Natural Resource Note: George Lucas has amassed 6,000 acres of former farmland north of San Francisco, and he is committed to keeping 97% of it undeveloped forever. But he was going to take a corner of the property and build a 269,000 square foot movie studio. After spending millions to […]

What Went Right on Youth Farm Labor Proposal By Lynne Finnerty Excerpt: The Labor Department’s (youth) proposal would have barred anyone under 16 years old from using power-driven equipment, in addition to other restrictions, and limited the parental exemption to farms that are wholly owned by a parent. After Farm […]

Natural Resource News Note: The Statesman Journal recently reported about the wine battle between vineyards and surrounding farmers and residents.  Based on concerns that wineries are becoming tourist traps, “NASCAR Disneylands,” and losing their bucolic character, Salem lawmakers recently passed H.B. 3280. The bill’s main provision is that vineyards may […]

By Oregon Department of Agriculture Any way you fillet it, Oregon’s commercial seafood and fishing industry had an outstanding year in 2011. For many fisheries, both the volume harvested off the Oregon Coast and the corresponding dollar value were the best in decades. A total harvest value exceeding $145 million […]

Wood Products Forecast: Business Strategy in the Soft Rebound By Bill Conerly, Oregon economist Conerly Consulting, Businomics A construction rebound is coming, but it will be a soft rebound, leading to a mild recovery in wood products demand. Although somewhat better times are coming, businesses need to be prepared for […]

By Co-House Speakers Bruce Hanna & Arnie Roblan Open letter in The Oregonian There’s an environmental success story in Oregon’s timber industry you may not know about — one that’s helped forest owners protect our rivers and streams from pollution for more than 35 years while supporting tens of thousands […]

Freeze dried foods for campers or pantry sto9ckers has always been around. Yet, the latest food technology is extending the life of these foods by more than 25 years. CNN video below shows the inside one of the most famous preservation food company — Blue Mountain.

by Cindy National Corn Growers Association As the world moves closer to trading around the clock, the future of crop report release times is being pondered. Some options being considered include changing the reports to the afternoon or running them on weekends to take them out of live trading time. […]

Natural Resource News Note For the first time in the 30-year history of preserving the California condors their population hit over 400. Their numbers have been recovering from California, Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. The new figures mean that the California condor could be delisted as a species.   Katy Muldon […]

by National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Last week, the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), New England Farmers Union Educational Foundation, Wholesome Wave, and others released A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda: Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill. Given the diversity of size, scale, and environment in the Northeast, coupled with high […]