Rob Green,director National Council of Chain Restaurants. Americans should understand that this year’s drought—the worst in 50 years—isn’t the primary reason for record-high food prices. The drought made things worse, but the leading driver of long-term increases in food costs is a deeply flawed federal mandate. In 2005, Congress enacted […]

ODFW’s new interactive fishing maps feature detailed information and directions to dozens of fishing locations throughout Morrow, Wheeler, Umatilla, Union, Baker, Grant and Wallowa counties. Click to enlarge Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today introduced a new interactive fishing map to help […]

By National Farmers Union National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement amid reports that Congress may consider an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill. The 2008 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30: “With the current legislative session quickly coming to a close, it is imperative now, […]

By Oregon State Univeristy Oregon State University is accepting applications for its eight-month training program in the Portland area for aspiring urban farmers. Now in its third year, the Beginning Urban Farmer Apprenticeship (BUFA) program was developed by the OSU Extension Service and Multnomah County for people with little to […]

Lawsuit challenges Oregon’s water clean-up plans By Natural Resource News Note The Northwest Environmental Advocates filed a complaint in federal court challenging Oregon’s Clean Water Act clean-up plans. The NWEA believes that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s plans allow water temperatures that are too high for cold-water fish and […]

American Forest Reserach Council The American Forest Resource Council is reviewing the critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl released today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hoping that substantial changes have been made since the draft was published in the Federal Register last March. Over the past […]

Good news for Oregon timber By Oregon Small Business Association  The Portland Tribune reports that a three-member panel at the Portland Business Alliance’s monthly breakfast agreed that Oregon’s timber industry can expect to see growth in global demand for wood fiber. However, they warned the increase will be slow and […]

By Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife The opening of the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season from Point Arena, Calif., north will be delayed at least through Dec. 15 to allow crab quality to improve. The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season along the Oregon coast normally opens on Dec. 1, […]

Contrary to what many believe, higher food prices do not equal more money for farmers. National Corn Growers Association As the Northeast continues to deal with the effects of Hurricane Sandy, other parts of the United States are still dealing with the most severe and extensive drought in at least […]

NFU to Congress: There Are Two Sides to a Balance Sheet By National Farmers Union, As Congress prepares legislation related to the fiscal cliff, National Farmers Union (NFU) urges Congress to take action on tax reform in addition to spending reductions. “There has been a lot of discussion recently about […]