Cherries

Heart Island Farm, nestled on the Hood River in the Columbia Gorge, is home to twelve acres of Rainier and Lapin cherry trees. And growing on one half acre are some of the best organic pluots you\'ve ever tasted. What\'s a pluot; Three quarters plum and one quarter apricot is the formula for a high Brix (super sweet!) juicy stone fruit- perfect for late summer days. Eileen Brady and Brian Rohter, old hands in the natural foods industry, have returned to their roots of farming and taking care of a small piece of the earth at their orchard.

Family farmed and operated, we are proud to have 40 years of organic certification on our vineyards and over 20 years in our winery. We specialize in hand-crafted boutique wines that offer the exceptional quality of our vines. Truly organic from vine-to-bottle, No sulfites added!

We are a public research university research site. We offer jobs and internships to youth interested in farming as paid positions. We investigate areas of importance to northern New Mexico\'s small acreage farmers, most importantly, production of high-value fruit and vegetable crops, using organic methods, and building soil health.

The four and a half acre orchard is unique due to its ecological design and its location on high desert (6300 ft) of clay soil. It was specially designed to minimize water usage and produce the tastiest fruit. The orchard was operated in an organic manner from the outset and has been certified organic by the New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission (now the New Mexico Department of Agriculture) every year since 2000. To minimize water usage and give the trees a healthy soil, each tree has a compost heap three feet in diameter and three feet deep.