The Pear Bureau Northwest will do research this winter to identify the obstacles to producing fresh sliced pears. The bureau has received a rural development grant of $26,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help fund the project and will contribute a similar amount. A number of producers in the Pacific Northwest are successfully producing and selling fresh sliced apples, but Kevin Moffitt, president of the Pear Bureau Northwest, said production of sliced pears is very limited. Gorge Delights at Hood River produces some slices, but only for local outlets. The Pear Bureau hopes that the research will show […]