges for county commissioners to help agricultural families. After several months compiling information, Katharine Bill with the Trust for Public Land compiled a report on the agricultural land preservation and land conservation in the county. She interviewed 10 ranch families, longtime residents and conservation experts. The push for the interviews came because of the economic changes in the county over the last 20 years. In the report, Bill said that from 1993 to 2008, 45 percent of agricultural land in the Okanogan Valley changed hands and half went out of agricultural production. Some positive trends included assistance programs for ranchers, “buy local” movements, improved technology and communication, and the option of conservation easements, Bill said. But ranchers also found many negatives, such as increased costs and regulations, decreased commodity prices, a loss of local markets and more. Bill said her agency recommended that the schools and community get better educated, agricultural workers and conservation workers form better communication and that a stakeholder advisory committee be formed to deal with issues. “It’s a small step toward a larger vision,” Bill said. She said her hope is to be able to merge the common interests of agriculture and conservation in a way beneficial to both. Others reported on the last quarter’s developments. Commissioners were not pleased with some. Peter Hill, Eastern Washington project manager for TPL, said things are moving along for his agency to acquire 904 acres of land to then sell to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. He said the gravel pit on along U.S. Highway 97 near Tonasket would remain in operation. A big problem for the department is that water rights have been allocated elsewhere, Hill said. The Department of Fish and
Wildlife will make its final decision on purchasing the land at a Feb. 5 hearing. If approved, the sale would close in late March, Hill said. Commissioner Mary Lou Peterson said she voiced her opposition to the plan as soon as she heard about it. But since the deal was made through a nonprofit agency, she had not heard about it until it was nearly done. Commissioners accused the department of “skirting” around the public process so that the sale would not require hearings and notification as it would if the state bought the land directly. Scott Fitkin of the department told commissioners the agency was not skirting the process, but would have to go through that process when the matter came before the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. Fitkin said it would be possible to lease the land for grazing or other purposes, but that was limited because of the water rights loss. Peterson said she would renew her opposition at the hearing. Hill said a 360-acre conservation easement proposal would be part of the Feb. 5 hearing. The land is off North Pine Creek Road. He also will resubmit a ranch lands protection application since state funding processes have changed. Funding now will be split between east and west sides of the state. The ranch land is 1,026 acres in fourth generation ownership.
Berent Culp of the Okanogan Valley Land Council said he was working with two farmers interested in conservation easements, with the emphasis on keeping working lands working. Conservation group members did not wait to hear comments from the audience. Once they had all gone, some ranchers and residents expressed opposing positions and frustration with the agencies. One man recommended that commissioners become more involved when a rancher is selling land to a state agency and put more requirements in the code. Commissioner Andy Lampe said he didn’t feel it was commissioners’ business what a private landowner did with his own land but is their business what the land would then be used for. Nicole Kuchenbuch, vice chairwoman of the Coalition for Property Rights, said land can’t be protected by regulation, but by de-regulation. Commissioners have an opportunity to protect rights and land in the new comprehensive plan now under development. She also said that although conservation easements were listed as a positive in the report, most ranchers would rather not have to do easements to keep their land but it’s a better option than losing the ranch operation. Rancher Craig Vejraska, Omak, said it is a rancher’s “worst nightmare” to have state agencies bordering their land because of how badly the land
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is maintained. Noxious weeds grow unchecked. Even though he has tried to buy land in which state agencies were interested, the agencies always had a way of raising the price out of his range, Vejraska said. Something needs to be done to check that process so that ranch land could be purchased by other ranchers, he said. Another rancher said he lives next to state-owned land and has attempted to lease the land for grazing but requirements for fencing and use make it unfeasible. Vejraska said when he was a
county commissioner, the board threatened to shut down hunting season and declare a state of emergency on state-owned lands until the lands were cleared of noxious weeds. Vejraska said it worked - agencies immediately cleaned up the problem. He challenged commissioners to declare a state of emergency and pressure agencies to clean up again. Commissioner Bud Hover said the board is pressing its rights in various areas and with various state agencies, but agencies are not forthcoming with responses.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 15
