Agriculture plays a vital part of Oregon’s economy. It benefits every Oregonian by ensuring food security, employment and livelihood, environment preservation, and enhancement of the quality of life. And this is impressive, considering that farmers and ranchers make up less than 1% of the state’s population, which stands at 4.2 million according to the 2021 census.
Considering Oregon’s massive land area and diverse geography – from volcanoes and dense forests to abundant bodies of water and arid deserts – it’s not surprising to find various agricultural products in the Beaver State. There are over 250 different agricultural products grown and processed in Oregon. These products range from wheat and fruits to salmon and various seeds, and some of them are shipped to other states and even exported to other countries. Oregon’s significant number and diversity of agricultural commodities are only rivaled by those in California, which is currently the number one food producer in the United States.
According to a 2021 report from the Oregon State Board of Agriculture, the agriculture industry accounts for 13% of Oregon’s gross domestic product (GDP). It generates $5 billion in agricultural production and $2.57 billion in agricultural exports.
Here are other amazing facts about agriculture in Oregon:
1. Oregon has more than 38,500 farms.
2. Around 96.7% of the state’s farms and ranches are family-owned and operated. In contrast, others are so-called “corporate” farms as they are incorporated for reasons of tax or family succession plans.
3. Forty-four percent of all farmers and ranchers in Oregon consists of women, ranking the state fourth in the US for the number of female principal farmers and ranchers.
4. Oregon is number one in the US for producing blackberries, cranberries, hazelnuts, sugar beets (for seeds), orchard grass seeds, fescue seeds, white clover seeds, florist azaleas, and Christmas trees.
5. Oregon is number two in the US for producing Austrian winter peas, blueberries, Kentucky bluegrass seeds, and pears.
6. Oregon is number three in the US for the production of hops, nursery stock onions, peppermint, spearmint, and sweet cherries.
7. Oregon is number four in the US for producing green peas, potatoes, and snap beans.
8. About 80% of Oregon’s agricultural commodities are sent out of the state, with half being exported to other countries.
The further facilitate planting, cultivation, and harvest of crops, Solex offers the following equipment:
ROW CROPS
Falc
1) Shredders for removing crop residue after harvest and topping onions before harvest.
- Cat 1000 F
- The “F” series has one position manual offset. “SP” offsets hydraulically.
- 5.5” rear roller for level cutting and height adjustment.
- 20-60 HP required.
- Electronically balanced rotor and long-life rotor bearings for smooth operation.
- Rotor diameter is 4.7.”
- Hardened steel hammers are standard. Type 1 blades are also available.
- Harvest tines and front wheels are available as optional equipment.
- Condor 1000
- Rear roller
- Gearbox with internal freewheel.
- Shredder Bar.
- Rear hood and bar for harvest tines.
- 540 rpm PTO shaft
- F model has two position hitch, while the SP model has a hydraulic offset.
- Jolly 1650 Shredder – It is suitable for cutting and light pruning, grass, brambles, and bushes.
- Kronos 4000
- HD Series PTO Shaft
- Replaceable wear sheets
- Interchangeable blades. Type 1 is standard
- Two adjustable gauge wheels on 4000, 4800, & 5400. Four wheels on 6400 & 8000
- Dual Belt Drive.
- Gearbox with internal flywheel.
- Four belts per side on 4000, five belts per side on 4800 thru 6400, and six belts per side on 8000.
- A second set of cutter bars
2) Tillers for soil prep
- A900 (also known as Type A):
- For tractors, 30-hp max.
- 540 rpm PTO with shear bolt protection
- Low maintenance chain side drive.
- Single-speed gearbox; Rotor speed is 312 rpm
- Four blades per flange
- Gamma 5000 Rear trailing board extensions
- 380 HP rated, single speed gearbox with oil cooler
- Dual end drives
- 1000 rpm PTO with torque limiter
- 330 rpm rotor
- Durafaced tiller blades; 6 blades per flange
- Quick hitch compatible Cat III hitch
- Also available with a spike rotor.
- Kappa 4000
- For 190-300 hp tractors
- 1000 rpm PTO with torque limiter
- 3-speed lever control gearbox. Rotor speeds - 246,308, and 356 rpm.
- Cat III hitch & rear PTO
- Optional equipment includes depth control wheels, depth control skids, cage roller, and packer roller
- Spike-type rotors and straight-blade rotors are available.
- Double wall rotor tube on 4000 & 4500.
- Type B 900
- For 20 - 50 hp tractors.
- Model B: 4 blades/flange
- Model B Super: 6 blades/flange.
