How to Keep your Immune System Strong

9 Health and Nutrition Benefits of eating Pears

Pears are sweet, bell-shaped fruits that have been enjoyed since ancient times. They can be eaten crisp or soft. We have them in abundance right now at 50 cents a pound in our pick your own sections of the farm at Mt View Orchards.

They’re not only delicious but also offer many health benefits backed by science.

Here are 9 impressive health benefits of pears.

1. Highly nutritious

Pears come in many different varieties. Bartlett, Bosc, Concorde, Seckle, Comice and D’Anjou pears are among the most popular, but around 100 types are grown worldwide.

A medium-sized pear (178 grams) provides the following nutrients

• Calories: 101

• Protein: 1 gram

• Carbs: 27 grams

• Fiber: 6 grams

• Vitamin C: 12% of the Daily Value (DV)

• Vitamin K: 6% of DV

• Potassium: 4% of the DV

• Copper: 16% of DV

This same serving also provides small amounts of folate, provitamin A, and niacin. Folate and niacin are important for cellular function and energy production, while provitamin A supports skin health and wound healing.

Pears are likewise a rich source of important minerals, such as copper and potassium. Copper plays a role in immunity, cholesterol metabolism, and nerve function, whereas potassium aids muscle contractions and heart function.

What’s more, these fruits are an excellent source of polyphenol antioxidants, which protect against oxidative damage. Be sure to eat the whole pear, as the peel boasts up to six times more polyphenols than the flesh and help keep your immune system strong.

SUMMARYPears are especially rich in folate, vitamin C, copper, and potassium. They’re also a good source of polyphenol antioxidants.

2. May promote gut health

Pears are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are essential for digestive healthy. These fibers help maintain bowel regularity by softening and bulking up stool.

One medium-sized pear (178 grams) packs 6 grams of fiber — 22% of your daily fiber needs

Additionally, soluble fibers feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. As such, they’re considered prebiotics, which are associated with healthy aging and improved immunity.

Notably, fiber may help relieve constipation. In a 4-week study, 80 adults with this condition received 24 grams of pectin — the kind of fiber found in fruit — per day. They experienced constipation relief and increased levels of healthy gut bacteria.

As pear skin contains a substantial amount of fiber. it’s best to eat this fruit unpeeled

SUMMARYPears offer dietary fiber, including prebiotics, which promotes bowel regularity, constipation relief, and overall digestive health. To get the most fiber from your pear, eat it with the skin on.

3. Contain beneficial plant compounds

Pears offer many beneficial plant compounds that give these fruits their different hues.

For instance, anthocyanins lend a ruby-red hue to some pears. These compounds may improve heart health and strengthen blood vessels.

Though specific research on pear anthocyanins is needed, numerous population studies suggest that a high intake of anthocyanin-rich foods like berries is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Pears with green skin feature lutein and zeaxanthin. two compounds necessary to keep your vision sharp, especially as you age.

Again, many of these beneficial plant compounds are concentrated in the skin.

SUMMARYPears harbor many beneficial plant compounds. Those in red pears may protect heart health, while those in green pears may promote eye health.

4. Have anti-inflammatory properties

Although inflammation is a normal immune response, chronic or long-term inflammation can harm your health. It’s linked to certain illnesses, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Pears are a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and may decrease your risk of disease.

Several large reviews tie high flavonoid intake to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. This effect may be due to these compounds’ anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

What’s more, pears pack several vitamins and minerals, such as cooper and vitamins C and K, which also combat inflammation

SUMMARYPears are a rich source of flavonoids, which are antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation and protect against certain diseases.

5. May offer anticancer effects

Pears contain various compounds that may exhibit anticancer properties. For example, their anthocyanin and cinnamic acid contents have been shown to fight cancer.  

A few studies indicate that diets rich in fruits, including pears, may protect against some cancers, including those of the lung, stomach, and bladder.

Some population studies suggest that flavonoid-rich fruits like pears may also safeguard against breast and ovarian cancers, making this fruit a particularly smart choice for women.

While eating more fruit may reduce your cancer risk, more research is needed. Pears should not be considered a replacement for cancer treatment.

