Green farming Sustainable practices Water conservation

Organic & low-impact farming Habitat preservation

Threemile Canyon Farms in Boardman, Oregon, is a living example that a big farm can be green, too. Recognized as a leader in sustainable farming, we are demonstrating that forward-looking green farming practices can be both good for business and good for the environment.

‘At Threemile Canyon Farms, we believe that sound business practices and sound environmental practices go hand in hand.’

Green farming

We provide full-time jobs with promotion opportunities

Our farm blends one of the nation's largest dairy operations with extensive production of potatoes and other crops. By doing so, we have created a harmonious, closed-loop system that yields high value-added agricultural products while recycling nearly all farm wastes. Our innovative water, soil, habitat and wildlife conservation practices - to be joined by green fuel production - have earned us recognition as a 2003 Founder of a New Northwest by Sustainable Northwest, a prestigious organization that promotes socially responsible business practices.

Every day, people use our farm's products in their daily lives. Our milk is used for cheese and for drinking. Our potatoes are used to make the French fries sold in restaurants or in the frozen-food section at the grocery store. And our growing variety of organic crops are on their way to becoming signature Oregon brands.

Our precision irrigation saves water

Sustainable practices

Threemile Canyon Farms is owned and operated by R.D. Offutt Company - Northwest. We own 93,000 acres of Columbia River Basin land just west of Boardman, about 150 miles east of Portland. We have added $250 million annually to the economies of rural Gilliam and Morrow counties and are providing full-time jobs with benefits and promotion opportunities, as well as seasonal jobs, to a culturally diverse local workforce. By practicing the best sustainable farming techniques - whether they involve leading-edge technology or age-old natural processes - we are providing a living laboratory for model agricultural practices.

Water conservation

Our Ranger Russetts are prized for making French fries

Our home in Oregon's arid Columbia Basin provides 300 days of sunshine, and is one of the world's leading potato-growing regions. The dry climate is an asset to our dairy operation - we are able to guarantee that no dairy waste will enter local rivers or water tables. And both our size and location - far removed from towns and population centers - provide plenty of area for crop rotation, wildlife buffers and for composting dairy wastes.

Of course, the dry climate means that we must irrigate. So we invested in a precision, central-pivot irrigation system that minimizes water lost to evaporation or over-watering. Monitors connected by a state-of-the-art wireless computer network allow us to spot - and repair - leaks immediately. We use dairy compost extensively on our fields so our soil will retain water better. And we recycle and reuse all of our water that isn't used for drinking. As a result, we are able to produce valuable food crops on 35,000 irrigated acres while conserving Columbia River water for salmon.

Organic & low-impact farming

Our sustainable, closed-loop system begins with potatoes. We produce 200,000 tons of potatoes annually, enough to feed 4 million people. Potatoes are processed off-site and the processing wastes - peels and culls - are returned to the farm and recycled for use as dairy feed. We also grow alfalfa, corn and other rotation crops to provide a balanced, all-vegetative ration for our dairy cattle.

Our 16,000 dairy cows produce more than 1 million pounds of milk each day. Our herd includes both Jersey and Holstein cows so we can supply consistent, high-quality milk for cheese-makers and the region's premier liquid milk sellers. Closing the loop, manure from the dairy provides a low-cost source of nutrient-rich fertilizer and compost. That organic fertilizer allows us to substantially reduce our use of chemical fertilizers and to increase our production of certified organic vegetables and grains. Eventually, a digester on our farm will provide another link in our closed-loop system. We will be able to extract methane gas from dairy manure to produce fuel.

Habitat preservation

In 2000, we joined with The Nature Conservancy and state and federal wildlife officials to create one of the broadest voluntary wildlife-conservation areas in the country for threatened species. We placed 23,000 acres - more than a quarter of our farm's land - into a preserve to protect Columbia Basin grasslands, a unique and irreplaceable part of Oregon's natural heritage. The Nature Conservancy manages the preserve to benefit four key species: the Washington ground squirrel, the ferruginous hawk, the loggerhead shrike and the sage sparrow. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior and others praised the agreement in 2004 as a model for how private interests and public agencies can work together for effective environmental preservation.

Threemile Canyon Farms' reputation for innovation and progressive practices is growing. Our dairy allowed the cheese and dairy industry to expand in Oregon. Our large-scale organic farming gives regional markets a trusted source for organic produce. We are committed to providing a safe, healthy and rewarding work environment for our employees. By practicing the best sustainable farming techniques on a large scale and sharing our experiences, we are creating models for farms of every size to follow. Threemile Canyon Farms is a living example of the harmonious partnership of good business and good stewardship.

Threemile Road Boardman, OR 97818 • 541-481-9274 • mail@threemilecanyonfarms.com