FebrUAry 2015 • FREE
A Very Cherry February
Bowl of cherries painting by Ann Bose of Art World Studio in Albany.
by Karen Rogers Even though they aren’t in season, February is always linked with cherries, because of George Washington and his alleged tree chop. Oregon is one of the largest producers of dark sweet cherries in the United States, and we have provided two of the most popular cherry products in the world! Cherries came here in 1847 when Henderson Lewelling, a Quaker from Iowa, brought his family and 700 tiny grafted apple, peach, pear, and cherry trees across the Oregon Trail. He settled near Milwaukee where his brothers and son-in-law established the first tree nursery in the Northwest. By 1851, they had produced over 18,000 trees. Seth Lewelling developed the Black Republican cherry in 1860 which produced a seedling everyone knows and loves- the Bing Cherry, named for the head of his Chinese work crew-Mr. Bing. Maraschino cherries originated in Croatia and consisted of Marasch cherries, preserved in their own very potent liqueur. During Prohibition, this was a no-no. Ernest H. Wiegant, a professor at O.S.U. Spent six years during the 20’s and early 30’s developing the modern, alcohol-free product. It provided a way for American cherry growers to compete in a growing international Maraschino Cherry market. Most Oregon cherries are grown in Hood River and Wasco County and the northern Willamette Valley. You can make your own brandied cherries by placing stemmed cherries in a glass jar with an equal weight of sugar and covering with brandy. Swirl to dissolve the sugar and place in a cool, dark place, shaking occasionally for about six months. Serve over ice cream or cake and savor the liqueur! So, enjoy some of our favorite fruit, if you can beat the birds to them when they do ripen in July!
Fair/Expo: A Busy Place Those of us who live in the mid-Willamette valley have much to be proud of. On the northeast edge of Albany there is a real gem. There, you will find the Linn County Fair and Expo Center, one of the best facilities of its type in the state of Oregon. As we approached the 1990’s, it was clear that the old Linn County Fairgrounds located on the site of the current Albany Costco store was no longer adequate and was pretty much falling apart from age. After some discussion about where a new fairgrounds should be located, the current site adjacent to Timber Linn Park was selected. County voters passed a bond measure to build a new state-of-the-art fair/expo facility, which first opened to the public in 1997. It was apparent from the beginning that this was a superior facility to others around the state, attracting a wide variety of types of events. The fairgrounds manager, Randy Porter, first came on board as the facility’s bookkeeper in 1998, and took over as the fair/expo manager four years later. Overseeing the facility is the Linn County Board of Commissioners. The search is now underway for a
new marketing manager, while local marketing is currently under the watchful eye of Ronda Sherman. Besides the popular Linn County Fair held annually in mid-July, combined with the annual 4-H fair, the fair/expo remains a busy and much sought after venue throughout the year. It is very popular with equestrian groups, hosting over 32 horse shows in the arena annually. You can also expect to attend home shows, flea markets, gun shows, and other similar trade shows and sales throughout the year. The fairgrounds has also been the site of the annual Christmas Storybook Land exhibit during December for the past several decades. Besides the arena and exhibit halls, you will also find a full kitchen facility and huge meeting and conference rooms perfect for almost any large gathering or banquet. The rooms can also be booked for weddings and other types of celebrations. The Linn County Fair and Expo Center is proud to support the non-profit organizations in the Points for Profit program and would love to host any type of event, big or small. For more information or a tour of the facility, call Rhonda Sherman at 541-926-4314. You can also find more information online at: www. lcfairexpo.com.
Rodeos and horse shows are a big part of the fair/expo experience.
Food and fun are always part of the Linn County Fair and Expo.
by Rick Rogers