Title:
Farmers save energy in Grande Ronde Valley with mangement, technologies, incentives (April,2008.)
Following an audit of his farm in 2008, Phil Hassinger made some simple and relatively inexpensive energy saving alterations to his irrigation system and received a grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a business energy tax credit from the state of Oregon.
Topic: Sustainable Agriculture
Category: Government Institutional
What is it?
This is a news article posted on Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website
Publication Information:
Farmers save energy in Grande Ronde Valley with mangement, technologies, incentives (April,2008.)
URL:http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/granderondeefficiency.shtml.
Updated April 28, 2008 on ODA.gov/
Author: No Author Given
Location:
URL:http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/granderondeefficiency.shtml.
Accessed: Feb 23, 2009 1:25pm
Support:
Phil Hassinger: Oregon Farmer
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
As these sources came together they displayed the process in which sustainable farmers receive support and compensation from the federal and local government. Phil Hassinger, the main source in this story, increased sustainable practices on his farm and the USDA then recognized his efforts by giving him a grant and the state of Oregon offered him a tax credit.
Audience and Agenda:
This story was published on the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website which is a state agency who has objectives of increasing sustainable land practices and promoting farming initiatives. They were founded in 1931, and are funded by tax dollars. From 2003-2005 they had an estimated budget of $11.3 billion, unfortunately there is no clear estimate to how many hits this specific article or ODA.gov has received since its creation. Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA.gov) publishes several stories a year similar to this dealing with sustainable farming success and conservation initiatives.
Usefulness:
This source is useful for answering whether the USDA should increase sustainable farming incentives because it is an example of one such incentive having a positive effect of the environment and a local farmer’s budget. Phil Hassinger was an ordinary farmer who was motivated by government farming incentives to reduce his farm’s energy consumption in return for compensation and tax breaks. Stories like Phil Hassinger are important for my argument because they are beneficial for the farmer and the environment. Through irrigation improvements farmers will be able to reduce pollution like that described in Brian Mosses article about agricultural water pollution.
Works Cited:
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
Filed under: Source Notes
