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2012Okanogan County

MEETINGHORTICULTURE

January 31, 2012

9:00 - 9:30 Potential New Products for Fire Blight, and how to develop an integrated blight management program. Tim Smith, WSU Extension - Chelan, Douglas & Okanogan Counties

9:30 - 10:00 The Immigration Act of 2015- Can you survive until then? Dan Fazio, Washington Farm Labor Association

10:00 - 10:30 The Fruit Industry Investing in WSU - What happens next? Dr Jay Brunner, WSU TFREC, Wenatchee

10:30 - 11:00 Enhancing Biological Control in Your Orchard. Dr Jay Brunner, TFREC, Wenatchee

11:00 - 11:30 Sprayer Calibration - critical for efficient pest management. Kim Blagborn, Turbomist

11:30 - 11:50 Okanogan County Horticultural Association Business Meeting12:00 - 1:00 Lunch and Trade Show + Elections and Nominations - Choosing your representatives.

1:00 - 1:35 Spotted Wing Drosophila - not so bad, or was 2011 just an odd season? Dr. Betsy Beers, WSU - TFREC, Wenatchee

1:35 - 1:55 The Washington State DOE Burn Permit Program. Jay Carmoney Smoke Management Specialist, Washington State DOE.

2:00 - 2:45 Management of weeds in the orchard, new options and suggestions to avoid development of herbicide resistance in common weeds. Tim Smith, WSU Extension - Chelan, Douglas & Okanogan Counties

2:45 - 3:00 Situation Report on 2012 Fruit Sales. Max Riggan, Chelan Fresh

3 pesticide education certification credits awarded for program attendance(Only the presentations relating to pesticide use are eligible for credit hours)

Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

77th Okanogan County th Horticultural Association Annual MeetingJanuary 31, 2012

Okanogan County Agriplex (County Fair Grounds, Omak)Co-sponsored by: WSU Extension and Okanogan County Horticultural Association

By Gary A. DeVonManaging Editor

OROVILLE – A combination of new growers and new trees coming into production has led to a 30 percent growth in volume over last year at Gold Digger Apples in Oroville.

“We’re excited about the increase and would like to grow another 30 percent in the future... that’s about the maxi-mum volume to fit our capacity without adding more facilities,” said Gold Digger’s general man-ager Greg Moser.

The grower’s cooperative spe-cializes in serving the smaller, family-owned fruit growers and has recently seen an increase in local growers bringing their fruit back to the area to be packed by the cooperative.

“One grower commented that he’d rather see his fruit helping to provide jobs in the local economy rather than in Wenatchee, and he saw great returns. It’s a win-win,” Moser said. “The growers have had very successful returns in the last two years and we look for-ward to that trend continuing.

“Our main focus is being a family warehouse; we cater to small growers. We take care of our family by having an ef-ficient staff that does an excel-lent job of getting maximum pack-outs while keeping the expenses down and maximizing the returns to the grower.”

The state crop was projected to be between 102 and 104 mil-lion boxes last year, but actually came in at 110 million.

“It’s kind of comical that a few years ago everyone worried that when the crop hit 100 mil-lion boxes no one would make any returns and now we are looking at crops of 110 million boxes and still getting success-ful returns,” said Gold Digger’s

GM. “When I started 60-70 mil-lion boxes was a big crop. The industry has done a good job of develop-ing the market and people are more health c o n s c i o u s . . . that’s one of t h e b i g g e s t things that has been in our fa-vor.”

Moser said d i v e r s i f i c a -tion has also been a key in developing the market.

“ G r o w e r s are more diversified. It’s not just Reds and Goldens anymore,

the risk is spread out making it more profitable,” he said. “We are seeing Galas as the number one ap p l e c o m i n g into production, as well as an in-crease in early Fujis and regu-lar Fujis, with higher color.”

M o s e r s a i d there has also been an increase in Honey Crisp production, but they are hard apples to raise b e c a u s e t h ey are susceptible to a bitter pit and

soft scald. Honey Crisps can bring in $40-$50 a box, compared

to Reds and Galas at around $20 a box, however Reds and Galas have higher pack-outs, accord-ing to Moser.

“Red Delicious are holding their own. Growers are putting in higher color new varieties that taste good,” Moser said. “The Midnights have higher color and good taste.”

Last year the state also had the second largest cherry crop and Gold Digger’s growers had excellent returns, according to Moser.

“The only setback was some late rainstorms that resulted in some splitting that reduced pack outs,” he said.

