Only four of Oregon’s top 10 farm commodities increased value in 2010, yet overall state commodities increased 3.8% to $4.3 billion. Many farm products declined in 2009. In 2010 sales of cattle, the state’s No. 1 commodity for the last few years, grew 12.8% to $709 billion. Dairy products grew 17.1% to $473 million, edging out nursery crops — largely dependent on the real estate industry — for the No. 2 position, but still short of the $500 million dairies achieved in 2008.  Wheat sales fell 16.8% in 2009, but bounced back 36.5% in 2010 to $354 million, and 2011 could be an even bigger year for Northwest wheat farmers after bad weather destroyed crops in Russia, Australia and other wheat-exporting nations. Alfalfa and other hay, potatoes, and greenhouse crops all experienced a drop in sales for 2010. And Oregon’s Christmas tree crop fell 1.3% in sales following a 15.4% drop in 2009. However, Eastern Oregon’s dry storage onions grew sales 44.2% in 2010 to $123 million, and moved up into the top 10 as the seventh most valuable commodity.

BRANDON SAWYER