Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/675334
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower MAY 15, 2016 35 average of 7.2 million boxes. "The last two years were freaks of nature," said Mike Collins, chairman of California Cherry Board's estimate committee. One of the largest cherry companies in the world, Stemilt Growers, sold one of its cherry orchards last year in Arvin, a diverse agricultural district on the south- east reaches of Bakersfield. Stemilt, based in Wenatchee, Washington, owns a packing facility in Stockton that works with growers throughout California. Kyle Mathison, father of the current Stemilt president, owns an orchard in Shafter, just west of Bakersfield. He plans to sell that, too, said Erick Stonebarger, the general manager of the company's California operations. Yield problems due to chill were part of the reason, but so were drought, land values and other economic factors. "It's not an all or nothing proposition by any means," he said. In fact, nobody's panicking. Some growers are planting more cherries in new areas, hoping newer varieties less reliant on winter chill will continue to give them an early season edge. New varieties One of the fastest growing varieties is Coral Champagne, an early ripener that grows well in all parts of the state. Bruce Frost shows one of several cherry doubles on his ranch near Bakersfield. The quality of our trees is matched only by the quality of our service. At ProTree Nursery we understand that you rely on quality — both in product and in service. That's why we plant only the very best varieties and cultivate lasting customer relationships. We work hard to make your job worry-free — fulfilling your orders completely and standing by our trees, even after you've planted them. For a reliable tree resource, call ProTree Nursery today. 10500 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, CA 94513 800.634.1671 or 925.634.2191 (Alison Clegg or Richard Chavez) 877.457.6901 (Henry Sanguinetti) 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 Apples Aztec Fuji ® (DT-2 cv) Banning Red Fuji (USPP 16,624 P2) Buckeye ® Gala (USPP 10,840) Cosmic Crisp™ (USPP 24,210) EverCrisp ® (cv. 'MAIA 1') PPAF Firestorm™ Honeycrisp Honeycrisp™ (USPP 7197) Lady in Red * (USPP 18,787) Royal Red Honeycrisp ® (USPP 22,244) September Wonder™ Fuji (USPP 11,193) Ultima™ Gala (USPP 13,753 P2) Available on B10 ® , B-118, EMLA, Geneva ® , M-9 T337, NIC -29™, or Pajam #2. ** * Trademark license for Pink Lady ® brand available upon request. 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. Lapins RadiancePearl ® Rainier Selah™ Skeena™ Sweetheart™ Tamora Tulare™ Vans NEW! NEW! NEW!