Country life 6 11 14

Country Life Special Section • Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Gardening • CL2 Sakuma • CL3 FFA • CL6

Virtually no use of Barbie’s Berries busy picking red H-2A locally Federal guestworker program has boomed in state, however

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

WHATCOM ­ — Despite being the leading agricultural county on the west side of Washington State, Whatcom has virtually no participation in the H-2A federal guestworker program, according to the Washington Farm Labor Association.

H-2A is for seasonal farm labor only, and so year-round work on dairy farms does not qualify, said Dan Fazio, director of the Lacey-based organi-

zation.

He characterized H-2A use in Whatcom County as “low to zero.”

The most likely local crops to need seasonal labor are raspberries and blueberries, but those industries have gone largely to machine harvesting.

“We had a large Whatcom grower use (H-2A) last year, but the high cost of the program made it unattractive moving forward. My understanding is that the grower is working with farm labor contractors who will bring in workers (apart from H-2A),” Fazio said in an email.

“Most of the labor-intensive agriculture has unfortunately left, or is leaving, See H-2A on CL3

Purely Peonies Kenzie Smith, 3, of Ferndale, and a great-niece of Barbie’s Berries owner Barb Kraght, enjoys the bounty of the family fields last week between Lynden and Ferndale. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

U-picking to start in many fields this weekend

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

The peonies are profuse right now at Pure Peonies at 2949 E. Badger Road. The chemicals-free 175-variety farm of Jim Wright and Renel Anderson is filling plenty of orders of cut flowers for weddings and other summer events. Both flowers and tubers can be delivered all over the United States and Canada. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

LYNDEN — Even sweeter than expected. That’s how Barb Kraght describes the first wave of Albion strawberries that started the summer berry season for Barbie’s Berries.

“I think that heat in May of over 90 degrees really sweetened them up,” she

said. “The Albions are almost as sweet as their second (picking).”

With Albions fresh at the farm and Barbie’s Fairway Center stand since the last few days in May, Kraght said the next variety, Hood, will help kick off the summer U-pick season by Father’s Day, June 15, also one of the busiest weekends on the farm.

While many of those berries are ripe, Kraght needs to “let them get well ripened” to ease the load on self-picking folks.

Barbie’s will offer up Albion, Hood,

Corner of the Guide and Main • Lynden • (360) 354-2186 Store Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30AM-5:30PM, Saturday, 8AM-3PM

Shuksan and Puget Summer varieties this month, with Albion coming on again later in the summer with a second run.

Along with strawberries, Barbie’s will soon have raspberries, blueberries and blackberries too.

The Hoods, though, will precede the Shuksan variety as the next in line, filling the Willeys Lake Road u-pick farm and fresh berry stand, the soon-to-open Raspberry Ridge stand and Fairway Center stand. Fairway and the farm open by See Berries on CL2

Country Life 2 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Berries: Two stands for Barbie’s Continued from CL1 9 a.m. while Raspberry Ridge follows at 10 a.m.

This season, Kraght used hoop houses and warming blankets in the spring to ensure an early ready-to-go harvest, something she experimented with last year to get her timing just right. Or ripe, if you will.

Plants and color to enjoy all summer

By David Vos

Berry stands • Barbie’s Berries, farm stand, 7655 Melody Lane (off Willeys Lake Road), Ferndale • Barbie’s Berries, Fairway Center, 1750 Front St., Lynden • Barbie’s Berries, Raspberry Ridge Golf Course, 6827 Hannegan Rd., Everson • Boxx Berry Farm, farm store, 6211 Northwest Rd., Ferndale • Mellema Farms, Lynden stand, Guide Meridian Road south of Safeway • Shumway’s Berries, Everson, 3957 Mt. Baker Highway, Everson • Kamm Creek Farm, 850 Hampton Rd., Lynden (no spray)

In Bloom

Boxx Berry Farm on Northwest Road in Ferndale also has plenty of picking options. (Mark Reimers/Ferndale Record)

VanderGiessen Nursery hosting grand reopening on Saturday

LYNDEN — A brand-new greenhouse and new sales center are reason to celebrate for VanderGiessen Nursery.

Now offering Lynden’s lone retail nursery, located at 401 E. Grover St., the Vos family will host an event on Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to show off the new space, which has opened in stages this spring.

Plenty of tractors rolled in the Lynden parade on Saturday. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

I’m a big fan of spring.

After all, spring means longer days, better weather and blooming shrubs and trees!

As we get into summer, though, some of the newness of life around your yard starts to fade. At no time is that more evident than in June as rhododendrons are finished blooming, many flowering trees are long-since done and the excited anticipation of the season begins to wane. But wait!

