Climate events drastically affect Oregon's crop yields, reshaping ... - KTVL

Climate events drastically affect Oregon's crop yields, reshaping state's agricultural landscape | KATU

PORTLAND, Ore. — Over the past several years, there has been a direct link between climate events and what is being harvested in Oregon, officials say. Oregon's crops have been impacted by climate events such as drought, wildfires, snowpack, and heat waves.

Jim Johnson, with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, explained the largest problem Oregon farmers are seeing now, the lack of water. “The impacts of water storage and available water for certain parts of the state for irrigation. Those that haven't had water have had to change crops, had to go fallow, smaller yields.”

Farmers are seeing less water on the landscape to keep their crops alive. There has to be more irrigation to keep crops and livestock alive, officials say.

According to Larry O'Neill, the Oregon State Climatologist, one thing we can say for certain is that climate change is impacting the quality and quantity of what we produce.

O’Neill says crops that were planted early in the growing season did not make it. Lower precipitation levels during the wet season and summer temperatures evaporate more water from the soil causing increased water loss from vegetation.

“The last few years, for instance, in Crook and Jefferson County; Jefferson County, they grow a lot of carrots and wheat and other things. We have seen detrimental impacts due to lack of irrigation.” according to O’Neill.

Both O'Neill and Johnson explained that although drought has the most impact on Oregon's farms, there are other causes to agriculture challenges.

Johnson says occasional hot spells/heat domes have had very dramatic impacts on certain commodities but have not occurred as much to give impacts like multiple years of drought.

Wildfires are another climate event that is linked. O'Neill explained some of the grapes can grow a little differently and taste differently when exposed to smoke. They also can affect berry crops.

Snowpack variability is another huge impact. The period from 2015-2016 was a very low year for snowpack. Those impacts can limit the amount of irrigation water that can be accessed.

“We are starting to see more crops that used to grow well here in the climate we used to have that are not doing so well now. Now changing to crops that might have been in a warmer drier place before”, says O’Neill.

According to Johnson, these challenges are impacting yields, quality of food, and volume size. Ultimately there are effects on crop’s availability and cost. As for the future, Johnson explains he will not be surprised to see different crops being grown in the state of Oregon.