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The story of
farming in Oregon is one of the people who settled
the West, their relationship with the natural resources they found
here, and the capacity of the land. It's a story that highlights
change initiated with European settlement of the area, the enthusiasm
of invention and innovation, a vast palate of awe-inspiring resources,
courage and optimism of heart and spirit, and lives carved out of
the land. Yet it's also a story of displacement of native peoples,
reduction and elimination of native plants and animals, and nonsustainable
harvest of natural resources. It's a colorful story, and a complicated
one. The Oregon story of farming is a story about a resource that
has changed as we used it, and of how farming has changed us.
Oregonians
are known for their connection with the land. Post-European
settlement Oregon has been defined largely by our relationship
with the region's abundant natural resources. These resources
have provided the base of the state's economy. Yet increasingly
Oregon is being defined by its urban populations, and employment
in the resource-based industries that have supported Oregonians
since statehood is giving way to service, manufacturing, and professional
positions.
Oregonians
of all ages -- both those who've lived here for
generations and those newly arrived -- are acknowledging that
changes have occurred in the resource base, and are accepting
that the face of Oregon as we now know it, the land and the people,
has been altered hugely by the use of that resource base.
Our task
now is to consider how we use and manage our
natural resources in the next century. Our decision will affect
Oregon, economically, culturally and environmentally. This is
our challenge, and will inform the legacy we leave to future generations.
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