"For seasonal produce obsessives, Portland is ideally located between the Willamette Valley and Mount Hood's Fruit Loop, the bounty of orchards, vineyards, and berry farms that reaches south of Hood River. In summer, locals mob farm stands and u-pick orchards for Hood strawberries or Rainier cherries mere days before they appear in farmers market pints. In fall, the hottest fruit is the humble apple: the pink-fleshed Mountain Rose, the sweet and acidic Jonagold, the bracingly tart Gravenstein."
"No ladders necessary: This Beaverton u-pick orchard keeps its fruit trees short, so toddlers can get in on the fun and no top-branch Gravensteins or Braeburns go to waste. Bell's is generally pretty mellow, with a sweet red farmhouse and a picnic area for a sack lunch at the orchard. Picking times can be relatively limited; it's best to check the orchard's Facebook or website for updated hours and varieties."
"This Tualatin Valley orchard has existed since the 1860s and is a designated u-pick-only orchard offering 70 varieties of apples. If you can't find something, Charles Poindexter, the farm's owner, is often on-hand for direction. Apple hunters, this is the place to cross off your bucket-list varietals: Tydeman's Red, Spitzenburg, and Wolf River are just some of the rare apples growing here."
Portland sits between the Willamette Valley and Mount Hood's Fruit Loop, surrounded by orchards, vineyards, and berry farms that supply seasonal u-pick opportunities within two hours. Summer brings Hood strawberries and Rainier cherries to farm stands and pick-your-own sites. Fall centers on apples, including Mountain Rose, Jonagold, Gravenstein, Honeycrisp, and rare heirlooms. Orchards vary in character: some keep trees short and family-friendly with picnic areas, others specialize in many varieties and owner guidance, and some ripen later into October. Availability and picking times change quickly, so checking current hours and offerings is advised.
Read at Portland Monthly
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]