April 2019 - 43

INDUSTRY NEWS
in California has been published
by the University of California's
(UC) Agricultural Issues Center
and UC Cooperative Extension.
With primocane-bearing plants,
growers can extend the blackberry
production season.
Primocanes are the green,
vegetative stalks of the blackberry
plant, generally the first-year cane.
The second year, they become
floricanes, flowering and fruiting.
The study presents sample costs
to establish, produce and harvest
primocane-bearing blackberries
in the Central Coast Region of
Santa Cruz, Monterey and San
Benito counties. A ranging analysis
shows the impact on net returns of
alternative yields and prices. Other
tables show the monthly cash
costs, the costs and returns per
acre, hourly equipment costs, and
the whole farm annual equipment,
investment and business
overhead costs. The study also
has an expanded section on labor,
which includes information on
California's new minimum wage
and overtime laws.
Free copies of this study and
other sample costs of production
studies for many commodities
are available at www.coststudies.
ucdavis.edu.
MACMA's Pitts
receives honor
A processing apple sales manager
credited with returning more than
$2.5 million to growers in a single
season is the Michigan Pomesters'
2019 " Fruit Man of the Year. "
Phil Pitts is a sales desk manager
for Michigan Processing Apple
Growers, also
known as the
Apple Division
of the Michigan
Agricultural
Cooperative
Marketing
Association
(MACMA).
PHIL PITTS
" He has been instrumental in
helping growers move apples to
Michigan processors as well as
out-of-state processors, " said Nick
Rasch, a Pomesters board member
at the group's annual meeting
Wednesday, March 6 in Walker,
Michigan. " He is well-respected
from growers and processors across
the country - many of them often
seek out his advice on procurement
and marketing. "
Pitts' performance in sales is
making an impact for growers.
" He has continued to grow
MACMA membership and is always
doing his best to help the growers
get the most money possible for
their crop, " Rasch said. " In 2016,
when we had a record year here,
Phil helped move a record amount
of apples across the sales desk,
resulting in more than $2.5 million
dollars to growers. "
Pitts farmed plums and apples
in southern Michigan from 1981
to 1996, when he began working
for Hartford, Michigan's Schafer
Lake Fruit. He began working for
MACMA in 2003 as a " field man "
but eventually moved into sales.
In a phone interview, Pitts said he
was honored and surprised by the
award. He said the 2016 season was
busy like any other.
" Each year during harvest,
it's busy, " he said. " Every year is
unique, so you have to be ready to
handle what Mother Nature throws
at you. "
Retiring Korson
leaves MCFA chair
Phil Korson has stepped down
after three years as chair of the
Minor Crop Farmer Alliance
(MCFA). The alliance's membership
bade farewell to Korson, president
of Cherry Marketing Institute, at
MCFA's recent annual meeting.
Jim Cranney,
California Citrus
Quality Council
president, was
elected MCFA
chairman for 2019.
Korson has
served on
MCFA's Executive
Committee for
more than 20 years, first as vicechair
and most recently as chair.
He plans to retire from CMI in
late 2019.
" It has been amazing to watch
the evolution of this group's
work, first to address the outof-date
Delaney Clause, then to
guide implementation of the
Food Quality Protection Act, " said
Korson. " More recently, MCFA
has been focusing on the complex
residue tolerance issues that
challenge those of us who export
our products. "
What's next for Korson? " I plan
to go back to the farm and focus
on my family, " he said. " However,
I know I will stay plugged into
pesticide issues, and do what I
can to tell the incredible story of
production agriculture. "
THE PICKIN' IS EASY WITH THESE MACHINES
The REVO Piuma 4WD Harvester
The Munckhof Pluk-O-Trak
Increase Fruit
Quality up to 60%
Bin fi ller fi lls large
bins evenly, without
bruising fruit
Compressor
Onboard air
compressor
for pneumatic
tools
Removable
Conveyors
Leveling & Stability
Hydraulic leveling suspension.
Auto-leveling on Modular Model
Ultrasonic " Sense-O-Matic "
Steering System
Increase Pickers' Efficiency
Four (4) hydraulic picking platforms -
pick at various levels
Bin Trailer
Trailer holds up to 16 bins
Serving Growers' Needs
Since 1954
Modular Unit Push Button Controls
Call OESCO for a demonstration
of one or both machines!
800-634-5557
* For apple & pear high-density fruit orchards
* Independent front & rear steering
* Compact 12'-6 " footprint
* 4-wheel drive
* Onboard compressor
* Flow-thru bin design
* Whisper-quiet fuel effi cient diesel engine
* Self-contained power - No tractor needed
* Auto-drive, auto-levelling, auto-steering
Push Button
Controls
(see below left
enlargement)
Push Button
Controls
Sort the
Fruit
Presort bin
for culls
PHIL KORSON
P.O. Box 540, 8 Ashfi eld Road
Route 116, Conway, MA 01341
www.oescoinc.com
FGN | APRIL 2019 | 43
http://www.coststudies http://www.ucdavis.edu http://www.oescoinc.com
April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019