Moser said growers are plant-ing earlier varieties of cher-ries.

“The trend historically is for us to begin picking cherries

around the fourth of July. We’d like to see the season start the third week of June and continue into the first week of August,” he said, adding that a couple of the new varieties being planted in the area are sweet cherries known as Black Pearl and Jolly Special.

This year the state had one

its larger pear crops and Moser said that the fruit was of good size.

“The best returns for pears were for those who had fruit size 90 and larger,” he said. “Pears continue to be strong in our area.”

Gold Digger is one of the areas biggest employers and has 150 people that work for the warehouse year around. During apple and pear harvest the company has two shifts of

150 each working and during cherry season there are 400 people working.

“Counting those in the or-chards during cherry harvest we have about 600 total,” Moser said.

Getting the labor for the area is sometimes a challenge.

“Last fall we had adequate

labor, but some growers needed pickers. As a family warehouse we were able to move pickers to other orchards. We also were able to lend some company pick-ers who were working in the company’s 600 acres,” he said.

The general manager said Gold Digger hasn’t any ma-jor upgrades in equipment planned, but is always looking at new technology and ways to make the company better and more affordable.

Gold Digger Apples excited about growing volume

Apples waiting to go to warehouse

Photos by Gary DeVonPacking pears at Gold Digger

Cherries arrive at Gold Digger in lugs

Greg Moser

January 26, 2012 • OkanOgan Valley gazette-tribune B1

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By Brent BakerStaff Writer

TONASKET - Tonasket High School’s FFA, still aglow from the success of its Parliamentary Proce-dure team at the national convention in October, hosted an early-season event Nov. 9 to prepare for upcoming district and state competitions.

Wenatchee, Manson and Bridgeport FFA teams vis-ited, with more than 100 kids participating, accord-ing to Tonasket coach Matt Deebach.

Students participated in CDEs (Career Develop-ment Events) for apples and / or welding.

In the welding event, teams of three students were given three hours to construct a farm imple-ment or small (non-motor-ized) tractor out of scrap. The completed projects had to meet several criteria including three types of welds, a gas cut, braze, at least one 90-degree angle and size limitations.

Projects were graded on weld quality, artistic ability, engineering and completion within the time limit.

In the apple CDE, there were a handful of differ-ent areas graded. In one, students had to evaluate multiple trays of apples for flaws and consistency of color, then rank the trays in order of quality. Another involved the identification

of bug damage to apples; in yet another, the actual bugs needed to be identi-fied.

Students were also re-quired to pressure test apples as well as identify more than 40 apple variet-ies.

“It’s a ton of work getting all these apples,” Deebach said. “Gold Digger, Smith and Nelson and Dan McCa-rthy and others have been a tremendous support, going through and finding all of these varieties that they’ve donated to us. We get a ton of community support for this.”

Submitted by Curtis E. BeusOkanogan County DirectorWSU Extension

Many people who own small acreages dream of farming them for extra income, to pro-vide food for their families, or just to change their way of life. If you are one of those people, WSU Extension has the perfect program for you!

Called “Cultivating Success,” this WSU Extension program is specifically designed to assist people with little or no experi-ence in agriculture to develop a plan on how to farm their land in a way that meets their own goals. This is a 16-week course that meets one evening a week, and covers topics as diverse as soil management, fruit and vegetable production, live-stock and poultry production, farm management, marketing, evaluating farm resources,

farm equipment, irrigation, and much more. Three tours of successful area small farms will also be offered during this course, as well as a personal visit and consultation at your own property by the WSU Ex-tension Director for Okanogan County, Curtis Beus.

Classes will be held at the Community Cultural Center in Tonasket, and will meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The first class will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 8. There is still room in this class, but it is filling fast, so if the idea of gaining a good foundational education about a wide array of farming topics in-terests you, then don’t delay in contacting the WSU Extension office. You can register or get more information by calling the WSU Extension office at (509) 422-7245. You can also e-mail the primary instructor, Dr. Cur-tis Beus at beusc@wsu.edu.

Tonasket hosts early FFA Event

Photos by Brent BakerStudents from Tonasket, Wenatchee, Manson and Bridgeport FFA chapters had to identify more than 40 varieties of apples.

Tim Jackson, Chad Edwards, Lazaro Ortega and Kayla Davis of Tonasket FFA examine and grade trays of apples as part of a practice run for the Apple CDE competition on Nov. 9.

