A Bumper Harvest in the Walla Walla Foothills
Local farmer Thomas Copeland breaks regional production records with a staggering wheat harvest.
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The record wheat yield of Walla Walla County this year falls to Thomas Copeland, the well-known foothill farmer. Sixty-three bushels to the acre was harvested off 100 acres of his farm, lying six miles southwest of the city, between the Cottonwood and Russel Creek. The crop was of the Little Club variety and was fall sown. When tested by local dealers this morning, its extreme weight surprised even Mr. Copeland, samples going 62 3/4 pounds to the bushel. What makes the yield more surprising is that the land never before cropped over 60 bushels to the acre. Threshing was finished up on the ranch last Saturday, when Mr. Copeland found that he had the record crop of the season. Other foothill farms are showing surprising returns; the Davis farm produced an average of 56 bushels to the acre, the Brents place 46, and the Fred Stine place a little better than 35 bushels.
“What makes the yield more surprising is that the land never before cropped over 60 bushels to the acre.”
Walla Walla's identity has been inextricably tied to its agricultural output for over a century. While industrial farming techniques have evolved, the region's status as a powerhouse for wheat production remains a cornerstone of the local economy.
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