Fruit Trees

Oct. 18: Series starts on growing your own groceries

By Kate Ryan, WSU Snohomish County Extension EVERETT, Wash. – Growing your own healthy, sustainable food — whether on an apartment deck or on many acres — is the focus of the 10-class Growing Groceries series that starts Oct. 18 at the Washington State University Snohomish County Extension Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, inside McCollum […]

Sept. 9: Community apple pressing, cider making to reveal urban bounty

By Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences SEATTLE, Wash. – Fruit trees abound in Seattle and its surrounding metro areas — and that’s a sweet opportunity for its community members. Plucking ripe apples straight from your city block means crisp cider at your table.

Cider industry gains WSU Extension ally

By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – Washington State University is helping bolster the surging hard cider industry with the hiring of Bri Ewing as a food and fermentation specialist at the Mount Vernon Research and Extension Center.

Fruit, nut exporter connects U.S. farms, China markets

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC TACOMA, Wash. – Farm Breeze International, a specialty crop export company headquartered in Tacoma, did $7.5 million in revenue in its first year selling tree nuts and fruit concentrate to China. In its second year, 2016, it shipped 15 million pounds of tree nuts and revenue more than tripled.

New clean plant center director works to protect NW crops

By Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PROSSER, Wash. – As new director of the Clean Plant Center Northwest, Scott Harper will help growers stop devastating crop viruses before they gain a foothold. His top priority is to grow the Northwest’s supply of virus-free fruit trees, vines and hops.

Researcher fights fungus in apples, pears under storage

By Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences WENATCHEE, Wash. – Delving into the secrets of the molds and fungi that can wreck a good apple or pear, Achour Amiri can be found working in packing rooms and warehouses throughout central Washington this time of year.

‘Big data’ leads to better trees via $3 million grant

By Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University are harnessing the power of “big data” to help growers create the next generation of healthy, sustainable forests and tree crops.