Promising table grape cultivars, not to mention tasty grape samples, will be on display and up for discussion during a field day at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center.

The field day is Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at NWREC, 15210 N.E. Miley Road, Aurora.

Research Assistant Amanda Vance, who has spent the past three years evaluating cultivars, will talk abut her findings. Oregon is known for its wine grapes, of course, but Vance believes there may be a table grape niche for small-scale growers who sell at farmers’ markets or roadside stands.

The grapes Vance found most promising include Neptune, a green grape from the University of Arkansas with high yields year after year, and Canadice, a smaller red grape from Cornell University with good flavor and uniform clusters. Agricultural researchers often share cultivars among themselves for evaluation and OSU received several over the years from John Clark, a University of Arkansas plant breeder and horticulture professor. Clark will attend the field day and talk about his work.

Vance has a viticulture background and volunteered to take on the OSU table grape research project. She’ll discuss her work, and OSU berry crops professor Bernadine Strik will talk about grapevine morphology, physiology, trellising, pruning and training. Javier Fernandez-Salvador, an OSU Ph.D. candidate and an assistant professor, will talk about organic table grape production, including disease and weed control.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Wildfires in Oregon are burning an area roughly equivalent to half the state of Rhode Island, affecting air quality throughout the state and forcing the evacuations of more than 4,500 people, fire authorities said.

Two dozen fires in southern, eastern and central parts of the state had scorched a total of 571 square miles.

And although fire crews appreciated cooler weather and some fog on some fire lines, they are bracing for triple-digit temperatures and the return of windy conditions and extremely low humidity later this week and into the weekend, said Terry Krasko, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman.

The largest fire is near the coastal town of Brookings near the California border.

That 196-square-mile blaze is 5 percent contained and 4,568 people have fled their homes. Firefighters have managed to carve out a containment line along the southwestern edge of the fire to protect the 6,500-person town that will be bolstered by the arrival Wednesday of six Oregon National Guard teams.

The fire started July 12 from a lightning strike in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest but grew rapidly last week.

“That 5 percent doesn’t sound like a lot but it’s very critical to this town and we feel very good about that. There have been people asking, ‘What about the other side of the fire, what about the east?”’ Krasko said. “But we have to put our efforts first where the homes and businesses are — where people live. These are our family and friends.”

Also in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, but further east, a complex of fires forced the evacuation of six homes Tuesday in a rural community called Joe Bar near the Applegate River Valley. Several of the fires have merged and firefighters have divided the largest ones into three areas of attack, fire authorities said.

About two dozen blazes all began on Aug. 12 after a lightning storm in the area but most were put out quickly by crews.

In central Oregon, a 34-square-mile fire west of Sisters is now 44 percent contained. No mandatory evacuations are in effect.

Fires statewide continue to generate thick smoke that’s affecting air quality in southern and central Oregon.

Smoke forced the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to cancel its outdoor performance on Tuesday.

Nine cities, including Bend, Medford, Ashland and Klamath Falls, had unhealthy air conditions on Wednesday, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Smoke from all the blazes has also converged on Portland, which is several hundred miles away, and has obscured the iconic view of Mount Hood.

On Tuesday, some Portland residents reported finding ash on their parked cars.

As the coordinator for the Go Native Project at Bandon High School, I must extend gratitude to the multiple people, businesses and organizations that were invaluable support for the Wild Rivers Pollinator Project.

BANDON -- Aaron Barnes couldn't decide what he wanted to do when he grew up.

The Bandon Lions Cranberry Run will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10. The event, which helps fund charitable causes of the Bandon Lions Club, begins at 2 p.m. at the Bandon City Park. Registration starts at 1 p.m.

March 27, 1940 - Aug. 26, 2017

Oregon’s winemakers reported a 12 percent sales increase to $529 million, planted 2,400 more acres of grapes and opened 23 more wineries in 2016, according to an annual census commissioned by the Oregon Wine Board.

The growth came despite a 6 percent drop in production, slipping to 79,782 tons from the 84,782 tons harvested in 2015.

Not to worry, said Steve Thomson, CEO of Cristom Vineyards and the wine board chair. For one thing, the 2014 and 2015 vintages were unusually large, and 2016 was closer to normal — although the 2017 yield is shaping up as another big one.

