Columbia Fruit Packers Winter Meeting

This is a picture of two of the leaders at Columbia Fruit Packers. Jim Wade is president on the left and his son Mike Wade is the manager on the right. I didn't know it until today, but Mike Wade is also a winemaker/winery owner of Fielding Hills Winery.

Our Honeycrisp returns at Stemilt had been a disappointment for several years, so we decided in 2010 to try a couple of other sheds that had had better results. Columbia Fruit Packers was one of the two we tried. We were pleased with their results, so we did the same thing again this year.

We attended their winter grower meeting, and had a few noteworthy take homes to share:

• California has had a really warm winter so the cherry industry is anticipating an earlier start this year.
• A lot of acreage is going into Rainiers.
• Consumers really like the clam shell packaging.
• Facebook/social media is huge for advertising.
• The apple market has had excellent movement with good prices this year. 45% of crop sold to date.
• Export market has had a decent year with some port closures. India had a fumigation issue but the southern hemisphere and Mexico are picking up.
• Consumers like sliced apples, so that market has seen big growth. This is particularly important in helping keep the processor market better. Many tons of apples are sliced and sold fresh market that would have otherwise ended up as juice or peelers.
• Honeycrisps are hugely popular. Retailers are clamoring for them.
• Galas continue to do well.
• Organic market does better later in the season after the initial rush.
• This year fruit condition was bad. We had the cool wet spring and a late harvest by two weeks. Lots of bruising occurring with Grannys, Goldens and Pink Ladys.
• Processor prices better this year!
• Food safety certificates will be required for all harvested fruit in 2012. This is the demand from the nation's largest retailers. Columbia Fruit will not guarantee any non-certified fruit. Non-certified fruit will incur additional costs for the trouble to segregate it from the rest of the fruit. Columbia Fruit has adopted the Global GAP food safety program. We've adopted the Safe Quality Foods program through Stemilt. The certificate we receive from Stemilt will be recognized by Columbia and other sheds.

Tim Smith, the WSU Extension Tree Fruit Specialist spoke about pests, sprays and the Western Cherry Fruit Fly.

• In 2010, Spotted Wing Drosophila (fruit fly) was the new pest.
• Cherry fruit flies come out later in May about 4 weeks before Bings are harvested. They peak about harvest time. They are around 10 days to 2 weeks before harvest.
• Drosophila doesn't like hot dry conditions. Infestations will occur at low levels in the trees.
• Haviland trap is the best one of everything tried last year. It allows for a high volume of vinegar and the more holes the better. Apple cider vinegar was the most popular with the fruit flies.
• Cherries are the first commodity in NCW that Drosophila like.
• Begin trapping June 23rd. Numbers are low until about August 18th and then it climbs through October 6th.
• Use GF 120 up to 3-4 weeks before harvest. 2 weeks before harvest, start to apply Entrust if Drosophila appears.
• When you start your first GA sprays also start your GF 120 sprays.
• Entrust is hard on beneficial insects like lady bugs that fight Black Cherry Aphid.
• Powdery Mildew is the result of humidity and shade. Hold off on first irrigation as long as possible. Cherries are the 2nd most drought tolerant fruit trees.

OK so now you're really smart about tree fruit. You've probably worked up an appetite? I tried this fabulous soup recipe this week, and it was a huge hit. If you love fresh mushrooms, you're really going to like this!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hungarian-mushroom-soup/