By Oregonians for Food and Shelter It was a busy week around Salem as legislators gathered for the December Legislative Days . As is the case with all interim legislative committee meetings, they don’t consider any bills but hold “informational hearings” that give a preview of the issues that are […]

By Rick Sohn, PhD Umqua Coquille LLC Housing starts achieved a new 9-year high, while interest rates jumped 56 basis points to 4.03%. Logs topped 700 for the first time in 20 months. Recent trends of lumber, logs, home construction, and housing markets, are compared to 2009 and 2005. * […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Proposed Tax Regulation Threaten Multigenerational Cattle Operations Cattlemen Call for Proposed IRS Regulation to be Withdrawn  The Internal Revenue Service hosted a public hearing on a Department of Treasury proposed rule that would eliminate or greatly reduce available valuation discounts for family-related entities. Kevin Kester, National […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter In late 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a major update to the Worker Protection Standards (WPS). These rules apply when most pesticide products are used on an agricultural establishment. You can read the updated EPA rules HERE. And an OFS overview can […]

By Oregon Cattlemen Association Jim Bittle, a recent appointee to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, is clearly a valid and bona-fide stakeholder in Oregon wildlife management. A boat builder who advocates for fish and sportfishing, I am sure he would carefully consider his positions as a member of the […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The Bureau of Land Management released a final version of BLM planning 2.0. Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association federal lands said this process radically alters federal land management planning and moves the agency away from its mandate […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon is blessed with a rich agricultural bounty, thanks to fertile farmland and diverse regional climates, with over 220 different commodities raised here. Yet despite this abundance, a staggering one in six Oregonians are fearful they will not have enough food for their next meal. The […]

By Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, OUR DYING NATIONAL FORESTS; A DISASTER OR PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR BOLD ACTION BY A NEW PRESIDENT Prior to the 1980s, the U.S. Forest Service was a world leader and champion of forest science; the management of America’s forests were widely acknowledged as the best managed […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation says its members are focusing on the next farm bill. Micheal Clements has more. Clements: AFBF is turning its attention to the development of the 2018 Farm Bill. Farmers and ranchers are pushing for an early start to farm bill […]

By Oregon Family Farm Association The Oregon Department of Agriculture  released an analysis of Oregon’s agricultural production from data gathered since the 1860s. The analysis charts Oregon’s development into one of the country’s most agriculturally rich and diverse states—one that, if history is any guide, will continue to evolve and […]