Legislators keep an eye on ag issues Taxes, water and weeds are among top issues By Sheila Corson Chronicle staff OLYMPIA — A new legislative session means keeping an eye on agricultural issues for senators and representatives from the area. For 12th District Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, RWenatchee, her main goal in agriculture is to make sure that Parlette farmers and ranchers keep their tax exemptions. The business and occupation tax is not levied fairly or accurately, she said. Although she hasn’t heard of anyone trying to take those exemptions away, with the budget climate as it is, she will be keeping an eye on it, Parlette said. On Jan. 12, Parlette said she had just learned of House Bill 2599, which would limit how much water can be used for stock. That could get into problems with water rights and allocation for ranchers. Parlette said she will watch the bill carefully and get more research on the matter. And she expects other things
Parlette plans to watch any efforts to change farm and ranch tax exemptions will surface through the session, which began Jan. 11. Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, is a member of the Agricultural and Natural Resources committee. Several issues will be the 7th District legislator’s focus: • HB 2323 concerns a sales and use tax exemption of the non-highway use of propane by farmers. Kretz said he sponsored the bill, but it was taken up by another legislator. It especially concerns those who use propane equipment to scare birds away from crops. • HB 2439 allows farmers’ markets to use church property
for market time. Kretz said a market had come under fire for selling in a non-profit church lot, but the bill would fix that problem. • HB 2446 would require the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to have a long-term noxious weed plan and to identify funding strains for the plan before purchasing any more land. Kretz said that is a major issue Kretz in Okanogan County especially, where neighbors to fish and wildlife land complain that noxious weeds are left unkempt. • HB 2485 would limit the ability of the Department of Fish and Wildlife to buy up land if a high percentage of government or tribal land already exists in a county. That is another big issue for Okanogan County, Kretz said. The tax base already has suf-
fered from so much private land being bought by government agencies. If the Legislature or county commissioners approved a fish and wildlife purchase, then it could go through, Kretz said. A bunch of water bills are on the table, too, and concern exempt wells and other issues that are always hot. Kretz said it means a war every year that never goes anywhere. He said he will make sure to protect exempt wells, which are especially crucial in rural areas. “A lot of it is defense mode,” Kretz said of the legislative session. With budget problems, Kretz said Olympia is in a huge mess. People can’t handle higher taxes, but cuts would mean losing things legislators would rather not lose.
Kretz says noxious weeds on state property pose a major issue for ranchers Instead, Kretz said legislators need to look for reductions in the size of government while keeping services. Meanwhile, he said he will be watching the agriculture issues as they come across the desk.
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Page 16 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Farming: It’s all about niches By Cheryl Schweizer Chronicle correspondent BRIDGEPORT — In the plant and animal kingdoms, it’s all about niches. Finding the right place, the place where they fit, is the method animals and plants use to survive. Sometimes finding the right niche is a key to survival in the farming game. Troutman The Troutman family has been raising wheat on Pearl Hill just outside Bridgeport since the 1890s. While the land and the family are still there — Wade Troutman runs the crew now — in that 100-plus years the market has changed a lot. Society has changed too, and to stay in business the Troutman operation has had to change with the times. No matter how innovative or unusual the farming operation, it still has to make money. “If it doesn’t pay in the marketplace, it’s not going to happen,” Troutman said. American wheat farmers compete in a world market these days, and in that environment farmers either have to spread costs across their operation — get “increasingly large,” Troutman said— or find alternative markets — those niches where a farmer can make a little money. About 300 acres of the 3,000acre Troutman ranch is devoted to one of those niches, a direct connection to Seattle. Most of the wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest is of the soft white variety, which is good for making things like crackers and noodles, but not bread. White wheat kernels “don’t have any gluten strength, is the actual term for it,” Troutman said. Northwest wheat growers used to focus on soft white wheat because most of their product was sold in Asia, where people wanted flour to make noodles. “That market was working fine while we had cheap oil,” Troutman said, but oil prices and related transportation costs
mining what they wanted in the way of wheat, Troutman said. Those bakers were trying to meet the needs of “a very specific customer in Seattle,” Troutman said. What they wanted was wheat that worked for bread, and they wanted it straight from the field. Their customers wanted to know where the ingredients that went into their food originated. “They want the product identification preserved,” he said. So at harvest the breadfriendly wheat on those 300 acres is harvested just like the rest, cleaned and poured in sacks and taken to a shipping point in Brewster. “They load it on Oak Harbor Freight and it goes straight to the bakery,” Troutman said.
