Hood River Cherry Company in Oregon: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Hood River Cherry Company is a family-run grower, packer and shipper of high-elevation cherries in the Hood River Valley on the slopes of Mount Hood. A trade feature reports 375 acres, with 100 more high-elevation acres planned, and a produce-industry profile says the company was established in 1996.
| Location | Hood River Valley, Hood River County, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 per And Now U Know; first cherry tree planted May 4, 1993 per The Snack |
| Sectors | Sweet cherries; packing and wholesale shipping |
| Scale | 375 acres with 100 more planned (The Snack feature) |
| Why it is notable | High-elevation fruit harvested at 21 brix with its own hydrocooling packinghouse |
| Ownership | Family run: Kathryn Klein, Brad Fowler and their children |
| Official website | And Now U Know: Hood River Cherry Company profile |
History of Hood River Cherry Company
The Snack feature says Kathryn Klein and Brad Fowler planted the first cherry tree on May 4, 1993, the day their youngest son Kristoff was born. And Now U Know lists the company as established in 1996.
The feature describes three generations in the business, with family members handling orchard work, sales, accounting and the packaging plant, and reports that the company marked 25 years in operation and has expanded its orchard since its founding.
What Hood River Cherry Company Grows and Raises
The orchards sit in a high valley near the base of Mount Hood. Per And Now U Know, the company packs five varieties of high-elevation, tree-ripened cherries and waits for 21 brix sugar levels, compared with a conventional 15 to 17.
The Snack reports a goal of roughly five tons per acre instead of the ten some growers target. Cherries are hand picked and hydrocooled within hours at the company's packinghouse, then hand sorted and packed for overnight shipping. Shipments run from July 15 to September 1.
How Hood River Cherry Company Makes Money
Wholesale cherries
The company ships 18-pound cartons and 5-kilogram bulk cartons to wholesale customers and retailers' produce departments.
Packing for other orchards
The feature says the company packs cherries from an orchard run by a family member, which spreads packinghouse costs.
Quality premium
Lower yields, high sugar and hand grading aim at a premium for flavor rather than volume.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Hood River Cherry Company
Compete on quality when you cannot on volume. Lower yields and a 21 brix target make the fruit a distinct product.
Control the cold chain. Hydrocooling at its own packinghouse within hours of picking protects the quality the orchard worked to grow.
Picking cherries by hand at 21 brix is the sort of patience that makes a sugar-hungry crowd wait politely at the end of July, and in the shadow of Mount Hood nobody hurries a cherry. If you like farm satire with a stem on top, farm.FM has farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes that are best eaten one at a time.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Hood River Cherry Company
Website: https://www.andnowuknow.com/whats-store/hood-river-cherry-company
No official website, phone or email was found in the sources, November 2026. The linked page is a produce-industry profile; confirm current ordering details with the company.
Hood River Cherry Company Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- And Now U Know profile - Produce-industry company profile
- The Snack feature - Trade magazine feature on the family and orchard
- Produce Market Guide listing - Produce directory entry
- Oregon Department of Agriculture: About Oregon Agriculture - State agriculture department overview of Oregon commodities
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Federal farm census data by state and county
Hood River Cherry Company FAQ
Where is Hood River Cherry Company?
In the Hood River Valley on the slopes of Mount Hood, Oregon.
How big is the orchard?
375 acres, with 100 more planned at the time of the feature.
When are cherries shipped?
July 15 to September 1, per And Now U Know.
How are the cherries handled?
Hand picked, hydrocooled and hand packed.
Hood River Cherry Company shows how a family orchard can compete on flavor and handling. Read the Oregon farms guide for the climate, markets and programs that shape fruit operations like this one.