Oregon Farm Bureau: Links

The Voice of Agriculture: Visit the American Farm Bureau Federation's comprehensive Web site for links to other state Farm Bureaus; the current issue of the national Farm Bureau News; legislative priorities and analysis; AFBF President Bob Stallman's monthly "Ag Agenda" article; poll results; descriptions of AFBF programs; online brochures; and much more. It's a great one-stop shop for everything Farm Bureau. http://www.fb.org/

Your Agriculture: Geared toward educating the general public about agriculture, why it’s important, and the work of family farmers and ranchers, the site also includes:
* Farmer or rancher profiles with an audio slideshow and Q&A
* Quizzes to test your farm IQ
* Farm fact sheets
* The “Foodie” blog at http://www.fb.org/blog2/
* Video stories from the public television series “America’s Heartland”
* A guide to farm policy and ag issues

National Young Farmers & Ranchers blog: AFBF has a blog written by members of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. The goal of the YF&R blog is to educate the public about agriculture issues, while giving them access to talk with young producers. http://www.fb.org/blog/

AFBF Issue Backgrounders: For a handy online resource of background information on the myriad issues the Farm Bureau faces, visit this link for succinct descriptions of topics ranging from animal identification to trade sanctions, and clear explanations of how they affect farmers and ranchers, and what's being done. Reports appear in downloadable .PDF formats. http://www.fb.org/issues/backgrd/

LEGISLATIVE & STATE AGENCY LINKS

AG MEDIA LINKS

Other Agriculture Links

2002 Census of Agriculture: Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture attempts to contact every agricultural operator in the country for its Census of Agriculture. An interesting tidbit from the most recent census: Half of America's farms and ranches have Internet access, and nearly 39 percent report using a computer for their farm business. Visit this site to review the data broken down by state, county, and commodity.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/census

Ag1Stop: Ag1Stop has been designed to be a "One Stop" website to access information and resources concerning agricultural regulatory program requirements, conservation programs, sustainable practices, and policy updates from national, state, and local websites.
www.ag1stop.com

Agri-Business Council of Oregon: This organization works to promote the sales and marketing of Oregon agriculture commodities, and its Web site offers a listing of where to purchase seasonal food, a harvest calendar, information on "agri-tainment" events, an agri-tourism workbook for farmers, and much more.
www.aglink.org

Agri-Find.com: Described as an index for agriculture professionals, this site offers a host of links - rated by online visitors - on every topic from equipment to environment to energy. It's like a Google search customized for professional farmers and ranchers.
http://agri-find.com

AgricultureB2B.com: The AgricultureB2B.com Resource Directory is a comprehensive listing of all things agriculture in the North America and worldwide. The directory features listings in thousands of categories - from companies to farms and feed suppliers to training and transportation and everything in-between.
http://www.agricultureb2b.com/issues/S13493/B2B-Agriculture/

Agriculture Law: AgricultureLaw.com provides complete and timely information about agricultural legislative policy, in an effort to help farmers and ranchers keep current and have the resources to make knowledgeable decisions. Its goal is to offer the industry the same information used by lawmakers and USDA officials.
http://www.agriculturelaw.com

AgriScribe: Agriscribe is an agriculture news utility that brings all the nation's agriculture news together in one place. The service is completely free and allows anyone to read or submit news.
http://agriscribe.com/

Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) Virtual Information Center: The AFO Virtual Information Center is a tool to facilitate quick access to livestock agricultural information in the US. This site is a single point of reference to obtain links to state regulations, web sites, permits and policies, nutrient management information, livestock and trade associations, federal web sites, best management practices and controls, cooperative extension and land grant universities, research, funding, and information on environmental issues.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/virtualcenter.cfm

Best Food Nation: Best Food Nation is a group of associations who represent the millions of men and women from across the food system dedicated to providing safe, abundant and affordable food to consumers across the globe.
http://www.bestfoodnation.com/

Council for Agricultural Science and Technology: The primary work of CAST is the publication of task force reports, commentary papers and issue papers written by scientists from many disciplines on key food and agricultural issues. These publications and their distribution are fundamental activities that accomplish our mission to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible science-based information regionally, nationally, and internationally to legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.
http://www.cast-science.org/

