Introducing Blue Cherry Farms! Providing our Walla Walla community with delicious blueberries grown just a few miles from Andy’s, we love offering you products grown so close to home.
Did you know that blueberries are hand picked? At Blue Cherry Farms, attention to detail is their first priority. Growing 7 different blueberry varieties requires a high level of understanding of soil and the berries needs. Of all of the crops that John Rowley has grown, he says that blueberries are by far the most challenging. From their specific watering needs to the perfect soil pH, these delicious little berries require a special touch to grow just right.
But, Blue Cherry Farm grows more than just the incredible blueberries we carry in store from June through September – they also grow nectarines, sweet cherries, peaches, and more! With farm fresh nectarines available from July to September, you will find many of the products grown by this farm at both our locations!
Nectarines are also a crop that must be hand picked – one tree can usually fill around 5 produce boxes! Our farm workers work incredibly hard to grow, harvest, and provide these products to us in the most convenient way. We are so appreciative of their hard work and passion for good food.
The best thing about having local farms so close by is that the product you pick up in our stores is truly fresh off the farm.
Most blueberries sit in transport for 3 weeks before arriving from the farms to the large grocery stores. With Blue Cherry Farms, we bring the product to you right away – when it’s freshest and most delicious.
John first got his orchards started in 1993 and hasn’t looked back since. He loves to grow a variety of nectarines and says that the FlavorTop variety is his favorite due to their free stone. As the only grower of FairTime peaches in the state, John loves to grow the extra special varieties. A strain of Alberta, he says the FairTime is the best canning peach – especially because they don’t ripen until late September.
Timing is such an important factor in farming – from knowing when to plant to balancing the harvest times of every crop, our farmers are truly impressive.
Blue Cherry Farms covers over 100 acres, which might seem like A LOT of fruit! And, it is! But, most farms are over 2,000 acres so Blue Cherry Farms is officially considered a small farm. This means that large grocery chains are not often able to offer products grown at this smaller scale in their stores. This makes the role of small, locally owned grocery stores like Andy’s even more important – we love the small, local farms because we know that when we work with those farms we support our community and are able to deliver you the freshest product available.
Choosing locally grown produce is a great way to support our local community – and, trust us, you will taste the difference!
Your destination for nourishing food, we love to partner with our local farms to serve our incredible Walla Walla Valley.
- Andy’s Market
