Liepold Farms

Thank goodness summer and the berry stands and farmers markets are finally up and running!  I spent a day last week with the Liepolds on their strawberry farm out in Boring Oregon.  Believe me... their lives are ANYTHING but boring this time of year!

They have a family farm that was established in the early 50's by Mr. Liepold's parents.  The berry stand is a classic farm stand with red and white stripes and stacks and stacks of fresh Oregon berries.  Family and friends work from sunup to sundown at this time of year with the surreal backdrop of the snowcapped Mt Hood and the cascade foothills.

The Liepolds raise the heirloom strawberry varietials that I grew up knowing and loving here in Oregon... Hoods and Tillamooks.   Only 5% of the strawberries grown for commercial sale are of the Hood variety... they are exceptional for taste and sweetness.... but they are fragile and the season is short. That makes the profitability lessen and makes growing them an art form vs production.  

My grandmother used to make a selection of Christmas cookies every year --only at Christmas--- even though you could get the ingredients year round- those cookies were special because they were seasonal.  That's the way Oregon berries are-- special and seasonal.  I would gladly pay more for a delicious strawberry if it tasted like a strawberry!  Modern transportation and food service has made it possible for us to get strawberries any time of the year... but are they really strawberries?  Or just woody replicas of what a strawberry looks like... unsatisfying.  

I'm making it a personal crusade to buy Oregon berries like those from Liepold Farms in Boring to make sure I always can purchase delicious, seasonal berries that taste like a dang berry should!  Let me encourage you to buy them at Farmers Markets and Berry Stands.  Remember if you don't buy them they won't grow them.

When I met with Marsha Liepold ( charming and talented business woman and artist!) at the farm she was so gracious.  She is very proud of their farm and farm practices.  They are working hard to keep the family farm legacy going.  Surrounded by suburban growth, they keep working hard every day. They have instilled the work ethic in their family from daughters and daughters-in-law to little Zoey who, at 5 years old, is already helping stack containers and get the crates ready for the pickers.  They pick these berries fresh everyday--so you can get the best strawberry experience you deserve!