By Jeff Stone, Daily Digger Oregon Association of Nurseries If the price of labor in Oregon continues to escalate well beyond other states, the nursery industry will be at a disadvantage. Oregon’s nursery and greenhouse industry is proud of its rich heritage of growing outstanding plants — and employing a […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, …Well, at least the business of Christmas tree farmers in Marion and Polk Counties that use helicopters for harvest. At issue is a recently changed airspace designation around Salem Airport/Independence. On Aug. 20, the Federal Aviation Administration increased the designation of Class D airspace around the […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association House Passes Bill to Address Abuse of EAJA The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council applaud the House passage of H.R. 3279 Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), requires oversight and transparency of […]

By Oregon Forest Research Institute, By Mike Cloughesy, Director of Forestry, Oregon Forest Resources Institute Meet the standing dead. Millions upon millions of gray ghosts blackened by fire, ravaged by insects and disease, or dead from lack of water. These are Oregon’s “zombie” trees. And according to an analysis commissioned […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, Photo: Members of Jefferson County Farm Bureau hosted two tours this fall to share with local, state, and federal lawmakers, conservation groups, and others about how farmers work closely with local irrigation districts to maximize water efficiency. Threatened lawsuits involving the spotted frog may jeopardize already […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation Farmers and Ranchers Call for ‘Tax Relief Tuesday’ By Erin Anthony With the holiday season in full swing and the year quickly coming to an end, farmers and ranchers are urging Congress to reinstate and extend expired tax provisions that help improve the economic viability […]

by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager Associated Oregon Loggers County Faults Congress for National Forests: Wallowa County Commissioners in Sept. approved a resolution blaming the US Congress and President for destructive national forest wildfires and “the deplorable conditions for restoration or sustainability of the forest.” The resolution states that years […]

By Rick Sohn, PhD Umqua Coquille LLC Last month’s uncertainty for producers continues, but for homeowners and homebuilders, it could be a nice opportunity. Homebuilding is up, interest rates are down, and products are cheap. The weather is uncertain. Recent trends of lumber, home construction, and housing markets, are compared […]

by Sen. Doug Whitsett Some of the first governance meetings held in Oregon were convened in 1843, due to concerns over wolves killing livestock. It required more than 100 years of concerted effort before the last Oregon wolf was presented for bounty in 1946. Due entirely to their ill-advised reintroduction, […]

By Oregon State University Extension Photo: This potato plant is severely infested with potato psyllids, carriers of zebra chip disease. Photo by Silvia Rondon Researchers at Oregon State University are teaming with colleagues in Washington and Idaho to help farmers combat an insect-transmitted disease that could devastate the Pacific Northwest’s […]