East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) and the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University are offering a family farm succession program, entitled “What Does the Future Hold for Your Farm?,” on Tuesday, February 3 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie, OR 97222. There is no cost for the program and light refreshments will be served.

Our infographic on Oregon farmer trends, based on data from the USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture

The average age of farmers in Oregon is now over 59 years (see our infographic) and many family farms are facing a transition between generations, or to someone outside of the family. There are many important issues for farm families to consider when retiring from farming. “Can the current owners afford to retire?” “Do the children in the family want to keep farming?” “How do we transfer the farm’s assets?” These are just some of the important questions and issues that will be addressed. Read more →

The Johnson Creek Watershed Council is seeking a new Executive Director. The Johnson Creek Watershed Council works to protect and restore the Johnson Creek watershed through ecological restoration and monitoring, volunteer stewardship, community outreach and education, and regional land use advocacy.

Learn more about the work the Johnson Creek Watershed Council does and about how to apply here.

Our work plan for the 2014-15 fiscal year is now available! You can download it here.

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District provides technical, educational and financial assistance to landowners, managers and others in an effort establish and maintain healthy ecosystems, with a particular focus on soil, water, and habitat conservation. We create a work plan every year in order to organize and prioritize our work, and set specific program goals to further our mission. Learn more about our mission and the work we do in the District in the About EMSWCD section.

Notice is hereby given that on November 4, 2014, an election will be held for the purpose of electing board director(s) to the following positions for the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District:

Positions: Director of Zone 3 – 4 years; Director At-large 2 – 4 years

Zone boundaries, eligibility requirements, and copies of the required elections forms may be obtained at the SWCD Office located at 5211 North Williams Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97217 (view map), 503-222-7645. The zone boundaries and eligibility requirements are also available on our website in the links below.

• View zone boundaries
• View director eligibility requirements

Election forms and information may also be found at: http://oregon.gov/ODA/SWCD/services.shtml

Each candidate must file a “Declaration of Candidacy” and a “Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet” with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Division. The filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on August 26, 2014.