>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

THE ART OF PRUNING: Warren Gilstrap, who is pretty particular about how his vines are handled, tried something new with cordon pruning this winter and cut the vines further back than ever before to one bud spur above the basal bud. The idea is that less quantity will yield higher quality. The 2006 harvest from these Kuhlman Foch grapes produced 280 cases of wine. - photos by Mardi Ford

“It was time to either ramp it up or ramp it down. And I think Dad will agree with me that we needed a serious marketing effort,” Warren says.

Rod Gilstrap nods his head in wholehearted agreement.

Across the valley, spring planting for some farmers like Wade Bingaman, above, may be off to a late start, but most agree there’s still plenty of time to catch up. The biggest concern may be that once the weather does warm up, it will turn too hot, too fast. - Observer Photos/Mardi Ford

At the north end of the valley, Imbler has had more than its fair share of wind, drifting snow and freezing temperatures.

MOTHER UP: Though junior steer does his best and cutest nudging to capture mom’s attention, she is mesmerized by the paparazzi. - Photos/Mardi Ford

While the older, experienced cows may only need checking on a couple of times a day during calving, first-year heifers need more attention. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and several times in between  around the clock, says Murchison, president of the Union County Cattlemen. 

FRESH FROM THE FIELD: This handful of flotsam and jetsam also holds hundreds of tiny little Kentucky bluegrass seeds within the clumps of cotton, straw clippings, rocks, dirt, sand and weed seeds. All superfluous material will be painstakingly cleaned at one of two facilities owned by Blue Mountain Seeds. - Observer photos/MARDI FORD

Since mid-July the grass seed cleaning operation at Blue Mountain Seeds has been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the end, the Imbler operation’s 2007 grass seed harvest will generate well over 10 million pounds of clean seed. It is one of several seed cleaning facilities in the county.

SIZE DOESN’T MATTER: Don’t let the diminutive daintiness of the clearwinged grasshopper (far right) fool you. Grasshoppers will eat approximately one-half of their body weight in green forage per day. Seven or eight grasshoppers per square meter in a four-hectare field will consume as much forage as a cow. - Observer photos/MARDI FORD

The presentation was part of Oregon State University Extension’s recent annual training for private pesticide applicator certification.

It may have been the big day for their open house celebrating their new location, but as far as Jennifer Isley, county executive director for the Farm Service Agency, is concerned, there’s still work to be done. Wednesday marked the official celebration of the new offices of Rural Development, National Resource Conservation and Farm Service Agencies at 1901 Adams Ave. in La Grande. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

What prompted the move was the expiring of the USDA’s lease at the Ag Service Center. At that point, the agency was required to put the lease out for bid according to U.S. General Services Administration facilities standards.