|
|
Carver to share vision with AAW meeting attendeesRancher Jeanne Carver from the historic Imperial Stock Ranch in Central Oregon will share her vision at the 34th Annual Meeting of American Agri-Women to be held Nov. 12 to 15. The meeting, hosted by Oregon Women for Agriculture will be in the heart of the Willamette Valley and capital city of Salem. OWA will be celebrating their 40th birthday this year and the state of Oregon is celebrating its 150th birthday. "Celebrating American Agriculture" will add to the festive spirit of their time together. On Nov. 12, rancher Jeanne Carver will share her story of history, land management and sunlight products, during a fun party celebrating Oregon's birthday. She and husband, Dan, own and operate their ranch in the Bakeoven area near Shaniko, Ore., where, faced with changing markets, and growing pressures from consolidation and industrialization of food and textile products, the economic viability of sheep raising was severely threatened in the late 1990s. Motivated to preserve sheep-raising as a vibrant part of the ranch's historic and production integrity, the Carvers began creating retail products from their raw commodities--a huge shift in mindset for ranchers. In addition to handcrafted beef and lamb for restaurants, their ranch, in collaboration with a network of talented regional textile artisans, sells a line of handcrafted yarns and apparel nationally. In the past 12 months, Jeanne has administered $280,000 in grant funds (USDA and regional economic development) with its focus being the growth of the Imperial Stock Ranch yarn and apparel business. Jobs have been added, processing/manufacturing research and development have been intense, market research completed, feasibility study and business plans produced. Highlights include strong sales of the Imperial Yarn line at the national needlearts trade shows, opening sales into Europe and Canada, and an invitation to headline Portland Fashion Week's final evening on the runway with a new apparel line: the Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen. The reputation of the Imperial Stock Ranch and their leading efforts in sustainability have drawn an invitation from the city of Portland to explore the possibility of creating uniforms for the city's entire Police Department. Truly a break through in connecting urban and rural communities, this project has the potential to become a model for regional collaboration. Come to the AAW convention to hear this remarkable woman. For information about the convention, or agenda and registration form, visit the American Agri-Women website at www.americanagriwomen.org.
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2011. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
