Archives

January 7, 2012 - Forests for Oregon publication goes online

Free forestry publication available online By Oregon Department of Forestry Oregon’s budget has necessitated cuts to a lot of programs – including some in forestry and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s flagship publication, Forests for Oregon – but the magazine-turned-newsletter is still available online, and it’s free. In print since […]


January 6, 2012 - Food prices drop 7%

Retail Food Prices Moderate Slightly in Fourth Quarter By American Farm Bureau Federation Retail food prices at the supermarket declined slightly during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can […]


January 5, 2012 - Surprise discovery in cause of bee colony collapse

Scientists ID possible cause for honeybee colony collapse By Kurt Kipp, Daily Digger Oregon Association of Nurseries For five years, scientists have puzzled over the origin of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is believed responsible for a decline in the honeybee populations that many agricultural producers depend upon. Now it […]


January 4, 2012 - Congressman Schrader: A forest solution

Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader Press Release Oregon’s rural communities cannot afford another 20 years of gridlock in our federal forests…As a bipartisan coalition, we have worked through our differences to forge a plan that would create thousands of new jobs in Oregon’s forested communities, ensure the health of federal forests […]


January 3, 2012 - All four Oregon wolf packs grew in size this year

By Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife LA GRANDE, Ore.—Photos captured on an ODFW remote camera in northeast Oregon show the Wenaha wolf pack had at least one pup this year. The photos were taken on forested land in western Wallowa County as part of ODFW monitoring efforts for the […]


January 2, 2012 - The Great Ethanol Shuffle

Corn Commenatry National Corn Growers Association There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles as tankers carrying Brazilian sugarcane ethanol bound for California pass those carrying corn ethanol bound for Brazil. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis […]


January 1, 2012 - Ag truck mileage reporting rule deadline nears

Ag truck mileage reporting rule deadline nears on Jan 31st Natural Resources News Note: From Ag Alert, “Depending on size and age of equipment, farmers and ranchers who operate heavy-duty diesel trucks may need to report certain information to the state Air Resources Board by the end of January 2012. […]


December 31, 2011 - Omnibus bill contains vital grazing, environmental provisions

Livestock Groups Hail Passage of Omnibus Spending Package — PLC, NCBA Urge President to Sign Bill Including Critical Grazing, Environmental Provisions By  National Cattlemen’s Beef Association A $915 billion omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through September 2012 passed Congress. Dustin Van Liew, Public Lands Council (PLC) executive […]


December 30, 2011 - Two reports forecast estate tax trouble ahead

A Storm of Estate Taxes Threatens Farm Country By Lynne Finnerty By American Farm Bureau Federation Two recent news reports contained troubling year-end news for farm families. Farmland values are booming. Minnesota farmland prices are nearly 30 percent higher than a year ago, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of […]


December 28, 2011 - Report looks at Oregon farm value

By Oregon Department of Agriculture Oregon farm land has long-term value that includes economic, environmental, and societal benefits that transcend short-term gains from developing or converting those lands. That’s one of many conclusions offered by an Oregon Department of Agriculture report examining the costs of taking agricultural lands out of […]