Category Archives: Conservation Legacy

Woodard Road Farm to be sold and permanently protected

photo of Woodard Road farm property, with a greenhouse, gravel road, and distant field and trees visible

EMSWCD is excited to announce the availability for purchase of a great farm property at a discounted price; the listing for the property can be found here. All interested parties should direct inquiries to EMSWCD’s brokers, Chris Kelly and Jamey Nedelisky of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Real Estate at (503) 666-4616. The transaction is not expected to close until late 2024 or early 2025 as it will continue in the ownership of the present owners until that time.

EMSWCD operates a Working Farmland Protection Program, which works to ensure that farmland remains available for current and future generations of farmers. One way we make this happen is by buying farm properties that are at risk of conversion to non-farm uses – like this property – and then reselling to farmers subject to a working farmland easement. The working farmland easement will ensure the farm remains in farmer ownership, continues to be actively farmed, remains affordable to future generations of farmers and that the soil resources on site are protected.

The sale proceeds will be used by EMSWCD to protect additional working farm properties to help ensure farmers continue to have access to high-quality affordable farmland in our district.

Free farm succession workshop on October 26th

sunset over distant hills and trees, and in the foreground are crops with a line of sprinklers running

Sunset over a field of crops

Have you secured your farm’s future? We can help! Join us for a free farm succession planning workshop and lunch Thursday, October 26th, 2023 at the Multnomah Grange (30639 SE Bluff Road, Gresham, OR 97080). Check-in starts at 9:00 AM and the program runs from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

RSVP here! RSVP required by October 18th.

Questions? Contact Andrea Krahmer at (503) 789-2467 or Andrea@oregonagtrust.org

Brought to you by East Multnomah and Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Oregon Agricultural Trust, and Oregon Small Business Development Center.

Headwaters Farm Open House

Image of indoor farm

Please join us at the Headwaters Farm Business Incubator open house!

Date: Tues, Oct 10th
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Location:
Headwaters Farm
28600 SE Orient Dr.
Gresham, Or 97080

We’re throwing open the barn doors to give our farm friends & agricultural community an inside look at the Headwaters property.

  • Tour the farm
  • See firsthand the resources Headwaters offers farmers
  • Meet past and present farmers and Headwaters staff
  • Enjoy refreshments on us

Read more →

EMSWCD invests $1 million in new Partners in Conservation grants

EMSWCD staff Monica (left) standing with several participants at a Voz event, all pausing for a picture. Most are wearing masks and some of the participants are holding up pumpkins

Grants supporting local efforts help us meet our mission and tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges. We’re investing $1,050,000 million into efforts led by non-profits and community-based organizations addressing key issues such as access to land, warming waterways, and the lack of trees in low-income and historically red-lined neighborhoods.

See the list of PIC 2023 grantees here.

In May our Board of Directors approved funding for 24 grant proposals recommended by our 13-member Grant Review Committee for sustainable agriculture and community gardens, habitat restoration, water quality improvements, and job opportunities for youth in the green workforce. Organizations are addressing community disparities and advancing equity by creating benefits for underserved communities through project design, partnerships, and organizational practices.

This year’s committee reviewed 42 grant applications requesting nearly $1.9 million in funding. Learn more about the committee members here.

Since 2007 we’ve invested more than $11 million in 150+ Partners in Conservation grants to organizations that help advance our mission.

Visit this page for the full list of 2023 Partners in Conservation Grant projects.

Apply for a Partners in Conservation grant!

Recently-planted red flowering currant at a grant project restoration site

Want to grow healthy food, improve water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and support strong and sustainable communities? Partners in Conservation (PIC)  Grants support conservation projects that are located within the District service area (all of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River) or serve its residents. The 2024 application period will open in the fall with applications due around Dec. 15, 2023. Funding areas include:

  • Soil health and water quality
  • Reducing and addressing climate impacts
  • Sustainable agriculture and community gardens
  • Outdoor and garden education programs
  • Fish and wildlife habitat restoration

Visit our PIC Grants page to
learn more and get started!
Read more →

Announcing our 2022 Partners in Conservation grants!

Recently-planted red flowering currant at a grant project restoration site

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District awarded 2022 Partners in Conservation (PIC) grants totaling $700,000 in new funding. The funds are awarded to 14 nonprofits, schools and local governments for fish and wildlife habitat enhancements, urban agriculture, community garden and conservation education projects in the EMSWCD service area (all of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River). Please see the list of the PIC 2022 grantees below.

Since it was created in 2007, the District has awarded $10 million to more than 130 organizations through the PIC grant program. Projects restore habitat for native fish, get kids outside to learn about and care for nature, give people opportunities to learn to garden and grow food close to home, and support more healthy, sustainable communities.

Board member Jim Carlson, who served on the Grant Review Committee this year, says, “as a new member of the Board of Directors, I learned a great deal about the diversity of programs and projects we fund through our Partners in Conservation Grant Program. These investments play an important role in helping us achieve our mission.”

Visit this page for the full list of 2022 PIC Grant projects!

EMSWCD helps protect Shaull property

A grove of Douglas fir trees and a future access way at the Former Shaull property

EMSWCD was pleased to partner with the City of Gresham and Metro to acquire and preserve the former Shaull property in the Grant Butte area! This 8-acre property builds upon our previous investments in the surrounding area and further protects the water quality of the adjoining Fairview Creek headwaters and wetlands complex. It will also set the stage for improved access to the adjacent Southwest Community Park.

Learn more about this project here!

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