There’s plenty of gardening to do both this month and in the months to come, so make room in your yard for plants to enjoy all summer long.

In the last 10 years, the world of hydrangeas has seen a complete renaissance.

New varieties have brought renewed interest to a oncestale plant species. One of the early hydrangeas introduced during the explosion of plant breeding was Limelight. A paniculata variety, this hydrangea is best recognized by its cone-shaped flowers and appreciated for the ease of pruning it offers — prune in fall or spring and still enjoy flowers in summer. Unique to Limelight, though, was the lime green flower color. Today, Limelight is still a highly sought-after variety, but due to its mature size (it can grow up to eight feet tall), it’s not the best candidate for smaller gardens.

To solve that problem, breeders introduced Little Lime. A dwarf version of its popular lime-green big broth-

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er, Little Lime boasts the same large green flowers held on sturdy stems, and it tops out at only three to five feet. Buds that emerge this month will produce flowers in July and August, eventually aging to a dusky rose color. If your yard could use some summer color, Little Lime might be just the plant to do the job without overwhelming your other plants.

Another great plant for summer color is the rose.

Now, say what you want about roses — I hear it all — but you can’t beat the classic beauty and all-summer color they provide. Like hydrangeas, the world of roses has changed considerably over the last 10 years, and many newer introductions like Julia Child have better disease resistance, bloom more vigorously and, thankfully, once again smell great!

Additionally, beyond the world of traditional roses, groundcover and shrub roses like Drift and Knockout offer season-long blooming with minimal maintenance. And as far as maintenance goes, rose care is hardly the chore it used to be. If you can remember to water your plants with a simple treatment three or four times during the summer — some of my customers make it easy and treat their roses on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day — a product like Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower Care can make growing healthy, vibrant roses a snap for any gardener.

Finally, it’s June and if you have kids or grandkids of

school age, it’s time for summer vacation. Gardening is often considered a hobby for adults, but children are fascinated with watching things grow, so make the most of this summer vacation and help them plant a garden of miniature plants. Visit your favorite local nursery to browse the selection of tiny evergreens just inches tall and wide. Dwarf and miniature evergreens come in all shapes, colors and textures and they’ll give your kids a chance to plant something they can enjoy for years to come.

Summer days may mean the end of spring’s new life, but make a visit to a local nursery and you’ll discover it doesn’t have to mean the end of fresh color and excitement in the garden. With a little planning and creativity, you can enjoy a beautiful, colorful and fun yard for the whole summer.

David Vos is the general manager of VanderGiessen Nursery in Lynden.

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Country Life 3 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Sakuma settles conflict; guest workers will not be hired

By Jacqueline Allison From the Western Front

SKAGIT — Sakuma Brothers Farms has decided not to use guest workers this season and instead will employ local workers, according to a Sakuma Brothers press release on Monday, June 2.

With the berry-picking season starting June 17, Sakuma felt pressure to hire workers as soon as possible, according to the press release.

“We are hopeful that by working with local community farmworker advocates, we will be able to hire the workforce we need,” said President Steve Sakuma.

Sakuma applied for 438 guest workers this year after it barred former workers from re-employment because they missed work during last year’s strikes, Sakuma said.

Under the H2-A guest worker program, farms can contract foreign workers if they can prove there is a shortage of domestic labor, Sakuma said. “[The guest workers] are the only safety net I have,” he said. “That’s business; that’s survival.”

Familias Unidas por la Justicia, a union of Sakuma farmworker families, sued the company and, at a court ruling on May 27, won the right to return to their jobs.

The union believed Sakuma did not want to negotiate with workers, so it refused to rehire them, said Familias President Ramon Torres with

the help of a translator.

“If we hadn’t taken [Sakuma] to court, 400 families would have been displaced,” Torres said.

Members of Familias Unidas spoke at an event on May 29 hosted by Western Students for Farmworker Justice, a club that advocates for Familias by organizing boycotts of Sakuma products.

Skagit County Superior Court Judge Susan Cook ordered Sakuma to stop refusing to rehire workers who missed work due to strikes.

Barring workers from reemployment because of absences violates their legal right to strike, according to the ruling.

Workers at the Burlington berry farm went on strike six times last summer for fair wages and working conditions, Torres said.

Familias Unidas is still fighting to negotiate a contract with Sakuma that guarantees workers’ rights and protections, said Rosalinda Guillen, who works with Familias Unidas and runs Community to Community Development, a local nonprofit organization.

Sakuma employs up to 500 workers during its berrypicking season that runs midJune to Oct. 31, Sakuma said.

