Professional Improvement Tours 2009 AMPIC
Professional Improvement Tours
Thursday September 24, 2009
Tours are tentative depending on AMPIC registrations and scheduled to change.
Tours WILL be on Thursday of AMPIC not the traditional Wednesday. Plan your travel accordingly.
1. Wheat, Wind and Whitewater on the Oregon Trail
Learn the history and geology of the Columbia River Gorge as you travel to the dry side of Oregon. Visit a dry land wheat ranch to see conservation practices used in the 11 inch rainfall zone. Tour Sherman County's award winning, all-volunteer museum, large scale wind farming, and an organic food handler. Enjoy the dry side of Oregon!
2. Fruit Loop, Pears and Timberline
Begin with a stop at Multnomah Falls then head on to Panorama Point overlooking the Hood River Valley, a leader in winter pear production. Learn about the many research programs at the Mid-Columbia Research and Extension Center and agriculture in the Hood River Valley. Visit an orchard and historical roadside fruit stand and learn about agritourism in the region. Later stops include Government Camp and Timberline Lodge, built by CCC craftsman high on snow covered Mt Hood at... you guessed it... the timberline. ($10 additional fee required.)
3. Buck Hollow and Thunder Eggs
Historic Wasco County was once the nation's largest County, and still home to the Buck Hollow Watershed Improvement Program, one of the earliest watershed improvement projects in the state. Included in the watershed is the Imperial Stock Ranch (www.imperialstockranch.com), one of the state's most historic ranches and origination point for Columbia breed of sheep. They are a leader in conservation practices. Final stop is the Richardson Ranch (www.richardsonrockranch.com), famous in 130 countries for its nests of thunder eggs and other rare rocks collection. ($10 additional fee required)
4. Astoria historical tours and seafood
Travel to the mouth of the Columbia River and visit the historic city of Astoria. Tour the Hanthorn Cannery and museum on the 39th Pier and bark with the sea lions among the fishing boats. Visit the OSU Seafood Lab and learn about the integration of research and extension through the Marine Experiment Station, Extension Service, and the Seafood School. Visit the Maritime museum for a historical tour, climb the Astoria Column and overlook the mouth of the Columbia and Pacific Ocean, then travel out to Ft Stevens to get your feet wet at the beach and view the wreck of the Peter Iredale. ($10 additional fee required. Lunch on your own at 39th Pier, Moderate walking.)
5. Wine, Trees and Cheese
Tour the Tillamook Forest Center to learn about forestry in the west including the Tillamook Burn and subsequent restoration efforts. Head to the coast to relax for lunch, wine and cheese tasting at the Blue Heron. Tour the Tillamook Dairy and learn about the largest dairy corporation in Oregon. After working up an appetite, sample Tillamook's cheese, ice cream and jerky. (Wine tasting fee not included.)
6. Salmon, Science, Brew and View
Pet an octopus at OSU's Marine Science Center at the coast in Newport and learn about Sea Grant's free-choice learning research. Have lunch at the Rogue Brewery to sample the local brew and fresh fish of the day, then climb Oregon's tallest lighthouse at Yaquina Head to view the Pacific Ocean. Tour Georgia Pacific's pulp and paper mill to see how cardboard boxes are made. Visit a state fish hatchery research facility to learn about salmon issues in Oregon, habitat restoration and research on new techniques for raising juvenile salmon in artificial streams. ($16 additional fee required.)
7. Orchard Crops, Nursery, Conservation and Vineyard
Tour the diverse agriculture in the land and communities just outside of the Portland Metro area. Yamhill County is home to the world's largest production of hazelnuts, or filberts as the growers call them. Tour a hazelnut operation and a large container nursery practicing water conservation. Eat lunch at Sokol-Blosser winery overlooking the countryside and sample their award winning wines. Tour Country Heritage Farms - a long-time farming operation featuring a wide variety of crops, homemade products and Earth Friendly Farming practices. ($10 additional fee required, Wine tasting fee not included.)
8. Dairy, Beef, Wine and Cheese
Tour the rural countryside and taste some of the agriculture products of Polk County. Visit the Rickreall Dairy known for their school field trips, a grass-fed beef ranch, and the Cal-Gon digester to learn about energy production from waste. Tour Scharf Farms, a family farm known for grass seed, wine grapes and hazelnuts. Eat lunch and sample wines at the Eola Winery, and tour and sample your way through the Willamette Cheese Company, known for their artisan cheeses. ($10 additional fee required, Wine tasting fee not included.)
9. SARE - Food Farms to Table and Crop Diversity for Conservation in Oregon
Visit Stahlbush Farms, the first farm to become Certified Sustainable by the Food Alliance. They grow and process fruits and vegetables for many other companies, and they have created their own unique marketing niche for their products. Eat lunch at Gathering Together Farm and learn about their unique products, coop and restaurant. Tour the plethora of farming operations at Kenagy Farms, from specialty seed to vegetables to wildlife habitat, this farm has it all.
