Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/705612
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower AUGUST 2016 9 Blue Bird's new facility can accommodate several styles of commercial packaging for cherries, including clamshells. greater volumes of clamshells, as well as the new pouch bag style. The system includes both automated and manual fill- ing stations, and Blue Bird is employing 22 fewer workers — who are running more fruit — than last year. The opti- cal system is processing the digital images from the cam- eras three times faster than last year as well. "We hope to continue to evaluate our labor and reduce as needed," President Ron Gonsalves said. "Already, though, we're seeing this system is allowing us to diversify in ways we couldn't before." The capacity of the new line, under optimum condi- tions: 10 tons per hour on each sizer, for a combined 30 tons per hour if all 42 lanes are in use. Overall, Blue Bird expects to pack 13,000 tons this year. A quick recovery Last summer, embers from a nearby wildfire sparked a blaze at a neighboring warehouse in the industrial district of Wenatchee, Washington. The fire, pushed by high winds, quickly spread. By the time firefighters doused it, Blue Bird had lost its new cherry line, as well as a dedicated organic line of 15 years and 75,000 cartons of packed fruit. Firefighters saved the storage ware- houses, including rack storage and a 12-room CA storage building. Blue Bird never questioned rebuilding; the co-op invested $4.5 million in storage at the Wenatchee site in 2011. Blue Bird has 193 grower members and owns another 750 acres of pears and apples itself, 75 percent of which are certified organic, and another packing house for apples and pears at its corporate headquarters in nearby Peshastin. The company started packing again in Wenatchee "Of course, we're taking all these precautions, and you typically say, 'We'll never have a fire,' but we never thought the Wenatchee facility was susceptible to fire in the past." — Ron Gonsalves APPROVALS Take the mighty out of the mites. Always read and follow label directions. Grow Smart is a trademark of BASF Corporation. Nealta is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation. © 2016 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. APN 16-MKT-0037 with Nealta ® miticide. With its unique site of action, Nealta miticide gives you highly effective control of spider mites in your pome fruit orchards. It controls mites at all life stages, is compatible with many benefi cials, and gives you an effective resistance management tool. Formoreinformation, contact your local BASFAuthorizedRepresentative. nealta-miticide.basf.us S:6.5" S:12.87" T:6.75" T:13.12" SPC160013_GS_Nealta_Pome_6-75x12-12.indd 1 6/1/16 4:07 PM