Oregon wines win against copycats
Federal regulators have cracked down on a Napa Valley winemaker for labeling his product with labels that might mislead buyers into thinking it was made in Oregon.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau ordered the owner of Copper Creek Wines & Provisions to change several wine labels, including the Willametter Journal and Elouan, according to a Portland Business Journal article. However, the agency stated that the company can sell its existing products already packaged under the misleading names.
Environmental groups walk out of wolf talks
Various Oregon Environmental groups announced this month that they are pulling out of the state talks on wolf management. The groups claim that the process is leaning towards making killing wolves easier. The groups collectively say that they plan to oppose the plan.
I Never Thought I Couldn’t
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.
Farm Stays Keeps Couple on the 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.
How the California to Oregon Siskiyou Trail Became I5
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.
Oregon FFA Experiences 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.
What Ever Happened To Pendleton Grain Growers?
Pay Attention to Your Co-Op
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.
Down Home on Lochmead Dairy
WORDS : MITCH LIES
PHOTOS : LYNNPHOTO.COM
What originally began as Lochmead Farms, when Howard Gibson purchased 120 acres near Junction City in 1941, today is known as Lochmead Dairy.
From the President: Wolf, a Resurgence in Oregon
The wolf population, once nearly wiped out because of bounties, increased 11% last year according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
80% of Marijuana Exported?
WORDS : ERIC FRUITS , PH.D.
Much of Southern Oregon sits at the northern tip of the Emerald Triangle, one of the nation’s best marijuana growing regions. The climate is ideal for growing cannabis. The growing season extends into fall and the long warm summers bring little or no rain.