Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/728583
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower OCTOBER 2016 11 State University's Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, who will share highlights from our journey on the tech- nology roadmap. More importantly, he will dive into what's next for our industry on our technology journey. We all are looking for that next breakthrough that will help lower costs, increase productiv- ity of target fruit or both. We will follow up the first day's morn- ing address by diving into how our cus- tomers are choosing what produce they stock in their stores — identifying retail consumer trends. Mike Hulett, senior merchant for Wal-Mart Fresh, will give the audience a glimpse into how domes- tic retail evaluates the categories they sell. The big question we want to understand: What do people want and can we grow it economically? The first day also will highlight our dedication to the partnership between our industry and WSU. It features an introduction of the new WSU President, Kirk Schulz, who will share his vision about the importance of our industry's commitment to the endowment and how, working together, we can create empowering change, as well as a detailed discussion on the rollout of Cosmic Crisp, a practical example of that partnership. The goal is to provide a good understand- ing of what has been learned about this exciting new variety so that growers can make better decisions as the industry prepares to launch into production. The format for days two and three of the conference will be slightly different than past conferences. The sessions will be topical and cover apples, pears, cher- ries, preharvest and postharvest, as well as organic and conventional approaches to growing tree fruit. The chosen topics: —Picking winning technology strategies. —Consumer expectations for apples, pears and cherries. —Strategies to maximize revenue. —Food safety regulations. —Spanish sessions. —Science-based applied horticulture. —Future farmers: Where will they come from? As the planning committee devel- oped the outline for the conference, we attempted to build a robust program that will challenge all of us to think about our various business models and consider how future changes could impact how we do business. In so many ways, we are exposed to changing times, including with labor, food safety regulations, new genetics or changing consumer expec- tations, to highlight a few. All of these variables impact us, and how quickly we recognize them and adjust will determine our success in the future. I look forward to hearing from many of you at the conference this December. Until then, have a safe and productive harvest. • Sam Godwin, a grower based in Tonasket, Washington, is chairman of the WSTFA Planning Committee. Ambrosia™ Blondee™ Cameo® brand Chrisolyn™ Jonathan Granny Smith Jonastar™ Jonagold Pink Lady® Brand RubyMac® Snowsweet® Spartan Zestar!® Gala: Buckeye® Gala Ultima Gala® Early Fuji: Morning Mist™ Rising Sun® Braeburn: Kumeu Crimson® Mariri Red™ Additional Varieties Cosmic Crisp TM (WA 38 CV) Cosmic Crisp is a cross between Enterprise and Honeycrisp. The large, juicy apple has a remarkably firm and crisp texture. Its exceptional flavor profile provides ample sweetness and tartness, making it an excellent eating apple. Call for availability. USPP #24,210 Lady in Red This high colored Cripps Pink sport begins color formation well over a month before harvest and finishes off with a beautiful, nice, reddish-pink hue. Lady in Red was shown to mature approximately one week earlier than the Cripps Pink cultivar grown in the same location in New Zealand. *Trademark license for Pink Lady® Brand available upon request (Lady in Red is a sport of Cripps Pink) USPP #18,787 Royal Red Honeycrisp ® Discovered in the Columbia Basin of Washington State, this exciting new color sport of Honeycrisp is catching attention from coast to coast. Royal Red Honeycrisp® is a blush type selection and maintains the crisp, juicy texture of its parent that so many consumers have come to love. Beyond the high color factor, initial tests indicate that it's improved storage characteristics may be equally important in improving pack-out. USPP #22,244 Aztec Fuji ® DT2 variety Aztec Fuji ® is a high colored Fuji sport from New Zealand. It has the sweet juicy flavor, crisp texture and harvest maturity of standard Fuji. Aztec is a blush type and observations show it to be one of the highest coloring Fuji sports to date. Aztec Fuji® is a protected trademark of Waimea Variety Management Ltd. Early Robin ® This early Rainier-type cherry matures 7-10 days before standard Rainier. Early Robin ® is mild in flavor and medium to large in size. Early Robin ® requires a pollinizer but Van should not be used. USPP#13,951 Willow Drive Nursery C A L L F O R A V AI L A BI LI T Y Willow Drive Nursery, Inc. Call Toll Free: 1-888-548-7337 3539 Road 5 NW, Ephrata, WA 98823 www.willowdrive.com