BUSINESS & AG
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
UPGRADE
REPORT
Continued from Page B1
Continued from Page B1
has been replaced,” Falk
said.
All this was done in the
area where the gas tanks
were dug up, making the
process more effi cient.
Aboveground work that
has been done includes the
replacement of all concrete
around the mini mart and
adding concrete to a por-
tion of the back of the store
where there had been only
dirt and gravel.
The work has been
expensive, and Falk said
prices are continuting to
rise — another reason
he is eager to have the
project completed. He
said that since he started
planning his renova-
tions in late 2020, the cost
of the project has risen
by $25,000. But it’s an
important investment.
Falk said the work done
will help enable the mini
mart to remain in business
for years to come.
“This will ensure that
the store will be oper-
ating for at least another
50 years. Of course I won’t
be operating it then. At
least I hope not,” Falk said,
adding that he then would
be about 100 years old.
in a very good position,
depending on the strength
of the dollar, to really do a
good job in increasing our
exports,” Sorte said.
Organic growth
One area where Sorte
said he was pleasantly sur-
prised was the growth
of organic farming and
ranching.
Despite the number of
certifi ed organic farms
decreasing from 657 in
2008 to 455 in 2019, the
number of certifi ed organic
acres nearly doubled from
105,605 to 196,045.
The value of organic
products sold also
increased from $156 mil-
lion to $454 million,
making up 9% of the total
value of market sales in
Oregon.
“Organic farming has
grown from a niche market
to a segment of the market
that includes very small
farms to large corporate
farms,” the report states.
“Retail food chains and
restaurants continue to
expand their organic off er-
ings and the majority of
organic products are now
sold through retail food
outlets.”
Mid-size farms decline
Overall, Oregon added
more than 2,000 new farms
since 2012. However, the
number of mid-size farms
has continued to decline.
For example, there were
3,417 new farms estab-
lished with 1-9 acres, and
21 new farms with 2,000-
plus acres. But the number
of farms between 50 and
999 acres dropped by
1,217.
The rise in small farms
likely refl ects growth
in organic farming, val-
ue-added on-farm opera-
tions, direct sales and agri-
tourism, according to the
report.
Meanwhile, large farms
refl ect the industry’s move
toward consolidation to
attain economies of scale.
Those two factors have
combined to squeeze mid-
size operations.
Overall, the number of
acres in agricultural pro-
duction has declining a
little more than 9% since
1997, from 17.7 million to
16 million acres.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021
COVID-19 impacts
While the full impacts
of the pandemic are still
being unraveled, Oregon’s
foodservice industry was
dealt a major blow.
Between 2019 and the
third fi scal quarter of 2020,
the sector saw a nearly
15% decline in sales and
23% decline in employ-
ment amid pandemic clo-
sures. Farms and food pro-
cessors were also forced
to scramble to fi nd new
buyers for their products.
Farm gate sales declined
to their lowest point in
over a decade, though
the USDA still expects
overall U.S. farm income
to increase 43% from 2019
due in large part to govern-
ment assistance programs.
Since Oregon has a
lower percentage of com-
modity crops like soy-
beans and corn, and is
more diverse in terms
of specialty crops, OSU
researchers say they antic-
ipate the state’s reported
farm income will be some-
what lower than national
averages.
Three Webinars
November 2, 4 & 10
November 10th:
Eastern Oregon topics
Anticipating 4 credits per webinar.
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by Stella Wilder
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021
YOUR BIRTHDAY by Stella Wilder
Born today, you are one of the most solid,
stalwart and faithful individuals born under
your sign. You are hardworking and quick to
dedicate yourself to a worthy cause -- to which
you will always apply your best efforts in order
to guarantee success. You are confident in
your abilities, but most especially in your abil-
ity to inspire confidence in others, and though
you usually lead by example, you are also quite
good at delivering encouraging words at just
the right moments and to just the right people.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You may feel
stuck doing work in an unfamiliar environ-
ment, but the fact is that you can make this
new situation work very well for you today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You’re
almost sure to encounter those today who do
not share your overall outlook, but resulting
discussion may alter your views.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- A
small sacrifice on your part early in the day
will allow you to reap a much larger reward
than usual later on. This may take daring.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) --
Someone’s influence may pull you away from
something for which you have felt real affinity
-- but today’s a good day for exploration.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Though
you may not be able to think of certain things
today in terms of stability and permanence,
what you’re able to do scores many points.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You may be
adversely affected by someone who is more
“in your space” today than you would like.
Only a direct approach can fix this.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Showering
another with all that is desired may be your
intent, but the result isn’t likely to be as favor-
able as you had hoped. Back off some.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your gener-
osity will pay off handsomely today -- but only
if you’re sharing something of value. Others
will see through any deception.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You may find
yourself wishing for something that is long
gone, but that’s just nostalgia playing with you.
Cast your eyes forward today.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You’re not
likely to find another team to join, so you
must be willing to put up with things as they
are or go it alone. The choice is yours.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Good humor
keeps you from taking things too seriously
today, but it won’t happen by accident. Be sure
to remind yourself of this all day long.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You’re not at
the end just yet, but you may be able to stop
and take a look back at where you’ve been.
This allows you to adjust expectations.
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