Kate Prengaman is an associate editor for Good Fruit Grower, writing articles for the print magazine and website. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science at the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in science journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Kate joined the magazine in 2016. Prior to the Good Fruit Grower, she covered the natural resources beat for the Yakima Herald-Republic and reported environmental stories for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. She lives in Yakima with her husband and two daughters.
Contact her at 509-853-3518 or at kate@goodfruit.com and follow her on twitter @kprengaman
My Recent Articles
WA Grape Society annual meeting highlights
Topics include smoke taint and some good news for Concord grape growers
Rise of the machines: Are you ready to mechanize? – Video
Near-fully mechanized vineyards are leading the way to premium wine grapes.
EverCrisp: A club for everyone
EverCrisp apple’s open managed approach is getting enthusiastic marks from Midwest and Mid-Atlantic growers.
Multileader makeover from old Red Delicious orchards
Grafting old blocks trained to multileader systems brings high density without high replanting costs.
Virginia is for wine lovers
Vineyard acreage is expanding to keep up with state’s wine industry, now valued at $1.37 billion.
Vineyard sprayers: Applying knowledge
Washington State University sprayer evaluation helps growers optimize vineyard sprayer performance.
A high-tech ball for berries
Berry Impact Recording Device rides along for harvest, packing.
Battling birds with lights, sounds : Videos
Makers of new noise and laser deterrents promise birds won’t habituate to the technology.
Making history in the growing at Penn State
Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center celebrates 100 years of supporting growers.
Taking on trellis with peach trees
New innovations from Penn State promise increased yields, opportunity for mechanization.
Divide to conquer pests?
Boutique grower credits unconventional trellis system for pest and disease prevention.
Northern exposure
See why Vineland apricots bred in Ontario are getting attention.
Some promising cherry variety picks
Why these sweet cherry varieties could find a place in Northwest orchards.
New potential for old apples
Cider demand renews interest for growing traditional varieties in modern orchard systems.
Tart growers target Turkey
U.S. tart cherry industry weighs legal challenge to low-price imports.
In case of smoke, take quick action
Wine grape growers should keep insurance in mind if they see smoke on the horizon
Small trees, big cherries?
Limited release of MSU’s dwarfing rootstocks gives growers a chance to experiment.
Promoting native plants in vineyards
Will they prove worth the trouble for growers?
Waste not wanted
Postharvest tools, better communication can help fine-tune storage practices and improve packouts.
Should you spend now to save later?
As labor costs rise, investing in vineyard mechanization will become increasingly cost-effective.
Growers facing dilemma over drifting sprays
Worker housing close to orchards may need to be vacated during pesticide applications, for now.
Working day to data in the orchard
Growers say keep it simple with data tools used to track workers.
Beating the labor blues
Optical sorters are cutting labor costs for blueberry packing.
Weed eaters
Herbicide resistance pushes California grape growers to try bringing back weed control strategies such as sheep and cultivation.
New approaches needed for weed control
Herbicide resistance is a threat growers need to take seriously.
Weed worries: Herbicide-resistant species are top of mind
Glyphosate-resistance is primary weed concern for wine grape growers in Washington state.
High-res Honeycrisp
Cell structure scans offer new insight into why Honeycrisp is so prone to bitter pit.
Protect pollinators while managing diseases
The fungicides needed to control bloom time disease aren’t as harmless to bees as previously thought.
Bees may do better being kept in the dark
CA storage could give bees an edge in the fight against the devastating Varroa mite.
Click thinking: High-density success depends on pruning style
Lessons learned in Italy about benefits of click pruning could help U.S. growers.