David and Rita Doerfler receiving the 2019 Agriculturalist of the Year Award at Oregon Ag Link’s Denim and Diamonds dinner and auction.
The ladies of Ioka Farms and the American Agri-Women’s “Drive Across America” Tour in 2015.
Alex Duerst leading the 2020 Oregon Seed League meeting in Salem, Oregon.
Oregon AgLink’s Adopt-A-Farmer program connects local farmers and middle school classrooms to teach lessons on crop production, processing, and economics. Farmers teach lessons in the students’ classroom, and the students then take field trips to the farms for hands-on experience!
Ioka is proud to support our local Future Farmers of America (FFA) members through their animal projects and at the annual Silverton FFA Auction.
Ioka is a proud to support our local 4-H members and their animal projects that are presented at the Marion County Fair.
There’s no better way to spruce up your spring landscaping and get ready for that first BBQ of summer than by planting a new lawn. Sometimes this can be an overwhelming task to take on, but with a few tips and a good plan, planting a lawn can be a fun and rewarding project.
The first thing to consider when planting a new lawn is temperature of both the air and soil. Grass seed germinates best when the air temperature is between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This also allows the soil to warm up and for those brand new roots to thrive. Plan to plant your seed when the air temperature will likely stay in this range for six to eight weeks.
In the land of Pinterest and Etsy, “hay” and “straw” are a synonymous crafting and decor medium. In the land of agriculture, “hay” and “straw” are actually very different.
At first glance, they do seem quite similar. Both begin the same way as a field crop and look dry towards the end; they have about 15% moisture or below at this point. Then they are compressed into various sized bales for the end user. Overall, to the untrained eye they look like a bale of dried plant material.
However, look a little closer and you’ll find two very different products.
Since 2003, Ioka Marketing has handled the distribution and promotion of PGG Seeds cultivars in the United States and Canada. In those beginning years, Ioka worked with Pyne Gould Guinness Limited of New Zealand and their contract agronomist and forage and pasture expert, John Snider. A shared vision of business ideals, practices, and standards made the partnership beneficial for both companies. PGG Seeds’ products are backed by years of breeding, on-farm trials, and agronomic support. Ioka saw this as a strategic position to offer premium forage and cover crop seeds to the U.S. market. During this time, Ioka handled the storage and logistics of the product line, coordinating imports and distribution to dealers and end-users.
In 2005, Pyne Gould Guinness was bought by Wrightson Limited and the two companies came together as PGG Wrightson Limited. The PGG Seeds marketing channel was kept post-merger and Ioka continued to increase distribution by partnering and marketing with choice seed companies within the United States.
