Data from the Census of Agriculture shows that in the past two decades, Ostrich numbers have dropped by 83%.
Courtesy of Craig J. Barber
Old McDonald had a farm, but he probably did not have any llamas or ostriches.
New data from the Census of Agriculture shows that in the last 20 years, Oregon has seen some increase in standard farm animals, such as milk cows and chickens, while the number of farms with unconventional livestock, such as llamas and ostriches, has plummeted.
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Michael Lehman is the president of the American Ostrich Association and owns Central Oregon Ostrich with his wife. He says raising ostriches is a tale of a boom and bust that began in the late ‘90s.
“There was a huge, huge push to bring ostrich into the United States as the next big red meat, and unfortunately there was a lot of money behind it. It was a big speculation,” he said. “It failed rather dramatically.”
As reported by the Washington Post, the number of ostriches raised in the U.S. has dropped 83% in the last two decades.
Lehman says that one of the challenges is a lack of understanding for an animal that is not native to the U.S. He says that when farmers tried raising ostriches in ways they did other animals, the end result was a catastrophe.
“Everything blew out the window,” he said. “In order to farm them, you have to farm them as a wild species. You can’t just push them into Western farming practices.”
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Beyond just their meat, ostriches were sought after for leather, feathers and even their bones, which can be used as dog treats.
The number of llamas raised in the U.S. has declined similarly — 79% since the early 2000s.
Ron Wilkinson, Central Oregon Llama Association president and owner of R&G Acres, says llamas were first available at game farms and zoos before they took off at the individual farm level. Unfortunately, like ostriches, llamas were a speculative venture at the time.
Ron Wilkinson is the owner of R&G Acres and raises Llamas. He first got interested in the animal after purchasing one to act as a guard animal.
Courtesy of Ron Wilkinson
“People were going to get rich quick with llamas, and over time that didn’t prove to be,” he said. “Some people did, but most did not.”
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Unlike ostriches, llamas aren’t harvested as a food source in the U.S. but are mainly used for companionship. They are often used as packing animals for hiking since they are able to carry more than 70 pounds. Wilkinson says their fiber also has some value but faces steep competition with sheep wool.
Like Ostriches, Llamas were seen as a speculative venture when they first rose popularity. Within the past two decades, the number of Llamas across the U.S. had declined by 79%.
Courtesy of Ron Wilkinson
Wilkinson got interested in llamas when he purchased one to act as a guard animal for his sheep. He says they work great as guards because they’re naturally curious and big animals that intimidate dogs or coyotes.
While the numbers are declining, Wilkinson is hopeful that there is some potential for llamas in the future.
“I think llamas have always been a niche industry,” he said. “Until that fiber market is developed and widespread. I think when that happens, things could change a lot.”
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Michael Lehman is co-owner of Central Oregon Ostriches and believes they can be the livestock of the future.
Courtesy of Craig J. Barber
For Lehman, much of his work now is figuring out the best ways to raise ostriches and their hatchlings. He believes that ostriches are the future of sustainable agriculture.
“Consumers are very much in tune with humanity, the humane treatment that is being applied to the animals,” said Lehman. “To be successful as an ostrich producer, you have to raise them that way.”
Michael Lehman and Ron Wilkinson both joined OPB’s Think Out Loud to discuss llama and ostrich farming. You can listen to the full conversation here:
Oregon authorities on Monday are set to publicly reveal the winner of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot.
The winning Powerball ticket was sold in early April at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, ending a winless streak that had stretched more than three months. The Oregon Lottery said it had to go through a security and vetting process before announcing the identity of the person who came forward to claim the prize.
Under Oregon law, with few exceptions, lottery players cannot remain anonymous. Winners have a year to claim the top prize.
The jackpot has a cash value of $621 million if the winner chooses to take a lump sum rather than an annuity paid over 30 years, with an immediate payout followed by 29 annual installments. The prize is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.
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The $1.3 billion prize is the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eighth largest among U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.
The biggest U.S. lottery jackpot won was $2.04 billion in California in 2022.
Spring ball is over, but spring roster movement is far from it. And less than a day after Arizona wrapped up those offseason practices it has added a player for the fall.
Former Oregon offensive lineman Michael Wooten committed to the UA on Sunday, adding depth to a position group that got a little thin toward the end of spring due to injuries.
he 6-foot-4, 310-pound Wooten will have at least three years of eligibility with Arizona after spending two seasons. He appeared in three games for Oregon in 2022, mostly on special teams, but did not see action last year due to injury.
Wooten was a 3-star prospect out of California in the 2022 recruiting class, picking the Ducks over Colorado. He also had offers from ASU, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Virginia.
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Ranked as the 49th-best offensive tackle in his class, Wooten provides another option on the edge behind projected starters Raymond Pulido and Jonah Savaiinaea and backups Rhino Tapa’atoutai and Alexander Doost. The UA lost tackle Joe Borjon to the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month.
Wooten is Arizona’s fifth spring portal pickup, the first on the offensive line.
Oregon Ducks safety Kodi DeCambra has entered the transfer portal, according to reports from 247Sports, On3Sports, and others. DeCambra was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2023 — according to 247Sports — with four years of remaining eligibility after using his redshirt option in his first season.
On Saturday, DeCambra was absent from the Ducks spring game, and after the game, James Crepea of theOregonian reported that DeCambra was expected to enter the transfer portal. On Sunday, his intent to transfer was made official.
In 2023, DeCambra took just 6 snaps on defense for Oregon, all in the Ducks’ first game against Portland State. DeCambra did not record any stats on those plays.
Oregon brought in a high volume of good defensive backs in the 2024 offseason, which could’ve factored into DeCambra’s decision to transfer. One of the players competing with DeCambra was Aaron Flowers, a safety recruit in the class of 2024, who performed well in the spring game, making four tackles and one pass breakup.
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During his initial recruitment, DeCambra took visits with Washington, Oregon State, and Hawaii, so look out for those schools as potential transfer destinations for the redshirt freshman. DeCambra is from Las Vegas, so there’s also always the chance that he wants to go somewhere closer to home.
