Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/603228
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower DECEMBER 2015 49 W hen Brenton Roy took over his family's Prosser, Washington, farm, the apple and hop markets were depressed, the orchards were outdated, and wine grapes were the "shiniest crop" Oasis Farms had in the ground. He was 25 years old, and his parents had just moved off the farm, leaving it to him. He doubled down on grapes, planting new vineyards and varieties over several years, then turned his atten- tion to modernizing the farm's apple orchards. Over time, he gutted the original orchards and bought addi- tional land to plant newer varieties to meet consumer demand: Envy, Jazz, Honeycrisp, and the Pink Lady brand. Charging into the unknown is always a gamble, but that Roy sees potential and opportunity in the untried—rather than risk—is a famil- iar refrain for him. He took control of the farm having had very little agricul- ture experience and no formal training in business or agriculture, and, years later, took a chance on a production manager who, like him, was fresh out of college when he started working on the farm. Now 42, Roy lives in the house he grew up in overlooking a farm that he has tripled in size and modernized with new varieties, new crops, and new growing techniques—all in under 20 years. That drive and determination, along with service to the industry, have earned Roy recognition as Good Fruit Grower of the Year for 2015. He's the first to credit others for Oasis Farms' success. It's a team effort, he said, and the company's reputation is as dependent on the team as it is him. "It's the fact," he said. "I don't think you can get far in this business without being pretty brutally honest with yourself." After taking over the farm at 25, Brenton Roy grew a solid reputation one crop at a time. by Shannon Dininny photos by TJ Mullinax Fruitful fortitude