Oregon pears are an industry in Oregon that seems not to get enough attention from the public. So this post will give some information about Oregon pears along with some links to websites with more information. There will even be some links to recipes for Oregon pears.

From the website of Oregon’s government comes the following.

General
Rich volcanic soil, abundant water, warm days and cool nights allow pear orchards to flourish dramatically in the Northwest’s river valley regions, located from Northern Central Washington (Wenatchee and Yakima) to Central and Southern Oregon (Hood River and Medford).

Production
Oregon has 370 pear growers, and produces about 800 million pears per year.

17,600 acres of Oregon land are in production for pears.

In 2003, the top five producing counties in Oregon (Hood River, Jackson, Wasco, Josephine, Marion) produced 254,098 tons of pears.

Pears are Oregon’s #1 tree fruit crop.

Oregon’s fresh pear production ranks second in the United States.

Oregon’s ranks third in the United States for overall production (fresh and processed), second in terms of fresh pear production.

If compared to other (non-Asian variety) pear-producing countries, Oregonís production alone would rank ninth worldwide.

Then there’s the:

NORTHWEST FRESH BARTLETT MARKETING COMMITTEE
4382 SE International Way, Suite A
Milwaukie, OR 97222-4635
503-652-9720; FAX 503-652-9721
E-mail: nfbmc@usapears.com
Kevin Moffitt, Manager

The Northwest Fresh Bartlett Marketing Committee is responsible for establishing fruit grade, size, and container standards, as well as collecting and disseminating inventory and movement statistics for the fresh Bartlett industry in Oregon and Washington. Information collected and distributed by the organization plays a vital role in marketing and promoting of fresh Northwest Bartletts.

Growers and shippers of fresh Bartletts and other commercially grown summer varieties established the Northwest Fresh Bartlett Marketing Committee as USDA Federal Marketing Order #931. The organization is governed by a 14-member committee of industry members elected from each of the pear- growing regions in Oregon and Washington.

Offices and administrative costs for the Northwest Fresh Bartlett Marketing Committee are shared with the Pear Bureau Northwest and other federal and state marketing orders in Milwaukie, Oregon. Collection of assessments in Washington State is contracted through the Washington State Fruit Commission.

And now for one recipe. Check out the link for a picture of what the following recipe should look like.

Light and Easy Pear-Strawberry Trifle

2 pared, cored, and thinly sliced Anjou or Bosc USA pears
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons almond-flavored liqueur, optional*
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
Ω 9 inch angel food cake, cut to 1-inch cubes
3 cups vanilla or lemon flavored yogurt
1 cup diced fresh or canned pineapple, drained

Garnish: pear slices and mint sprigs

Click here for more recipes.