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Washington Apple Commission announces crop estimate, new officers
The Washington Apple Commission has elected a slate of officers for the 2016-2017 season. Dave
Piece-rate pay guidelines
Officials working to provide practical advice following last year’s Washington state Supreme Court ruling.
Suzanne Niemann, a young grower from Yakima, Washington
family background / Suzanne’s love of agriculture grew out of her interest in
Two growers weigh in on cider apple varieties
Tieton Cider Works' "Hilltop Cider" orchard in Yakima, Wash., in 2014.(TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)
Making the most of cidermania
Marketers changing strategies to meet growing consumer demand.
Replacing labor with technology
It can be a challenge for small growers with limited budgets.
Heat treatment to beat the apple maggot
Environmental consultants for the state of Washington have recommended heating up yard waste before moving
A lot of cans in 100 years
Del Monte celebrates a century in Yakima, Washington.
A spray-plus education (Video)
Farm worker teaching team leads the nation in preparing workers for safe use of pesticides.
Not your grandpa’s weather vane
New fruit models, seamless data boost Michigan’s Enviro-weather system.
Honeycrisp from Chile coming to U.S.
Honeybear Brands of Minnesota bringing in its largest crop from South America plantings.
New website for U.S. Apple
The U.S. Apple Association has released a new, mobile-friendly website at usapple.org. 2016 USApple.org
How to check for apple and peach bud damage
Bud damage assessment tools: razor blade, knife or scalpel and a limb-caliper tool, such
Eladio Gonzales, a young grower from Selah, Washington
Eladio, a second-generation farmer from the upper Yakima Valley, worked alongside his father, Miguel Gonzales, in orchards and now manages several test orchards in Naches, Washington.
Joe Brandt, a young grower from Wapato, Washington
Joe returned to the 1,500-acre family farm after working in finance and manages domestic and export sales and marketing for the company.
Planting frenzy
Properly preparing the soil can help new plantings thrive.
Wade: Free trade should include fair trade
A Good Fruit Grower good point by Mike Wade, USApple chairman
Watering by the numbers
Extension specialists take the mystery out of irrigating.
Changing ideas about water
Irrigation becomes crucial tool even in well-watered East.
Better ways to irrigate
WSU researcher offers tips for reducing water use.
Know your soil before picking your rootstock
Researchers encourage growers to match a rootstock’s ability to absorb nutrients to those nutrients found in the soil.
Root care
Remember to consider what lies beneath when maintaining a healthy orchard.
Know your critical temperatures as East Coast freeze arrives
The East Coast is experiencing a second round of winter, and the anticipated freezing temperatures
Ambrosia surge
Marketing minds meet their apple match with increasing number of varieties.
How to attract workers
Workers go where they can make the most money.
Modern orchards and technology can potentially reduce production costs
Harvesting, pruning, trimming and bin removal machines like these displayed during an IFTA tour
Keeping limbs in line with mechanical pruning – (video)
While not exactly new anywhere, mechanical hedging is seeing a youthful surge on
Hopes dim for demise of lanternfly
Researchers are no longer optimistic that bug first detected in 2014 can be quickly eradicated.
Growers asked to help with trellis design survey
The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission has recently funded a trellis engineering analysis project with
6 tips for healthier bees
Beekeeper offers tips for healthy bees, hearty pollination.
Looking for new pollinizers
For decades, apple growers have used Manchurian crab apples to pollinate their fruit. Tree
Researcher is targeting bull’s-eye rot
Findings show treatments before and after harvest reduce infection rates.
Growers get peek at automatic picking machine — VIDEO
California company shares progress on vacuum end-effector.
A gentler journey from bucket to bin
Design improvements to vacuum system apple harvester reduce bruising, worker strain.
Allen: My thanks to growers supporting food safety research
“One bad apple will spoil the barrel” is almost as familiar as the saying “an
Apple scab spores showing up in eastern U.S. orchards
The first apple scab spores of the season have been detected in both Pennsylvania and
Testing string theory
Hand-held string thinners are gaining in popularity.
Meet the stinkbug’s worst nightmare
A wasp no bigger than a flea could be the best tool against brown marmorated stinkbug.
Pests in the heat
Last year’s hot growing season gave researchers ideal opportunity to take a closer look at codling moth and obliquebanded leafroller.
Seeking better control for codling moth
Researchers are getting a head start on keeping codling moth resistance traits to insecticides in check.
Dealing with apple maggot in yard waste
Study shows apple maggot pupae can be killed in yard waste, but more research is needed.
Apple maggot, worries spread in Michigan
Apple maggot infestations seem to be on the increase in Michigan, so growers should have
Getting to the rot of the problem
Researchers study how best to prevent spread of disease from Manchurian crab apple pollinizers.
The right Honeycrisp start
Dave Taber is working to maximize his chances of success with a new Honeycrisp planting.
Fire blight central
A research plot near Wapato, Washington, has become a test bed for fire blight.
Fire blight management
Mixing materials may bring growers closer to another “silver bullet” in fire blight management.
Fire blight’s risk factors
Tips to consider from OSU plant pathogist
Griggs appointed to Apple Commission
John Griggs John Griggs, a grower from Orondo, Washington, will serve on the
Michigan tart cherry growers switching to high-density plantings
The cherries in that slice of pie most likely came from an orchard in Michigan,
Consumers will not tire of new varieties, Washington grower tells IFTA conference
Fruit growers need look no further than the beverage aisle at their local convenience store