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Hay/
Forages
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One
of the major challenges of growing crops in Camas County is the
high elevation (5100 ft), which shortens the growing season to
60-80 days. Working
under these conditions, with Mother Nature’s temperatures,
limited rainfall and winds, can be a test of management skills
for growers. Alfalfa
hay is the primary crop grown in Camas County.
Many producers grow certified organic hay and grain.
Production is either irrigated or non-irrigated with the
majority (87%) being non-irrigated.
Most producers who irrigate use supplemental irrigation.
Farmers harvest 1-2 cuttings of hay per year, averaging
1-2 ton/acre for dryland hay and 2-3 ton/acre for irrigated hay.
Total hay tonnage exported from the county each year averages
around 110,000 tons. A survey of growers in 1999 was
conducted in order to help Camas County hay growers identify
problems. The
survey indicated that alfalfa production and quality were the
two main concerns of growers.
The most pressing production problems are winter kill,
hay quality, and weed control.
The survey also showed that twenty-three different
varieties of alfalfa are grown across the prairie.
Some hay is certified organic and this gives growers an
added challenge of reducing weeds, disease and insects within
the framework of organic production requirements. |
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