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John Gray (Oregon)
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| John Gray | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Winter Green Farm |
| Role: | Co-owner |
| Location: | Eugene, Ore. |
As of 2016, John "Jack" Gray was the co-owner of Winter Green Farms, an organic and environmentally friendly farm near Eugene, Oregon. He and his sisters—Joan Gray and Janet Webster—were top contributors to Oregon Outdoor School Lottery Fund, Measure 99, a 2016 ballot measure in Oregon.
Career
Gray is the son of John and Betty Gray, Oregon philanthropists who donated to organizations and causes related to "early childhood, geography and environmental education." After John and Betty passed away, their children started the Gray Family Foundation as a way to "support John and Betty Gray’s faith in the human spirit through giving back to the systems that nurture all of us – our culture, our natural environment and our communities."[1][2] Jack Gray is an advisor to the foundation.[3]
In addition to his advisory role with the foundation, Gray was the co-owner of Winter Green Farms in Eugene, Oregon. After graduating from Wesleyan University in New Jersey, Gray returned to Oregon, where he grew up, to start the farm as a homestead in 1980.[4] In 2014, Gray explained the farm's path to an environmentally friendly approach to crop production, saying,[5]
| “ | We were pretty grounded in the environmental movement and we had a lot of things in our head. But within a couple of years we got rid of the draft horses. When we looked at the prospect of becoming a viable farm and actually making some money, we realized we had to do something different. As we looked around, we noticed that a new environmentally friendly, alternative form of agriculture was just starting to bud a little bit, so we tried to get involved with that.[6] | ” |
According to its website, the farm aimed to be a "productive farm in harmony with the earth, humanity, and ourselves."[7]
Political activity
Ballot measure activity
Gray was one of the top contributors in support of Oregon Outdoor School Lottery Fund, Measure 99 in 2016.. The outdoor school initiative was designed to designate about $22 million in state lottery funds for outdoor education for all fifth and sixth graders in Oregon.[8]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
The following table details John Gray’s ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for John Gray | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Oregon Outdoor School Lottery Fund, Measure 99 | 2016 | Supported[9] | |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'John Gray (Oregon)'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Oregonian, John Gray, Portland developer and philanthropist, dies at 93," October 19, 2012
- ↑ Gray Family Foundation, "History of the Gray Family Foundation," accessed September 15, 2016
- ↑ Oregon Outdoor Education Commission, "Steering Committee," accessed September 15, 2016
- ↑ Mother Earth News, "Getting to Know the Farmers at Winter Green Farm, Part 1," December 30, 2014
- ↑ Mother Earth News, "Getting to Know the Farmers at Winter Green Farm, Part 2," January 8, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Winter Green Farm, "Mission," accessed September 15, 2016
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Ballot title," accessed July 26, 2016
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State,"Yes on 99," accessed August 28, 2016
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