Oregon House votes to continue canola farming cap in the Willamette Valley from Multnomah to Lane counties

The Oregon House voted Thursday, Feb. 22, to keep a cap on canola farming in the Willamette Valley in place into early 2028. For some legislators and stakeholders looking for a compromise, that means more debate over an already yearslong issue.

Since 2013, the Legislature has kept in place a 500-acre limit on canola farming in the Willamette Valley Protected District, which stretches from Multnomah County to Lane County.

The limit is because canola, which is mainly grown for its seed to produce cooking oil and livestock feed, is a brassica crop — part of a large family of plants that includes vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, mustards, radish and kale. Groups against expanding canola argue the Willamette Valley is one of few places in the world with the ideal conditions to grow seed for brassicas.

Oregon Public Broadcasting is a news partner of the Pamplin Media Group. Find the original story here .