Cherry Raincoat
BY LINDA BAKER
Spring rains are the bane of an Oregon cherry farmer’s existence. Even a few sprinkles can crack the fruit so badly it’s not worth picking. Science to the rescue: Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a spray-on film that cuts rain-related cracking in half, potentially saving a season’s crop. The coating, patented as SureSeal, is made from natural chemicals similar to those found in the skins of cherries: cellulose, palm oil-based wax and calcium.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Linda Baker
Farm in a Box
Most of the food Americans consume is trucked in from hundreds of miles away. Eric Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Gro-volution, wants to change that. So this past spring, the Air Force veteran and former greenhouse manager started work on an alternative farming system he claims is more efficient than conventional agriculture, and also shortens the distance between the consumer and the farm.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by
Eco Zoned
Travelers have always come to Oregon for its natural beauty. But will the increasing popularity of agritourism, European-style hiking getaways and forest resorts relax Oregon's notoriously strict land-use laws?
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Hannah Wallace
Fighting Fire With Fire
Timber companies and environmental groups take a stab at collaboration to boost logging and restoration in Oregon fires.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Ben Dejarnette
Emperor of the Sea
Pacific Seafood, one of the world’s largest processors, is rebranding as a more transparent and consumer-friendly operation. A controversial CEO and monopoly accusations from coastal fishermen complicate the tale.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Courtney Sherwood
Beam Me Up
A "tall timber" alliance aims to position Oregon as a front runner in the glamorous new world of wooden skyscrapers.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Dan Cook
Fly Zone
BY JOE ROJAS-BURKE
The black soldier fly’s larvae are among the most ravenous and least picky eaters on earth.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Joe Rojas-Burke
Shifting Ground
Bans on genetically modified crops create uncertainty for farmers.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Joe Rojas-Burke
Grape Expectations
Well-financed outsiders from France and California are buying up vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley.
- Published in Farms and Forests
- Written by Hannah Wallace