Category Archives: Growers

Find Your Farmer

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

Summer is the perfect time to find fresh fruits and vegetables, including some you may have never tried! Farmers’ Markets are in full swing, and the abundance of summer produce may surprise you. Along with fruits and vegetables, many markets also offer local meats, eggs, cream and butter, honey, flowers, spices and herbs – along with products distinctive to your area! What’s nice about going to a local market is these ingredients are in season and at their ripest, meaning most delicious and bursting with nutrients; plus, you can find fresh ideas to inspire your staples. For instance, I always have lettuce on hand – romaine, arugula, maché – and with all the fresh produce available, I’m able to come up with fresh, new ideas! This weekend, I made a salad with fresh arugula, prosciutto, lemon, sliced grapes and pears, Continue reading →

Pear Love

Brittany By on

One of our pear growers, Jeff McNerney, sent us these adorable pictures of his nephew this week. He is such a doll…I couldn’t resist sharing! Jeff says, “Here’s our nephew Kellen Goss eating an Anjou last week. My wife Cassandra baby sits him on Fridays and he always prefers the pears over his vegetables. The only problem is his mom always changes more diapers after he’s been visiting his pear farmer uncle’s place!”   Stay tuned for more kid-friendly fare in the coming weeks! And if you haven’t already, check out our brand-new kids website, Pear World! How do the kids in your life enjoy pears? Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Harvest is Around the Corner!

Brittany By on

Aren’t these teeny Red Anjou pears adorable? A new season of USA Pears is on its way! I took some guests to visit our pear shippers and growers in Hood River this week, where the sun is shining and harvest is just weeks away. Check out these photos for a look at what you’ll find in your local store in just a few weeks! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Growing Regions: Medford

Brittany By on

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to take a look at the fourth of our growing regions, which is well known for producing the world’s favorite Christmas pear – the Comice. Welcome to Medford, Oregon! Medford is home to Harry and David headquarters, the company that sells the gift basket favorite, in addition to lots of up-and-coming Oregon wineries. The small Southern Oregon city is also in the neighborhood of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States! Visit the Medford area for stunning natural views, award-winning golf courses, and wet and wild adventure on the Rogue River. Click here to learn more! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Growing Regions: Yakima

Brittany By on

We’re still waiting—very, very patiently—for this season’s fresh pear harvest to start. USA Pears should be popping up on supermarket shelves in the next few weeks, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into a juicy, sweet Bartlett! In the meantime, let’s take a look at another of our fertile growing regions: Yakima. Like many of our growing regions, the Yakima Valley is known for its rich soil, mild climate, and open spaces, which combine to make the valley a perfect location to grow beautiful USA Pears, along with asparagus, cherries, apples, pumpkins, and dozens of other delicious fruits and vegetables. Oh, and let’s not forget the wine! Yakima is home to many local, award-winning wineries. The valley lies in the same latitude as France’s famous vineyards, making for the perfect birthplace of great wine varietals. It’s a great Continue reading →

Growing Regions: Mid-Columbia

Brittany By on

The countdown continues at Pear Bureau Northwest as we eagerly await a new season of USA Pears! Last season’s crop can still be found—in fact, I was surprised to see a few Green Anjou USA Pears in the produce section of my local grocery store last night—but we’re looking forward to seeing vivid Red and Yellow Bartletts and brilliant Starkrimson pears on the shelves soon! As we patiently wait, I think it’s time to learn a little more about where these delicious pears grow. Let’s take a look at the second of our four main growing regions, Mid-Columbia. This region stretches from White Salmon, Washington south to Hood River, Oregon—home to windsurfers, microbrews, and sweet and juicy USA Pears! In Hood River, you can truly follow your food from farm to fork, thanks to the Fruit Loop. The Fruit Loop Continue reading →

Growing Regions: Wenatchee

Brittany By on

The last of the 2009–10 pear crop is on grocery shelves, but at Pear Bureau Northwest, we’re already gearing up for a new season of fresh USA Pears!  Our four growing regions are eagerly anticipating the fresh pears they’ll be harvesting in just a few weeks. In the meantime, we’d like to introduce you to the rich, fertile growing regions that produce USA Pears. First up: Wenatchee, Washington. The Wenatchee Valley is nestled in the heart of Washington state, with Seattle a few hours to the west and Spokane a few hours east. The valley is known for its abundance of tree fruit orchards (pears, apples, and cherries) and local wineries. The Columbia River flows nearby, providing ample opportunities to fish, raft, and hike along its banks. Wenatchee is a great place to get away for a weekend—you’ll find everything Continue reading →

Celebrating Pear Blossoms!

Lynsey By on

Spring is here. If you couldn’t tell by the calendar or the weather (in my neck of the woods, we’re experiencing more than our fair share of April showers), Mother Nature is proving it with the blossoms that are popping up in front yards, gardens, and, of course, orchards! This weekend I had the pleasure of taking a quick day trip to Hood River, Oregon (part of our Mid-Colombia growing region) for the annual Blossom Festival. Although the skies were partly cloudy, temperatures were warm, and the small white blossoms made their debut in the orchards that will be full of our favorite fruit in just a few months. Similar events are taking place throughout the Pacific Northwest, home to the growing regions of USA Pears. Medford, Oregon hosted its Pear Blossom Run on April 10, and Leavenworth, Washington (in Continue reading →

Celebrate Pears this Weekend – Fruit Loop Style!

Jenny By on

The Hood River Valley is world renowned for growing incredible pears, and the members of the Hood River Fruit Loop are PROUD of it!  This weekend, September 19-20, is the official Pear Celebration where you can taste more than 18 varieties of pears, sample special pear desserts, drink pear cider and wine, tour pear orchards and more.  Check out the map and list of attractions at hoodriverfruitloop.com.  Can’t make it to Hood River for the Pear Celebration this weekend? Never fear, because several of the Fruit Loop farms offer gifts by mail.  We’re talkin’ canned pears, pear butter, pear sauce, dried pears, pear wine, and gift boxes of fresh pears, of course! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Harvest Has Begun!

Jenny By on

The pear growers of Oregon and Washington are predicting one of the largest crops in history, and soon (if you haven’t already) you’ll see this year’s bountiful harvest appearing in your favorite grocery store! Click here to learn more about USA Pears and the families who grow them! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn