Wyden, Merkley Announce $2.3 Million for Rural Renewable Energy Projects
Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will go toward 28 Oregon projects aimed at building renewable energy and energy efficiency infrastructure.
Farms and Forests
Easterday Family Abandons Boardman Mega-Dairy Plan
Records show the dairy site has been sold back to its original owners, ending plans to resurrect the controversial operation.
Gov. Kotek Signs Industrial Farm Oversight Bill Into Law
Some activists call the bill “watered down” after the Legislature struck down a provision calling for a moratorium.
Oregonians Overwhelmingly Support Small Farms, Mixed on Big Agriculture, OVBC Study Finds
Concerns about industrial agriculture were mainly expressed by respondents living in urban areas, held college degrees, who were less likely to have school-age children.
Southern Oregon Organic Dairy Pleads Guilty to Violating Clean Water Act
Noble Family Dairy will pay a $25K fine for harboring 130 more cattle than it was permitted, causing manure to flow into a creek and river.
Northwest Researchers Working on Quicker Way to Identify Toxic Algae Blooms
A University of Portland team is working on a way to detect the blooms — which can make people and animals sick, and devastate coastal economies — on a molecular level.
Former Portland Trail Blazer C.J. McCollum Returns to Oregon for Wine Tasting
McCollum will be present at a Saturday meet and greet with Adelsheim Vineyard, with which he has had a partnership since 2017.
Most Oregon Farmworkers Live in Overcrowded Housing, Per State Study
Oregon Housing and Community Services interviews show how low wages, housing shortages are impacting farmworkers.
Oregon Could Lead the Nation in Growing Organic Agriculture, New Report Says
The share of organic produce that’s both eaten and grown locally is relatively small — but the amount of organic acreage grown in the state is growing.
Lawmakers Find Common Ground on Soil Health Bill
The Bill’s chief sponsor says the new, voluntary soil health program represents a ‘new way forward’ for Salem Democrats to approach farming issues.