Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/506700
22 MAY 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Cherries for export In recent years, a local packer has been playing a growing role. That is Glacier Fresh, which has developed its own method of capitalizing on high quality fruit coming to market at the end of the sweet cherry season. "We want to be known as Montana cherries and make the best that we can of that," said Cody Herring, who runs Glacier Fresh Orchards. His mother, Marcia Zimmerman, bought the orchards in 2001, and he began managing them. Both were from Texas, with no background in fruit production. In 2005, after a few years being part of the Flathead Lake cooperative, they began packing their own cherries. "Three years later, we began packing for others," Herring said. "We can grow a 20° Brix cherry year after year," Herring said. "It's a good cherry climate." In 2012, they upgraded their packing line with an optical sizer. Last year, Glacier Fresh packed cherries from about 115 acres, 55 of their own and another 60 for 15 other growers, and sold them through a collaboration that includes several grower-packer-shippers in Canada. They pack to a standard of size 9- and 8 1/2-row cherries, and sell all over the world. Consumers in Europe and Asia will pay well for cherries, but only want the biggest and sweetest, Herring said. The group sold 600,000 boxes last year, he said. Glacier Fresh cherries are trucked six hours north to Calgary, where many of them are loaded onto planes for shipment. He works through a marketer based in Oliver, British Columbia, Canada, which exports fruit by air or sea. Air-freighted cherries that were in the orchards in Flathead Lake, Cherries by the lake F lathead Lake in northwest Montana, at 450 feet deep and 28 miles long, is the largest fresh-water lake west of the Mississippi and is surrounded by almost 1,000 acres of cherries. Montana yields run about five tons per acre, so it pro- duces 5 to 10 million pounds—a drop in the bucket compared to Washington's production of 320 million. The lake has a moderating influence on the climate, so spring freezes have not been a problem. Bruce Johnson, president of Flathead Lake Growers, said a disas- trous freeze in 1989 was caused by a February spell of warm weather followed by a rapid return to frigid temperatures, which killed about half the trees in the region. Area growers get some additional help promoting and marketing their crop from the Montana Cherry Advisory Committee, which puts up some money to support research and special projects. Most growers are GlobalGAP certified, a direct result of efforts by the committee to get growers certified. Part of the money goes to a state-funded pest management area that moni- tors for cherry fruit fly and spotted wing drosophila. The Montana Department of Agriculture collects a half-cent a pound on Montana-produced sweet cher- ries to support that program and to support local advertising and agritourism. —R. Lehnert For over 40 years ProTree Nursery has played a significant role in the growth of the apple industry in the U.S. From the introduction of the Fuji variety into California in the early '70's, to the development of superior benchgrafting and dormant budding techniques over the years, Richard Chavez and our team have used experience and knowledge to produce only the very best trees for our customers. To order benchgrafts for 2017 and dormant-budded trees for 2018, call ProTree today for our expertise in combining the right rootstocks with the heartiest varieties available. 10500 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, CA 94513 800.634.1671 or 925.634.2191 (Alison Clegg or Richard Chavez) 877.457.6901 (Henry Sanguinetti) Apples Aztec Fuji ® (DT-2 cv) Banning Red Fuji (USPP 16,624 P2) Blondee™ (USPP 19,007 McLaughlin cv) Buckeye ® Gala (USPP 10,840) Firestorm™ Honeycrisp Honeycrisp™ (USPP 7197) JonaStar JonaGold™ (USPP 20,590) September Wonder™ Fuji (USPP 11,193) Ultima™ Gala (USPP 13,753 P2) These apple varieties are available on B-118, BUD-10, EMLA-7, EMLA-26, EMLA-106, EMLA-111, G-30, M-9 (T-337), NIC ® -29, or Pajam #2. Cherries Benton™ Bing Black Tart BlackPearl ® Brooks™ BurgundyPearl ® Chelan™ Coral Champagne Cristalina™ EbonyPearl ® Available on Colt, Gisela ® , Krymsk ® , Mahaleb, or Mazzard. * * Not all varieties are available on all rootstocks. Call for specific grafting information. M E M B E R O F w w w . p r o t r e e n u r s e r y. c o m Richard Chavez ProTree Nursery, LLC Lapins RadiancePearl ® Rainier Selah™ Skeena™ Sweetheart™ Tamora Tulare™ Vans