Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/100223
���Now, Jazz are being pulled through the marketplace because of their desirability.��� and at the same time ensure that some entity takes the lead in marketing. On the one hand, the retail chains want consistency and volume���a product they can market every day. On the other hand, they all would like something new. But they would like new products to be successful before they get them, which is almost impossible, Smith noted. ���And for us, as growers, to put out $20,000 to $30,000 an acre for a high-density block of something and not be assured you���re going to get your money back���that���s very risky,��� he said. ���That���s where we are as an industry today. That���s why you see a lot of people more concerned about bins per acre with the established varieties they have, because the cost of these new plantings is very high and the risk is, I think, considerable.��� When it comes to volume per acre, Smith knows he can���t compete with growers who farm on expansive tracts of land in Washington���s Columbia Basin, where the virgin ground is rich and consistent and the trees are uniform and easy to manage. He���s astonished by some of the yields he hears about, though he thinks there���s a cost in terms of fruit quality from pushing the trees to their maximum productivity. Smith���s 250 acres of orchards are on picturesque hillsides in various locations and different altitudes, where the ground is rocky and variable. With limited farmable land, orchards are upgraded by grafting or replanting, not expansion. Though Smith is convinced he can produce fruit with superior flavor that might hold up better in the marketplace, he recognizes that there���s no longer a direct reward from the market for that. So, what are his rewards? ���The advantage we have is what you see,��� Smith said, surveying the breathtaking landscape of mountains and lakes. ���This is a beautiful place to live. And I feel very good about the fruit we grow. I think we grow the highest quality of fruit you can grow in the state because of where we grow it, and the particular climate and microclimates. If you want profit, you probably want to be growing fruit someplace where you can farm in a larger manner.��� ���Scott Smith Smith & Nelson is among the smaller packers in the state with annual production of 250,000 boxes. The Rainier, Skeena, and Sweetheart cherries he grows are packed and sold by Rainier Fruit Company in Yakima. Crane & Crane, Inc., in Brewster, one of the designated packers for ENZA varieties, packs his Pacific Rose and Jazz. Smith packs the rest of his own fruit and some for local growers. Varieties include Gala, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and a few Red Delicious for export, as well as Bosc, Bartlett, and d���Anjou pears. He enjoys the packing side of his business, but says one of the biggest challenges he faces is the multiplicity of food safety requirements. His wife, Montie, a retired teacher, has taken on the role of food safety director. Another challenge is the high cost of packing technology. Smith uses mechanical or manual, rather than computerized, systems, and does very few special packs or euro trays. He keeps his packing house running for about six months of the year with a crew of 35 to 40 local people. ���We have very loyal people who���ve been working for us for a long time,��� he said. ���Those people mean a lot to me. There are very few businesses here in these small communities, and we would like to keep operating as long as we can. There are lots of challenges with that process, but when you���re packing good fruit, then it���s fun.��� ��� Orchard-Rite�� Wind Machines ��� www.orchard-rite.com ���I believe the best investment you can make in your orchard is the money you spend on frost protection.��� �� ���We believe in Orchard-Rite�� wind machines because they have delivered excellent protection and dependable service. We tried a different brand of machine a while back and found that the coverage and reliability was not what we had experienced with our Orchard-Rite�� machines. Since then, we have purchased only OrchardRite�� machines.��� Scott McDougall General Manager/Orchard Operations 14 JANUARY 1, 2013 GOOD FRUIT GROWER Cascade Wind Machine Service 1615 W. Ahtanum ��� Yakima, WA 98903 509-457-9196 Sales: Virgil Anders, ext 114 3766 Iroquois Lane ��� Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-662-2753 Sales: Dana Morgan, ext 215 Dave Harmening, ext 214 For your nearest representative: www.orchard-rite.com ���Orchard-Rite���s Auto-Start option has become quite valuable to us. It reduces the likelihood of machines being started 20 minutes late due to a sudden drop of temperature that was missed by the frost protection staff.��� Bob Murphy Operations Manager/ Columbia Basin Orchards McDougall & Sons are now adding this option to every new Orchard-Rite�� machine they purchase, and have begun retro���tting this equipment to their machines in cold and isolated areas. www.goodfruit.com