Kristof Farms
Kristof Farms | |
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![]() Kristof Farms Pinot Noir Grapes in Fall 2020 | |
Town/City | Yamhill County, Oregon |
Established | 1971 |
Owner | The Kristof Family |
Area | Willamette Valley |
Produces | Formerly Cherries, Now Cider Apples and Pinot Noir Grapes |
Kristof Farms is a historic apple orchard and grape vineyard located in Willamette Valley near the town of Yamhill, Oregon featured heavily in The New York Times best-seller Tightrope. It is the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.[1][2] The land was first homesteaded in the early 20th century and produced cherries until 2018, at which point the farm was converted to produce cider apples and pinot noir grapes.[3][1][4][5]
Kristof Farms is featured heavily in Kristof and WuDunn's most recent book Tightrope. The authors attribute their decision to plant high-value crops to research done for the book.[6][7][8]
In an interview with local magazine Willamette Week, Kristof said, "Yamhill, in many ways, has done spectacularly well with the arrival of the wine and tourism industry. It truly is a spectacularly thriving and resilient place. America is also thriving and strong and resilient, yet there are a lot of Americans who have been left behind. So, by all means, readers should come visit Yamhill and drink good Yamhill pinots while also understanding that there's a story beyond the vineyards."[8]
History[]
The land on which Kristof Farms sits was, for over 8000 years, inhabited by Native tribes such as the Yamhill (also known as the Yamel), a tribe of the Kalapooian family for which the town is now named. Settlers homesteaded the land in the 1930s and planted the first orchards of apples, walnuts, and prunes. In 1950, they planted pie cherries, and for many decades it was a cherry farm.[3]
The Kristofs were an Armenian family living in Eastern Europe. During World War II, family members spied on the Nazis for the Allies, were caught and imprisoned, and eventually had their lands seized. Nicholas Kristof's father, Ladis Kristof, fled to Yugoslavia and was then imprisoned by the Communists in a concentration camp. He was released and made his way to France with the hope of reaching America. In 1952, the First Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon, sponsored him, and he arrived that fall and found a job in a logging camp in Valsetz, Oregon.[3]
After learning English, Ladis Kristof became a distinguished political scientist at Portland State University where his wife, Jane Kristof, taught art history. They bought Kristof Farms and raised a son, Nicholas, who grew up on the farm and went to Yamhill schools.[3] Nicholas married Sheryl WuDunn.
In the early 2010s, Nicholas and Sheryl were writing a book, “Tightrope,” about the struggles of the working class and sought to support a higher value-added agriculture in the area. They decided to replace the cherry orchard with Pinot Noir grapes and cider apples.[3]
Orchard Cider[]
The Kristof family released their first orchard cider on October 10, 2021 in Portland, Oregon.[9] Michael Alberty of the Oregonian reviewed the cider prior to its launch:
The first sniff produces scents of fresh-baked bread, loam, chalk, rhubarb pie and apples. It reminded me of one of the earthy extended skin-contact wines so popular in the Willamette Valley these days. At 8.3% ABV, consider sipping this hard cider as slowly as you would a wine. It is definitely meant for drinking and thinking as opposed to quaffing. Its tangy flavors of apple cobbler, fresh ginger and quince provide a sweet-tart sensation that gets close to off-dry territory. I’ve not had many dry hard ciders as complex as this one. My great-grandpa would have loved it.[10]
References[]
- ^ a b Oregonian/OregonLive, Michael Alberty | For The (2019-10-10). "Oregon wine, cider scene gains a power couple: Pulitzer winners Nicholas Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ "Columnist Biography: Nicholas D. Kristof". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ a b c d e "Our Story - Kristof Farms". Kristof Farms. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ "Wine Sisters: Cheers to Diversity and Inclusion: Season One, Episode 14: "Tightrope" Author Sheryl WuDunn & Daughter Caroline Kristof Discuss Bi - Coastal Family Brand on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "A Love Letter, and a Wake-Up Call, for Yamhill County, From A New York Times Columnist". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "'Tightrope' Implores America To Make Changes To Save Itself". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ Kristof, Nicholas D.; WuDunn, Sheryl (September 2020). Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-525-56417-1.
- ^ a b Contributor, About WW. "What Happened to Clayton Green". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ Kristof, Caroline (10 October 2021). "Kristof Farms releases first ever cider" (PDF). Kristof Farms.
- ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Michael Alberty | For The (2021-10-09). "2 Oregon hard ciders make great October treats". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
External links[]
- Farms in Oregon