I was asked to be a part of an exciting new organization: Engage Oregon. Its two main goals, in my opinion, are paramount to Oregon’s success in all areas.
GOALS:
- Business is the solution, not the problem.
- Government needs to be held accountable for spending, especially when it comes to dollars for education.
Our mission
How can you disagree with that?
This past year I’ve been outspoken on behalf of Oregon agriculture, export, and trucking industries when it came to the mass confusion and incredible economical loss we encountered during the West Coast Port Crisis. Many farmers, truckers, mechanics, assembly line workers, equipment operators, office staff, etc… all saw extreme scenarios that put their jobs and their livelihoods at risk this past year.
I was asked to write a short column on my thoughts about this, and this was sent out to Engage Oregon’s supporters. I’d like to share here:
Dear Engage Oregon supporter,
Growing up in a farming family, I started driving tractor at age 12. As I grew, so did my family’s businesses. Boshart Trucking, BOSSCO Trading, PressCo and SJB Farms, employ nearly 50 Oregonians, and provide Oregon-grown food, grass seed and forage to customers all over the world.
Oregon is in a unique geographical position in both the nation and the world to capitalize on international trade, yet we are in trouble.
Agriculture is important to us as Oregonians and as Americans. From the words of our former governor: “Agriculture remains one of Oregon’s economic bright spots, creating about 1 in 10 Oregon jobs, with a $5.4 billion production value equal to roughly 15% of the state’s economy. There is tremendous diversity in what we grow, with more than 220 different commodities produced under some of the best growing conditions you’ll ever find. That array of crops, livestock, and fisheries strengthens our agricultural economy which strengthens all of Oregon.”
What does that mean in a nutshell? JOBS. The opportunity for Oregon agriculture and its effect on the economy is exciting – if we allow it to happen. Oregon agriculture has diversified into both domestic and global markets that are growing and have the capacity to grow more!
If we can’t get Oregon agricultural products to market, then the opportunity for economic growth has been lost. From the words of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC): “There is nothing that we produce in this country in agriculture, that cannot be sourced somewhere else in the world. We can grow the best in the world, but if we can’t deliver affordably and dependably, the customer will go somewhere else… and may never come back.”
The current status of Oregon’s exports is discouraging. We no longer have container service at the Port of Portland. 99% of the Port of Portland’s container business left the state in February when Hanjin’s last vessel, the Copenhagen, pulled out of Portland after a 22-day moorage in February and Hapag Lloyd followed suit by not calling on the Port. This business has not been replaced. This has left Oregon’s exporters scrambling to find other means to get their product to the international market – primarily via Seattle and Tacoma.
For the sake of our economy, this has to change. Oregon’s agriculture – and those that rely on it for food, feed, shelter, and jobs – need every chance to be competitive. Oregon’s port working productively is one opportunity to accomplish this.
Thanks for staying in touch with Engage Oregon. Together we can turn the tide.
https://www.facebook.com/EngageOregon https://twitter.com/engageoregon
Shelly Boshart Davis, Oregonian
Being engaged as an Oregonian – regardless of the side of the aisle you identify with – is something I think we should all aspire to.
If you’d like to join me in getting involved in this new organization, please do! Simply go to www.engageoregon.org, and sign up on the home page. Click through the website to learn more. Whatever you do, however you vote, this is something we can all proudly be a part of.
daughter of a trucker 