It’s safe to say Stephen Lee knows tea. Lee is the founder and CEO of Kombucha Wonder Drink. In 1972 he co-founded The Stash Tea Company. After Stash Tea was sold in 1993, Stephen, with a few of his friends, ...

How Oregon is Detecting and Preventing Invasive Species By Keri Ann Beazell for Growing Oregon magazine Although it might sound like the plot of a sci-fi thriller, the fight against invasive species, from insects to noxious weeds, is a harsh reality. ...

Kookoolan Farms is nestled in the heart of wine country just outside of Portland, Oregon. Among the rolling vineyard hills and the grassy farmlands speckled with livestock, you’ll find Koorosh and Chrissie Zaerpoor’s farm — Kookoolan Farms — peacefully situated ...

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians invest in thriving ranching business By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine Like their ancestors before them, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians in southern Oregon is living off the ...

Oregon leads the nation in the production of mint crops By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine The next time the fresh, aromatic mint flavor in toothpaste hits your tongue, think Oregon. Odds are the mint was grown in the state that ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine Jason Pastega grew up in the midst of his parents’ Blue Heron French Cheese Company in Tillamook. When he decided to start a business of his own, it didn’t take long for Pastega to discover how ...

Oregon growers and food producers find inspiration and collaboration from Japan By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine Japan and Oregon’s reciprocal relationship dates back nearly two centuries – some say even before Commodore Matthew Perry led an expedition to Japan ...

Oregon boasts colorful history, promising future in woolen textile production By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine From your coat to your socks, wool keeps you warm and dry. Textile mills have long been a part of Oregon’s history beginning in ...

Oregon Rides the Wave of the Beverage Craze By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon magazine Sipping fruit-flavored vinegar. Savoring lemon infused kombucha. Tasting craft ciders on tap. Oregon’s cup runneth over with the latest beverage trends. Vinegar: Tangy Thirst Quencher Refreshingly ...

Just outside of Springfield, Oregon, as you come around the bend of Highway 126 and cross the rapid waters of the McKenzie River, the observant traveler will notice certain landmarks that look unconcerned by the passage of time. Those who ...

Howard and Gladys Gibson bought 120-acres and began Lochmead Farms in 1941 and since then, each generation has been part of this successful family business. Stephanie Gibson-Hawks, general manager of Lochmead Dairy, is a third-generation Gibson. Having grown up working ...

A typical day on the farm starts at sunrise. Whether that means getting up early to feed the livestock or going to the farmers’ market to sell what they produce, farmers live and work their entire lives and through every ...

“Oregon’s Harvest” is a 30-minute television special will take viewers to the cattle country of Seneca, Oregon to potato production in the Columbia Basin and to fishers and brewers in Tillamook County. Hosted by news anchor Jeff Gianola, the special ...

You may recognize Abram Goldman-Armstrong from the iconic Portland Timbers (major league soccer) 2011 billboard campaign that featured fans of the team. In his fan feature, Abe is wearing a green, plaid flannel with a black vest mottled in Timbers ...

If you want to experience the rich harvest of Oregon agriculture where the mighty Columbia River meets the wild Pacific Ocean, Astoria is the place to do it. Give yourself a weekend to sample what Astoria has to offer and ...

The farmers markets of Oregon offer more than farm-fresh, local produce and handcrafted goods, they also offer a sense of community. From farmer to consumer, farmers markets help to facilitate connections between the people who grow our food, with the ...

By Matthew Ernst for Growing Oregon magazine Prized across the country and around the world, cherries and pears are two of Oregon’s top tree fruits. Nationwide, Oregon ranks third in sweet cherry and second in fresh pear production with 13,000 acres ...

By John McBryde for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon’s Willamette Valley is considered a berry paradise by fruit buyers, with more than 50 varieties of premium, healthy and delicious berries cultivated for U.S. and global markets. Fertile, well-drained soil, favorably timed spring ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine In 2001, Mike Omeg, a cherry grower from The Dalles, planted native plants near one of his orchards to attract beneficial insects to help suppress black cherry aphid. The response was better than ...

