Amber waves...in Oregon

The Willamette Valley in Oregon has long been known as the grass seed capital of the world. This is a dubious distinction for those of us with pollen allergies, who suffer mightily in the late spring and early summer, especially on the days when the seed is harvested.

Research began at OSU in 1909 and grass seed was introduced to the Valley in 1920. Production increased  steadily over the next ninety years, with improved technology and demand pushing for ever-increasing yields. In 2008, Oregon produced 725 million tons of grass seed and exported 800,000 tons of grass straw for livestock seed.

It used to be that autumn saw a smoky haze hanging low over our valleys as the farmers burned off the fields, but legislation put an end to that and alternatives to the practice were quickly found.

Well, this year as I drove and biked around country roads, I noticed less fields planted in grass and more in wheat.

Hallelujah! I thought.

But I wondered about it.

I don't like unanswered riddles.

Then, one day in the newspaper, I found the answer.

Oregon farmers have a big stash of grass seed in the warehouses, thanks to a dip in demand.

The economy, don't you know?

Apparently, golf courses and resorts and the like are not as willing to spend all that money on their lawns.

And, of course, the price of wheat has risen, thanks to all the corn and soy taking over farms in the Midwest.

Government subsidies and bio-fuel.

Not sure if this is the free market in action, but whatever it is, I enjoyed the shorter allergy season this year.

And I love seeing the amber waves of grain.

Which match the tow heads of my grandchildren almost exactly.