The Fruit Company

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifice.”

-President Harry S. Truman

I was on the verge of reporting nothing.  That’s right, nothing.  After scouring unsuccessfully for exciting Memorial Day weekend community events, I was ready to concede Memorial Day to the quiet background of family picnics, barbecues, camp outs and grave side memorials.  Thankfully, it’s my research skills, not Hood River’s social life that needs some work.

So here they are, Memorial Day happenings in the Hood River Valley. Read more

It’s almost Memorial Day, and while I have lots of love and passion for veterans, I can’t figure out a single thing to say.  I guess if I was a professional writer that would be alarming, but maybe it’s the perfect response.  What really can be said?  How do you summarize the collective sacrifice of nearly 1.5 million Americans in the pursuit and protection of freedom, liberty and justice?  Hollywood has given us so many vivid and genuine pictures of what our country men have endured, and yet I can’t help think that no matter how vivid or gritty, or how crisp the high definition or representational accuracy, we will never truly understand the measures of courage, fortitude and strength it takes to fight in a war.  Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember our fallen soldiers, may best be characterized from a place of speechlessness. Read more

Some of our beautiful young pears just now beginning to grow for the new harvest.  Here at The Fruit Company™ we take great pride in the growing of our fruit so you always get the best quality!

Need some inspiration to get out and move that body? Wondering where to start? Look no more! National Senior Health & Fitness Day is coming up on Wednesday, May 26. Every last Wednesday in May during Older Americans Month, hundreds of thousands of seniors in over 1,000 events nationwide, will be participating and promoting the value of fitness for older adults. This is an opportunity for seniors of all fitness levels to participate in small group exercise demonstrations in community senior centers to walking tours and outdoor health fairs. Look for events planned for your local area at venues including hospitals, park and recreation departments, senior centers, health clubs, retirement communities, houses of worship, health departments and other community locations. Read more

I’ll admit it, I have both loved and hated Hood River. I’ve been here so long, since birth actually, that I feel like a part of its history.  I remember when partial lengths of the main road leading up town had no sidewalks.  I remember when our first McDonalds moved in down on the port and when there was nothing but fields in what is now the west end of town.  As I grew up in The Hood River Valley I just dimly remember the slow change from a child, happy and unconcerned, to a smothered teenager, antsy to get away and see the world.  I itched to get away from the all too familiar faces and sleepy streets.  There was more…something better out there, right?

In the years since high school I’ve left and come back, left and come back, and now back again, I’ve yet again found new love for this now not so sleepy town.  Since the golden age (everyone gets to refer to their childhood as the golden age) the sidewalks have all been paved, the windsurfers have moved in and the world of tourism has discovered us.  And yet, today I discovered that even with two McDonalds, a Taco Bell, Diary Queen, Wal-Mart and two, yes two, grocery stores we have not stumbled too far from our small town roots. Read more

The Fruit Company CEO, Scott Webster, will be speaking Monday, May 10, at 6:30 pm for the Farmlife speaking event focusing on Thinking outside the Barn.  Be sure to join the community as we hear multiple speakers discuss new ideas and strategies that are outside the scope of the farm.

Thinking Outside the “Barn”
Adding Value to Farms & Farm Products

An apple is an apple is an apple—right? Not anymore. Grocery stores operate with buzzwords and price differences. And farmers find new ways to compete by specializing in organic or artisan goods or by exploring ways to process raw goods into “new” options or simply by using marketing and the global economy to expand sales. What are the economic and ethical risks and rewards faced by farmers? What should consumers know about “value-added agriculture”? Representatives from local agribusinesses and the Gorge Grown Food Network will share their experiences and their plans for the future.

Speakers: Gary Willis & Don Stevens, Gorge Delights; Scott Webster, The Fruit Company; Representative, Gorge Grown Food Network