The same fertile soils, mild climate, and cool nights of the Northwest that produce such prime pear growing conditions also make it possible for growers in the region to adhere to the USDA’s organic regulations and grow their fruit without the use of conventional methods and without compromising on quality. As more people look to integrate organic produce into their lives, growers in the region have embraced the extra labor and diligence required to keep up the high standard of the region’s pears with a limited toolkit. It requires a lot more work to keep an organic orchard weeded, the…

Hailed as a “gift of the gods” by the Greek poet Homer in The Odyssey, the venerable pear has graced diverse civilizations for more than 4,000 years. Today, the U.S. is the third largest pear producing country in the world, and the orchards of Oregon and Washington in particular allow this old-world delight to flourish to perfection in their pastoral terrain. Moisture from meandering rivers and glacial snowmelt feeds the region’s nutrient-rich volcanic soil that creates the ideal environment for pear tree nourishment. With these idyllic growing conditions, it’s no wonder Pacific Northwest pear growers produce around 87% percent of…