By Erik L. Ness American Farm Bureau Federation Politics have been part of irrigated agriculture since the first Sumerian ditch bosses controlled the waters of Mesopotamia. The importance of irrigation can be seen throughout the history of mankind as farmers and engineers worked to provide reliable water resources for food […]

Washington Farm Bureau Comments on Proposed 2011 Workers’ Compensation Rates Dear Director Schurke: By Washington Farm Bureau Comments:  On behalf of farmers and ranchers across Washington state and our more than 40,000 member families, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to submit comments regarding the proposed increase […]

Watch Out For These Issues In The 2011 Legislature By Oregonians In Action As many of you know, the Oregon legislature will meet again starting in January, 2011. Oregon property owners need to keep a very close eye on Salem, as efforts will be made to pass new laws that […]

Global travelers warned not to bring back pests and diseases By Oregon Depart of Agriculture, Be aware of where you are traveling and beware what you might bring back to Oregon. That’s the bottom line message from agriculture officials to international travelers who may provide a conveyance for pests and […]

Living with Wolves and No Right of Protection by Karla Kay Edwards Oregon Cascade Policy Institute Imagine one day you were told that by law you no longer can lock your home. As you leave your house, two suspicious people are sitting on your front porch. So you get your […]

National Corn Growers Association By Cathryn As Girl Scout cookie sale season launches across the country, the organization is taking back to the streets with a message that leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of agvocates as they take their formerly internal anti-ag messages to our doorsteps. Last summer, […]

Administration Denies Petitions to Raise Public Lands Grazing Fee By National Cattlemen’s Beef Association WASHINGTON (Jan. 20, 2011) – The Obama Administration issued final responses this week denying petitions to increase the grazing fee on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotments. The decision […]

CA Governor: Taxes, Cuts and Agriculture By Kate Campbell California Farm Bureau Staring at a $25.4 billion state budget deficit, Gov. Jerry Brown presented a proposal last week for addressing the problem. If approved by the Legislature and if funding sources are placed on the ballot for voter approval, the […]

Oregon State University receives $5 million grant to prevent child obesity By Oregon State University Extension Office CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University has received a grant of nearly $5 million to develop an obesity prevention program for children in rural Oregon. Roger Beachy, director of USDA’s National Institute of […]

Oregon Farm Bureau Legislative Update Last week and after much anticipation, Governor Kitzhaber announced his top level staff of which a majority has a background in the renewable energy industry. At Dunn Carney’s Ag Summit, the Governor shared that Katy Coba will maintain her position of Director of Agriculture. We […]