I was going to attempt a lyrical beginning, about how the sun softly snuggles into the hills a little sooner each day, now that the hops are off the vine. But then I learned that hops don’t actually grow on vines. Meaning, hops are not tendrilic, woody shoots that groove and move by touch and … Continued
In the last couple years, agriculture here in the Yakima Valley has seen a new crop popping up, typically behind closed doors or a tall fence. Like it or not, voters in 2012 cast their ballot in favor of legalizing marijuana in Washington state, and since then it has been increasingly more visible around us. … Continued
I’m zig-zagging the back roads of Wapato, Washington looking for a sign. There’s all kinds. Off-yellow cut corn stubble; the green on green of swathed alfalfa drying lazily in the sun; hop debris swirling on the roadway. The crops have been coming of age, and their virility is evidenced all over. Today though, I’m looking … Continued
A shoot pops out of a hop root and, looking for light, breaks ground sometime in early April. Curling around a length of twine, the emerging vine circles its way up toward the sun, growing fatter by the day. Many rows of twine strung on a tall trellis make for acres of high, bushy vines … Continued
It’s hop harvest, and this is the time of year hop lovers make their pilgrimage to our prime growing region for both business and pleasure. Brewers from around the world find themselves here in the Yakima Valley, the center point of the hop industry, whether it be for one of the hop education programs, to … Continued
This time of year, the land is like a heaving chest; all breath and moan with the heaviness that is harvest. It’s in the air. The perfume of ripe grapes seems phony it’s so overdone. Drying hops can’t help but spill their scent from the many hot kilns that dot the roads. The aroma of … Continued
With only 18 hours in Yakima for the Macklemore show, Seattle’s Robin Wehl of Hello Robin Cookies, had an epiphany for a Valley-inspired cookie while losing herself in some local street corn (Thank you, crafted yakima). Yakima has always held a special place in my heart. Back in the early 90s, while attending Central Washington University, … Continued
Ironically, we at rooted are not big fans of the term “farm to table.” While at its heart it means well, it has been overused and abused to a point that it makes us forget that all of the food at our table comes from a farm somewhere (unless your table is laden with funyuns … Continued
If you live in the Yakima Valley, you never become accustomed to the fresh offerings right from the field. There’s always more to try and buy straight from the source. On Wednesday, I travelled down to Sunnyside, Wash. on a perfect Valley day to the town’s weekly farmer’s market to check out the offering’s in honor of … Continued
In the between of the hilly area connecting Wapato to Moxee, Washington, lies a spot known as Konnowac Pass. It is an area inside the hills, with fertile and willing ground showing an almost vain representation of agriculture. The contrast of the arid yellow of the hills and the cool orchard greens is more striking … Continued