The first ever Central Oregon Agricultural Show promises something for everyone at the Deschutes County fairgrounds March 26-27.
Whether you farm or ranch for a living, have small acreage, keep a few chickens in your backyard or are just curious about agriculture, the show should appeal to many interests.
There’s a lot more products grown locally than many people realize.
For example: carrots.
Almost all carrots, any kind you buy in a store started from seeds in Jefferson County.
Do you like hummus?
There’s a lot of garbanzo beans grown here in Central Oregon.
“If you ate a carrot with your roast or on your salad, there’s a coin flip chance that the seed originated right here in Madras,” said Kevin Richards of Follow Hollow Ranch.
Farmers in Jefferson County are the largest producers of carrot seed in the world.
“You can imagine the pack of carrot seed you plant in your garden. The majority of what we grow is sent to other farms to be grown for fresh market production,” Richards said.
Deschutes County farmer Rex Barber has been growing garbanzo beans for more than decade.
“We run them through a grain combine. They go in a semi up to Othello, Washington where they are processed and cleaned,” he said. “They bag them up and they could end up anywhere in the world.”
Barber likes garbanzos because the bean plants fix nitrogen into the soil.
That allows him to seed winter wheat on top of the beans right after they are harvested.
He also enjoys making hummus.
“I like using lemon juice, onions, garlic. I use sesame oil rather than tahini. I like the taste better.”
Events at this weekend’s agriculture show include a working dog demonstration, seminars on the weather, small-scale farming and food vendors — and even a rodeo Saturday night.
Admission to the agriculture show is free but tickets are required to attend the rodeo.
Click here for more information.
