Farm Fresh Treats & U-Pick Fun
This time of year, Oregon is full of vibrant farmers’ markets and country roads that are dotted with farm stands selling everything from just-picked strawberries to fresh berry jams to perfectly baked cherry pies. It’s also a great time of year to hit the u-pick farms, of which there are plenty.
Did you know that Oregon grows 99 percent of America’s hazelnuts? And that we have
more than 600 vineyards feeding over 250 wineries? We also grow apples, pears, squash, flowers and herbs. Just around the corner is the celebrated harvest season full of festivals, tastings and fresh-from-the-ground goodies. Here is a three-day excursion that will give you a taste of what’s Oregonian.
1.
Sauvie Island and Washington County
Just north of downtown Portland is Sauvie Island, a one-stop U-Pick paradise. Bring your own buckets and head out into the orchards and fields to pluck blueberries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries—even flowers. If you’re not a u-picker, there are farm stores on the island that sell anything you can pick in addition to things you can’t (fruit popsicles and jams, fresh honey, hot dogs).
If time allows, stop over in Washington County (aka, “The Countryside of Portland”) for an extended view of vineyards, wineries and hazelnut farms. This puts you 20 minutes outside of Portland, a city rife with restaurants that use these locally grown ingredients in their world-class cuisine.
2.
Hood River Valley
Just on the east side of Mt. Hood in the Columbia River Gorge is Hood River Valley, another fruit paradise. Here you will find deliciously ripe cherries (a dozen varieties, including bing and ranier), apples, pears, peaches, nectarines—even some veggies—and more. Head to Alice’s Orchard & Fruit Stand for bing cherry u-pick season, started this month.
And if you’d rather someone else pick the goods stop by Hood River’s Apple Valley Country Store for homemade jams, syrups, pies, and fresh fruit.
While you’re in Hood River Valley, you’d be remiss not to take the self-driving Fruit Loop tour which takes you through 35 miles of scenic orchards, farms, forests and quaint communities in the area. It’s especially fun this time of year, the start of cherry harvest. The farms along the Fruit Loop farms offer a dozen varieties of fresh-picked cherries, cherry wine, cherry jam, cherry pies, dessert—and, of course, U-pick cherries. This weekend (July 15-16), don't miss the 2nd annual Lavender Daze Festival at Hood River Lavendar Farms.
For more information about Oregon’s bounty, including recipes, events and where to locate products visit www.aglink.org.
3.
More Roadside Fun
Another great way to gather Oregon’s bounty is simply to ramble, stopping now and then at one of the countless roadside stands that line the country lanes. Along Highway 99W, which winds from Portland through the Willamette wine country to the Oregon coast, you’ll find produce stands selling everything from fresh strawberries to hazelnuts. Around Ontario, in southeastern Oregon, it’s bags of large, sweet onions — the makings of a savory, entirely different kind of pie. And for a delicate tart, nothing beats pears from Medford. Wherever you go, the key is buying directly from the grower at season’s peak. A short turnaround time from field to kitchen guarantees you the highest quality produce. And pies, like anything else you cook, are only as good as the ingredients you put in them. So, go ahead—eat Oregonian.