The family farms and ranches of Oregon represent a diversity and strength as varied as the landscape they inhabit. It is this diversity that drives our rural economies and offers our citizens real food security. As Oregonians, we are profoundly connected to the land we work and the products that spring from that union.

We believe that good, healthful food should be equally accessible to all people. Furthermore, we deserve the right to produce and provide the type of goods that benefit our farms and ranches, as well as our individual and shared communities. It is time that the policies and regulations coming from our public officials and state agencies reflect these principles.

The current emphasis on supporting the industrial food production model threatens agricultural continuity and undermines our regional economic security. Consolidation of our food sources will lead to the further degradation of our state’s economy and social structure if left unchecked. We ask for strong, coordinated representation at the state level, access to policy-makers, and honest accountability for those actions that powerfully affect our day-to-day lives.

As the future of agriculture in Oregon, we recognize that the responsibility lies on our shoulders to ensure our collective voice is heard and that our wisdom is honored. We owe it to the future generations to be vigilant, so that they may advance the values and ethics vital to a lifetime of working the land.

Read the full ARA and find more background here.