Save the Date:
Oregon State Universtiy
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014
CH2M Hill Alumni Center
Cascade Ballroom
725 SW 26th Street
Corvallis, OR 97331
10 a.m. – Noon
Click here for more information.
BY SERENA MARKSTROM
Bend Bulletin —
EUGENE — Jonny Steiger got a chance a few years ago to learn about farming and decide if it was the life for him through an Oregon program designed to “grow” a new crop of farmers to feed Americans.
“There’s a looming crisis in our farming community where there are not a lot of young people farming,” said Stu O’Neill, executive director of Rogue Farm Corps. “Young people aren’t growing up on the farm anymore.”
The average age of farmers in the United States was 57.1 in 2007, the most recent federal data available, said Bruce Pokarney, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The Oregon average — 57.5 — is slightly higher.
Rogue Farm Corps started its FarmsNext program to address the need for fostering a new generation of farmers and ranchers.
The program, which offers hands-on training and classes in sustainable agriculture for aspiring farmers and ranchers, has proven so promising that it has expanded to Lane County, with a South Willamette Valley chapter starting up. And it is getting requests to expand to other parts of the state.
Steiger, 33, decided after his internship that farming was indeed the life for him. He and his business partner, Tyson Fehrman, 30, today lease an 87-acre farm near Jacksonville and are themselves mentoring others through the FarmsNext program.
“We are training people who want to do what we are already doing,” Steiger said. “We’re training our own competitors.”
In Lane County, Organic Redneck in Leaburg, Berggren Farm near Walterville and Deck Family Farm in Junction City are all signing on to the nonprofit Rogue Farm Corps’ internship program. Each will host one or two unpaid students, who get training, a place to live and meals, as well as a $400 monthly stipend in exchange for their full-time labor.
Students in the program also can earn college credit for their internship, although enrollment in an institution of higher education is not a prerequisite of the program, which takes between 1,200 and 1,500 hours to complete, O’Neill said.
FarmsNext has a 2014 budget of about $120,000, O’Neill said, and is funded through a series of grants, private donations, tuition fees from students and membership fees from farmers.
Each student pays $1,500 in tuition. Farmers in the Rogue Valley pay $1,000 per year, O’Neill said, but first-year farms in Lane County will be subsidized by another nonprofit organization — Cascade Pacific, which is helping with the expansion into Lane County.
Cascade Pacific secured a $25,000 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust that will cover a part-time employee, transportation costs for program instructors and a contract with Rogue Farm Corps, Cascade Pacific’s Jared Pruch said.
A Rogue Valley farms internship program has been around in some form since 2004, when it started off informally, O’Neill said.
“In 2010 we hit a point of change,” he said. “It became apparent the informal nature of it was running up against the realities of labor laws.”
The program unintentionally broke labor laws in such areas as paying hourly wages and carrying workers compensation insurance, he said. So organizers worked with state agencies to come up with the model it now uses.
Click here to read the original story from the Bend Bulletin.
BY ERIC MORTENSON
Capital Press —
Report says Oregon’s “agri-cluster” accounts for 15 percent of the state’s economic activity.
Agriculture is Oregon’s second-largest industry, and one in eight Oregonians work on farms or ranches or in businesses linked to them. The processing, shipping and distribution plants, joined by equipment dealers, supply stores, restaurants and food service companies, churn $5.48 billion worth of farm and ranch products into $22 billion in goods and services annually. That’s 15 percent of Oregon’s economic activity.
Those statistics and others are compiled in a new report from the land-use advocacy group 1000 Friends of Oregon, which hopes legislators and policy makers will recognize the economic impact of what it calls the state’s “agri-cluster.”
“We want them to connect the dots,” said Steve McCoy, farm and forest staff attorney with the Portland-based group.
The report, written by intern Arturo Romo and titled, “Great & Growing: People and Jobs in Oregon’s Agri-Cluster,” assembles data to make the case that Oregon agriculture is an economic powerhouse in every corner of the state.
Jobs and products associated with Oregon ag are surprisingly stable, and can’t be easily outsourced. In the depths of the 2007-2012 recession, when the state’s total employment dropped 5.3 percent and other kinds of manufacturing jobs declined 15.8 percent, food processing jobs in Oregon increased 7.8 percent, according to the report.
Eighty percent of what Oregon grows leaves the state. and half of that goes overseas. Compared to Midwest competitors, Oregon farmers stand at the doorstep of Asia’s vibrant economies, and engage in brisk trade with China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia. One Willamette Valley potato grower has been on three trade missions to Vietnam in the past two years.