The baker grinds the flour himself. Customers can, if they want, find images of the farm on the Internet and check out the exact fields where the wheat was raised. Customers also feel, “rightly or wrongly, that organic is better,” Troutman said. “That’s what they want.” So those 300 acres are certified organic. Such bread is more expensive, but so far the customers are willing to pay the extra costs, even in a turbulent economy. “I’m still not meeting his total demand,” Troutman said. The niche doesn’t pay all the bills; the remaining 2,700 acres is farmed with non-organically certified herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers.
KEVIN P. SKIRKO, CPA ACCOUNTING SERVICES Submitted photo
Members of the Troutman family walk through a field. didn’t stay cheap. Farmers were forced to go looking for alternatives.
“We went door to door in Seattle,” talking to the owners of specialty bakeries and deter-
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 17
Wheat rancher works to lessen farming impact By Cheryl Schweizer Chronicle correspondent BRIDGEPORT — The need for adaptation to a changing society led to Wade Troutman’s work with local officials and scientists to try and lessen the impact of farming on wildlife populations in Douglas County. A lot of his efforts have gone into increasing populations of sage grouse, said Troutman, who farms 3,000 acres near Bridgeport. About 15 years ago, state officials imposed a moratorium on granting new water rights along the Columbia River. Troutman said he met with legislators, worked with groups and tried to get that decision changed, but without results. The lesson he drew from that, he said, was to become proactive and address possible environmental issues before they got to the point of moratoriums or Endangered Species Act listings. Producing cheap food is a good thing but it carries some environmental consequences with it, he said, and that’s become more of a public concern. When the public gets upset, the easiest and cheapest way for the government to respond is to add more regulation designed to mitigate that damage, Troutman said. That puts the burden on farmers and adds to their costs in times when they face thin profit margins. Ironically, “the burden of saving the sage grouse” in Washington will fall on the farmers who’ve done the best job of maintaining habitat, he said. Troutman said as far as he’s concerned, the people who farm the land are just as important a resource as the land and water,
Submitted photo
Wade Troutman on his wheat ranch. and if farmers go broke because of burdensome environmental regulations, “that’s a crime in itself.” The idea is to maintain a viable population of sage grouse and other species in Douglas County, “finding ways we can live with the sage grouse,” and other species, “before someone from (Washington) D.C. starts telling us how to farm.” Troutman said the farmer is the best resource to save endangered species. “They know the land,” he said. “They know the history,
and they have the institutional knowledge passed on from their fathers and their grandfathers.” What scientific study and 100-plus years of farming knowledge have discovered is that sage grouse like to roam and need lots of open space. They’re kind of like farmers that way, Troutman said. “We don’t adapt any better than the sage grouse to suburbia.” Innovative marketing techniques, conservation efforts and farming practices are all directed toward one goal,
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Page 18 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
Easements can help preserve farmland Development Agriculture provides a win-win, allowing rights can diversification from cattle alone. Louis Sukovaty be purchased Winthrop rancher to keep farms By Cheryl Schweizer Chronicle correspondent WINTHROP — It has been said that a house is the last crop a piece of land grows. But the tension between development and sustaining agriculture extends past the ‘burbs, and more and more development possibilities and pressures are coming to rural areas. That has spurred the search for ways to keep agriculture viable and functioning in the face of actual and potential development. One way of doing that is illustrated by the Methow Conservancy. The conservancy is a nonprofit land trust, Director Jason Paulsen said. The organization works with landowners to purchase conservancy easements, which “remove some portion of development potential” by placing restrictions on development, prohibiting it entirely or a combination of both, Paulsen said. The conservancy’s easement