- 540 rpm PTO w/ shear bolt
- Rotor speed; 250 rpm.
- Single-speed gearbox and chain side drive.
3) Spaders used to incorporate crop residue into the ground in organic operations
- Mini Toro 1000
- 40 to 80-inch working width
- 4 Speed Gearbox
- For 30-60 horsepower Tractors
- PTO shaft with clutch
- Cage Protection
- Panda 1000
- 35 to 58-inch working width
- 4 Speed Gearbox
- For 20 - 35 horsepower Tractors
- PTO shaft Less clutch
- Cage Protection
- The tractor must be equipped with creeper gear.
- Toro 1500
- 50 to 98-inch working width
- For 40-90 horsepower Tractors
- 3 Speed Ranges: 120, 140, & 160 rpm.
- External flanges and cage protection are standard.
Massano
1) Soil prep and bed forming before planting new crops
- RSE-Plus 2600R
- For 140 to 300 hp tractors.
- Built with a working width from 340 to 580 cm and a working depth from 15 to 30 cm.
- Used mainly by large horticultural companies to improve the seeding preparation in one pass.
- RSF 80” Tiller / Bed Shaper
- For 80-150 HP tractor
- The soil carrying stones or vegetable debris strikes a vertical “comb” of spring steel tines where loose, clean soil passes through while stones, root clumps, clods, etc., are screened out, falling to the bottom of the cut to be buried by clean soil.
- Reverse rotating tiller that works soil and throws dirt up over the tiller’s rotor to the rear.
- 80-inch width.
- Toro 1500
- 50 to 98-inch working width
- For 40-90 horsepower Tractors
- 3 Speed Ranges: 120, 140, & 160 rpm.
- External flanges and cage protection are standard.
Stanhay
1) Vegetable planters, both vacuum, and belt
- 785 Row with 120mm Wheel – This is the original 785 Stanhay air drill and is still available today. Based on the design of the 870, it is a dependable drill with thousands of rows still in use worldwide.
- 820 Push Drill – Highly versatile, the 820 Push Drill is designed for planting small areas and quantities of seeds at a time. The large-diameter rear cage wheel and ergonomic handles make it easy to push, while the four-speed drive gives four seed spacings per seed belt.
- 840 Wheel Unit Planter – It is designed to fit behind compact and small tractors or ATVs. It is ideal for the smaller grower or market gardener drive that comes from the large-diameter rear cage wheel. The four-speed pulley drive gives four seed spacings per seed belt.
Gaspardo
Vacuum planter for vegetable seeds. The following lists Gaspardo’s MTR range of planters:
MTR Precision Planters – Gaspardo’s ten years of experience in the precision planter sector have resulted in the MTR range of planters. The MTR planter is the entry model of a homonymous range of precision planters, which are multi-purpose and suitable for planting in well-tilled and minimally-worked soils, ensuring maximum precision.
1) Fixed frame planters – The fixed frame MTR model is available in multiple versions ranging from 4 to 12 rows with inter-row spacing of 45, 60, and 75 cm.
- MTR – The MTR planter is the ideal solution for small farmers and farms with no width limitations for road travel. It delivers the best planting results every time. Available with both micro granulators and fertilizer spreaders.
- Mistral – 8.5-meter-long fixed-frame planter with 12 or 18 rows for high production demands. The solution combines performance and value for money. It is perfect for bigger businesses requiring transport methods that are also suitable for long distances. It has a light version and a built-in trolley for faster and easier transport.
2) Twin-row mounted planter
- MTR Twin – Precision planter model designed to plant twin rows in one pass for more improved and precise seed placement. It is particularly useful for crops like maize, soya, onions, and other crops. This machine is an innovative solution that ensures an increase in crop yield and a consequent cost reduction.
- Quincoince System – It is a metering system synchronized between the MTR Narrow twin-row units. It is designed to precisely stagger the seed discs for placement in a triangular pattern with the utmost reliability and accuracy.
3) Telescopic-frame mounted planters
- MTE – It is the practical, reliable, and ideal partner for small and medium farmers mainly concerned with planting certain crops like maize, involving frequent road travel. It comes with 6 or 7 planting units and has a 4.3-meter frame with the outer units retracting telescopically to 3.0 or 3.4 meters.
- Marta – Marta is ideal for planting maize, onions, and other crops planted in widely spaced rows, minimizing width for road travel with its hydraulically retracted outer units. Marta provides the optimal solution for areas with narrow lanes or roads with poor access.
