01/25/05 One hundred years at the Hort, Finale

01/25/05 One hundred years at the Hort, Finale

With all the phenomenal things going on in the Washington State tree fruit industry maybe two things stand out that could be considered cornerstones. Those are family and change. And no those two are not connected. Just ask Washington State Horticultural Association President Barclay Crane and Hort Association Executive Director Jim Hazen about the steady hand of family, and to a certain extent, its legacy. CRANE/HAZEN: The fruit industry is almost exclusively family owned. It is very much dominated by family operations. It remains an industry where legacy still holds sway, where family names have endured for generations, where great grandsons and daughters sit on the same boards and committees their forbearers once did. But if family has been the constant, change has had its hands on just about every other aspect of the industry. No where would that be most obvious to the grower, and the consumer, than in the apple varieties. It was only a few decades ago that Red Delicious became the up and coming champion of the apple industry. Now it is a variety watching other rising stars slowly ascend in consumer popularity and desire. CRANE: I remember what it was like fifteen years ago and it was a radical decision to plant something other than a Red or a Golden. Now you've got Braeburn, Granny, Gala, Pink Lady, Cameo, Honeycrisp. All legitimate varieties in addition to the basic Reds and the Goldens.
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