Family Farmers

Family Farms contribute to their local economies, communities and the environment. Yet, family farmers are being driven out of business at an alarming rate. This section will lead you to resources for family farmers, as well as articles on family farming and why these farmers are important. You can also link to some of the blogs written by a few of Oregon’s own Family Farmers to hear it all from the horse’s mouth.

ON THIS PAGE: Oregon Farmers Blogs & Websites, Marketing and Distribution Resources, Resources and Suggested Reading for Family Farmers

Resources and Reading for Family Farmers

Resources for farmers

Oregon State University’s Small Farms Program provides information for small, commercial growers and small acreage landowners.

If you have been thinking about some new food crops to grow, read the detailed report on the Beans and Grains Project that is happening in the Southern Willamette Valley.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture publishes the Oregon Agripedia, a guide to regulations and laws that apply to agriculture.

Check out Farm Aid’s programs for Family Farmers and search their Farmer Resource Network.

An alternative to the Farm Bureau: The National Farmers Union, protecting the interests of family farms and ranches.

The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network is a national network of people and organizations assisting niche meat processors and the livestock producers and niche meat buyers who depend on them. NMPAN connects people around the country trying to fill the processing gap for niche meats.

The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund provides affordable legal counsel to farmers and consumers in need while advocating for sustainable agriculture and direct farm-to-consumer transactions.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Library hosts the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, which focuses on topics related to sustainable and alternative agricultural systems, crops and livestock.

Find out about Smart Pasture Operations and other food and agriculture solutions from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

…and Suggested Reading

Read Willie Nelson’s article on The Good Food Movement: Securing the future of family farms and the environment.

The Small Farmer’s Journal, a clarion of free speech on anything pertinent to the small family farm experience.

Find the latest news, events and funding for sustainable agriculture at the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

Discover 10 Reasons to Buy Food from your Regional Family Farmer. You can also download the brochure here.

Allan Carlson wrote a great article called “Agrarianism Reborn: On the Curious Return of the Small Family Farm” that you can download and read.

Marketing and Distribution Resources

soldout Search Ecotrust’s online directory and marketplace: Food Hub connects regional buyers and sellers.

Eugene Local Foods is an aggregator and online marketplace of locally grown and produced food. We make it possible for farmers to work together to meet the growing demand for local, sustainable food in the Eugene area.

Ten Rivers Food Web is building an on-line Local Foods Directory for Benton, Linn and Lincoln Counties.

Chef’s Collaborative puts on the Farmer-Chef connection and helps build a more sustainable food system.

The Farm to School movement is growing across the nation– find out more about Oregon’s farm to school efforts.

Read the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Guide to Farm Direct Marketing.

See what the Oregon Department of Agriculture says about Regional and National Market Development.

Resources for Farm Transition

If you are thinking about how to keep the family farm intact while passing it on to the next generation, you can watch a video presentation on farm transition by Doug Sippel and Steven Hopkins at Oregon State University.

The Austin Family Business Center at OSU has started a Ties to the Land program that provides resources to guide families through a smooth transition of their land from one generation to the next.

The Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) and the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy work to protect agricultural land for future generations through conservation easements and other measures.

The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service hosted a webinar on Farm Transition. They also have a Farm Transition Update that includes articles on succession and estate planning.

The web-based National Farm Transition Network provides publications and seminars.

Nebraska’s Center for Rural Affairs offer six examples of successful linking strategies for beginning and retiring farmers.