Oregon’s crop diversity cushions economic downturns, according to the report. A bad corn market might devastate Iowa, where 45 percent of its farm acreage is planted to corn. But Oregon produces 220 crops and leads the nation in production of 14, ranging from blackberries to Christmas trees and hazelnuts to carrot seed.
Farming’s just a rural concern? Hardly. Five of the top 10 agricultural counties are considered “urban” by the U.S. Census. Marion County, home of the state capital, Salem, is first in Oregon ag sales. Clackamas County, just outside Portland, is fifth. Washington County, also a Portland neighbor and better known for Intel, Nike and high-tech, is seventh. By volume, farm products make up 60 percent of the goods shipped from the Port of Portland.
McCoy, the 1000 Friends of Oregon staff attorney, says agriculture’s economic impact is often overlooked. And in the group’s view, it is Oregon’s land-use laws — originally enacted to prevent cities from sprawling onto farmland — that make agriculture’s success possible.
“It’s important to point that out from time to time,” McCoy said. “The reason we have an agricultural economy is because of SB 100 (Senate Bill 100, the 1973 law that required statewide planning).”
The report concludes there is work to be done to keep farming viable. The state must continue to shelter farmland from develop, support a new generation of farmers and improve its water and transportation infrastructure in order for agriculture to thrive.
The report is available at the group’s website, www.friends.org/growing.
Click here for the original article in the Capital Press.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2013 —
Vote defeats misleading food labeling proposal in Washington state
SEATTLE – The No on 522 campaign claimed victory tonight as Washington voters soundly rejected Initiative 522, the badly written and costly food labeling initiative on the November statewide ballot.
I-522 was brought to the Washington state ballot this year by anti-GMO activists as part of a self-proclaimed national agenda to ban foods derived from genetically engineered crops. The initiative was opposed by a broad coalition of family farmers, scientists, doctors, consumers and businesses from across the state.
With almost one million votes counted, at least one media outlet has announced that Initiative 522 has been defeated. At the time of that announcement the vote was 55% favoring NO.
“This is a clear victory for Washington consumers, taxpayers and family farmers across our state,” said Dana Bieber, spokesperson for No on 522, in a statement Tuesday evening. “Washington voters have soundly rejected this badly written and deceptive initiative.”
I-522 would have provided consumers with inaccurate and misleading information about the foods they buy, while increasing grocery costs to working families by hundreds of dollars per year. And it would have burdened family farmers with costly new regulations and red tape, and exposed them to shake-down, bounty hunter law suits
“With Washington voters, it always comes down to the facts. And the facts showed that I-522 was a badly written initiative that deserved to be rejected,” said Bieber.
The No on I-522 campaign extends its sincere thank you to the efforts and support of thousands of its coalition members from across our state who spoke out against I-522 as part of our campaign.
More information about I-522 can be found www.FactsAbout522.com
Brad Harwood
(206) 201-119
BradH@VoteNoOn522.com
###
The preparations and construction for next year’s major soccer event in Brazil include choosing the right grass for the fields. The DLF Group has once again been chosen to supply grass seed for all of the World Cup stadiums and training facilities due to the success of the stadiums in South Africa, 2010 and DLF’s premium grass seed innovation and technology.
Innovative grass solutions for the ultimate playing surface
Billions of soccer enthusiasts will follow the major event in Brazil in June and July. The best national soccer teams in the world will do their utmost to perform with excellence on the natural sport surfaces, so the quality of the fields is critical.
The grass for the 12 World Cup stadiums is supplied to World Sports & Marketing and Green Leaf, the two Brazilian turf contractors who are currently renovating and/or rebuilding all the stadiums. CEO Roberto Gomide from World Sports & Marketing states, “The DLF grass for the World Cup has that unique technical quality and visible features that will create the ultimate playing surface needed for the World Cup in Brazil. I feel confident that the fields will be outstanding.”
Proven concept tested by specialists
The grass seed chosen for the World Cup 2014 has been tested thoroughly in Brazil by both international advisors as well as local sports grass specialists. The fields are generally Bermuda grass based, but due to the winter dormancy of Bermuda grass, the fields need to be reinforced with temperate sports turfgrass to provide the perfect playing surface during the tournament. To meet this requirement, the fields are overseeded with DLF’s top quality PhD® perennial ryegrass blend, a proven performer (often used for the US Superbowl).
