Meet Your Farmer: Mt. Hood Organic Farms

One of our current suppliers, bringing us delicious certified organic D’Anjou and Red Bartlett pears, is Mt. Hood Organic Farms. This 60 acres of orchards not only provides a scenic foreground for stunning landscapes of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, but also offers an insider’s view of a working farm that produces 1.2 million pounds and 20 varieties of apples and pears each year. In fact, the Hood River Valley’s farms grow 30 percent of the nation’s winter pears.

Although the farm itself dates to the turn of the century (the main farmhouse was built in 1904), John and Brady Jacobson began working the orchards in 1981. Inspired by European techniques and committed to sustainable land use, the Jacobson’s undertook an extensive orchard renovation and transition to organic farming that resulted in full organic certification in 1989 – the first farm in the valley to achieve this status.

Brady and John have now become Biodynamic growers, as these practices stress the importance of the integration of the natural landscape and wildlife into their farming practices and returning to the deeper origins of the organic movement. They also take pride in selling directly to loyal customers of the farm and to regional markets, while donating a portion of their produce to School Aid, a program in partnership with local markets and the Oregon Food Bank.

Full Circle is proud to offer their fruits to our members.