Biennial report to the governor & legislature provides priority policy recommendations By Oregon Dept. of Agriculture The State Board of Agriculture has completed one of its primary biennial tasks and is ready to share the results with Oregon’s governor and legislature. The 2013 Oregon State of the Agriculture Industry Report […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter Several bills that are important of OFS members were introduced while the legislature was in town last week.  They are giving us a flavor of what challenges we will be facing this year. Below is a list of issues that we know we will […]

By Cindy National Corn Growers Association In 2012, Americans consumed less high fructose corn syrup per person than they have since 1997. Dieters, who have become increasingly conscious of calories in HFCS sweetened beverages such as soda, have dropped their HFCS consumption but not the extra weight. Levels of obesity […]

By National Farmers Union  National Farmers Union applauds U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on today’s announcement of a new microloan program designed to help small and family operations, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers secure loans under $35,000. “The next generation of family […]

American Farm Bureau “The American Farm Bureau Federation is pleased that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has introduced in the 113th Congress the same version of the farm bill that was passed by the Senate last session. We are also encouraged to hear that Sen. Reid is making the […]

American Consumer research Institute for Citizen Research Earlier this year, the American Consumer Institute started studying issues surrounding “forest certification” and their impact on domestic timber and consumer markets.  These are under the radar issues for many Americans, but they are important to raise because they impact consumer perception of […]

A company called AquaBounty is helping to bring genetically-engineered salmon to Oregon. Oregonians for Food and Shelter calls the super-fish safe and well monitored by the FDA. But the Center for Food Safety says it is more like Frankenfish. Watch the KATU-TV News story below.

By NW Food Processors Association Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA) responded in opposition to I-522, an initiative that would require Washington-only labels on thousands of common food products. Similar to Prop 37—which failed in California—Initiative 522 would require labels on any food products sold in Washington that contain genetically modified […]

By Oregon State University Extension Office OSU entomologist Sujaya Rao seeks blueberry growers willing to plant vegetation along their fields. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.) Oregon State University aims to see if creating more foraging habitat for bumblebees will increase the pollination and yield of blueberries bushes, which mostly depend on […]

By Cindy National Corn Growers Association Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack raised more than a few eyebrows this week at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting when he suggested that animal agriculture should “sit down and make common cause” with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and that […]