OSU’s Small Farms program just published the Winter 2023 Oregon Small Farm News digital magazine. Topics include news about the OR drought and heat resilience grant programs, how the other guys are sourcing commercial irrigation water, and how to join the Farmer-to-Farmer Willamette Valley Agritourism Network.
Browse here!
Water Rights in Oregon: An Introduction to Oregon's Water Laws (Published in 2018 by the Oregon Water Resources Department)
Read this 52-paged primer on water laws in the state of Oregon. This covers what and how the OR Water Resources Commission and Department works to protect one of our most precious resources, water, and more specifically, fresh water. Learn about how the body is administered, its goals and actions, and how laws impact you and your community.
LIVE is a non-profit that certifies winegrowing in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1997, the organization currently boasts over 300 certified vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms in 2023. Benchmark requirements include sustainability measures, workers rights and social justice, and long-term climate goals such as pesticide reduction. Deep Roots Members that are LIVE certified at the winery and/or tasting room include Apolloni Vineyards, Ayres Vineyard, Carabella Vineyard, and Illahe Vineyard. The number of vineyards our members source from are too many to list in our blog, though you can view the full list of certified members here.
One of the many services LIVE offers are free online educational videos, including the most recent on sourcing sustainable flowers for industry events and tasting rooms titled "Sustainable Floristry in the Wine Industry with Lynsea Coy of Coy & Co. Curatorial Floral." Coy offers detailed information on the floral import trade, sources of plastics and petroleum, and the nebulous regulation in the floristry industry. The information can help you make a thoughtful choice for your business. View the video and others here!
LIVE recently held their annual meeting, which included talks by Jancis Robinson. You can view highlights here.
Oregon’s water governance is overseen by multiple agencies. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) publishes a bi-annual report on groundwater protection. The 2021-2022 report was just published. You can read the easy to navigate report here (hop to page 6 for the table of contents).
The report includes “the status of groundwater in Oregon, efforts made in the preceding two years to protect, conserve and restore Oregon’s groundwater” as well as an illuminating history of groundwater protection efforts by the DEQ dating back to the 1980s. It touches on threats to the system, such as wildfires and increases in nitrate contamination from farm run-off. Want to learn more from the DEQ? Visit their Reports to the Legislature site here.
