Kate Prengaman is the 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
Priority: labor
Northwest Horticultural Council takes new steps on labor regulations, retains ag labor lawyer to work on H-2A policy.
Cosmic Crisp field day focuses on horticulture research and commercial experience
Washington growers expect to wait at least another month to begin harvesting WA 38, according to growers who opened their orchards to a preharvest tour organized by Washington State University on Sept. 15.
IFTA tour covers all the hot topics
After its tour was postponed in 2020, the International Fruit Tree Association returned to check in on an industry facing headwinds.
The cherry landscape
Success in sweet cherries comes from matching the right cultivar for your site’s market window to the right rootstock and system, say growers on the IFTA tour.
Pear possibilities
Washington IFTA tour takes a swing through pear country.
Cosmic Crisp, continued — Video
Learning from past harvests helps Washington apple industry prepare for this year’s WA 38 harvest and handling.
Washington nurseries down, not out
Washington nursery owners weather uncertainty in the apple industry.
Tracking your tractor
Equipment sensors promise spraying efficiency, paving the way for automation.
Grape field day focuses on WSU research into new ways to spray
The Washington State Grape Society and Washington State University hosted a field day Aug. 11 focused on WSU’s vineyard technology research, especially in the arena of spray technology.
Know your flow
At Two Mountain Winery, technology helps make irrigation practices more sustainable.
Drip on demand — Video
Automating irrigation can save labor, save water and help growers schedule around the plants’ needs.
Newly created V&E department at WSU to welcome first chair, viticulture professor Jean Dodson Peterson
This fall, the new Washington State University Department of Viticulture and Enology will welcome its
Tighten the belt
Expecting a short crop, Washington Apple Commission reduces its budget and USApple dues.
A rookie’s guide to crop estimation
Washington State University’s vineyard intern training teaches season-long scouting strategies.
IFTA Day 3 — Pears and cherries
On Day 3 of the International Fruit Tree Association Summer Study Tour, the group split up. One bus for pear orchards, the other for cherries.
Getting the X out
Removing infected trees is considered a critical strategy in the fight against X disease.
Honeycrisp and vigor management highlight IFTA Day 2
The second day of the International Fruit Tree Association’s 2022 summer tour centered in Quincy, Washington, where orchards, potatoes and other row crops grow in deep, productive soil.
IFTA arrives in Washington to check out cherries, Cosmic Crisp and crop load camera technology
Growers from across the U.S. — and even a few from beyond — arrived in Central Washington this week for a tour organized by the International Fruit Tree Association.
Inputs rising for sweet cherry growers
New cost-of-production study for sweet cherries shows how rising costs are hitting the growers’ bottom line.
Codling moth control: Site-specific IPM
Spray programs and monitoring data set up mating disruption for success.
Sustainable steps for Washington vineyards
As Washington’s new wine grape growing certification program rolls out this summer, test pilot growers share insights.
Cherry breeders seeking size and sweetness
Washington cherry breeding program shares progress on promising selections.
Expecting a short crop at about 110 million boxes, Washington Apple Commission tightens budget
Apple industry leaders from across Washington predict a short crop this year, with estimates ranging
Pruning robot makes the first cut
Years of testing in robotics labs and virtual orchard simulations prepared a pruning robot for its debut trial in a UFO-trained cherry block.
Weeds that foster disease
As researchers learn more about the leafhoppers that transmit X disease, the weeds they feed on have become a management concern.
Two-year trip from vine to wine
Walla Walla Community College program enters its 20th year, attracting students from across the country to prepare for wine careers.
Pear industry to gather in Portland on June 1 and 2
The Pear Bureau Northwest is inviting pear growers to its 90th annual meeting, which will
Codling moth control: The math on mating disruption
The most effective approaches for codling moth mating disruption are based on trapping data.
Vineyards adopting a flexible philosophy
Labor challenges require new ways of doing business in the vineyard.
Keep the peach in reach
Pedestrian orchards keep labor costs in check for Idaho growers.