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The unseen workforce behind our food
Washington's sweet, juicy pears are a big hit in Mexico. But there is a journey of 3,000 miles between the orchards and the tianguis, in which a team of farmers, packers, and shippers have to work together and race against the clock.
ASINGLE PEAR'S JOURNEY from a central Washington farm to an open-air street market in Mexico City represents the combined efforts of hundreds of retailers, importers, shippers, packers, and — of course — the farmers who grow and pick the fruit here in Washington, the country's number 1 producer of pears.
That might feel like a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of what is often a small, family-owned operation, but pear growers like Darin Palmer and his team are up to the task.
Palmer, who runs Palmer Orchards in Peshastin, married into the pear-growing business and now represents the fourth generation to run the family farm. Many of the families who work on the farm have been there for four generations as well, and Palmer relies on their knowledge to keep things running smoothly.
"They're out here every year, and they honestly know the orchard better than I do because they've been working it — they've been planting these trees and taking care of them for all these years," he said. "And I think it's more than that. I think that we're a family, to be honest with you."
Palmer said a lot of work goes into growing the perfect pear; for example, the fruits need to be hand thinned to ensure they have enough room to grow. One afternoon, he strolled through the orchard and pointed to a trio of tiny Bartlett pears growing in a clump, plucking the one in the middle and holding it up.
"When people go to the grocery store, they want to pick up a nice, perfect pear," he said. "You don't want a little one. Once we thin that pear off, the remaining pear gets all the nutrients coming from the tree to grow bigger."
And in central Washington — the top pear-growing area in Washington, and, therefore, in the country — the nutrients that come from the soil are one of the reasons these pear trees are thriving. With a combination of volcanic ash, minerals, and micronutrients, the region's soil helps pear trees thrive. Add to that the Wenatchee Valley's abundant water sources, from a combination of mountain snow runoff and the nearby Wenatchee River, plus the region's ideal pear-growing temperatures, and you have some happy orchards.
"Washington state and, specifically, the Wenatchee Valley is, in my opinion, the best place to grow pears," said Palmer. "The pears really like the hot days that we get here, but then also the cool nights. So right before harvest, as fall is starting to set in, the temperature drops and the sugar content goes up in the pears and creates the juicy pear that everybody loves."
After these Washington pears are grown, harvested, and packed, more than 25% of them are exported worldwide — and the biggest importers are our neighbors in Mexico. In Mexico City's brightly lit Central de Abasto wholesale market, boxes of fruit span as far as the eye can see.
"Our growers work with packers and shippers that have great quality standards," said Monica Morena Arellano, who represents the Pear Bureau Northwest in Mexico City. "And what happens is that these importers
here in Mexico buy the fruit from our growers and our shippers, and then they come here."
The pears are shipped by truck from Washington to Mexico, where they are unloaded at wholesale markets like Central de Abasto. These wholesale markets sell them to retail outlets, like grocery stores, or to what they call the traditional sector.
"In Mexico, the traditional sector is extremely important," said Morena Arellano. "Around 60% of the produce moves through the traditional sector. We call them 'tianguis', small street markets that come out once every week."
The positive trade relationship between Mexico and the United States is incredibly important in making all of this possible, said Morena Arellano.
"We are the No. 1 export destination for U.S. produce," she said. "So for us, keeping that relationship between our shippers and growers and the Mexican trade is extremely important and part of what we try to do every day."
And thanks to this partnership, a shopper at a Mexico City tianguis can purchase a juicy, flavorful pear grown on a small family farm in the Wenatchee Valley and bring home a taste of the Pacific Northwest nearly 2,800 miles away.
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Farm foreman Guillermo shows off his pear harvest. Opposite, Eldon Tall and Washington Grown host Val Thomas-Matson relax in the shade.
sweet
TRIPLE TALL ORCHARDS DRYDEN
success
When Eldon Tall decided to uproot from Seattle and move to a small town in the Wenatchee River Valley, he had no idea how fruitful his decision would become.
When Eldon Tall moved away from Seattle after growing up in the city, he knew that he wanted to do something different.
"I wanted to get out in the country and do something in farming," said Eldon. "A friend of mine had an apple and pear orchard in Cashmere, and he said, 'Why don't you buy orchards?' I had never thought of that."
It turns out that if you're interested in buying a pear orchard, there's nowhere better in the world than the Wenatchee River Valley, in the area between the cities of Leavenworth and Wenatchee. While nearly the whole state of Washington grows renowned apples, this particular valley is ground zero for the state's pear production. Washington leads the nation in pear production (contributing nearly half of the United States' total pear output), and the Wenatchee River Valley is a region of prolific pear production.
