The annual fall harvest is under way on the West Side, where farmers are reporting good yields and, for the most part, strong prices for their commodities.

Almonds, beans and tomatoes are among the crops coming in from fields and orchards up and down the West Side, with the walnut harvest soon to start.

Growers have faced water challenges and rising production costs this year, but most say 2008 has for the most part been a good year for local agriculture.

Storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, however, as worries about next year’s water supply and expenses are already on the minds of those whose livelihood depends on water.

For now, though, the fall harvest is at the forefront.

Almonds continue to be a West Side staple. Harvest started in mid-August, and will likely continue into October.

Crows Landing almond grower Ron DePauw deemed the yield “above average.”

Almonds have been a reliable crop for a number of years, he noted. Production has increased as growers increased the acreage of the profitable crop, but market demand for the nut has kept pace. “The market is still expanding, which is good for the growers,” DePauw noted.

Beans are also looking good this year, he said.

“It is an average crop, but the price is up,” DePauw remarked.

Newman almond grower Jim Jasper said the harvest is progressing well, and the weather has remained favorable.

Production is generally strong, he pointed out, with some exceptions in federal water districts where water shortages reduced the yield and the size of the kernels.

Between a strong yield and new acreage coming into production, industry experts are predicting a record almond crop this year.

He said production in West Side orchards may be off slightly from last year’s bumper crop, but is strong nonetheless.

It is unusual to see back-to-back bumper crops in some varieties, he noted, but several factors were working in favor of the growers this year.

“We had a nearly perfect pollination season this year, which is the main reason we are getting two really strong crops in a row,” Jasper stated. Growing conditions through the summer months were favorable as well.

“It is a good time for the industry,” he summarized.

Still, he and other growers are concerned for what next year could bring.

“Nearly one-third of the planted acreage is in areas that are extremely short on water, either due to drought or environmental restrictions. That is probably going to be the biggest challenge to the almond industry,” Jasper reflected. “We have seen orchards in federal districts that have had some reduction in production or smaller kernels (due to water shortage). By all accounts, ‘09 could be even more challenging.”

The Perez family farming operation is also in full swing, harvesting almonds, tomatoes and beans, said Earl Perez.

He said commodity prices are “generally good,” although the market for fresh market tomatoes is down.

Bean prices are helping make up for that, though.

The walnut harvest is fast approaching, Perez noted, and both the production and prices appear strong.

“Things are going pretty well,” he commented. “I think most commodity prices are good. It is just a matter of getting enough production to make a profit, and dealing with the escalating costs of production.”

A combination of drought and restricted irrigation supplies has taken a toll on some area orchards.

Frank Dompe, who oversees the almond ranches in the Gustine area for Dompe Brothers, said orchards are producing smaller kernels because of the water situation.

“We didn’t get the rain in the winter, and I think the trees maybe stressed a little bit early, and then we tried to stretch the water over the summer,” Dompe explained. “We didn’t have the deep moisture and we couldn’t catch up because we were trying to conserve.”

For Steve Bell of Gustine, the focus is currently on the harvest of beans, a staple commodity in his farming operation.

Despite the water challenges, he said, yields are average to above average.

Farmers got a break from the weather, Bell said, as a favorable growing season free of extended heat waves helped them make the most of their water supply.