Agriculture

Yakima County is home to one of Washington’s most diverse agricultural systems that contributes a whopping $1.6 billion to the local economy.

Yakima County leads the nation in apple and hops production and is a huge player in sweet and tart cherries, plums, prunes, nectarines, peaches, pears, apricots and more. The county is the state’s No. 1 producer of melons, a leading producer of squash and peppers and has more than 3,600 acres of sweet corn. Other available vegetables in season include asparagus, onions, snap beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. The growing berry industry features blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and more. Farms range from large-scale orchards to small-scale family growers

Yakima County grows more than 20,000 acres of grapes, and the Yakima Valley is home to the state’s highest concentration of wineries. The county is also No. 1 in the state in milk and cheese production, cattle, sheep and lamb production and meat goats.

Farmers Markets

During the summer months and into the fall, Yakima Valley visitors will find several farmers markets operating throughout the area, offering yet another fun option for enjoying the Valley’s bountiful harvests. These markets bring farmers and food producers together in one spot, along with arts-and-crafts vendors, specialty food producers, food vendors and entertainers to create a fun shopping experience. Some long-running markets are these:

Selah’s Wednesday Market: Runs on Wednesdays from 5 p.m to 8 p.m. at 210 S. First St. in the parking lot behind the King’s Row restaurant. Check out its Facebook page to learn more.

Yakima Downtown Farmer’s Market: Every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 15 W. Yakima Avenue, mid-May through October. To learn more, visit downtownyakimafarmersmarket.com

Granger Farmer’s Market: Runs June through September at the KDNA/NCEC Plaza, 121 Sunnyside Ave., Granger. To find out operation days and hours visit grangerfarmersmarket.org.

Prosser Saturday Market: In the park at 1329 Sommers Ave. Operating hours are from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, June into October. Check out prosserfarmersmarket.com.

Produce Stands

The Valley is also host to a number of produce stands where you can get fruit and vegetables in season, freshly harvested from farms and orchards in the Valley and surrounding region. You can visit the stands directly or find some of them operating booths at the farmer’s markets.

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Yakima, WA 98901

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Yakima Valley Publishing also manages the Yakima Business Times.

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