EliteFarmer.com: Aims to disseminate information of use to people with small farms or rural property. Topics include farm equipment, garden, landscape, machinery, farmer market, services, farm property, employment, pesticides, livestock, crops, seeds, pest control, and much more. Most documents are in pdf format.
http://www.elitefarmer.com/

Energy Self Assessment Calculator (free): The Natural Resources Conservation Service, in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin, has developed energy efficiency tools for a variety of agricultural energy uses, including irrigation, lighting, livestock housing, greenhouse heating, and potato storage. These tools were designed to help farmers and ranchers identify ways to reduce their energy costs. The modules determine if energy conservation equipment is being used and then estimates the current energy usage. The tools will calculate the estimated energy and cost savings for the use of high efficiency equipment and energy conserving practices. The results generated by these tools are estimates based on models and help to determine which equipment or practices are worth pursuing to reduce energy consumption.
http://144.92.31.19/

Family Forests of Oregon: The organization helps to ensure that diverse family forests are a part of our future in protecting our environment, economy, communities, and culture.
http://www.familyforestsoforegon.org/cover.html

FarmersOnly.com - an online dating service for farmers: With the tag line “City folks just don’t get it,” the site is online dating service that's 100% for farmers, ranchers, and those who can relate to the rural and country lifestyle.
http://www.farmersonly.com/

Food & Agricultural Policy Research Institute: Associated with the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, FAPRI provides economic analysis of U.S. trade and agricultural policy. The Web site includes research findings, searchable databases, and industry projection reports.
http://www.fapri.org

ForFarmers.com: ForFarmers.com is a marketplace for buying and selling new and used farm machinery, equipment, seeds, crops, vegetables, flowers, medicinal herb, ag products, chemicals, farm animals, real estate, livestock and a wide range of services including job opportunities.
http://www.forfarmers.com/

Oregon Agriculture: Facts and Figures This two-page brochure (PDF file) by the Oregon Dept. of Ag is updated at least annually and includes lists of the state’s top 40 commodities, top ag-producing counties, largest exports, national rankings, and more.
http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/pubs/ff.pdf

Oregon Association of Nurseries: OAN's Web site sifts through a mountain of information and weeds out what's of interest to nursery owners and operators in Oregon. There's a section geared to members that includes information on chapter contacts, government relations, conventions, research, the theft task force, and more.
http://www.oan.org

Oregon Biofuels Network: The Oregon Biofuels Network serves as a clearinghouse of information on biofuels-related topics as they pertain to our state.
http://www.biofuels4oregon.org/

Oregon Cattlemen's Association: The Oregon Cattlemen's Association's site includes industry news, updates on legislative initiatives, a photo gallery of cattlemen on the range, and an online OCA shop.
http://www.orcattle.com

Oregon Department of Agriculture: ODA's well-organized home page includes an library of downloadable forms, searchable department databases, industry statistics, news and stories, contact information, and much more.
http://egov.oregon.gov/ODA

Oregon Veterinary Medical Assn.: News, resources, and services for veterinarians and the public.
http://www.oregonvma.org/

Oregon Wheat Growers' League: Besides breaking news briefs on its home page, the OWGL's site includes market and research information, an online "Wheat Forum" for growers to communicate with one another, the entire issue of the OWGL Magazine, and links to the Wheat and Grain Commissions.
http://www.owgl.org

Oregonians for Food & Shelter: Working to protect the rights of natural resource-based businesses in Oregon, Oregonians for Food & Shelter offers an online resource to keep members and interested parties abreast of the organization's positions, political efforts, and progress on behalf of the industry.
http://www.ofsonline.org

OSU Extension Service: The Oregon State University Extension Service engages the people of Oregon with research-based knowledge and education that focus on strengthening communities and economies, sustaining natural resources, and promoting healthy families and individuals.
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education: Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
http://www.sare.org/about/index.htm

U.S. Department of Agriculture: A visitor-friendly Web site, USDA's online resource is clearly organized into categories, including education and outreach, laws and regulations, and rural and community development. Its easy-to-navigate design helps prevent information overload.
http://www.usda.gov

USDA Agriculture Research Service: The in-house research arm of the USDA, this service uses science to find solutions to problems facing the agriculture industry. Check out this site to learn about findings, current research projects, educational resources, news, and events of interest to growers and livestock producers.
http://www.ars.usda.gov

