P U B L I S H E D B Y

T H E F L A T H E A D L A K E

C H E R R Y G R O W E R S , I N C

A M O N T A N A A G R I C U L T U R A L

C O O P E R A T I V E S I N C E 1 9 3 5

The Flathead Lake Cherry Growers®

“Quickview Review”

4 T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 4 Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R 2014

I M P O R T A N T

D A T E S

FLCG

Spring Grower Meeting March 29, 2014

Yellow Bay

Cherry Blossom Festival

May 17, 2014

FLCG

Pre-Harvest Grower Meeting

July 12, 2014

Polson

Main Street Flathead Lake Cherry Festival

July 19—20, 2014

www.flatheadcherryfestival.com

FLCG Administrator

Barb Hammons

Editor /Publisher Ken Edgington

From The President by Bruce Johnson, President

FLCG VOTES ROBERT SANDMAN TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert hails from Columbia Falls, Montana. He received his BS Degree in Forestry in 1981 from The University of Montana. He retired in December of 2011.

Over his years of employment, he held the following positions:

Area Manager: for Northwestern Land Office, Montana DNRC Unit Manager: Stillwater and Swan River State Forests, DNRC Forester II: Stillwater State Forest, DNRC Forester: Stillwater State Forest, DNRC Fire Technician: Libby Unit, DNRC

During his time with the DNRC he received the following Recognitions. 6 Certificates of Appreciation 1994 Wildland Fire Trainer of the Year 2002 Area Manager’s Award Multiple Paragon of Performance Awards 2005 Governor’s Excellence in Performance Award 2007 Division Administrator’s Award

Welcome aboard Robert!!

2014 FLCG CHERRY CROP IS NOW HISTORY

Our fruit for 2014 was picked and shipped 2-3 months ago and we have now received

our final payments. However, the GAP audits did not take place until the 1st week in

November! I realize that this sequence does not make much sense to you. There was a

scheduling problem this year with the auditors and this ended up being our time frame.

Obviously, there is not much happening in our orchards now, but we were required to

have 4 of our members receive GAP audits. I’m happy to say that all 4 orchards passed

their audits and FLCG is now GLOBAL GAP certified for 2015.

I really appreciate those of you who participated in the Global GAP program this year. It

is my understanding that next year GAP audits will take place during the harvest season.

Thanks to all of you who are helping keep FLCG GAP certified.

P A G E 2

The Bakery Wall In Polson Has A Brand New Look !!

Father & Daughter Mural Project Finished by Dick Beighle, Board Member and Artist’s Father

TO FINISH

FROM START

P A G E 3

Meet The Polson Mural Artist By Dick Beighle, Board Member and Artist’s Father

Barbara Beighle-Buchli’s Bio

Barbara Louise Beighle-Buchli did her first mural at the age of 2. She went into her mother’s garden, picked some ripe tomatoes, squished them up, and proceeded to do her first mural on mom’s dining room walls. By the 5th grade she was receiving F’s on drawings she did with the accusation that 5th graders are unable to draw that well so she must be having her dad draw them for her. By the 8th grade she was teaching art to first graders. In high school she was in charge of mural production and designs. She has won several first and second place awards for her paintings and sculptures.

She holds a degree in Communications from University of Montana; Associates in Advertising Design from the Colorado Institute of Art; Certificate in Advanced Oil Painting from Lorenzo de Medici School in Florence, Italy; Entrepreneurial courses at Harvard; and Art courses at Vylaticil School in NY, DeCordova Museum, and the Johnson brothers on Newbury Street. She has traveled around the world studying art as well as trained by some of the greatest painters like China’s top painter HongNian Zhang, David Leffel, and impressionist John Terelak.

In 1987 Barbara was a professional caricaturist receiving honorable mention for being one of the top caricaturists in the US by the president of SCCS (Southern California Cartoonist Society) doing caricatures for Hospital fundraising events, Politicians, Mayors, Denver Broncos and their coach, Dan Reeves, and San Diego Padres. In 1990 she got her cartoon, “High Altitude,” which was all about grizzly bears, syndicated internationally. She has also worked as an aeronautical illustrator doing maintenance and flight instruction manuals for the H-3 and H-46 helicopters.

