Ross Courtney is an associate editor for Good Fruit Grower, writing articles and taking photos for the print magazine and website. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University.
Courtney worked as a writer, photographer and video producer for the Yakima Herald-Republic starting in 2000, covering agriculture, education and local government. He was the author of the Herald-Republic‘s popular Crop Lines blog.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a communications specialist for a Pasco, Washington, company representing agricultural groups. Before that, he covered sports for the Tri-City Herald.
Courtney joined the magazine in 2015. He lives in Prosser with his family.
Follow the author — Contact: 509-930-8798 or Email
My Recent Articles
- Pears offer proof that blemishes are beautiful — Video
—Imperfect pears for an imperfect world. Pear Bureau Northwest leans into the imperfection of the fruit, and pear growers are in favor of the change.
- Pear growers emerging from disaster
—Oregon pear growers have good things to say about the 2026 pear crop. Things couldn’t get much worse than the 2025 harvest.
- Legendary Fruit advances to sale hearing in Brewster Heights bankruptcyNo new bidders surfaced by the court-imposed deadline in the Brewster Heights Packing and Orchards bankruptcy case, meaning Legendary Fruit Co. will have the sole… Read more: Legendary Fruit advances to sale hearing in Brewster Heights bankruptcy
- Federal court overturns new Adverse Effect Wage Rate rulesA federal judge has told labor officials they must rework how they determine H-2A wages. Nothing has changed yet. The current Adverse Effect Wage Rates… Read more: Federal court overturns new Adverse Effect Wage Rate rules
- A cherry smart turn for orchard tech—What’s good for apples and blueberries is good for cherries. Washington State University researchers have set up a cherry version of the Smart Orchard for all things tech at one of Olsen Bros.’ UFO-trained Black Pearl blocks near Benton City, funded with a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
- Ag tech innovator Reservoir partners with John Deere for $10 million, three yearsReservoir, an experimental farm group in California, has partnered with John Deere for $10 million and three years of research and development to help commercialize… Read more: Ag tech innovator Reservoir partners with John Deere for $10 million, three years
- Washington State University Plant Growth Facility takes shape in WenatcheeThe new Plant Growth Facility is starting to take shape at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee. Construction crews… Read more: Washington State University Plant Growth Facility takes shape in Wenatchee
- Ag tech weeding out inefficiencies in weed control — Video
—Water, electricity and other new tools lead the industry’s drive for a better weeder, which many in fruit and grape industries say is an easier problem to solve than others.
- Bringing a foundation to irrigation automation
—Walla Walla, Washington, company focuses on building nigh-indestructible valves and solenoids that underpin the tree fruit industry’s march toward irrigation automation.
- USDOL announces new Adverse Effect Wage RatesThe U.S. Department of Labor has announced new Adverse Effect Wage Rates. The AEWR rates, state-by-state wage floors that growers who hire H-2A workers must… Read more: USDOL announces new Adverse Effect Wage Rates
- Soil and sensors featured at viticulture field day in Eastern WashingtonAbout 50 people participated in a viticulture field day on July 30 that swung from basic get-your-hands-dirty soil health to the interconnectivity of vineyard sensors.… Read more: Soil and sensors featured at viticulture field day in Eastern Washington
- Scouting for scorch
—Researchers and other blueberry experts continue probing the extent of blueberry scorch virus spread in Eastern Washington, home to many organic growers who had never before needed to control for aphids.
