a history of agriculture & hospitality

Devoted to Agriculture

The ridge that is home to Sakura Ridge Farm & Lodge has been devoted to orchard agriculture since the 1880s, when apple trees first took root in the Hood River Valley. Pear and cherry trees followed, shaping a landscape defined by elevation, season, and careful cultivation. The loamy soils here are recognized by the State of Oregon as being of statewide importance for growing, and the land remains protected for Exclusive Farm Use, preserved for agriculture for generations to come.

The name Sakura, meaning cherry blossom in Japanese, honors the Japanese American families who helped establish the Valley’s orchards in the late nineteenth century. The sakura blossom, emblematic of both fleeting beauty and renewal, reflects the cadence of life on the ridge. While fruiting cherry trees are no longer part of the working orchard, ornamental cherries bloom each spring in a brief and luminous display that marks the turning of the season.

An Evolving Vision

Sakura Ridge was envisioned as a working organic farm paired with intimate lodging, a place where cultivation and hospitality exist in quiet partnership. From the beginning, the intent was simple: to welcome guests into an active agricultural landscape and to serve food drawn directly from the land.

Modern Stewards

Since 2021, Cheryl Lubbert and Jim Gerlach have served as stewards of the property. Their work in orchard cultivation began on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, where Nashi Orchards was founded from a Japanese home surrounded by Asian pear trees. What began as a small estate orchard evolved into one of the first 15 cideries in the Pacific Northwest, earning international recognition at GLINTCAP for both perry and cider.

The Vashon property remains Salmon Safe certified and managed using organic techniques, reflecting a longstanding commitment to responsible land care. Today, that vision extends across 52 acres of certified organic orchards on the ridge. Estate-grown apples and pears now support a full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic libations, alongside the continued refinement of Sakura Ridge as a luxury farm stay in Hood River, Oregon.

Sakura Ridge represents not a departure, but a continuation — the next chapter in a decades-long devotion to fruit, cultivation, and craft.