The soil along the banks of the river is rich with nutrients from glacial and volcanic activity long ago. The mountains protect the delicate pears by keeping
temperatures slightly cooler during the hot summer and helping funnel great airflow down the river valley. And the fast-flowing rivers next to the orchards provide a clean and constant water supply.
"You can grow apples in a lot of places, but to grow good pears, it takes certain things," said Eldon. "We have the soil, water, and lots of sunshine. It's just a premier peargrowing area."
When Eldon decided to build a new life in the orchard, he didn't do it alone. His son, Jon, is his business partner and helps manage the day-to-day business of the farm.
"My dad is 78 and still works six days a week," said Jon with a laugh. "He always wanted to be a cattle rancher but decided that pears would be the next-best thing."
Eldon and Jon are joined by their farm foreman Guillermo, who has been on the farm for quite a long time.
"When I started working here, I was pretty young. Now I'm 71, I think — I don't know for sure," Guillermo said with a chuckle. "I've learned a few things."
When the Washington Grown crew visited the orchard in Season 11, Guillermo showed Val how to pick the delicate pears by simply grasping the ripe fruit from the bottom and turning it upside down until the stem breaks. All pears in Washington are picked and individually wrapped by hand to protect the skin of the fruit. Customers in grocery stores around the world equate Washington pears with the highest quality, so farmers go to great lengths to ensure their fruits aren't bruised or crushed in the harvest process.
"You're pretty good at this!" Guillermo joked to Val as she picked an armful of pears. "Next time, I'll have you come earlier and work longer!"
Harvesting and selling such a high-quality fruit may require a bit more work from Guillermo, Eldon, and Jon. But in a pear heaven like this, all that extra work is worth it!
More than 80% of America's pears are grown in Washington and Oregon, but like most tree fruits in the Pacific Northwest, they can trace their commercial roots back to 1847, when a pioneer named Henderson Luelling and his family brought a wagonload of around 700 fruit trees over the Oregon Trail.
When Luelling reached Oregon, he established a nursery in the town of Milwaukie, outside modern-day Portland. The nursery sold trees for $1 to $1.50 each, and many of the early settlers to the Northwest purchased their first trees from the Luellings.
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THE HARDEST WORKING PERSON IN PROSSER
2K BAKERY PROSSER
Sylvia Cortez is a local legend around Prosser and not just because of her delicious pastries.
At 2K Bakery in Prosser, sweet treats and baked goods are served with a side of community.
"I feel like I bring people together," said Sylvia Cortez, 2K's owner and baker. "I love my customers. I will always say that. I love them. They make me part of their families."
And while the customers might leave with arms full of delicious cakes, breads, doughnuts, muffins, and cookies, they come for Cortez.
"Honestly, my favorite thing is to visit Sylvia, along with getting the treats," said one patron, who arrived with her children and was greeted by a hug from Cortez. "It makes everything really special. My kids ask to come here all the time, so it's like a fun stop in our daily life around Prosser. "
Another customer, who said he can't even get out the door before snacking on the freshly baked pastries he bought, remarked that he sees Cortez in the bakery from morning to night.
"She's one of the hardest working people in Prosser," he said.
But Cortez said despite the long hours and hard work, she loves what she does, and that makes everything worth it.
"I love baking," she said. "It doesn't get boring. What I love is that people bring memories, and then you forget about all the hard work you do. This is my extra credit right here — my bonus."
One customer, who came in for sweet Mexican conchas, said everything that Cortez makes is incredible.
"We come on in, and we just feel like family," she said.
When the Washington Grown team visited the bakery, rows of freshly baked delicacies sat in brightly lit display cases, along with one single blueberry muffin made with fresh Washington berries. Cortez said that morning, there had been 30 muffins in the case.
"We use a lot of blueberries," she said, adding that they always use Washington-grown fruits when they are in season, including apples, grapes, peaches, and strawberries.
"Every time we have a seasonal fruit like cherries, we do something with cherries," she said. "Pears — those are beautiful to add to the crepe cakes."
In the kitchen, she began laying out ingredients for Tres Leches Cake, which is named for the three milks used in the recipe: evaporated, whole or 2%, and sweetened condensed milk.
It's a very moist cake," she said. "So, if you like moist, you're going to love this cake."
After she pulled the flat, round pans from the oven, she piped icing around the spongy cakes, then poured the milk mixture over top, beginning in the center.
She added more icing and a layer of fresh Washington strawberries on top before repeating the process with another layer of cake. When the milk had soaked in, she iced the cake and arranged brightly colored Washington pears, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and peaches on top.