In April, Sakuma sent letters to 379 former workers informing them they were ineligible for rehire because they missed five or more consecutive workdays last season due to strikes, failing to

Steve Sakuma stands in a newly renovated worker house of the Skagit County family farm. Sakuma Bros. completed a $250,000 renovation of housing this year after workers complained they were unclean and unsafe. “We listened to them and made some changes,” he said. (Courtesy Photo/Jacqueline Allison/Western Front) complete their contracts, Sakuma said.

“If a person walks away from their job, the question is: Would you rehire them?” Sakuma said. “I think most employers would tell you no.”

Familias Unidas’ victory in court changes Sakuma’s rehiring plans.

“We will hire all eligible workers regardless of their attendance record [last year],” Sakuma said.

The company’s primary

H-2A: Larger growers maintain own facilities Continued from CL1 Whatcom County. Many of the large producers have resorted to machine harvest of berries due to the scarcity of labor,” he said.

“We have had calls from several growers, but little to no interest after they hear about the costs.”

Some of the larger Whatcom County berry growers maintain their own facilities to house migrant U.S. workers who are accustomed to returning to the same farm employer year to year.

H2A is a way for growers to access a legal and stable workforce when there is a documented shortage of domestic workers, Fazio said.

The first step is to prove that there are no domestic workers who are interested in the job, and the employer must document a regional search throughout the entire West Coast and beyond. Once that

Wine and spirits tasting event July 20 at Bellewood BELLINGHAM — Sustainable Connections, in partnership with the Whatcom Winery and Distillery Association, will host a second annual Whatcom Wine & Spirits Fest on Sunday, July 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Bellewood Acres.

Sponsored by Silver Reef Casino and Haggen, this event will showcase locally produced wine and spirits.

With 40 different local wines and spirits to taste, live music and food samples, the intimate fundraiser is a fun way to contribute to Sustainable Connections’ programs and Think Local First campaign. Cases of wine will be available to purchase at 10 percent off the standard retail price. All wine and spirits can be purchased tax-free at the event, too.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $25 through Brown Paper Tickets (http:// w w w. b r ow n p a p e r t i c k e t s. com/event/716139) or for $32 at the door. The price includes eight tastings. Designated driver tickets can also be purchased for $10.

Shop Local

Support your community. Shop our local business.

-Lynden Tribune

has been shown, there are “many more hoops to jump through with several different state and federal agencies, none of whom is responsible for the outcome,” Fazio said.

H-2A has especially taken off in eastern Washington where the dominant tree fruit industry seems to be chronically short of enough pickers.

H-2A gained attention when Sakuma Bros. Inc., a Skagit County berry grower, announced over the winter it was applying for guest workers in response to labor unrest by its regular workers that cut into harvest last year. That labor dispute may be resolved for this year without using H-2A (see story above).

Still, in spite of any obstacles, Fazio and his association have emerged as one of the nation’s biggest players in lining up foreign guest-workers.

According to a May 25

Washington state law does not require farms to provide family housing, the ruling said.

After Sakuma found that 35 percent of housing last year was occupied by non-working family members, it decided to reserve camp cabins for workers. Sakuma wants those who live on-site to be able to work, he said.

Washington families can stay with relatives in the Burlington area, but families from California will struggle to find places to live, Torres said.

Sakuma just completed a $250,000 housing renovation after workers complained last year that cabins were unclean, overcrowded and unsafe, Sakuma said. Cabins were re-painted, re-wired, insulated and made aesthetically pleasing.

Familias was due to return to court on Friday, June 6, to continue to fight for family housing, Guillen said.

article in the Yakima HeraldRepublic, Washington State Farm Labor accounted for 73 percent of the 6,194 total H-2A contracts in the state last year, also making Fazio the second largest H-2A employer in the country.

“The state is fifth in the total number of H-2A workers behind North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, according to the U.S. Department of Labor,” states the article, written by Ross Courtney.

The association is a nonprofit labor contractor, licensed by the state and hired by farmers to recruit workers in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Thailand, according to the article. Fazio is an attorney and formerly worked for the Washington Farm Bureau as lobbyist on employment and labor issues before the Legislature. He started arranging for H-2A workers in 2006.

concern is securing a reliable work force to pick its berry crop, Sakuma said, which must be harvested within a narrow three- to four-week window.

Sakuma lost close to 900,000 pounds of berries last year due to a shortage of domestic labor, according to the press release.

To make up for the anticipated loss of domestic workers, Sakuma applied for a guest worker license earlier

this year, Sakuma said.

