(By Archie Adams, guest writer, with NCAP staff) Do you have trouble keeping your plants alive during dry Pacific Northwest summers? Do you wish you didn't have to water so much? Start planning now for a drought resistant garden in the heat of summer. “Water wise” is a water and plant management practice that emphasizes using vegetation that has lower water needs, and grouping them by water needs to encourage more efficient water use. Water wise ensures you have beautiful plants in your garden even during the dry season. Additionally, native plants suited to your particular Northwest ecosystem will help create a balance of pest bug and prey so that no harmful pesticides are needed. Continue reading

NCAP explores personal and systemic impacts of racism on farm ownership. By Christina Stucker-Gassi, Healthy Food and Farms Program Manager, with content contribution by Ashley Chesser, Executive Director NCAP devotes time as a staff on a monthly basis to explore equity topics to encourage both personal and organizational growth. Materials are shared before each discussion to provide a common place to connect. Recently, we explored the topic of land—the physical space on which we reside and advocate for healthier pest management practices. We prepared by reading the article Who’s Land is it Anyway?,1 which explores the Land Back movement. The discussion was expansive, including exploration of voluntary land taxes to tribes and how a lack of diversity in farm ownership is rooted in theft of indigenous land. Continue reading

Christina Stucker-Gassi, NCAP's Healthy Food & Farms Program Manager, was featured on the Pet Improvement radio show based out of Newport, Oregon (KNPT AM 1310 and 98.3 FM). Listen as Christina talks with host Jane Laulis about the work that NCAP does to keep communities healthy, smart food choices, and how to make sure your pets are safe from pesticides. Click the video above to listen; key points from the interview are also below. Continue reading

To protect our region's natural wonders and the health of the people and animals that depend on them, we need more Northwest residents, growers and business professionals to understand that the decisions we make to safeguard our communities from the effects of toxic pesticides really do matter. If you use pesticides at home or at work, learning as much as you can about the effects of pesticides and least-toxic alternatives can help you to advocate for healthier conditions.  Continue reading

Photo taken by NCAP staff at a youth climate rally in Eugene, OR in 2019. (By Eugene Davis, Community Outreach Assistant) Many college students, myself included, have had one of those moments where we realized that if our generation does not take a massive stride in mitigating the effects of climate change, the world will become a drastically harder place in which to live. When I was younger, I used to have a very cynical perspective on the issue. I would say to myself, “It looks like this is just going to be the reality of the world. It’s not like someone with as little influence as myself can do anything to change it.” As I met other students in my first year at the University of Oregon, I began to realize that a lot of other people had these same types of defeatist thoughts. Continue reading