July 2021 - 7

Keeping the process productive
Hunsberger Farms is establishing its strategy for harvesting a large
A young planting of tart cherries at Hunsberger Farms. The operation uses mulch around
the bottom of the tree, which helps preserve moisture in dry conditions.
" With the older tree, you put the acid
on the year before and it will promote
more fruit buds, so you get a crop more
like this. Everything worked out this
year that we had more blooms to get
better pollination, knocked the freeze
off and the tree held them. We had
some June drop. That's some of the
reasons besides the cultural practices
that we do and use. "
The Hunsbergers paint their tree
trunks white on the southwest side for
the sun so they don't crack the trunks of
the trees. They tie the trees up so they
don't break down with a large crop.
" There's a lot of things that we do that
people do not see, " Gary said. FGN
Hunsberger Farms grows 10 acres of
various European and Japanese-style
plums.
crop to enhance its bottom line.
" With this bigger crop, it's much harder to harvest, " Gary Hunsberger
said. " We've got a one-man OMC Harvester. We'll probably have to harvest
more in the mornings when the cherries are cooler.
We'll have lift tractors bring a full tank of water out
instead of a half tank so it's more of a bigger block
of so-called ice to keep things cold.
" We will not keep the tanks out in the field, but
will get them up to the cooling pad. We'll put three
to five hoses of running water in the tank to cool
them down. Then we'll remove the hoses once
they get the heat out of the tank. Then we'll keep
a couple of hoses to keep the temperature at that
time. It's a percent of a percent.
" We get paid by the pound, but they measure
GARY
HUNSBERGER
the volume in the tank. When you mechanically harvest, the cherries
squish in. If you leave the cherry tank on the cooling pad long enough the
cherries will be like marbles. They will puff right back up. Actually, you're
putting in a little bit of water, you're firming them right back up so they
are harder. You will get a percentage more volume or more pounds with
that extra water. We have two eight-inch wells and a more ample supply
of water. "
Many cherry growers do not have a large enough water supply to
properly handle mechanically harvesting, Gary Hunsberger said.
" If you're a little guy like us, with 60 to 100 acres of cherries, you are
probably not going to put in a huge well that you're going to get use out of
probably one week out of the year, " Justin Hunsberger said. " It's not worth
it. So it's another small thing that we do. There aren't any secrets. It's just
work, and getting out there and doing it. "
- Gary Pullano
FGN | JULY 2021 | 7

July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2021

July 2021 - 1
July 2021 - 2
July 2021 - 3
July 2021 - 4
July 2021 - 5
July 2021 - 6
July 2021 - 7
July 2021 - 8
July 2021 - 9
July 2021 - 10
July 2021 - 11
July 2021 - 12
July 2021 - 13
July 2021 - 14
July 2021 - 15
July 2021 - 16
July 2021 - 17
July 2021 - 18
July 2021 - 19
July 2021 - 20
July 2021 - 21
July 2021 - 22
July 2021 - 23
July 2021 - 24
July 2021 - 25
July 2021 - 26
July 2021 - 27
July 2021 - 28
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/2025-fruit-nut-growers-buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-fgn
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/fgn-vgn-40-under-40-class-of-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyers-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2019
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