It always starts slow, of course. One thing at a time. Dropping lusciously before us, making our mouth water with the absurd perfection of it. A crisp spear of asparagus. A plump cherry. Fat, candy-esque blueberries. But now. Oh, but the now! When it all starts coming at the same time. The branches, soils, and … Continued
Round about now, certain fields in the Valley are kicking up some dust. In this case, it’s to help some youngsters along in their development. It’s time for hillin’ babies. We’re talking hops, of course. Bouncing, baby hops. Hops aren’t grown from seed, but are a rhizome, so grow back year after year while their … Continued
In a corner of Blue Sky, on a Toppenish side street, something small but magical happens by the thousands every day. Tortillas are being made. Not just any tortilla, but the hot, swoon-worthy, fresh, flour tortillas of the Blue Sky Market. Tortillas? Magical? Why yes, they are. What do they taste like? Like a simple … Continued
I pull into our rendezvous point and finally meet Dan Whitney in person. Pinning him down through a series of phone calls has been like following a single raindrop through a storm. As a grafter in the springtime, he’s moving from orchard to orchard all over the state. Finally, in the wilds of Moxee, Washington, … Continued
In honor of Mothers Day, we wanted to rerun a piece from last year about a mother from the 1930s who used a green thumb and some ingenuity to help feed her family, and unknowingly created what would become a decades long family legacy of selling peonies. Still running in the heart of Toppenish, Adeline’s … Continued
Either you love it, or you don’t think that much about it. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot in between. I’m talking rhubarb here. It’s like the red-headed stepchild of the vegetable patch. If it’s not in your DNA, you disregard it—always choosing around it when presented with a rhubarb dessert opportunity, even … Continued
Driving the highways and byways of the Yakima Valley, you can see it. The trees are finally waking. As the shiny new growth pushes its way through the tree tips, the flower buds fist up, just waiting to burst open into fat, full blooms. Beautiful, yes; but really, it’s just a natural byproduct of development … Continued
I must confess something I’m ashamed to admit. I bear the scarlet letter. There’s a giant ‘A’ emblazoned on my inner scribe that glows when my lack of Articulation is showing. I’m referring to wine here. Writing about, and deftly articulating, the obvious and subtle aspects of wine. As a writer, that’s hard to admit. … Continued
This time of year, you can smell the springtime in the air. It’s a familiar smell of light, warm dirt, and greening grass that acts as a herald to the new season of longer days and growth. With the soil thawed and workable, farms are beginning to come to for the year. Driving the roads … Continued
With March officially in our pockets, we are on the sword edge of Spring. For farms across the Valley, that means being poised to mobilize for the growing season. Last year, I was fortunate enough to spend a day making rounds with Gary Morford at Green Acre Farms in the lower Valley, seeing all the … Continued