The 46th annual state convention for Oregon Women for Agriculture (OWA) will be held in Madras in the Central Oregon farm belt. The meeting’s theme, Looking Forward, Rooted in Tradition, invites members and guests to discover Madras.
Situated in scenic Central Oregon, Jefferson County /Madras blend industry, agriculture and recreation. The City of Madras offers panoramic mountain views, winding canyons and bountiful waterways. Jefferson County was created in 1914 from sprawling Crook County, it is rich in agriculture providing an impressive amount of grass, vegetable and flower seed. Other profit crops include garlic, mint and wheat.
Early railroad access led to the success of the region, as local farmers were easily linked to the Columbia River. Today, manufacturing and recreation join agriculture in supporting the area’s economy. The sunny, dry climate makes Jefferson County a popular recreation site for water sports, hiking, camping, fishing and golf. (from Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce)
Hosted by OWA’s Central Oregon Chapter, the annual meeting focuses on Oregon’s Jefferson County where OWA has an active chapter led by Jessica Hanna. The chapter encompasses Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Umatilla and Lake counties. The event takes the group into an array of educational spotlights including keynote speaker, Kathy Jones of OregonLandLegacy.com (Seneca Companies) and on-site tours visiting cattle feedlots, auction, spring water and hay export operations.
“We wanted to show off our special agriculture here in Central Oregon so we planned several tours of the area,” expressed Central Oregon Women for Agriculture President Jessica Hanna. “We grow a lot of specialty seeds that are exported all over the U.S. and the world.” General public is invited. Find registration information at www.owaonline.org Sponsors include Wilco, AgWest Supply, Madras and Amerititle, Redmond.
In addition to tours of Jefferson county, OWA is excited to have as special guests Oregon Land Legacy (OLL) pioneers, Kathy, Becky and Jody Jones, daughters of the late Aaron Jones founder of Seneca Sawmill. Becky, Kathy and Jody Jones serve as co-owners and directors on the board for Seneca Companies based in Eugene. They have developed OregonLandLegacy.com.
“Oregon Land Legacy is dedicated to ALL Oregonians who partake of the land, and those in all agricultural industries. OLL hopes this will become a hub for all ‘ag’ people to express their dilemmas/joys, and find common voice in not only their industry, but ALL ag industries,” expressed Kathy Jones.
Oregon Women for Agriculture (OWA) is a non-profit organization that was organized in 1969 by farm women in the Willamette Valley concerned about the shutdown of grass seed field burning. Since that time, this all volunteer group has broadened to include all facets of agriculture.
Taste Oregon Agriculture! is the theme of their annual auction to be held Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Linn County Expo Center, Albany. Proceeds from the annual auction help OWA attain their annual goals which include educating the urban public about issues critical to the survival of agriculture with brochures, exhibits at fairs and conventions, educational booklets for children, in classroom instruction and advertising via local radio, print and more.
OWA supports educational opportunities such as Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom, OSU’s Summer Agricultural Institute, Ag Fest each year at Salem Fairgrounds, farm fairs and exhibits, and other organizations that are crucial to Oregon agriculture. Membership is open to women who are part of or interested in Oregon agriculture.
www.owaonline.org
Jana Kittredge
541-576-2236