SUMMARYPears contain many potent plant compounds that may have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Linked to a lower risk of diabetes

Pears — particularly red varieties — may help decrease diabetes risk.  

One large study in over 200,000 people found that eating 5 or more weekly servings of anthocyanin-rich fruits like red pears was associated with a 23% lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Additionally, a mouse study noted that plant compounds, including anthocyanins, in pear peel exhibited both anti-diabetes and anti-inflammatory effects

What’s more, the fiber in pears slows digestion, giving your body more time to break down and absorb carbs. This can also help regulate blood sugar levels potentially helping prevent and control diabetes

SUMMARYPears may help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes due to their fiber and anthocyanin contents.

7. May boost heart health

Pears may lower your risk of heart disease.

Their procyanidin antioxidants may decrease stiffness in heart tissue, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

The peel contains an important antioxidant called quercetin, which is thought to benefit heart health by decreasing inflammation and reducing heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels

One study in 40 adults with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that increases your heart disease risk, found that eating 2 medium pears each day for 12 weeks lowered heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and waist circumference

A large, 17-year study in over 30,000 women revealed that every daily 80-gram portion of fruit decreased heart disease risk by 6–7%. For context, 1 medium pear weighs around 178 grams

Furthermore, regular intake of pears and other white-fleshed fruits is thought to lower stroke risk. One 10-year study in over 20,000 people determined that every 25 grams of white-fleshed fruit eaten daily decreased stroke risk by 9%

SUMMARYPears are rich in potent antioxidants, such as procyanidins and quercetin, that can boost heart health by improving blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating pears regularly may also reduce stroke risk.

8. May help you lose weight

Pears are low in calories, high in water and packed with fiber. This combination makes them a weight-loss-friendly food, as fiber and water can help keep your full.

When full, you’re naturally less prone to keep eating.

In one 12-week study, 40 adults who ate 2 pears daily lost up to 1.1 inches (2.7 cm) off their waist circumference. (Yes please :)

Plus, a 10-week study found that women who added 3 pears per day to their usual diet lost an average of 1.9 pounds (0.84 kg). They also saw improvements in their lipid profile, a marker of heart health

SUMMARYEating pears regularly may help you feel full because of their high amounts of water and fiber. In turn, this may help you lose weight.

9. Easy to add to your diet

Pears are available year-round and easy to find in most grocery stores.

Eaten whole — with a handful of  nuts if you choose — they make a great snack. It’s also easy to add them to your favorite dishes, such as oatmeal, salads, and smoothies.

Popular cooking methods include roasting and poaching. Pears complement chicken or pork especially well. They likewise pair nicely with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, cheeses ilke Gouda and brie, and ingredients like lemon and chocolate.

However you choose to eat them, remember to include the skin to get the most nutrients.

SUMMARYPears are widely available and easy to add to your diet. You can eat them whole with the skin on or incorporate them into main dishes. These fruits are especially delicious when roasted or poached.

The bottom line

Pears are a powerhouse fruit, packing fiber, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds.

These nutrients are thought to fight inflammation, promote gut and heart health, protect against certain diseases, and even aid weight loss.

Just be sure to eat the peel, as it harbors many of this fruit’s nutrients.

Join us on the farm daily from 10-5pm on the farm today at Mt View Orchards to stock up on pears. Pears keep well in a cold cellar so get enough for the holidays.

xo your grateful farmers, Trina and Kenny (we adore growing and eating pears and have one or two daily)

Kenny and Nurse Practitioner Trina (Your Grateful Farmers)

10 Reasons to visit Local Farms weekly

Small Family Farms are a crucial part of our world, not only because of the nutritious food it provides us, but also because it helps to promote and protect regional food systems and contributes to the overall environmental quality. With Food supplies uncertain and the number of farmers decreasing day-by-day now is a perfect time to vote with your feet and chose to show up for small family farms. One of the best and most enjoyable ways to help save the farmlands is to visit our farm. By doing this, not only are you helping provide a steady source of income for the hard-working farmer, but you’re also contributing to the local economy as well.

