Washington Grown Living Legacy-Yakima

For more than 200 years, Washington has grown apples, with the Yakima Valley emerging as the heart of the state’s apple legacy due to its fertile soils, long summers, cold winters, and access to irrigation from the Yakima River. Early settlers, missionaries, and the Yakima people helped establish irrigation systems that transformed arid land into thriving orchards, allowing apples to flourish and expand across Eastern Washington. By focusing on quality, innovation, and careful handling, Washington growers surpassed New York in the 1920s to become the nation’s leading apple producer—a distinction the state continues to hold today.