Oregon Cherry Harvest, Thrashed by Climate Change, Needs Emergency Aid, GOP Rep Says

Oregon’s cherry harvest, one of the state’s biggest sources of agricultural income, is in dire straits because of climate change this year, and growers need emergency relief, says the state representative from Hood River, a cherry mecca.

Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) wrote to Gov. Tina Kotek on July 31, asking her for disaster funds to aid cherry farmers in his district and across the state.

“As you know, the sweet cherry industry in Oregon plays a vital role in our state’s agricultural sector and contributes significantly to the economy,” Helfrich wrote to Kotek. “Unfortunately, our cherry producers have been facing severe hardships due to unprecedented and adverse weather conditions in Oregon such as ice storms, excessive heat, and wildfire smoke impacts caused by a warming climate.”

Another climate anomaly, this one in California, also hurt cherry producers, Helfrich says.

“This season, many California cherry growers were unable to harvest their crop on time because of that state’s record cold and wet spring, which pushed its cherry harvest back weeks,” Helfrich wrote. “This resulted in an overlap with Oregon that has severely impacted cherry orchards across the state. Sweet cherries are a perishable fruit; prices crashed when California’s crop arrived so close to the Oregon harvest.”

Helfrich’s plea, citing climate change, is ironic for a Republican. The Oregon GOP is famous for its opposition to bills aimed at curbing climate-warming emissions. In 2019, 11 Republican senators fled the state to deny the Senate a quorum on a far-reaching climate bill that would have made Oregon the second U.S. state to limit both greenhouse gases emitted by electric companies and those produced by the state’s economy as a whole. Emissions would have been limited to 45% of 1990 levels by 2035.

The walkout killed the bill, and Republicans have thwarted most every climate measure since then.

This year, Helfrich and his GOP colleagues voted against two bills known collectively at the “Climate Resilience Package.” The bills promoted clean energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation. They also made Oregon eligible for almost $1 billion in federal funds for climate. Both bills passed and became law.

Cherries are big business in Oregon. The state is the third-largest producer in the nation, with 11% of the U.S. market. Last year, Oregon cherry farmers got a return of $1.10 per pound, Helfrich said in his letter. This year, it’s below 55 cents, he says, with one local packer paying only 35 cents.

And there are impacts for the broader economy.

“These climate-induced conditions have another consequence regarding the farm workforce and housing,” Helfrich wrote. “With substantially fewer cherries being picked, there is less work and economic benefits that cherry-growing communities rely on every summer. Oregon’s top-producing cherry counties—Wasco and Hood River—provide two-thirds of the state’s registered agricultural labor housing. This housing is provided for both farm workers and their families. Less cherry harvest work means less housing is available, adding to Oregon’s precarious housing crisis.”

Elisabeth Shepard, a spokeswoman for Kotek, said her boss is working on the situation. “The governor received the request for a disaster declaration, and her team will be prioritizing this request, including reviewing any options at the federal level that may exist.”

“The governor recognizes the serious impact of these losses on cherry farmers’ incomes,” Shepard added. “The governor’s office and the Oregon Department of Agriculture have been working with the cherry industry and local and federal partners on the ground to see what resources are available for cherry farmers facing losses this harvest season.”

Helfrich did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.