Aside from this, there are some other very good reasons and benefits of visiting the farm. Farms are great destinations to visit and get away from the urban jungle, get some much needed fresh air, and even learn a few new things while connecting with the local food system. Here are some great reasons why you should visit farms every week.

1. Connect with the farmers that grow your food and their families

   Wendell Berry one of my farming heroes said, “ A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes.” Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home. Learn the names of your farmers and why they love growing food with you in mind. The idea that every locality should be, as much as possible, the source of its own food makes several kinds of sense. The locally produced food supply is the most secure, freshest, and the easiest for local consumers to know about and to influence. Backing up real farms and farmers means you are securing food production for generations to come.

   Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist. This important relationship with your farmers helps eliminate the whole pack of merchants, transporters, processors, packagers, and advertisers who thrive at the expense of both producers and consumers.

2. There are Endless Educational Benefits of visiting farms.

   Farms are magical places of learning with numerous hands on experiences. Learn about the importance of pollinators-bees. We can all learn something from the farm. You can indulge in some not only fun but also educational activities for both, adults and children! Whether it’s teaching children first hand about the different kind of plants and animals and where does their food come. There is an abundance of activities that can help stimulate one’s appetite for learning.

3. Numerous Mental Health Benefits

   The researchers noted that work with farm animals may improve mental health in part because it gives a person physical contact with another living being. Routines that include activities like feeding and caring for other living creatures may also promote self-esteem and confidence.

4. Perfect Playground for families- Immune boosting soil to play in.

   In a new book called Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child's Developing Immune System, co-author Dr. Jack Gilbert says that exposing children to the everyday microbes found outside in nature—including dirt—can help a child develop a strong, healthy immune system. During this global pandemic every time my hands are in the dirt planting or harvesting I feel grateful to be a farmer.

5. Find the Healthiest Produce

   Fresh fruit and veggies are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients that are essential for good health. In fact, research has shown that a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

6. Breath in some Mountian Fresh Air

   Breathing in fresh air makes for Cleaner lungs. Decreased asthma and allergies symptoms. Improved skin appearance. Helps digestion. its a Psychological and emotional stabilizer.

   Promotes Better mood and normalized sleep patterns. Reduces chances of lung, heart, and arterial diseases.

7. Enjoy Breathtaking views

   It is a proven stress reliever. The Science says that visiting a location surrounded by greenery and other beautiful, natural sights can improve your emotional and mental health for days.

8. Connect with our Farm Animals.

   By engaging children in stories about farm animals, you're teaching them how to love and care about the creatures in our world. “It builds upon their natural curiosity to help them understand that animals also need to be warm, fed, and cared for, and that also translates into caring about others,

9. Find Affordable Fruits and Veggies

   Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist. This important relationship with your farmers helps eliminate the whole pack of merchants, transporters, processors, packagers, and advertisers who thrive at the expense of both producers and consumers. This Promotes a better price for you the consumer and a better price for the farmer. Win/Win.

10. Support Local Agriculture-No farms means no local food.

    When you decide to visit the farm, you’re not just visiting the farm. You’re contributing towards building a more sustainable food system. And one sustainable food system always starts with restoring our connection between food producers and food consumers.

    Have that in mind next time you decide to visit the local farm. Remember that by doing so, you contribute not only to supporting those businesses but also to preserving the health of our agricultural community, environment, and local food system.

    As a Nurse Practitioner, Cider maker and Farmer I want to warmly invite you all to come visit our farm, Mt View Orchards often this fall. Your health and your families health is the reason why we grow food for our community. We are lucky to farm in the Upper Hood River Valley and grow food for our community and the local food bank. For everyone needs to be enjoying our 2021 abundant harvests this year.