More important, he said, is the price per ton is increasing and the state’s “pricing power” is intact. In other words, the state’s winemakers concentrated from the early days on quality rather than quantity, and consumers remain willing to pay more for Oregon wine.

“It all fits together really well,” Thomson said.

The Willamette Valley’s internationally acclaimed Pinot noir is still the big dog, accounting for 64 percent of the 30,435 acres of wine grapes grown in Oregon. In addition, about 73 percent of the grape “crush” happened in the North Willamette Valley. But Thomson said the state is no longer a “one trick pony.”

The warmer Southern Oregon and the Columbia Valley regions, the latter including American Viticulture Areas in sections of Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington, produce a range of Mediterranean and Bordeaux varietals to complement the Burgundian style Pinot noir. Across the state, buyers can find Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot gris, Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, Merlot, Tempranillo and more.

“It’s a strong healthy sign for our industry,” Thomson said. “I marvel a little bit. Ten years ago it was Pinot noir driven, now there’s incredible variety. It helps immunize our industry for the future by having greater diversity across our industry.”

The census is the work of the Southern Oregon University Research Center. Among other statistics, the report showed Oregon now has 725 wineries, adding them at a pace of nearly two a month. Case sales at winery tasting rooms, where visitors can sample “flights” of various varietals, jumped to 484,714 in 2016 — 63,000 more 12-bottle cases than in 2015.

The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent state agency that does marketing, research and education for the industry.

Online: The 2016 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census Report

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30

HERMISTON, Ore. — The spring weather may not have been ideal, but Tony Amstad is still pleasantly surprised with the size and quality of his early season potatoes.

While an abundance of rain and snow pushed back planting by about a week in March, Amstad said the delay doesn’t seem to be affecting his fresh market crop. Harvest is now underway, and what he sees are spuds that are just the right shape, color and consistency for supermarket shelves.

“It’s going to be a decent year,” said Amstad, owner of Amstad Farms. “It started out bad and ended up good.”

Amstad Farms grows 2,250 acres of potatoes, mostly around Hermiston and Echo. On Tuesday, Amstad watched as crews sifted through a stream of Russets that were loaded up a conveyor belt into the back of a 30-ton semi-truck bound for the farm’s packing plant in Sherwood.

In another three weeks, Amstad said they will be going full bore on filling their eight, 9,000-ton storage sheds around the county. Most of what Amstad grows are fresh market potatoes — the kind you find in the produce section of the grocery store — though the farm also plants several varieties of red and yellow potatoes, which are sold to Reser’s Fine Foods to make potato salad.

Not only is quality looking good this year for Columbia Basin potatoes, but so is price, according to Amstad. Thanks in large part to a 15,000-acre reduction in neighboring Idaho, Amstad said the fresh market is looking to bring in about $12 per 100 pounds, which is the best he’s seen in three years.

“It’s called supply and demand,” he said. “And demand has been real good so far.”

Bill Brewer, CEO of the Oregon Potato Commission, said the fresh market has been dogged by overproduction the last couple of years. When Idaho, the largest supplier nationwide, reduces production, Brewer said Oregon is well positioned to reap the benefits.

Oregon’s potato export markets have also been on the rise over the last 10 years, Brewer added, thanks to the prosperous french fry and potato chip industries overseas in countries like Mexico, China and throughout the Pacific Rim.

“Our international markets are extremely important to us,” Brewer said, noting that 65 percent of Oregon potatoes are exported.

Domestically, about half of Oregon potatoes are sent to french fry factories like the massive Lamb Weston plants in Hermiston and Boardman. Another 20 percent are used for potato flakes and flour, like what’s made at Oregon Potato Company in Boardman. Roughly 8-10 percent go to potato chip processors like Shearer’s Foods in Hermiston.

The rest are fresh market, which makes up the bulk of taters at Amstad Farms.

Tony Amstad started the business in 1959, making this his 58th potato harvest. He has seen plenty of cycles in the industry, and has learned to take the good with the bad.

“Overall, when I look back on 58 years, it’s been very good to us,” he said.

Amstad’s partners include his two sons, Jeff and Skeeter, and his nephew, Todd Dimbat. Amstad Farms is now one of the region’s larger growers of fresh market potatoes.

