Oregon Crops Behind Schedule

Farmers in Oregon are happy that there is plenty of water, but the cool, wet spring has put them behind their normal schedule for the crop year.

Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Inspection Program field operations manager Casey Prentiss said how far behind depends.

“I think we are pretty varied over the state. I think the farther east you go, the farther behind we are. But the volume is there and the quality will be there. It’s just that they are going to be later than normal.”

Onions in Malheur County, for example, are about eight weeks behind, compared to the Gorge where cherries are just a couple of weeks behind.

Prentiss said despite the delays, it wouldn’t be that hard to catch; just need some warm and dry weather.

“Things can and will catch up. Matter of fact, I think Mother Nature has a funny way of things catching up. In the far eastern part of the state, we have the warm nights. The crops there grow generally grow 24 hours a day so that’s how we are able to catch up and we will do that.”

There is one area that is on schedule, Umatilla County where the recent hot spells in the Columbia Basin have caught everything, for most part, up.