Market Farming

[HoeManGray AT aol.com]

Steven,
Your news and experience are both great!  I am in the Hood River Valley - and 
completely understand your statements about the costs of farmland due to 
increased costs of acreage due to our McMansions that are happening. I grow 
cutflowers as a second job and our family just removed 127 acres of pears, 
cherries, and apples and are pursuing a new farming direction-undefined at 
the moment! I also work fulltime in telecommunications!

 Unfortunately with the passage of Measure 37 our farmland probably will be 
developed at a very fast rate. (for non-Oregonians - its a constitutional 
amendment that requires counties/cities to either pay a landowner for "loss 
of value" or waive land use restrictions.  We have one set of orchardists who 
have filed a $57 million claim - which of course the County can't pay, so, 
they'll develop their 238+ acres of orchard into over 1000 parcels.  Our 
farmland and forestlands are greatly at risk.)

Great to hear your success story!
Wendy Gray
Cutflowers For You