Most people are familiar with honey bees. In fact, in Oregon we have roughly 500 species of bees that vary greatly in size shape, and behavior. We have managed bees such as honey bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, and alkali ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine First came the transition from overhead sprinkler irrigation to drip. Then the benefits started pouring in. By watering only where and when their hops plants need it, Gayle and Glenn Goschie, a brother-and-sister ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine With Oregon’s environmentally friendly reputation, it’s not surprising that the state’s farmers are among the nation’s leading practitioners of sustainability. In many cases, sustainability is a central part of Oregon farms’ management plans. ...

By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine Farmers markets play a critical role in connecting farmers to consumers in Oregon. At one end of that connection, family farms find a place to share what they grow. At the other end, ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine Each summer, organizations bring the dinner table outside to local farms, allowing guests to experience fresh food while learning about where it came from – straight from the source. Plate & Pitchfork founder ...

By Blair Thomas for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon agriculture is famous for its diversity. From grass seed that grows the turf of World Cup soccer fields to its U.S. leading Christmas tree, blackberry and hazelnut industries, Oregon produces a bountiful variety ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine In 2015, when Beth Satterwhite of Even Pull Farm was considering leasing 2 acres from Zach Christensen of Christensen Farms, the two Yamhill County producers talked. And they’ve talked ever since. Satterwhite says she ...

By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon magazine Travel along Oregon’s agritourism trails, which are mapped out exploration destinations, and you will experience a journey into the heart of the state’s rural agricultural community. Fresh foods, local dining, Oregon culture and charismatic ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine The history of potatoes in Oregon is as deeply rooted as the rich soil the spuds grow in. The crop dates back to the early 1800s, when the first explorers ventured into the ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine When moms tell kids to eat their carrots, odds are they are instructing them to eat an Oregon product. The state produces roughly 65 percent of the nation’s carrot seeds and 40 percent ...

From Growing Oregon magazine

By Matthew Ernst for Growing Oregon magazine All flour is not created equal, which is why the special characteristics of Oregon wheat make it ideally suited for a wide variety of foods ranging from Asian noodles to Egyptian flatbread. The state’s ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine Families own the majority of the nation’s farms, and when it’s time to pass on that legacy, a farmer usually looks to their children. When a young entrepreneur who doesn’t come from a family ...

By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon Magazine In the late 1980s, Lory Duralia decided it was time to grow her dream of having a native plant nursery at her West Linn, Oregon home. Today, the lush backyard sanctuary, which she ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine At age 80, Eastern Oregon farmer Don Lieuallen isn’t driving the combine anymore. But he shows up every day to his family’s 2,400-acre century farm to balance the books, check crop management schedules and, ...

By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon magazine For nearly 15 years, the Adelante Mujeres organization has been inspiring local Latina women and their families to become community leaders, helping strengthen the Latino presence in Oregon – including those in the ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine Cheddar. Pepper jack. Blue Cheese. Chevre. Queso Fresco. Pick a cheese, and it is made in Oregon. From large to artisan, Oregon cheese producers of all sizes are top notch in their craft. ...

By Joanie Stiers for Growing Oregon magazine In Oregon, vegetables move quickly from field to freezer – locking in freshness and ripeness. Farms are located close to Willamette Valley-based vegetable processors so that fully ripened vegetables can be harvested and ...

By Keri Ann Beazell for Growing Oregon magazine With more than 220 breweries and 550 wineries, it’s no surprise that Oregon has a national and international reputation for growing some of the best hops and grapes in the industry. In ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine There’s a good chance the seed used to plant your lawn came from an Oregon grass seed field. The Beaver State produces roughly 90 percent of cool-season grass seed in the U.S., says ...

By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon magazine In southeast Portland, a Latin American public market and kitchen spreads the aroma of locally grown and made smoked meats, pressed masa and fresh herbs and pulls you in. Brightly colored food carts ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine In 2000, after planning for an expanded Tillamook County Creamery Association at the Port of Morrow, Port Director Gary Neal asked where they were going to locate the visitor center. “I was interested ...

Feature photo: Oregon pear promotion overseas. By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon magazine One might say that Oregon seafood, pears and straw get around. From live crab in Hong Kong to pears in Saudi Arabia to straw and alfalfa in ...

