9A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2016
Wheeler: Oregon produces more than 200 commodities
Continued from Page 1A
but he’s a sixth generation Ore-
gonian with rural roots. His
family was in the timber busi-
ness; the Tillamook County
town of Wheeler, on the Ore-
gon Coast, was named after his
great-grandfather, who started
a mill there. His mother’s side
comes from the Fossil area, in
Eastern Oregon.
Katy Coba, director of the
Oregon Department of Agricul-
ture, said Wheeler has a “very
strong affi nity” for Oregon ag
due to his background.
“Because of his experience,
he has that statewide perspec-
tive,” she said. “He’s very sensi-
tive to the fact that Portland does
have a big infl uence on the rest
of the state.”
Coba knows Wheeler;
among other encounters, he
stood in for then-Gov. Ted
Kulongoski to accompany Coba
on an Oregon ag trade mission
to Asia several years ago.
“He hasn’t consulted me (on
ag issues),” Coba said, “but if he
had a question I think he would
be very comfortable calling on
me.”
‘Increasingly clueless’
For his part, Wheeler said
he’s fully aware of both the
urban-rural divide and urban-ru-
ral interdependence.
“You can’t talk about suc-
cess in the agricultural indus-
try without talking about the
role urban areas play,” he said.
“Urban communities in Amer-
ica are increasingly clueless
about the challenges facing rural
communities.”
But he said urban and rural
areas also have issues in com-
mon. During a visit to Roseburg,
he heard people express concern
about the homeless, just as they
do in Portland. In Klamath Falls,
there was worry about escalat-
Edward “Ted” Wheeler
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Riders line up to board one of the twin Portland Aerial Tram cars that will carry them up
to “Pill Hill,” Oregon Health & Science University. Portland’s growth patterns are a con-
cern to the state’s farmers.
MORE ON PORTLAND MAYOR-ELECT WHEELER
Some political observers regard Portland
Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler as Oregon’s gover-
nor-in-waiting.
He was a Multnomah County commissioner
before being appointed state treasurer in 2010
upon the death of Ben Westlund, then won
election as treasurer in his own right in 2012.
He’s literally written a book on good govern-
ment. He holds an economics degree from
Stanford, an master of business administration
degree from Columbia and a master’s degree in
public policy from Harvard. He has experience
in private business.
He turns 54 at the end of August, is married
and has a daughter, and comes across as
intelligent, affable and fit — he climbed Mount
Everest in 2002 and once did a snowshoe trek
to the North Pole.
• Age: 53
• Political party: Democrat
• Residence: Southwest
Portland, Ore.
• Family: Wife, Katrina, and
daughter
• Education: Bachelor’s in
economics, Stanford; MBA,
Columbia University; MA in
public policy, Harvard University
• Professional career: Author;
employee, Bank of America and
Copper Mountain Trust; lecturer,
Northeastern University; small
business owner
• Political career: Multnomah
County Commissioner, 2007-10;
Treasurer, State of Oregon,
2010-present; Mayor-elect, City
of Portland, 2016
• Volunteer work: Neighborhood
House, Oregon Sports Authority,
Portland Mountain Rescue, Boy
Scouts of America
Sources: tedwheeler.com;
votesmart.org
Capital Press graphic
ing housing costs, another Port-
land concern.
“If we just assume urban and
rural communities are so dif-
ferent that we have nothing in
common, then we’re losing an
opportunity to collaborate, share
ideas and fi nd common solu-
tions,” he said.
Wheeler said he has inter-
acted with the Oregon Farm
Bureau, Oregon Cattlemen’s
Association and nursery groups
in the past.
“The urban-rural divide
has been around a long time,”
Wheeler said. “It’s not new,
and it’s not unique to Oregon.
There’s always been people who
exploit it for political gain. You
won’t see me do that.”
Making a difference
He’ll take offi ce in a city that
decides every election and can
swamp statewide discussions of
pesticides, labor, GMOs, wages
or regulatory issues. Its land-
use, water use and traffi c pat-
terns can affect what farmers
grow, how they grow it, how
they get it to market and how
they use and move equipment.
“Land and transportation are
the two things he can make a dif-
ference in,” said Jeff Fairchild,
produce director for 18 New Sea-
sons grocery stores in the Port-
land area. He deals with about
50 growers who sell to New
Seasons, and must fi nd ways to
deliver their products to the city.
Dan Arp, dean of Oregon
State University’s College of
Agricultural Sciences, said he
would remind Wheeler that
agriculture is the state’s second
largest economic driver. Oregon
ag produces $5 billion in annual
farm-gate value and is a major
source of jobs, Arp said.
The state produces more than
200 commodities and is equally
diverse in terms of acreage and
farming methods, he said. Port-
land’s celebrated “foodie” cul-
ture is supported by an agri-
cultural sector that provides
high-quality foods and bever-
ages, with an emphasis on sus-
tainability, Arp said.
Coba, the state ag director,
said development of the pro-
posed James Beard Public Mar-
ket, named for a renowned chef
from the city, could showcase
Oregon agriculture in down-
town Portland.
“Clearly there’s a passion
around food in Portland, we all
know that,” she said.
Others in agriculture note
Portland’s infl uence on issues
ranging from gas taxes to the
minimum wage. Another said
Portland ought to take greater
advantage of nearby agricul-
tural production to eliminate the
city’s food “deserts,” the areas
where poor people don’t have
ready access to fresh, healthy
food.
Many in ag hope the new
mayor realizes the Port of Port-
land and Portland International
Airport are agriculture’s pipe-
line to world markets, whether
it’s hazelnuts to China, wheat
to Japan or blueberries to South
Korea. Port delays, labor strife
and an inadequate transporta-
tion infrastructure cost produc-
ers time and money, and they
believe fi xing those problems
should be a priority.
Wheeler agrees, and said it is
a statewide issue.
“A lot of the future suc-
cess of the agricultural industry
hinges on partnering with the
urban area and the Port of Port-
land,” he said.
“I think there’s a general lack
of understanding about what it
takes to make agricultural enter-
prises successful from an eco-
nomic standpoint,” he said.
“That’s an area where I have a
lot to learn and to share with my
constituents, and I look forward
to those opportunities.”
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