Lazaro Ortega demonstrates the pressure testing of apples at an early-season FFA competition in November.

Great opportunity for beginners to get a farming education

Apple Packing at Gold Digger

B2 OkanOgan Valley gazette-tribune • January 26, 2012

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WENATCHEE -- Leaders of Washington State University Ex-tension’s Women in Ag program will present its women in agricul-ture specialty workshop Feb. 11 featuring two keynote speakers and local panel discussions.

Keynote speakers will be broadcast across the state to 16 site locations set to host the day-long event.

One of the two keynote speak-ers is Lyn Garling, owner/op-erator of Over the Moon Farm, a 26-acre grass-based farm in central Pennsylvania.

“The average age of women farmers in Washington is 50 years old. They are farming a little later in life and overcoming obstacles. Lynn’s talk is ‘Farming as a Woman: My Own Private Reality Show!,’ so I think a lot of people can relate, Chelan/Doug-las counties WSU Women in Agriculture Director, Margaret A. Veibrock said.”

The second speaker is Rita Em-mett, who was born the world’s greatest procrastinator, has con-verted and is now a “Recovering Procrastinator.” She is adamant that procrastination is NOT a personality flaw or a character trait, it is simply a habit.

At the end of the seminar, each location will hold its own discussion panel featuring top-ics that revolve around risk management.

“They will be different types of topics that are important to people that come with handling risk: Finances, health, employ-ees, and marketing,” she said.

When the broadcast speak-ers and through, local leaders will host a panel discussion led by three women producers or farmers who will answer ques-tions relative to their businesses. Each speaker will offer attendees a take-home message and a handout that will help attendees develop an action plan.

“Women learn differently than men,” said Viebrock. “They like to connect with other women farmers in sharing experiences, knowledge and resources.

Women like to share resourc-es, like how they learned about setting up page, what worked or what didn’t work or their knowledge of a vendor where they were able to find a good price, she said.

Women farmers show a heightened interest in customer and end-product satisfaction, Viebrock said.

Panel discussion questions are:

1. What do you grow/produce/value-added?

2. What is your role in the operation?

3. How long have you been involved in the operation and how did you get involved in the operation?

4. How and where do you mar-

ket your products?5. What are your biggest risks

and how do you deal with those risks?

6. What was one of the biggest challenges you faced and how did you overcome it?

7. What have you learned that has helped you to be suc-cessful?

8. How do you stay current in your profession (technology, markets, production methods, etc.)?

9. What, if anything, has been unique about being a female producer?

Even though the name indi-cates Women in Agriculture, all agricultural producers are welcome to attend. The day begins at 8 a.m. and cost $25. There are no credits available for this workshop. For more information visit WomenInAg.wsu.edu.

Locations:

Ferry County(509) 799-4434nancy.hamilton@wsu.edu

Okanogan County(509) 634-2305ljmclean@wsu.edu

A complete locations list is available at WomenInAg.wsu.edu.

Submitted by Jenn VanEpsNRCS - Spokane

SPOKANE – USDA’s Natural

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced that the cut-off date for the current Conservation Stewardship Pro-gram (CSP) ranking period has been extended to Jan. 27, 2012. Producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship are eligible for CSP payments.

“Since the voluntary conserva-tion practices offered through CSP are an essential part of our effort to improve soil and wa-ter quality, we want to be sure producers have enough time to complete their applications for

the first ranking period,” said assistant State Conservationist, Lacey Gaw of the sign-up exten-sion. The original cut-off date for application was January 13, 2012.

CSP provides many conserva-tion benefits including improved water and soil quality, enhanced wildlife habitat and conservation activities that address the effects of climate change.

CSP is offered through the NRCS in all 50 states, tribal lands and the Pacific and Caribbean areas through continuous sign-ups. Producers are encouraged to apply for CSP throughout the year to be considered for current and future application ranking periods. Those who apply by January 27, 2012, may be eligible

for current available funding. Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, rangeland and non-industrial forestland.

A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if CSP is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility require-ments, contracts obligations and potential payments and is available at local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices or on the NRCS Web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp.

Learn more about CSP and other NRCS programs at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs.

Source: Washington State Apple Commission

Washington State is known as one of the premier apple-growing areas in the world. The nutrient-rich soil, arid climate, plentiful wa-ter and advanced growing practices provide the right ingredients for producing top-quality fruit.

