A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
The path to
unity is a
two-way street
R
ecounts and legal
challenges notwith-
standing, it appears
Joe Biden will be president on
Jan. 20, 2021.
In declaring victory, the for-
mer vice president made the
obligatory call for unity. That’s
always a tall order, particularly
in a deeply divided country
after such a bitter campaign.
As the victor, it falls to
Biden to reach across the
divide. He has his work cut
out for him.
Farmers and ranchers
largely supported President
Trump, but that support in
rural areas was not unanimous
or homogenous. Even among
supporters it’s not uncommon
to hear frank discussions of
the president’s shortcomings
— both in policy and manners.
The president delivered on
his promise to reduce govern-
ment regulation, most nota-
bly in reversing the controver-
sial “Waters of the U.S.” rule.
Farmers and ranchers have
mostly benefited from the
2017 tax reforms.
His record on trade was a
mixed bag. His on-again, off-
again trade war with China
had a huge impact on farmers,
but eventually there came an
agreement that at least in spirit
benefits ag. His imposition of
punitive tariffs on Mexico and
Canada even as he announced
a replacement for the North
American Free Trade Agree-
ment led to retaliatory duties
on farm products. There are
bilateral agreements with
Japan and South Korea.
Many in agriculture are
wary that Biden’s election will
signal a return to policies that
gave them pause during the
Obama administration. They
have not been comforted by
environmental and economic
policies promoted by the more
radical factions of his party.
What can the former vice
president do to calm farmers
and ranchers in the red inte-
rior? We have a couple of
suggestions.
• Show up. Trump
addressed the American Farm
Bureau Federation’s national
convention three times during
his term and addressed the
FFA’s convention once. Three
previous administrations had
let surrogates handle these
events.
Whether the next gather-
ings are virtual events or live,
farmers and ranchers will want
to hear about policy proposals
directly from President Biden.
• Listen. Trump’s critics
say he doesn’t listen to peo-
ple with opposing views.
During the Obama adminis-
tration, farmers and ranchers
didn’t think they had a seat at
the table and didn’t think they
were being heard. They did
think they were being spoken
down to.
In such a deeply divided
country, Biden can’t repeat the
mistakes of his predecessors.
• Reject the demonization
of those with different views.
It has become too easy to dis-
miss those with whom we
disagree with pejorative and
inflammatory labels — bigot,
homophobe, socialist, com-
mie, misogynist, Nazi.
Most of us, right or left,
hold no animus toward our fel-
low citizens. Name calling is
no substitute for discussion.
Biden struck the right tone
last week.
“To make progress, we
must stop treating our oppo-
nents as our enemy,” Biden
said. “We are not enemies. We
are Americans.”
We agree.
We urge Biden to deliver on
his promise to bring the coun-
try together. But that will also
require those who opposed his
election to give him the benefit
of the doubt. Judge his actions,
not the campaign rhetoric.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don’t ‘judge my Christianity’
To the Editor:
Terry Steele, how dare you presume to judge my Christianity based on
who I voted for.
Diane Strasser
Mt. Vernon
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
GUEST COMMENT
Shop small this year
I
t’s no secret that the coronavi-
rus pandemic has made a huge
impact on how Oregon retailers
and restaurants operate. With addi-
tional restrictions implemented at
the start of the holiday season as
cases surge, it’s another challenge
for local small businesses.
But that’s where we as a com-
munity can step in. Small retail-
ers and restaurants are relying on us
to send a message with our dollars
that says, “We’ve got your back.”
And in 2020, this support is needed
more than ever.
Approximately 62% of small
businesses have reported they
need to see consumer spending
return to pre-COVID levels by
the end of this year. While limited
store capacity and social distanc-
ing might prevent us from going in
crowds to visit our favorite local
small retailers on Small Business
Saturday Nov. 28, there are still
ways we can shop small through-
out the entire holiday season:
• Order online — many busi-
nesses have implemented online
shopping. Check business websites
to see what options
are available.
• Curbside
pickup — call in
purchases or order
online to pick up
gifts curbside to
Jeremy Field eliminate the need
to go into a store.
• Gift cards — these are an easy
and popular way to support a local
small business and please the peo-
ple on your shopping list. This can
include coffee shops, boutiques,
personal services, restaurants and
other local businesses.
• Start early — with possible
delays in shipping and inventory,
start your shopping earlier this year
to make sure gifts arrive in time.
