a history of hospitality & agriculture
The land Sakura Ridge is on has a long history of agriculture, with apple trees making up the first orchards in the 1880s. Pear and cherry trees followed a century later. The cherry trees were removed in 2014 and new acreage was planted with pear trees. Sakura means cherry blossom in Japanese and was chosen to honor the Japanese Americans who settled in Hood River Valley in the 1880’s and planted acres of beautiful orchards on previously logged land. The sakura blossom epitomizes the fleeting quality of life and the intense beauty of nature. While Sakura Ridge’s current orchard doesn’t include any fruiting cherry trees, there are a number of ornamental cherry trees that explode with a flurry of blossoms every spring.
The original owners, John and Deanna Joyer, were finishing college at the University of Hawaii at Hilo; John was working on a degree in agriculture and managed an exotic fruit orchard while Deanna studied art and worked in a local restaurant when they came up on the idea of Sakura Ridge. Deidra Wager, Deanna’s childhood friend from Ely, Minnesota, lived in Tokyo at the time, running Starbucks Coffee Japan. She flew into Hilo for a visit and in the tiny living room of John and Deanna’s home, perched over a brook in the middle of Ho Ho Wai Wai, the three friends had an animated conversation after dinner–the idea of a farm and bed and breakfast took shape.
John’s background included work in orchards in the Sacramento delta and on his grandparent’s farm in Minnesota. Deanna and Deidra grew up working in restaurants and resorts in northern Minnesota. Equipped with education, experience, and enthusiasm, the three partners slowly realized their vision of a working organic farm with a welcoming bed and breakfast, serving foods drawn from the land.
In 2021, Cheryl Lubbert and Jim Gerlach purchased the 22-acre farm, after falling in love with the established organic orchard and it’s breathtaking views. The two had a long relationship with the Hood River Valley, having purchased fruit from a number of trusted farms since founding their cider and perry business, Nashi Orchards, in 2011. The plan was to find an organic orchard to expand on their existing Asian Pear orchards and ensure that they had access to the highest quality fruit to expand production. The bed and breakfast was an unplanned bonus that they immediately jumped into with vigor. Guests who previously visited Sakura Ridge will be amazed by the updates to the five rooms at Sakura Ridge, as well as all seven bathrooms! In a setting that is a combination of log cabin charm and Japanese country estate, guests can enjoy the couple’s modern take on stewardship of this wonderful land.
