Salem-News.com Agriculture articles Page 37

List of Oregon`s Worst 100 Invasive Species Updated

State agriculture officials want to spread the word and keep the problematic species out of Oregon.

(SALEM) - Alder root rot, Paterson's curse, imported fire ant, and now an aquatic plant commonly called rock snot. The unattractive names match the insidious nature of their existence as part of Oregon's annual list of the 100 most dangerous species threatening to invade the state.

An updated version of the list has been released by the Oregon Invasive Species Council so that Oregonians will know a little bit more about the types of organisms knocking at the door.

"These are species that have established and are harmful in other places with environments similar to Oregon's," says Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Plant Division, and member of the Invasive Species Council.

Americans Spend Less Than 10 percent of Disposable Income on Food

The Department of Agriculture reports that food remains a bargain for Oregon and U.S. consumers.

(SALEM) - The U.S. consumer is spending a bit more of their disposable income to purchase food than the previous year, but they still enjoy the cheapest, most abundant food supply in the world, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Biofuel From Canola? (AUDIO)

There are still more questions than answers when it comes to growing canola for oil as a biofuel.

(SALEM) - With continued high fuel costs for everyone, there is tremendous interest by farmers in Oregon and elsewhere in growing crops that can be turned into biofuels.

Hilburn: "Canola is an excellent oil crop. With all the push for alternative fuels–biodiesel– canola is the leading crop for making that kind of a biological fuel."

Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Plant Division, says, however, canola could be a problem if grown in certain parts of the state...

Oregon Berries Look to Fruitful Present and Future (AUDIO)

(SALEM) - OREGON RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND OTHER SO-CALLED CANEBERRIES ARE RIPENING, AND GROWERS AND PROCESSORS HOPE CONSUMER DEMAND CONTINUES TO RIPEN AS WELL.

OREGON HAS QUITE THE REPUTATION FOR GOOD LOOKING, GOOD TASTING BERRIES.

TRADE SPECIALIST LAURA BARTON OF THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS SOME OF THE BERRIES WILL BE READY FOR HARVEST IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

There`s Plenty of Water For Oregon Agriculture This Summer (AUDIO)

(SALEM) - There should be plenty of water this summer for farmers and ranchers in Oregon dependent on irrigation.

A good healthy snowpack over the winter is now paying off for farmers, ranchers, and everyone else who depends on an ample water supply in the summer, according to Jim Johnson of the Oregon Department of Agriculture:

Johnson: "All over the state, water supplies are above normal. Reservoir levels are looking excellent in terms of storage. It's all pointing towards a very good banner year in terms of irrigation for the State of Oregon."

Wednesday`s Farmer`s Market Has a Little of Everything

Watch the streaming video news report by Bonnie King.

(Salem) - Spring has sprung. And in Salem, that means the beginning of the Wednesday Farmer`s Market. The event takes place along Chemeketa Street in downtown Salem. Vendors draw visitors from throughout the Willamette Valley who want to experience this traditional marketplace. Be careful, some describe the experience as habit-forming.

Nutritional Program Links Low-Income Oregonians With Farmers Markets

(SALEM) - A very popular nutritional program will begin June 1st, and will link thousands of low-income Oregon families to farmers` markets.

The Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program, formerly known as the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, is a state-administered federal nutrition program that will bring more than a million dollars into the hands of Oregon farmers in 2006.

Atkinson Wins Oregon Farm Bureau Endorsement

(CENTRAL POINT) - Oregon State Senator and candidate for Governor Jason Atkinson today welcomed the endorsement of his candidacy by the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation. The Farm Bureau is the state's largest general agriculture organization. Its 22 member Board of Directors met Tuesday in the culmination of a 3-month process and voted overwhelmingly to support Atkinson in the upcoming gubernatorial primary.

OSU Extension, Oregon Food Bank Launch Food Resource Web Site

The main feature of the Web site is a searchable database of non-emergency food resources throughout Oregon, along with many links to other food resource Web sites

(CORVALLIS) - Wherever you live in Oregon - be it in a larger city or smaller town - finding up-to-date information about local food resources will be a lot easier with the introduction of Food for Oregon, an online database just launched by the Oregon State University Extension Service in cooperation with Oregon Food Bank.

Food for Oregon fulfills a recommendation to develop a database to "provide information and to help coordinate community food security efforts across the state," that is part of the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force's Act to End Hunger.

"The Food for Oregon database will include a broad range of locally available food outlets, including community gardens, farmers' markets, community kitchens and gleaning organizations, faith-based food providers, and other local food producers and processors," said Sally Bowman, OSU Extension family and community development specialist.

Op-Ed- This Week, Perrydale Celebrates Agriculture

Special Op-Ed

(Perrydale) - Some rural Oregon communities are pockets of resistance to negative change. They may be wired with the latest computer systems and up to date on many trends, but along the way they never dropped the bar in their living standards. The end results are driven, highly respectful youth with a work ethic only born away from the buzz of the big city, and the sustained cultivation of food products that go on to feed the millions.