Interesting post, I like that you have a call to action at the end. There is definitely a lot of interest in seed swaps and permaculture in the Willamette Valley, it would be interesting to have some sort of coalition develop where groups like the Agrarian Sharing Network and others that could facilitate something like a conference or knowledge and seed swap. I guess they already kind of do that with the propagation fairs. A cooperatively-owned food processing facility for small farmers is a good idea too. My family used to sell prunes to local driers but now they just rot on the trees.
I think that unfortunately, Oregon agriculture is already facing a lot of the same pressures that California agriculture does. This includes pressure from Urban Growth Boundaries, the need for more housing, data centers, and clean energy infrastructure, increasing summer temperatures, reduced water allotments (farmers do get their water shut off in Oregon), and an aging farmer population. Many industries, including the process green bean industry, which has been in the valley for over a hundred year, are declining. I expect that by the end of the 21st century, the Willamette Valley will be more similar to Medford as far as climate. The aquifer in the Cascades is interesting, maybe it will be developed someday. Hopefully it will still be in public hands after this corrupt shit-show of an administration is over. I wouldn't be surprised if they sold it off to some company or nation to pay for Bitcoins or tax cuts.
Processing tomatoes are a big crop in the central valley of California, but they are starting to move some of the production to eastern Washington and Oregon. Interestingly, Milton-Freewater was a big tomato producer in the early part of the 20th century. Looks like a lot of that industry might be coming back. I wonder what other crops will be heading this way as climate refugees.
Interesting post, I like that you have a call to action at the end. There is definitely a lot of interest in seed swaps and permaculture in the Willamette Valley, it would be interesting to have some sort of coalition develop where groups like the Agrarian Sharing Network and others that could facilitate something like a conference or knowledge and seed swap. I guess they already kind of do that with the propagation fairs. A cooperatively-owned food processing facility for small farmers is a good idea too. My family used to sell prunes to local driers but now they just rot on the trees.
I think that unfortunately, Oregon agriculture is already facing a lot of the same pressures that California agriculture does. This includes pressure from Urban Growth Boundaries, the need for more housing, data centers, and clean energy infrastructure, increasing summer temperatures, reduced water allotments (farmers do get their water shut off in Oregon), and an aging farmer population. Many industries, including the process green bean industry, which has been in the valley for over a hundred year, are declining. I expect that by the end of the 21st century, the Willamette Valley will be more similar to Medford as far as climate. The aquifer in the Cascades is interesting, maybe it will be developed someday. Hopefully it will still be in public hands after this corrupt shit-show of an administration is over. I wouldn't be surprised if they sold it off to some company or nation to pay for Bitcoins or tax cuts.
Processing tomatoes are a big crop in the central valley of California, but they are starting to move some of the production to eastern Washington and Oregon. Interestingly, Milton-Freewater was a big tomato producer in the early part of the 20th century. Looks like a lot of that industry might be coming back. I wonder what other crops will be heading this way as climate refugees.