Friday, April 9, 2021
CapitalPress.com
9
Mt. Hope Farms: Table grapes, unique fruits a hit
By BRENNA WIEGAND
For the Capital Press
MOLALLA, Ore. — Laura and
Mike Ellis of Mt. Hope Farms have
built a thriving business based on
table grapes and unusual berries.
After moving back to his native
Molalla to farm with his dad, they
began looking for a productive way
to utilize their own patch of ground.
They tried various crops and live-
stock, taking their products to Sat-
urday markets.
“There are a lot of great farmers
growing those things, and to make
money you really need to be larger
scale,” Mike said. “We were looking
for something higher value that we
could make a living on without hav-
ing to rent so many acres.”
Around 2014 they planted 2
acres of table grapes, primarily Jupi-
ter, Reliance and Thomcord, a cross
between a Concord and Thompson
seedless that have the Concord fl avor
but are seedless and have thin skins.
Their company, Mt. Hope Farms,
Mike Ellis surveys a crop of table grapes destined for markets
around the region. With rave reviews from customers, demand for
the grapes continues to rise.
now sells grapes to several New Sea-
sons markets and LifeSource Natural
Foods in Salem — to rave reviews.
“The feedback we get is that they
are like nothing they’ve ever tasted,”
Mike said. “The grocery store has
been taking everything we can grow
and wanting more, but we’re also
trying to diversify.”
They wanted to grow unique
fruits and have since become one of
the fi rst in the Pacifi c Northwest to
grow the aronia berry, also known as
the chokeberry, which is full of anti-
oxidants and has other natural health
benefi ts.
“It loves our climate,” Mike said.
“Put a little bit of water to it and it
will grow like there’s no tomorrow.”
They then ventured into haskaps,
also known as honeyberries, another
antioxidant-packed “super berry”
resembling an oblong blueberry that
tastes like a combination of rhubarb,
blueberry and raspberry.
“Maxine Thompson, who recently
passed away, worked on OSU’s
hazelnut breeding program for most
of her career, and after she retired she
started working on the haskap breed-
ing program,” he said. “She was
looking for feedback on how they
perform and supplied us with over
half a dozen diff erent varieties that
we put into a test plot. It was a real
treat to be able to work with her.”
Meanwhile, Laura was devel-
oping a line of fruit spreads in her
kitchen.
“We wanted to do some shelf-sta-
ble products we can grow here and
without any junk in them,” Laura
said. “They have very little sugar
and can be used in all kinds of things
— breads, vegetables, cheeses,
meats, desserts and even cocktails.
“We try to keep everything local
and unique and just showcase the
fruit,” she said. “Ordinary jam is
one of those things that people don’t
typically get too excited about but
if they see it as an ingredient and
know why it’s special it’s a diff er-
ent story.”
Laura developed several unique
fruit spreads, currently shipping
more than 20,000 jars a year all over
the country.
“It’s been an adventure and
something where our kids are fully
involved,” she said. “It’s defi nitely
not easy but I have learned so much
more doing this than I ever did in
school.”
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