Bob Stallman, President American Farm Bureau federation Labor shortages have been a significant challenge to U.S. agriculture for as long as I can remember. On my rice farm in Texas growing up, it seemed we were always running short of farmhands when it came time to harvest. But now, unlike […]

New OSU-trained taste testers will evaluate experimental wines Dick Erath OSU Extension Office Oregon’s wine industry will now be able to better understand how what it’s doing in its vineyards and vats affects the quality of its final product thanks to a new cadre of tasting experts trained by Oregon […]

By The Renewable Fuels Association, A report released by the oil and auto industries on E15 and other higher level ethanol blends is fundamentally flawed, noted both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). In a blog post, the DOE offered some tough critiques of […]

By Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has issued a $4,162 penalty to Donald Richard Merrill for burning the remains of a motor home and other debris at his property on Altamont Drive, Klamath Falls, in October. Merrill did not respond by DEQ’s appeal deadline in […]

By National  Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, DC – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a proposed rule for a new microloan program that would be part of the suite of credit options available to farmers through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The new program would allow FSA to make smaller […]

Thanks Dominos For Not Caving to HSUS Whims By Mark Corn Commentary Farmers are always getting asked these days to get involved; write a letter, call your Congressman, but how about eat a pizza? Now activation by the slice is something I think we can sink our teeth into and […]

Timber industry concurs with Congressional concerns over flawed spotted owl proposal Further oversight needed to resolve decades of failed federal forest management policies By American Forest Research Council The timber industry joined those testifying at the Congressional field hearing in Longview, Washington, in calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife […]

Forest Policy Briefs by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager Associated Oregon Loggers Sen. Wyden Wants Entitlement, Not Timber Income: Oregon’s US Senator Ron Wyden announced that two bills—intended to reconnect county receipts to increased federal timber sale revenues—lack his support and would be “a nonstarter” in the Senate. Sen. Wyden […]

By Oregon Bureau Of Land Management In response to President Obama’s call to expand opportunities for summer employment for young people and connect them with the great outdoors, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Chair of the White House Council […]

NW Natural Resource Note, NW lumber firms are benefiting from the Japan Tsunami aftermath.   The Vancouver business, Columbia Vista Corp., exports 75% of its lumber to Japan and has recently hired two dozen new workers.   A Japanese lumber company, Miyoshi, was destroyed after the Tsunami and now relies on $120,000 […]