Ted Warrick and his wife own Wooldridge Creek Winery in the beautiful Applegate Valley in southern Oregon. They’ve been there since the mid-70s, and love the area and their 56-acre vineyard.

For years, they’ve been selling their grapes to other vineyards. Three years ago, they partnered with another couple and opened their own winery. They started a wine club and 98% of their wine sales are through the club. They host many events at the winery, their customers come over, have an educational experience and a good time.

Unfortunately, Measure 37 threatens the future of Ted’s business. He and his wife have a Measure 37 claim to the north and west; a Measure 37 claim to the south; and a Measure 37 claim down the North Applegate Road, a couple of miles from where they’re located.

The Warricks are situated in an exclusive farm use zone, but the two claims bordering their property are for housing subdivisions. Talk about conflicts! Subdivisions and farming don’t mix, but subdivisions and vineyards really don’t mix, Ted says. Vineyards aren’t neighbor-friendly operations. Ted says his operation generates a lot of noise and dust. And if they don’t spray their grapes, they lose their crop. It’s that simple.

Exclusive farm use zoning means Ted doesn’t have to worry about a flood of complaints from neighbors about noise, dust and spraying. Measure 37 claims, which predominately effect farmland, would change that for Ted and countless farmers throughout Oregon.

That’s not all: the Measure 37 claim down the road from Ted and his wife is for a gravel mine. If that claim gets approved, they will have dump trucks every two and a half minutes hauling gravel down their narrow, winding road. That’s a frightening thought for Ted. He worries about the safety of his customers.

If these Measure 37 claims put him out of business, Ted wonders where he can go for compensation.

Ted says he doesn’t have a problem with someone using Measure 37 to build a house or two on their property. He says he thinks that’s what voters intended. But putting subdivisions and gravel mines where they don’t belong—that’s just not the Oregon way, Ted says.

At Wooldridge Creek, Ted and his wife have the ambition to farm, make premium wines and to be an asset to the local community. He says he supports Measure 49 because it’s a reasonable, common sense solution to the current Measure 37 mess.

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