Congressman Greg Walden, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) spoke at a House Energy and Commerce joint subcommittee hearing entitled “Out of Control: The Impact of Wildfires on Our Power Sector and Environment.” This hearing is the third hearing the Committee has held on air quality and the effects of wildfire […]

US Department of Ag Release, The Department of Homeland Security, with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has announced a temporary final rule to change certain H-2A requirements to help U.S. agricultural employers avoid disruptions in lawful agricultural-related employment, protect the nation’s food supply chain, and lessen […]

By Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, Starting today, Oregon’s agricultural producers can apply for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The federal program is part of the recently passed CARES Act. It offers loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 […]

Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Last week, we started to better understand the devastating economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. The local press reported that a record 1 out of 8 Oregonians is now unemployed, and every day brings the sad news of another retailer or manufacturer closing due to […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded a congressional letter that was sent today to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging swift relief for American cattle producers who have been adversely impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The letter was signed […]

By Ryan Kliewer Uncertainty is common place in the farm world, so the uncertainty of the Covid-19 Pandemic isn’t really new to farmers across the nation. The prior pandemics and food borne phobias of the past have numbed U.S. producers to shockwaves sent through the production, supply, and demand chain. […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, The federal assistance programs were made available to displaced workers and small businesses-many of whom are suffering adverse economic impacts due to the coronavirus crisis. These programs come at a critical time; the economic crisis in Oregon is particularly evident this week with news […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation, Thirty-one agriculture organizations and businesses are calling on the U.S. Small Business Administration to include agricultural businesses in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as intended by Congress in the CARES Act. The notice on the SBA website currently states applicants must certify they are […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, Gov. Brown issued Executive Order 20-12 requiring certain kinds of businesses to close and all others to adopt Covid-19 measures in order to stay open. The order does not require agricultural or related businesses to close. Here are the measures required for your business to […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, On Monday this week, Governor Brown issued Executive Order 20-12, a “Stay Home” order that took effect immediately. The governor’s order took a different approach than other states, mandating that certain businesses close and providing direction related to social distancing for those that remain […]