Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/386317
W hen fruit marketer Randy Steensma tells growers he's got a new World-class apple for them to plant, they tend to be wary. "Growers are being very cautious on new varieties because there are so many to choose from," he said. And, if they've planted Honeycrisp, they know that some varieties can be a challenge to grow because of inconsistent cropping and poor packouts, for example. Once bitten, twice shy. "We find growers ask the tough questions now," said Steensma, who owns Honey Bear Tree Fruit Company in Wenatchee, Washington, and was among the first to plant Honeycrisp in Washington 25 years ago. "It's very expensive to plant an orchard any more. The price of dirt's gone up, and with the tree cost, you're looking at $30,000 an acre for any variety you put in the ground, so you can't afford to make a mistake on 100 acres, 50 acres, or even 10 acres, because it's a big mistake." Steensma is a partner with Barclay Crane in Pegasus Premium Fruit Company, which has acquired an exclusive license for North Amer- ica to produce and market a new variety called Smitten. The variety was bred in New Zealand by Plant and Food Research and is owned by Prevar, an international variety development and commercialization company. Smitten's maternal grandparents are two English varieties, Fiesta and 28 OCTOBER 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Apples 120 N. Naches Avenue Yakima, WA 98901 509.853.3000 1420 Fifth Avenue Suite 3000 Seattle, WA 98101 206.626.6000 stokeslaw.com Sustained success takes vision and teamwork. At Stokes Lawrence Velikanje Moore & Shore, we see each client's unique vision as the driving force of our legal practice. We have decades of experience working with agricultural clients and deep knowledge of the business and legal issues faced by growers, packers and distributors. Let's reach your goals together. Ryan Griffee | Ellen Jackson | Garon Jones | Brendan Monahan Andre Penalver | Sean Russel | Morrie Shore | George Velikanje Sarah Wixson | Dustin Yeager Realizing Your Vision 509-662-1888 Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-452-7707 Union Gap, WA 98903 800-545-4206 www.cascadeanalytical.com ÝÛKj]]ÛJljm[lmj]Ûj]khgf\af_ Û lgÛghlaeYdÛgjÛklj]kk]\ Û [gf\alagfk ÝÛEmlja]flÛmhlYc]Ûj]dYlan]ÛlgÛ Û `]Ydl`q£\YeY_]\Û[YeZame ÝÛI]dYlagfk`ahÛlgÛ Û [YjZg`q\jYl]Ûkmhhdq Leaf Analysis shows ÝÛ=jmalÛeaf]jYdÛ Û Y[[memdYlagfÛd]n]dk ÝÛGgl]flaYdÛ^gjÛklgjY_] Û \akgj\]jk ÝÛ;YlYÛ^gjÛghlaemeÛklgjY_] Û k]_j]_Ylagf Fruit Analysis shows Now's The Time To Sample! Now's The Time To Sample! Randy Steensma thinks the New Zealand apple Smitten has a big future. by Geraldine Warner Marketer is smitten Marketer Randy Steensma says Smitten has consumer appeal because of its crunch and flavor. PHOTOS BY GERALDIINE WARNER