On December 1st, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau granted the Willamette Valley official status as an American Viticultural Area, effective January 3rd, 1984.
Anne Amie’s wines at a tasting event being poured by Kim McLeod
A Look at the Pollinator Partnership's Cookbook
Have some sustainable leftovers? Check out the Pollinator Partnership's Pollinator Friendly Cookbook here. It includes tips on how to prepare foods that helps our pollinators thrive. It includes recipes such as Eggplant Casserole with Cheddar Topping, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie to Mango Margaritas!
This is a free PDF.
USAID's Subwatershed Population Calculator - A Look
Check out the USAID's Subwatershed Population Calculator. According to GlobalWaters, this tool is build to allow users to estimate the total population living in a subwatershed, allowing researchers, non-profits, and anyone else to see who is impacted by water quality in a given region.
Learn more here or explore GlobalWaters' interactive report on drinking water and sanitation equity gaps!
Agriculture accounts for a significant amount of climate change yet just 0.8% of capitol to mitigate or negate its impacts is invested in small-scale agricultural systems. The IISD reviewed a white paper on the topic by the International Fund for Agricultural Develop.
Plastic in Agriculture: A Report
International Study Weighs Sustainability of Plastic Use in Agriculture
Learn about the short-term and long-term effects of plastic use in farming with the University of Vienna's study published in Nature Communication Earth and Environment as shared by ATTRA.
Report on Climate Changed Adaptation by Farmers
Read Western SARE's (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) report on how the organization is encouraging projects to tackle climate change. The report explores how farmers are managing drought and incorporating dry farming into their practices.
Founded in 1988, SARE is a national grassroots organization emphasizing sustainable agriculture through grants, education, and outreach to farmers.
Dry Farming in the News
Researchers Work to Develop, Test Dry-Farm-Adapted Corn Varieties
Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) discusses work by Lucas Nebert, a research associate in the Department of Horticulture at OSU. Read on to learn what they discovered and to find more information about Nebert's OSU Dry Farming Project, which is mapping areas of the state compatible with dry farming.
What does fashion have to do with water and biodynamics?
9 environmental organizations empowering long-term change with the circular fashion economy by Caroline Knapp
Check out 1% For The Planet's discussion of nine members' ways to minimize the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. Groups include Drip by Drip, an organization focused on cleaning freshwater where second-hand clothing is destroyed, and DIRT, which is focused on biodynamic farming of raw materials.
In The News
Read about updates to EPA rules governing water, how drones help detect vineyard issues, and more!
EPA publishes updated Waters of the United States rule by Rusty Rumley
In response to the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court ruling, the EPA has issued a rule change to narrow the scope of its definition of the "waters of the United States," which are waters regulated by the EPA. This article provides links to information on the court case, the rule change, and the Clean Water Act.
Eye in the sky spies on vineyard diseases by Lee Allen
Learn how drones and satellite imaging is helping grape growers identify vineyard issues early!
Research results: Producing food in a drying climate by Lee Allen
Learn about research into farming adaptation to climate change and drought-tolerance conducted by the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Explore Forest Garden Case Studies with NCAT
Community Forest Gardens: Case Studies Throughout the United States by Katherine Favor, NCAT Agroforestry Specialist
This article explores research Favor conducted at eleven agroforestry projects conducted around the country. The guide includes identification of types of fauna broken down by what layer of the forest plants grow in, such as understory tree or groundcover layer. The article includes a case study of the Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, WA, that provides produce to the Rainier Valley Food Bank. The case study identifies all of the plants growing grouped by the identification guide.
ATTRA Explores Forest Gardens: Looking for a quick guide from these case studies? Check out Favor's guide to starting community agroforestry projects here with practical advice from the projects she studied.
Press Release: Organic Grower Summit
Organic Grower Summit to provide firsthand knowledge by Tim Hearden of Western FarmPress
Read about the upcoming Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, CA on Nov 29-30th. Discussions topics will include pest management, regenerative agriculture, and AI. The summit is hosted by the Organic Produce Network and Western Growers.
