Threemile Canyon Farms produces organic onions, potatoes and other crops on over 1000 acres of certified organic cropland. They are located in a remote corner of northeastern Oregon on the Columbia River. Over the years, this area has been the scene of many battles between conservationists and agricultural and development interests. At stake are water rights to the Columbia River and large areas of undisturbed shrub-steppe habitat critical to a number of imperiled species, including hawks, loggerhead shrikes, sage sparrows, ground squirrels, and several species of salmon.

In order to protect this critical wild habitat, Threemile Canyon Farms developed a tremendous conservation effort. In 2003 they set aside 23,000 acres of undisturbed juniper and sage habitat - 25% of the property's 145 square miles - in permanent protection under The Nature Conservancy's management. The farm also provides funding and in-kind assistance to The Nature Conservancy for management of the conservation area. On top of that they consented to using only half of the Columbia River water originally allotted. This leaves 120,000 acre-feet more water annually in the river for other users, both wild and domesticated.

Besides setting virgin land aside for conservation, and using organic agricultural practices, the company takes additional steps to protect the environment around cultivated areas. The native shrub-steppe is extremely susceptible to fire and invasion by foreign species. Threemile Canyon is diligent about reseeding the borders of fields with native plant species and implementing aggressive fire protection measures.

Threemile Canyon places a high priority on developing a sustainable, closed-loop operation, which will protect the environment and benefit the local rural economy. Crop rotation, composting, water and energy conservation are essential to the farm's sustainable vision.