In October, the board of the Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District unanimously approved a purchase agreement for what’s known as the Rice Farm in Springfield.

On a balmy fall afternoon, Arlene Dietz, 81, navigated her 2014 GMC pickup through rows and rows of hazelnut trees. Some are but saplings; others are dense, tall and majestic.

“It’s been in the family for over 100 years,” Dietz said of the 289 acre farm, pointing out some of the older trees. “These were planted in 1930, so y’know, 95 years? That’s pretty good.”

Dietz inherited Rice Farm when her father died in 2010. After her husband died last year, she and her sons discussed next steps.

“We concluded that we wanted to keep it in hazelnuts, and we wanted some conservation for the river part of the orchard,” she sa

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