Family farms in the Yakima Valley grow hundreds of varieties of fresh apples, peaches, pears asparagus, rhubarb, berries, melons, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and many other fruits and veggies. Many of them craft specialty and artisan products from their home-grown harvests. Visit these six family farms to try everything from baked goods to lotions, soaps, teas and more.
U-pick and They Pick Berries and Frozen Berry Treats
Blueberry Hill Berries is well known for growing 15 varieties of organic u-pick and they pick, blueberries, as well as raspberries, blackcaps and blackberries. After years of growing delicious berries, they began blending them with a few other ingredients to create an entirely new fruit experience. Sorbotto’s Frosty Blue is a delicious, healthy, frozen treat made of 90% fruit. Try it in Raspberry, Dark Blue and Blue Passion flavors. For a fun family experience, visit Blueberry Hill to pick huge, juicy blueberries right off the bushes in the sunshine of the beautiful Yakima Valley. Then, cool down with a frosty snack! Sorbotto is also available at select locations in the Pacific Northwest.
Lavender Plants, Skincare, Lotions, Oils, Candles, Bath Salts, Dried and Fresh Bouquets and Lavender Harvest Days Festival
Selah Ridge Lavender Farm is a family farm located in Selah, WA. They’ve been growing and distilling lavender and producing a handcrafted premium skincare line for almost 20 years. Their products are available May through October on Sundays at the DowntownYakima Farmers Market and during business hours at the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center Gift Shop. Visit the farm during the first weekend in May for the annual Lavender plant sale or during the Annual Lavender Harvest Days Festival, the second weekend of July. Enjoy cutting you own lavender, talented local artisans, cool vintage items, metal, fun wood signs, jewelry, stained glass, woodworking, wreath making and Selah Ridge Lavender Farm products such as handcrafted soaps, lotion oils, lavender face care line, plants, fresh and dried bouquets and lavender oil. Watch a lavender distilling demonstration and enjoy music, garden art, shaved ice and activities for children. Stroll through beautiful, fragrant rows of lavender and take a peaceful journey in the lavender labyrinth. The farm is also open by appointment.
Handcrafted, Farm-Fresh Baked Goods and More
Ahtanum Berry Patch This family-friendly u-pick berry farm and bake shop in Yakima’s West Valley grows a wide variety of thornless blackberries, red, gold and black raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and rhubarb. Their premium desserts are handmade with their delicious berries and simple, whole ingredients. Choose from blackberry, triple berry, strawberry rhubarb, apple, or apple Danish glazed pies, cinnamon rolls, rolls, cookies, muffins, lemon bars, brownies, raspberry oat bars, chocolate chip cookies, granola, jams, macaroons and more. Call 509.731.4094 to order ahead and pick up when you are in town.
Johnson Orchards Since 1904, Johnson Orchards has grown quality cherries (Bing, Rainier, Van, Lapin, Skeena, and Sweetheart), apricots, peaches, pears, pluots, plums and nectarines in the Yakima Valley. The Little Bake Shop at Johnson Orchards offers made-from-scratch baked goods Thursday through Saturday. Visit the 1916 fruit packing warehouse next to their beautiful orchard and see what’s freshly baked or call 509-966-7479 to order. Choose from a selection of cookies, scones, muffins, Danish, bars, pies (apple, caramel apple, cranberry apple, coconut cream, chocolate cream, banana cream), quiche Lorraine and spinach Feta quiche. Johnson Orchards is also the birthplace of Copper Pot Caramels, made in small batches and boxed in recycled cardboard. Each batch is sampled by the bakers, tested for quality: chew-ability, taste-ability, and flavor-ability!
Cookbook of Farm Favorites
Krueger Pepper Gardens This family farm has been growing quality produce in the Yakima Valley since 1937, offering organic crops such as corn, garlic, grapes, concord grapes, melons, mixed vegetable seeds, peppers, tomatoes and winter squash. They offer u-pick certified organic fruits and vegetables including more than 100 varieties of hot and sweet peppers, such as ghost peppers and other specialty extra hots, more than 15 varieties of tomatoes including heirlooms, more than 10 varieties of melons and watermelon, more than 10 varieties of winter squash, eggplant, green beans, onions, apples, potatoes, pears, peaches and nectarines. For inspiration using all this farm-fresh produce, pick up their cookbook filled with favorite family farm recipes. The cookbook is available online or at the farm for only $10.
Hop Products – Pickled Hop Shoots, Hop Teas, Hop Soaps and Hop Farm Tours.
Hops Direct LLC/ Puterbargh Farms Puterbaugh Farms is a 5th generation hop farming family, growing hops in the Yakima Valley since the early 1930s. In addition to selling hop leaf, hop pellets and rhizomes to brewers, Hops Direct offers products made from hops – no, not beer. They produce pickled hop shoots, hop teas in many flavors, including sleepy, chai and herbal and hop soaps in many scents. They’re available for purchase online. Tours of the farm and facility are by reservation only during hop harvest season from early August through late September, weather permitting. Please contact them at least 24 hours in advance to make arrangements or call 888.972.3616.
Categorized in: Family Fun, Farm Fresh Fun, Food and Dining
