Agriculture has long been a cornerstone of Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities. Recently, Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, the Oregon Director of Agriculture, addressed the 2025 Oregon Dairy Farmers Convention in Salem, highlighting the significant roles that agriculture plays both within the state and beyond its borders.
Economic Impact
Agriculture, including farming, ranching, and fishing, forms the backbone of the Oregon economy. With over 531,000 jobs linked to agriculture, food, and fiber production, Oregon’s total farming value stands at approximately $5.5 million, while the overall economic impact of the food system reaches a staggering $42 billion. Dairy alone contributes about $725 million to state commodities, supporting health and wellness both locally and globally.
“The people in Oregon agriculture are incredibly special,” Hanson says, noting that with 95% of farms family-owned and operated, the industry stands out for its unique approaches and diversity. “Remarkably, 44% of the agricultural producers are women, positioning Oregon as a national leader in this respect.”
Challenges and Resilience
However, the Oregon ag industry is not without its challenges. Economic pressures, such as inflation and rising input costs, hit hard, while environmental stresses like heat, wildfires, erratic weather, and drought pose serious concerns. Furthermore, the global market faces uncertainties due to tariffs and export disruptions.
“Farm income was down in 2023, and it was down again in 2024 and by all anticipation we’re anticipating it’ll be down again in 2025. Many challenges are outside our producer’s control, including inflation, rising input costs, labor, housing, fuel, fertilizer and the impact of tariffs and trade on your commodities,” Hanson says.
Despite these hurdles, Oregon farmers demonstrate resilience, adapting and innovating in the face of adversity. Environmental conservation, including healthier soils and water, along with habitat creation, remains pivotal.
“There are significant concerns about the well-being of our farmers and ranchers across the U.S., the environment and climatic changes that we’re dealing with in terms of heat, wild fires, extreme events in terms of weather, rain, earlier and later in our crop cycles and drought with hotter and drier summers for Oregon, raised essential concerns of what our potential fire season may look like,” she says. “We are talking a lot about our pressures in terms of water, the stressors on our groundwater systems and our surface water for production are ongoing concerns for our farmers and ranchers across the state.”
Food Safety and Export
Food safety is another priority, with an emphasis on maintaining strong safety systems amidst changes in the FDA.
“The current conversations around tariffs and the potential for retaliatory tariffs is a concern for all of agriculture to comply to compound market uncertainty. During the COVID crisis, we lost a foothold in many of our export markets due to supply and change disruptions,” Hanson says, noting that concerns about the current economic trends, inflation, the regulatory landscape, and ongoing changes with the federal agencies are things that we need to watch closely and monitor.
While facing numerous challenges, Oregon’s agricultural community not only survives but thrives. Its importance to the economy, environment, and communities remains undeniable. Farmers across the state continue to demonstrate innovation, adaptability, and resilience, ensuring agriculture remains a fundamental part of Oregon’s future.
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