10. SARE - Organic Enterprises, Products, Research, and Biofuels in Oregon
Tour Oregon Tilth's Luscher Farm Organic Education Center and learn how Oregon Tilth certifies organic production in the state. Visit Kettle Foods for a chip taste test, learn about their chips and nuts processing, unique organic products and wetland treatment facility. Eat lunch, tour and taste wine at Oregon's largest winery, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and learn about their sustainability programs. Tour the award-winning Bansen's Double J Organic Dairy and the Willamette Biomass Processors' seed oil processing plant that supplies oil for biofuel. (Wine tasting fee not included.)
11. Silver Falls and Agriculture in the Silverton Hills
Tour agriculture in the Silverton Hills of Marion County which has the highest farm-gate value for the state. Visit a modern seed conditioning facility and grass seed farm to learn about farming practices on highly erodible landscapes. Tour a Christmas tree farm to see an operation gearing up for the holidays, and visit a nursery enterprise growing stock to be sold throughout the U.S. Eat lunch at Silver Falls Park, Oregon's largest state park, and take a short hike to view one of ten falls at the park. Visit a straw pressing facility and learn about our connection to the Pacific Rim, then finish out the day touring a local fruit or vegetable processing plant. (Moderate hiking, $10 additional fee required.)
12. Willamette Valley Crops, Hops, Turf and Research
Visit OSU's North Willamette Research and Extension Center to learn about research on berry, nursery and Christmas tree crops, then tour Garden World and Bizon Nursery to learn about Oregon's number one agriculture commodity - nursery stock. Tour and eat lunch at Langdon Farms Golf Club and learn about turf grass research and golfing in Oregon. Visit Pearmine Farms and their wide variety of crops including cherries, vegetables, grass seed, wheat, and nursery stock, and a wildlife enhancement project. Tour a local fruit or vegetable processing plant, and finish the day at a Hop farm for a beer tasting. ($12 additional fee required, Beer tasting fee not included.)
13. Grass and Specialty Seed, Christmas Trees and Forestry
Take a close up look at Oregon's grass seed industry, where Linn County leads the world in turf grass seed production. Learn about seed processing, certification, soil management and related management issues. Tour a Christmas tree farm operation and learn about how Oregon leads the nation in production. Visit the national award winning Blue Den Ranch where timber, fish and water are all on the payroll, and tour their private farming museum - the largest in the state. End the day visiting a small family farm to learn their unique strategy for direct farm marketing and making a living on a small acreage. ($10 additional fee required.)
14. Ag and Forestry on the Urban Edge
Tour Clackamas County's diverse agriculture and forestry production on the edge of Portland. Visit Bob's Red Mill featuring all stone ground products right at the outlet, and tour a large Learning Garden demonstrating sustainable gardening practices. Tour an Oregon Lavender Farm nestled along the Clackamas River, a Christmas tree farm and learn about Oregon's forest practices at OSU's Hopkins Demonstration Forest. ($10 additional fee required.)
15. Food Innovation, Horticulture and Agri-Entertainment
Visit the west side of Portland by heading out to Portland's Sauvie Island where farms specialize in fresh products for farmer's markets, direct sales and tourism. Tour the Maize, a large corn maze for Halloween and harvest festivals. Visit two scales of nursery enterprises and organic vegetable farms, including a farm with hedgerow cider apple trees. Finish the day at OSU's Food Innovation Center, OSU's smallest experiment station where they test products in the lab and taste-test foods and food products with over 5,000 samplers.
16. Sustainability in the City
Tour Portland, the Rose City, by train, trolley and foot to learn why it is known for sustainable development and living practices. Learn about the City of Portland's Grey to Green Initiative to build green infrastructure throughout the city, the various transit options, and the small city blocks. Tour green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and bioswale projects. Tour the Ecotrust building, a LEED platinum certified building, and learn about sustainable building practices. Eat lunch at a green brewery, and finish the day at a Farmer's market close to the Ecotrust building. (Moderate to Heavy walking.)
17. Hazelnuts, Dairy and Wine
Visit the southern Willamette valley's agriculture. Learn the difference between hazelnuts and filberts at the Hazelnut Hill farms where filberts are grown and made into various products at their factory. Visit the Lochmead Dairy processing plant and learn about their unique marketing and distribution that keep it a leader in the dairy industry. Take a scenic drive through farm country to learn about the many crops in the southern valley. End the day at Tyee vineyard with a tour of the vineyard and their wetland conservation practices, followed by wine tasting. ($10 additional fee required, Wine tasting fee not included.)
18. Columbia River Scenic Tour
Visits the Bonneville Dam, Interpretive Center and fish ladder where you can view salmon and sturgeon. Tour beautiful Multnomah Falls (second tallest in the nation) and the Vista House on Crown Point - symbol of the Columbia River Gorge. End the day at Edgefield Inn, a renovated nursing home which is now a lodge with its own micro brewery and winery, health spa, par three golf, five different bars, frisbee golf course and beautifully landscaped garden areas. ($10 additional fee required, Wine tasting fee not included. Moderate walking.)
