Tag Archives: sustainable agriculture

Public hearing notice regarding conservation easement updated date and time: October 25

EMSWCD helps protect farmland while supporting local farmers and growers operate sustainable businesses.

We partner with farmers to ensure land remains available for current and future generations of farmers in East Multnomah County and make land for farming more affordable. Our collaborations with existing farmers help unlock opportunities for the next generation of farmers to steward these special farm properties.

Bright blue skies over a pasture and hoop house.

Another “Forever Farm” in East Multnomah County.

Local farmland is vital to our community, economy, food systems, and environment. Farmers and growers fuel our rural economy, nourish people with fresh, locally grown food, and enable us to enjoy the vibrant rural landscapes that make Oregon special.

EMSWCD will hold a virtual public hearing on October 25, 2024 at 11 AM in connection with the acquisition of working farmland easements to create “Forever Farms” for properties located at: 1) 29425 SE Division Drive, Troutdale, OR 97060 AKA as tax parcel number 1S4E07AC -00100 and; 2) 29829 E Woodard Road, Gresham, OR 97080 AKA as tax parcel number 1N4E31DD -00800. These easements will ensure the agricultural resource values of these properties are protected in perpetuity. These particular transactions will additionally incorporate easement terms that guarantee the farm property remains affordable to and in the ownership of farmers.

Interested persons may submit written testimony prior to the hearing to Julie DiLeone at julie@emswcd.org, or may attend the hearing by joining the meeting via computer or smart phone at https://meet.goto.com/EastMultSWCD/emswcdpublichearing or by calling United States (Toll Free): 1 (571) 317-3112 with Access Code: 416-726-341.

Additional information on the working farmland easement may be obtained by contacting Julie DiLeone at julie@emswcd.org,

Meeting attendees requiring Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations should call (503)222-7645 x 100 ASAP. To better serve you, five (5) business days prior to the event is preferred.

Final Reports and Sauvie Island Center

One of our favorite times in the EMSWCD Grants office are the days that final reports come in. As much as we’d like to visit every project we fund, the day to day responsibilities of running our grants program keep us in the office most of the time. That is why we are so thrilled to read your project completion reports after your project is over–it is the next best thing to being there, seeing the impact your project had on a habitat, stream, or a child’s education in conservation. Final reports also help us understand if your project was a success–did you meet your stated objectives? If not, why? What can other organizations learn from your successes or challenges?

Today, we received a SPACE Grant final report from the Sauvie Island Center. Our board approved a $1500 SPACE grant in March to help fund 25 students from the Peninsula Community Center to attend a week of Farm Camp. They are excited to report that 26 kids from North Portland neighborhoods spent the week learning about wildlife and the food web, the role pollinators play in our food supply, and harvesting vegetables to cook and eat for lunch.

While Sauvie Island isn’t within our District’s Boundaries, it is the closest farmland to North Portland. The Sauvie Island Center is committed to increasing food, farm and environmental literacy in the community by providing hands-on educational field trips for elementary school children. Often, it is the first opportunity children have to visit a real, working farm so close to the city where they live. Take a look at their video to see more about what they do.

Cover Crops at Headwaters Farm

As a farmer, it’s extremely satisfying to see a healthy, robust stand of cover crop germinating. Cover crops can provide a myriad of benefits, including soil retention, transferring atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, suppressing weeds, adding organic matter, reducing compaction, and improving soil depth—saving a farmer time and money in the long run. There are many types of cover crops, and proper selection depends on soil necessities, season, budget, equipment available, weed pressure, climate, and other factors. Given the dynamic problem-solving nature of cover crops, it should come as no surprise that they are a key piece of our conservation agriculture program at Headwaters Farm.