Good Fruit Grower

30 JULY 2017 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com LAST BITE More Young Growers at goodfruit.com/yg Craig Harris grower / Moxee, Washington age / 29 crops / Cherries, apples and wine grapes business / Harris Farms, Inc. family background / Craig is a fourth-generation farmer who graduated from Whitworth College. He grew up on a farm that was transitioning from chickens to cherries and apples — a project his grandfather Bob took on when Craig was young. Craig is the son of Jim and Dianne and brother of Krista and Karlee. " " " " How did you get your start? When I was younger, I remember changing hand lines in my family's wheat fi elds for summer cash and playing with all the chickens in the barns. It wasn't until after high school that I started working cherry harvests. One of my greatest memories was riding around in the back of my grandfather's pickup with my cousins. He'd take us around the orchards with the biggest of smiles. The joy he'd get from bringing his grandkids around the farm and showing us the fruits of his labor — I've always respected him for that, and that's a big reason I returned to the farm. How are you fi nding your place on the farm? I've tried to come into the farm with a fresh perspective and look at things through a different lens. Food safety is a role that I've taken over. I've been working with all of the paperwork and traceability, to all of the documents showing what's being done. Going through this process has helped me learn about what we do on the farm. While I'm learning, I'm also developing written plans for those procedures and putting them into practice. What new projects excite you? This is the fi rst year transitioning a bunch of our cherries to organic. Growing organically comes with a whole set of problems, and I really enjoy the challenge. Another project that I'm working on is test- ing hand blossom thinning. When I was handed the reins on this project, I went to a few other farms to learn. We want to get more consistent return bloom, packouts and improve quality with this technique. What would you tell younger growers about this industry? There's a lot more opportunities in this industry now than when I was a kid. Whether it's in research, farming, packing, sales, mechanical, there's tons of awesome opportunities, and it's a great industry to be part of. I was really nervous about returning and had to work through my feelings of not knowing enough, not being able to contribute. I've learned that having a fresh perspective can go a long way. Don't be afraid to ask questions because working in agriculture is a life fi lled with learning. " I'm learning something that my grandpa or dad has never done ... and �iguring out what our biggest struggles will be. PLAY goodfruit.com/yg scan to watch the interview www.gslong.com SPONSORED BY by TJ Mullinax More from this interview and other Young Growers at goodfruit.com/yg.

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