4) Telescopic planters with variable row spacing
- Monica – Monica is the mounted retractable telescopic planter. You can adjust its length to 2.55 meters. Its versatile design allows you to work with a row spacing from 45 to 75 cm for planting different crops with a single investment. It also comes with double-disc or Suffolk fertilizer coulters. Monica stands as a benchmark for farmers and contractors for planting crops with different row spacing.
5) Wing-fold planters with variable row spacing
- Magica – Magica is renowned for its operational versatility, thanks to its wing-fold planter that provides adjustable row spacing along with a Suffolk coulter fertilizer placement system.
6) Wing-fold mounted planters
- Mirka – It is the ideal solution for professionals planning to carry out planting and localized fertilizer placement using a single-rear mounted implement. The 8-row model with 75-cm row spacing has a hydraulically operated wing-fold frame for a narrow transport width of only 3.0 meters.
- Manta – It is ideal for planting on any type of soil condition. It has excellent operational capacities with practical use. The wing-fold feature makes this machine ideal to use on ground that has not been uniformly tilled or on non-linear fields.
- Manta XL – The Manta XL has a hydraulic folding frame featuring telescoping sections. Due to its 12 units with a 75 cm-row spacing, it has high productivity and the ability to uneven ground contours, making it an ideal piece of equipment built to cater to the demands of planting professionals, contractors, and substantial farms.
Robocrop
It has automated weed removal that replaces costly hand labor.
- Robocrop InRow Bio Weeder – It can be used to weed most fruit and vegetable crops plated with regular planting and row spacing.
- It has the same robust rotary weeding system as the Robocrop InRow Classic.
- It has the same precise disc steer system as the classic one.
- It features a high-speed rotary action that causes minimum soil spatter and low crop contamination.
- It has enhanced image analysis.
- Rear mounted to any cat 2 tractor linkage.
- It operates from the tractor hydraulic system.
- Excellent visibility of the weeding operation from the tractor seat.
- Precise height control for exact weeding precision.
- Tough enough for heavy land situations.
- Optional spot applicator/drencher.
MOM
1) Mulch plastic removal post-harvest in fields where vegetables have been transplanted.
- Extractor Retriever – It is designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses across the field at the end of the vegetable growing season.
- Mulch Retriever – Machine designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses and across the field.
2) Drip tape removal post-harvest to allow bed prep for the following crop
- Double Drip Tape Retriever – Machine designed to collect and wrap the dripline of the drip irrigation system of medium-large companies.
BERRY PRODUCTION
Rinieri
1) Pruners for removing excess foliage before season
- CRL Tower-1 L – The new frames TOWER 1 and 2 for pruning machines CRL are characterized by the same central structure, very resistant and equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting to which is coupled an upper part with a displacement or double displacement depending on the model. This particular design makes the machines to be modified after the purchase. Spring safety controls protect cutting bars, and the horizontal bars also have a manual closure for transport. The double-blade cutting bars CRL are very sturdy and allow a very accurate cut thanks to the double blade- tooth movement.
- CRV T2 B4+2F – The new frames TOWER are characterized by the same central structure, are very resistant, and are equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting, which is coupled to an upper part with a displacement or double displacement, depending on the model. This particular design makes the machine to be modified after the purchase. The stainless-steel cutting bars CRV with rotating knives are durable and lightweight and allow a fast and perfect cut-up to 15 km/h.
- CRV Tower Vine Trimmer – The new frames TOWER are characterized by the same central structure, very resistant equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting to which is coupled an upper part with a displacement or double displacement depending on the model. This particular design makes the machine to be modified after the purchase. The stainless-steel cutting bars CRV with rotating knives are durable and lightweight and allow a fast and perfect cut-up to 15 km/h.
Falc
1) Shredders to remove the tops of strawberries to regenerate crops for the new season.
- Next 800 Shredder – For chopping grass, light-medium prunings, and vegetal residuals in general.
- Super Sax 2100
- Front and rear hitch and PTO allow for front and rear tractor mounting.
- Hydraulic offset hitch is standard equipment.
- 540 rpm PTO shaft
- Four-groove pulley for 1600 & 1800
- Five-groove pulley for 2100
- The rear roller & two front support wheels are standard.
MOM
1) Mulch plastic removal post-harvest in fields where vegetables have been transplanted.
- Extractor Retriever – It is designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses across the field at the end of the vegetable growing season.
- Mulch Retriever – Machine designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses and across the field.
2) Drip tape removal post-harvest to allow bed prep for the following crop
- Double Drip Tape Retriever – Machine designed to collect and wrap the dripline of the drip irrigation system of medium-large companies.