Stadiums challenge the grass quality
The 12 stadiums hosting the World Cup are impressive, but the hard wear and the growth conditions put a lot of pressure on the stadium turf. These challenges are met by the durable turfgrass chosen for this major event. PhD® has been and will continue to be a proven performer under the special climate and intense wear conditions expected for the World Cup.
For more information contact: Rick Myers, VP Turf & Retail for DLF-IS at 1.800.445.2251.
Click here to view the press release issued 10/21/13.
Beaver Turf News —
Thank you to those who were able to attend the 2013 OSU Turf Field Day at the Lewis-Brown Horticulture Farm in Corvallis, OR.
The event was a great success; we had over 100 visitors registered and raised more than $8,500 for the OSU Turfgrass Research and Extension Program.
We hosted 18 Field Stops, 7 Industry Booths, and 4 Equipment Exhibitors. New this year, the Industry Booths and Equipment Exhibitors will hopefully continue into the future with more added. Contact information for the 2013 Industry Booth and Equipment Exhibitors is available at the conclusion of this update.
Alec Kowalewski, Turfgrass Specialist leads a tour of field day attendees at the 2013 OSU Turf Field Day. (left) Industry Booth and Equipment Exhibitors set up for the 2013 OSU Turf Field Day. (right)
We began the day with a quick OSU Turf Program History and Update presentation, followed by the Field Day, which was presented in an open house or open discussion format. Presenters included Alec Kowalewski, Turfgrass Specialist,Brian McDonald, Research Assistant, Clint Mattox, Graduate Assistant, and Doug Voderberg, Graduate Student.
Field stop topics included, but were not limited to, fungicide rotations for Anthracnose management, moss control on putting greens, annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass and perennial ryegrass, and alternative grounds cover (eco-lawn) evaluations. If you are interested in seeing the complete list of field stops presented at this event checkout the 2013 OSU Turf Field Proceedings.
OSU Turf Alumni and industry professionals discuss the latest trends and developments in Oregon’s turf and landscape industry.
After the field day, lunch was served at the Lewis-Brown Farm, and then 13 foursomes traveled to Trysting Tree Golf Club to participate in a hard fought shamble in the afternoon. The winning foursome included Roger Henderson, Doug Hubert, Joe Chavarria and Lyle Gibbs. Golf Tee Sponsors (a $250 contribution) included NuFarm, Barenbrug USA, andColumbia Seeds.
I would also like to note that Brian McDonald, Research Assistant, OSU Turf, and Ryan Wyckoff, Superintendent, OGA Golf Course, both received the 2103 “OSU Turf Program Alumni and Friends Appreciation Award” for their efforts and contributions to the OSU Turf Program.
To see more pictures of the field day and golf outing click on 2013 OSU Turf Field, photos courtesy of Mr. David Phipps,GCSAA Field Staff – Northwest Regional Representative.
Finally, I would like to thank the following for their contributions to the 2013 OSU Turf Field Day…
| Company | Contact |
|---|---|
| NuFarm | Justin Horlacher |
| Target Specialty Products | Robert DeAngelo |
| Bridgewell Resources | Darren MacFarlane |
| Barenbrug USA | John Rector |
| Dow AgroScience | Vanelle Peterson |
| Wilbur Ellis Company | John Westerdahl |
| Rainbird | Mark Willcut |
| Company | Contact |
|---|---|
| Western Equipment Dist. | Dick Bergeron |
| Rocky Mountain Turf | Lud Kaftan |
| Baroness | Richard Lavine |
| Company | Contact |
|---|---|
| Target Specialty Products | Robert DeAngelo |
| Bayer ES | Chris Olsen |
| Lewis Seed Co | Brad Dozler |
Click here to read the original article from Beaver Turf News.
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) recently released its 2011-2012 annual report.
Click here to read the full report from ASTA.
Read below for the September update from the Oregon State University Seed Lab —
As the full swing of the summer season slows down, I’d like to report on the lab performance through the summer and look ahead to fall and next year.
Looking back at July, August and September:
Looking ahead to the fall
Looking ahead to winter and spring
We are here to help you succeed. Thank you for using the OSU Seed Lab. If there is any other way we can help you, please contact us immediately at: seedlab@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-4464.
Click here to read the original report from the OSU Seed Lab.
