Leaders In Stewardship

LEADERS IN STEWARDSHIP

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about some Oregonians who are real leaders in environmental stewardship, the Bailey family of The Dalles, OR. Their family-owned and operated cherry operation, Orchard View Farms, is renowned for its high standards, both in product quality and in environmental management. Orchard View Farms was established in 1923 in the heart of Oregon's cherry growing region, the mid-Columbia Gorge area nestled in the foothills of Mt. Hood.

The Baileys have worked hard to ensure their operation is a good neighbor the environment and the surrounding community. They have championed the Mid-Columbia cherry Integrated Fruit Program, a total farm conservation plan that is modeled on a similar program in northern Italy. The Integrated Fruit Program, or IFP, encompasses all aspects of fruit production, from growing to packing and marketing. IFP emphasizes high quality fruit production that is economical for the grower and has a minimal impact to the environment. This requires careful placement of orchard plants, close monitoring of soil moisture levels and nutrients to avoid unnecessary irrigation or excess fertilizers. There is also an emphasis on non-chemical means of controlling plant pests and disease. The end result is more than 3000 tons of Ranier and Bing cherries that the Baileys ship to markets across the country and to Europe and Asia every year. Their accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by the farm conservation community—the American Farmland Trust recognized the Bailey family last year with its prestigious Steward of the Land Award.

In addition to their important work in the area of farm conservation, the Baileys have also worked closely with my office in the past on the challenging problem of reforming the agricultural guest worker program.

I am speaking about Orchard View Farms today to remind my colleagues that every day farm families like the Baileys are working hard to make a living in farming, ranching, or forestry in a way that is good for their community and good for the environment. They take their stewardship responsibilities seriously and deserve our commendation for adhering to these principles, especially in a time of unprecedented economic challenges for farmers in the form of increasing food imports and numerous regulatory mandates. I think we can all be proud of families like the Baileys who are truly leaders in environmental stewardship and demonstrate how American agriculture can succeed in this increasingly competitive global food market.