About Us ~ Hood River Garlic. We are now in our 11th year growing Certified Organic garlic by the Oregon Tilth! We have been growing organic garlic for 13 years with 11 Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. Thanks to all of our wonderful customers and the Oregon Tilth for your support!

Hood River Garlic is a small, certified organic garlic farm located in Oregon's beautiful Hood River Valley, owned and farmed by Eric and Terri Hixson. Here at Hood River Garlic we have over ten years of experience growing organic garlic. We have grown "seed quality" garlic for over 13 years (the first few years we learned a lot!) and our success in growing garlic planting stock comes from lots of hard work and experience. Before starting our own web site, our seed garlic was purchased by three seed companies: The Garlic Store.com, Seeds of Change and Territorial Seed Company to sell thru their own web sites and seed catalogs.

Hood River Garlic has been certified Organic by the Oregon Tilth since May, 2002. Our relationship with the Oregon Tilth can ensure our customers that our garlic seed is of superior quality and grown in a clean and safe environment. We have a great following of dedicated customers who buy their seed garlic from us every year. All Hood River Garlic is grown at Hood River Garlic from our own seed stock. All of our seed stock is US grown and 100% organic. We will never grow or sell any garlic that did not originate from American soil. Whether you buy your seed garlic from us or another garlic seed supplier, we hope that you be conscientious and ask them where their seed originates. Be sure that you only plant garlic seed that has originated in US soil. Not only is this good for your soil, it is good for the planet and it is good for our economy!

Please note, due to the increasingly huge popularity of growing garlic, we sold most of our own seed stock last year to all of our wonderful customers. Therefore this year we will be selling some garlic that we will purchase from our friends in Washington. Our Washington friends are certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. They have been growing organic garlic since before Eric ever tilled in our first field and they have been certified organic since April 2002. You will continue to get the same excellent quality garlic that you have received from us at Hood River Garlic. Thanks!

In 2006 we completed a new barn that stores our garlic while curing. This is a beautiful, clean barn that is used solely for storing and curing our garlic seed. After curing, we store our seed garlic in our garage at a perfect temperature of 55 to 59 degrees, ensuring the freshness and quality of our product. With precision timing, careful storing and strict quality control, you can be sure that your organic garlic seed will arrive to your door in perfect condition. All of our customers are valued to us, from the smallest 1/2 pound orders to our largest orders. We are happy to help everyone grow their own organic garlic.

Hood River Garlic is farm fresh ~ from our farm to your garden. We hope you will enjoy growing our garlic seed as much as we enjoy growing it for you.

  About Us ~ Eric and Terri

In May 1996, Eric moved onto our farm with a push mower and a sleeping bag. Terri (that's me!) shows up in August and we spend the rest of the summer windsurfing. A twenty two foot Prowler became our home for the next seven years. (Eric almost year round but I migrated to ski at Snowbird in the winters until we started building our house in the spring of 2002.)

The first crop of organic seed garlic was planted in November of 1999. Farming organically from the very beginning, we learned a lot about growing garlic and sustainable farming in those first years and became certified organic by the Oregon Tilth in May, 2002.

Hood River Garlic has been planting organic garlic from the very first seed Eric planted in that fall of 1999. A lot of farmers become organic to sell their crops for more money. For us, there is no other way, we choose organic farming for the planet, children and the critters, not because of financial gain. My introduction to organic living began in the 80’s, after learning that animals were being used to test beauty products. From that day forward I have purchased only “Cruelty Free” shampoos, lotions, soap, etc. We grow our garlic organically and we support all other organic farms and sustainable businesses.

We are dedicated to practicing sustainable agriculture and to help protect the planet. One ‘environmentally friendly’ step at a time.

In March 2005 we were accepted into the Conservation Security Program and received a federal grant to help us maintain growing garlic organically. The Conservation Security Program encourages farmers to practice good stewardship of the land and to conserve our natural resources. We are very proud to be associated with the Conservation Security Program.

Our days of windsurfing are more limited now since 1996, but it certainly shows in the pride that we take in growing garlic. Today, our small home has replaced the Prowler and we strive for a simple, healthy lifestyle. In our home and on our farm we do everything possible to minimize our carbon footprint on the planet.

