Over the last several weeks, I have received a number of phone calls from growers asking the same questions: “Should I stay organic?” “Should I continue to transition into organic?” “Is there any way to protect organic fruit returns in the current market economy?” One could expect these inquiries, since the Washington apple industry has managed to increase its organic volumes 100 percent over last year. On top of this, the market situation is confounded by the economic downturn, with consumers becoming more concerned about price than health and environment. Washington’s organic and conventional fruit industry produced a record crop […]