Several days ago I was walking around my neighborhood. I live in a rural area, outside the boundaries of the local towns, and the air was especially wonderful and slightly fragrant. I stopped to take deep breaths to just “drink” in the air. It was really a specially wonderful day. I asked myself “How did I come to live in such a wonderful place?
A big plus or bonus added to this beauty, is the fact that we have many small farms here that grow both meat and food . What I prize very highly is good clean food, grown without being sprayed or traveling long distances on trucks. Corporate food is handled by many, placed on conveyor belts, washed and sprayed mechanically, and placed in plastic bags, etc.
We are so lucky to be able to access farm fresh food!
I have a large garden and grow what ever I can, But we have farmers markets in this area and if you can’t or are not into growing food, it is still available through the farmers markets that sell locally grown food including meat. Without walking very far I can come to a farm that produces grass fed beef, the cattle live in a beautiful place, not crammed together in a food lot, but living like cattle would like to live, in a beautiful valley with lush grass pastures, a nice barn for shelter, and killed humanely and instantly with a shot to the head, and processed locally. And further up the road is a farm that is producing eggs through regenerative farming methods. This is a “new” way of farming that is extraordinarily kind to mother earth. A better world is waiting to be born !
We all eat! I am writing this because, like what you have seen in the news about farmers in other countries, our farmers are being put out of business. This video explains how “OUR” farmers are being put out of business. Please WATCH and PLEASE support our local farmers.
I call those who are working to put farmers out of business the “beast” a governmental beast! PLEASE WATCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5olm7Nxq44. About 22 minutes
We need to join together to support them.
FRIENDS OF FAMILY FARMERS
friendsoffamilyfarmers.org/
A Message from State Senator Daniel Bonham:
New state water agency appointee to be considered by the state Senate.
Governor Kotek recently announced that Ivan Gall, a 25-year veteran water resources regulator was appointed to lead the Oregon Water Resources Department. This appointment will be considered by the State Senate at the end of the month.
Simply put, Gall is an inexperienced leader who will likely perpetuate the status quo of a paralyzed inefficient agency that routinely misses its own performance measures and fails to meet its core mission of managing our state’s water.
As a representative of a robust farming district and as someone who is very invested in our state’s natural resources – this is a very important appointment that I am tracking. The OWRD makes policy decisions that can affect the state’s natural resource resilience for decades to come.
Status quo has not been working for quite some time. During Mr. Gall’s time with the OWRD, we have observed a series of troubling issues that prove he is not qualified for this job promotion. Issues range from pulling permits from landowners, wasting $550 million in funds, staff caught with alcohol and weed in state vehicles, numerous wells running dry due to resource misallocation and more. From a personnel, policy and programming standpoint, he has proven himself incapable of creating collaborative solutions. Failure should not be met with a raise.
The Oregon Farm Bureau has continuously expressed concerns over this appointment and I share those concerns. Farmers and the agriculture industry are the original environmentalists. They care for the land like their lives depend on it – because their livelihoods do. The ag industry knows the circle of life and how to take care of our natural resources – they are the experts who work in the field – literally – day in and day out.
I also joined the bureau in their opposition by writing a letter to Governor Kotek to reconsider her appointment of this failed bureaucrat and will be calling on our colleagues to reject his appointment.
Our state’s water resource agency needs a leader who understands the complexities of water management, the ability to navigate policy challenges, the vision to change the culture from within the department, and the commitment to enhance the welfare of all Oregonians through our natural resources.
I hope you will join me in calling on our leaders to reject this appointment.
You can call your governor with this tel. number and leave a message. 1-503-378-4582 this number is listed on the Oregon Legislature web site.