These same elements also make Washington the finest place to grow organic apples. The dry climate and ideal temperatures reduce the number of disease and pest problems that can impact fruit. This superior climate reduces the need for applications to control insects and pests. In addition, Washington’s quality standards for all apples are more stringent than grading standards used in any other growing region in the world.

All of Washington’s nine key varieties are available as organi-cally grown.

Statistics from Washington State University’s Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center indicate most of the Washington organic acreage planted is in Gala and Fuji followed by Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink, Braeburn, Honeycrisp™ and other new varieties.

And Washington’s organic apple industry is not only growing, but it is holding true to the state’s un-matched history of dedication to cutting-edge production practices. Over 25 percent of the state’s apple packers hold Organic Handler Certificates from the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Organic Food Program.

Organic Washington Apple FAQs

Q. How are organic Washington apples grown and packed?

A. Organic Washington apples are grown and packed only with materials and methods approved by the National Organic Program (NOP), which rely on natural ma-terials and processes. Organic orchards receive nutrition and fertilizers consisting of compost, animal manure, fishmeal, plant residues and other natural nutri-ents. Natural pest control methods are derived from plant extracts, the fermentations of yeast, ben-eficial insects, mating disruption pheromones and systems that bait and trap pests. Weeds may be con-trolled by mulching, cover plant-ings and mechanical methods.

In addition, certified organic apples can only be processed and packed on equipment using belts, brushes and water specially cleaned and prepared to handle organic fruit. Organic apples may not commingle with conventionally grown apples in either the orchard or in the packing houses.

Q. How many years does it take for an apple orchard to be certified organic?

A. The land on which the apples

are grown must have been farmed organically for three years or fal-lowed for three years before certi-fication is granted. This means that for at least three years prior to the first certified organic harvest, only practices and materials allowed un-der the national organic standard have been used. Prior to the third year, the apples from the orchard are considered transitional fruit. Transitional fruit cannot be sold as certified organically grown.

Q. How are organic apple grow-ing and handling practices moni-tored?

A. The NOP requires producers and handlers to submit an Organic System Plan. The plan must docu-ment the practices and procedures used, the materials they plan to use, the soil monitoring methods used to determine that soil and water quality are being maintained and improved and the records that are maintained. And, for growers who produce or handle both organic and conventional apples, the pro-cedures that are in place to prevent commingling of the products. An annual update of the system plan must also be submitted each year.

Q. Are organic apple orchards and packing facilities inspected?

A. It is mandatory that organic orchards and packing facilities be inspected every year. The Wash-ington State Department of Agri-culture conducts these inspections. During the certification process, random samples are collected to verify compliance with organic production standards. Growers must submit soil tests every three years.

Q. Do organic practices involve or include genetically modified organisms?

A. No. Genetically modified organisms are not allowed under organic regulations.

Q. How do I know my apples are grown organically?

A. Look at the stickers on the apples and watch for signs in the supermarket. Along with the na-tional organic standards, the USDA developed strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy. The USDA Organic seal (see below) tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic. However, apple growers may or may not use the full USDA Organic seal, the certified organic apples may simply have “certified organic” on the existing sticker.

Q. What is Organic?A. Organic refers to the way ag-

ricultural products are grown and processed. Organic food production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility through the use of biological pest control, rather than chemical. Organic foods are minimally processed without arti-ficial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation.

Core Facts

Organic Washington Apple Facts

• Washington apple growers currently produce over 6 million boxes of certified organic apples. Washington State cultivates 14,309 acres of certified organic orchards, compared to 7,642 just 4 years ago.

• The United States is the lead-ing organic apple producer in the world, with Washington State growing more than 80 percent of U.S. certified organic apples.

• Organic Washington apples are available in every key variety – Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Brae-burn, Cripps Pink, Cameo® and Honeycrisp™.

• Each organic Washington apple is picked by hand.

If you choose to buy organic Washington apples, read the sticker on the apples to ensure the apples are certified USDA organic.

The National Organic ProgramThe push to standardize organic

certification nationwide started in 1990 when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). The OFPA required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national stan-dards for organically produced agricultural products to assure con-sumers that those products meet consistent, uniform standards.

In response to these demands, the USDA created the National Organic Program (NOP). NOP stan-dards offer a national definition for the term organic. They detail the methods, practices and substances that can be used in producing and handling organic crops, livestock, and processed products.

Beginning in 1988, the Washing-ton State Department of Agricul-ture (WSDA) had been certifying orchards under the state’s organic food laws. When the USDA created the national program, the WSDA was accredited to certify orchards, processors and handlers under the national program.

