OAT Protects Oregon's Farmlands From Development And Fragmentation The Jefferson Exchange podcast

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OAT protects Oregon's farmlands from development and fragmentation

17h ago 29:46

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Orchard View Farms entrance with blossoming cherry & pear trees overlooking Mt. Hood from orchard in The Dalles, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. (Andrea Johnson / Oregon Department of Agriculture )

Nellie McAdams is Executive Director of the Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) and Steve Denney is a retired landowner. Both join the Exchange to discuss the challenges and solutions to protecting Oregon's farmlands from being lost to development and/or fragmentation.

Why Farmland Protection Matters
According to the 2022 US Department of Agriculture Census, Oregon has lost four percent of its agricultural land (660,000 acres) from production in just five years.

Across the nation, farmland is being lost at a rapid rate. The United States lost 2.2% of its farm and ranch land (20.1 million acres) from production between 2017 and 2022. This area is roughly the size of Maine.

While Oregon’s land use program does an exceptional job of slowing the loss of agricultural land across the state while simultaneously supporting housing and industry inside urban areas, this protection is not guaranteed.

Oregon Agricultural Trust permanently protects farm and ranch land using “working land conservation easements.” This type of easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently removes unnecessary development rights from a property, while permitting commercial agricultural or forestry use.

About Oregon Agricultural Trust
Oregon Agricultural Trust partners with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands for the benefit of Oregon’s economy, communities, and landscapes.

OAT was formed to address the interrelated challenges of the loss of ag land to fragmentation and development, as well as the difficulty of passing ag land to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, including those who historically have not had access to farm and ranch land.

OAT’s protected properties include:
45 acres of sustainably managed winery, orchards, and forest in Clackamas County—the farmer-owners want to make farming financially accessible to the next generation and the easement will reduce the sale price of the land to reach that goal.

27,255 acres of ranch and ranchland protecting two properties across Malheur and Baker Counties—both properties are active ranches as well as Oregon's first state-licensed sage grouse mitigation banks.

2,544 acres of ranchland in Lake County—the easement lowered the sale price of the land, making it possible for nearby producers to purchase and expand their family's operation.

902 acres of summer pasture and waterfowl habitat in Lake County—funds received by the rancher as a result of the easement financed the purchase of a neighboring pasture.

54-acres organic vegetable farm in Linn County that is considered one of the first organic farms in the state. The owner donated the easement to ensure the property is protected for ongoing farming and to facilitate land access for a new farmer in the future.

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