"That's the good thing about living in Washington," she said, cutting a slice and taking a taste of tres leches and fruit. "We get different kinds of fruit, and it's just beautiful."
2K BAKERY'S
CakeLeches
Ingredients
CAKE BATTER
• 12 oz eggs
• 12 oz whole milk
• 8 oz canola oil
• 1 oz baking powder
1/2 oz salt
• 18 oz granulated sugar
• 20 oz all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup milk (2% or whole milk)
• 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk MILK MIXTURE
TOPPING
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups fresh fruit (pears, strawberries, peaches, & blueberries work great!)
Complexity: Medium • Time: 2.5 hours • Serves: 8
The colorful and vibrant presentation of this classic Tres Leches Cake recipe from 2K Bakery in Prosser is sure to impress your guests – but the light, moist texture of the cake is the real star. Keep it refrigerated after adding the toppings and serve cold. This cake is a great summer treat!
Mix eggs, milk, canola oil, baking powder, and salt together for 3 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Add sugar and flour and mix for 2 more minutes.
Pour into two greased 8" cake pans, and allow the batter to settle. If bubbles form in the cake batter, you can gently drop the cake pans onto the countertop in order to pop the bubbles, resulting in a more uniform cake.
Bake for 1 hour at 330°. Allow cakes to cool before removing from pans. Use a long knife to trim the rounded top off both cakes, giving them an even, flat top. Use a fork or toothpick to poke holes in the top of both cakes, so that the milk mixture can penetrate the cake.
Make the milk mixture by combining evaporated milk, whole milk, and sweetened condensed milk together. Put the cakes on a plate or cookie sheet, then slowly pour milk mixture over both cakes (this gets messy, so have a towel handy!). Refrigerate the cakes for an hour to allow them to soak up the milk.
Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Smooth over the top of one of the cakes, then layer with strawberries. Add the second cake layer, and spread more whipped topping over the top and sides of the cake.
Top with fresh fruit. Enjoy!
Bees,
butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are the unsung heroes behind Washington's sweet cherries and juicy pears.
nature's little helpers
IN THE LUSH ORCHARDS AND FERTILE FIELDS of the Pacific Northwest, an unseen workforce plays a crucial role in the production of our favorite foods: pollinators. Bees, bats, butterflies, birds, and other pollinating insects are not just a picturesque part of the landscape, they are essential to the region's agriculture and food security.
It's hard to even imagine a world without pollinators. Pears, cherries, apples, berries, and many other crops that thrive in our region would simply cease to exist in their current abundance.
Many plants require both male parts (called the anther) and female parts (called the stigma) to reproduce, similar to mammals or other animals. In plants, the anther produces pollen dust, which needs
to find its way to the stigma in order for the plant to make fruits, flowers, or seeds.
Take cherries, for example. These delicious fruits depend heavily on pollinators like bees. Each flower must be visited by a pollinator to ensure proper fertilization and the development of plump, juicy cherries. Pears, another Washington staple, also rely on efficient pollination to produce the full, sweet fruits we enjoy year-round.
Recognizing the indispensable role of pollinators, farmers in Washington are employing various practices to support and encourage these vital creatures. One of the most common methods is the planting of pollinator-friendly habitats around
POLLINATORS OF WASHINGTON
orchards and fields. These areas include wildflower strips, native plantings, and hedgerows that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for bees and other pollinators throughout the growing season.
Planting diverse crops and leaving some land fallow are other common practices that Washington farmers use to encourage pollinators. When there are not enough natural pollinators in an area, farmers can also hire beekeepers to bring hives into their fields or orchards for days or weeks at a time.
The influence of pollinators extends beyond the farms and orchards into the grocery stores and kitchens of consumers. When pollination is successful, fruits and vegetables develop more uniformly, with better flavor, texture, and nutritional content. Pears, apples, and cherries, for instance, are not only more abundant but also larger and sweeter when pollinated effectively.
Moreover, diverse pollinator populations contribute to the resilience of agricultural ecosystems. By promoting biodiversity and ecological balance, pollinators help ensure the long-term sustainability of our food production systems.
As residents of the Evergreen State, we are fortunate to live in a region where agriculture and natural beauty converge. The tireless work of pollinators makes the abundance of our orchards and the vibrancy of our crops possible. By understanding their importance and supporting efforts to conserve them, we can ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the bounty of our lands. So the next time you bite into a sweet pear or savor a handful of cherries, remember to thank the pollinators that make it all possible. Their contribution is truly the hidden treasure of our agricultural heritage.
The Washington Grown project is made possible by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant program, through a partnership with the state's farmers.
