The latest columns from our print magazine:
DeVaney: Ag industry working overtime on advocacy
Washington state’s overtime requirement is set for 40 hours next month, but it’s not too late to talk to lawmakers about the impact the rules are already having.
Dininny: Teaming up for success
A time to celebrate and collaborate, with more to come in the year ahead.
Good to Know: Apple pruning 101 — Video
Manage fruit quality, vigor and pest pressure with strategic pruning in apple trees.
Olsen: Deep roots, new strategies
WSTFA Annual Meeting to focus on innovative thinking for today’s challenges.
Hansen: Decades of data
Long-term soil health research vineyard planted with federal, state and industry support.
Good Point: The industry needs apple advocates
Growers have great fruit to offer, the challenge is building domestic and export consumption.
Langager: The ABCs of LCAs
How life cycle assessments support regional strategies to address global climate change.
Moffitt: Mixing it up in marketing
Pear promotions find success with diversified strategies.
Good to Know: The road to release
How WSU and the tree fruit industry work together on cultivar commercialization.
Duflock: Advancing automation
Western Growers’ efforts support ag tech startups looking to tackle specialty crop automation solutions.
Van den Ende: Growth mindset
For late-season stone fruit, deficit irrigation can be timed to control canopy growth without impacting fruit size.
Good to Know: A planar plan for peaches
Michigan State University research is moving peach production into two dimensions.
Dininny: Have we got a job for you?
Now you can find out at goodfruit.com/jobs.
Good to Know: Take a bite out of blight
Trial compared cutting and sanitization strategies to find the best removal methods for fire blight strikes.
Good Point: Facing the future
Start a succession plan now to protect your family’s farming legacy later.
Thurlby: We asked, they answered
The consumer has the final say on Northwest cherries.
Powers: New leadership, same legacy
Washington State University’s new dean shares her experience and vision for a resilient future for Washington fruit.
Gastelum: Growing above and beyond
How to help your workers be successful in and out of the field.
Langager: Pesticide applicators face new EPA rules
Proposed endangered species measures will alter pesticide reviews.
McIlquham: Digging for health reports
WSU study investigates which soil health metrics matter in Washington wine grape vineyards.
Hansen: The fumigation fade
Washington vineyard research shows fumigation benefits for nematode control can be short-lived.
Dininny: Expanding en español
We’ve added a writer/translator to our team to grow our Spanish-language website.
Dininny: Strength in difficult days
Finding inspiration in New Zealand’s fruit community.
Langager: Commenting 101
The why and how of submitting comments to the federal government.
Good to Know: Production priorities for USDA research
At Appalachian Fruit Research Station, scientists focus on sustainable production for modern systems.
Good to Know: IPM with a phenology focus
Connecting pear psylla phenology with IPM strategies proves successful for Wenatchee Valley pear growers.
Hansen: Drones may help improve biocontrol in wine grapes
New research shows drones and attractant have potential to sustainably enhance beneficials in Washington vineyards.
Good to Know: Innovative research projects bearing fruit
USDA-ARS scientists combine traditional methods with biotechnology to advance tree fruit breeding processes.
Hansen: A clear objective for smoke research
Washington State Wine Commission is taking a multipronged approach.
Scharlau: A proactive pathway for problem-solving
Grape industries need collaborative approaches to the challenges they face.
O’Rourke: Columbia Basin’s bounty reshaped the fruit industry
Agricultural economist’s book highlights the Washington industry’s growing advantage in the Columbia Basin.
Dininny: December is for gathering together
For the 26th year, Good Fruit Grower is proudly honoring an outstanding grower with its Grower of the Year award...
Bierer: Carbon accounting
New USDA soil project will assess carbon balance of an apple orchard over time.
DeVaney: Prevailing problems
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association wants more transparency for growers around the state’s wage surveys, one of many labor-related priorities for 2023.
Good to Know: Research works
An overview of this year’s research projects and upcoming research reviews.
Hansen: Mealybug mating disruption
Specialty crop grant will help develop sustainable mealybug control in Washington vineyards.
England: Coming together
The “Stronger Together” theme of this year’s Hort Show emphasizes the importance of playing as a tree fruit team.
Good to Know: Progress for the Orchard of the Future
International collaboration around orchard technology begins trials.
Langager: MRLs made easy
NHC launches rebuilt online MRL database to help growers stay on top of the myriad market-specific pesticide requirements.
Gerlach: The need for Newton
USApple launches online database to make apple statistics more accessible for answering industry questions.
Fryhover: Exporting Cosmic Crisp
With Washington growers expecting 5 million boxes, it’s time to invest in international marketing.
Dininny: Still going and growing online
We have good news to share.
Van den Ende: Tame your trees
For high-density pear plantings, it’s critical to get an early start.
Moffitt: New realities for pears
Pear Bureau marketing promotes pears to younger consumers in physical, digital and virtual realities.
Hansen: Smart thinning
Washington wine industry helps develop new vineyard technology by investing in collaboration.
Maycock: Putting the ag in ag tech
Could a collaborative model improve the outcomes for ag tech startups and the growers who need them?
Brown: Precision viticulture takes center stage
Missed the bus? Let the National Grape Research Alliance president fill you in on the highlights of the precision vit demo day.
Garza: Taking Washington ag to new places
WSDA helps growers share their story in export markets.
Thurlby: Fruitful thinking
Northwest cherry growers hope to take advantage of market opportunities in 2022.
Willett: The past and future of codling moth control
Looking back on past success can help the industry meet current pest management challenges.