Dr. Helmuth Rogg (pictured) has been appointed the new director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Program Area. He replaces Dan Hilburn, who will retire at the end of October. Rogg has served as the manager of the ODA’s Insect Pest Prevention and Management Program since 2008, and was an entomologist with ODA for […]
State officials find no evidence linking dead bees to pesticides
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A laboratory analysis of dead honeybee samples taken from hives in Clackamas County this summer showed no detection of pesticides, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Officials said that other factors are likely to be responsible for the death of thousands of bees from colonies owned by four local beekeepers. In addition, Oregon State […]
Oregon launches loan program for young farmers
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Demographic tides are moving farmers, as a group, in an older direction. The average U.S. farmer is now 59.6 years old — up from 57.5 in 2007 and 54.9 in 2002. Oregon is not immune to this trend; in fact, Oregon farmers are, on average, even older. It’s a trend that state officials and industry leaders […]
1-866-INVADER’s Greatest Hits
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It takes many eyes to spot all the invasive pests, plants and pathogens that might possibly come into Oregon and cause damage. That’s why, 15 years ago, the founders of the Oregon Invasive Species Council decided to enlist the public’s help. They set up a hotline at 1-866-INVADER, where people could call in and report […]
USDA revises Phytophthora regulations
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Update, Jan. 15: The Capital Press agricultural newspaper (Salem, Ore.) has published a news story about the change in rules and what it means, including more in-depth comments from OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone. ——————————— The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has revised regulations (PDF) that are intended to […]
State drafting rules for industrial hemp production
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Officials with the Oregon Department of Agriculture are drafting rules that could allow for the industrial production of hemp by next spring, according to a reportin the Oregonian newspaper (Portland, Ore.). Although industrial hemp comes from a non-intoxicating relative of the marijuana plant, the state has been hesitant to enact a 2009 law permitting production […]
Can a native also be considered invasive?
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Eastern Oregon grassland with encroaching Western juniper. Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Agriculture. Dan Hillburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Division, blogged on Saturday about the dilemma posed by Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) choking out grassland habitat in Eastern Oregon. As he explains, these trees are native, but the Native Americans […]
Shipping season heats up — for inspectors, too
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Every grower we talk to is very busy shipping nursery stock — seemingly more so than in years. It would make sense that state inspectors who issue certificates for these shipments, when needed, are busy, too — and they are, according to Gary McAninch, manager of the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Plant Division. He sent […]
Bilingual education is part of the bigger picture
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One sometimes hears about strained relationships between certain industries and those in government who regulate them. But in Oregon, the nursery industry and the state have long shared a mutually beneficial, cooperative, and overall pleasant relationship. An important focus has been on keeping plants healthy and protecting the quality that Oregon growers are known for […]
Brentano named to Oregon Board of Agriculture
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Pete Brentano, co-owner of Brentano’s Tree Farm LLC in St. Paul, Ore., has been appointed to the 10-member Oregon Board of Agriculture. Brentano has a long record of nursery industry involvement, including serving one year as president of the Oregon Association of Nurseries in 2006. The board advises the Oregon Department of Agriculture on policy […]