by Sean Breslin
At a meeting with the Multnomah County Farm Bureau Thursday, farmers took to task Metro’s claim that 70 percent of residents support preserving agriculture in the Portland area.
“They like farming, but they don’t really know what it is,” said Theresa Lund of William Dillard Nursery. She said people like the quaintness of farm stands, but not the common hassles that come with large-scale farming like spraying for bugs or roosters crowing. “If you want farming, you have to allow us to farm. You have to give us the tools.”
Councilor Rod Park visited with members of the bureau as part of Metro’s ongoing effort to solicit feedback on Metro chief operating officer Michael Jordan’s report “Making the Greatest Place: Strategies for a prosperous and sustainable region.” The report encourages channeling most growth into the existing urban growth boundary, investing in repairing and maintaining existing buildings and infrastructure, and holding Metro accountable for the goals it puts in place for itself.
Despite the farmers’ concerns, Park said the agriculture industry does enjoy popular support and can use that as a bargaining tool to secure water rights or other protections.
“If agriculture isn’t happy with what they’re getting, it’s going to be very difficult to say ‘let’s go pave that farmland,” Park said, encouraging farmers to use that popular goodwill.
Although many in attendance supported rural reserves, Jim Burns of Sundial Ranch in Troutdale said he thinks it may be time for some farmers to move out of the Portland area and allow developers to take the land. He said that’s already happened to the best farmland in the region.
“Portland has certainly covered up better land than we have left,” Burns said.
Several in attendance worried that Metro would not be receptive to their concerns. But both Park and Ken Ray, Metro senior public affairs coordinator, emphasized the need for community feedback to adopt growth plans that incorporate as many views and needs as possible.
“We haven’t made any decisions on these recommendations because we really want to hear from you,” Ray said.
Park also said early planning is necessary to prevent a “beauty contest” type atmosphere where planners, land owners and architects could argue in favor of developing one piece of property over another. Park said deciding well in advance which areas will be set aside for development could prevent that type of jockeying for Metro’s support.