- SARE - Diversity is Key on These Small Farms, Washington
This tour features innovative, small-scale agricultural enterprises nestled amidst the "urban jungle" between Portland and Seattle. We'll start with an award-winning integrated 5-acre farm specializing in sustainability through diversity. From produce to cut flowers, grade A raw goat milk to blueberries, agritourism to wool, this small farm has it all. Next we'll head to the WSU-Vancouver campus to experience WSU's ground-breaking Online Organic Agriculture Certificate program. Then it's on to a CSA operation providing members, restaurants and the public with a huge variety of vegetables, lamb and honey. We'll stop at a small cow-calf operation that focuses on sustainability and lastly visit a community garden that resulted from a grant-funded poverty reduction program.
20. Mt. St Helens Visitor Center and its Apes
In May, 1980, Mt St Helens blew off her top 3,000 feet (you may have heard about it...it was in the papers). The devastation was unbelievable. Visit the Mt St Helens Visitor Center and take an in-depth look at the rarely visited east side of the volcano. Learn the history of the Ape Caves (bring your own Sasquatch repellant), and look at the devastation and recovery of some little visited areas. Learn how wild fires, flooding and landslides continue to shape the area in and around the blast zone and St Helens. (Moderate walking. $20 Additional fee required. )
21. Trout Lake, WA: Farming in Paradise
The idyllic Mt. Adams community of Trout Lake, WA, has long been a hub of sustainable agriculture. We will discuss issues affecting financial and environmental sustainability with the operators of the Mt. Laurel organic dairy. We'll also meet with members of the Glacier Spring Water Company to discuss local water use policies and issues. Lunch will include a presentation by the Trout Lake Bio-Fuel Co-op focusing on efforts to create fuel from renewable resources collected in the area, reduce members' carbon emissions and fuel costs and provide member and community access to a carbon neutral co-op community car. Touring Green Pastures Farm, we'll visit with a small scale producer of raspberries, curly willow, catnip, eggs and free-range chickens. Finally, we'll meet with community leaders who are working to establish a Community Land Trust to protect and preserve land from "development." ($10 additional fee required.)
22. Washington's "Real" Trees Tour of the Forest Industry
Start the day touring the Vumstein Tree Farm to learn about making a living growing timber on a family farm. Tour the Lewis River nursery, a large commercial conifer nursery supplying the local commercial timber companies. Visit the Christmas Creek Ranch's beautiful Noble and Douglas-Fir Christmas tree and wreath operation, and Thorton Tree Land - a choose-and-cut operation close to the urban core. Eat a picnic lunch, hike and wade in the pools at Moulton Falls Park where the Lewis River flows through a mature Douglas-Fir forest. Listen to a local expert talk about salmon habitat and related issues in the Pacific Northwest. ($10 additional fee required.)
23. Specialty Nurseries and Wildlife in Washington
The Portland/Vancouver area is home to many specialty nurseries. Tour the wide array of Japanese maples, garden conifers and greenhouses at Pollock and Sons Nursery. Visit Holland America, with ties to both Holland and the Northwest, where they grow an extensive variety of bulb crops and maintain a large facility of coolers, grading lines and greenhouses. Tour the Tsugawa Nursery specializing in woody plants, including bamboo and bonsai. Finish the day at G-2 Landscaping, a family farm specializing in shade trees and NOT marketing and selling to big-box stores. Eat lunch, hike and explore the Plank House at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. ($10 additional fee required.)
- Farming on the River in Washington
This tour will highlight some of the variety of agriculture of the Columbia Gorge. Starting with a small scale, family-owned beef operation, we'll learn about the joys and challenges of farming on the Columbia. September is spawning season so a visit to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's fishery will be particularly educational. Dickey Farms specializes in row crops and is the state's oldest family-owned business; we'll discuss labor and other issues there. Maryhill Winery is a new but respected producer of award-winning wines and situated on property overlooking the Gorge. Although it will be harvest time, a quick tour through the orchards of the Maryhill community will give visitors a taste of the variety of tree crops produced in the area. ($10 additional fee required.)
- Western Agriculture Issues Tour, Washington
Farming in the West involves some unique and serious issues. This tour will include stops at sites relevant to a variety of issues including the National Scenic Gorge Act, public grazing, noxious weed control, Endangered Species Act, water rights, open range, wind energy and tribal lands. Local speakers will present both sides of issues and explain how these laws and issues affect agriculture in the area. ($10 additional fee required.)
- Klickitat County Livestock, Washington
Although Klickitat County is two hours from Portland, this tour will be well worth the drive for livestock educators. Stops will include a cutting-edge purebred Angus ranch that uses ultrasound and AI, a buffalo farm, a large commercial sheep operation, a show lamb and market wether farm and a Lipizzan horse breeding and training facility. A special treat will include a visit with a long-time Quarter Horse breeder and a tour of his historical barn. ($10 additional fee required.)
