History

In the early part of this century one of the apple blocks was converted to peaches and nectarines. By 2004, the white nectarines produced their first crop. Those nectarines were the most fragrant, heavenly fruit I had ever eaten. They tasted as lovely as a rose smells. Little wonder they bear the name “Crystal Rose”. The only problem was they were too delicate to ship to distant markets. That gave me the perfect opportunity to act on a long-time dream of opening a farm stand. And, being a kitty-lover since childhood, “Paws Produce” was born.

The community’s response was so incredible that the need for expansion quickly arose. A small, open-air pole structure was erected to replace the picnic-table-in-a-tent. More varieties of fruit trees were planted, as well as berry patches and gardens. In 2006 an extension was added to the pole structure to house larger refrigerators. Along the way I pursued another passion—woodworking. In 2007 it was exciting to finally have a woodshop; small, but functional. You will find the result of many pleasant shop hours for sale in the fruit stand.

In 2012 I sojourned to my old stomping ground in Petersburg, Alaska. There I connected with the owners of Troller Point Fisheries, a husband and wife who make their living trolling for salmon in Southeast Alaska’s pristine waters and selling their catch to restaurants and retailers throughout the country. So yet another room was added to the fruit stand to house a commercial freezer. This fresh, delicious, nutritious salmon has been available here in Okanogan County ever since. The summer of 2013 saw another freezer arriving at the stand to accommodate mouth-watering fresh halibut and cod from Copper River Seafoods in Cordova, Alaska. By 2015, the business had outgrown the little roadside stand, so an entirely new building was erected, and a much wider variety of seafood is now available---all individually quick frozen (IQF) to maintain the highest quality and freshness.  

As for the kitties, you will most likely be greeted by one or two when you stop by, but most of them reside in a large secure area with their own heated houses.