By SUE RYAN
News staff writer
September 27, 2007

Clear, crisp skies may have contributed to the excellent turnout for Pear Celebration Days this past weekend.

Summer and fall are harvest seasons for Hood River County but an often forgotten harvest is one that bears fruit through a different type of agricultural crop — tourists.

“Many people have come before and they return with their families or friends,” said Moi Wong.

She and Emma Spaulding served up sampler plates on Sunday at Kiyokawa Orchards’ “Desserts Galore!” function outside of Parkdale. For the $4 price tag, buyers got a tasty treat of more than 10 bites of different desserts made with pears, apples and raspberries grown at the orchards.

Dozens of visitors went on hay rides to hear Randy Kiyokawa explain how the apple is created when blossoms are pollinated and then grows until harvest; and how to pick the fruit.

“They start upside down and as they ripen, slowly turn right side up,” he said. “Snap it up by the stem with a quick jerk; don’t pull down.”

Each rider clambered off to pick their own tasty “Gala” treat then return to finish riding around the orchard and hearing more about how agriculture works.

On Saturday, 3-year-old Coco Eckmann of Vancouver, Wash., faced a new experience — a baby alpaca at Cascade Alpacas of Oregon. After eating from her hand, the alpaca lollopped away to join the others. Parents Matt and Laura laughed as Coco demanded the animal return.

“Come back; you’re soft and I want to pet you,” she said.

Inside the adjacent shop of Foothills Yarn & Fiber, visitor Kris Peterson, of Hermiston, was equally entranced by a demonstration joining wool fibers.

“Can you do it again?” he asked owner Connie Betts.

For others, the lure of a pumpkin patch a month ahead of Halloween was too much to resist. Others found their way through the “Jack and the Beanstalk” maze to read the final sign.

“Grateful for their lives, they decided to share … magic beans, flowers, Hood River apples and pears!”

Dollie Rasmussen provided a blitz of color as she dashed about clad in hunter orange, directing employees at Rasmussen Farms. One cashier said they were “swamped” on Saturday but that it was good practice for the opening of Pumpkin Funland on Sept. 29.

That also marks the first-ever National Alpaca Farm Day, for which there will be associated events at area farms including Foothills Yarn and Fiber.