Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: Our Cherries, Our Community, Hanging by a thread.
By Ken Polehn
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 11, 2025 — Out here, competition runs deep — for market share, for bragging rights over who grew the best fruit of the season. But at the end of the day — at the end of the season — we all need each other.
Wasco County is an unusual place. I don’t know of another county in the country that grows more sweet cherries than ours. And make no mistake — Wasco County producers grow the highest-quality cherries in the world.
From the steep hills above The Dalles to the flats along the Columbia River in Dallesport, from the slopes of Mosier to the rolling plateaus near Dufur, this region hums with harvest each summer. It’s a sight to behold: hundreds of trucks lined up before dawn, forklifts buzzing, crews picking by the thousands. For a few short weeks, the whole county — and even our neighbors across the river — move to the rhythm of cherries.
Our cherries aren’t just good; they’re world-class. From the tables of discerning chefs to fresh markets across Asia, The Dalles name carries a reputation built over generations of careful cultivation, exacting standards, and a relentless commitment to quality. Every blush of red, every firm, sweet bite tells the story of families who have poured their lives into these orchards.
These past five years have been a rollercoaster: record harvests, COVID-19 disruptions, heat waves that cooked fruit right on the trees, global markets collapsing almost overnight, shipping costs soaring, buyers disappearing, and farm returns far below the cost of production — losses so steep it feels like we’re dangling by a thread.
And that thread might just be the last for a lot of us, as the financial strain continues to fray it.
Yet, through it all, the community of growers, packers, and shippers holds us together. A grower can’t survive without a processor ready to handle the fruit at harvest. A processor can’t operate without enough quality fruit to pack and ship. Truckers, laborers, warehouse crews, inspectors — everyone in between — we depend on one another in ways that go far beyond contracts or invoices.
Wasco County’s sweet cherry industry has always been built on interdependence. Generations of families — the Baleys, Coopers, Omegs, Roots, Molesworths, Polehns, Heaners, and many others — built this industry on cooperation. When one orchard struggled, neighbors lent equipment, advice, or hands. That spirit made this county not just productive, but proud.
There’s a warmth in that history — a pride in knowing we’re not alone in facing hardship. But it’s a fragile warmth. The storms, the market pressures, and growing immigration fears remind us that our survival depends not just on hard work, but on staying united, adaptable, and vigilant.
At the end of the day, Wasco County’s cherry industry thrives not because we’re the biggest or the fastest, but because we’re a community — bound together by history, hard work, and shared purpose. Our greatest strength isn’t the fruit itself. It’s the people who grow it. From Mosier to Dufur, from the hills above The Dalles to the flats of Dallesport, we share one truth: without one another, none of us would last a season.
And in this moment, when the pressure is heavier than ever, that truth is both our warning — and our hope.
Support Local News!
Available for Everyone; Funded by Readers.
