Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/473131
54 MARCH 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER LAST BITE More Young Growers at goodfruit.com/yg Marcus Morgan (with Miss Blue) grower / The Dalles, Oregon age / 36 crops / Cherries business / Orchard manager for Morgan & Sons Honey Company other experience / At one point pursued professional bull riding as a career, volunteers as an auctioneer for charity events PLAY goodfruit.com/yg scan to watch the interview " " " " What was your fi rst job on the farm? One of my fi rst jobs working the farm was bucket boy, back when we used galvanized steel buckets. I would have to rally the little four-wheeler around with the little bucket trailer, getting workers the buckets so they could pick cherries. Then I moved up to swamping—back when I would take the full buckets and load them into the trailer. That job is partly responsible for the big arms I have now. What are you responsible for now? I was the one that had the closest relationship with the pickers. I really enjoyed learning Spanish, and it kind of set me up to be the crew boss and run the cherry orchard when I got older. I'm really in charge of everything in the orchard, from the ground up. What do you enjoy about orchard work? I really love pruning—developing that structure in the tree. I've learned that the upright wood grows the best fruit on our farm so, now, we grow upright wood instead of pendant wood or fl at wood. Because of that we can grow big, fi rm cherries. Another thing that I really enjoy is driving the tractors. We spray always at night because the wind is the best and the trees are more absorbent at night. I just enjoy the night stars in the sky and being out there by myself on the tractor. What changes do you expect in the future? One concern is lack of workers. There are a lot of farmers struggling to get enough people to work their crops. One of the things Dad and I did on the orchard was switch to bush-sized trees. It's a system where trees are short to the ground and don't require ladders. We can pick a lot more acres in less time with fewer people. by TJ Mullinax More from this interview and other Young Growers at goodfruit.com/yg. " ...there has to be some type of automated harvesting method in the near future for sweet cherry growers.