it has always been about the land
THE LAND OF PLENTY
There is a rich history here. The city of Yakima occupies what was once the traditional hunting and gathering grounds of the region’s tribes, known collectively as the Peoples of the Plateau. They fished the abundant salmon and steelhead. They gathered roots and berries on the nearby mountain slopes. The fertile grasslands attracted game and waterfowl. The site of the future Yakima City, near where the Yakima River cuts through a gap in the Ahtanum Ridge, was a tribal winter gathering place.
Grapes, Hops, Apples, and Mint
Yakima is on roughly the same latitude as the wine-growing regions of France and wine grapes had been grown on a small scale in the valley since the 1870s. During the 1970s, as wine grew in popularity, farmers expanded their vineyards and Yakima soon established itself as an excellent wine-growing region. By 2009, there were nearly 80 wineries in the valley, including several in the city itself.
