You can’t sell a crop at high prices if no one has any money,” said Ian Chandler, Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission chairman. “That’s already the direction we’re headed,” said Lesley Tamura, a pear grower and Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers chairwoman. Grocery prices up 30% from 2020Ortega said food prices very rarely come down and grocery inflation has outpaced wage increases. “When we look at food prices, since January 2020, they’ve increased more than 30%,” Ortega said. You can’t sell a crop at high prices if no one has any money,” said Ian Chandler, Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission chairman.