Category Archives: Rural Lands

Garlic Mustard Dumpster

EMSWCD is once again providing a dumpster for disposing of pulled and bagged garlic mustard. The dumpster is located on the Historic Highway, in front of the ball field across the street from the Corbett Water District.

The dumpster is marked clearly as GARLIC MUSTARD DUMPSTER. A tracking sheet is located below the dumpster – please fill out all of the information requested on the sheet so we can track how much time was spent pulling garlic mustard and where it came from. A dumpster will be provided each spring to help the community dispose of garlic mustard.

We are also allowing residents to dispose of tansy ragwort in this dumpster. Please only use this dumpster to dispose of garlic mustard and tansy!

Have any questions? Send an email to Chris Learn more about pulling invasive garlic mustard

Remember: Re-visit pulled sites frequently to make sure no new garlic mustard plants grow and go to seed.

NRCS Local Work Group Meeting on February 29th

NRCS’s Local Work Group Meeting has been scheduled and your participation is requested!

Agricultural producers – farmers, ranchers, foresters, nursery growers and other land managers- in Clackamas and Multnomah Counties are encouraged to attend. The meeting is being offered in a hybrid format (virtual and in person) and registration is required for either option, details below.

What is a Local Work Group Meeting?

Each year, local NRCS field offices around the state hold a Local Work Group Meeting. These meetings provide an opportunity for NRCS staff to hear from the people they serve in their communities. Local landowners and conservation partners know first-hand about the natural resource needs in their area. This locally-led process helps inform conservation priorities and strategies across Oregon. Learn more here.

Feedback provided by growers will enable NRCS to update the county Long Range Plan and develops new Conservation Implementation Strategies to address identified resource concerns. Read more →

Headwaters Farm Open House

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

Join OSU Extension for an engaging and informative two-part course on Regenerative Pasture Management! You’ll hear from Dr. Shayan Ghajar, Organic Pasture and Forages Specialist from OSU Extension, and Jackson Morgan, Farm Specialist with Polk Soil & Water Conservation District.

When: December 14^th and 21^st from 6:00 – 7:15 PM
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free

Visit this link to register

Part 1:

Setting goals for your pastures
Selecting/identifying pasture species
Understanding soil health and how it affects pasture plants
An introduction to the pasture calendar
Mud and manure management

Part 2:

Balancing forage production with livestock forage demands
Determining when to graze
How to gauge if your pasture management is meeting your goals
Assistance available for farmers and land stewards

OSU Extension’s Wildfire Wednesday webinar series

“OSU Extension Fire Program’s Wildfire Wednesdays webinar sessions are back this fall! These weekly webinars offer important information on fire safety and preparedness, and related actions people can take to make their homes and landscapes safer. The workshops will run through December 8^th, 2021. Visit the Online Webinar Guide on the Fire Program website for more information:

View the Online Webinar Guide here.

Remaining workshops:

November 10^th: 2021 Fire Season – A learning opportunity
November 17^th: Prioritizing your home hardening approach
November 24^th: Thanksgiving BREAK – no webinar
December 1^st: From the home to the landscape (defensible space): Fall Edition
December 8^th: Prescribed fire

One year update: solar power at Headwaters Farm

Thanks to a 2019 Renewable Development Fund grant (RDF) from Portland General Electric, EMSWCD was able to purchase and install a 70kW photovoltaic system at Headwaters Farm. The solar panels were installed on two structures on the farm and began feeding electricity into the grid in April of 2020. In its first year of solar production, the renewable energy system generated 84 megawatt-hours, or enough to offset around 90% of the farm’s annual electricity consumption! This equated to a savings on the farm’s electricity bills of just under $10,000 for the year.

The Headwaters solar project was made possible with support from the PGE Renewable Development Fund, which contributed $55,566 towards the $155,374 total project cost. The Energy Trust of Oregon also contributed $23,715. Together over 50% of the project’s cost was covered by the Energy Trust and PGE’s RDF funds, with the balance coming from EMSWCD.

Nancy Hamilton, EMSWCD’s Executive Director, said of the project: “We are excited to be generating electricity at the farm and reducing our carbon footprint. And we are very grateful to PGE and their Green Future customers, as well as the Energy Trust of Oregon, for helping to make this solar project happen. The Headwaters Farm solar installation is an important demonstration opportunity for our farmers and visitors to Headwaters Farm, and the wider community we serve. The project also made a lot of sense for us financially.” Read more →

Office hours

We’re coming to you, virtually!

Join Jeremy for a live (and free) one on one discussion about your farm. Bring your questions and explore strategies and solutions around:

Management of livestock
Pasture care and grazing management
Mud management
Manure management and composting
Cropping and cover cropping
Integrated Pest Management- using beneficial plants to attract beneficial bugs
Soil health and how to take a soil sample
Irrigation systems and water management to reduce your costs
Noxious weed control
Natural areas and planting for wildlife and birds
General farm planning

Sessions will be scheduled for 50 minutes but may require additional time. You can work with Jeremy to schedule follow up visits as needed.

Make an online appointment with us!

Sign up using the form below.

Have questions?

Contact Jeremy Baker at:
(503) 488-9939
jeremy@emswcd.org

Our StreamCare program has planted half a million plants!

On February 9^th, EMSWCD planted its 500,000th native plant through its StreamCare program, marking twelve years of planting native trees and shrubs to improve stream health and help salmon throughout eastern Multnomah County!

StreamCare has been plugging away planting native trees and shrubs along streams in Gresham, Corbett and Troutdale since 2009, working together with more than 200 landowners that have voluntarily enrolled in the program. Our Executive Director Nancy Hamilton says of the program: “Our crews are able to transform stream fronts from blackberry brambles to thriving native forests that attract wildlife, protect water quality, and build more resilient communities.” Watch our brand new video below highlighting the milestone planting!

The main goal of StreamCare is creating shade. As the trees mature, they cast their shadows over the stream, lowering the temperature of the water. “It’s mostly to benefit salmon,” says Lucas Nipp, our StreamCare program manager. “Salmon need cool water. Most of the streams in our area are far too warm for healthy salmon.” Read more →