Riley Avery, our Farm Viability Lead, is a third-generation Central Oregon farmer—his parents met on his grandfather’s potato farm in Lower Bridge, where the family began farming in the 1960s. An alum of 4-H and FFA, where he served as a chapter officer, Riley believes that responsible farming and conservation go hand in hand. After graduating from OSU, Riley began his career organizing with the Oregon League of Conservation Voters before spending five years working on a regenerative ranch in Sisters, putting climate-smart and regenerative practices into action. After relocating to Philadelphia with his husband, Riley continued his work with a local social justice organization for several years and later joined the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (rebranded “Pasa”), where he supported farmers through a USDA Climate Smart Commodities program. Now back on his family’s farm in Powell Butte, Oregon, Riley brings his cross-sector experience and passion for farming in Oregon to Friends of Family Farmers. He supports responsible pasture-based producers through the Oregon Pasture Network and helps beginning farmers access land and resources through the Oregon Farm Link Navigate program.