By Cascade Policy Institute, After 42 years, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) may be finally getting the update it has needed for years. President Carter signed PURPA into law in 1978 when the U.S. was between the energy embargo of 1973 and the 1979 oil crisis, when the […]

By National Cattlemen Beef Association Sixth-generation California rancher Kiah Twisselman told officials with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) about her first-hand experience with the benefits of beef in her diet and urged them to do more to encourage beef as part of a […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, Malheur is the third Oregon rural county to see new restrictions imposed as COVID-19 cases increased. The governor reinstated stay-at-home status for Umatilla County and shifted Morrow County back to Phase 1. This comes as all of rural Oregon and all counties are now hit […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Last Monday the state legislature met for a whirlwind second special session to focus on balancing the state budget. Prior to the mini-session, Oregon faced nearly $1 billion in revenue losses in the current biennium due to COVID-19 shut down orders. Monday’s 15-hour special […]

By National Association of Wheat Growers, NBC News did an analysis of the first nearly 700,000 Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments totaling $5.6 billion. The news outlet found that “while greatly appreciated by many farmers, CFAP has been marked by structural challenges. The preliminary data suggest that it has […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, Two Eastern Oregon projects slated to be completed with money from the state lottery may be in jeopardy, partly because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Lottery revenue was expected to pay a large chunk of the cost for renovations at the Umatilla County Jail and […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, The Legislature is set to meet again this week for the 2nd Special Session of 2020. The prime objective is to rebalance the state budget, which is suffering significant shortfalls in revenue from income taxes, lottery receipts, and other taxes and fees on sales. […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation, The American Farm Bureau Federation released its final report on priorities for milk pricing reform, calling for more democracy and a more equitable program for dairy farmers. Among AFBF’s priorities is amending the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act to give dairy farmers an opportunity to directly […]

US Senator Ron Wyden Release, Senators: “Farmers in Oregon and across the country are on the precipice of an agricultural boom that, with the right regulatory framework, stands to boost rural economies in every corner of the country” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Unfortunately for Oregon growers, controversy over pesticides isn’t new. For decades, OFS has supported farmers and foresters and worked alongside growers to protect their ability to use pesticides, fertilizers, and biotechnology responsibly. For the last several years, the state legislature has taken up product […]