Page 12 - Rural Tourism Report Washington County

CHAPTER 2: THE WASHINGTON COUNTY AGRICULTURE SECTOR

This chapter provides a profile of agriculture in the Washington County economy and landscape. It includes
estimates of economic contributions, shows how land is used for agriculture, and indicates success factors,
challenges, and trends in agriculture.

Introduction
Washington County contains a wide variety of land uses, from urban

to rural. The County’s urban areas are bordered by rolling and rich
farmland that dominates the valley floor. Several smaller cities and
communities dot the farmland.

The County resides in the Willamette Valley Growing Region which,
according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, may be the most
diverse growing region on earth. Some 170 different crops are produced
here , often unique in their growing needs and market demands.
6

Washington County is a state leader in raising food and fiber, producing
a consistent and impressive bounty of plant and animal products.
While the County’s agriculture sector was negatively affected by job
Washington County is a state leader in losses and declining incomes during the Great Recession (2007-
producing food and fiber. Photo courtesy 7
of Lynn Ketchem, OSU Extension and 2009 ), the agriculture industry is rebounding with steady growth
Experiment Station Communications (EESC) statewide according to a 2015 Oregon State University Extension

8
What is Service analysis . In 2012, at the time of the last official measurement
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Agricultural Statistics
Agriculture? Service (NASS ) , Washington County ranked eighth in market value of
9
We define agriculture broadly
to include activities necessary products in Oregon and produced agricultural products totaling nearly
to cultivate, harvest, process, $238 million. The next Census of Agriculture will be taken in 2017.
and market biologically based
products that originate on Information for this chapter was based on agricultural statistical data
farms and ranches. obtained from NASS . Success factors, challenges, and trends were
10
– Bruce Sorte/ Bruce Weber identified based on interviews with Washington County agriculture
OSU Extension Service 2011
producers (farmers), and expert opinions from leaders of agriculture
A farm is defined as any place organizations, commodity groups, government agencies, and the
from which $1,000 or more consulting team.
of agricultural products were
produced and sold, or normally 6 Oregon Department of Agriculture: www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/documents/publications/administra-
tion/ORgrowingregions.pdf
would have been sold, during 7 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “BLS Spotlight on Statistics – The Recession of 2007-2009.” 2012. Chapter 2,
Tables 1 and 7.
the year. 8 Oregon Agriculture, Food and Fiber: An Economic Analysis. Oregon State University Extension Service Rural
– USDA Economic Research Studies Program. December 2015.
9 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. See 2012 Census of Agriculture for complete footnotes, expla-
Service nations, definitions, and methodology. USDA NASS will take their next official Agriculture Census in 2017
10 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. See 2012 Census of Agriculture for complete footnotes, expla-
nations, definitions, and methodology. USDA NASS will take their next official Agriculture Census in 2017.
8 WASHINGTON COUNTY RURAL TOURISM STUDY