Oregon's Willamette Valley

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There are, in fact, few temperate-climate crops that won't thrive in the Willamette Valley, which has 215 frost-free days annually and some of the richest soil and most diversified agriculture in the world. It's notable, too, that three-fourths of Oregon's farms (which average 486 acres versus a national average of 437) are operated by their owners, as compared to one-half nationwide.

Home gardens also flourish. If an urban resident has no backyard, the front lawn often supports corn, tomatoes, and squash. State and county agricultural departments actively encourage this grow-it-yourself attitude with information and seminars on food preservation and gardening skills. County extension offices also rent out canning equipment for nomimal fees. Unfortunately, these same resources are heavily tied to the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides. One result is that a chemically caused hardpan is forming under some sections of the valley.

Nevertheless, organic gardening is very popular. Certified organic farms market vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, herbs, seeds, and grain. Oregon Tilth, the organization that runs the certification program, has created new standards that are likely to become guidelines for the nation's organic farm industry. At present, the two farming methods, like so many of Oregon's seemingly opposing elements, coexist peaceably. Tilth board member Harry MacCormack's gardening column alternates in the Corvallis paper with another filled with chemical gardening tips. And in the Corvallis First Alternative food co-op, organic and nonorganic types of produce are sold side by side.

(This co-op, which was started in 1970, now has 8,000 members, who pay a one-time, $5 refundable membership fee. With only five full-time-equivalent employees, it has the atmosphere of a gourmet grocery, but prices are much lower than in supermarkets. Two hundred volunteers devote two hours a week to running the co-op in exchange for an extra 15% off their bills. Nonmembers pay a 5% surcharge on purchases.)

Getting There

The Willamette is easy to reach nowadays. Interstate 5 cuts the valley in half, and—at Salem, Albany, and Eugene—intersects major routes leading east over the Cascades. A half-dozen highways wind to the coast, and Amtrak offers daily service between Eugene, Albany, and Salem, with connections to Los Angeles and Seattle.

Eugene's attractive Malhon Sweet Airport, sitting in the middle of wheat fields and usually filled to capacity with travelers, is served by five major airlines with flights to San Francisco, Denver, Portland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Boise, Dallas, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Chicago.

The Climate

No one will deny that Oregon winters are rainy, cloudy, and depressing. Summer fog, too, occasionally creeps over from the coast. Yet the Willamette's rainfall averages just 46" annually (from 7.10" in December to 0.35" in July), which is less than that of Chicago, New York, Miami, or New Orleans; it just seems like more because about half the total occurs during the three winter months. Winter temperatures, however, seldom fall below 25°F, and the typical two-week warm spell in February sometimes fools even old-timers into thinking spring has arrived, though most locals don't plant gardens until early May. There's measurable snow some five days of the year. Thunderstorms and strong winds are rare. Summer highs are normally in the 80s, but even when temperatures soar into the 90s, cool nights require a blanket. Autumns are clear and dry.

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