Oregon Public Broadcasting

Wheat farmers have been harvesting grain in the Walla Walla Valley for more than a century. But lately vineyards and ritzy housing developments are taking over those productive, golden fields.

Some say Walla Walla Valley is in danger of losing what attracts tourists and new residents -- its rural charm.

Correspondent Anna King visited a few of those plush vineyards and dusty wheat farms in Washington and Oregon to bring us this story.

A combine swaths through a golden wheat just feet from a new vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. Lately, vineyards and ritzy housing developments are taking over those productive, golden fields.

Todd Kimball rolls a head of wheat between his leathery hands. He gently blows away the chaff.

Then he pops one of the kernels of wheat into his mouth and bites down. When the crunch is right, he knows it‚s time to harvest.

Todd Kimball: "There it is."

Kimball's farm is just southeast of Walla Walla. He's the fifth generation to farm wheat here. Tractors busily swath through the tall stands of grain.

It's a scene that's becoming less common in this valley. Lately, wheat farms like this one have been pressured by new crops. Vineyards, wineries and houses are growing like gang-busters. More people are moving here because of the wine industry and the quality of life.

Todd Kimball: "I'm not concerned about the wineries; I'm not concerned about the grapes. My concern is traffic and the houses. This is great farm ground and grapes are farming, I totally agree with that, but the houses aren't."

Just across the state line in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, those concerns have grown into a two-year legal battle.

There, a 2000 acre vineyard is being developed on a historic dryland wheat farm.

Meet Robert Buchanan. He's in charge of building people's dream vineyards.

Robert Buchanan inspects some newly planted grapes on the SeVein vineyard project in the Walla Walla Valley. He says the land grows high-quality wine grapes and should be developed.

He's driven me to one of the highest points of the vineyard property. It's breathtaking. The slope drops dramatically and we gaze at the lush Walla Walla Valley below.

Robert Buchanan: "So, there we be."

This massive hillside is where wineries big and small will buy their own piece of ground to grow grapes.

Buchanan says he knows there will be hot demand for this development. Several of the parcels are already tied up in contracts. And nearby -- in the same terroir -- Buchanan's company owns another large vineyard with an impressive list of winery customers.

Robert Buchanan: "L‚Ecole, Leonetti ...."

Not everyone is impressed by those big names.

Robert Klein is an irrigation engineer and weekend farmer. He heads up a group that has banded together to fight the vineyard. Klein says opposing vineyards and the wine industry isn't very popular around these parts.

The tall slender man didn't want anyone to overhear us.

So, we met in a park. Klein says he has nothing against grapes. But he worries because Buchanan's project wants to take a big hunk of wheat land and subdivide it. And that could lead to more houses.

Robert Klein: "Don't create these small, small parcels that aren't good for other crops when it gets right down to it. Because if the wine deal gets to a glut and all of a sudden vineyards are no longer viable crops anymore, then, what do you do with a 20 acre? You don‚t go into 20 acres or 40 acres and start planting wheat."

Klein is also worried about turning dryland wheat acreage into irrigated crop land.

Robert Klein: "All the wells are dwindling in this area."

Klein lives about a mile northwest of the vineyard. The vineyard owners have drilled two wells to pump massive amounts of water per minute. He worries the vineyard will dry up neighboring wells.

Robert Klein: "Who's going to walk into a large development like this. I mean it's supposed to be high end vineyards and you know wineries are going to go in out there. Once this thing is established in 5 to 10 to 15 or 20 years, who's going to walk in and shut that stuff down?"

But vineyard developer Buchanan disagrees with Klein. He says that the vineyard's wells have been officially approved. And it's important to break this ground down into smaller parcels. Otherwise, at $50,000 an acre, it's just too expensive for many wineries.

Robert Buchanan: "It's the wrong direction to push that acreage up, because then you are saying only the big, big, big money people can do this. If you can keep that acreage down then you can see it proliferate to smaller people and you have strength and diversity in numbers there."

Opponents of this project have their eye on the large vineyard. They worry this case could set a precedent. It could lead to the break up of more and more large parcels. And that would put development pressure on the dwindling large farms.

Buchanan used to farm wheat too. But he's not very sentimental. He says you can't be. Farming is a good way of life. But first -- it's a business.

Robert Buchanan: "Progress always comes. So whether it‚s with us or somebody else or move the clock forward 10 more years and change will be here. This ground supports and grows superlative fruit. If that's there, the market forces will take it there in some time frame."

Twenty years ago there were five wineries in the Walla Walla Valley. Now there're nearly 100. Twenty years from now who knows what this valley will look like. But what's clear -- is it's changing.

Online:

www.seveinvineyards.com