Good Reasons to Buy Organic Apples

• Organic orcharding protects future generations

• Organic apples meet stringent standards

• Organic apples taste great• Organic production reduces

health risks from chemicals• Organic orchards respect our

water resources• Organic growers build healthy

soil• Organic growers work with

nature• Organic growers are leaders in

innovative research• Organic growers strive to pre-

serve biodiversity• Organic orcharding keeps com-

munities healthy• Organic orcharding saves

energy• Organic orcharding helps small

growers

The best organic apples on earth

Conservation Stewardship Program sign-up extended to Jan. 27

Women in ag workshop

Submitted by Kirsten CookConservation EducatorOkanogan Conservation Dist.

OKANOGAN - The Okano-gan Conservation District has programs to help agricultural producers increase efficiency and save some money along the way. The Save Water Save Energy program is a partner-ship with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and local utilities. The program targets on-farm energy ef-ficiency, especially irrigation and lighting.

Energy efficiency is the low-est cost source of new energy. BPA’s target goal for energy savings is 0.25 to 0.33 average megawatts of the total agri-cultural load statewide. To achieve these energy savings, BPA is offering incentives through local utilities for ag-ricultural producers to imple-ment a wide variety of energy-

saving measures. There are many small chang-

es to your irrigation system that can make a big difference in efficiency. Worn out sprin-kler nozzles and gaskets can lead to inefficient application of water, leaks, soil erosion, unnecessary energy usage, and unnecessary costs through pumping too much water. Re-bates are available for several sprinkler hardware upgrades and repairs. Rebates for other irrigation pumping improve-ments, such as variable fre-quency drives, NEMA premium efficiency motors, and custom pump modifications, may be available through the program as well.

So far, irrigators working with the Okanogan Conserva-tion District have received close to $500 in rebates and will be saving 3,004 kilowatt hours per year and nearly 6 acre-feet of water thanks to the

improvements made to their system. The District is looking for additional projects, includ-ing orchards with solid-set systems.

If you are thinking about replacing or repairing parts of your agricultural irrigation system contact us today to ar-range a site visit with our Field Energy Analyst, Bob Clark. He will conduct an energy assess-ment of your system, determine which rebates you are eligible to receive and evaluate which rebates would provide you with the most money and energy savings. Please note that fund-ing for the program is limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Bob Clark at (509) 422-0855 ext. 122 or email bobc@okanogancd.org. Save water, save energy, and save money by signing up for this exciting program today.

Save water, save energy, save money

January 26, 2012 • OkanOgan Valley gazette-tribune B3

A Family Warehouse For Our Growers!

General Offi ce509-476-3646

Appleway & IronwoodOroville, WA. 98844

“Dedicated to satisfaction through quality and diversi� cation”

Gold Digger Apples is a company founded by the hard work and passion of it’s small-town growers. The growers of Gold Digger Apples are proud to employ upwards of 450 people during the seasons of harvest. Gold Digger believes in community outreach and appreciation because without your support their goals and purpose wouldn’t be possible. The Gold Digger staff are proud to be part of this special community. The quality of our produce that has been shared all over the world is a direct representation of the quality of it’s growers and the proud nature of this community.

www.golddiggerapples.com

132 Clarkson Mill Rd., Tonasket 509-486-2888

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Crop Insurance in the Okanogan ValleyOROVILLE: 814 Central, 476-3023TONASKET: 323 S. Whitcomb, 486-2917OMAK: 2 N. Main Street, 826-1156BREWSTER: 538 W. Main, 689-0904

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IDEAS TO GROW WITH418 S. Western, Tonasket

Phone: 509.486.2142

A World War II era poster encourages citizens to help with the harvest in Central Washington. A copy of the poster is on display at the Oroville Depot Museum.

Submitted by Jennifer WitherbeeExecutive Director, WAEF

WENATCHEE - The dead-line for students to return completed scholarship ap-plications to the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) is approaching. Com-pleted WAEF scholarship ap-plications must be postmarked by March 1, 2012 to qualify for 2012-13 school year scholar-ships. Graduating high school seniors and students currently enrolled in college may be eligible for over $400,000 ex-pected to be awarded by WAEF this year.

The scholarship application

is available at www.waef.org under the websiteís scholar-ship menu. This is also where interested students can go to learn more about award quali-fications. The WAEF expects to award approximately 150 scholarships this year to stu-dents raised in Washingtonís fruit growing regions.

