Ever since Tonasket, Wash., orchardist Flor Maldonado was young, she knew she wanted to be involved in the family business. The 28-year-old co-owner of Maldonado Orchards remembers playing inside apple bins while her parents, Aristeo and Evelia, worked their 45 acres near the Canadian border. It feels like only yesterday that she was riding on... Continue Reading →
Jacqui Gordon doesn’t know where she would be if it weren’t for all of the support she has received from other people in the Washington state agricultural industry over the past 10 years. The Ecuadorian-born horticulturalist came to the United States in 2011 as an intern for the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) and... Continue Reading →
Ever since high school, Levi Brewer — aka Leviticuss — has wanted to make a career out of making music. The 2010 Selah High graduate and independent music production company owner has been steadily building his brand over the past decade. Now, he is starting to see a return on his investment. “I have a... Continue Reading →
It’s hard to know what may have been if the Selah High boys basketball team got to play a full season in 2021. Led by two-time defending CWAC MVP Noah Pepper, the Vikings rolled to a 13-0 overall record, beating four CWAC opponents three times each and also taking down Class 4A opponent Davis on... Continue Reading →
The Selah High wrestling team was on fire this season, going undefeated in league dual meets before earning seven individual titles at the CWAC championship tournament on June 9 in Grandview. The Vikings advanced 12 to the district finals and also picked up five third-place finishes on their way to the unofficial league title (no... Continue Reading →
In early 2020, Mitchell Karstetter’s new side business was just beginning to pick up steam. The Quincy, Wash., farmer and his family had been growing hemp on about 40 acres for the past year, looking to capitalize on the growing demand for CBD products with a venture called Columbia Basin Hemp. But then the pandemic... Continue Reading →
When you consider where Jones Farms Inc. is today compared to when the business started 75 years ago, it’s hard to overstate how much things have changed. Company president Dennis Jones’ grandparents began farming alfalfa seed in Brownstown, Wash., in 1946 before relocating a few years later to the family’s current 320-acre plot between Granger... Continue Reading →
This time last year, the owners of Fiddle’s Coffee House in Wapato were admittedly a little spooked by the uncertain future brought on by COVID-19. Fidel Negrete and Efren Martinez had just opened the shop off West First Street and U.S. Highway 97 in November 2019 and they didn’t know how their business was going... Continue Reading →
I took these photos back in early March, when the "fall" sports season got underway around the Valley.
Mark it down: There will be a Toppenish Rodeo this year. After COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 85-year tradition in 2020, all signs point toward a return of the city’s signature event July 2-3. “We absolutely plan on having a rodeo this year,” board President Randy Cobb said. “There are still a few hoops... Continue Reading →
