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American Fruit Grower
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Apple Grower of the Year Award | Past Winners | Nominations
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2008-2005 | 2004-2001 | 2000-1997 | 1996-1993 | 1992-1989 |
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Darrel Oakes Named 2004 Apple Grower of the Year
 American/Western Fruit Grower magazine recently named Darrel Oakes of LynOaken Farms in Lyndonville, NY as its 2004 Apple Grower of the Year award winner. The award was announced in the August 2004 issue of American/Western Fruit Grower magazine. Oakes was honored on August 20th, 2004, at the U.S. Apple Association Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference in Chicago, IL.
The Apple Grower of the Year award, sponsored by the crop protection company Cerexagri, honors those growers who demonstrate excellence in production, innovation in marketing, community outreach, and professionalism.
Oakes was chosen based on criteria that include: a commercial grower actively involved in operating or managing an apple orchard, a skilled horticulturist, a record of service to the apple industry, active involvement in one or more apple/fruit industry organizations, and a well respected leader among peers in the industry.
"The Apple Grower of the Year program is designed to salute a grower who embodies several qualities that make him or her stand out in the industry, including leadership, innovative production and marketing skills, and operating a successful orchard," said Brian Sparks, Editor of American/Western Fruit Grower magazine. "The program recognizes those growers who can serve as the best example to their peers."
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Ralph Broetje Named 2003 Apple Grower of the Year
 To be perfectly honest, not a whole lot has changed for Ralph Broetje since he won the Apple Grower of the Year award in 2003. Perhaps the most significant thing he’s noticed — and certainly not for the better — is the dwindling labor supply in the last few years. There have been too many times that, without an adequate supply of field workers to pick the fruit, he’s been forced to leave fruit hanging on the tree. It’s a situation he hopes will be resolved quickly, as growers in the Pacific Northwest, like the fruit they produce, can’t afford to be left hanging much longer.
However, with Broetje, you don’t necessarily want things to change too much. After all, he’s been able to successfully build one of the largest apple growing operations in the country, with more than 5,000 acres in the hills of Prescott, WA. He continues to spend hours each day in the orchard, putting out a quality crop of Reds, Granny Smith, and new strains of Gala, and he maintains a strong relationship with his marketing team.
Through all this, Broetje remains as humble as ever, and prefers to shift the focus to all of his employees, both family and field workers. In the early 1990s, Broetje and his family developed Vista Hermona (“beautiful view”), a community where many of his workers now live. With single-family homes and apartment units, as well as a chapel, a gymnasium, and more, Vista Hermona is a reflection of Broetje’s commitment to providing a better quality of life for all of his employees.
As Broetje Orchards moves into the future, the varieties may change, and perhaps even the vast acreage will continue to grow. But one thing that’s sure to remain constant is Broetje’s unparalleled commitment to his family, employees, and everyone associated with the company.
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Fred Valentine Named 2002 Apple Grower of the Year
Fred Valentine has seen the apple industry from many different angles since winning the Apple Grower of the Year award in 2002. At the time, he was a horticulturist with Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, WA, after having spent many years with Blue Star Cooperative. Since then, he’s shifted to the nursery side of the industry, taking the role of sales representative of North Central Washington for Van Well Nursery. Through it all, Valentine maintains a small orchard at his home in East Wenatchee, putting his years of experience to personal use.
Much of Valentine’s experience is in variety development (he was a leader in the introduction of Cameo), so it’s no surprise that he considers variety selection to be the key to success for all growers in the future. “You need to be more diversified in your varieties than you’ve ever been before,” notes Valentine. “Back then, you could get away with two to three different varieties; now, you need at least five to six of them.” Valentine also says growers must constantly be paying attention to new varieties, and whether they would be a good fit for their farm.
Once you have your varieties in the ground, the next step, according to Valentine, is to make sure you’re tied to a warehouse that is best suited to meet your needs. With the decline of the Washington Apple Commission, now more than ever, growers need to stay connected to all segments of the industry, from packing down to marketing.
In the packinghouse, Valentine cites SmartFresh (1-MCP), along with advancements in cold storage, as important tools in helping growers continue to develop a quality product for the market. With the use of such tools, buyers can now expect a fresh piece of fruit every time they go to the store, he says.
While Valentine will continue to help develop new varieties and product lines, he still feels strongly about the value of a Golden Delicious. “There are lots of breeding programs out there, but to me, you still can’t top a good Golden.”
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Greg Nix Named 2001 Apple Grower of the Year
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 Greg Nix can sum up his business philosophy in one concise statement: “Don’t ever think that things will remain the same. If you are not willing to change some aspects of your business, then your business will not grow,” he says.
Nix, who currently handles sales and is the key decision maker in regard to the orchards maintained by his company, Apple Wedge Packers & Cider of Hendersonville, NC, has always taken into account the evolution of the company. Even while reflecting on the changes that have taken place in the apple industry since he was honored as Apple Grower of the Year, Nix still has his gaze focused on the future. “I don’t think the key to being a successful apple grower has changed very much. Our objectives at Apple Wedge Packers & Cider are still marketing and moving the business forward,” he says.
However, Nix does feel there has been at least one major development in the industry in the past few years. “Smart Fresh — that one chemical alone has advanced the storage of apples more than anything else,” he says.
Nix acknowledges that new challenges have materialized as well. He considers the labor shortage, skyrocketing fuel prices, and the loss of certain crop protectants to be the most significant challenges facing apple growers today.
Never one to waver in the face of obstacles, Nix has set a precedent for industry involvement that includes serving on the board of the Grades & Standards and the Market Steering Committees of the North Carolina Apple Growers Association, Blue Ridge Apple Growers Association, and Southeastern IPM Board. Nix was also a key force in getting land zoned for agricultural use in his own region.
Nix keeps it simple when talking about the other goals he hopes to accomplish during his career. “I would like to have a successful business that is profitable. I would like to create a foundation for my family to build on in order to carry on the business,” he says.
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