In their book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, Pulitzer Prize winning authors and farmers Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn tell the stories of rural Americans living in Yamhill, Oregon — some of which were Kristof’s childhood friends. These accountings point to how once prosperous working class communities became devastated in the recent decades as well-paid blue-collar jobs disappeared. Also, in the book they detail why the Kristof family chose to return to Kristof Farms as a way to help give back to the community they call home.
Kristof’s Armenian father, Ladis, purchased the farm in 1971, where he planted cherries. After he died in 2010, Kristof and his family assumed a greater role overseeing the farm. After the buyer for their cherries informed them there was no longer a market for the crop, they reorganized the farm. They chose to grow apples and grapes, as both products were in higher demand, as well as affording more opportunities for jobs that could help stimulate the local economy.
Kristof defines his approach to farming as similar to his reporting style. “When I want to understand Gaza, I talk to people who are in Gaza to understand it,” he says. “When I want to understand how to make great Pinot Noir and cider, I talk to winemakers and cidermakers I really admire and try to get their help.”
Those partnerships include Christine Walter, owner of Bauman’s Cider, and Adam Campbell, owner of Elk Cove Winery.
In these partnerships, Kristof notes he’s found a different side of life. “When I write about the Middle East, I feel like I’m shouting into the wind and nobody really is listening,” he says. “But if I have a grapevine that is thirsty in August and is wilting, then I can pour a bucket of water on it, and it will respond and listen to me. That’s kind of satisfying, frankly.”
In addition, he jokes that as a liberal columnist for The New York Times, he mostly loves regulations, while as a farmer and small business owner, he sometimes finds regulations onerous. “It’s useful to see the world through a different prism sometimes,” he adds.
Both Kristof or WuDunn discovered how the artistry of making great wine or cider granted them a means of unearthing their artistic side that they hadn’t expressed before.
Their initial offering was Orchard Cider, a dry cider made from about a dozen varieties of traditional cider apples, all grown on their farm. From this cider they made Reserve Cider, sweetened with ice cider from Bauman’s Cider and aged in oak barrels.
In March 2024, Kristof farms released their first Pinot Noir. Other wine offerings include a classic Oregon-style Chardonnay and a fruit-forward Rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes. Also, they took Orchard Cider and fermented it with the skins of their 2022 Pinot Noir grapes, shortly after the grapes were pressed, to produce a Noir Cider.
By offering both wines and ciders, Kristof or WuDunn have been able to build a larger community of people who care about the Pacific Northwest craft culture, with a particular focus on the foods and beverages being produced in the Willamette Valley.
“I think people often forget that social interactions are what makes us happy,” WuDunn says. “Certainly a great wine or cider makes that happen.”
In their estimation, the idea of community is in a kind of stasis right now, which they hope to help rebuild through their wine and cider clubs. “People live more healthy and happy lives when they have good strong social interactions,” Kristof adds.
With all three Kristof children assuming active roles at Kristof Farms, these community focused conversations fueled by wine and cider look to continue into the third generation.
