Summer is such an important time for Oregon, which is deeply supported by the hard work, dedication and ingenuity of our farmers and ranchers. They are the backbone and the lifeblood of our economy.
Every year, agricultural production, fisheries and food processing services across our state generate $42 billion annually in economic impact, making agriculture one of Oregon’s largest industries. Together, food and agriculture make up 13% of Oregon’s gross product — that’s more than the GDP of the semiconductor, electronics, software and information technology industries combined.
That's why we were so excited to team up with Black Oregon Land Trust, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and East Multnomah SWCD to host an Agricultural Economies Tour this July for elected leaders, decision-makers and industry experts to witness the strength of our agriculture industry firsthand, both on and off the farm.
During our time together, we learned about the incredible work happening at Organically Grown Company (OGC), an innovative co-op and organic produce wholesaler that's fueling the local food systems economy through sourcing services, distribution, logistics, planning, merchandising and so much more.
OGC partners with farmers across the Pacific NW of every shape and size, inspired by its mission to promote organic agriculture for the benefit of our soils, planet and people. What started out as a small co-op in Eugene over 40 years ago, OGC now connects over 1,000 locations across 7 states with organic produce and eco-friendly packaging.
After visiting the OGC distribution center in East Portland, we got to experience the shifting landscapes as we traversed outside of the city and onto the rich farmland located in nearby Corbett. Stepping out onto land managed by Black Oregon Land Trust (BOLT), we learned about the power of community land trusts in helping to tackle our land affordability crisis, especially when it comes to land bordering our cities.
Farmland adjacent to a city — like the land in Corbett — offers close access to housing, infrastructure and equipment, which are essential for community-based models like BOLT’s incubator farm and the neighboring Ora Lee Jewel’s Place (pictured above). These models promote inter-generational and community-based farming practices by offering long-term stewardship agreements to farmers, as well as mentorship, technical assistance, and access to food hub infrastructure and food security programs through connected nonprofits like the Feed’em Freedom Foundation.
But with systemic barriers to overcome and constant threats of development, farmers often get priced out of these coveted near-city parcels. BOLT is fighting back with a collective solution, born from the need for Black and Indigenous families to have secure access to land and food, and from the recognition that individual farms alone cannot shift systemic inequities. By holding land in trust for community benefit, BOLT is building shared infrastructure that allows Black and Indigenous farmers, growers and land stewards to access land, grow their work, and cultivate thriving agricultural livelihoods.
Another important land access and affordability tool utilized by BOLT are conservation easements, which East Multnomah SWCD worked to secure for BOLT’s incubator farm as well as Surface Nursery in Gresham, the next stop on our tour. With a conservation easement, these properties become Forever Farms — permanently protecting them against development by legally binding agricultural production to the property’s deed.
The owners of Surface Nursery were motivated to protect their land through a conservation easement after witnessing firsthand the changing landscapes around it, including losing 90 acres of its own leased land to the Bull Run Filtration Project.
With such deep roots in the community, these losses can be devastating. Founded in 1925, Surface Nursery has been family-owned and operated for over 100 years, and they remain a vibrant and resilient employer and economic powerhouse in the community. With a specialty in growing wholesale bare root nursery stock, flowering and shade trees, they export products all across the country using innovative techniques that reduce soil waste.
Surface Nursery is just one of countless nurseries in Oregon contributing to the economy. Oregon is the top grower of nursery stock in the United States, selling $889 million in nursery stock alone and $1.3 billion in horticultural crops altogether in 2024, according to the latest USDA census data.
It’s nurseries, farms and distributors like these that make Oregon’s agriculture industry thrive — but it’s the people who make this industry truly special. It’s their stories of resilience, innovation and creativity that keep our state afloat, even in the face of land loss or financial strain. It’s their dedication not only to feeding our communities and fueling our economies, but to simultaneously cultivating and preserving the natural resources, waters, soils and landscapes that make Oregon special.
Without our agriculture industry, we would be lost. It champions our economic and our environmental resilience in ways that so few other industries can.