Do you love coming up Floras Creek to pick strawberries in the summer and get veggies from the Valley Flora Farmstand? Do you look forward to fresh bagels, organic produce and eggs from Hartnell Haven Farm each week? Do you rely on Wildwood Gypsy's raw milk, baked goods, and fresh produce? 

We love these thriving little hubs of our local food system - and we know many of you do, too - but they are suddenly under threat by a new bill (HB 4153) being considered by the Oregon legislature. The bill would limit who can operate a farmstand based on acreage and sales, essentially elbowing out small scale farms and producers like us. It's a very bad bill for small family farmers, local eaters, and our community food system as a whole. 

There is a hearing for this bill TOMORROW, February 4, at 1 pm in Salem. We need as many people as possible to submit testimony AGAINST this bill and hopefully stop it in its tracks. Testimony can be submitted up until Friday, February 6th at 1 pm.

We've included some additional background from Friends of Family Farmers (FOFF), below, plus a template for submitting testimony.

Please take action to protect our local farmstands and voice your support for small-scale, local family farming! 

Testimony Information for HB 4153 Hearing on 2/4/26

HB 4153 is not good for small farms - speak up to demand a better solution for Oregon’s farm stands.

This bill contains a provision that states that a parcel zoned EFU (exclusive farm use) for Farm and Forest use cannot have a farmstand unless:

• The parcel is 80 acres or more and has at least 45 acres in production
• The parcel is 40-79.99 acres and has at least 25 acres in production
• The parcel is 20-39.99 acres and has at least 15 acres in production
• Is less than 20 acres and either
  • Has at least 10 acres in production, or
  • Has cumulative gross sales of at least 
    • $40,000 (in the current text) or 
    • $10,000 (in the proposed amendments -1, and -2) from farm products in the last 2 years.

This would close existing farm stands who are following the law right now but are too small to meet these requirements. This bill replaces all current language around farmstands implying that folks with an honor system stand at the end of their driveway supplied with garden overflow (zucchinis in August, a couple pints of berries, or a sign saying eggs $6!) would be outlawed by this approach. Why are we giving more privileges to large land owners and telling small operations that they are not allowed to have a farmstand?

There is more to this proposed bill and you can read FOFF's whole position here. We want to find solutions for farmers to diversify their income but this bill is a step backwards. Limiting who is allowed to participate in farm stands/stores because of their size is counter to the spirit of community food systems. Why are we penalizing small farmers for not being able to afford more land, being early on in their farm business journey, or telling folks that they aren’t allowed to gather the community at their farm because they are small?

Join us to oppose HB 4153 and demand a more inclusive solution. Oregon communities love their small, homegrown farmstands and we don’t want to sacrifice them for the ability of a few larger land owners to host more events. A solution for Oregon’s farm stands should uplift us all.

Testimony Instructions - DEADLINE 2/6/26 @ 1PM

We have a chance to raise our voice and demand a better solution. There is a hearing for this proposal on 2/4/26 in the Oregon State House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. You can submit written testimony up to 48 hours after the hearing. We want to make sure that the members of this committee hear from small farms and community members who would lose access to beloved farm stands or be excluded by this bill.

Here is how you submit written testimony:

1. Go to this link
2. Select HB 4153
3. Enter your information
4. Select OPPOSE on the position on this measure

Use the template below to write up your statement. You can either copy and paste it into the text box, or make a copy and download it as a PDF to submit.

PLEASE CUSTOMIZE THIS TEMPLATE IN THE FIELDS MARKED IN YELLOW! Testimony that includes your personal story is much more effective than a boiler plate statement. Tell these legislators how you feel!

*************************************************************************************************************

Co-Chairs Helm and Owens, Vice-Chair Finger McDonald, and members of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water:

My Name is NAME and I am a FARMER/RANCHER/COMMUNITY MEMBER/FARM STAND OPERATOR in TOWN. I am writing to you today to express my opposition to HB 4153. Farm stands are a vital part of connecting the public with our food system and building an understanding of what it takes to go from field to fork. But HB 4153 would restrict who is allowed to have a farm stand, replace current definitions with Farm Stores, and give large land owners privileges at the expense of small farm stands in Oregon. We need to find a better solution.

I care about this because

Consider answering some of these questions or using these statements as a jumping off point in your testimony:

• I operate or frequently go to a farm stand that would not meet the acreage requirements in section 2.2 of the bill.
• Small farms need to have the same opportunities to sell their produce as larger farms.
• Why is small farming important to you? What is the value of small operations in your community?
• Why should large acreage farmers gain privileges at the expense of smaller acre farmers?
• Why should a small farm be any less legitimate than a large farm when it comes to defining farm use?
• What do farm stands do for your farm business or community?
• What does it mean for you, your farm and your community if the primary purpose of a farm stand becomes agritourism events, not the sale of farm products?

We are asking you to not place a higher burden on the smallest farms. This bill takes away opportunities from small land holders and farms in order for larger operations to be able to host more events. This is not a good bargain for Oregon and a better deal must be found.

Thank you,

NAME

ADDRESS