By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon winemakers know the key to producing some of the country’s most flavorful wine is to let Mother Nature do most of the work. Oregon is home to nearly 500 wineries, and what ...

Feature photo: The Country Cat owners, Adam & Jackie Sappington. By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon’s abundant variety of foods create a feast of flavors for hungry tourists flocking to the state each year. Judiaann Woo, an Oregon ...

  By Teree Caruthers for Growing Oregon magazine The clean, cool waters of Oregon provide seafood defined by its freshness and variety. “From albacore tuna to pink shrimp and everything in between – Chinook salmon, Dover sole, Dungeness crab and ...

Feature photo: SarBen Farms owned and run by Steve & Susan Pierson and their children and Susan’s dad Marlin Rasmussen. By Betsy Williams for Growing Oregon magazine It all starts with the milk. The key is freshness, quality and the care ...

Feature photo: Oregon Christmas trees, photo courtesy of Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association.  By Keri Ann Beazell for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon is the nation’s largest producer of shade and flowering trees as well as conifers. Innovation propels growth in ...

Feature photo courtesy of the Oregon Food Bank. By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon farmers are doing their part to end the fight against hunger. Approximately 800,000 people in the state deal with hunger insecurity issues, or one ...

  By Jessica Walker Boehm for Growing Oregon magazine From snacks to full meals, Oregon supplies thousands of Americans with their favorite fare. The state is a leader in the food processing industry, with several of its companies producing frozen ...

Feature photo: Oregon beef cattle, photo courtesy of Country Natural Beef. By Keri Ann Beazell for Growing Oregon magazine Oregon ranchers know the difference between a good steak and a great steak: flavor. Oregon ranchers also know what consumers want ...

Feature photo: Eiguren Brothers Farm. By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon Magazine Never was there a doubt that Elias Eiguren would one day return to his family’s Southeast Oregon ranch. As an FFA officer just out of high school, he ...

Feature photo: Adam Buresh of Oregon’s Wild Harvest. By Keri Ann Beazell for Growing Oregon Magazine Oregon is a hotbed of naturopathic products and health supplements. A distinct, alternative approach to health, naturopathy focuses on a natural approach of healing the ...

A century farm doesn’t just happen, there has to be a love for the land and a hard working family. Clyde Ward started farming in 1915 and the first several decades of his farming career was done with horses. He ...

By Brittany Stovall for Growing Oregon Magazine Travel along Oregon’s agritourism trails, which are mapped out exploration destinations, and you will experience a journey into the heart of the state’s rural agricultural community. Fresh foods, local dining, Oregon culture and ...

When you think of putting together a summertime barbecue or family picnic, you might think of watermelons as one of the essential items on the menu. When you go to the grocery store to buy your supplies, you’ll likely see ...

Elam Farms was founded in 1973. In 1979, David and Debby Elam, moved to their current location in the Willamette Valley. The farm is located between Turner and Aumsville in Oregon, nestled right in the heart of Salem’s bucolic farmland. ...

“Do you have any special tips or tricks for cutting an onion and not crying?” “Yeah..,” Larry says as he chuckles to himself, “be a third-generation onion farmer.” Larry Standage looks exactly like how you might picture a third generation ...

Oregon State University is known for its College of Agricultural Sciences. The school offers 25 Major and Minor options that include but are not limited to Botany, Animal Sciences, and even Fermentation Sciences for you beer lovers out there. The ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon Magazine This is not your father’s farm. Father-and-son team Tom and Jason Hunton have created a farm that does everything from grow and clean grass seed to produce beans for soup mixes that help ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon Magazine In 2001, Mike Omeg, a cherry grower from The Dalles, planted native plants near one of his orchards to attract beneficial insects to help suppress black cherry aphid. The response was better than he ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon Magazine Each summer, organizations bring the dinner table outside to local farms, allowing guests to experience fresh food while learning about where it came from – straight from the source. Plate & Pitchfork founder Erika Polmar ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon Magazine First came the transition from overhead sprinkler irrigation to drip. Then the benefits started pouring in. By watering only where and when their hops plants need it, Gayle and Glenn Goschie, a brother-and-sister ...

