Oregon Public Broadcasting

When you hear the phrase, "buy local," it's probably local produce that springs to   mind first.  But the local meat and dairy movements are looking to change that.

Portland specialty grocery store New Seasons Market attempts to combine the two under its local label called Pacific Village. 

Andrew Theen caught up with a local hog farmer who says New Seasons saved his farm.

The driveway to the Rieben Farm outside of Banks, Oregon is unpaved and lined with crimson fields. The Rieben family has farmed this 200 acre plot since 1889.

Greg Rieben is a fourth generation farmer. He says the future of his farm was uncertain not too long ago.

Greg Rieben "Things are really, really tough in basically all aspects of agriculture right now.  So it's been survival basically."

The Rieben farm is primarily a hog operation these days.

Greg Rieben's dad Ernie used to have a dairy, but that's been gone for decades.

Greg Rieben: "We have yorkshire and hampshire and a chesterwhite...."

Rieben usually has about 700 hogs on site.   The farm isn't organic; it's designated "natural".  But Rieben says he doesn't use antibiotics on animals, and he has large pastures for the pigs to roam.

He says it's a more humane way to raise the animals.

These characteristics drew Allan Hummel, the director of meat and seafood for New Seasons Market to the Rieben farm four years ago.  Hummel says Ernie Rieben was ahead of his competitors for a long time.

Alan Hummell: "The floors are heated, they're sloped, it's straw bedding.  He designed it in the late 50s, which was kind of unheard of for the time.  So I think it was pretty progressive for what he was doing back at that time period.  So for me, a farmer looking at doing things differently was very inspiring to us."

Inspiration for New Seasons spelled relief for Ernie Rieben's son, Greg.   He said he seriously considered shutting down the small hog farm.

Greg Rieben: "We were competing on an uneven playing field you might say.  The costs are a little bit lower in the midwest.  So their interest in sustaining local production has made it possible to do just that."

Rieben says he feels an accute pressure to succeed.

Greg Rieben: "Being the fourth generation and wanting to carry it on.  I don't want to be the one to screw it up basically."

Fortunately for Rieben, local production is the name of the game for New Seasons.

CEO Brian Rohter says he uses a portion of sales from the Pacific Village label to fund $50,000 dollars in grants for local farmers markets and other projects.

Rohter says the ultimate goal of the Pacific Village line is to connect farmers and consumers.

Brian Rohter: "If we can put a face on the people that are raising the beef and the pork, then we think that people in Portland will be more inclined to buy their food from those people and then be able to keep those farms and ranches in business."

Rohter says typically they settle on a flat price before each year with the farmers. But he says the rapidly rising fuel prices may force New Seasons to re-adjust their rates with farmers who might be having trouble making ends meet.

In any case, there's no end in sight for the partnership between Greg Rieben and New Seasons.

And that means Pacific Village products, like Rieben Farms pork will continue to travel less than 100 miles, from a local farm to the checkout stand.