• Allow extra time for in-person
visits — if you opt to mask up and
visit your local businesses to pur-
chase gifts, plan for extra time as
stores need to limit the number of
guests inside.
• Order takeout — enjoy food
from your favorite eateries with a
pickup or delivery order. You can
even consider catering for small
GUEST COMMENT
Celebrate ag this holiday season
T
hanksgiving is all about
making time to reflect on
the many things in life for
which we are grateful. In conver-
sations around the dinner table,
Oregon Farm Bureau urges read-
ers to remember the farm and
ranch families who grew the food
you’ll be enjoying not only on
Thanksgiving day, but all year
long.
While Oregon isn’t a major pro-
ducer of turkeys, we do special-
ize in beef cattle; cattle and calves
rank as Oregon’s Number 3 top
agricultural commodity by produc-
tion value, drawing in over $625
million a year.
Your holiday dining will almost
certainly feature other prominent
Oregon ag products. Oregon is
Number 1 in the nation for produc-
ing hazelnuts and Dungeness crab;
Number 2 for pears and onions;
Number 3 for cranberries; and
Number 4 for green peas and pota-
toes. Milk is Oregon’s Number 4
top ag commodity, valuing at $552
million, and is used to create a host
of delicious dairy products.
You’ll celebrate ag when you
raise a toast during the holidays.
Oregon-grown hops are to thank
for many of the region’s craft
beers, and our state ranks Num-
ber 3 in the United
States for grow-
ing hops. The Ore-
gon wine industry
has surged over the
past decade, now
to 1,297 vineyards
Anne Marie
with 908 wineries.
Moss
Wine grapes are the
state’s Number 7
top ag commodity, valuing at $238
million.
Few things are more festive
than purchasing a fresh Christmas
tree. Did you know that Oregon is
Number 1 in the nation for Christ-
mas tree production? Because more
people are staying at home this
year due to the pandemic, there is
expected to be increased interest in
purchasing a live, fragrant tree that
can be enjoyed all season long.
Beyond seasonal favorites, there
are many other reasons to cele-
brate ag.
For one, Oregon agriculture is
sustainable. Through Oregon Farm
Bureau’s Century Farm & Ranch
Program, an impressive 1,235
farms and ranches have remained
operational, on the same land, and
within the same family for at least
100 years, and 47 families have
reached the 150-year milestone.
Agriculture is also family based.
Nearly 97% of Oregon’s farms
and ranches — including com-
mercial-scale farms — are fami-
ly-owned and operated. Some are
“corporate farms” that incorpo-
rated for tax purposes or succes-
sion-plan reasons. In agriculture,
“big” doesn’t mean “bad.”
Agriculture benefits the envi-
ronment. The wide, open spaces
created by farms and ranches
not only preserve Oregon’s cher-
ished landscapes, but also provide
70% of the state’s wildlife habitat:
551,000 acres of Oregon ag land
are enrolled in the voluntary USDA
Conservation Reserve Program,
which helps improve water qual-
ity, prevent soil erosion and reduce
loss of wildlife habitat on private
land. And, combined, U.S. agri-
culture, land use and forestry are
a net sink for carbon emissions,
removing 172 million metric tons
of CO2-equivalent emissions
from the atmosphere in 2017.
Whether for the simple pleasure
of enjoying Oregon-grown food —
or for agriculture’s countless other
contributions to society — please
join us and take a moment to cele-
brate ag this holiday season.
Anne Marie Moss is the Ore-
gon Farm Bureau communica-
tions director.
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household holiday gatherings.
• Contact stores, local cham-
bers or business associations —
many local businesses and associ-
ations have designed creative ways
to shop small this holiday season.
Contact them directly to learn local
ways you can participate.
Last year, Small Business Sat-
urday spending hit a record high of
$19.6 billion from an estimated 110
million shoppers nationwide. Our
holiday spending — at whatever
level our budget can afford this year
— collectively makes a difference.
In 2020, every gift purchased
from a small retailer or local
restaurant has three beneficiaries:
the gift recipient, the small busi-
ness and our local community. Join
me in shopping small this holi-
day season. Our local small busi-
nesses are depending on us more
than ever.
Jeremy Field is the regional
administrator for the U.S. Small
Business Administration Pacific
Northwest Region which serves
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Alaska.
Phone: 541-575-0710
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