tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post7304808237133488383..comments2024-03-04T05:51:28.885-08:00Comments on Applied Mythology: Sustainable Fruit Production: Eliminating "Shrink"Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-73932595491566214112011-04-19T14:27:24.292-07:002011-04-19T14:27:24.292-07:00John,
You are right that this is a tricky issue. ...John,<br />You are right that this is a tricky issue. Ideally growers would get paid for quality even when supplies are strong. The variability of weather also complicates everything - this isn't like manufacturing!Steve Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-14934453282330517662011-04-19T14:09:00.210-07:002011-04-19T14:09:00.210-07:00Hi Steve,
You have touched a sensitive issue here...Hi Steve, <br />You have touched a sensitive issue here. Right now we are raising an early variety cherry, it is the first to be picked, and the first to the market. The decision of the owner to grow the early variety is based on the higher price. This gives us some unique problems. We bloom early... this year too early. The wind machine comes on every night to battle the frost. If you grow a later variety this is not as much of an issue. The whole crop can be lost to frost.<br />But if you are first to the shed you get the best price. Last year quality was great. Price high... yield low due to frost. As we move forward we are considering the same Cherry for the same reason. Early crop/more money. Late crop... you end up leaving it on the tree because prices drop so low you cannot afford to pick. Price fixing for the season would stabilize markets and make for better production... it is hard to bring these changes about... I would prefer to raise a premium variety that comes in later, but not at 50% of early market pricing... it is a dilemma. So far the only solution we have come up with is direct marketing... but that is an expense too...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07529949642328760439noreply@blogger.com