The Crew: Brent, Kathryn, Sara, Savannah, and I (Claire) all grew up in the Yakima Valley, appreciating the beautifully warm and green summers. Since we were small, we watched the hops, apples, cherries, and other crops begin to form and take their shapes; and, for this last summer, we immersed ourselves in the process that … Continued
The sky is the inky blue of first dark, the color that lingers just before the heavy lid of night is dropped overhead. One by one, cars are quietly turning off a country road to crunch their tires up a gravel lane. Shelley and I fall in with the caravan and turn off the road … Continued
We have hit that point in the growing season where things are really beginning to flourish. Out in the fields of the Yakima Valley, the crops are like unruly children, fighting against the roots that hold them to the ground, trying to push out into the world. All in all a splendid time for us … Continued
*DISCLAIMER I am not a wine expert of any kind. I drink it. I like it. Tasting notes mostly serve to make me feel inadequate as I have never had a hint of burnt toast, fig or cardamom in any wine I have ever had. I can tell that my palate has grown up in … Continued
Nothing says agriculture like alfalfa. While not the sexiest of crops, there is something positively archetypal in the image of cut rows all lined up in a field; stripes of green on green as they curve over a hip of hill and meet the blue horizon. It’s the classic American picture of a farm: sunshine, … Continued
The long stretch of solstice sun across the sky last Monday officially put a check mark next to summer for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Standing on the rim of Cowiche Canyon Wednesday night, Aileen, Shelley and I were soaking in the descent of this new season sun. It was a perfect summer … Continued
A door opens. A bell tinkles. The aroma of fresh corn floods the senses. Color catches the eye, bright blues and reds and everything in between. Picnic benches with red seats and white table tops to the right. To the left, candies and ice cream. Straight ahead, the main cuisine, paletas. The fresh frozen fruit … Continued
Yakima Valley hops took a journey east in April, stopping in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for some experimentation. Last hop harvest, the rooted team toured hop fields and harvesting facilities in Moxee and Toppenish. One variety in particular, Comet, stood out to brewers. Comet is an older hop variety that was released by the USDA in 1974. … Continued
After walking the fields last week and seeing the bright red clusters of cherries flaunting their color from under the thick green leaves, we began thinking about the journey the cherry makes once off the tree. Brix counted, plucked from the branches at just the right moment, and placed on trucks, where do they go? … Continued
The beloved cherry. Precious and delicate. By far the most vulnerable and one of the most valuable crops we have here in the Yakima Valley. To be a cherry grower, you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. She can be testy at times or downright brutal. You see, it’s a nervy business, and requires … Continued