I simply love September.

I simply love September. In this agricultural valley called Yakima where I live there is no better place to see the true meaning of harvest. By now we’ve already seen asparagus, cherries, blueberries and peaches, to name a few. But oh, sweet September! If summer is the puberty of the seasons, by September the year has come into her own; a nubile maid, swollen with life, showing off her fecundity with all the arrogance of a proud momma. The trickle of ripe goods that has been turning over throughout the season has turned into a colorful avalanche, mounding in heavy piles on the ground. Disarray at its best. From now until the end of October, it’s go time for those who work the ground, and for those anxious to eat (or drink) their share of the boon.

I know it is so cliché to use words like plenty or abundance to describe the incoming harvest. But I have to say, whether I’m circling through the rainbow of a roadside fruit stand with friends, bending over a gargantuan cherry tomato plant at home in my nightgown, or in a bright yellow safety vest watching heavy hop vines being loaded into the picking machine at our farm, those are the very words that always come to mind. The word abundance carries inside it the feeling of being blessed to have so much, and plenty implies there is enough to go around. I suppose that’s what a good harvest feels like—having so much to go around you feel blessed for being a part of it.

The Yakima Valley abounds with harvests of all kinds this time of year. It is our mutual goal to show you this place through our eyes, as we undergo an authentic exploration of our sweet valley. We welcome you to share in that experience with us! Not only is this the place where food is born, but those who take part in the delivery process and those who nurse the fresh plucked goods into fabulous food and drink are pretty nifty folks as well. Come and get rooted with us as we delve into the innards of the Yakima Valley and celebrate all that’s going down!