The favorable climate and relatively low pest and disease pressure in the arid West have been blessings for organic tree fruit growers. Those conditions explain why more than 95 percent of the nation’s organic apple production comes from Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon. But increasing pest challenges and the potential loss of disease-fighting antibiotics threaten the future of organic tree fruit production, even in the West. Consumer demand for organic fruits and vegetables is still solid. Organic food sales increased 9 percent in 2011, according to data compiled by David Granatstein, Washington State University’s sustainable agriculture specialist. Fruit and […]