Recently published articles featured on Good Fruit Grower.
A year of wings and prayers
Cherry harvest shapes up as a season of nuance, contrasts.
Cherries get a lift
Rural Washington state airport sees boost in cherry exports during otherwise down year.
Transcontinental transfer keeps harvest on track
Peach orchards in Colorado and South Carolina shuttle H-2A workers to avoid job losses.
Pear proponents ponder possibilities
Pear research community asks for potential alternatives to starting breeding program from scratch.
Preserving pears is a profitable partnership
How Gerber/Nestle is helping maintain Michigan industry.
A deal for canned pears
Under new law, processors and growers reach price agreement.
Risks with few rewards for pear growers
Peshastin pear growers say that without marketing and postharvest handling changes to spur consumer demand, prices put them in a precarious position.
So much uncertainty for wine industry
Grape growers expect less demand, lower prices at harvest and hope Congress will make wine grapes eligible for future pandemic relief programs.
Hansen: Going for stable and sustainable
Washington Wine’s research program forging ahead with record-breaking funding.
Moffitt: Promotional reaction
Pear Bureau adapts quickly to retail changes.
Fletcher Hukari, a young grower from Hood River, Oregon
Fletcher is a fourth-generation farmer who graduated from the University of Utah. He’s the son of Tami and Brian Hukari.
Improving irrigation improves pear profits — Video
A precision approach can help pear growers protect packouts.
Quince comparisons — Video
Several dwarfing rootstocks for pears show promise in trial, but more study still needed.
International innovation
New collaboration brings together researchers, tech companies and growers in Washington, California and the Netherlands to advance smart orchard technologies.
Forecasts inside and out
AgWeatherNet project to measure effect of orchard on weather station data.
Virtual happy hour
When coronavirus closed tasting room doors, winemakers turned to online events.
Sensor overload
Pilot project installs dozens of sensors in an apple orchard to learn how the different technologies can best inform better management.
Sanitation rules with coronavirus
Regulators enforcing measures to prevent spread.
Turning up the heat raises risks for ag workers
Strategies are available to help workers beat the heat, including face masks for summer wear.
Asking about masking
Volunteers provide face masks for essential workers through Cornell Farmworker Program.
A long and fruitful fruition for Apple Vacuum System
After years of collaboration, testing and improvements, vacuum harvest system nearly ready for mass production.
U-pick in a pandemic
Farms test new safety measures before busy season begins in fall.
Industry eyeing apples aplenty
Trade wars, pandemic are responsible for too much fruit in storage.
Chile to take U.S. West Coast blueberries
The government of Chile has agreed to accept imports of blueberries from Washington, Oregon and
Seeing a future for crop estimation technology — Video
Growers put AI crop estimation to use in vineyards.
Upgrade your airblast sprayer — Video
Lidar system scans canopy volume and calibrates sprayer in real time to reduce overapplication and drift.
Crystal Aguilar, a young grower from Zillah, Washington
Crystal is a second-generation farmer who grew up in the Yakima Valley and originally pursued teaching before joining her brother, Tony Mendoza, with Haak Administrative Services. She is married to Jesus Aguilar and is the daughter of Trinidad and Elieser Mendoza.
Nature and nurture at Sicilian vineyard
Santa Tresa owners are taking organic approach to grow wine grapes on centuries-old site.
Spotting alternative controls for SWD
Spotted wing drosophila project looks beyond chemical controls for blueberries.
Roche: Mechanical fruitlet thinning
New tool shows promise in trials by French researchers, especially when paired with mechanical bloom thinning.
When research grows sideways
Michigan State University assistant professor is studying the genetics of tree architecture.
Ode to Joys
New peaches from the USDA Agricultural Research Service could fill critical harvest window.
For promising peaches, it’s time to grow
Grant to help accelerate MSU breeding program by putting cultivars in commercial orchards.
Christopher Gerlach to join USApple as director of industry analytics
Christopher Gerlach The U.S. Apple Association announced Christopher Gerlach will join the organization as director
Big time for blueberries
From acres to production, this little fruit just keeps growing.
Prevailing frustrations over wage surveys
Washington blueberry wage ruling puts a spotlight on the prevailing wage surveys.
Pandemic packing pivot
Fruit warehouses across the U.S. adjust practices to continue shipping amid the coronavirus.
Worker worries prompted walkouts
Additional safeguards and hazard pay were among the demands of workers that went on strike at seven Yakima-area packers in May. All walkouts were resolved by early June.
Backup plans underway for industry events
Groups brace for contingencies, even for events months in the future.
Kyle Rasch, a young grower from Conklin, Michigan
Kyle is a fifth-generation famer in the West-central Michigan region. He was part of USApple’s Young Apple Leaders program, obtained a business degree from Grand Rapids Community College and is the son of Sue and Chuck Rasch.
Hold on to your Anjous
On the controversial topic of self-regulation, the Northwest pear industry approved stricter quality standards for early season Anjou shipments, but do they go far enough?
Fruit industry questions eligibility for USDA direct payment program
Few tree fruit growers able to access benefits as program began.
Washington shippers making Farmers to Families food boxes
USDA coronavirus response program offers contracts so distributors can supply nonprofits, benefiting both growers and families in need.
Ludacrisp gaining speed
Growers planting Midwest Apple Improvement Association’s second-most popular variety in greater numbers.
Red flesh for red ciders
Michigan State University program focused on varieties for juice.
Hot start continues for Cosmic Crisp
In Washington State University study, second-leaf Cosmic Crisp packouts surpass third-leaf results.
How to do your do-over
Why replanting vineyards is more than just planting again.
Grape growers ready to root
Washington’s leading grapevine nursery shares what growers need to know if they want to plant grafted vines.
Birds flee when drones fly
WSU researchers test unmanned aerial systems as bird deterrents.
Farming amid the coronavirus
Growers find ways large and small to farm safely during the pandemic.