Earl Brown & Sons, Milton-Freewater

In the shadows of the Blue Mountains of Northeast Oregon is a longstanding community of agriculture known as Milton-Freewater. With its unique climate, this is where a vibrant tree fruit industry has been operating for decades. It's no coincidence that Earl Brown and Sons Growing and Packing Incorporated is located here, enhancing an already strong reputation for the area's high-quality fruit.

The roots of the company go back many years when Earl Eugene Brown came to the Walla Walla Valley as an OSU extension agent and eventually started a full-time fruit growing operation in 1961. Earl and Lorraine Brown had four children– each of them vowed not to come back to the farm after they graduated from college. It was a vow they could not keep. In 1977, the present-day growing and packing operation was officially founded. Like the orchard trees that produce the great-tasting fruit, the business has blossomed.

Today, Earl Brown and Sons ships about 750,000 boxes of fresh apples a year to customers around the world, making it the largest apple growing and packing operation in all of Oregon. The computerized packing line is modern and efficient, ensuring that the quality fruit product maintains its advantages in the marketplace.

However, growing and packing apples was just the start. The new generation of Browns has branched out, so to speak, turning hobbies into successful business enterprises by establishing a cidery and winery located in Milton Freewater. Blue Mountain Cider Company offers several different varieties of cider, including one blended with cherries. The winery released its first vintage in 2005. Again, state-of-the-art equipment and resident expertise combine to produce a desirable value-added product. The tasting room located on site is believed to be the first ever to offer both wine and cider side by side.

In the first year of operation, Blue Mountain Cidery increased production by 80 percent. With the demand and the popularity of the product, there isn't much worry of what to do with all the apples grown in the valley. Earl Brown and Sons has taken the commodity, added value, and has successfully marketed a high-quality product. The company began selling the cider in local markets but now distributes the distinctive bottled product to several dozen stores in Portland, throughout Oregon, and in other states. Selling to restaurants and creating awareness of the product through print publications, special promotions, and a Web site has greatly increased exposure. Out in the apple orchards, more acreage is being dedicated to cider varieties. There are less than 100 craft cideries in the US and Canada combined.

The winery adds another twist to the operation and fits well with the increasingly popular Walla Walla area of wine production– a destination for Northwest wine lovers.

With all its success, it's easy to forget that Earl Brown and Sons is a family operation, complete with all the great qualities that define such an operation. The hard work, dedication, innovation, and love for the business keep it a company worth honoring.

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These are authentic stories from real farmers.  Any editorial content does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Agri-Business Council of Oregon or our members.