Harry and David Orchard Tour

Since I’ve shared with you about my Harry and David luck and Charlie and His Chocolate Factory, it’s now time to learn what Harry and David is known world-wide for:  Royal Riviera Pears.  The Harry and David orchards are filled with over 700,000 fruit trees which yield 17,000 tons of fruit per year.  They have a very sophisticated system to preserve their fruit in cold storage with low oxygen.  Harry and David also hires many residents of Medford, Oregon to work in the orchards and in their facility during the busy holiday season.

The care and love that goes into their farming was impressive.  They are good to the environment and the beautiful surrounding country side.

Once the pears are picked, they are transported back to the large facility for handling by real people.  This is where the pears get placed in boxes.

Here’s where the baskets are assembled.  They have a very elaborate process for packing the baskets.  You have to follow a chart and then tuck the plastic around the basket a certain way so it won’t unravel.  The ribbon gets tied into a bow at the end.

We got to try our skill at assembling baskets and tying bows, too.  Sandy Coughlin is pictured below getting her ends tucked in properly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry and David are farmers but they are also fabulous gift givers and they know how to wrap a package with a pretty ribbon.  I tried to teach them my method for tying a bow but guess what?  My way failed the test!  I had a lump at the bottom which quality control really frowned upon.  It won’t lay flat on the shelf.  I tried.  They use very high quality ribbons and boxes which can be re-used.  (Use a very hot iron on ribbon to get the wrinkles out before you re-use it.)

This was an added bonus to the Harry and David tour – a farm dinner at RoxyAnn Winery.  The setting was beautiful and the meal was excellent.

The decorations were all simple, natural, and easy.  It’s as if they had visited Go Gingham and gathered all of my tips…

Thank you for letting me share about my exciting trip to Harry and David in Medford, Oregon where I was born – 45 years ago.