By Karla Kay Edwards Cascade Policy Institute, The Klamath Basin has been waging a water war of epic proportions since 2001. Although this community has had a long history of water disputes, the issue garnered national recognition in early 2001 when a drought was declared and irrigators’ water was turned […]

USDA farm income report shows modest rebound By American Farm Bureau Federation Economists often like to point out that we have two hands. “On the one hand,” they’ll say as they state a fact, and then they’ll introduce an alternative viewpoint with “on the other hand.” So it’s no surprise […]

DEQ Report Concludes Up to $1.2 Billion Needed to Restore Streamside Vegetation, Improve Habitat in Willamette Basin Dept. of Environmental Quality A recently released report from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, completed as part of a federal watershed needs survey, estimates that it could cost up to $1.2 billion […]

By Daily Digger Blog Oregon Association of Nurseries There’s no question about it. Any form of agriculture, including the production of nursery stock, requires energy. And, energy costs money. Some may see that as a burden, which it is, but here’s a chance to see it as an opportunity. This […]

Jenson Legislation Protects Family Farms By Oregon Wheat Grower’s League Legislation by State Representative Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton) has successfully protected the estates of several local farming families and protected the Jim Boyd Hydroelectric project by passing bills through both chambers of the Legislature that will now move to Governor Ted […]

From Washington Senator Mark Schoesler, Last month I predicted agriculture likely will experience a net loss from the 2010 legislative session. Unfortunately, the potential for loss has shot up exponentially with the action taken Thursday on Substitute House Bill 3181. This legislation would almost triple (to 2 percent, from 0.7 […]

English ivy, butterfly bush prompt changes to noxious weed quarantine Oregon Department of Agriculture, The Oregon Department of Agriculture has amended its Noxious Weed Quarantine to reflect changes in status of two popular but potentially invasive plants- English ivy and butterfly bush. Effective June 1, 2010, the propagation, transport, purchase, […]

Congressional Members, Livestock Groups Hold Educational Briefings on Antibiotics National Cattlemen’s Beef Association WASHINGTON  – Livestock and poultry groups hosted educational briefings on Capitol Hill to share the facts about the importance of tools like antibiotics in raising healthy food animals. The informational sessions were co-hosted by the National Cattlemen’s […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, The 2010 Oregon Special Session ended in a flurry of irony.  Legislative leadership’s main purpose for the February session was to again demonstrate a “test run” of annual sessions as a means for streamlining Oregon’s political process and to give voters confidence in the concept in […]

National Association of Wheat Growers The Supreme Court declined this week to review a case that concluded pesticide discharge is a point source of pollution subject to additional regulation and permitting under the Clean Water Act, effectively letting the ruling stand and ending judicial appeals in the case. The case, […]