1968
-- a rough beginning.
Ralph
and Cheryl Broetje bought their first cherry orchard in Benton
City, Washington. The first three years were disastrous. "The
cherries froze the first year," recalls Cheryl. "Rain
ruined them the second year. The third year we lost them to fruit
flies. Our lives were not in real good shape. By the third year
I was counting on a higher power to get me through."
Although they were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, the
banks extended their credit and a few friends andrelatives pitched
in to help -- a "dream team," as Cheryl refers to them.
One of them was Ralph's former Sunday school teacher. "He
reminded me of a dream I'd had when I was on a retreat in junior
high school," Ralph explains. "The dream was that I
would own an apple orchard and use the money we made to help feed
kids in India."
| The
original cherry orchard in Benton City in 1977.
This was the first orchard that Ralph and Cheryl
Broetje purchased in 1968. |
|
1980 -- establishing roots.
At
the urging of a friend the Broetjes invested in 400 acres sagebrush
covered land in the Columbia Basin near the confluence of the
Snake and Columbia Rivers. Although no apples were grown in
the region at that time, they irrigated the land and planted
about 350 acres the first year, then planted 900 acres the next
three years. "It was a new place for apples and that made
it a risky spot," says Ralph. "But there was a lot
of land available, and it had good slopes and available water.
The area has about as ideal apple-growing weather as you can
find. In hindsight, I think God moved us down here. Ever since
we've been on this place, amazing things have happened. It was
the beginning of our real mission in farming."
 |
In
the late 1970s, Ralph and Cheryl Broetje broke new ground
out of sagebrush and planted what would become more than
a 5,000 acre orchard. |
1984 -- remembering the dream.
The
Broetje family took a mission trip to Mexico. Their experiences
there brought about a dramatic change in the way they would
run their business. "That mission to Mexico made me realize
how hard it was for people there to dream about achieving anything,
because the opportunities did not exist," Ralph explains.
"I understood that they were coming to the United States
for better opportunities for their families. It gave us more
insight into what their needs are, and it reminded me of why
we had this orchard. It wasn't so we could keep building things
for ourselves. It was so we could try and give back to the families
we worked with as much as we can."
| "The
dream was that I would own an apple orchard and use the
money we made to help feed kids in India." -Ralph
Broetje |
 |
1987 -- creating more jobs.
 The
Broetjes took the next step by building a packing plant, and
offices. "We never had any master plan for putting this
business together," Ralph says. "We just planted
more acres and built the facilities to give people more full-time
jobs and opportunities. We don't need this many acres, but
it allows us to hopefully touch somebody's life and their
family's lives, and have a ripple effect in the community."
|
1988
-- investing in community.
 Developing
more full-time jobs was not the whole solution. Many low-income
families have inadequate housing, childcare, and education.
To address this situation, the Broetjes invested about $5 million
and built 121 single-family homes and apartment units to rent
at low cost to year-round employees. Residents named the community
"Vista Hermosa" -- which means Beautiful View. They
also built New Horizons Preschool on site for 60 children.
Vista Hermosa Elementary came next to provide students in grades
K-6 with a quality, Christian education. "It has been so
amazing to see the changes in the parents and kids," says
Ralph. "They become very self-motivated. Although most
have very little education, they believe they can do anything."
Click here to read more about our education programs.
There's
a relationship," Cheryl explains. "We care for the land.
The land cares for us. And we care for each other. There is love
in the organization. It is about caring. People are the fruit
that will last, so our orchards must bear fruit so we can bear
fruit that will last."
1990
-- raising the foundation.
Vista
Hermosa was established as a private family foundation to support
local initiatives for families residing in the Vista Hermosa
community as well as to reach out to and partner with underserved
communities around the world. Today, the foundation board includes
three of Ralph and Cheryl's nine children. The vision is to
learn from the community of Vista Hermosa and establish similar
partnerships with communities around the world. To date, partners
have been supported in over 30 countries, including Mexico,
India, Honduras, Colombia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Chad, Haiti,
Jamaica, Romania, and the United States.
Click here to read more about
grants
1992
-- giving of the first fruits.
The
Broetjes considered replacing their 50-acre plot of cherries
with apples due to consistently poor harvests. Reading Luke
13, they gave the crop one more year, placing their faith in
God. The crop was bountiful that year and all proceeds we donated
to a Christian children’s home in Oaxaca, Mexico. Today,
100% of proceeds from the sale of cherries continue to be donated
to non-profit work. Cherry crop committees, comprised of orchard
and warehouse employees, review projects and determine allocation
of funds. Through this process, the firstfruits of the season
are given in God's name and employees live out the mission of
bearing fruit that will last.
Click here to learn more about
our cherry crops
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