Technical Reports
Online Resource
Because they joined the grange
SummaryOriginally a graduate research paper produced in 1981, the report contains brief histories, often oral, of the six grange halls of Benton County, Oregon collected over 30 years ago. Included are photographs and other resources such as original drawings. The report is a digital copy of the original paper and has been reproduced as a response to present day efforts by young farmers to revitalize grange halls. A preface puts the report in current context. It is published by the Oregon State University Small Farms Program.
Fact Sheet
Oregon’s Farm Direct Marketing Law: Producer-Processed Value-Added Products
Oregon’s Farm Direct Marketing Law allows farmers to turn what they grow into low-risk, value-added foods like jams and pickles, to sell direct to consumers, without being a licensed food processor. That sentence – like the law itself — has a lot of detail packed into it. This short guide unpacks those details for farmers & farmers’ market managers. (It’s handy for other people too.)Use this flow chart to see if a product qualifies for Farm Direct. Then keep going for even more useful info.
Fact Sheet
Farm to Institution
This fact-sheet explains the concept of having farmer producers sell direct to institutional buyers rather than selling through direct marketing channels or wholesale distributors.
Publication
From Convenience to Commitment: Securing the Long-Term Viability of Local Meat and Poultry Processing
Consumer demand for local food, including local meat and poultry, has risen in recent years. Meat and poultry processors are essential links in local meat supply chains. To sell meat, farmers need access to appropriately scaled processing facilities with the skills, inspection status, and other attributes to prepare these products safely, legally, and to customer specifications.
Online Resource
Breaking new ground: farmer perspectives on organic transition
This publication explains the positive affects of organic farming, while also presenting farmer perspectives about the transition as well.Article
Farm Direct and FSMA: Why Oregon ’s pioneering Farm Direct Law is (mostly) not affected by the federal Food Safety Modernization Act
This article explains why Oregon's pioneering Farm Direct Law is not affected by the federal Food Safety Modernization Act.
Article
Meat and Poultry Processing Regulations in Oregon: A Short Guide
Farmers and ranchers around Oregon raise and sell livestock and poultry into a variety of local and regional markets. Processing is a necessary but often complex link in the chain connecting farms to end consumers. Here, we explain the basic laws and regulations – federal and state – that apply to meat and poultry processing.
Article
Recognizing the Strengths and Limitations of Farmers Market Ownership Structure Alternatives
Farmers markets are widely recognized for their important roles in developing local food systems, supporting small farms, increasing local economic activity, help address issues around food access and security, and providing community building opportunities. Markets typically were organized and operated by farmers themselves; over the last fifteen years, however, other groups have organized and operated most new markets. This report examines major gaps in our understanding of this important market channel by detailing how market ownership influences market operations and identifies strengths and weaknesses of different ownership alternatives.
Article
Keeping It Legal: Regulations and Licenses for Growing and Selling Food in Oregon
This article provides an overview of the common regulations and licenses that apply to farm businesses, focusing on Oregon. It also points you to resources where you can get more details and decide what steps you need to take.Article