May you always have a bountiful harvest and many loved ones to share it with.

Eric and Terri Hixson

Hood River Garlic is committed to help save our planet. We have strong values for having a small carbon footprint on the earth and we are always working on improvement. Here are 18 simple things that we do everyday.

1. Our home stays cool in the summer without the use of an air conditioner. We are very fortunate to live in a small and efficient home. Instead of an air conditioner we have insulated curtains (and reflective, insulated bubble wrap on REALLY hot days). Keeping our home 20 degrees cooler than the outdoors.

2. We are into extreme reduction of waste here on the farm, inside and out. With our dedication to reducing, reusing and recycling we only generate about 2 cubic feet of garbage per week. In the office, we recycle all ink cartridges. Clean shredded paper goes into the compost bin. Every bit of scrap paper is reused, recycled or composted. All other paper, glass, plastic and scrap metal is recycled. "Ugly boxes save trees" quote credit goes to Gaiam...we reuse boxes for our bulk orders and about 98% of packing material for our gift packs is all reused materials.

3. Compost happens! All green matter goes into the compost with the exception of carrots and apples and melon rinds that Spots (our horse) eats.

4. Recycle furniture. Eric built our shipping desk made of 100% recycled wood. Everything in our office and our shipping room is recycled; desk, chairs, shelves and tables were all purchased at yard sales. (With the exception of the computer and the new wood that Eric used to build garlic racks.)

5. We use 100% recycled, post consumer waste, elemental chlorine free paper for all office use, as well as our brochure that is printed with soy based inks.

6. Our cleaning products are all environmentally friendly products. No harsh chemicals are ever used in the office, home or outside on the farm.

7. We use all rechargeable batteries in our flash lights and camera. When lights burn out we replace all bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

8. Outside on the farm we weed all of our garlic the old fashioned way: by hand. No herbicides are ever used, nor have ever been used in the 13 years we have owned our farm (and we have the dandelions to prove it!).

9. All tree limbs and branches go to the dump on Green Day, where they are chipped and recycled into bio fuel. Besides burning weeds once a year for weed control, we do not burn anything: no barrel burning of garbage or yard debris.

10. Recycle those farm tools! Almost all of our farm implements: rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, water bins, garden hoses, buckets, etc. come from yard sales.

11. Plant a tree for Earth Day. Every year we plant new trees and bushes from Arbor Day to Earth Day. 

12. Besides planting trees, April is also the month that we can start hanging our laundry out to dry. Throughout the winter we minimize using the dryer (mostly to remove the dog hair!) then hang clothes on drying racks. When springtime comes nothing beats that fresh spring air on clean laundry. 

13. Water conservation is crucial to our irrigation practices. We irrigate our garlic using a drip irrigation system. Besides watering our fields, garden, trees and pasture grass for Spots, the rest of our lawn goes brown.

14. Give new life to old wood! All interior walls of our barn were built with recycled wood. All fences around our garlic fields came from recycled wood. And our entire shipping desk and tables are made from recycled wood and materials. As well as two sheds are built from 100% recycled wood. One shed from 100 year old barn wood and the other from a recycled cedar fence.

15. Give new life to your old Arbor Wear pants too! I repair and mend all of Eric's work pants: from Arbor Wear to Carharts to Carpenter shorts. Eric's custom patched pants get about 100% more life than if they were not mended.

16. Donate your hair to Locks of Love. We're not sure how this helps the environment but it will make you feel good knowing that young children can have a new wig made form your organically grown hair! Terri donates her hair as fast as it will grow. (December 2007, June 2010 and March 2013)

17. Reuse vegetable wash for outdoor plants. I keep a clean 5 gallon bucket next to my kitchen sink for rinsing off my fresh spinach and lettuce from the garden. After I clean the greens, I dump the water from my salad spinner into the bucket, then I water a tree with the water that would have just gone down the drain. (usually it takes 3 or 4 rinses so the trees love it)

18. We support local and organic farmers. Buy USA grown food!

Happy Harvesting! ~ Your friends, Eric and Terri Hixson

Hood River Garlic was featured in the Hood River Newspaper!
Click here to read the full article! (This is a LARGE PDF file - 2.5 MB)

First Garlic Seed Planted Nov. 1999	Garlic from our 2006 Harvest