Oregon farmer spent 40 years proving crops can grow without irrigation: How dry farming helped tomatoes, potatoes and beans survive hotter, drier conditions

Across the Pacific Northwest, hotter temperatures, drought and declining snowmelt have put pressure on water supplies. But one Oregon farmer spent decades experimenting with a different approach: growing crops without irrigation.

The technique, known as dry farming, relies on carefully managing the moisture already stored in the soil instead of regularly supplying crops with water. A 2014 Oregon State University report documented one farmer's experience growing crops without irrigation for about 40 years, from 1974 to 2014.