Craig Coleman came to Hermiston with his wife Janna and three children Catie, Maggie and Bob, fifteen years ago from the Willamette Valley. A self-described “farmer by trade who can’t stand still and is always looking for new challenges,” Coleman launched Neighbor Dudes Tap House in Hermiston in 2013 with friends. The following year, he started Ordnance Brewing, a farmer-owned craft brewery in Boardman. Now Ordnance beers are found around the state, and there is even a second tasting room location in Wilsonville. “I spend my days working side by side with my son, daughter and wife,” Coleman said. “It really is a family business!”
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO…
1.See the Oregon Trail ruts
Check out the Oregon Trail where it passed through this region outside of Echo, and imagine how hard it had to be for the emigrants to pull up stakes and take the sometimes-deadly trip in a wagon train to get to their western destination. “I’m guessing most people couldn’t wait to get through this hot, dry desert to get to the Willamette Valley,” said Craig Coleman.
2. Visit the SAGE Center
The SAGE Center delivers a great idea of what is actually going on agriculture-wise in this area. “I have been told by visitors that they had no idea how many different things are happening in the area,” Coleman explains. “Because the South Columbia Basin is so big, you can’t see most of what’s going on from the freeway.”
3. Taste local beer, wine & spirits
Stop by and hang with the people at the two wineries in Echo, Sno Road and Echo Ridge. Also visit the breweries, Prodigal Son and of course Ordnance Brewing. Last but not least, stop in at Neighbor Dudes Tap House in Hermiston. “All of these places make delicious beverages and are great destinations at which to meet new friends from all walks of life,” said Coleman.
Craig and Ordnance
The origin of Ordnance is a ghost town in Umatilla County, which was originally an Army depot established in the 1940s. Today Ordnance the town is a blip on the map, but Ordnance the brewery is a thriving and innovating Eastern Oregon industry. At the helm is Craig Coleman, who may be a hardworking farmer by nature, but who is also a smart businessman adept at navigating the modern ways of culture and industry. He said, “I post to social media daily, of the trials and tribulations our farm goes through, working to bring safe, affordable food to the consumer’s plate.” Find Craig @girthdogfarms on Instagram and Craig F Coleman on Facebook.