This year brought excellent growing weather during the months of April, May and June, Amstad said. He admits he was concerned as temperatures have climbed in recent weeks to triple digits, as such stifling heat can essentially halt the development of tubers. But with harvest beginning Aug. 5, he said yields are so far looking promising.

Brewer cautions it is still early, and said he wouldn’t be surprised if the intense heat does result in a slight dip in yields. Most growers are prepared for that, he said, and he doesn’t anticipate any quality issues related to the heat.

Meanwhile, Amstad’s crews will remain busy with harvest well into October. Barring anything unexpected, the crop should fetch a reasonable profit.

LEBANON, Ore. (AP) — A handyman in Lebanon, Ore., has died after being fatally electrocuted in a freak farming accident.

Linn County authorities said Tuesday that 58-year-old Robert Leeland Prock was standing a 40-foot irrigation pipe on its end to move it when the pipe touched an overhead electrical wire.

The 12,000-volt wire was suspended 22 feet above the ground.

Prock was knocked unconscious by the shock and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

His 11-year-old son, who was helping him, was also shocked but survived with no serious injuries.

The investigation is continuing.

Old Town Marketplace

Bandon Historical Society Museum

From the first day of practice, Bandon volleyball coach Mariah Vierck has been excited about how eager her team is to learn and work hard.

BANDON -- The Bandon Historical Society Museum will host a special opening for the Bandon High Class of 1967 during the Cranberry Festival Weekend as part of the class’s 50-year anniversary.

BANDON -- The Bandon Historical Society Museum will host a special opening for the Bandon High Class of 1967 during the Cranberry Festival Weekend as part of the class’s 50-year anniversary.

The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in May of 1956, and according to information on the envelope, it was shortly after a fire had broken out in The Golden Rule building. The next picture on the…

Bandon’s football team got a test run of sorts with its new offense during a jamboree at Coquille on Friday night. Now the Tigers are ready to see how it holds up during a real game Thursday when Bandon hosts…

EUGENE, Ore. — Margarito Palacios belongs to one of the two families that runs the Small Farmers’ Project, a cooperative for Latino families that sells organic blackcap raspberries, fruit jam and U-pick strawberries at their farmstand.

The effort started in 2008 through Heifer International and Huerto de la Familia, which is Spanish for the Family Garden. For three years they supported the program by securing a $6,000 grant, renting the farmland, helping put in electricity and hiring veteran berry grower Carl Berg to train the farmers over six months.

The SFP has since become a separate enterprise, but Palacios said the organizations still support them.

Sarah Cantril, former executive director of Huerto de la Familia, said she is happy that the SPF continues, even though the operation has scaled back over the past several years, with several families leaving the co-op and fewer acres being farmed.

“The thing about the project, if you look at it from a capitalistic point of view, it’s hard to see the benefit,” she said. “They had to have jobs off the farm. It hasn’t been as lucrative as it could be, but I know for a fact people have paid off debt and sent money home to their children. Three people out of two families were able to have their higher education paid for in their home countries.”

The project also helped the Latino image in the community, Cantril said.

Palacios was eager to join because he said Latinos don’t make enough money to have their own farm. He was working minimum wage at SPF’s creation, but still works as a supervisor at a cleaning company.

“When we heard (about SFP) we say ‘yes’ quickly because it’s an opportunity for our family,” he said. “My daughter is four and my son is two, and I want a good life for them.”

Palacios is proud that SFP is organic. He said it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of the world for future generations — such as his children, who often go through the fields eating berries straight off the plant.

The initial struggle the business had was reaching customers. For that reason, SPF contracted with Organically Grown Co., the University of Oregon and others, according to Cantril.

From 2011 to 2014, SPF worked with Organically Grown Co. to produce blackcap raspberries. Approached by Cantril and Berg about the berries’ marketability, Organically Grown decided to help the group package and market the product for them, said Mike Neubeck, director of sourcing.

In four years, SPF sold 1,500 units of 12 half-pint blackcap raspberries.

Neubeck said that SPF began to “test different waters,” adding the U-pick strawberry field and jam products. Eventually the co-op told him that they were wanting to sell direct to retail.

“They’re great people and it was a neat experiment,” he said.

