![]() ![]() The growing regions in Washington share their volcanic influences from Mt. In central Washington’s Yakima Valley, the light, fertile soil of the agricultural-rich region supports thousands of acres of Northwest pear trees. The rugged north central Washington region is exceptionally proud of its consistency of producing high-quality pears known the world over. With orchards dating back to the 1850’s, the Wenatchee Valley is an abundant producer of all USA Pear varieties. Settlers in the shadows of Washington’s Cascade Range enjoyed similar success. The principal growing areas in the region are literally in the shadow of these mountains, which can rise over 11,000 feet above sea level. Many of the Northwest’s snow-capped peaks are dormant or still active volcanoes. The Cascade Range is part of the Ring of Fire, the mountains that ring the Pacific Rim. Medford, near the end of the Cascade Mountain Range, also enjoys the rich volcanic soil and European-like weather that nurture the world’s most beautiful, sweet, and juicy pears. The other principal growing area in Oregon is the Rogue River valley, around Medford in the Southeastern part of the state. Volcanic soil, abundant water, warm days and cool nights combine to create the perfect conditions for growing the varieties found in Oregon. Vast orchards grow there today, in the shadow of majestic Mt. Pioneers that settled along the Columbia River in Oregon’s Hood River Valley, found ideal growing conditions for their pear trees. These trees found their way to the region by way of the Lewis and Clark Trail. The first arrival of pear trees to Oregon and Washington came with the pioneers. Thanks to advancements in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage technology, fresh USA Pears are available to consumers nearly year-round. Consumer interest and enjoyment of Northwest pears grows each year. Organic, commercial and multi-generation family orchards all contribute high-quality fruit to the Northwest’s fresh pear industry. Today, pear orchards in Oregon and Washington are as specialized as the regions that support them. Today’s Northwest pear varieties are the same or similar to those first cultivated in France and Belgium where they were prized for their delicate flavor, buttery texture, and long storage life.Īs more sophisticated irrigation and growing techniques developed during the past century, pear orchards flourished dramatically in the Northwest’s river valley regions located in a serpentine sprawl from Northern Central Washington to Central Southern Oregon. Fortunately, the pear trees brought west to Oregon and Washington by pioneers in the 1800’s thrived in the unique agricultural conditions found in the Pacific Northwest. And in popular culture, the pear tree was immortalized alongside a partridge in the 18th-century Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas.Įarly colonists brought the first pear trees to America’s eastern settlements where they thrived until crop blights proved too severe to sustain widespread cultivation. In the 17th century a great flourishing of modern pear variety cultivation began taking place in Europe. Evident in the works of Renaissance Masters, pears have long been an elegant still-life muse for artists. Thanks to their versatility and long storage life, pears were a valuable and much-desired commodity among the trading routes of the ancient world. In The Odyssey, the Greek poet laureate Homer lauds pears as a “gift of the gods.” Pomona, goddess of fruit, was a cherished member of the Roman Pantheon and Roman farmers documented extensive pear growing and grafting techniques. In 5,000 B.C., Feng Li, a Chinese diplomat, abandoned his responsibilities when he became consumed by grafting peaches, almonds, persimmons, pears and apples as a commercial venture. Pears are one of the world’s oldest cultivated and beloved fruits. ![]()
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