Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/40315
Harovin Sundown pear licensed in eastern Canada Pear owner is looking for partners in western Canada and the United States. by Richard Lehnert Vineland Research and Innovation T he long-awaited Harovin Sun- down pear has taken another step toward the commercial market. On May 25, an agree- ment was signed between the Centre, which now owns rights to the pear, and the Vineland Growers Coopera- tive, which will produce and market the pear in eastern Canada. The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, which also debuted in a new role tin this venture, is seeking similar partners in western Canada and, especially, in the United States. Sundown Pear is being tested in British Columbia, New York State, France, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, and Vineland is pursuing "All of our wind machines are Orchard-Rite ® ." —BOB BAILEY Orchard View Farms The Dalles, Oregon marketing licenses in those additional countries. Michael Ecker, president of the 300- member Vineland Growers Cooperative that markets peaches, nectarines, pears, sweet cherries, apricots, plums, and fresh grapes, bought exclusive rights to grow and market the pear from Ontario east across Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. Nurseries have been licensed to pro- "We have 1,300 acres of cherries with 31 wind machines spread out over 20 miles. All of our wind machines are Orchard-Rite® with the Auto-Start feature. The low spots in our orchards often vary, and the Auto Start has taken all of the guess work out of protecting those areas. Auto Start is reliable and saves fuel." duce the trees, and growers planted everything available, about 20 acres worth, this spring. Trees were planted three feet apart in high-density plantings, Ecker said. Pears will come to market in three or four years, but some Sundown pears from early test plantings are already available. The pears are being propagated on Old Home X Farmingdale 97 rootstock, which is vigorous and standard size but more productive and precocious than standard rootstocks and is also resistant to fireblight, as is the Harovin Sundown cultivar. Under the agreement, a minimum of 33,000 trees will be brought into fruit production. About 20 co-op members grow pears, Ecker said, but anyone can plant Harovin Sundown, and Vineland will market them. "They don't even have to join the co-op. Or if they want to sell the pear in roadside markets, just let us know, and we'll say yes. We really want to get this pear to consumers in Canada." Growers pay a royalty of $1.50 a tree. ® Vineland Growers Cooperative then will pay a fee of $225 an acre each year for ten years on trees aged 5 to 15, after which there are no more fees. Growers will pack the pears in their own facilities, and the Vineland co-op will sell them. "All the retailers are excited about this "The service we get from CascadeWind Machine Service is great. CascadeWind Machine Service is a solid company, they have the same people year in and year out, which makes it easy to do business together. Ifeelwehave agreat working relationship." 1615 W. Ahtanum Yakima,WA 98903 509-457-9196 Sales: Rod Robert, ext 116 Virgil Anders, ext 114 Cell: 509-945-3046 26 SEPTEMBER 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER Wind Machine Service For your nearest representative: www.orchard-rite.com Cascade 3766 Iroquois Lane Wenatchee,WA 98801 509-662-2753 Sales: Dave Harmening, ext 214 Dana Morgan, ext 215 Cell: 509-421-3494 new pear," Ecker said. "First of all, it's Canadian, and that's a selling point. Sec- ondly, it's available in winter. It harvests late, stores really well, and it eats well. It's a good pear. "Growers will like it because it's fire- blight resistant and it crops well. It stores really well, much better than Bartlett, which is three weeks earlier. We're excited about it." Harovin Sundown is larger than Bartlett, something growers also need. They lost their only processors and the canning pear market that had absorbed the smaller Bartletts, so they want a pear of Bartlett quality but larger. The real test, Ecker said, will be in the supermarkets. In consumer panel tests, Harovin Sundown scored very well. "But the real test is when they buy it. Will they like it and come back and buy it again?" Sundown pear trees are described by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as medium-sized with semi-upright growth habit and winter hardy with good crop production after winter temperatures as low as -17˚F. Grafted onto certain OHxF www.goodfruit.com