Last season, Sakuma hired guest workers from Mexico after regular workers left their jobs during the labor unrest, he said.

Unlike previous years, Sakuma is not allowing workers’ families to live on the farm in housing camps, Sakuma said.

Familias wanted Sakuma to reopen housing to families, but the judge ruled in Sakuma’s favor.

Editor’s Note Nick Thomas, editor-inchief of The Western Front for the spring quarter, granted the Lynden Tribune permission to reprint this article, orginally published in the Front on June 2. The writing is by Front reporter Jacqueline Allison.

Thomas noted that a campus organization has critized the article, claiming that “the conflict is far from settled and that the headline is misleading.” But Thomas said the Front stands by the article as factually accurate.

Making hay

A load of round hay bales is hauled by wagon from an adjoining field in the traffic of East Badger Road on Monday. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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C4 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com • C5

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Country Life 6 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Mt. Baker FFA team excels at state in the floral area On to nationals for all state winners WHATCOM — The Mt. Baker FFA Floriculture team placed first out of 20 teams at the state Floriculture Career Development Event on March 22 in Vancouver, Washington, at Hudson’s Bay High School.

This contest requires students to identify 150 plants, cut flowers and tools; use math and knowledge of the floral industry in problem-solving and knowledge test sections; and work as a team of florists in a floral shop to plan an event in the floral industry.

In addition, each team member also takes part in a floral practicum designed to evaluate florist skills.

This year required designing a dish garden for a customer, using media to create a sales flyer, taking an order from a customer using one-on-one sales, and creating a floral arrangement for purchase.

All four members of the Mt. Baker floral team worked very hard this year to achieve success, with three of

the four being sophomores and firsttime competitors in the Floriculture CDE, said adviser Tamara Whitcomb.

“They started practicing last September and have continued to gain knowledge throughout this year,” she said.

They won first at a home contest and also in Ephrata leading up to their first-place finish at state. All four young ladies also placed in the top 10 individually: Morgan Zender took sixth, Kendal Schorr placed eighth, Ruth Pilat was ninth and Olivia Piehler tenth.

As a result, they look forward to competing at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky in late October in the FFA Floriculture CDE. This is the second time Mt. Baker has sent a team to nationals in Floriculture. The first time was in 2010.

“They intend to have regular practices this summer, and as school gets started to prepare for a national contest that includes several new elements to the competition,” Whitcomb.

To make a donation to help the Mt. Baker team go to Louisville, con-

tact Whitcomb at 556-1505 or mail a check directly to Mt. Baker FFA Boosters at P.O. Box 162, Deming, WA 98244.

• Nooksack Valley FFA had a good year at state, said adviser Rhonda Juergens, as all teams entered made finals and placed in the top eight.

Those included a Milk Quality and Products team in seventh place, a Veterinary Science team taking sixth and a Marketing Plan team also taking sixth.

Janis DeJager was selected one of four finalists in the state as a Star in Agricultural Placement with her Dairy Production State Degree. Also, she won the Dairy Production Placement Proficiency Award area with her work in the dairy industry.

• For Lynden FFA, beside three firsts (see photos), a Novice Parliamentary Procedure team took second place, a Veterinary Science team took fifth, a Parliamentary Procedure team took sixth, and both a F.A.R.M. and a second Agricultural Communications team took seventh place. Two Marketing Plan entries took eighth and tenth.

The Floriculture FFA team from Mount Baker High School won its state competition among 20 teams in Vancouver back in March.

From left the members are: Ruth Pilat, Kendal Schorr, Olivia Piehler and Morgan Zender. They will compete at FFA nationals in Louisville in October. (Courtesy photo/Tamara Whitcomb)

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Country Life 7 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

FFA Competition

FFA state-winning Lynden/LC teams moving on

The Lynden High School FFA Agricultural Communications team took first in state and qualified for nationals. From left are: Bailee Mulder (first individually as well), Holly McKinley and Trisha Snydar. (Courtesy Photo/John Grubbs)

Lynden FFA also took first in state in the Farm Business Management contest and qualified for national competition. From left are: Tyler Stitt (top individual), Katherine Smith, Kelsey Hewsen, Camille Sharp and Tyler Eldred. (Courtesy Photo/John Grubbs)

WCC Business Club gives $400 to boost 4-H

The Lynden Christian FFA team in Milk Quality and Foods took first in the state contest held recently in Pullman. The team consists of, from left: Brandy Bruneau (13th individually), Brittany Rutgers (eighth), Brittany TeVelde (first), Ellie Steensma (third), and Brianna Bruneau (12th). They are coached by Gerrit Van Weerdhuizen.

