KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The Klamath Water Users Association’s 17th annual Fall Harvest Tour Sept. 20 featured frank discussions about water availability and how farmers are coping.

Farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin have received little water for three straight years and producers worry their allocation may plummet with a new operations plan from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Moss Driscoll, KWUA director of water policy, said the region has been in crisis since the 2001 bucket brigade protests due to restrictions.

But ag operators are adapting. “Farmers are saying this is the new reality. How are we going to make this work?” Driscoll said.

Switching grains

Clint Walker, owner of Walker Bros. Grain in Tulelake, Calif., said growers are switching to grains that don’t take as much water. Beardless varieties allow them to choose whether to cut for hay early if the crop doesn’t get enough water.

With low bushel weights, high proteins and shrunken kernels, plenty of grain has been low quality and destined for livestock feed.

But California had a good water year so ranchers have ample grass for their livestock.

“We’re seeing the hay market really low and depressed,” said Walker, who buys and markets grain.

The feed market also is stretched by a bumper corn crop this year, Walker added.

Walker said he tries to store grain for one year. “We’re running out of room for all that grain and that’s due to low commodity prices,” Walker said

Farmers are facing cash flow issues.

“A lot of guys are saying, ‘Sell, I don’t care the price. I need the money,’” he said.

With the water issues and low prices, younger generations are abandoning agriculture, and larger operations are gobbling up acreage, Walker said.

Rotating wetlands and crops

In the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, leased ag land has dikes and tile drainage that allow water to be stored and moved.

Staunton Farms is rotating 2-year wetlands with its potato, grains and onion fields.

“We’ve found a tool we can use for both wildlife and agriculture,” owner Marc Staunton said.

Wetlands benefit native birds and fish and can be drained and back in production in a year or two.

The acreage also provides opportunities unlike any other for organic agriculture, Staunton said, as the wetlands suppress pests such as nematodes and diseases like allium white rot.

Staunton Farms has been rotating in wetlands for almost 20 years. The practice, however, is hard to do with “roller coaster” water seasons.

The Klamath Basin looks like it might not see as much water in the next few years, which means not as many opportunities to create wetlands, Staunton said.

“We continue to throw money and water at these environmental problems but ignore solutions that are actually working,” he added.

High entry costs

Tricia Walker and Ben DuVal of Tally Ho Farms in Malin, Ore., grow potatoes and grain on their 15,000 acres. Some of their land is on a water right that predates the Klamath Project, so they aren’t subject to restrictions as much.

The married couple said that they bought their Claas Lexion combine 14 years ago for $550,000. Today the machine, which has GPS and autopilot, would cost more than $1 million.

“It’s just a reminder that we have one of the highest entry costs to get into the industry,” Walker said, adding that land and buildings to store product also were part of the equation.

Still, the high expense equals high productivity.

The combine harvests enough wheat in one hour to bake 215,000 loaves of bread, DuVal said.

The price of grain, however, is dependent on the market, which makes controlling costs difficult.

This year, the cost of grain is about half of what it was two years ago, DuVal said.

About 50 people, including residents, farmers, agribusiness representatives and elected officials, attended the Fall Harvest Tour.

The Klamath Community College ag campus was one of the stops on the event.

Farmer Scott Seus also gave a presentation to attendees about the ag labor shortage and his “fantastic” experience importing skilled workers from South Africa using the H-2A program.