A year has passed since the first issue of The Other Oregon was published. We’ve enjoyed hearing from people all over the state about how this magazine is a much-needed publication to help bridge the urban-rural divide, which is gratifying since that is our primary mission.

In our first four issues, we’ve written about how the state’s rural and urban economies are deeply interdependent. Last Fall, our cover story examined how rural economies based on natural resources are prone to boom-bust cycles, and last Winter we focused on public land management issues. Our Spring issue featured Ecotrust’s food hub in southeast Portland, The Redd, which is connecting small and mid-sized rural food producers with urban customers, to the benefit of all. The Summer issue’s cover story examined the flow of food from rural farms to Portland — a $4 billion annual market.

We are hoping to reframe the conversations going on in Oregon, from the statehouse in Salem to coffeehouses and brewpubs in every city and town. Instead of an us-versus-them perspective, focused on the differences between urban and rural Oregon, we hope to create a more robust conversation about how we all can connect, collaborate, and thrive in this great state.

If this message resonates with you, please tell your family, friends and colleagues about The Other Oregon. On our new website — www.theotheroregon.com — anyone can sign up for the magazine and our monthly e-newsletter at no cost — though we do welcome donations to offset our costs. We deeply appreciate the support of our steering committee members and advertisers, as they all share our commitment to reaching across the urban-rural divide.

— Kathryn B. Brown, Publisher