Can I bake a Ready to Bake Pie that is thawed in the refrigerator?
Our Ready to Bake Pies are designed to bake from a frozen state. In order to get the best quality product, we recommend that you do not allow the pie to thaw before baking.
Can I bake two pies at once?
You can bake two pies at the same time. Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. After that, reduce the heat and follow the regular baking instructions as listed on the pie box. Since ovens may vary, you may want to take a peek at the product during the last 15-20 minutes of the baking process. You may want to cover the edges with foil if you notice they are getting too brown.
How long can I keep a fresh baked pie, or cream pie?
For best quality: We recommend using our fruit pies within 3 days, if kept at room temperature. You may enjoy the pie for 5 days if kept refrigerated. Thawed cream pies should be eaten within 4 days.
How long have you been here?
We started processing fruit on this property in 1999. In 2001 we bought the pie business and began making pies, then added the retail store to the mix in 2009.
How many pies does your kitchen produce in an 8 hour shift?
Generally we can make approximately 1,600 pies in a shift.
How many pounds of fruit do you process during the summer?
Weather and market conditions are big factors that determine how many pounds we can do in the summer, but on average, we process 12 million pounds of fruit.
What do you do in the processing plant during the off season?
We spend much of the winter co-packing mushrooms for a separate company, in addition to packing cranberries in the fall and rhubarb in the late spring.
What does IQF mean?
IQF stands for Individually Quick Frozen. If you were to go pick berries and then put them in a bag in your freezer, they would all stick together. We have two special freezers that can freeze the berries instantly and individually making sure your frozen fruit is always free flowing.
Are you a co-op?
No, 95% of our business is actually owned by one single farm family; Gerald & Carolyn Roth who have now transitioned the operation down to their kids Jeff, Doug, Steve, Karen (and Brian Martin), and nephew Paul. The other 5% belongs to Dave Dunn, our general manager who jokingly says he owns the drinking fountain.
Besides the owner’s fruit, how many other local growers do you buy from?
We contract with roughly 30 local growers from year to year to be able to supply our markets with enough fruit. Most of the growers reside within an 8 mile radius of our processing facility, which translates to super fresh berries!
Which fruits do you process?
We process rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, black raspberries, boysenberries, loganberries, Marionberries, blueberries, cranberries, plums and many varieties of blackberries including; Black Diamonds, Kotatas, Silvans, Evergreens and Chesters.
Is the fruit you sell organic?
Our fruit is not organic. Most all fruits are grown on plants that produce fruit for many years. The risk of the plant dying due to blight, disease, or insects presents a major problem that can wipe out the crop and the plant. It requires many years of testing to receive approvals and certification for approved products and treatments. We see new organic approved products coming in the near future.
Do your farmers use pesticides on the fruit?
They do use pesticides however it is rare to use pesticides that are applied directly on the fruit. Most all applications are used prior to the fruit being ready to harvest. One example is, a drench used in the soil around the roots to prevent root weevils from eating the plant’s roots causing the plant to die off slowly. When this occurs the plant’s production shuts down and the yields drop way down. All pesticide products used go through a very rigorous testing period that includes testing for trace elements of the product on the fruit or in the soil. WFVC monitors our growers’ application records to be sure only approved products are used and the application rates are correct. We also have samples checked per our customers’ requests. Our company and our growers stand united in keeping our fruit, the soil, plants and water all in balance with nature. In fact we bet our future and the next generation’s future on this claim.
Do you have any sugar free products?
We have 2 pies, American Apple and Marionberry, that we do a No Sugar Added variety of. They contain Maltitol and are only available in our retail store. Currently there are no grocery stores carrying this product. In addition, all of our fruits are simply frozen, with no sugar added, leaving you with just the good stuff.
Do you make any gluten free products?
All of our fruits, jams, syrups, honeys and fruit snack bars are gluten free.
I am allergic to dairy. Do you have any dairy free products?
Just recently, we were able to eliminate butter from all of our double-crust pies making them dairy free. The fruit turnovers available in the retail store are made using tapioca starch and they are also dairy free. All of our fruits, jams, syrups, honeys and fruit snack bars are dairy free as well.
I am allerigic to nuts. Are there any products you make that I should steer clear of?
The Apricot Crunch, Cherry Crunch and Marionberry Crunch pies all contain slivered almonds as part of their crumble topping. The Apple Walnut Cake that is sold through the retail store bakery also contains nuts.
How can I get my local grocery store to carry your products?
We have found that the best way is to start requesting it. The more requests a store gets, the more likely they’ll give us a call and try to make something happen.
I have a store and am interested in wholesale pricing. Who do I need to contact?
Please call Jeff Dunn, head of our Value Added Sales Department – 503.362.8857 x310 or by email – jeff@wvfco.com
I am a commodity buyer looking for fruit. Who should I contact and what different pack styles do you do?
Please contact Nancy Graham, head of our Commodity Sales Department – 503.201.2277 or by email – nancy@wvfco.com. We do IQF, Straight-Packs, 4+1s, Purees (non pasteurized), Sieves, and Puree Stocks.
I am interested in doing a fund raiser using WVFC products. Who should I contact?
Please contact Sue Lund, head of Fund Raising – 503-871-7492 – or by email fundraising@wvfco.com
I have feedback for the company pertaining to my experience with the people or products. Who should I send that to?
Please send all customer service related correspondence to info@wvfco.com.
I would like to request a donation from your company. Who should I contact?
Please mail all donation request letters to the business office at:
Willamette Valley Fruit Company
Attn: Donation Committee
2994 82nd Avenue NE
Salem, OR 97305
Letters must include a non-profit tax id number and be written on official company/organization letterhead. Our business office will process your request within one business week of receipt. Please be sure to include your contact information.
