Vol. XII No. 2 Spring 2017
Taking the Research on the Road: The Future of Oregon's Farmland
Almost two-thirds of Oregon’s agricultural land will be changing hands in the next two decades, but the vast majority of Oregon farmers and ranchers have not formalized plans to pass their land and businesses to the next ...
Nellie McAdams | Oct 2017 | Article
Dry Farming Collaborative: Adapting to a Changing Climate
The Dry Farming Collaborative is helping farmers learn how use less irrigation water to raise vegetables in western Oregon.
Amy Garrett | Oct 2017 | Article
Food Hubs and Wholesale Market Development
A “Wholesale Market Development” tour hosted by the Oregon Community Food Systems Network identified both opportunities and challenges for farmers trying to scale from direct to wholesale markets, and for distributors and retailers...
Matthew Buck | Oct 2017 | Article
Research on Essential Oils to Control Snails & Slugs
Newly published research, by OSU Slug Specialist Dr. Rory Mc Donnell and collaborators, highlights the potential of essential oils for snail and slug control in crop production. The research, published in the Journal of Pest ...
Oct 2017 | Article
Small Farms and a Regional Food Bank Grow Community Food Security
At this year’s OSU Small Farms Conference, we heard about an innovative partnership between a regional food bank and local farms. Linn-Benton Food Share (LBFS), which serves Linn and Benton counties, began an “Intentional ...
Lauren Gwin | Oct 2017 | Article
New Report on Farmer Transition to Organic: Breaking New Ground: Farmer Perspectives on Organic Transition
Organic transition is a hot topic: despite increasing consumer demand for organic food and farm products and double-digit annual sales growth, U.S. organic production is currently flat and unable to meet demand. Organic food ...
Oct 2017 | Article
Protect Oregon’s Brassica Crops: ODA’s black leg rules aim to control a disease outbreak
Black leg is a serious disease of Brassica crops that has recently appeared in outbreaks in western Oregon. It threatens Brassica production in the Pacific Northwest. In an effort to manage the disease and get it back to ...
Nick Andrews | Oct 2017 | Article
Local Food Production and Sales Increase in the Rogue Valley
Rogue Valley farmers and producers grew and sold more food to local consumers in 2015 compared to 2013 according to an ongoing research study conducted by Southern Oregon University (SOU). Many farmers are selling directly to ...
Regan Emmons | Oct 2017 | Article
How Has Cannabis Legalization Affected Small Farms So Far?
The legalization of recreational cannabis is changing the farming landscape in parts of Oregon. Oregon voters passed Measure 91 in November 2014, and recreational cannabis became legal in the state the following July. Prompted by ...
Lauren Gwin, Maud Powell | Oct 2017 | Article
Reflections of a SARE Fellow
The 2014-2016 cadre of SARE Fellows visited numerous farms in Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and West Virginia to study sustainable agricultural practices. The Fellows themselves were from Florida, Maine, Missouri, and Washington; they ...
Susan Kerr | Oct 2017 | Article
DIY farm tools and equipment
Farmers are an ingenious lot, known for designing their own tools and doing more with less. Now, this crop of farmers-turned-engineers is sharing their "hacks" with a wider audience.
Melissa Fery | Oct 2017 | Article
GROW Healthy Kids and Communities – Reporting Back After 5 Years in Communities
In the Summer 2014 issue of Oregon Small Farm News, our colleagues in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences Extension reported on GROW Healthy Kids and Communities (GROW), an innovative, community-based approach to ...
Kathy Gunter, Deborah John, Tammy Winfield | Oct 2017 | Article