purchases are restricted to the Methow Valley, Paulsen said. A similar organization, the Okanogan Valley Land Council, exists in that valley. The organization has 81 easements for about 6,300 acres. Easements are designed to stay with the property even after the farmer who signed it is gone. “They’re ‘forever’ easements,” Paulsen said. “Once you’re in, you’re in.” There are some circumstances in which an easement could be amended and those are detailed before an easement is signed. Any amendment proposals would be subject to legal review, Paulsen said. Each easement is written specifically for the property involved; typically conservancy officials work with the landowner to come up with language that fits the operation
and the owner’s aspirations. The property owner still owns the land and can still work the farm and expand the operation, subject to easement conditions. What changes is the nature of development that will and won’t be allowed. Louis Sukovaty and his wife, Jennifer Argraves, had everything they needed to make their Crown S Ranch a good candidate for development. The 50-acre Sukovaty place is across the road from Liberty Bell High School and has good water rights, Sukovaty said. It’s a little tricky making a living by raising cattle on 50 acres in the Methow. But Sukovaty and Argraves wanted to farm; Sukovaty’s parents bought the land in 1968; he was raised there and wanted to raise his family there, he said. “We are committed to our farming” and the agriculture easement helped them keep the Crown S going, he said. “It’s just a win-win.” The property was attractive to the conservancy, Sukovaty said, because many of the landowners around the Crown S had easements or were considering them. He had some plans for his land, but money was a problem. Selling the easement “freed up some capital” and helped him bring those plans to fruition. He said it’s very efficient for
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a farmer to raise one crop, “but you don’t get paid for it” - at least not enough in the Methow to offset the higher production costs. So he expanded his operation to include pigs, chickens, cattle, hay and alfalfa. He also started a direct sales business, selling meat and eggs to customers via the Internet and directly to local markets. It’s more labor-intensive and required more initial investment, but Sukovaty said he expects it to help the Crown S bottom line in the long run. Conservancy officials work with landowners to make plans for future operations during the easement sale process, Paulsen said. Landowners know their property better than anyone else, and know the best uses for it. The conservancy’s long-term goal is to support the farmers who are working the land and to find ways to keep farms viable, he said. The Methow Conservancy was founded in 1996; some valley residents saw the area had a high potential for development and wanted to find ways to manage it, Paulsen said. They studied the techniques other communities were using and found the conservancy concept, where landowners could sell easements or set up land trusts, he said.
Submitted photo
The shrub steppe landscape will be explored in conservation course.
Course explores shrub steppe WINTHROP — The Methow Conservancy’s sixth annual Methow conservation course begins Monday, Feb. 1. The six-week course will explore the secrets of the shrub steppe, revealing hidden facets of the landscape — from its history and unseen influences to mysterious plant and animal relationships, a conservancy announcement said. The full syllabus and registration form are available at the Methow Conservancy office in Winthrop, www.methowconser vancy.org or 996-2870. North Central Washington’s shrub steppe is an ecosystem teaming ecologically with wildlife and unique plants. It also is a rich part of the area’s history and culture, from American Indian and early settlers’ interactions with native plant
communities to current uses, the conservancy said. The course will explore shrub steppe ecology from the Columbia Basin to the Methow Valley with instructors who include Dana Visalli, Eric Bard, Jack Nisbet, Mike Schroeder, Kim Romain-Bondi, Jerry Benson, Heidi Newsome, Hans Smith, George Wooten and Rob Crandall. The course runs from 6-8:30 p.m. Mondays from Feb. 1 to March 8 at the Twisp River Pub, Twisp. Optional dinners will be available at 5:30 p.m. The week of Presidents Day, the class will meet Tuesday, Feb. 16, and the Feb. 1 class begins at 5:30 p.m. A spring field trip is planned. Tuition is $125 for Methow Conservancy members and $150 for non-members.
