24 Spring 2017 Applegater
Look who’s reading the Gater
Take us with you on your next trip. Then send your favorite
“Reading the Gater”photo to gater@applegater.org or
mail to Applegater, PO Box 14, Jacksonville, OR 97530.
Photos, clockwise from top left:
—Debbie and Don Tollefson relax with the
Gater after touring the huge warehouse where
Mardi Gras floats are stored in New Orleans.
–Gary and Cyd Ropp use the Applegater as
protection from saguaros in Tucson, Arizona.
–Pam Newham reads to the lonely statues
on Easter Island.
—Brooke Nuckles and three-year-old son,
Tanner, entertain the sharks at the Maritime
Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Groups like OSGG, RDI, and
GACDC can work together at
state and local levels.
■ OSGG
Continued from page 20
community. We advocate for sustainable
farming, organic practices, and the small-
business approach to development that
allows us to maintain the integrity of
our traditional farming lifestyle while
building on the opportunity of a growing
(pun intended) market sector.
After the passage of Measure 91 in
2014, the state of Oregon recognized
cannabis as a legal, regulated plant.
In 2015 Oregon established rules for
businesses to follow, and in 2016 updated
farming laws to reflect the changes in the
public attitude toward this plant family.
Cannabis is now required to be treated
like any other agricultural commodity
because it is recognized as a farm crop
in Oregon.
So now, in 2017, groups like OSGG,
RDI, and GACDC can work together
at state and local levels to promote
awareness of our quality products,
to improve our recognition in the
marketplace, and to use the same tools
that establish and allow our local brand
to further enhance our quality of life.
This is best accomplished with the
participation of all of our friends and
neighbors. The future is here! These
efforts dovetail together to build a strong
community. You can help by joining a
group like OSGG if you are a cannabis
cultivator or have a related venture, by
coming to Applegate Roadmap meetings
as a business owner, or by sharing your
input with GACDC to ensure that your
goals as a community member are heard
and acknowledged by your peers.
All these efforts are designed to
create a sustainable environment that
includes everyone. From our most senior
members with their wealth of knowledge
to our youngest members looking for an
opportunity to participate locally, we all
can be involved in building our vision of
the future of the Applegate together. We
can define how the world sees us and be
a force for sustainability and responsible,
managed growth moving forward.
OSGG will remain a strong
voice for family farms and sustainable
agriculture, will support our rural
lifestyle while understanding that growth
can be managed. Development through
community involvement is the way to
both provide for a wonderful future for
our children and the success of all of
our small, community-based businesses.
Please visit us at oregonsungrown.org to
learn more.
“Pioneer” Pete Gendron
President
Oregon Sungrown Growers’ Guild
pioneerpete@oregonsungrown.org
Keep those articles, letters, opinions, and
“Reading the Gater” photos coming in.
You are the Gater!
The Applegater Board of Directors