By Rick Sohn, PhD Umqua Coquille LLC Lackluster product prices, log prices, and housing starts are continuing, despite low unsold home inventories. The recovery has gone flat although fixed rate mortgages seem to get more attractive by the week, for now. Recent trends of lumber, home construction, and housing markets, […]

By Wine Institute U.S. wine exports, 90% from California, reached $1.61 billion in winery revenues in 2015, an all-time record and a 7.6% increase from 2014. Volume was up 4.1% from the previous year to 461 million liters or 51.2 million cases. “California wines appeal to consumers across the globe […]

By Oregon Cattlemen’s Association The 2015 Annual Wolf Report by Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife makes official what Oregon ranchers know first-hand: the state’s wolf population has recovered dramatically, well beyond the goals of the Wolf Conservation & Management Plan. According to the report, Oregon’s wolf population grew 36 […]

Travis Kavulla, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President, made this guest article in the Wall Street Journal- 2-26-16. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. This is the attitude that large electric utilities in Oregon have brought to their state’s 2016 legislative session. Threatened with a sure-to-pass ballot initiative […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Board of Directors today voted to support efforts of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to move forward with a bill to pre-empt state GMO labeling mandates. “The Senate Agriculture Committee this week is marking up a bill to […]

By Oregon Cattlemen’s Association House bill 4040 was brought forward and passed. The bill proposes that the Oregon legislature support the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s decision to delist the wolf. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s decision was made in accordance with an agreement called the Oregon Wolf […]

Oregon’s Food Producers Dismayed by Minimum Wage Vote Legislators ignore real concerns from farmers, ranchers and food processors By NW Food Processors Oregon agriculture groups are very concerned that the minimum wage hike passed by the House today threatens the future of farming and food production in the state.   […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association For the 22nd time in his Administration, President Obama has improperly leveraged the Antiquities Act of 1906 to lock up millions of acres of the American West. In a press release touting the designation of Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave Trails National Monument, and Castle […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, Minimum Wage Headed for a Vote in the House! After over three hours of testimony from advocates for and against the minimum wage hike, the House Committee on Business & Labor passed SB 1532-A* on a party line vote with all Republicans voting against the measure. […]

Congressman Earl Blumenaur Press Release, On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) announced introduction of legislation that will help assuage some of the financial hardship borne by state and local taxpayers in protecting the community while armed militants occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. […]