Despite disasters and invasive species, Oregonians are still starting farms of their own

In Oregon, farmers and ranchers are contending with wildfires, water shortages and invasive species. Still, Oregonians continue to start small farms in the state. Next month, Oregon State University Extension Service — along with other agencies — will offer Small Farm School, an event at Clackamas Community College that includes workshops and classes on farming in Oregon. Hayley White, a small farms coordinator for Marion and Polk counties, will tell us more about how the extension service is supporting producers and what the industry looks like right now.

Note: This transcript was computer generated and edited by a volunteer.

Dave Miller: From the Gert Boyle Studio at OPB, this is Think Out Loud. I’m Dave Miller. Farmers and ranchers have no shortage of things to worry about, from wildfires and drought to invasive species and consolidation. But nevertheless, people continue to start small farms in Oregon, and OSU Extension is there to help. Hayley White is a small farms coordinator for Marion and Polk counties. She joins us now to talk about the challenges and the opportunities for small and early career farmers. Hayley White, welcome to the show.

Hayley White: Thanks for having me, Dave.

Miller: Is there an official definition in your office for a small farm?

White: Well, we do not ask any questions or have a set definition through OSU. Just to give you an idea, USDA defines a small farm as a commercial or non-commercial operation that brings in less than $250,000 for gross farm income per year. But a lot of times, it’s mostly people who self identify, who sell directly to their consumer. Whether it’s through a farm stand or a farmers market, CSA, or other direct marketing methods, that is typically who we see. And we also help a lot of rural land stewards as well.

Miller: So that’s a key point here, the business model is not selling on the commodity market, which based on conversations we’ve had in the past, almost by definition if you’re going to make that work, you have to be really large scale. So instead, you’re finding other ways to get your customers.

White: Yeah, farmers are really creative. That’s one of the most energizing things about my job is they’re innovative and creative, and come up with all kinds of ways to get their products to people and on tables in Oregon.

Miller: CSAs – community supported agriculture – they’ve been around at this point for a while now. Are there even newer models for this, newer business models that are being tried out among smaller producers around the state?

White: Sure. One example that comes to mind is there are now more and more local food and community system hubs. I know, for example, there’s one in the South Willamette Valley, and so they will work with small producers. Some even have an online storefront, people can show what they’re offering each week and people can purchase them online. There’s some on the coast as well. That’s one kind of creative way. Also agritourism, getting people out onto farms to see where food comes from. And other agriculture products – I don’t want to leave out wool or linen, or the other commodities that our small farmers are raising out there. But those are just a few creative, new things I’ve seen lately.

Miller: Data that went up to 2022 from OSU found that the average farmer in Oregon was over 58 years old. What’s the age range of the people who are coming to you for advice or help?

White: I see a full age spectrum. I get many people who would fall into that category of 58 years or older. And many of them are looking for ways to transition their farm or for farm succession resources, because they might not have somebody in mind that is willing or interested in taking over the farm. I also work with people in their twenties, people who are just starting, just purchased their first farm or looking for property to rent, co-ops to work with, things like that.

So there is a wide range. But it is true, our farming population is aging in Oregon.

Miller: What does it take for new farmers to get access to land?

White: That is one of the biggest challenges at the moment. Land in Oregon is really expensive as it is, as most of us know, but especially farmland. The Willamette Valley is known for its amazing soil. We have a great climate for growing. I think it’s over 225 crops – the last number I saw in the Valley in Oregon. It’s prime farmland, and that isn’t cheap. So it’s very, very hard. It helps if you have generational wealth or land in your family. If not, it’s pretty difficult.

There are some organizations … there’s a lot of planning and programming around land access. Oregon Farm Link is one that I wanted to shout out. They directly work with landholders and land seekers to facilitate that connection.

Miller: And is the idea there that, in some cases, the hope is that aspiring farmers can get access to land without having to buy it?

White: It depends. There’s all kinds of situations. People who are selling, some are kind of a rent-to-own. There are all kinds of agreements depending on the farm and farmer, what’s out there. It’s tough when land is so expensive here.

Miller: We’ve talked over the years about the failure rates of new small businesses of many types. For example, 80% of new restaurants close within five years. What’s the story for new farmers?

White: Yeah, it’s also a challenge. Just since I started my position, we’ve had two ice storms, a heat dome, there’s climate change issues, access to land is tough, and marketing is really, really hard. So we do have a lot of people just starting out that are facing those big challenges. It’s not easy.

Farming is also really isolating. You’re not necessarily going into an office every day and having coworkers there to commiserate with and talk with and support. It can be really isolating. We at OSU Extension Service try really hard to design programming and offer resources to support our small farmers.

Miller: That last item in that long of challenges, including drought and climate change, was marketing, which is not something that doesn’t come to mind immediately when I think about agriculture. So what does it mean in the context of the people that you’re working with?

White: One thing that comes up often when I get new farmers or have questions come up is having a plan to market your products. Because you might be really, really great at growing your crop, but you have to be able to sell it as well. Marketing is tough. Another thing that’s hard, especially at farmers markets and with CSAs is penciling out your cost and selling it for a price where you can make money. A lot of times, the varieties grown aren’t the varieties in the store. If you’ve been in the farmer’s market, you can get really interesting and flavorful, great varieties of fresh produce that you can’t find in the store due to storage and other variables. But you pencil out the time and materials and your expertise, your product is probably going to be more expensive than what people see in the store. So it can be hard to market those to your clientele, to get them to try your product.

Miller: You’re going to be holding a small farm school on September 11th at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City. What is this?

White: Small farm school is a project that’s led by my colleague in the metro area, Heidi Noordijk. It’s a big collaboration with several partner organizations. It’s held at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, and it is a full day of hands-on, engaging classes directed towards small farmers and land stewards, farmers and ranchers. I think right now, for this year’s catalog, there are 31 class options. And just to give you an idea of the types of classes they have, there is small machinery for small farms, natural beekeeping, veterinary care basics. There is a “just getting started” series, which helps farmers kind of determine what they can do with their land, talk about those options, and then how to sell those products – kind of some basics there.

And then we also factor in a lot of time for networking and socializing. As I mentioned earlier, farming can be isolating. What we found with all of our classes is that we always have to schedule more time for farmers just to be able to talk and connect. So there will be plenty of time for that as well.

Miller: How did you get into this?

White: That is a good question. I grew up in a small farm in Malheur County, Eastern Oregon. It’s a big farming community. My neighbors had cattle, and they had a kid my age who was showing a steer at the fair, and asked if I would be interested in doing that as well. So I started raising steers for the fair. And then I just really liked agriculture and animal science. So I went on to Montana State, got a degree in agriculture education, specifically teaching non-formal education, kind of tailored for the extension service. Then the masters in animal and rangeland sciences.

My background is mostly livestock, but I’m also a real people person. My favorite part of the job is talking with farmers and helping them with some creative solutions. It’s really kind of the perfect fit for me.

Miller: We’ve talked about all the many challenges. But what gives you hope right now for Oregon agriculture?

White: Farmers are so passionate, and I touched on it earlier, but innovative. I’m always so inspired by them. And I really think that there are several other partner organizations that have been working in this field for a long time, and others that are up and coming. And there are some resources out there to support them. It just really makes me happy to offer support and help them find a creative solution to their problem.

Miller: Hayley, thanks very much.

White: Thank you.

Miller: Hayley White is a small farms coordinator for Oregon State Extension Services for Marion and Polk County.

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