Programming

Supporting Clatsop County’s Small Farms: Key insights

Shannon Rauter, Clatsop County’s Small Farms Program Coordinator, interviewed 25 agricultural producers in Clatsop County between 2024 and 2025 to learn about their operations, marketing outlets, and challenges in order to develop small farm programming priorities. Here a few highlights from her needs assessment findings:

Coastal farmers face unique production challenges and want regionally specific support

• From acidic soils and invasive weeds to elk damage and unpredictable weather, Clatsop County farmers are navigating conditions that differ significantly from those in the Willamette Valley.
• Many producers expressed frustration with generic recommendations that don’t apply to coastal climates.
• Growers are interested in locally relevant research, education, and mentorship.

Financial pressures are widespread

• 76% of Clatsop County farms report annual sales of less than $25,000, and the average net farm income is negative $3,731.
• Farmers struggle with high input costs, limited access to capital, and barriers to marketing their products locally.
• With few affordable properties and limited water rights, new farmers face steep entry barriers.

Systemic barriers limit farm viability

• Limited access to skilled labor, local services, and bulk, quality agricultural inputs make it difficult for small farms to reach profitability and expand.

Extension programming is evolving to meet needs

OSU Extension is currently prioritizing:

• Soil health
• Pasture management
• Farm business planning

Join in on our workshops, sign up for our newsletters, and learn about our on-farm trials tailored to Clatsop County’s conditions.

Additional priorities for future years will be selected from topics brought up by farmers in the needs assessment.

Growing Lincoln County Farms: Acting on the 2022 Farmer Needs Assessment

In 2022, Evie Smith, the Small Farms Extension Agent in Lincoln County, carried out a needs assessment to better understand what kinds of programs would most help local farmers. Farmers shared their top interests and concerns in several key areas:

On-Farm practices (104 responses / 27.5%)

Farmers said they want more information about how to grow crops and manage pastures on the coast.

Evie has authored online educational content with a coastal region focus on a range of topics from irrigation to pesticide safety to pasture management. See it in the OSU Extension Catalog coastal small farms resources collection.

Over the past three years, Evie has worked with local and regional partners on a coastal forage variety trial. This project tested different pasture species to see which ones grow best in coastal conditions. You can learn more about the trial results in this video recording.

She is also currently working with local farmers on projects related to irrigation scheduling and nutrient management in the coastal context.

Agribusiness (57 responses / 15%)

Farmers expressed a need to:

• Build more local markets through consumer education
• Increase support for farmers markets and other local sales options
• Explore value-added products (for example, turning berries into jam or milk into cheese)

In 2023, Evie joined the board of the Central Coast Food Web. This organization runs an online marketplace for food producers in Lincoln County and provides a processing facility and training to help members develop value-added food products.

Hear from a local grower about their experience: Working with food hubs to grow your farm business.

Enabling environment (44 responses / 11.5%)

Farmers said they want more chances to:

• Connect with other farmers in Lincoln County
• Share ideas and form business partnerships

They also pointed out major challenges, including limited access to basic equipment, key services, and needed infrastructure for farming, processing, and marketing food

Since 2022, Evie has coordinated and led 23 local workshops, classes, farm tours, and events for farmers in Lincoln County. Topics have included reading and understanding soil tests, vole management, pasture species identification and more.

About 300 farmer participants have attended these events. These activities provide:

• Practical information for local farmers
• Opportunities for farmers to connect with each other and with local resource providers

See networking opportunities on our resources page.

Funding (37 responses / 10%)

Evie works with her local and regional team to produce a monthly newsletter that:

• Shares best practices for farming on the coast
• Promotes upcoming classes, workshops, and events
• Highlights funding opportunities for farmers

You can view and subscribe to the newsletter to receive it in your email inbox.

Climate and climate change (26 responses / 7%)

Many farmers said they want to learn more about:

• How to farm in the cool, wet coastal climate
• How to deal with the many different microclimates within Lincoln County
• How to adapt their farms to a changing climate

Over the past several years, Evie has worked with her statewide team to create a four-module online training for small farmers focused on climate resilience. The course includes information and viewpoints that are specific to farming on the coast.

You can explore the Growing Farms course online.