Author: OFFA (page 1 of 10)

I Never Thought I Couldn’t

Alec Oliver

WORDS : NAOMI INMAN & MITCH LIES
PHOTOS : LYNNPHOTO.COM

On a February morning at her Bear Valley home, Tinka Oliver puzzled at the whirring drone outside her kitchen window — tipping this way and that as if to wave.

Her son, Alec, had a new way of stopping by to say, “Hi mom!”

From that same kitchen window, on a dark July night in 2012, Tinka puzzled at the sight of Alec’s truck, stopped half a mile down the long gravel drive. It was an odd hour at night, and oddly positioned to the side of the bridge, headlights beaming into the evening mist. Continue reading

Farm Stays Keeps Couple on the Farm

Scottie Jones, Greg Jones, Leaping Lamb Farm

WORDS: MITCH LIES

It didn’t take long for Scottie and Greg Jones of Leaping Lamb Farm in Alsea, Oregon, to encounter the difficulties of generating a profit on a small farm. New to farming in 2003, the couple realized by 2005 they needed more than the income from raising sheep to fulfill their dream of living off the land. Continue reading

How the California to Oregon Siskiyou Trail Became I5

Siskyou Trail

WORDS: TIM LYMAN

Ewing Young was one of the first Europeans to travel the series of Native American trails between the Willamette Valley and today’s Sacramento area. His goal: to drive a herd of horses and mules to the Willamette Valley in 1834. He made the trip again in 1837, successfully bringing an additional 630 head of cattle to the valley. Continue reading

Oregon FFA Experiences South Africa

Oregon FFA South Africa

WORDS : EMMA ROOKER

Early this year, the Oregon FFA State Officer team embarked on an international adventure.  As part of that team, and serving as the State Vice President for 2017-18, my life became a whirlwind of travel and constant learning.  Continue reading

What Ever Happened To Pendleton Grain Growers?

Pay Attention to Your Co-Op

Pendleton Grain Growers

WORDS : ERIC FRUITS , PH.D.
Eric Fruits, Ph.D. is chief economist and president at Economics International Corp. and an adjunct professor at Portland State University.

Farmland Industries was once the largest farmer-owned co-op in the United States.  In 2001, it opened a new headquarters in Kansas City.  The glass-wrapped building and deluxe executive suites told the world that Farmland had become an agribusiness giant.  At the time, the co-op was racking up debt—building a big expensive fertilizer plant, upgrading older fertilizer plants, and spending nearly $100 million on new computer software.  In 2002, Farmland filed for bankruptcy. By 2004, its last big asset had been sold off. Continue reading

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