The production of specialty crops in the Pacific Northwest is an
economically important industry and one that is likely to be heavily
impacted by rising temperatures and decreasing snowpack associated with
climate change. The purpose of this study was to interview small-scale
specialty crop farmers in Oregon's Willamette Valley and Central Coast
Range to understand how they are experiencing climate change and what
information they are using to make farm-management decisions related to
the climate. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven
specialty crop farmers on farms in Corvallis, OR or at the Corvallis
Farmers' Market. The farmers believe that factors such as high
temperatures earlier in the growing season, hotter temperatures,
increased weather variability, and decreased precipitation are impacting
their farms. The interviewed farmers employ multiple strategies to
manage the risk of their work, which include incorporating heterogeneity
and flexibility into their management, using irrigation and sheltering
infrastructure to control the microclimates for crops, and selecting
different crops or crop varieties. When considering the information
sources farmers use when making decisions about climate and weather,
some farmers use short-term weather forecasts, but none rely on
longer-term forecasts. As the farmers in this study are all concerned
about climate change, having accessible information for the upcoming
season and future climate could be helpful if they believe that
long-term forecasts are credible.