By: Garry Stephenson

This first issue of Oregon Small Farm News is the beginning of a big future. It is produced for you by the Oregon State University Extension Small Farms Program. It will include information by OSU faculty and researchers, farmers, experts from other universities and agencies along with non-government organizations interested in small farms and our food system. Oregon Small Farm News will be published online quarterly. In about a year we will evaluate how valuable readers think it is.

The OSU Extension Small Farms Program consists of six core faculty members (their names and locations are listed at the end of this article) plus other faculty from OSU that are interested in small farm programming. Currently, individuals are assigned to the north Willamette Valley, south Willamette Valley, southwest Oregon, and Lincoln County. A position in central Oregon is in the works. There are needs for positions in other areas too, such as the central Willamette Valley.

Like the OSU Extension Small Farms Program, Oregon Small Farm News concentrates on both commercial small farm entrepreneurs as well as non-commercial small acreage landowners. Our focus embraces organic/biological and conventional farming systems and emphasizes three areas:

• Small Acreage Stewardship

Addressing enterprises, land management and soil and water quality for non-commercial small acreages.

• Commercial Small Farms-Entrepreneurial Agriculture

Addressing high value horticulture, livestock and poultry, and alternative crop production emphasizing organic and pasture-based systems and specialty and niche production. Value-added product development is often integral with production.

• Community Food Systems

Address alternative and specialty marketing through creation and enhancement of local and regional food systems and farm direct marketing channels.

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