OAT Board President Kimberlee Chambers shares her farming background and why protecting ag is an urgent issue.
In all my travels, work, and studies, I have been fascinated more than anything by the food that we eat, where it comes from, how it was grown, and who grew it. “What is that crop in that field? What are those farmworkers doing? How does that harvesting equipment work? What is the land tenure like in this area? How is that crop processed before it goes to market? What is the supply chain to get this crop from the farm to the market? How do you cook that?”
Thanksgiving allows me to indulge in these questions more than any other time of year. It is a powerful time to pause and express gratitude for the farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, packers, processors, distributors, retailers, and everyone else in our complex food systems who often put in heroic efforts to get food from field to plate – this year more than ever.
Chambers’ grandfather with his horse team
Chambers and her brother with their goats Nanny, Mork and Mindy
Chambers’ father trimming a hoof.
My frequent questions about food are likely rooted in growing up and working on a fifth-generation family farm in Ontario, Canada and being encouraged to be curious. The farms in my area were often mixed production with large gardens, fruit trees, and berry patches for home consumption and local sales; hay and other crops for animal feed; some chickens and maybe geese or turkeys for friends and family sales; and either dairy, or beef operations as the main market production. I was fortunate to grow up in an area where almost everyone I knew lived on a farm or had close family who were farmers. I also do not remember any families who got by on just farming. My own father drove a school bus for a few years, did hoof trimming, and my mother was a kindergarten teacher and worked the fair gates in the summers. Farming was a often a chosen way of life, over a profitable career.
Potato crop!
Like many I went to university to have greater choice in what my opportunities could be. With my deep roots in an agricultural landscape and communities and those questions about where our food comes from, I have been fortunate to find fulfilling off-farm opportunities in food and agriculture, such as serving as an OAT board member.
To me OAT’s tagline of ‘For Ag. Forever.’ honors the work of all those generations and generations of people who have come before that have contributed to the food on our plates. It is about creating opportunities for those who are farming now and holding space for those who will be our farmers and ranchers in the future. It is also about people like me and many in urban environments who may not be farming but have so greatly benefited beyond the food on our plates from being connected to agricultural landscapes and associated communities.
Working on a blueberry crop
As a generation of farmers and ranchers nears retirement, almost two-thirds (10.5 million acres) of Oregon’s agricultural land will change hands in just 20 years. Meanwhile, beginning farmers and ranchers find it increasingly difficult to afford and access agricultural land. How this land changes hands and whether it remains available for economically viable agricultural production are questions that will determine the future of Oregon’s rural communities, open spaces, natural resources, and food systems. OAT’s work is focused on protecting Oregon’s agricultural land base, supporting the transition to the next generation, and advocating for resources to support a resilient future of farming and ranching.
OAT’s work is dependent on a wide community of supporters. To help protect agricultural lands for the benefit of Oregon’s economies, communities, and landscapes I invite you to participate in our online auction!
Chambers working on a citrus crop
OAT’s virtual auction will be held the week after Thanksgiving from November 30 through December 4 - perfect timing for holiday shopping for the foodies, gardeners, farmers, ranchers, and wine lovers in your life! Almost all items were contributed by Oregon-based small businesses including several farms.
Please note: due to OLCC rules, wine and winery experiences will be available for bidding on Wednesday, December 2 only.
Here are some ways to stay in touch with OAT and sign up to participate as the auction nears:
Learn how to pre-register and view a list items & donors
RSVP to our Facebook Event
Sign up for the OAT Newsletter
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