For more information, con-tact the WAEF at (509) 663-7713 or waef@waef.org.

WAEF is the charity of Wash-ingtonís tree fruit industry. Founded in 1994, the organiza-tion has assisted hundreds of students attend college and invested in educational oppor-tunities for K-12 and adults in local communities.

Washington State Univer-sity scientists are reinventing cherry production. A four-year, multi-state project un-derway produced a good crop of ideas in its first 12 months, making the industry ripe for revolutionary renovation.

Matt Whiting is passion-ate about his work. Whiting, who is associate professor of horticulture at Washington State University’s Prosser re-search Center, leads the team of cherry researchers.

WSU research teams were awarded more than $15 million in U.S. Department of Agricul-ture grants aimed at specialty crops such as tree fruit, wine grapes and potatoes.

Whiting’s team received $3.8 million for “A Total Systems Approach to Developing a Sustainable, Stem-free Sweet Cherry Production, Process-ing and Marketing System.”

Collaborators include cher-ry breeder Nnadozie Oraguz-ie; biological systems engineer Qin Zhang; Fran Pierce, direc-tor of WSU’s Center for Preci-sion Agricultural Systems; plant physiologist and geno-micist Amit Dhingra; and food scientist Carolyn Ross.

Additional team members are made up of growers and producers from Washington,

Michigan, Oregon and Cali-fornia.

Below are the objectives, summary and f indings of the group’s first year of re-search.

Long-term goal• Our team and stakehold-

er’s long-term goal of develop-ing a highly efficient, sustain-able sweet cherry production, processing, and marketing system entails a comprehen-sive and integrative research and extension project with the following objectives:

Objective• Develop high efficiency,

productive angled fruit wall orchard systems

Year One Milestone• Planted test orchards with

collaborators in California, Or-egon and Washington; toured established test orchards; re-fined management strategies focused on orchard establish-ment; initiated development of outreach material.

Objective• Establish the genetic basis

for sweet cherry abscissionYear One Milestone• Phenotyped cherry culti-

vars and advanced breeding selections for pedicel-fruit re-tention force and fruit texture/flavor attributes; documented expression of known abscis-

sion genetic pathways in sweet cherry.

Objective• Improve labor efficiency

and safety by developing me-chanical and/or mechanical-assist harvest technologies

Year One Milestone• The USDA mechanical

harvester and shake and catch mechanical assist upgrad-ed and field-tested. Picker Technologies LLC transport system prototype built and preliminary tests completed. All systems field-tested for ef-ficiency and impact on harvest efficiency and fruit quality. Field demonstrations of har-vest technologies conducted.

Objective• Extend shelf life/consumer

appeal of sweet cherriesYear One Milestone• Study effects of modified

atmosphere packaging on fruit quality and shelf life; studied effects of harvest technology on fruit quality and shelf life.

Objective• Develop markets for stem-

free sweet cherries and deter-mine optimum shelf life for stem-free sweet cherries.

Year MilestoneStudy consumers’ percep-

tions of stemmed verses stem-free cherries and willingness to pay; conduct test marketing with retail partners; evaluate effects of modified atmosphere packaging on consumers’ per-ceptions of cherries.

Objective• Analyze system profit-

ability, market potential, and

develop economic models for outreach and adoption

Year One MilestoneIdentify and convene grow-

ers of small- medium- and-large sized farms to estimate each farm’s production costs; collaborate with coPDs to ensure experimental designs that are adequate to collect economic data on harvest technologies; collect economic data on harvest technologies.

The project’s overall goal is to have every professional in the U.S. sweet cherry value-chain to be familiar with the project’s progress or know where to find out.

The researchers plan is integral and flexible and inte-grates th total value chain.

Outreach has been delivered to target audiences through a variety of traditional and innovative mechanisms in-cluding: Presentations, Field demos,Tours of grower-col-laborator orchards and Radio interviews. As well as a dy-namic website including One-page summaries of research results,Searchable photo jour-nals, videos of presentations, demonstrations, blogs. wikis-type technology for PD’s to work on documents collabora-tively online publications in popular press and extension bulletins and social media outreach including a Facebook Page, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr and Vimeo accounts.

For a complete copy of this report visit www.wsu.edu.

Washington Apple Education Foundation scholarship deadline approaches

Researchers, growers revolutionize cherry harvesting

B4 OkanOgan Valley gazette-tribune • January 26, 2012