    We are Open daily 10-5pm and its a perfect time of year to buy directly from farmers at more affordable pricing and to know the farm where your food was lovely grown. Often times the fruit in the big box stores are from LAST years harvests and when you buy on a small family farm you can take home tree ripened fruit from that very day. We love growing food with you in mind so come enjoy our farm today.

    xo you’re grateful farmers, Trina, Kenny and Lyle and Ruthie
    
    

Transparency at Grateful

I feel like the easiest way to share whats been going on at Grateful is to write a farming blog post and candidly share with all our faithful and loyal neighbors-club members why we have been making changes and transforming often here at Grateful. I think the easiest way to explain our journey is with some quick bullet points so everything is clear, transparent and easy to track. Feel free to share this with the Community.

• The Grateful Vineyard opened Memorial Day weekend of 2019 and we opened to such an amazing amount of community support that it melted our hearts with gratitude and love. We learned quickly we were understaffed and it was going to a rocking summer. I still work at a Nurse Practitioner a few days a week off the farm to make my land payments so my parents can retire. Being a Nurse Practitioner has helped us stay safe during a Pandemic and helped pay the bills in the most financially stressful year of my life.

• Our Tasting Room is located in the heart of our 3rd generation farm Mt View Orchards. Our mission remains the same to weave together farming, fermentation and to offer our guests warm hospitality and nourishment. I own both the farm and the Tasting Room but if you visit often you will see that I farm with my amazing parents ,Lyle and Ruthie (both 76 years old) and awesome ag team. We have about 5 acres of wine grapes planted and plan to plant more.

• We barely survived our first winter finically. I want to personally thank everyone for supporting Grateful and finding ways to back us up all year long because you believed in what we had created. I also want to wholeheartedly thank my brother Ryan for created an amazing food pairing pizza menu and personally pulling off many successful pop-ups that kept our baby business afloat. Sometimes our only customers of the day were my supportive parents in January our first winter. (Shout out to Lyle and Ruthie the best parents ever)

• We entered The Covid Shut Down in March of 2020 ( also our first spring open) with negative resources but a lot of passion to see this dream make it so we pushed different affordable specials on instagram every night to nourish our community and to keep my employees feed. I farmed during the day then at 3pm we slung beer, cider, wine and pie till dark-then did it again the next day. I worked every single day of the shut down to make sure we made it out alive and didnt lose the farm.

• The Governor allowed us to open back up outside on May 15th of 2020 and I decided to space out all our picnic tables throughout our vineyard meadow because I truly believed that folks had been cooped up for too long and time on a farm is restorative to ones soul. Thankfully we had the space to give everyone ample 25+ to spread out and be safe at grateful. Zero cases were traced back to us the entire time and now my staff is thankfully vaccinated. (We made it- Phew) I am so damn proud of my team and all the hard work added to them to keep us disinfected and safe for months unending.

• You all came out in droves and we truly tried our best to serve you all and make you feel at home at Grateful (inside and out) I am so darn proud of my team for all their amazing efforts these past years to create a special experiences for our guests here at Grateful.

• I am a positive person so I will make this part brief because it has been really painful as a new female farmer/minority business owner. A few local businesses downtown and a local non-profit were NOT excited that we were offering a local gathering space at our winery cidery, brewery and filed complaints about the Grateful Vineyard Covid set up and with the OLCC.

• the OLCC came out that week and declared what we were doing everything in compliance and cleared us immediately. One has to serve food alongside alcohol and we were doing just that as well as checking IDs. Nothing came of it.

• Hood River County planning decided to audit us based on these complaints starting in late Fall of 2020 and we have had to make many changes ever since as I have willingly partnered with them to keep our tasting room going strong and everyones jobs safe. At Grateful we have decided to be completely transparent and gracious with all our loyal guests who have struggled to understand why we had to pivot so often. I know it was hard to learn we could not offer take out pie any longer but frankly it was never my goal to do so ( covid required it). We have a special location that we want our guests to come and experience personally.

• We were asked to become more identified as a Tasting Room with food pairing served alongside flights. So we switched to tasting appointments and all food pairings are served alongside our libations. This has been a smashing success and you guys have remained so supportive and loving of our small family farm/vineyard in our short journey here in Parkdale. Inside our tasting room and on the covered patio - We are open to 21+ guests and these tasting experiences require reservations prior to visiting. Come join us soon.

