As I posted last August, every five years the US Depart of Agriculture conducts a “Census of Agriculture“, which they claim is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches. “Even small plots of land – whether rural or urban – count if $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.” Last week the 2022 census was released and it once again clearly shows that while there is some important local commercial agriculture, most Central Oregon irrigators are not farmers as defined by the USDA. Given the fact that approximately 86% of all local water is used by irrigators, understanding where water is going is important for all of us.

According to the 2022 census, Deschutes County had 1,572 farms.  The average size was 97 acres, but the median was 11 acres.  If you remember your arithmetic, you know this means that half of farms were well under 11 acres.  1,167 farms, 74% of the total, had revenues of less than $10,000, and the average farm lost $8,571.

Crook County had 609 farms with an average size of 1,368 acres and a median of 40 acres.  330, or 55%, had revenues less than $10,000, with an average net income of -$3,197.  Even Jefferson County had eye opening numbers.  348 farms with an average size of 1,558 acres but a median of 66 acres.  174 farms, or 50%, had net income less than $10,000 with an average of $4,306.

These figures are similar to the 2017 census with the exception of declines in net income in Jefferson and Crook counties. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that these counties are where the bulk of local commercially viable agriculture occurs and their economic output has been harmed by the drought.

Looking at all three counties combined, the USDA counted 2,529 farms (those with net incomes, or expected incomes, over $1,000), the majority of which had net incomes under $10,000 in both the 2017 and 2022 census. These numbers should concern all Central Oregonians, but they are likely underreporting the problem.  Most agricultural users get their water from one of eight irrigation districts, collectively organized as the Deschutes Basin Board of Control.  The DBBC has “over” 7,600 “patrons”, mostly farms, but also some schools and parks.

Let’s be generous and assume the DBBC serves 7,500 farms.  (“Generous” as it’s unlikely that over 100 schools and parks get water from irrigation districts.) The 2022 census says there are 2,529 farms in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. So, where are the missing approximately 5,000 patrons?  The logical conclusion is they are irrigators that have less than, and normally have less than, $1,000 in revenues a year.   Hobby farmers.

Here’s another way of looking at it. Let’s continue to assume that DBBC serves around 7,500 patrons that are not schools and parks. Per the USDA, only about 855 of 2,559 farms, per their definition, in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties had net incomes over $10,000. That’s only 11% of the 7,500 total irrigators in all three counties.

Without a doubt, all of us have the right to pursue the hobby of our choice if it does no harm.  Unfortunately, harm is being done.  Our rivers, lakes, fish, and wildlife are suffering, groundwater levels are dropping, real agriculture is unable to get sufficient water to meet their needs, and taxpayers are massively subsidizing all irrigation district patrons regardless of how the water is being used.  Taxpayers are paying almost all the cost of canal piping.  Dramatic property tax breaks are given to exclusive farm use zoned parcels, even if they do not qualify as a farm according to the US Department of Agriculture. 

As stated on Central Oregon Irrigation District’s website, settlers were encouraged to travel west with the promise of “free land in Oregon, in the richest grain, fruit, and stock section in the world”, the only cost was fees to the irrigation district.  What salesmanship!  That world never existed but water continues to be governed as if it does, including water allocation and use rules established well over 100 years ago.

Shouldn’t water use support real agriculture and our current economy? Rules governing water are archaic, shouldn’t they be forward looking?  Why should taxpayers provide massive support for hobbies?  Perhaps most important, we are facing a climate crisis and can no longer afford the waste.  It’s time for fundamental change.