https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-state-university-climate-change-dry-farming-willamette-valley/
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It’s not a new way of farming. It’s how farmers farmed before the rise of dams, irrigation pipes and central pivots.
Dry farming relies on the moisture that’s stored in the soil from winter rainwater. It’s successful in regions with at least 20 inches of annual rainfall and a summertime climate with cool mornings and warm afternoons.
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“The most common question I got at that field day was, ‘OK, so how many times did you water?’ I’m like, ‘Well, we didn’t water. We planted early when there was still moisture, and we space things out wider, and we use these varieties based on their history and so forth,’” Garrett said. “And people were kind of flabbergasted as to how these plants could grow without water.”
There isn’t a precise recipe for dry farming; there are lots of farmers testing out creative ways to revive dry farming that work for their regions’ weather patterns and soil types.
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According to her research, some of the benefits, besides using less water, include less labor, fewer weeds and better-tasting produce.
But there are downsides. Dry farming produces less per acre because plants need to be spaced out more in order to collect enough water from the soil.
And it’s not as simple as just walking out into any old field, planting some seeds and walking away. Soil variations and regions play a key role, too.
“If I was looking for a soil to dry farm, I’d be looking for a soil that’s got very high water holding capacity, good fertility, no restrictive layers, and enough of it that you can make a farm out of it,” soil scientist Andy Gallagher said.
He said some of the best soils for dry farming are deep and have relatively high clay content, like in the Willamette Valley.
..
It’s not a new way of farming. It’s how farmers farmed before the rise of dams, irrigation pipes and central pivots.
Dry farming relies on the moisture that’s stored in the soil from winter rainwater. It’s successful in regions with at least 20 inches of annual rainfall and a summertime climate with cool mornings and warm afternoons.
..
“The most common question I got at that field day was, ‘OK, so how many times did you water?’ I’m like, ‘Well, we didn’t water. We planted early when there was still moisture, and we space things out wider, and we use these varieties based on their history and so forth,’” Garrett said. “And people were kind of flabbergasted as to how these plants could grow without water.”
There isn’t a precise recipe for dry farming; there are lots of farmers testing out creative ways to revive dry farming that work for their regions’ weather patterns and soil types.
..
According to her research, some of the benefits, besides using less water, include less labor, fewer weeds and better-tasting produce.
But there are downsides. Dry farming produces less per acre because plants need to be spaced out more in order to collect enough water from the soil.
And it’s not as simple as just walking out into any old field, planting some seeds and walking away. Soil variations and regions play a key role, too.
“If I was looking for a soil to dry farm, I’d be looking for a soil that’s got very high water holding capacity, good fertility, no restrictive layers, and enough of it that you can make a farm out of it,” soil scientist Andy Gallagher said.
He said some of the best soils for dry farming are deep and have relatively high clay content, like in the Willamette Valley.
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