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
Change trellis system to protect grapes from heat, California study concludes
A six-year University of California, Davis, study indicates that changing vineyard training and trellis systems
The mystery math of prevailing wages
Tree fruit officials question prevailing wage methodology.
Updating a pear orchard tree by tree
Hood River family modernizes pear orchard in stages.
Pear possibilities
Washington IFTA tour takes a swing through pear country.
Calculating wages: Show your work
Employment law experts break down the math of accurately paying ag workers.
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.
Washington growers forecast smaller apple crop
Washington apple growers estimate a crop of 108.7 million 40-pound box equivalents, down 11 percent
Central Washington orchardist to sell after H-2A debarment
A Central Washington apple, cherry and pear grower debarred by the federal government from hiring temporary foreign workers is choosing to sell his family’s farm, even though he denies wrongdoing.
Ag automation headed your way
Spray automation drives itself into commercial tree fruit use.
Hansen: Smart thinning
Washington wine industry helps develop new vineyard technology by investing in collaboration.
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.
Managing little cherry disease in an unconventional way
One grower shares how he balances reducing disease spread with his limited budget.
Tests of taste help find the right flavor
Family Tree Farms uses weekly tastings to steer variety development.
Efficiencies of flavor
Family Tree Farms and the California stone fruit industry seek an edge in production with trellises and platforms.
Mount Adams Fruit purchases part of former Stadelman Fruit
Mount Adams Fruit of Bingen, Washington, has agreed to purchase the majority of Stadelman Fruit Co.’s Oregon operations.
A brave blue world
U.S. blueberry marketers aim for “world’s favorite fruit” position.
Codling moth control: Control culture club
Bin sanitation and orchard cultural practices aid codling moth mitigation.
It’s true: Northwest cherries really are bigger
Everyone knows size matters in fruit, and this year, cherries really are bigger. Northwest Cherry Growers has the measurements to prove it.
Ste. Michelle moves white winemaking to Eastern Washington
Washington’s largest winery is consolidating its production. Chateau Ste. Michelle has decided to move its
AgWeather or not?
Owners of private weather stations weigh integrating with Washington State University’s network.
Rolling out orchard health care
Medical nonprofit in Oregon launches RV clinic to serve the Columbia Gorge.
Degrees of extremes for Northwest growers
Record cool Northwest pollination weather follows scorching 2021 summer.
Oregon heat, smoke rules to take effect soon
Oregon workplace regulators have enacted permanent rules to protect laborers from excessive heat and wildfire
Trellising more than trees
Superstructures to support rain and sun coverings skew trellis engineering principles.
Washington further loosens COVID housing restrictions
Washington authorities have pulled back many of the temporary farm labor housing restrictions designed to
Future forecasts call for more heat, more often
Heat wave of 2021 may not be so unusual in the future.
Apples in extreme heat
Researchers share how future heat will affect apple farming.
Carneval cherry challenge
DNA tests link sport cherry in Washington to variety propagated in Canada.
Nights in shining orchards
Growers contemplate resuming night harvest after 2021’s heat forced their hand.