Apple growers in western Washington are realizing that their future does not lie in selling their apples through major packers to the wholesale market. “Western growers can no longer sustain themselves by loading trucks of Jonagolds and sending them over to central Washington,” said Alan Merritt of Bow near Washington’s Puget Sound. “It’s time to return to our old plan—direct marketing.” Today, the successful orchard in Skagit County, where Merritt farms, is an efficient, medium- to high-density pedestrian orchard organized for ease of harvest that markets new varieties and the farm experience to people in the region. It is building […]