Fall harvest underway as Central Oregon farmers prepare for changing season

CENTRAL OREGON — From early heat and limited water to fields still producing strawberries and pumpkins, harvest season is telling a different story from one Central Oregon farm to the next.

At Sakari Farms, farm manager Sam Schreiner said this growing season has been tougher than most. Heat arrived early and persisted, while water availability remained a concern as the farm planned its crops.

“Overall, this has been a tougher year than others because, number one, the heat started early this season and didn’t stop for a while,” Schreiner said.

But those challenges weren’t unexpected.

Schreiner said the farm went into the growing season planning around the possibility of limited water, including scaling back some plantings. Sakari Farms was also designed with resilience in mind, using irrigation options that help the farm respond to conditions including heat, smoke and ash.

“We had all this in mind at the beginning of the season and cut some of our plantings back because we knew we would run out of water,” Schreiner said.

Despite the challenges, Schreiner said the planning helped the farm make it through the season and produce successful crops.

Just a short distance away, the growing season has looked different at Well Rooted Produce.

Crop manager Scott Maricle said the farm is fortunate to be in the Swalley Irrigation District and has had plenty of water this season.

That has translated into what Maricle described as a bountiful harvest of melons, tomatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins.

“We really can’t complain about this year at all,” Maricle said.

And the harvest isn’t over.

Well Rooted is preparing for pumpkin season, while strawberries are still coming out of the field. Maricle said the berries could continue producing until colder weather finally brings the season to an end.

The experiences at the two farms highlight how much growing conditions can vary across Central Oregon. For some growers, this season required adapting to heat and limited resources. For others, water availability helped produce an abundant harvest.

Either way, farmers are now taking stock of what made it through the growing season — and turning their attention toward fall.

Watch the video above for KTVZ’s Lance Campbell’s full report from the fields.