TJ Mullinax is a digital producer and photojournalist for Good Fruit Grower, coming to the magazine with a newspaper and television broadcast background. Mullinax grew up in the Pacific Northwest and covered communities through the Willamette Valley, Columbia Gorge, and Central Washington, working more than ten years as a professional journalist at KATU television in Portland, Oregon, and the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper.
Mullinax served as a long-time officer of the National Press Photographers Association, helped found the Northwest Video Workshop, remains active judging photography contests and volunteering for journalism-focused training opportunities. In his spare time Mullinax dabbles with programming, design, illustration, and various multimedia endeavors that help tell stories.
Phone: Office (509) 853-3519 Cell: (509) 580-0091 — Email
My Recent Articles
Priority: labor
Northwest Horticultural Council takes new steps on labor regulations, retains ag labor lawyer to work on H-2A policy.
The mystery math of prevailing wages
Tree fruit officials question prevailing wage methodology.
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.
Nathan Davis, a young grower from Odell, Oregon
Nathan returned to the family pear farm in the Hood River Valley about two years ago. He and his brother, Aubrey, work with their dad, Phil, and uncle, Jack Davis.
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.
Tart cherry roots and canopies
New tools map tart cherry orchards.
Leticia Trejo, a young grower from Bridgeport, Washington
Leticia graduated from Washington State University with a degree in agricultural food systems. She is married to Marc Martinez and is the daughter of Diana and Donato Trejo.
Ag automation headed your way
Spray automation drives itself into commercial tree fruit use.
Inside look at GUSS
An automated sprayer still needs human hands to get it rolling.
Drip on demand — Video
Automating irrigation can save labor, save water and help growers schedule around the plants’ needs.
Saving sweet cherries
Michigan orchard invests in covers to protect profitable crop.
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.
Managing little cherry disease in an unconventional way
One grower shares how he balances reducing disease spread with his limited budget.
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.
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.
Inputs rising for sweet cherry growers
New cost-of-production study for sweet cherries shows how rising costs are hitting the growers’ bottom line.
Stone fruit ‘sea change’ — Video
Pennsylvania growers testing high-density peach plantings.
Ty Muxlow, a young grower from Kingsburg, California
Ty graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in ag business and plant science. He’s the son of Becky and Andy Muxlow.
A brave blue world
U.S. blueberry marketers aim for “world’s favorite fruit” position.
CSA surge
Pandemic drives produce shoppers to subscription services.
Economics of replanting
How do growers evaluate block profitability?
John Paul and Adam Baugher, from Aspers, Pennsylvania
Both Adam and John Paul are part of the fifth generation operating their family farm. John Paul went to Penn State University and Adam went to Bloomsburg University. They are the sons of Cindy and Chris Baugher.
Degrees of extremes for Northwest growers
Record cool Northwest pollination weather follows scorching 2021 summer.
Cherry breeders seeking size and sweetness
Washington cherry breeding program shares progress on promising selections.
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.
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.
A lot of choices for cherry rootstocks
Options range from tried-and-true to new and experimental.
Carneval cherry challenge
DNA tests link sport cherry in Washington to variety propagated in Canada.
Connor Duim, a young grower from Zillah, Washington
Connor graduated from Wenatchee Valley College with a degree in sustainable agriculture. He’s the son of Sheryl and Mike Duim.
Nights in shining orchards
Growers contemplate resuming night harvest after 2021’s heat forced their hand.
Thurlby: Fruitful thinking
Northwest cherry growers hope to take advantage of market opportunities in 2022.
Codling moth control: The math on mating disruption
The most effective approaches for codling moth mating disruption are based on trapping data.
Progressive Pennsylvanians
Slaybaugh family’s “orchard facelift” targets modernizing and mechanizing.
A grower’s tale of sucker grafts and drive rows
California’s Jeff Colombini discusses growing techniques, economics.
California growers choosing almonds over apricots
Labor costs for stone fruit production push growers toward nut crops.
Codling moth control: Back to biology
Pest experts detail scientific foundations to kick off Codling Moth Summit.
Jutsely Rivera, a young grower from Moxee, Washington
Jutsely is a second-generation farmer who earned an environmental studies and chemistry degree from Gonzaga University. She’s the daughter of Ana Valenzuela and Jose Rivera.
Electri-fried weed control trials underway
Oregon State University leads electric current project with potential for organic weed control in blueberries, apples and almonds.
How to check for apple bud damage on the tree — Video
Looking for apple bud damage? See how to quickly cut and evaluate apple buds on the tree and identify flower part damage.
Downpours and drainage
Heavy storms hitting Pennsylvania orchards harder; growers share how they are dealing with the deluge.
Johanny Castro Chinchilla, a young grower from San José, Costa Rica
Johanny grew up working on a coffee farm and earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s degree in crop protection from the University of Costa Rica. He’s the son of Marea Elisa Chinchilla and Gerardo Castro.
Growers huddle to discuss cold strategies
Snow covers cherry blossoms in Selah, Washington, on April 12, after a cold front brought
Research rebuild for Oregon tree fruit team
With new postharvest scientist, Hood River, Oregon, restaffs its research team.