Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/668668
20 MAY 1, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com A s the cost of labor increases, industries typically find ways to use less of it. But the tree fruit industry is an excep- tion, Wapato, Washington, grower Jim Doornink said during a panel discussion at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association's Annual Meeting in December. Over the past 25 years, fruit growers have been need- ing more labor to produce fruit, despite the increasing costs. "Labor is a huge portion of our costs," said Doornink, who farms 250 acres of cherries, apricots, pears and apples. "We've finally come to the point where we realize it has to stop, and we're doing more and more every year to bring technologies in." Growers have made changes to their trel- lises and growing systems. They're using net- ting and evaporative cooling to protect fruit from the sun, and advances have been made in spray application technology. But there have not been major changes that reduce the labor input. "The changes that come along are incre- mental changes," Doornink said. "And sometimes incremental changes freeze you in position because you feel comfortable about the things you've learned and done. Instead, you should be looking to the future and what's going to be done." Doornink recalled that when he joined the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission's board 30 years ago, he was advised: "Be not the first by which the new is tried, nor the last to lay the old aside." Others have cautioned about the risks of being on the "bleeding" edge. "We need to be sure we're not the ones who are bleeding or the ones who get left behind," he said. "It's very important that the technolo- gies we adopt, we adopt from other industries. You have to be looking all the time." New technology is not a toy if it makes money, he added, but often growers try to make their toys make money for them. "I want a drone in the worst way," he added. "I don't want a tiny one that sits in my hand. I want a big one with shiny stuff on it, and I want one with lights on it, but I can't figure out how to put it in my ranch budget and have it make money for me right now." Financial stretch Sam Godwin, who farms 200 acres of apples, pears and cherries in the Tonasket area of north central Washington, said that, for small growers, the decision to Replacing labor with technology Labor It can be a challenge for small growers with limited budgets. by Geraldine Warner "Sometimes incremental changes freeze you in position because you feel comfortable about the things you've learned and done. Instead, you should be looking to the future and what's going to be done." —Jim Doornink 10500 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, CA 94513 800.634.1671 or 925.634.2191 (Alison Clegg or Richard Chavez) 877.457.6901 (Henry Sanguinetti) M E M B E R O F w w w . p r o t r e e n u r s e r y. c o m Expertly Crafted from Start to Finish. Apples Aztec Fuji ® (DT-2 cv) Banning Red Fuji (USPP 16,624 P2) Buckeye ® Gala (USPP 10,840) Cosmic Crisp™ (USPP 24,210) EverCrisp ® (cv. 'MAIA 1') PPAF Firestorm™ Honeycrisp Honeycrisp™ (USPP 7197) Lady in Red * (USPP 18,787) Royal Red Honeycrisp ® (USPP 22,244) September Wonder™ Fuji (USPP 11,193) Ultima™ Gala (USPP 13,753 P2) Available on B10 ® , B-118, EMLA, Geneva ® , M-9 T337, NIC -29™, or Pajam #2. ** * Trademark license for Pink Lady ® brand available upon request. Cherries Benton™ Bing Black Tart BlackPearl ® Brooks™ BurgundyPearl ® Chelan™ Coral Champagne Cristalina™ EbonyPearl ® Available on Colt, Gisela ® , Krymsk ® , Mahaleb, or Mazzard. * * ** Not all varieties are available on all rootstocks. Call for specific grafting information. Lapins RadiancePearl ® Rainier Selah™ Skeena™ Sweetheart™ Tamora Tulare™ Vans NEW! NEW! NEW! At ProTree Nursery the growth of our high-quality rootstocks begins in our lab under the watchful eye of Norma Aguilar who has perfected her craft over the past 12 years. As our rootstocks grow and are transplanted outside, they are cared for by Guillermo Montoya, who, with 16 years of experience, knows what it takes to produce only the very best rootstocks that will grow into fruitful trees. Call ProTree today to order benchgrafts for 2018 and dormant-budded trees for 2019. Let our expertise in combining the right rootstocks with the heartiest varieties work for you. Guillermo Montoya ProTree Nursery, LLC Norma Aguilar ProTree Nursery, LLC