Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751050
80 DECEMBER 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com damage sales of all apples. He also feared that organic apple crops would have unintended contact with genetically engineered pollen. The USDA rejected those arguments. Looking to the future Given such bruising controversy, I expected to meet an individual who was either combative or defensive. Carter was neither, though he is definitely energetic, typically working a 100-hour week. His idea of vacation is going someplace dry, like Utah, Arizona or Colorado, and rising at dawn for a brisk day of mountain biking. Carter, 59, is a bioresource engineer who spent 30 years working for Agrodev Canada and others on con- sulting projects in more than 50 countries. He served as manager of the Middle East region from 1985 to 2001, at times commuting from Canada. "You name the crop, I've grown it," he said. He ended his consulting practice in 2007. Carter grew up in British Columbia, where his parents farmed. He and his wife, Louisa, bought their 22-acre apple and cherry orchard in 1995 and later named it Laughing Coyote Orchards, a company separate from Okanagan Specialty Fruits. Counting his own and leased land, he and his family farm about 60 acres of apples and cherries, "which is nothing in Washington terms but in B.C. terms actually makes us a sizeable orchard." He uses seasonal workers for thinning and harvesting, but he, his son and his nephew do most of the spraying, mowing, weed spraying, much of the pruning, and other chores. At home, he raises Gala, Ambrosia and Honeycrisp apples, all of which are packed and marketed by Washington companies. His cherries are packed in Oliver, B.C. Carter's home in the hills above Summerland is hardly the lair of a Dr. Evil, as his most ardent critics might imag- ine. It's decidedly normal, complete with a big dog to greet visitors. Carter explained that Okanagan's high-tech work and staff are elsewhere. Research and gene manip- ulation is done at a lab in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the epicenter of ag-bio commercial and university research in Canada. Other staff and consultants work out of offices in Manitoba, Saskatoon, Vancouver and North Carolina. The GMO apples are grown at undisclosed locations in New York and Washington. As of June, an estimated 80,000 trees were growing Arctic apples in commercial orchards, with another 325,000 trees in nurseries. The underlying concept for Arctic apples is quite simple and should not be alarming, he said. They insert a duplicate copy of the browning gene into the apple which, because it doesn't want two copies of a gene, shuts down the gene that causes browning. In all other respects, it's an ordinary apple, he said. "We think that a lot of anti-GM discussion out there is due to a lack of education," said Carter. "It kind of plays into the anti-science movement. People aren't believers in science any more. The anti-vaccine folks are a great example of it." Carter said he expects sales of Arctic apples to con - sumers to occur in stages as volume builds, starting in fall 2016 — about 50 bins of sliced product will be sold in regional markets west of the Rockies. The first year will involve testing packaging, pricing and other factors. Packaging of Arctic apples was unveiled in October at the Produce Marketing Association meeting in Orlando, Florida. Part of his optimism about GMO apples stems in part from what he sees as the service industry's unhappiness with typical sliced apples. Some companies won't develop new products with apples as an ingredient because of perishability issues, he said. By contrast, he says, you can slice Arctic apples, rinse them with chlori - nated water for control of bacteria, and they will keep in a Ziploc bag in a cooler for two to three weeks. For com- mercial applications, more treatment might be needed for sanitation. "They won't go brown, but they might get mold," he said of the slices. Even after an extended period, when you open the bag the contents will smell like apples, not additives, he said. "Arctic apples eat well and look good." To a large extent, the debate over GMO apples now resides with consumers. Jim Bair, president of the industry group USApple, • High Quality Plastic Resin • Easily Cleaned • Can be Sterilized • Various Sizes • Interlock Stacking • Vented or Solid • American Made Washington's Authorized DEALER 509-961-8252 RHONDA CALAHAN rhondac@wilsonirr.com www.wilsonirr.com Macro ® Plastics Bins and Totes DELIVERY OPTIONS AVAILABLE! "Second Harvest has been a pleasure to work with and we love knowing that our fruit can be used for such honorable community eorts." John Gebbers, GM Gebbers Farm HEALTHY FOOD. EVERY PERSON. EVERY DAY. Your donations can help us feed hungry people. DONATION EXAMPLES: Apples • Stone Fruits • Potatoes • Onions • Pears For more information contact: Sarah MacPherson | Food Sourcing Manager T: (509) 545-0787 | M: (509) 308-4210 sarah.machpherson@2-harvest.org