Dry farming is crop production without irrigation during a dry season, usually in a region that receives at least 20 inches (50 cm) of annual rainfall, and utilizes the moisture stored in the soil from the rainy season. Dry farmers work to conserve soil moisture during these long, dry periods through a combination of management strategies that provide an alternative to irrigated crop production on some sites. Dry farming management strategies could help reduce the amount of water inputs in areas where agriculture is not feasible without irrigation, such as shallow soil and/or low available water-holding capacity.
Dry Farming in the Maritime Pacific Northwest: Intro to Dry Farming Organic Vegetables – This OSU extension publication provides an overview of dry farming, describes some of the management practices that support growing organic vegetable crops without supplemental irrigation in this region, and offers some additional resources.