The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon's lucrative specialty seed, fresh market vegetable, clover, and organic industries.  It is recognized for having a unique climate which allows for these industries to thrive. The Willamette Valley should be preserved and protected for these special purposes. Allowing canola production in what is currently a protected district would undermine this world renowned resource, the Valley’s economically important seed production industry, and large network of vegetable growers as well as our local food supply. Canola can be, and is, grown in most of the rest of Oregon.  Let’s keep it that way.

ODA should maintain the strongest possible protections for the Willamette Valley. Research from Oregon State University has demonstrated the risk of significant conflicts between existing specialty seed production and new canola planting on issues ranging from cross-contamination of high-value, pure seed strains to the introduction of hard-to-eradicate pests and plant diseases. To date, ODA has conducted no research that demonstrates the need for, or answers significant questions about, major shifts in its existing prohibitions on canola production in the Willamette Valley protected area. It is my belief that canola should continue to be banned from the Willamette Valley and the current canola rule be left in place, in full.