Timber Industry Report By Rick Sohn Umpqua Coquille LLC Housing starts are gradually improving, loan rates continue a surprising drop, but getting from offer to closed sale is still a high hurdle. Four-year market trends of lumber, logs, housing, and mortgage statistics are shown below. Interpretation For the last 7 […]

By John Ledger Associated Oregon Industries AOI has submitted comment to the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) regarding a proposed rulemaking that would impose sweeping California gasoline and diesel fuel restrictions in Oregon. The proposed rules force increasingly stringent requirements for fuel make up and fuel sources beginning in 2014 and […]

Researchers test robotic berry harvester By California Farm Bureau What has 10 arms and has intrigued strawberry farmers? The answer is a robotic harvesting machine being tested at the Monterey Bay Academy. The machine uses sensors to choose strawberries of the right color and size. Next, robotic arms gently pluck […]

By National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the Family Farmer Bankruptcy Tax Clarification Act of 2012 (S.3545).  The Act is intended to overturn the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hall v. United States, a case that addressed the status of government […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney recently spelled out their positions on agriculture issues for the American Farm Bureau Federation. In a questionnaire, both candidates went into detail about their positions on energy, environmental regulations, farm labor and more. Every four years, the […]

Natural Resource News Note: The Oregon Farm Bureau has done a full-page ad insert into the state’s agriculture newspaper The Capitol Press.  The ad leads with many of the stirring issues going on right now including the statewide debate over to repeal the estate tax and the recent outrage over […]

By Oregon Department of Agriculture Oregon farmers and ranchers enjoyed one of the best bottom lines in recent times last year thanks to a combination of strong agricultural production and good prices for many of the state’s crops and livestock. Despite concerns over historically high expenses, Oregon’s net farm income […]

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber laid out his views on solving the salmon vs. dam battle in a guest opinion to the Oregonian.  Here is what he said: If you look only at the courtroom record, environmentalists are winning the war to save salmon in the Northwest. A year ago, U.S. […]

By Cindy Corn Commentary National Association of Wheat Growers A growing number of organizations are coming out against a ballot initiative in California that would require labeling of many products containing genetically-engineered (GE) food. While those in favor of Proposition 37 include trial lawyers,  those urging Californians to vote No […]

Wall Street Editorial, 9-14-2012 Small business owners and farmers have been some of the hardest hit by the tough economy, and those who stay afloat increasingly worry they won’t be able to pass on their enterprises to the next generation. In liberal Oregon, of all places, a measure will be […]