• The Grateful Garden is OPEN daily 12-7pm daily, all ages are welcome, friendly dogs on leashes, sometimes food trucks join us, we have music every Wednesday night for locals nights, bringing picnics are most welcome and we have our pizza by the slice. Yes Flights are available in the Garden as well. We also have our house made Root beer. Club members can also get their free flights in the garden with no reservation required.

• Our Club quadrupled in size and you guys have been so amazingly supportive of us here at Grateful. This has been a huge gift to us and I want to thank everyone who has singed up to keep us going strong. Love Grateful? Love discounts and free flights? Ask about joining today please email thegratefulfarmer@gmail.com to join the grateful club.

• The Good news, is that we hired a highly experienced Tasting Room General Manager- Cody Robison (who lives locally in Parkdale) Cody is highly skilled and has been creating a relaxing and restorative experience for our guests at Grateful and training up our wonderful team. He has a lot of experience in hospitality and we are lucky to have leading our Grateful team.

• the lovely Anastasia Yue, moved into our Wine Club and Event Coordinator and has doing an amazing job in this very important role.

• We added another Brewer- award winning- Jordan Hunt, formerly of Sun River Brewing and we have some delicious new beers he created on tap in our Garden and inside Grateful. Beer lovers its time to join us in the garden. Chris Vincenzo is here as well making beer and small craft hard cider for you all.

• I am pleased to announce that we added an amazing Wine Maker, Ali Mayfield- She has honed her craft at Long Shadows Vintners, Corliss Estates, and Tranche Cellars, working alongside winemakers such as Gilles Nicault, Kendall Mix, and consultant Claude Gros. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a female wine maker apart of our team. Stay tuned for the Grateful estate release wines coming soon.

• But do you still make Pizza? Heck Yes, it is served as a part of a three course pairing along side your tasting menu as one of the courses served with your beer flight. Head online to make Reservations. Farm to table charcuterie, tapas, pie and a tasting of all our libations. Groups up to 6 people. We serve it by the slice with your sips in the garden as well.

• No you cannot order our food pairings in the garden or to go but all our libations are offered there and we would be delighted to have you joins us any day of the week with no reservation required. Picnics welcome. No outside alcohol. please bring your ID

This is a brave and uncertain shift for us as we know it has been difficult for everyone to understand why we have had to keep pivoting so much here at Grateful. Some of it has been because of the global pandemic and the rapidly changing restrictions by the governor and some of it is because we are wanting to create a more farm to table food pairing experience here that is in alignment with our values as farmers/fermentors. I believe with all these intentional changes we have made ie created tasting appointments with seasonal food pairings, adding Hard Seltzer/Root Beer, The Family Friendly Grateful (Beer) Garden, adding flights in the garden, adding complimentary music/locals night, Important new hires and the back up of our faithful community Grateful is going to become even better than before. We will always be family friendly here on the farm outside in the garden.

The Grateful Farmer Planting Riesling in 2016 image Lavick Media

I want to wholeheartedly thank you all for standing by us as we are trying to create a one of a kind experience here on our small family farm. I hope to see you all this summer in the Garden or inside for our special new tasting/food pairing experience, picking fruit or for one of our farm to table dinners (see below). Love Grateful? What to see us thrive for generations to come? Consider joining our club and coming and supporting us with our new changes.

xo you’re Grateful Farmers, Trina and Kenny

ATTENTION: Join us for our first guest Chef experience of 2021 happening soon on the farm. We are thrilled to partner with Chef Sabrina Brzusek of Swine Dining (photo below)

July 25th 2021
4-7pm

$125/person
20% off for our club members

Tickets include
2 drinks upon arrival
Five course tasting menu curated by Chef Sabrina featuring locally sourced seasonal farm to table ingredients with our libation pairings.


Chef Sabrina Brzusek hails from prestigious kitchens such as Canlis, Cafe’ Pressse and Osteria La Spiga. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity so plan on joining us for this magical evening at Mt View Orchards Rustic Covered Pavilion. (We’ve got you covered rain or shine)

Call us at 541-399-6665 to join our table. Tickets are going fast so call us today (21+ only please)

Chef Sabrina the fisher queen