Even as legislators are poised to declare the pear as the state fruit, orchards in Jackson County are rapidly giving way to urbanization and changing market conditions.

"Nobody is making any more money," said Sue Naumes of Naumes Inc., one of the county’s largest fruit producers. "They can’t afford to farm. That’s why the orchards are coming out."

Naumes said her company had 3,000 acres under production just a few years ago. It now has 1,770.

In the past 10 years, the total amount of land in the county under production for pears, peaches, cherries and apples has dropped by about a third to an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 acres today, according to Bill Eckart, general manager of the Fruit Growers League.

This is a marked decline from the county’s agricultural heyday, when 25,000 acres were cultivated as orchard land.

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Fifteen years ago, there were 11 fruit packers in town. Now there are just four: Bear Creek Corp., Naumes Inc., Associated Fruit and Southern Oregon Sales.

All this comes at a time when the Legislature begins discussions to name the pear as the state fruit, a tribute to the orchard industry’s long history in Oregon. A hearing is planned for Monday in the House agriculture committee.

Naumes said there are a number of factors contributing to the decline of the industry, including lost markets both domestically and internationally, increased labor costs and escalating transportation rates.

"The Chinese are destroying the juice markets," Naumes said, making lower-grade pears produced in the Rogue Valley virtually worthless.

Asked what the good news is in the local pear industry, Naumes said bluntly, "There isn’t any."

To top it off, early spring-like weather this year followed by expected frost this week could potentially devastate Naumes’ crops. "I’m not going to get much sleep from now until the end of May," she said.

Eckart acknowledges the trends don’t look good, but he said the pear industry remains robust, squeezing out more fruit per acre than in the past while looking ahead to better market its product.

The largest fruit grower in the valley, Bear Creek, remains committed to the continued production of its Royal Riviera pear, produced primarily in Jackson County, said Bill Ihle, senior vice president for corporate relations.

Scott Martinez of Associated Fruit said orchards will still dot the valley for the near future. But in the next 10 years he expects further reductions in the number of acres under production.

"Realistically, I think 10 to 20 percent will come out," said Martinez, whose company has 1,850 acres under production. "I’m thinking that more of the orchards will be able to take advantage of development."

Associated Fruit, he said, is in the pear business for the long term and has actually added acreage to its holdings and plans to add more if the land becomes available.

Changing market conditions have pear producers worried, however.

"The real pressure on the pears is that there are fewer customers to sell to," said Martinez. "Basically, you have four chain stores controlling the market."

Fruit growers are looking at other ways of selling their product, including establishing a central production facility to slice and package pears to attract more customers. Eckart said the facility likely would be located near a port such as Tacoma, Wash., or the Port of Portland.

Naumes, however, said dreams of a slicing facility, which her company has tried before, are "pie in the sky."

Jackson County has almost lost its critical mass of pear production now, which Naumes said doesn’t bode well for the future of the industry.

While pears likely will remain the primary fruit grown locally, Eckart said more growers are shifting over to peaches because of demand and also because the fruit ripens earlier in the season, which could improve their cash flow.

Other forces that threaten the industry include Measure 37, the property rights initiative that is expected to allow more development in rural areas.

Many orchard owners are upset at what they perceive as zealousness on the part of county commissioners to approve Measure 37 claims without apparent regard for the impacts on agriculture.Commissioners have approved five claims since the law went into effect Dec. 3.

"A lot of people think the county commissioners are over the top in approving these Measure 37 claims," said Eckart.

More development means more complaints from homeowners over noise and spraying on orchards. Land-use laws were enacted to help preserve agricultural land in Oregon from the threats of urbanization.

Eckart said increased urban pressure will further threaten the orchard industry, which he says generates 11 percent of the economy of Jackson County.

Martinez said Associated Fruit had been negotiating 100 acres of land with one property owner, who ultimately decided that he might file a Measure 37 claim to develop his property.

Many acres in the valley have been cut down in recent years to make room for developments, but some orchards are torn out because older trees have become less productive.

"Just because we knock over trees doesn’t mean they’re disappearing orchards," said Ihle of Bear Creek, which has 2,073 acres devoted primarily to pears and peaches.

Harvests are up, and the company uses scientific methods to improve production, spreading its crop throughout the valley so that one isolated hailstorm doesn’t wipe out all its fruit.

"Agriculture continues to be our backbone," said Ihle. "The Royal Riviera pear continues to be the signature for Harry and David for today, tomorrow and the future."

Pete Naumes, who has retired from his company, said orchards closest to town are the most likely to fall first to make room for more development.

One example is 204 acres that Naumes sold to the Rogue Valley Manor, which is now building a championship golf course on the property.

Defending the decision to rip out the orchard years ago, Naumes said, "That was one of the coldest orchards in the valley. It just wasn’t a good producer. It’s just kind of progress."

Despite the pressures on the industry, Pete Naumes said, "There’s going to be pears in Medford for a long, long time."

Martinez said that no matter what way you slice it, the fruit business is a tough one.

"If you don’t get up every morning and bang your head against the wall and be willing to do it, you just aren’t cut out for this business," he said.

Sue Naumes said it’s difficult to predict how many acres her company will have left after the next decade.

"I guarantee it’s not going to be any more," she said.

Pear facts