USDA Farm Service Agency: The FSA's main priorities are stabilizing farm income, providing credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and helping farm operations recover from the effects of disaster. Its programs include farm loans, price supports, and environmental incentives.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/default.asp

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: FAS works to improve foreign market access for U.S. products, and this site has information on importing, exporting, and trading. It's a great source to gain an understanding of American agriculture in the context of the global marketplace.
http://www.fas.usda.gov

USDA Economic Research Service: This department focuses on the economics of food, farming, natural resources, and rural communities. The site is broken down into research projects, key topics, a briefing room, publications, data, and news.
http://www.ers.usda.gov

USDA National Agricultural Library: A portal into a world of ag-related information, the NAL features descriptions and contact information for a slew of resources, such as the Rural Information Center and Water Quality Information Center. It also has an online catalog and extensive article database.
http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: There are stats galore about U.S. agriculture on this site, including a statistics database, charts & maps, historical data, and recent research findings.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Oregon/index.asp

Market Information

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) brings together experts from three of the nation’s leading agricultural universities into a dynamic, electronically based center to create and present information about value-added agriculture.
http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/default.html

Agriculture Market Information Virtual Library: For quick and easy access to market prices, exchanges, and analysis by region and commodity, visit this virtual library. The site also includes the same information from other countries.
http://www.aec.msu.edu/agecon/fs2/market/contents.htm

Farm Credit Services of America: This site is a customizable online price index of current commodity market data, including quotes, LDPs, and stock prices. Visitors can also find local weather information and headline news.
http://www.fcsamerica.com/market

Livestock Marketing Information Center: A no-nonsense clearinghouse of market data for livestock producers, this site includes situation & analysis, prices & production, quick market reports, retail meat prices, and key graphs and charts.
http://www.lmic.info

USDA Economic Research Service – Oregon data: Good site for regularly updated, significant data on Oregon, including farm income, Census data, jobs, etc. with links to the county level in many data sets. This may be helpful with grants, project profiles, educational materials, or other research.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/or.htm

USDA Market News: Online AMS reports include information on commodity prices, volume, quality, condition, and other market data on farm products in specific markets and marketing areas. Reports cover both domestic and international arenas. You can also sign up to get regular AMS market reports via e-mail.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews.htm

Wheat Marketing Center: http://www.wmcinc.org

Education

AFBF Ag Education: An important part of the American Farm Bureau Federation is its agriculture education efforts. This site is geared toward teachers and is an excellent resource for developing projects and curriculum that brings ag into the classroom.
http://www.ageducate.org

AgFoundation.org: With the ongoing theme of "Securing Our Future," the AFBF Foundation for Agriculture spearheads projects including the education of teachers about agriculture, consumer education, agricultural research, student scholarships, and farm safety programs.
http://www.agfoundation.org

Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation: The purpose of Agriculture in the Classroom is to help young people gain a better understanding of agriculture and its impact on the state's economy and the public's daily lives. AITC provides lesson plans, reference materials, and teaching aides to K-12 teachers throughout Oregon.
http://aitc.oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences: OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences is educating the next generation of agriculture professionals, provides continuing education opportunities, and conducts important ongoing research that benefits the industry as a whole.
http://agsci.oregonstate.edu

Insurance

Country Companies Insurance: An excellent provider of home, life, disability, and property insurance (and more), Country Companies Insurance is also an important supporter of the Oregon Farm Bureau. The company is known for providing clients straightforward, down-to-earth, prompt, and reliable advice.
http://www.countryfinancial.com

Weather

Farmers' Almanac: Be the first to download the hugely popular 2005 Farmers' Almanac three-month weather forecast. Also online is a public forum, astronomy information, and store.
http://www.farmersalmanac.com

National Weather Service: Get not only the day's forecast, but also a color-coded, close-up weather map of your region. National fire weather forecasts are also available.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov

Oregon Weather Information: Click on a city near you for a detailed weather forecast, weather cams, weather news, regional radar, satellite images, and more.
http://www.wxusa.com/OR

USDA Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin: The Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin is jointly prepared by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bulletin is published weekly on Tuesday with the weather and ag-related summaries officially released Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time.
http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/jawf/wwcb.html