Over 40 Lane County farmers, foresters, ranchers, scientists, and community leaders joined Oregon State University Extension and Lane Families for Farms and Forests in September for a behind-the-scenes look at how trees go from seedlings to home and how food goes from farm to table.

The tour started at Seneca Sawmill where Seneca CEO Todd Payne discussed shared the company’s family history and innovation focused philosophy, highlighting investments in technology that allows even greater efficiency in sustainable lumber production and contribute 450 family wage jobs in the Eugene-Springfield community.

The next stop was a visit to Evans Timber hosted by fourth-generation family forestland owner, Maryrae Thomson. Maryrae’s great grandparents moved to the property in 1883, and the business has been owned by her family and brother, Dick Evans, who lives out of state, ever since.  Maryrae, her husband, and step-son are involved in the day- to-day operations which include timber, hay, cattle, and wine grapes. They employ a local family for extra help, mainly in the vineyard, both full time and seasonally.  Maryrae has served as a board member of the Lane Small Woodlands Association and Forests Today and Forever, and currently serves on the USDA/ Farm Service Agency county committee as well as a local scholarship selection committee for the Oregon Community Foundation.

The last stop was to fifth-generation farmer Bryan Harper’s 130-year-old family farm. Over the years the family has raised a variety of crops, but is currently focused exclusively on roughly 500 acres of Oregon hazelnuts, about two-thirds of which are older, established orchards (some of which were planted in the 1930s and are still producing today). The remaining acreage is comprised of younger, blight-resistant, newer hazelnut varieties. The Harpers have also owned and managed a small tree farm for four generations. Bryan is currently serving as an appointee on the Oregon Board of Agriculture, and is the President of the Lane County Farm Bureau. (Fun fact: Bryan’s Grandpa, Tom Harper, was the first Lane County Farm Bureau President.) In his “spare” time, Bryan is also an avid pilot, a hobby he inherited from his father, who was Bryan’s first flight instructor. Bryan utilizes aviation as a tool on his farm for mapping and to see growth patterns from the air that aren’t visible from the ground. He is currently aspiring to turn aviation into more than a hobby, and is pursuing his aerial applicators license.

The tour finished with a locally-sourced lunch in Bryan’s airplane hangar and a question and answer session on farming and forestry practices.