Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/728583
28 OCTOBER 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com the family sold directly to Los Angeles stores and kept planting, while others turned to carrots. Many trees came into production from 2003 to 2007, just as the market improved. Today, they are the only apple growers left in the Cuyama Valley, with Whole Foods and Gelson's, a Southern California grocery chain, among their clients. They also sell to stores and farmers' markets in the Bay Area. The family owns a packing facility with cold storage in Arvin, near Bakersfield. Byron Albano credits loyal customers for their sur- vival. "That keeps us in business," he said. "Without that, we're not here." Gelson's stocks apples from all parts of the globe but gets about 80 percent of its California apples from Cuyama Orchards, said Mark Carroll, senior director of produce. The company's high-end shoppers are willing to pay a little more for a combination of organic and local produce, Carroll said. "They're about as local as you can get in Southern California," Carroll said. Like all fruit growers, the Albanos have been convert- ing to high-density trellised systems, choosing tall-spin- dle for Fuji, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp varieties. They actually have been replacing older Honeycrisp trees with new ones, experimenting with rootstocks in blocks of 11-by-3-foot spacing. The variety is not widely grown in California. The family also has been changing from overhead sprinkler frost control to wind machines because mois- ture at bloom has exacerbated fire blight problems. Blossom onset has crept from April 1 to early March A worker thins blossoms in March in one of Albano's Pink Lady blocks. Farm Orchard Vineyard Berry Trellising Kiln Dried Pressure Treated Round Wood Posts and Rails. Preferred supplier for BC Ministries & Parks Canada. Guaranteed Life Expectancy of 25 years if not damaged or altered before or af ter installation. Contact Bill Everitt TF 877.797.7678 beveritt@xplornet.ca www.pwppost.com ENGINEERED PERFORMANCE MORE AIR MOVEMENT MORE ACRES COVERED MORE VALUE 2921 Sutherland Drive Yakima, WA 98902