By Mitch Lies for Growing Oregon Magazine The sheer size of the combine stops the children in their tracks. Then come the questions. “Can I sit in it?” the children ask. “Sure,” says the farmer. Score another memory for Adopt ...

Thistledown Farm is a family owned and operated business where the peaches drip off the trees and the Walla Walla Sweet onions pluck themselves right out of the ground. The Henderson family does an amazing job of making you feel ...

By Rachel Bertone for Growing Oregon magazine Families own the majority of the nation’s farms, and when it’s time to pass on that legacy, a farmer usually looks to his children. When a young entrepreneur who doesn’t come from a family ...

Oregon is known as the “Berry State” growing over fifty varieties of berries. The long cool springs followed by the hot summer days with cool nights allow Oregon berries to remain on the vine longer than berries that grow in ...

Summer pop up events to feature Oregon specialty crops Bruce Pokarney, ODA – The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University are teaming up this summer to offer five dinner events in five different communities. What do these dinners all ...

By Bruce Pokarney, Oregon Department of Agriculture – June 2016 Welcome to a week of celebration so special it actually lasts 10 days and reaches across the Pacific Ocean. The fifth annual Oregon Cider Week, June 16-26, focuses on one of the state’s ...

Grant McOmie – KGW I am a big believer that the health of a community can be measured by the way they share their wealth with the rest of us. Eastern Oregon’s Morrow County certainly does that – their ag ...

Learn more about what farmers are doing to prepare the ground for spring planting and what you can do in your backyard. Spring is a great time to prepare for the summer bounty in Oregon.

We’re lucky in Oregon that we have an amazing mix of soils and climate that enable our family farms to grow over 220 crops, including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are enjoyed here and around the world. If ...

Oregon’s 240 dairy farmers and 22 processors produce wholesome food, good paying jobs, and employment opportunities in communities throughout the state.Oregon has consistently ranked in the top six nationally for milk quality, we are lucky to live and work in ...

Ranching in Oregon is older than the state itself. Pioneers brought their cattle to the state to start a new life for their family and to create a business that would feed others. Ranchers in Oregon put their heart and soul ...

Oregon has excellent soils and climate for growing healthy, high quality nursery stock including; trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials and edibles. Our nursery products are sold here in Oregon, across the nation and around the world.  

Whether fresh, frozen, canned or smoked, our local fishing communities take pride in providing some of the best quality seafood on the planet right here in Oregon. From the excellent pink shrimp, albacore tuna, Dungeness crab, salmon and sole we ...

By Bruce Pokarney – February 3, 2016… For the first time in history, Miss Oregon is headed overseas as part of her official duty. The reason? To promote a wide variety of the state’s food and agricultural products. The destination is Japan, Oregon agriculture’s top export ...

Katy Coba, Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, shares all the great ways you can celebrate the bounty of Oregon’s agriculture.

It’s a symbol of the season! Oregon ships holiday joy across the globe in the form of Christmas trees. With nearly 7 million trees sold and a production value of about $104 million in 2014. Oregon Christmas trees are found ...

COA’s 30-minute special: Local families challenged to utilize Oregon’s bounty. The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s efforts to promote the quality, availability and variety of statewide food products will take to the airwaves this September with Dinner in Oregon, a 30-minute ...

There’s a real buzz about honeybees in Oregon agriculture. In fact, 1 in 3 items we eat is directly related to the hard work honeybees put into pollinating. We take a look at how one local business is helping out ...

The top crop in Oregon is actually something that finds it’s way into many of our yards and gardens! Oregon’s greenhouse and nursery products, from flowers to vegetable starts, is worth millions of dollars. Learn more here: Find retail nurseries ...

To learn more, visit: Oregon Wheat Commission

Learn more here: Oregon Trawl Commission Oregon Albacore Commission Oregon Salmon Commission Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission

Learn more here: Oregon Potato Commission USA Pears Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission Oregon Strawberry Commission Oregon Blueberry Commission

Learn more here: Oregon Dairy Council Oregon Dairy Farmers

Learn more here: Oregon Beef Council Oregon Cattleman’s Association