Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/616629
22 JANUARY 1, 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com apples per foot of limb. Then he thins and prunes to achieve that." Feigal has experimented with just about every major variable in grow- ing, from computer-controlled irrigation systems to using platforms for harvest. Last February, he began something new: pumping heated water into soil to manage how trees emerge from dormancy. The water is heated by on-demand propane heaters and pumped through standard irrigation pipes buried 8 to 12 inches to serve a 6-acre block. It's a fasci- nating new idea, though Feigal said it's too early to assess results. Feigal began managing orchards in high school, when his father gave him responsibility for 3 acres of Golden Delicious. Feigal took to it imme- diately. He liked the variety of orchard work. He liked the outdoors. After his graduation in 1985 from Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee, it was a natural choice to enroll in the horticulture program at Wenatchee Valley College, which led to jobs managing orchard operations, a stint as a consultant with G.S. Long, and then Auvil. Feigal became Auvil's president of orchard management in 2014. In that role, he oversees close to 2,000 acres of fruit. At two main locations in Orondo and Vantage, the company grows Aurora Golden Gala, Braeburn, Cripps Pink, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples and Rainier, Bing and Lapin cherries. Feigal sees himself as continuing the tradition set by the legendary Grady Auvil, the Washingtonian who pioneered the Granny Smith, Gala and Fuji apples. Grady Auvil, who passed away in 1998 at age 92, was celebrated for his willingness to share knowledge with other growers. "Grady enjoyed growing fruit, and he liked to see others enjoying doing it, too," said Feigal. Grady Auvil was a pioneer in trellises. Feigal continues to experiment with trellises, tweaking different elements to achieve maximum tonnage per acre with the best quality. Feigal often carries black tape in his pocket to guide limbs along wire. His goal is to design the best trellis system and then, with precision pruning, replicate it across an orchard so the ben- efits of uniformity extend from flower to harvest, with limbs producing fruit in predictable numbers and location so picking is efficient. Each apple variety comes with a specific goal of tonnage per acre; all effort serves that goal. Robinson provides an insight into how Feigal thinks. "Del is not horribly interested in what other people want or think about their trees," said Robinson. "He will look at the tree and think, 'What if I do this? I've seen how a tree responds, so I'll try this.' He's will- ing to look at a tree and think about it. It's surprising how few people in the industry think about it. Most people are more interested in replicat- ing somebody else's system. Del is way more interested in maximizing his system." Like innovators in any industry, Feigal is relentless about trying new things. He doesn't seem satisfied with the status quo. Great horticulture is certainly a complex activity, yet Feigal's underlying philosophy is sim- ple. "Pay attention to how the trees perform," he said. "I learn more from the trees than from any textbook." • "I learn more from the trees than from any textbook." —Del Feigal Feigal talks about a trellis system he installed. He has been managing orchards since high school, when his father gave him responsibility for 3 acres of Golden Delicious. Del Feigal walks by a block of his Aurora Golden Galas near Vantage, Washington.