GROUNDED PODCAST: EPISODE 41 - Oregon Cherries and Tractor Tech
It’s June, which means it is cherry season in Oregon! In fact, cherry and fruit production is a big deal for Oregon. Our lands along the Willamette Valley, as well as Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge, are renowned for their idyllic conditions that have supported a thriving fruit industry in Oregon for generations.
But why are we talking about cherries on Grounded, a podcast about energy? It’s because in recent years, fruit growers have been challenged by increasingly worse wildfires and extreme weather conditions, such as the 2021 heat dome. These events are connected to the changing impacts of climate change, which put at risk the quality of cherries and the amount that growers are able to be harvest and bring to market.
Although growers are optimistic about this year’s harvest, farmers and fruit growers across the state have started to look to new ways of doing business and turning to innovation and technology to help sustain their farms, orchards, and the food production on which we all rely.
On this episode of Grounded, join host Bryan as he heads out to the Columbia River Gorge to attend the annual Cherry Pre-Harvest Tour and see an all-electric, autonomous tractor. The event attracts regional cherry and fruit growers, and this year’s demonstration was organized by partners including Oregon State University and Wy’East Resource, Conservation and Development; Forth Mobility; Sustainable Northwest; and Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Grounded theme music by Oregon artist, Jana Cushman.