A conversation with Julia Mead

When Julia Mead graduated from high school at the age of 17 and started college, she decided her motto would be, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."

She finished nurse's training in Walla Walla in 1982. A year later, she met her first and only blind date, Charles "Skip" Mead IV.

When asked, "Who is Julia Mead?" her answer is, "A transplant to Columbia County who sank her roots down."

Two sons, six grandchildren, and 37 harvests later, she hasn't slowed down a bit.

"I see myself as a fixer," she said in a recent chat. "I guess because I'm a nurse. I...