From Left: Luke Townsend, Mike Townsend, Billy Townsend
At Townsend Farms, we know berries
Since 1906 our family has cultivated our Columbia Gorge land, passing down agronomic wisdom through six generations of Townsends. For us, farming isn’t just a business, it’s our family’s way of life. Since those early days, Townsend Farms has grown to include other family farms both local and around the world, personally selected for their kindred core values. Four generations of Townsends, along with a cadre of support professionals, currently manage our office and fields to grow, harvest, process and deliver premium berries to stores around the country. We maintain five receiving stations across the Pacific Northwest to ensure timely processing and delivery for ultimate delectability, whether fresh or frozen. Our frozen products are distributed under Private and Townsend Farm labels, encompassing all varieties of berries, mangoes, pineapples, and mixed fruit. Additionally, our hand-picked Fresh Division seasonally distributes raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Our ever-expanding Organics line, launched over 12 years ago, was a natural extension to the minimally invasive farming techniques our family has always employed. As farming practices have evolved so have we, while maintaining our commitment to sustainable farming practices across our entire network. We ensure the land remains fertile and farmable and we can bring our consumers the freshest, most flavorful berries possible for generations to come. We attribute our continued success to the innate desire to provide a high-quality product and service with integrity. Strong faith and family values fuel our entire operation, along with true care and respect for our customers, co-workers, and employees.
CEO / Owner
President / Owner
In 1842, our ancestor James Madison Townsend arrived from his long journey up from South Carolina and across the Oregon Trail.When he first saw the rich, fertile soil of the Willamette Valley, he knew he’d found the ideal region to produce the best crops for years to come. In the early 1900s, James’ grandson, John “Jack” W. Townsend moved his family to the Farm’s current location nestled in the Columbia Gorge. The temperate climate and sandy, loamy terrain continue to provide the consummate environment for abundant fruit harvests rife with texture and flavor. Grandpa Jack’s great-grandson, Mike, currently oversees the family business today, along with his wife Margaret, daughter Heidi, and son Billy, supported by four generations of Townsends and a professional office and farm staff. We’ve expanded from our Columbia Gorge land to encompass like-minded family farms across the U.S. and around the world, but we never forget our roots. As Townsend Farms continues to evolve, we remain a faith and family-centric operation, with a deep integrity for the land and a commitment to provide the highest quality product and service for our customers.
Blueberries are the fruits of a shrub that belongs to the heath family, which includes the cranberry and bilberry, azalea, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. Gradating in color from deep blue to maroon to purple black, the small round berries are protected by a white-gray protective coat. Flavors range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy.
PeachA peach is a sweet, juicy fruit with soft, fuzzy skin, golden-orange flesh, and a single central pit. Known for its fragrant aroma and slightly tangy flavor, it’s rich in vitamins and often enjoyed fresh or in desserts.
An ancient fruit prescribed by the early Greeks for gout, blackberries are called an “aggregate fruit” because each berry is really a cluster of tiny fruits (or drupelets). Each drupelet contains a seed. Unlike raspberries, blackberry drupelets remain centered around the core even after the berry is picked, so the core is filled rather than hollow.
Fragrantly sweet and juicy, strawberries are one of the world’s most popular berry fruits. They are easily identified by their unique shape and deep red color, with yellow seeds that pierce the surface. Cultivated strawberries are typically much larger than their wild counterparts
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus and ranges in type from sweet to sour. Cherries are small, fleshy, red fruits that contain a hard drupe, or seed, and are related to peaches, apricots, and plums. It is believed that the sweet cherry originated somewhere between the Black and Caspian Seas in Asia Minor around 70 BC and were introduced to the Western Hemisphere by the Romans in the first century A.D.
Indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, mangoes are now cultivated worldwide. The fruit is one of the few also consumed unripe (in chutneys, pickles, or with salt, chili, or soy sauce), but is most often eaten ripe, fresh or frozen. They can also be used in a variety of dishes and drinks. Mangoes are generally sweet, but taste and texture vary greatly, from soft and pulpy, akin to a cantaloupe or avocado, to more fibrous.
A member of the rose family and a bramble fruit like the blackberry, red raspberries are an aggregate fruit, composed of clusters of smaller fruits each containing a seed. Unlike blackberries, whose core stays inside the fruit, picked red raspberries have hollow centers.
The flavor is a complex and delightful symphony. The initial taste is an explosive, sugary sweetness that is immediately balanced by a vibrant, tangy acidity. This perfect sweet-and-sour combination is followed by subtle floral and citrus notes. The texture is juicy and succulent, with a firm, almost crisp bite that melts in your mouth.
The purest expression of sweet-and-sour. Their flavor is often described as simple, crisp, and clean, with notes of light, sweet pear or green apple. They are typically the least complex but most refreshing