Wheat, Onions & Farming

By the 1860s, the Walla Walla Valley had established itself as one of the premier wheat-growing regions in the Pacific Northwest. The deep, fertile soils — loess deposited by wind over millennia — proved ideal for dryland wheat farming.

Wheat defined the landscape and the economy. Rolling hills of golden grain stretched in every direction, and the rhythm of planting and harvest shaped the community's calendar.

The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s gave wheat farmers access to distant markets, and Walla Walla became a major grain shipping center. Flour mills, grain elevators, and warehouses lined the railroad tracks.

Farming in the region required adapting to a semi-arid climate with hot, dry summers. Dryland farming techniques — working with the natural rainfall rather than irrigation — became the standard practice for wheat.

The Walla Walla Sweet Onion has become one of the region's most beloved agricultural products, and its origin story is rooted in immigrant farming traditions.

In the late 1880s, Peter Pieri, a French soldier who had settled on Walla Walla's east side, brought sweet onion seeds from the island of Corsica. Over generations, local farmers selected and replanted the sweetest, mildest bulbs, gradually developing a distinct variety suited to the valley's soil and climate.

The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is known for its exceptionally mild flavor — sweet enough to eat raw, according to local tradition. The onion's character comes from both the seed stock and the growing conditions: the valley's volcanic-influenced soils and long summer days contribute to the low sulfur content that makes the onion so mild.

In 2007, the Walla Walla Sweet Onion was designated the official state vegetable of Washington. The onion harvest, typically in June and July, remains a source of local pride, and the annual Sweet Onion Festival draws visitors each summer.

Agriculture shaped every aspect of life in the Walla Walla Valley for more than a century. Beyond wheat and onions, farmers grew asparagus, peas, corn, and various fruits.

Community Ties: Farming communities were tight-knit. Neighbors helped with harvest, churches organized around agricultural calendars, and the local economy rose and fell with crop prices and weather.

Challenges: Dryland farming was always a gamble with the weather. Drought years could be devastating. Dust storms, grasshopper infestations, and market fluctuations were constant threats.

Innovation: Walla Walla farmers adopted new technologies as they became available — from horse-drawn combines to motorized equipment. The region was an early adopter of large-scale mechanized farming techniques.

Legacy: Even as wine grapes have become a major crop, wheat farming continues in the hills surrounding the valley. The agricultural heritage is visible everywhere — in the grain elevators, the farmsteads, and the patterns of fields on the surrounding hills.

The transition from traditional agriculture to wine grapes began slowly in the 1970s and accelerated through the 1990s and 2000s. Former wheat fields, pastures, and orchards gradually gave way to vineyard rows.

This transformation wasn't without tension. Some longtime farming families embraced the opportunity; others watched with mixed feelings as the landscape they'd known for generations changed character.

The agricultural infrastructure — irrigation systems, farm roads, equipment dealers — adapted to serve a new kind of farming. And the farming ethic itself carried over: many of Walla Walla's best winemakers come from farming backgrounds and approach viticulture with the same combination of hard work, practical knowledge, and respect for the land.

Today, the valley's identity encompasses both its agricultural heritage and its wine country present. The two traditions coexist, and the best of Walla Walla's wine culture draws on the region's deep roots in the land.