Our Story

Columbia Empire Farms began in 1976 with 300 acres of hazelnuts and the dream of one man – Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. The goal was to vertically integrate Columbia Empire Farms.

Today Columbia Empire Farms has seen that vision come true. Columbia Empire Farms is proud to farm, harvest, process (clean and pack), and make all our berry, fruit and Hazelnut products on the farm. As a vertically integrated farm business, only our hands touch our berries! We’re not brokers, we’re farmers and Jam makers! Columbia Empire Farms locally farms in Hillsboro and Sherwood, Oregon. We are good stewards of our land.

The Columbia Empire Farms brand is our “specialty” product brand. We sell it to over 1600 Specialty retail accounts in 49 states and Canada. Our Marionberry Products are the #1 selling Marionberry products in the USA. Our products include Fruit Spreads, Pie Fillings, Syrups, Preserves and Jellies. 

Berries – We call Oregon rain, “sugar rain” because it makes our berries so sweet. Our berries are grown on our Hillsboro farms. We grow many varieties of berries, however, the most famous and most popular is the Oregon Marionberry. The Marionberry is a cross between a Chehalem and the Ollalie blackberry developed in 1956 in Marion County Oregon. We make our Preserves and Syrups every day on our farm in Sherwood, Oregon.

Hazelnuts – Our Hazelnuts are grown on our Sherwood farm and are used in many ways. After being sorted, cleaned, and dried; we roast and package or roast and make them into lovely confections. In our confection room, the smell of chocolate and hazelnuts fills the air and lets you know that the confections we make are simply delicious.

 “When people ask me if we grow filberts, we say ‘Yeah, they grow on hazelnut trees.”

At Columbia Empire Farms working hard to nurture our land and crops, and we care about the people who work for us. Farming is the root of our business.

We harvest these rich crops, carefully select the best, and cook our Preserves and Syrups, roast our hazelnuts in our own kitchens. Completing the circle, we bring this delicious goodness to you… fresh from our farm since 1976.