Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751050
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2016 67 Martinelli's takes about 20 percent of their volume, much lower than most of their neighbors. But the com- pany provides them stability for apples that wouldn't sell anywhere else. "They probably don't have to give us what they do because they purchase from other places in high vol- umes," Vince Gizdich said. History of the farm Vince Gizdich I — Noah's great-grandfather — started the farm in the 1920s after moving from Croatia, the ancestral homeland of many Pajaro Valley families. Vince II set the family's course of slowly converting to semi-dwarf varieties, including new Pippin, but also Winesap, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp and Mutsu, hitting the high-density trend earlier than many neighbors. "My grandfather, he was a clever man," Noah said. They do it piece by piece, sometimes lopping off branches of the older trees to give the new plantings their share of sunlight. Vince III steered the family through the addition of the juicer in 1971 and other changes. Vince IV, Noah's older brother, works off the farm right now, while Noah oversees most of the mechanical and farming chores. The Gizdiches have gotten creative in places, co-growing — so to speak — Ollalieberry blackberries in the same place as young Pippin trees. When the Pippins get bigger, they will take out the Ollalies, which they now use in their pie shop. They both see a future in fresh apples in California and the Watsonville area. For one thing, apple orchards require less water than berries, which makes them more attractive after years of drought and increasing water costs, Vince said. No large orchards have been removed in the past several years that Vince knows of, and a few are even planting new blocks with vari - eties coveted by hard cider makers, such as Newtown Pippins and Black Twig, he said. "It's not like they've ruled out orchards," Vince said. • TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER miles southeast from Santa Cruz, is a coastal community that STREAMLINE TRAPPING AND TRACK PEST PRESSURE IN NEAR REAL-TIME. WITH SPENSA'S AUTOMATED TRAPPING SYSTEM, Mention GOOD FRUIT GROWER For a Free 30-Day Trial of MyTraps Software CALL FOR A DEMO: 765-688-3598 info@spensatech.com spensatech.com @spensatech 24-HOUR ON-THE-FARM SERVICE ATV TIRES FARM TIRES BATTERIES TRACKS SUDDEN SERVICE CONVENIENT CREDIT WARRANTIES IN WRITING YOUR FARM TIRE HEADQUARTERS THE WEST'S LARGEST FARM TIRE INVENTORY YOUR FARM TIRE HEADQUARTERS