Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751050
54 DECEMBER 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com fruit and assess potential sales avenues, going block by block to check return by acre. But it isn't just about sales, he said; harvest is his best opportunity to examine strategically, for the long term, how fruit looks for the company. "Over the course of the year, over a few years, we can determine the future of that planting," he said. "Is that block going to need to come out in a few years? Maybe it's turning around and doing well. You reacquaint your- self every harvest to what that tree or that block can do, if it's going to continue to be a profitable enterprise." For many years, success went to those who grew fruit well, said Mark's dad, Bill. Today, with all the new vari- eties, growers need to be smarter. "If you're an excellent grower of the wrong varieties, that will be tough," he said. "A good grower who's a smart grower, growing the right things, will be just fine. But they have to have their anten- nas up and do their research to figure out which varieties to choose." There's nothing static about it either, he said, because there are new varieties coming and going all the time. "That means you've got to be aggressive," he said. Eighty percent of the company's business is in apples, in terms of both acreage and sales dollars, followed by cherries. Only about 100 acres of pears is currently planted. The plethora of amazing tasting apples in the pipeline mean that, 25 years from now, consumers might not see a lot of the traditional apple varieties on display at the retail market, Mark said. "The retailers are looking for variety, and we're trying hard to identify the exceptional ones and bring them to market." Today, Zirkle grows only 15 acres of conventional Red Delicious, which is very, very little compared with other varieties in its orchards. The company was among the first to plant Honeycrisp in Washington "I think every shipper has their own variety they're propagating and selling, and they're all good," Mark said. For Zirkle, that would be its propriety Lady Alice variety, which was a chance seedling in a nearby farm- er's orchard. "I would hope this would mean the apple category will grow and there will be more people buying apples. It's fun going out there to see what new market is going to do well, where." Zirkle is moving toward a 13-foot V-trellis for new plantings, with tree spacing depending on the rootstock used. "That doesn't mean we don't have every tree struc- ture known to man over the last 25 years," Mark said with a laugh. The structure may lend itself to automation some day, and while Mark said he looks forward to mechanical harvest, realistically, "some of our varieties will have to have hand labor, which means maybe just fewer tractor drivers and support people." The company also is gradually moving everything Mark Zirkle takes a photo of Lady Alice apples waiting to be shipped to their packing facility. 800-392-6059 www.gillisons.com Double Topper & Hedger Center Mount Topper & Hedger Find a dealer and see the full GVF line at: GVF Double Sickle Bar Hedgers, Toppers & Skirters • Fast mast cycle speeds. • Exceptional turning radius. • Extremely good visibility. • Smooth operation. • Quality built in the USA. • 4 wheel drive. • Only 60 inches wide! • Simple serviceability. GVF 4000 Rough Terrain Forklift Compact • Rugged • Tier IV • Fast • Many models to suit your needs. • Heavy tubular steel construction using high tensile strength steel. • Rigid tractor mounting. Building Specialty Orchard Equipment since 1977.