The Extraordinary Willamette Valley: Action Alert!

By Scott Bassett

People often have a very weird notion about agriculture in the US, believing that the country is pretty much all farmland (where it's not cities, forests, mountains or deserts).

But, when you look at these two maps, you see that few areas of the country grow orchards, and there are even fewer acres used to grow vegetables. What the maps don't show is that millions of acres of prime farmland have been put under suburban sprawl, much of it devoted to the use, care, or feeding of automobiles. That's land that will almost certainly never grow food again.

So there are very few places in the country are suitable to grow fruit, nuts or vegetables.

Salem is smack in the middle of some of the best, most productive farmland in the country. And Minto Brown Park includes about 25 acres of hazelnut trees and 35 acres of fruit trees that have been abandoned. The orchards could be replanted with disease resistant trees and put back into production. (The City reported in April of 2009 that there were 30.4 acres of fruit trees and 18 acres of Hazelnuts. I have documentation from the 1973 Minto-Brown Island Park Development Study that the area of the orchards were larger, but I can't put a precise number on the area.)

In addition, 240 acres have been in vegetable production most years since the City took over ownership in the 1970s. The land in Minto Brown Park is so productive that it can be double-cropped in one growing season. This spring and summer, green beans will be planted and harvested twice.

On June 22, the Salem City Council will consider accepting federal funding for a conservation easement that will prevent most of the vegetable farming and prohibit replanting the orchards.

If you would like to see this prime farmland continue to be available for growing fresh local fruits and vegetables, please contact the Mayor and City Council, and attend the June 22 City Council meeting.

Source: The maps are from a New York Times article published May 3, 2009 (The Hot Spots for Organic Food by Hannah Fairfield) and the acreage count is from production in 2007.