In 1989 she was inspired by murals in a castle in Spain and started a mural business, “Off the Wall Murals,” since some of her murals were literally sculpted to come off of the wall. By 1990, she was one of the most successful mural artists in Boston. In 1991 she became one of the Board of Directors for the New England Design Show. She received recognition by the president of the ASID for being the fastest rising artist in Boston. Some of her clients include the Boston Celtics, Kowloons, Paramount Pictures, Captain of the Canadian Navy, Gold’s Gym, The Princess Royal, Tufts University, Harvard University, US Air, Sail America’s Cup (Olympic team), Smirnoff Vodka, the Denver Broncos and the Old Oaken Bucket in Harvard.

(continue on next page)

P A G E 4

Meet The Polson Mural Artist (continued from the previous page)

She has been a guest of the White House, given recognition by two U.S. Presidents and the Pope for one of her murals, “The Great Return,” which was displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts and seen by members of Buckingham Palace and the Louvre. The Great Return has been in newspapers and on TV around the world.

In 2007 she was the guest of honor at the New York Art Club, one of the most prestigious Art Clubs in America, and was the VIP artist for the Polo Games in Greenwich, CT and Myopia, MA for several years raising monies for orphans and various causes. Barbara is also the author of 3 books, a speaker, and a pastor with a desire and dream of helping orphans.

She developed a line of paintings that were painted underwater on Plexiglas calling it “Underwater Art” as seen on Fox News when she was doing live demonstrations on 5th Ave. in Naples, Florida.

She has donated murals and paintings to Hospice Homes, the Children's Hospital in Denver, Boston Medical Center, and causes like the Jr League Showhouse in Boston to raise money for pregnant teenagers and The Wild Animal Sanctuary to raise money for saving wildlife. She recently auctioned off a painting at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, FL, to raise money for Mending Broken Hearts Foundation, a foundation that helps abused women and children.

Her work was in the Grant Gallery in New York, the Sand Piper Gallery in Montana, and is currently in 5th Ave Design Gallery in Naples. Barbara is currently working on a collection for Art Source in Denver CO, the Design Center, and The Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Pictured below is the completed mural on the Bakery wall in Polson, Montana.

Assisting Barbara were local artists, Richard Beighle, Jim Nesadek and D.W. Bille Deaux

Polson Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

P A G E 5

On The Web At

www.montanacherries.com

From The Past by Sharon Myers, Board Member

FLCG Website Seen Around The World by Ken Edgington, Board Member

As of This Newsletter, FLCG’s website has had visitors from the following 86 countries.

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Czeck Republic

Chile

China

Columbia

Croatia

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominican Rep

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Hungary

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Kosovo

Kuwait

Latvia

Lebanon

Lithuania

Malaysia

Mauritius

Mexico

Moldova

Mongolia

Morocco

Mozambique

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Pakistan

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

St. Lucia

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

Trinadad/Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turks/Caicos Isl

U. A. Emirates

U.K.

USA

Uruguay

Venezuela

Vietnam

Thomas W. Harris first brought cherry trees to the Bitteroot Valley of Montana in 1866. Conditions in that area proved not to be conducive to growing cherries and soon the cherry orchards were replaced by cattle ranches and other crops.

Cherry trees were then planted in the Flathead Lake region and they very much liked its rocky soil, pristine water, warm summer days and cool evenings.

The Flathead Cherry is not a variety of cherry tree, but rather receives its name from the region around Montana’s Flathead Lake where the cherry orchards are located.

And thus, the Flathead Cherry industry grew to one of the state’s unique small industries attracting tourists and cherry lovers from all over the U.S. and Canada as well as enjoying sales throughout the world.

CHERRY TREES COME TO MONTANA

The Flathead Lake Cherry Growers, Inc.

P.O. Box 2049

Phone: 406-982-3069

Fax: 406-982-3065

E-mail: hammons@centurytel.net