It’s never too early (or too late!) to begin securing your farm’s future. A farm transition plan is essential to protecting your interests and minimizing attorney fees, taxes, and family stress. This free virtual workshop series will help you understand your options and navigate the planning process.

In partnership with the Clackamas Small Business Development Center at Clackamas Community College, Clackamas SWCD and Tualatin SWCD, EMSWCD will host four virtual workshops covering the following topics, each from 1 to 4 PM:

• January 27^th: The estate planning process and options
• February 10^th: Strategies for having difficult conversations
• February 24^th: Organizing your finances and business structure
• March 10^th: Preparing your operation and heirs for transition

Pre-register for the workshops here! You can also find out more about the importance of farm transition planning here.

Sixteen acres of property along Johnson Creek in east Multnomah County are now forever protected thanks to a conservation easement agreement between the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) and property owner Lou Foltz.

“Our partnerships with private landowners are critical to protecting our natural and farmland resources” said Carrie Sanneman, board chair for the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. “It is heartening to know that EMSCWD’s decades long partnership with the landowner has now been secured for perpetuity thanks to his generosity and foresight,” Sanneman noted.

The property is adjacent to two working farms owned and operated by the conservation district – Headwaters Farm and Mainstem Farm. Preventing development on this property helps protect the rural character of the area, allows for farming to continue into the future and conserves important habitat for native fish, wildlife and plants.

“I’m pleased that we are restoring a variety of flora on the property while also maintaining the ability to designate a portion of it for farming,” said landowner Louis Foltz. “I’ve been partnering with the conservation district for many years to ensure that this acreage is a healthy environment for fish and wildlife, while contributing to a clean water environment in Johnson Creek. This relationship will allow future landowners to sustain the habitat while simultaneously providing an option for some farming.” Read more →

Are you planning for the future of your farm? We have added a brand new Farm Succession page to the Working Farmland Protection section with information on our farm succession planning workshops, as well as a great list of farm planning resources and other available workshops!

Visit the new Farm Succession Planning page here!

EMSWCD will hold a telephonic public hearing on April 21^st, 2020 at 1:00 PM in connection with the acquisition of a conservation easement to encumber property located at 29139 SE Stone Road, Boring, OR 97080. This easement will ensure the natural and agricultural resource values of the property are protected in perpetuity.

Interested persons may submit written testimony prior to the hearing to Matt Shipkey at matt@emswcd.org, or may appear in person by calling 1 (877) 309-2073 and using the access code 715-251-493.

Additional information on the conservation easement may be obtained by contacting Matt Shipkey, Land Legacy Program Manager at (503) 935 5374 or matt@emswcd.org.

“The farm succession planning workshop series helped us create an important road map for the future of our family farm.”
-The Sturm family, 2019 Farm Succession Planning Workshop participants.

EMSWCD is excited to once again offer a free farm succession planning workshop series for District farmers(the EMSWCD service area consists of all Multnomah County east of the Willamette River). Taught by a leading national expert, the workshop series will offer strategies to transition the farm and farm business, tax planning and so much more. One-on-one personalized counseling is also offered at no cost. The workshop will take place at the Multnomah Grange (30639 SE Bluff Road, Boring) on January 29^th, February 12^th and February 26^th, and on March 11^th from 1 – 4 pm, with a complimentary lunch at 12:30 PM.

Registration is required and space is limited – RSVP with Kathryn Nishimoto at (503) 594-0738 or kathykb@clackamas.edu.

EMSWCD has put a farm property currently in its ownership up for sale. The listing for the property can be found here. All interested parties should direct inquiries to EMSWCD’s broker, Chris Kelly of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Real Estate at (503) 666-4616.

EMSWCD acquired the property in 2018, when it was listed for sale. At the time EMSWCD was concerned that a sale could result in the local farming community losing access to one of the more productive farms within our District. To help prevent this outcome, EMSWCD and the farmer/owner entered into a partnership whereby EMSWCD purchased the property to ensure it would remain forever available for agriculture. At the same time, the farmer also granted EMSWCD an option to permanently protect other property in their ownership. Read more →