Our 2022 Harvest Roundup
October in the Yakima Valley is a colorful sight, with an abundance of crops still in harvest. This fertile agricultural region has seen a spectacularly long growing season, and we'd love to share with you some of the local happenings with you.
First, let's talk about what we know best: cherries! Cherries are one of the first fruits harvested in the area and, while their harvest typically wraps up in July, the success of the year's cherry harvest is always on the forefront of our mind as we head into the holiday season.
The 2022 cherry season saw an unusually late start due to an April snowstorm. "Initially we were concerned about blossoms being pollinated because of a late April snow. Fortunately, much of the crop bloomed afterwards; that and a warm growing season combined with the tenacity of our farmers allowed us to process our largest volume of cherries to date," said Chukar Cherries' General Manager, Tim Oten.
Currently, we are transforming those local Northwest cherries into this year's vibrant, new cherry holiday gifts .
This year's late spring has been accompanied by a longlasting fall, with sunny skies extending through mid-October and many fruits still ripening on the vine and branch.
Sunny skies mean extra large pears are being plucked at neighboring Newhouse Farms in Sunnyside, WA.
Photo courtesy of Newhouse Farm
Northwest hops are being harvested and prepared for beer making at Washington breweries. If you visit Chukar , you'll notice neighboring hopyards with huge trellis sytems that stretch up to the sky. Check out this interesting video about the process.
Photo courtesy of Bohdan Stocek
The vineyards are stunning to see at this time of year and we strongly recommend doing a tour of Yakima Valley vineyards , of course with a stop at Chukar Flagship store in Prosser along the way to pick up a Northwest wine and cherry gift .
Photo courtesy of Mike Dawson
The local Washington vineyards are also benefiting from the extended sunshine. Grapes that sit on the vine for longer allow for more sugar to be retained, which in turn will make the resulting wines sweeter and bolder.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Hopwood
Washington State may be popular for wine, cherries, and apples, but it is also a huge producer of wheat.
"Washington's 2022 winter wheat production is forecast at 131 million bushels, an 84% increase from winter wheat output in 2021, with an anticipated yield of 73 bushels per acre compared with 42 bushels per acre in 2021," according to the Columbia Basin Herald.
Photo courtesy of Mike Dawson
Pumpkins have grown plump and large in the fields, with more than enough to meet the region's Halloween demand plus export to larger cities through the state.
Photo courtesy of Mike Dawson
Lastly, we are seeing familiar birds such as the Western burrowing owl hunting the farmlands before they begin their migration pattern. Look at this handsome fellow!
Photo courtesy of Lynn Hopwood
We hope this roundup has given you some insight into the many crops that grow here in the agricultural breadbasket of Eastern Washington. It's a special place where rich volcanic soil and ideal weather produce exceptional quality crops and fruit, including our very own cherries.