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Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash. — Page 19
Report explores agricultural outlook
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SPOKANE — With descriptions of a sluggish economy, a slow recovery and tighter margins as common themes among most agricultural commodities, higher prices seem less probable and cash flow concerns and anemic sales more likely for many Pacific Northwest producers. Market Snapshots, published by Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Knowledge Center, depicts the general health of select industries. All Market Snapshots can be found at www.farmcredit.com/resources. By commodity, the report found: Beef — Beef producers may have ended 2009 with more questions than answers. Peaking at the onset of 2008, beef production met a global recession and declining beef demand. Today, consumer spending on food items has fallen nearly 2 percent, and spending in restaurants has fallen even more significantly. Domestic beef demand is expected to remain sluggish. Nearterm increases are most likely to occur in exports of U.S. beef. Wheat — Looking to 2010, producers’ budgets face tighter margins. Increasingly, producers are matching significant “prebuys” with forward contracts and proactive grain marketing as a best practice in profit margin management. Real estate sales activity and prices in dryland grain areas are slow to steady. Dairy — A return to break even prices is met with a collective sigh of relief among Northwest dairy producers, who have experienced more than a year of below break-even prices, lost equity and significantly stressed financial positions. As dairy producers retrench, they’re revisiting dairy business models and increasing attention to risk management – specifically, margin management. Apples — Conditions changed for the 2009-10 fresh apple crop at the end of the fourth quarter 2009. Although recent estimates peg the crop at 102 million boxes, some believe quality issues that surfaced during and after harvest will shrink crop volume as packing progresses. This year’s crop is not at the upper end of historical quality, and warehouses will have higher packing costs. Marketing pace and retail pricing will be critical factors in working through the crop, and
Custom Cutting and Wrapping Locker beef for sale “We feature lean Charolais beef” Larry and Tara Brownlee 23253 Hwy. 20 S. Okanogan 509-422-5116
If it’s worth sharpening, bring it to
Omak Saw and Tool! Chronicle photo by Dee Camp
Props rest against trees in an Okanogan orchard at the start of the 2009 growing season. the rate of pack-outs will be key to growers’ profitability. Hay — The slide in Pacific Northwest hay prices bottomed in August, following an uptick in milk prices. With larger milk checks, more dairies are coming into the hay market and pent-up demand should continue to accelerate hay movement and bolster prices. Despite increased demand, a significant amount of hay stocks are still in Northwest growers’ hands. Dairies are very light on winter hay inventories, but rebuilding of stocks is likely to be a slow process. Forest products — After five years of declining prices, the outlook for the forest products industry remains soft. While prospects of a bottom
for the industry is supported by the country’s tentative emergence from recession and perceived stabilization in the housing market, high unemployment levels, unused manufacturing and logging capacity, and low housing starts signal a slow recovery. Wine/vineyard — The wine industry is feeling the sobering effects of a jarring 18-month recession that, by most estimates, ended in the third quarter of 2009. Many wineries have struggled with anemic sales in 2009 due to consumer frugality, weak restaurant demand and distribution challenges. The landscape is significantly changed following the economic downturn and wine business owners are searching for clues for where
the market will go next. Knowledge Center quarterly Market Snapshots include information on 18 industries and frequently include special reports. E-newsletter updates are available at www.farm-credit.com/resources. Northwest FCS provides financing, related services and crop insurance to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, and rural homeowners in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
Carbide Saws Carbide Blades Planer Blades Since 1948
509-826-1047 208 Riverside Dr. Omak
509-422-0660 Okanogan Valley Sprinklers Underground Sprinkler Installation Maintenance • Repair • Winterization
Distributor of Free Estimates Licensed • Bonded • Insured
New and Used SALES - SERVICE
3766 Iroquois Lane, Wenatchee, WA 98801
Norm Martin
631 Okoma Drive 509-826-0586 Omak, WA
AMERICAN CAR CARE CENTERS®
Mac’s Tire of Omak Dick Raab - Owner
Dana Morgan Sales Representative NCW and Columbia Basin
Office: 1-800-335-2753 Local: 509-662-2753 Cell: 509-421-3494 Fax: 509-663-9444
• Tires • Brakes • Batteries
• Alignments • Shocks and Struts • Custom Wheels
• Lube, Oil and Filter • Service Truck • U-Haul
Page 20 — Agriculture 2010, The Chronicle, Omak, Wash.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND OUR
AGRICULTURE CUSTOMERS
STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS
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 ultimately dollars. Irrigation systems delivering the right amount of water at the right time and pumps and motors working efficiently helps to ensure that your hard earned dollars are working 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!
Public Utility District No. 1 of Okanogan County 1331 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