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Fryhover: Supply, demand, decisions
U.S. apple industry is at a critical crossroads of difficult choices.
Industry advocating Eat More Apples campaign
Downturn in apple consumption sparks new marketing effort.
A healthy choice for Washington apples
Washington apple industry considers promoting the health benefits of apples in a collectively funded domestic marketing campaign.
Fine-tuned WA 38 harvest and storage recommendations available
As Cosmic Crisp enters its sixth harvest, researchers continue to fine-tune their recommendations for harvest and storage...
Kristen DeMarree, a young grower from Williamson, New York
family background/ Kristen earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Nazareth University then returned to the family farm and is now transitioning to full ownership of the business. She is the daughter of Alison and Tom DeMarree and has two sisters, Nicole and Trena.
International ag tech tours — Video
Groups trade visits to orchards in the Netherlands and Washington, organized by the Orchard of the Future collaboration.
Canadian co-op collapse
After years of economic struggles and dissension, BC Tree Fruits folds, leaving many growers in the lurch.
Promising picks in the pear pipeline
USDA pear breeding program getting back into gear.
Northwest pear crop estimated at 10.6 million boxes, down 31 percent
As the 2024 pear harvest continues around the Northwest, the industry expects to harvest 10.6 million 44-pound boxes...
WA 64 field day focuses on rootstock and system options
Washington growers can now start placing nursery orders for WA 64, the newest release from Washington State University’s breeding program...
Registration open for Washington Winegrowers’ vineyard education program
Washington Winegrowers Association, in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College and Yakima Valley College, announced registration is now open for Levels 1 and 3 in the Latino Agriculture Education for Viticulture Program...
Semillero de Ideas to hold second farmworker innovation contest
Semillero de Ideas, a Washington nonprofit helping farmworkers commercialize their own inventions, will take submissions for its second innovation contest until Oct. 31...
A light crop and a heavy burden for Wenatchee Valley pear growers
Pear growers in Washington’s Wenatchee Valley may face shortest crop in 40 years.
California pear growers feeling the delta blues
Sacramento River pear growers face uncertainty.
A win-wine situation for Pacific Northwest industry
Temporary approval to import juice and grapes will help British Columbia wineries weather a crop loss and help Washington growers find a home for surplus.
Penn State offers online food safety course for apple packers
Penn State Extension is offering a new online course for apple packing house operators that want to provide food safety training to employees...
Research commission releases 2024 cherry MRL report
The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission has published its 2024 report on pesticide residues for Northwest sweet cherry production...
Good Point: New leadership at the helm for Northwest pear industry
Pear Bureau Northwest welcomes Arias as president and CEO; Correa named new manager of Fresh Pear Committee.
Washington pear growers have Happi hopes
A new pear and a new outlook could be key to innovating the Washington state pear industry.
Good to Know: Of balance and bounties with vineyard nutrient management
A closer look at how harvest and leaf fall impact grapevine nutrition.
Gerad and Corbin Moser, young growers from Oroville, Washington
Brothers Gerad and Corbin both graduated from Washington State University with degrees in agricultural food systems. Their parents are Diane and Greg Moser.
Engineering immunity in trees
New USDA research program brings cutting-edge, disease-fighting technology from citrus to cherry.
Washington State University issues WA 64 apple license to INN
Washington State University has finalized a licensing agreement with International New Varieties Network, or INN, to represent the WA 64 apple...
Sounding the alert for spotted lanternfly
Stakeholder networks attempt to slow spread of spotted lanternfly.
Wine grape smoke task force launches website
The West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force unveiled a new website this week to give growers, winemakers and other industry representatives resources to contend with exposures to wildfire smoke...
Ag researchers learning how to teach a robot
Scientists at Cornell and Carnegie Mellon universities are teaching a machine to prune grapevines like humans do.
Brett Baker named chair of USApple board of directors
The U.S. Apple Association named Brett Baker the new chair of its board of directors...
USApple estimate for 2024-25 predicts slightly smaller crop than last year
The U.S. Apple Association made its final prediction of the size of the 2024–25 U.S. apple crop: 260 million 42-pound bushels...
Washington grape growers share successes and challenges at annual field day
The Washington State Grape Society and Washington State University held their annual field day Aug. 7, hosted this year at Figgins Winery in Walla Walla...
Washington apple industry expects a 124-million-box crop
Washington apple growers expect to harvest 124 million boxes of fresh-market apples this fall, returning to a more average crop size after last year’s high of 136 million boxes...
Field day showcases an array of Washington tree fruit research trials underway
From soil health for new plants to postharvest quality analysis, scientists based at Washington State University’s Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center and their colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Wenatchee have a lot of research going on...
Cloud-powered packing
New tools help fruit packers manage increasing amounts of data.
Michigan’s RidgeFest speakers push apple consumption collaboration
U.S. apple consumption continues to decline, a fact the apple industry can’t afford to ignore...
Relief measures following crop loss will allow British Columbia wineries to import grapes and juice
Following a near-total crop loss for the British Columbia wine industry, the provincial government announced a relief effort that will temporarily allow wineries to import grapes and juice...
Sam Lutz and Cassian Ferlatte, young growers from Rockland, Nova Scotia
family background/ Sam is a sixth-generation farmer who is engaged to Lucia Ellis and is the son of Larry and Janice Lutz. Cassian is a first-generation farmer who is married to Emily Lutz and is the son of Jean-Guy Ferlatte and Bernadette Fernandes.
Smart Orchard field day draws a crowd in Central Washington
About 200 people turned out on July 26 to check out the latest in sensors, robotics and irrigation automation at the Smart Orchard field day near Mattawa, Washington...
BC Tree Fruits announces closure of cooperative
British Columbia’s largest apple packer, BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, told its grower-owners on July 26 that it is closing...
Low-tech device can help measure water stress in orchards — Video
Consider pressure chambers to inform precision irrigation decisions.
Robots reaching beyond harvest — Video
Washington and Oregon university researchers collaborate on orchard robot for many tasks.
Pear psylla IPM efficacy the topic at Washington State University field day
To test how well pear psylla IPM is working for growers in the Wenatchee River Valley area, Washington State University entomologists set up a series of paired orchards to compare pest levels in conventional orchards and in those using integrated pest management strategies...
Giving bad blueberries the boot
USDA funding aids fruit rot management.
Dealing with a replant dilemma
Nova Scotia growers search for fumigant alternatives.
Know your costs to grow
Washington State University produces how-to video for ag enterprise budgets.
Smart Orchard continues testing technology
Trials begin at the third Smart Orchard location in Central Washington.
Stone fruit dominates final IFTA swing through California
The sprawling flatland of California’s southern Central Valley dominates U.S. stone fruit production. And the International Fruit Tree Association tour group saw plenty of it on the final day of the summer study tour through Central California...
Earwig workshops planned for Pacific Northwest apple and pear growers
Who wants a bucket of earwigs? Apple and pear growers might...
Avocados and olives join apples, cherries and pears on IFTA tour
International Fruit Tree Association tour-goers saw plenty of the pears, apples and cherries they’re used to seeing as the group embarked on the first day of the summer tour through Central California, scheduled July 16–18...
Michigan seeks tweaks to produce sweeter blueberries
Michigan State University studies ways to improve flavor and fruit quality of existing varieties.
New president, CarrieAnn Arias, joins Pear Bureau Northwest
Pear Bureau Northwest announced that CarrieAnn Arias took the role as president and CEO of the organization on July 1...
Peach grower finding the sweet spot for profitable production
California canning peach grower tries some fresh sales in a search for the right scale.