Chapter EIGHT

Agriculture

Oregon's vast amount of land and good soils easily lend themselves to agriculture. The state's agricultural products include inedible items such as Christmas trees, nursery plants and grass seed. Oregon is the leading producer of Christmas trees. 

All Christmas trees are grown on independent tree farms. Oregon's Clackamas County is where the majority of the state's Christmas trees are produced. This particular tree industry is estimated to be valued at $100 million annually. 

Christmas tree farm in Redland, Oregon.

Oregon State University uses the following image to show what percentage of each crop makes up the state's agriculture.

Out of the state's livestock products there is milk, beef, chicken eggs, and broilers. The most valuable are beef and milk. Oregon also produces a large potato crop and is known as a vegetable-producing state. Other vegetables include onions, sweet corn, sugar beets, hazelnuts, loganberries, blackberries, and marionberries. I had the opportunity to try marionberry jam while in Oregon and I HIGHLY recommend finding some fast! It was the best jam I have ever had in my life.

Oregon produces most of the country's seeds for ryegrass, orchardgrass, and crimson clover among others. It's no surprise since anywhere you go in Salem you are guaranteed to find large nurseries that employ most of the locals. They do work that varies from watering the plants to transplanting them. 

Sources:
Image 1
Image 2
"Keeping Oregon's Christmas Tree Industry on Top." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/release/2007/12/keeping-oregons-christmas-tree-industry-top>.
 "Oregon Agriculture Produces Sales More than $4 Billion." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/release/2006/04/oregon-agriculture-produces-sales-more-4-billion>.
"Oregon Department of Agriculture The History of Oregon Agriculture." Oregon Department of Agriculture The History of Oregon Agriculture. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/pages/do_history.aspx>.
"Oregon Economy." Economy of Oregon including Oregon Agriculture and Manufacturing from NETSTATE.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. <http://www.netstate.com/economy/or_economy.htm>.
"Oregon's Diverse Farms and Agriculture." Welcome to the Oregon Explorer! N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://oregonexplorer.info/farm/FarmsandAgriculture>.