Scott & Gail Hagee
Married for 23 years
Originally from California
3890 Acree Drive
Hood River, OR 97031
541-386-2803
sgopear@gorge.net

Pheasant Valley Orchards

• 40 acres of land: 35 acres of pears, 5 acres of apples
• Farming since 1980, 15 years with Earth's Best
• Primary harvest: Bartlett & D'Anjou (winter) Pears, both of which are used in Earth's Best pear products. The winter pears need a minimum of 30 days in cold storage before ripening, and have a smoother creamier flavor. They have a round tear drop shape. Bartletts are sweeter, and as they ripen, they turn more of a yellow color. That's how you know they are ready.

Scott and Gail decided they did not like the environmental contamination of chemicals on their land and the surrounding rivers. In 1988 they decided to go organic with their entire 40 acres of land. Instead of using chemical insecticides and herbicides for weed control they now attack pests with soap sprays and diluted oil sprays. Their soils are re-fertilized using specifically processed fish products and by planting cover crops such as legumes and clover which naturally assimilates nitrogen from the air to the roots and deposits it into the soil. Prior to going organic, petroleum based nitrogen fertilizers were used.

Pheasant Valley Orchards is certified by Oregon Tilthe, a 3rd party organic certifier, an organization currently accredited by the USDA to provide the service of organic verification. Soil and leaf samples are taken from the farm every year by Oregon Tilthe. In addition to this inspection, Earth's Best takes our own walk of the orchard and gathers fruit samples every year. They are then screened for over 250 different pesticides as well.

Scott's pears are fed to millions of Earth's Best babies every year. "All of my friends that have children call all the time and say they eat Earth's Best. They don't even think about buying the other products." Scott is very passionate about what he does. "I really like growing fruit -- there's nothing like watching the blossoms in early spring turn into small fruit and then watching the fruit mature into the early fall. When harvest time arrives, I pick the fruit off the trees and put it in the bins for people to enjoy."

Scott and Gail welcome guests year-round to stay at their B&B and get a little touch of their love for their orchard. You can visit their website at: www.pheasantvalleyorchards.com.