BY DENISE RUTTAN
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION —
CORVALLIS — Lawn looking lackluster? Mid-August to early October is a sweet spot in the calendar year to sow fresh grass seed or replace an existing lawn throughout the state, according to Alec Kowalewski, turfgrass specialist for the Oregon State University Extension Service.
If you wait until November, you’re too late — the next best bet to establish a new lawn comes around the following April to May.
“The problem is that when you get later into the year, annual bluegrass takes over,” Kowalewski said. “If your turfgrass seed germinates late in the fall, it will not out-compete annual bluegrass, a very problematic, profuse weed due to our wet climate.”
Wondering which type of turfgrass is best? If you live in Western Oregon and full sun embraces your lawn, Kowalewski recommends perennial ryegrass. If your lawn lies in the shade or you don’t irrigate much, fine fescues are a great choice, he said. But Kowalewski advised picking tall fescues if you don’t water much and your lawn gets full sun.
“Fescues are very drought-tolerant,” Kowalewski said. “Tall fescue is the most drought-tolerant and fine fescue is both drought- and shade-tolerant.”
For Eastern Oregon homeowners who deal with a significant amount of snowfall, Kowalewski suggested Kentucky bluegrass. But remember, it needs irrigation.
Science has not created a kind of turfgrass that stays green all year without any water — yet.
“Tall fescue is the closest thing to it,” Kowalewski said.
To establish a new lawn, decide first whether you are completely redoing your lawn or freshening up scruffy-looking patches of turfgrass. If you’re tearing out your old lawn, see the OSU Extension article “Two ways to uproot your lawn” athttp://bit.ly/19Lndd0.
If you’re repairing an old lawn, first aerate it with a core-cultivating machine and seed the turfgrass into the existing lawn. It’s a practice known as inter-seeding or renovation, Kowalewski said.
“The most important part is adding fertilizer while seeding,” Kowalewski advised. “From now until the rainy season starts, you’ll need to irrigate lightly every day to every other day to keep the grass moist. About one-tenth of an inch each time you water is adequate.”
Select turfgrass-specific starter fertilizer. Perennial ryegrass will germinate in about 7-10 days and will establish deep roots in 2-3 weeks. Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and fine fescue will germinate in about 21 days and take about two months to take root. When grass has developed strong enough roots, it’s time to start mowing it and playing on it.
Want to support Oregon grass seed growers with the purchase of your new lawn?
“The cool thing is that most of the grass available on the market is grown right here in Oregon,” Kowalewski said.
Click here to read the original article from the Mail Tribune.
By CHRISTIAN GASTON
THE OREGONIAN —
A policy staunchly opposed by environmentalists has entered the negotiations over a package of public pension cuts and new tax increases, The Oregonian has learned.
Senate Bill 633 would have prevented local governments from regulating the propagation of genetically modified plants. It passed the Senate in May, but died in the House during the Legislative session under pressure from environmentalists and some farmers.
Now, a modification of that policy is back on the table. In discussions Tuesday on a budget package aimed at boosting funding for schools and public services, legislative leadership included a new version of the policy from SB 633 as a bargaining chip.
What left the plan, which was shown to lawmakers earlier this week, is a reduction in money match benefits for people who left state employment without retiring.
Cutting benefits on so-called “inactive” members of the Public Employees Retirement System is considered legally risky by some lawyers, who think the Oregon Supreme Court is more likely to strike down a policy reducing money match benefits for a certain class of retirees.
Removing the money match portion of the PERS cuts would reduce the long-term savings envisioned by the package from $5 billion to $4.6 billion.
In brokering the deal, Democrats allowed a modified version of SB 633 to be included in the increasingly complex package of legislation.
Under terms of the latest deal shown to rank-and-file lawmakers last night, the rules barring local governments from passing limits on genetically modified crops would exempt Jackson County, where voters will weigh in on a ballot measure banning the crops next year.
Some Democrats are privately scoffing at the new package, which also includes tax cuts for some businesses and new tax revenue that together would raise roughly $200 million in new revenue over the next two years.
Republicans are also unhappy with the reduced PERS savings.
It’s unclear what the deal’s fate will be in the coming days. Lawmakers are in Salem for routine meetings but aren’t in session. But Gov. John Kitzhaber has taken the opportunity of having lawmakers in town to try to broker a deal between the parties on new PERS cuts and increased taxes.
Kitzhaber has said he would call the Legislature into a special session Sept. 30 if lawmakers can reach an agreement.
Click here to read the original article from The Oregonian.