Note: A photo of the state-winning Lynden Christian Agriculture Mechanics team was printed in the May Country Life section. (Courtesy Photo/Tami VanWeerdhuizen)

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WHATCOM — ­ Whatcom Community College’s Business Club recently made a $400 donation to Whatcom County 4-H to encourage young participants in 4-H to keep good records of their projects.

“The goal is to encourage Whatcom County youth to understand the importance of quality record-keeping and to instill good business practices at a young age,” said Mary Vermillion, college marketing and communications director.

Financial rewards for record-keeping in 4-H had been cut due to budget challenges, spurring the donation, Vermillion said.

Juan Gavette of Lynden FFA won state and qualified for FFA nationals in Prepared Public Speaking. (John Grubbs)

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Country Life 8 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 • lyndentribune.com | ferndalerecord.com

Powerful prancing

MiElkE Market

What goes up must come down

By Lee Mielke lkmielke@juno.com

Happy June Dairy Month!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the May Federal Order milk prices, and the saying holds true: What goes up must come down.

The benchmark Class III price dropped $1.74 from its record high of $24.31 per hundredweight (cwt.) for April milk.

The new $22.57 price is still $4.05 above May 2013 and $3.23 above California’s comparable 4b price, and it equates to about $1.94 per gallon.

The 2014 Class III average now stands at $22.94, up from $17.69 at this time a year ago and $15.96 in 2012.

Looking ahead, Class III futures settled Friday, June 6, as follows: June, $21.24; July, $20.38; August, $20.33; September, $20.32; October, $20.05; November, $19.53; and December, $19.05.

The May Class IV price is $22.65 per cwt., down 69 cents from April but $3.76 above a year ago. The Class IV average thus far stands at $23.08, up from $18.02 a year ago and $15.24 in 2012.

The four-week National Dairy Products Sales Reportsurveyed cheese price used in calculating this month’s milk prices was $2.1703 per pound, down 18.4 cents from April. Butter averaged $2.0477, up 12.5 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.8768, down 14.2 cents, and dry whey averaged 67.45 cents per pound, down fractionally.

Amidst the ongoing discussion in California, the nation’s leading milk producer, over formation of a possible Federal Milk Market Order, new fuel feeds the fire. The Federal Order Class III milk price is $3.23 per cwt. above California’s com-

parable 4b cheese milk price, and that despite the temporary price enhancement mandated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

This is the biggest gap so far this year, up from $2.58 last month and a far cry from the 84-cent difference in January.

The five-month FO Class III average now stands at $22.57 per cwt. versus California’s five-month Class 4b average at $20.94, a $1.63 gap.

Checking the cash dairy markets, the 40-pound cheddar blocks hit $2.03 per pound Wednesday and closed Friday at $2.05, up 9 cents on the week and 30.25 cents above a year ago. The 500-pound cheddar barrels closed at $1.9675, up 3.5 cents on the week and 20.75 cents above a year ago. Six train cars of block traded hands on the week and 18 of barrel. The NDPSR-surveyed U.S. average block price fell 6.1 cents, to $2.0516 per pound. Barrel averaged $2.0563, down 4 cents.

Look for “choppiness for the next several weeks” in the cheese market, according to Jerry Dryer, editor of the Dairy and Food Market Analyst.

Speaking on Friday’s “DairyLine” program, Dryer said the market is “trying to figure itself out.” He projects that supplies will be relatively tight, however, through the spring flush.

He believes cheese prices will hover about 2 cents below or above $2 per pound.

Cheese production in the West is active with sufficient milk available to meet buyers’ demand. Some plants are turning milk away rather than building surplus stocks. Cheese producers are reporting good retail demand, despite higher prices than a year ago. Export demand is moderating.

Cash butter headed down

last week, reversing two weeks of gain, and closed Friday at $2.2225 per pound, down 7.75 cents on the week but still 67.75 cents above a year ago. Twentynine cars were sold.

Domestic buyer interest has slowed. International demand is steady. Butter inventories are maintaining to slightly higher. Western butter production is mostly steady. Some producers are opting to sell excess cream rather than build inventory at current prices. Butter demand remains strong as plants tight stocks.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.8575 per pound, up 1.25 cents. Three cars were sold. NDPSR powder averaged $1.8901, up 7.6 cents, and dry whey averaged 67.24 cents per pound, down 0.8 cent.

Lee Mielke, of Lynden, is editor of the Mielke Market Weekly and associate editor of DairyBusiness Update.

The Mt. View Belgians team of the Weidkamp family of Everson pulls a wagon for Milky Way in the Lynden Farmers Day Parade on Saturday. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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