Biodiesel Industry Applauds Job-Creating Tax Legislation — Tax Credit Extension Would Ensure Continued Industry Growth, Economic Development National Biodiesel Board, WASHINGTON – U.S. biodiesel producers thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate for introducing legislation to extend the biodiesel tax incentive for three years, a move […]

Regulatory Train Wreck Threatens Rural America By National Cattlemen Beef Association WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on June 9, 2011, announced the creation of a White House Rural Council to address rural economic potentials as well as challenges. In his executive order, President Obama said the Council was established “to […]

2011 Corn Acreage Higher than Analysts Expected By American Farm Bureau Federation WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2011 – Farmers across the country are scratching their heads over an acreage report released today by the Agriculture Department showing a whopping 92.3 million acres of U.S. corn plantings this year. Most expected […]

New program pays Columbia Basin landowners for allowing public hunting access By Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife SALEM, Ore. — Columbia Basin landowners with good upland bird habitat on their properties can earn some additional income by providing public hunting access, thanks to ODFW’s new Oregon Open Fields program. […]

Lawsuit Seeks Sustainable Timber Harvest on O&C Lands — Companies ask Court to remedy federal agency inaction By American Forest Research Council PORTLAND, OR—Frustration over the failure of the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to follow the law has lead the forest products industry to once […]

Farm to School bill on the way to Governor — HB 2800 received unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate By Oregon Senate Majority Office Release SALEM – The Senate unanimously approved a “Farm-to-school” bill this morning, allowing more Oregon school to participate in programs that provide local healthy food options […]

Sprucing up our energy supply By Rep. Greg Walden As featured in Politico What’s green, grows on trees, creates jobs and supports healthier forests in rural America? Answer: woody biomass. If you were enraptured with the cap-and-trade debates in the House Energy and Commerce Committee two years ago, you’re likely […]

When Did Food Become So Complicated? Bob Stallman, President American Farm Bureau Federation Sustainability. Organic. Biotech. Big Ag. Local. Pure. These are just a few labels being tossed around freely to discuss something that I’ve always thought of as a pretty simple and straight-forward concept: Eating.  There is no doubt […]

Grower Testifies on Making Farm Programs More Efficient By National Association of Wheat Growers Producers’ experiences with USDA’s local offices working to deliver farm and conservation programs can be dramatically improved by streamlining programs and using more Internet and cell phone communication, Washington state wheat farmer Brett Blankenship testified to […]

2010 Oregon timber harvest rebounds from record low By Oregon Dept. of Forestry Although Oregon’s forest products industries are still struggling, a glimmer of hope appeared with increased timber harvesting in 2010. Overcoming a weak housing market and tightened lending standards, the 2010 harvest hit 3.2 billion board feet, a […]