Pacific Northwest
Washington blueberry grower fights late mandatory pay rate hike
One of Washington’s largest blueberry growers is threatening to cut short the 2019 harvest and replace human pickers with machines next year. That’s the company’s reaction to a recent mandatory pay rate increase for guest... more »
2019 Washington apple harvest predicted to be 137.3 million boxes
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) released its forecast for the 2019 Washington state fresh apple crop on Aug. 7. The 2019 forecast is for a fresh pack crop of 137.3 million standard forty-pound... more »
Northwest pear crop larger than initial estimate for 2019-20
Northwest pear growers have released their latest crop estimate for the 2019-20 season. The estimate is based on data reported from Washington's Wenatchee and Yakima districts and Oregon's Mid-Columbia and Medford districts. While the initial season... more »
Dorrie Main to lead WSU Department of Horticulture as interim chair
Supporting Washington State University discoveries that improve and protect valuable plants and crops, from apples, grapes, and potatoes to berries and spinach, Professor Dorrie Main will lead the Washington State University Department of Horticulture for the coming... more »
‘Cascade Premier’ raspberry bred for mechanical harvest by WSU
Bright, flavorful, and bred for easy automated harvest, Washington State University’s new red raspberry variety, “Cascade Premier,” is more than a decade in the making. First crossed in 2007 from two WSU experimental varieties, and... more »
Alaska Berries growers make most of USDA programs
The USDA-produced series #FridaysOnTheFarm last week featured an Alaskan farm growing berries: This week meet Brian and Laurie Olson, owners of Alaska Berries on the Alaskan Kenai Peninsula. Their desire to grow fruits and... more »
Kate Evans to lead WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center
Professor and horticulturalist Kate Evans is the new interim director of the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center (TFREC) at Wenatchee. Selected this summer to lead WSU research into sustainable tree fruit... more »
Pear Bureau Northwest has shoppable recipe technology on website
As part of several innovative tactics being implemented for the 2019-20 Northwest pear season, Pear Bureau Northwest has officially launched technology on its consumer website to make its pear recipes shoppable to consumers. The tool allows... more »