Interview
This interview is with Anna Jesse of Forest Hills Farms, a third-generation farmer helping lead a family operation that has grown from strawberry fields in the 1950s into thousands of acres producing blueberries, wine grapes, corn, and other crops across Oregon.
Anna is from Cornelius, Oregon, and talks about growing up in Forest Hills Farms, spending years working in vineyards and agriculture, and learning firsthand what is means to be part of a multigenerational farming family. She shares how attending Oregon State University initially led her towards business, changing majors, and developing a stronger appreciation for the connection between farming, land, and community.
Anna discusses working internships and gaining experiences outside the family business, including time at Northwest Wine Company, where she worked in operations and earned more about the wine industry before eventually returning home.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Forest Hills Farm in Cornelius, Oregon on May 13, 2026.
Interview
This interview is with Nick Konen, an alumnus of Linfield University and a vineyard manager in Oregon’s wine industry.
Nick talks about his educational and career journey, including growing up in Beaverton, Oregon, attending Linfield because he wanted a smaller school, playing tennis, studying abroad, and majoring in business and sports management. He explains how an introductory wine class and further coursework at Chemeketa Community College helped spark his interest in viticulture, leading him to earn his WSET Level 2 certification and pursue vineyard management.
Next, Nick discusses his professional experiences, such as working part time in international programs, teaching English abroad in Spain, learning Spanish, and eventually returning to Oregon to work at Forest Hills Farms in HR and compliance. He also describes learning hands-on vineyard practices, and managing the growth and sale of grapes.
Nick also talks about his current work and interests, including continuing his work at Forest Hills farms, using drones to scout the vineyard, selling grapes to different wineries, organizing a wine festival, and his excitement about the future of the wine industry.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University’s Nicholson Library on December 15, 2025.