The pear industry is truly unique in the agricultural landscape of America. Hard work, dedication, a strong sense of community, and an optimal growing environment allow the 4 growing regions of Washington and Oregon to grow some of the best pears on earth. Every step of the process is handled by people who truly believe in pears. Watch the video below for an inside look at the Northwest pear industry: Hand-Picked: The Story of Pears in the Pacific Northwest Hand-Picked: The Perfect Pear Growing Environment Hand-Picked: Grower Communities Hand-Picked: The Importance of Family Hand-Picked: Pears are Picked and Packed by…

Like the fruit itself and the landscapes on which the trees sit, the people who grow pears come in a wide variety of sorts, from all kinds of backgrounds. Some growers were born to be fourth-generation farmers, while others stumbled into orchard life much later. There are growers for whom the many hats they wear make the job fun, and ones who work hard in the summer to spend those slow winter months with their families. But what all of them share is a passion for growing the best pears possible, whether that’s continuing the tradition of heirloom varieties from…

Gift of the Gods: Pear History 101 While traces of pears have been found in prehistoric areas in Switzerland, the modern(-ish) history of pears begins 7,000 years ago with a Chinese diplomat named Feng Li. After becoming obsessed with pears he devoted his life to cultivating, grafting, and spreading his favorite fruit as far as possible. By the time the Greek poet Homer wrote The Odyssey, he referred to them as a “gift of the gods.” Roman farmers documented their extensive growing and grafting techniques, while also hoping to appeal to the revered goddess of fruit, Pomona. This may explain…

Growing The rich volcanic soils, long, warm days, and cool nights of the Pacific Northwest creates an ideal climate for growing pear trees. But well before the pears are plucked from the trees at the beginning of fall, pear growers have prepped and pruned the trees to help make sure they deliver the perfect pear. When spring rolls around, the trees come alive again: growers kick off the season by bringing in bees to pollinate the pear blossoms starting to decorate the branches. Later, as the first of the pears begin to grow, the grower will thin the incoming baby…

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…