Agricultural Diversity: Oregon Ranches for Sale Have It All

If you’re looking for diversity in an agricultural pursuit that has the huge potential to be sustainable and profitable well into the future, then Oregon is the place to be. Agriculture is the state’s second biggest economic sector next to the high-tech industry, and it is booming. In 2012, the state’s agriculture economy achieved a groundbreaking triumph, earning $5.4 billion in sales from farming.

Writing for The Prairie Star, Chelsea Davis looks at what makes agriculture in Oregon so successful.

The United States looks to Oregon when it wants blackberries, boysenberries, black raspberries and hazelnuts — because Oregon is the only state producing them on a commercial scale, according to the Oregon Agriculture & Fisheries Statistics report for 2012-2013.

“The Oregon agriculture, because it’s so diverse, I think it’s more resilient than some of the other farm programs,” said Dave Losh, U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service state statistician in the Oregon field office.

Berries’ success is thanks to Oregon’s climate: “cool, wet springs and warm, hot summers that let the berries hang on the canes longer than in other regions and develop a great flavor profile,” said Cat Mckenzie, Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission marketing director.

Consequently, it is not hard to consider ranches for sale in Oregon as prime commodities.

The Beaver State is a leading producer of hops, peppermint, spearmint, snap beans, boysenberries, and youngberries. The state’s top three cash crops of the state are hazelnuts, hay, and wheat. In any case, it pays to keep in mind valuable information about Oregon’s agricultural sector before talking to a real estate broker.

Oregon has three well-defined growing areas: the Oregon coast, Eastern and Southern Oregon, and the Willamette Valley. The state has very dry summers, so the state is heavily reliant on irrigation during the warmer months. Almost 78 percent of Oregon’s water usage goes to farm irrigation—that’s significantly more than the average national usage, which stands at 40 percent.

In addition, Oregon has approximately 2,000 different soil types. As such, you need to know if any of the ranches for sale you are looking at is conducive to the particular crops you have in mind.

If you’re interested in finding the ideal Oregon ranches for sale that suits your needs, trusted real estate brokers like Mirr Ranch Group are the ones you should approach.

(Source: Oregon’s diverse crops stabilize agricultural economy, Ag Weekly, Aug. 5 2014)