Agriculture has been deeply rooted in Hermiston since the city’s beginning. Hermiston is widely known for being a leader in agriculture. New irrigation techniques developed long ago, particularly circle sprinklers, led to the farming of much land formerly covered by sagebrush. Hot days and cool summer nights are an integral factor for Hermiston’s ideal growing season.
Today, Hermiston excels in the ag industry due to advances made by researchers like the Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center. The center is part of Oregon State University’s Ag Extension program and serves nearly 500,000 acres of irrigated agriculture in Oregon and Washington’s Columbia Basin. The center concentrates on discover and implementation of agricultural and horticultural opportunities and the identification of new crops, production practice and plant breeding. The most recent additional to the center is a molecular biologist with specific interest in helping to increase nutrients essential for human health in existing crops grown in the area.
Hermiston welcomed another research center, DuPont Pioneer Hi-Bred. The state-of-the-art center has contribute to Hermiston’s economy as one of many steps taken by DuPont to help meet the global challenge to double agricultural productivity on the farm by 2050. Pioneer Hi-Bred focuses on trial seed production to advance corn product development for the commercialization of new corn hybrids.Garden variety
Top crops produced in hermiston
Watermelon
Sweet corn
Grass seed
Potatoes
Cantaloupe
Onions
Mint
Carrots
Beans
Seed corn
Alfalfa
Canola
Corn
Wheat
“The irrigated region of the Columbia Basin is a very significant agricultural production area due to its long grown season, warm daytime temperatures and cool nighttime temperatures, well-drained soil and good quality water without contaminates. Clean air technology and progressive growers also contribute to a region that is second to none to not only anywhere else in Oregon but in the world.”
— Philip Hamm, Professor of Plant Pathology & superintendent Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center