February 09, 2008 09:51 am
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 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.
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February 09, 2008 09:47 am
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 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.
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January 26, 2008 02:29 pm
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 WHAT'S BUGGING YOU? Oregon Department of Agriculture entomologist Helmuth Rogg provides insight into the problems of pest management at a recent Master Gardner class. Rogg will be making a presentation on the grasshopper infestation during upcoming pesticide training workshops. Workshop topics covered on Feb. 4 will include pesticide safety, toxicity and protection; state and federal record keeping; math for applicators; and pesticide labels and formulations. - Photo/Union County Extension Service
Other workshop topics covered during the day will include
pesticide safety, toxicity and protection; state and federal record
keeping; math for applicators and pesticide labels and formulations.
Participants may receive pesticide applicator re-certification credits for this event. Please bring a sack lunch.
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January 12, 2008 09:18 am
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 WINTER FEEDING: Cattle find an oasis of feed amid a sea of snow on Hunter Lane last week. In the aftermath of the drought, flood and pestilence that impacted feed crops throughout the nation, cattlemen are feeling the pinch of needing more hay for the winter, but paying more for it. The fourth annual Cattleman's Workshop Jan. 19 at the Blue Mountain Conference Center will offer solutions and opportunities to ease the bite of spiraling feed prices. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER
"Last year the big thing was ethanol. Then that stalled. Now
what we're facing is high feed prices," says Tim DelCurto, Oregon State
University associate professor and superintendent of OSU Extension's ag
research center in Union for the past 14 years.
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January 12, 2008 09:14 am
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 Chase Stewart, 10, atop Huckleberry Blues at the 2007 Arabian Youth Nationals held last summer in New Mexico. The pair took first in their class. - Submitted photo
Along with older sisters Kate and Brook, Chase, of Union,
competed at the 15th Annual Youth National Arabian and Half Arabian
Championship Horse Show last July. The week-long event was held at the
Expo in Albuquerque, N.M., and attended by more than 30,000 people.
Competing in the Arabian Country English Pleasure Walk/Trot for age 10 and under class, Chase took first place.
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January 12, 2008 09:06 am
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I admit it. I never was part of 4-H when I was a kid. I wasn't involved in FFA, either.
Being the musical type, I just didn't connect with that in my
junior high and high school days. My afternoons were spent hanging out
with other musical types in the choir room. Talking about music,
listening to music, rehearsing music. This course of action was broken
up throughout the year with preparations for state solo contests or
honor choir tryouts, as well as choreographing the stage blocking,
learning the lines and building the sets for spring musicals.
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December 29, 2007 02:24 pm
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 Submitted photo
They felt that Christmas is a wonderful time for everyone, but
especially for children. They decided that new or relatively new toys
could help ease a child's pain and hopefully distract them from the
reality of having to spend Christmas in a hospital.
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December 15, 2007 01:03 pm
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 Veterinarian Chris McIlmoil of the Country Animal Clinic in Island City has seen an increase in pigeon fever cases. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER
Pigeon fever was first reported in California in 1915. It
occurs sporadically in arid regions of the West and seems to be
expanding in territory. In recent years it has cropped up as far east
as Kentucky and Florida. This disease appeared for the first time in
eastern Oregon a few years ago, says veterinarian Chris McIlmoil,
Country Animal Clinic, Island City.
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December 01, 2007 01:58 pm
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 AT THE HEART of the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show are FFA and 4-H kids like Kagan Koehn, Cove, and their livestock projects. - MARDI FORD photo
Why not establish a 501c3 (not-for-profit) foundation that would
enable financial supporters of the 100-year old Eastern Oregon
Livestock Show to make tax-deductible donations?
Such a move, Knott believed, would assure financial support for the next 100 years of the regional livestock show.
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November 17, 2007 12:00 am
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 The Cove FFA livestock judging team poses with their coach Toby Koehn. From left are Hannah Delcurto, Katie Moore, Mariah Murchison and Katy Puckett. Not pictured is Brent Osterberg. - Submitted photo
Winning the state trophy was also a first for the community of
Cove, a first for the school and a first for the three-year-old FFA
chapter. It seems this group likes setting firsts.
Although a state win has its own merit, the team didn't rest
on its laurels for long. Winning state meant the top four scoring
members of the Cove team would represent Oregon at the 2007 National
FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Another first.
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