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Over time the family grew (she had eight children and
countless grandchildren and great grandchildren), and the farm
evolved. The dairy didn’t fare well so grandpa spearheaded a change
of direction. Today a successful operation of primarily grass seed
flourishes thanks to the hard work of my three wonderful uncles. In
2013 the farm will be eligible for Century Farm status, and I take
comfort in knowing that I have cousins poised to move the family
farm forward for another 100 years.
Though my parents moved to the coast when I was young and I never
experienced the day-to-day life on the farm, some of my fondest
childhood memories are of bucking hay or moving irrigation pipe with
my cousins. Grandpa always had a few animals on the farm, and the
only time I really saw grandma mad was the time I decided to “ride”
the pigs. It was a futile effort, but I had several near misses in
that pig pen and was so excited about it that I ran into the
farmhouse to tell everybody about it. Of course, I was covered from
head to toe in um… I think you get the point. Let’s just say she
wasn’t amused.
By the time I made it to college I had a new direction in life. I
was going to work for ESPN and become a sports anchor. I secured an
internship at KMTR in Eugene (the NBC affiliate) in the sports
department, and made arrangements to live with grandma on the farm.
Spending time that summer talking with grandma and watching my
uncles work the land gave me a new appreciation for what it takes to
be a modern-day farmer. The hours spent every day cultivating their
crops and the plethora of decisions that impacted the harvest was
mind blowing. I had been around it my entire life, but until that
summer I never really understood what it meant to be a farmer.
Thanks to a face made for radio my broadcasting career never
materialized, but it was that summer spent on the farm when I
determined that the best way for me to make a contribution to
agriculture was by building a career within the association rank and
file. I spent more than 10 years serving the members of the Oregon
Association of Nurseries, and the past five proudly serving you as
executive director of the Agri-Business Council of Oregon.
Though I spent my adolescent life around agriculture, I didn’t
really understand its importance and how things were done until I
was in college. If I didn’t get it, how do we expect the urbanite
who’s never been around agriculture to really understand our
industry? This drives me every day when we work to fulfill the
Agri-Business Council of Oregon’s mission.
Grandma was the last of her generation within my family. I will take
from her life attributes such as strength of character, personal
responsibility for your actions and the value of integrity and
truth—without which one can easily become lost. She also taught me
that these learned skills are a choice and once you make the
decision to live each day in them, they will affect every aspect of
your life. Personal, business and social. Her example has assisted
me in creating the man I am today. These skills are gifts she gave
me willingly just by being who she was.
I don’t know what my legacy will be. I’m certainly in no hurry to
find out. But I do know that my history is rooted within Oregon
agriculture and I will proudly tell our story to our urban neighbor.
Will you join me?
Geoff Horning
Executive Director
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