Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/418083
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2014 49 "I'm not one who likes to jump up in front of a crowd," said Craig, noting that Mike always felt the same way. But the brothers gladly demonstrate what hasn't worked out for them, as well as what has, and say the information flows both ways. Award The Good Fruit Grower of the Year award is made annually by Good Fruit Grower magazine to an innova- tive and inspiring grower or family in North America and is presented during the Washington State Horticultural Association's annual meeting in December. The mag- azine's advisory board makes the selection. Dr. Jim McFerson, manager of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and a member of the advisory board, said anyone who's ever worked with the O'Briens is inspired by their quiet dedication and perseverance. "It's so impressive for a farming operation to do what they've been able to do, with no fanfare and no hoopla," he said. "They're sincere and genuine people. It makes you confident about the future that we have growers like these." The O'Briens are deeply rooted in Washington State farming, beginning with their grandfather, James, and continuing with their father, George, who experimented with ways to plant trees at higher densities. Mike, 65, joined the family business right after college, while Craig, 61, spent time in Seattle with Nordstrom before joining the farm. High density From the onset as orchardists, the O'Briens embraced their father's commitment to innovation, especially with tree density, and put their ideas in practice with longtime orchard manager Jesus Lamas. By the 1980s and 1990s, they were planting trees five to six feet apart with 13 or 14 feet between rows. After visiting Rob Dawson, an orchardist in British Columbia, Canada, where the super spindle system had been successfully adopted, they tightened their spacing again. In the spring of 2000, the brothers removed 40 acres of Red Delicious (about 20 percent of their apple acreage) and replanted with Buckeye Gala on a spindle system with two feet between trees and ten feet between rows. To minimize tree cost, they planted Malling 9-337 root- stocks—more than 87,000 of them—in place and budded them using budwood that was flown in from Ohio, as there was not enough of the variety available in Washington. The planting required a huge investment, in a year Craig O'Brien believes it's possible to produce 100 bins of apples per acre or more using new, high-density systems. He has both spindle and V-trellis plantings. "They're sincere and genuine people. It makes ϔ the future that we have growers like these." — Jim McFerson, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission