OLMIS

by Guy Tauer
Published Apr-30-2012

Farm operators who consider farming their principle occupation are included in the Oregon Employment Department estimates of agriculture employment. Although some agriculture employment is excluded from our usual surveys and administrative records, we still produce monthly estimates of total agriculture employment. Graph 1 shows estimates of agriculture employment in the Rogue Valley for 2011. The spike in Jackson County's agriculture employment in August and September is in large part due to the labor-intensive pear and grape harvesting work. A late spring and cool start to summer pushed back harvesting of the pear and wine grape crop, pushing up the employment level in October compared to the typical trend.

In 2011, Jackson County's total gross agriculture sales were $67.6 million, up 4.6 percent from a 2010 revised figure of $64.6 million. From 2010 to 2011, it appears that there was a large drop in "other hay" production, or that data associated with the crop became confidential. A large increase in "crops not disclosed" between those years also occurred. Livestock showed improvement in 2011, with dairy products up by 27.4 percent and calves and cattle increasing11.0 percent. The region's many wineries garner much attention, as there have been many acres of wine grapes planted recent years. But pears still reign king among the tree fruit and nut category. In 2011, pear sales totaled $14.0 million, almost double the value of wine grapes harvested, at about $7.7 million. Graph 2 displays the proportion of agriculture sales in Jackson County by commodity in 2011.

Jackson County had 28,034 harvested acres in 2011. Of that total, about two-thirds were not disclosed, and about one-fifth were tree fruits and nuts. Most of the remainder were grains and vegetable crops, grains, hay, and forage.

Josephine County's agriculture sales in 2011 totaled $21.5 million. Sales climbed from the 2010 revised figure of $18.2 million, an increase of 18.2 percent. Over the year, hay and forage (+71.2%), and specialty products (+50%), tree fruits and nuts (+17.8 %), calves and cattle (+11.1%), and dairy products (+15.8%) all posted sales increases. Some of those gains may have been a change in "crops not disclosed", which fell by 98.8 percent from 2010. Statewide, total sales rose by 17.0 percent between 2010 and 2011 using figures comparable to 2010 totals. In 2011, commercial fisheries were included in the published totals. Graph 3 shows the distribution of Josephine agriculture commodity sales in 2011.

Harvested acreage in Josephine County totaled 11,998 in 2011. About 85 percent of that total was hay and forage acreage. Vegetable crops and tree fruits and nuts combined for about 13 percent of the remaining harvest acreage.

Josephine County is somewhat constrained due to less topography suited for crops and farms, but still had nearly $19 million in agriculture sales in 2010. Jackson County has historically been the home of many acres of pear orchards, associated packing plants and the home of Bear Creek Corporation, a large employer and key player in the region's economy. Over time, while the acreage in pears declined, the wine grape industry increased its footprint and importance in the region.