Sweet Success

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 pear growing 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!