ARA Progress Report

With a strong and united voice of family farmers, ranchers, rural and urban residents from across Oregon, we are taking our shared agricultural vision and translating it into decisive action.  This page will keep you up to date on all the progress we are making as we take on the major issues and priority action items outlined in the Agricultural Reclamation Act, one by one.

ARA Timeline

The Agricultural Reclamation Act (ARA) is the result of a two year process of talking to Oregon’s farmers and ranchers, bringing communities together, and encouraging democratic participation.  It is a dynamic document that we constantly update via listening sessions around the state and by discussion with and surveys from the farmers and ranchers.

Fall 2009: hundreds of Oregon farmers and ranchers identified common challenges to and opportunities for producing food for local and regional markets via community meetings/listening sessions.

Early 2010: the first Farmer & Rancher Delegation meeting where the 70 farmer representatives identified seven major issue areas affecting family farmers and ranchers in Oregon and each issue’s three action items, based on info collected at the listening sessions.

Spring 2011: several action items from the ARA are used to create bills for State Legislation

Early 2012: listening sessions around Oregon to update the ARA

ARA Accomplishments So Far…

• The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) created several Small Farms Liaisons in the Food Safety Department.
• The ODA launched a webpage with resources specific to new and small farms.
• Friends of Family Farmers supporter and socially-responsible farmer, Laura Masterson, was appointed to the Board of Agriculture in October of 2010.
• At Family Farmer & Rancher Day and while testifying, family farmers use the ARA to garner a voice in Salem.
• Candidates for state office look to the ARA as a resource.
• The State Legislature called on Friends of Family Farmers to testify about farm viability and farmer financing.
• Friends of Family Farmers and our members helped pass State legislation in 2011, including:
  • The 1,000 bird/year poultry processing exemption, and
  • The Farm-Direct bill, which, among other things, allows in-home processing of “minimally-hazardous” products.

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