| MaryJanesFarm

If you ask Richard Old about the condition of his native Palouse, he’ll answer with all the passion, commitment and fervor of a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher.

The Palouse — a 10,000-square-mile agricultural region that includes most of Whitman County, Wash. (where Richard’s ancestors arrived five generations ago) and Latah County, Idaho, (where MaryJane Butters’ farm is located) is “the most fertile farmland in the world, originally a classic steppe plant community characterized by a vast diversity of broadleaf wildflowers,” he notes.

Now, the Palouse has been plowed and planted, eroded and sprayed, he continues, until it has become “one of the most thoroughly devastated ecosystems on the face of the planet.” Richard’s voice rises, his eyebrows arch, and he sounds more and more like a preacher as he explains, “We’ve lost something precious here. It’s all a monoculture now. The rolling hills are all planted to wheat. We only have an inkling of what a paradise it used to be. It’s so far gone most people have no idea what it used to be like.”

Sighing, he climbs down from the pulpit to discuss what he’s learned from his 20 years as the region’s foremost weed identification specialist and his studies in weed science that led to his Ph.D. in 1991. “I’ve taught myself to see what’s around me in this land I love. It’s my biggest curse.”

Richard has chosen not to join the faculty of either land-grant university located on the Palouse (Washington State University and the University of Idaho). “Weed science is usually just the study of herbicides. My views are diametrically opposed to the views of most people in weed science.

I’m a weeds guy because of the impact of weeds on our native environment. I’m not into production agriculture. That may be why I’m self-employed.”

Richard is a jack-of-all trades, an entrepreneur who operates three separate companies. Through his consulting business, called OSA (On-Site Analysis), he offers lectures, field classes, habitat inventories and legal expertise regarding plant communities. In his role as a forensic botanist, he was instrumental in the identification, and subsequent confession, of Spokane serial killer Robert Yates, through his investigation of trimmings from Yates’ yard that were left at the crime scenes.

A second company, XID Services, Inc., (www.xidservices.com) markets an “expert system” for identification. The original program was developed to identify weeds but is no longer subject-specific and is being used world wide for the identification of fish, insects, trees and other organic groupings, as well as non-biological subjects. His system was featured in the cover story of Science News (February 12, 1994), and he was honored as the session chair on interactive identification systems at the 1999 International Botanical Congress. His third business, called Estate Services, offers people a range of options for the liquidation of personal property from estates. He keeps six college students busy as his contractors selling estate items at the online marketplace, eBay.

The three companies, he is quick to note, could not exist without the skills of his wife, Tena. Richard and Tena met, most appropriately, because of weeds. Tena’s family are farmers in Washington’s arid central basin. She was working as the assistant supervisor of a county noxious weed control board when her county faced an invasion of rush skeletonweed. Richard was the outside expert called in to help.

They were married in 1988, and now live in Pullman, in the center of the Palouse. In 1993, their much-cuddled daughter, Hannah, was born there. Son Patrick followed in 1996. Tena works for the Washington State University Foundation in donor relations.

“I support what Richard does,” Tena explains. “Somebody has to type all the stuff and keep the books. We both believe in sustainable agriculture. We’re just trying to preserve a way of life for Hannah and Patrick.”

Tena compares the erosion and devastation of Palouse agriculture to the careful management practices used by her father and brother, who farm 400 acres in Washington’s central basin. “They are good stewards of the land,” she said. “Here, we lose 1,500 pounds of eroded soil for every bushel of wheat grown. The Palouse is too fertile, the farming’s too easy. Farmers here don’t see that what they do now makes a difference to future generations.”

To make a difference for the Palouse and for Palouse farmers, Richard and Tena became stockholders. “We support what MaryJane is doing,” Richard said. “She’s working to find a way for local farmers to really practice sustainable agriculture here. Helping her achieve that goal will help protect the Palouse I love so much. We’re proud to support something we believe in.”


richard and tena old
		If you ask Richard Old about the condition of his native Palouse, he’ll answer with all the passion, commitment and fervor of a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher. The Palouse — a 10,000-square-mile agricultural region that includes most of Whitman County, Wash. (where Richard’s ancestors arrived five generations ago) and Latah County, Idaho, (where MaryJane Butters’ farm is located) is “the most fertile farmland in the world, originally a classic steppe plant community characterized by a vast diversity of broadleaf wildflowers,” he notes. Now, the Palouse has been plowed and planted, eroded and sprayed, he continues, until it has become “one of the most thoroughly devastated ecosystems on the face of the planet.” Richard’s voice rises, his eyebrows arch, and he sounds more and more like a preacher as he explains, “We’ve lost something precious here. It’s all a monoculture now. The rolling hills are all planted to wheat. We only have an inkling of what a paradise it used to be. It’s so far gone most people have no idea what it used to be like.” Sighing, he climbs down from the pulpit to discuss what he’s learned from his 20 years as the region’s foremost weed identification specialist and his studies in weed science that led to his Ph.D. in 1991. “I’ve taught myself to see what’s around me in this land I love. It’s my biggest curse.” Richard has chosen not to join the faculty of either land-grant university located on the Palouse (Washington State University and the University of Idaho). “Weed science is usually just the study of herbicides. My views are diametrically opposed to the views of most people in weed science. I’m a weeds guy because of the impact of weeds on our native environment. I’m not into production agriculture. That may be why I’m self-employed.” Richard is a jack-of-all trades, an entrepreneur who operates three separate companies. Through his consulting business, called OSA (On-Site Analysis), he offers lectures, field classes, habitat inventories and legal expertise regarding plant communities. In his role as a forensic botanist, he was instrumental in the identification, and subsequent confession, of Spokane serial killer Robert Yates, through his investigation of trimmings from Yates’ yard that were left at the crime scenes. A second company, XID Services, Inc., (www.xidservices.com) markets an “expert system” for identification. The original program was developed to identify weeds but is no longer subject-specific and is being used world wide for the identification of fish, insects, trees and other organic groupings, as well as non-biological subjects. His system was featured in the cover story of Science News (February 12, 1994), and he was honored as the session chair on interactive identification systems at the 1999 International Botanical Congress. His third business, called Estate Services, offers people a range of options for the liquidation of personal property from estates. He keeps six college students busy as his contractors selling estate items at the online marketplace, eBay. The three companies, he is quick to note, could not exist without the skills of his wife, Tena. Richard and Tena met, most appropriately, because of weeds. Tena’s family are farmers in Washington’s arid central basin. She was working as the assistant supervisor of a county noxious weed control board when her county faced an invasion of rush skeletonweed. Richard was the outside expert called in to help. They were married in 1988, and now live in Pullman, in the center of the Palouse. In 1993, their much-cuddled daughter, Hannah, was born there. Son Patrick followed in 1996. Tena works for the Washington State University Foundation in donor relations. “I support what Richard does,” Tena explains. “Somebody has to type all the stuff and keep the books. We both believe in sustainable agriculture. We’re just trying to preserve a way of life for Hannah and Patrick.” Tena compares the erosion and devastation of Palouse agriculture to the careful management practices used by her father and brother, who farm 400 acres in Washington’s central basin. “They are good stewards of the land,” she said. “Here, we lose 1,500 pounds of eroded soil for every bushel of wheat grown. The Palouse is too fertile, the farming’s too easy. Farmers here don’t see that what they do now makes a difference to future generations.” To make a difference for the Palouse and for Palouse farmers, Richard and Tena became stockholders. “We support what MaryJane is doing,” Richard said. “She’s working to find a way for local farmers to really practice sustainable agriculture here. Helping her achieve that goal will help protect the Palouse I love so much. We’re proud to support something we believe in.”