Cantril credits SFP as the “project that instigated the Cambio businesses,” a micro-development program through Huerto de la Familia that will assist Latinos set up or expand farm and food business ideas. The program offers both training and business counseling, as well as a food booth program.

“Shifting the dynamic of Latinos to being leaders of micro-businesses will help them to integrate into the larger Eugene (and) Springfield community, access new financial opportunities and help lead our disadvantaged communities to a more equitable and prosperous future,” Huerto de la Familia said on its website.

For Palacios, SFP is more than a way to support his family. It’s a chance to show Americans why he came to the U.S.

“Sometimes a couple gringo think that we come to do bad things, but with my job I show them what I come to do,” he said. “It’s not only for me. I do this for many, many Latinos.”

Tracks indicated the 500-pound calf churned 150 feet up a slope, leaving blood splattered on four logs, before going down in a pile of Meacham Pack wolves.

There wasn’t much left when a ranch hand found the carcass Aug. 19, perhaps two or three days after the attack. Most of the calf had been devoured, except the vertebrae with ribs, pelvis and tail still attached. The calf’s lower jaw and contents of its rumen were nearby.

It was the pack’s fourth confirmed attack within a week, all on livestock grazing on a 4,000 acre private, forested pasture in the Sheep Creek area of Umatilla County. The producer asked ODFW to take “lethal control” against the Meacham Pack as allowed under Phase 3 of Oregon’s wolf management program.

The rancher wanted them all dead. The wildlife agency authorized killing two of them, an incremental approach it had taken earlier in August with Wallowa County’s Harl Butte Pack, which attacked livestock eight times since July 2016.

In that case, ODFW quickly shot two adult Harl Butte wolves, then a third and fourth in the days that followed as it appeared the pack was still going after calves.

The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association argued that ODFW’s approach was a waste of time. Even with four dead, the Harl Butte Pack consisted of six adults and three growing pups – a 33-pound pup was unintentionally trapped, then released unharmed, as ODFW pursued the adults.

The Meacham Pack, meanwhile, had seven members at the end of 2016 and added at least four pups this past spring.

As Wallowa County rancher Todd Nash put it, “big dogs” eat a lot of meat.

The apparent spike in livestock attacks in August raised questions. ODFW said Oregon’s unusually warm and dry summer — even Portland went 57 days without rain — caused deer and elk to move to higher ground. With their natural prey more scarce, wolves then turned to attacking cattle, went the explanation.

But as Northeast Oregon research scientist Jim Akenson pointed out, deer and elk go to higher ground every summer. That’s not new, although conditions were more severe this year.

Instead, Akenson believes the packs may be “habituated” to eating cattle. For that reason, he said, ODFW’s incremental response — killing two adults at a time and monitoring the effect on pack behavior — probably won’t work.

Once the pack members “flip that switch” in terms of prey selection, it is tough to deter them, he said.

“They’re habituated to easy pickings,” Akenson said. “Plucking out a couple individuals is probably not going to change that behavior.”

Akenson is conservation director for the Oregon Hunters Association. His wife, Holly Akenson, is a wildlife biologist and member of the ODFW Commission, which is expected to revise and adopt the state’s wolf management plan this year. The Akensons live in Enterprise, in Wallowa County, and have extensive wildlife and wilderness experience in the Pacific Northwest.

John Stephenson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist based in Southwest Oregon, said larger packs tend to go after livestock.

“There’s a relationship between pack size and increased incidents of depredation,” he said.

Location is another factor, he said. The Harl Butte Pack operates where several herds graze on a mix of public and private land. All of its attacks over the past year were within 9 miles of each other, according to ODFW. The Imnaha Pack formerly prowled the territory and was known for attacking livestock. ODFW shot four Imnaha Pack wolves in April 2016 after repeated attacks on calves and sheep.

Meanwhile, all of the Meacham Pack’s attacks in August took place on the same private pasture.

Conservation groups oppose killing wolves and have asked, without success, for Gov. Kate Brown to intervene in ODFW’s decisions. The groups, including Oregon Wild, believe ODFW should not be taking lethal action until Oregon’s outdated wolf management plan is reviewed and revised. The ODFW Commission is expected to take action on the plan this year.