Cattle and hay are the main commodities in the Klamath Basin, so farmers will be restricted on the number of livestock they can support with limited water resources. The less farmers are able to produce, the higher prices consumers will have to pay at the store. Because Oregon's agricultural breadbasket is also its population center, farmers sometimes have to take a back seat to other interests, such as power and environmental issues. Oregon leads the nation in production of grass seed, boysenberries, blackberries, hazelnuts, prunes and plums, potted azaleas and Christmas trees. It's no coincidence that farmers struggle with water issues since the state's op agricultural producers are also located adjacent next to booming population areas.
Agricultural ownership remains in the hands of small producers.
The Dept. of Agriculture estimates 86 percent of farms are owned by individuals or partnerships and only 5 percent are owned by corporations. Those owners have and average age of 54, which is the oldest on record with the state. An estimated 70 percent of Oregon's farms will change ownership ownership over the next decade as those older farmers retire.