The Best Of The Best

Gary Mount (2005)

The most significant change in the industry that Gary Mount has seen since he was honored as Apple Grower of the Year in 2005 is a promising one: Namely, an increase in the level of attention paid to apples by consumers. "There is more interest and excitement about apples, and particularly apples that are locally grown," he says.

At the same time Mount, who purchased Terhune Orchards of Princeton, NJ, from its original owner in 1975, possesses enough savvy to recognize the apple industry's difficulties as well. "One of our biggest challenges is handling the introduction of new varieties. In a system of limited distribution, it is going to be difficult to gain acceptance of a new variety," he says.

Mount has responded to this challenge by focusing on establishing the varieties of apples he represents as a viable segment of the industry. This endeavor ranks highest on his priority list.

Direct marketing and consumer education is also a priority for Mount, who recognizes the growing desire among consumers to know where their food is coming from and how it is grown.

To keep abreast of fluctuations in the industry and satiate his love of knowledge and learning, Mount has remained involved in industry associations, including research committees. The organizations in which he has served include the International Fruit Tree Association, the New Jersey State Horticultural Society, the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, and the New Jersey Farmland Preservation. Ultimately, however, Mount still considers himself primarily an apple grower and direct marketer of his fruit. His many years of experience have taught him one lesson that stands out from all of the others.

"The most important lesson I have learned is to stay flexible, because change is always coming and always will be coming," he says.

Dan Boyer (2006)

Dan Boyer was named the 2006 Apple Grower of the Year not only for his reputation as a grower of consistently high-quality fruit, but also for his willingness to accept new ideas and incorporate them into his orchard, as well as his keen ability to predict the future direction of the industry. The owner of Ridgetop Orchards in Fishertown, PA, Boyer grew a 120-acre orchard to 400 acres of apples, including Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Stayman, Honeycrisp, York, and McIntosh. He also grows 16 acres of peaches and 13 acres of cherries on his 510 acres of land in Bedford County.

In 2006, Boyer attributed his success in business to one thing: the site of his orchard. "We have a great site for spring frost and we cool off in the fall," he said of the area, which offers a combination of good temperatures and quality soil, allowing him to grow high-quality fruit with good color.

Today, Boyer says Ridgetop Orchards is still planting many different varieties of young trees and also testing for club varieties. He adds that Honeycrisp is becoming a much bigger variety for the operation than it was just two years ago.

Holding high fruit standards also adds to the operation's success. Ridgetop Orchards grows, packs, and ships only its own fruit. "I know everything we need at every step of the process, versus just growing it and handing it off to someone."

Recently, the operation added a new packingline and a new bagging line off the new packingline. And while escalating fuel prices add greatly to freight costs for his operation, Boyer says they may give growers in the East a competitive advantage.

Active in many industry organizations locally and nationally, Boyer recently became a board member of the International Fruit Tree Association. "It's been a real honor to serve," he says. "I'm just a beginner and I'm still learning the ropes, because I've only been on the board for a little over a year. I learn something from every board meeting I attend."

Boyer says his employees are really what keeps the operation going, including several managers and team members who have been with the company for years, as well as wife Lois and his two sons Seth and Mark, who are active in the operation and in the industry as members of the Mid-Atlantic Young Grower Alliance. "My son Seth just purchased some land," Boyer says. "As long as we continue to have a good supply of labor, we are confident about the future. We have a great site for growing fruit and we are keeping our eyes open to the future."

Jeff Crist (2007)

According to Jeff Crist, the 2007 Apple Grower of the Year, establishing unity throughout the apple industry is key to ensuring its ongoing success in the future. "My top goal for the future is to get other apple producers, marketers, etc. involved in both statewide and national groups, because that is how the industry will remain strong. Equally important is working toward the resolution of the labor situation, because without a sufficient labor force, nothing else matters," he says.

Crist is the latest in a long line of accomplished growers in his family. His father and his uncle, 1993 Apple Grower of the Year Roscoe Crist, transformed Crist Brothers Orchards of Walden, NY, from a small operation to a national player in the industry. At one point, Crist formed a three-way partnership with his father and uncle, and that was when his career in apples started to thrive.

In regard to the future of his operation, Crist believes its close proximity (about 60 miles) to New York City is a major strength. Urbanites who are curious about rural life do not have to drive a long distance to reach Crist Brothers Orchards, which is critical in the wake of skyrocketing fuel prices. Crist recognizes the importance to any business of pulling in solid profits on a consistent basis. "I would like to see my operation remain commercially viable and to maintain a revenue stream that allows it to be competitive in its field," he says.

Crist recognizes that in order to secure the success of one operation, growers must be willing to work toward the benefit of the industry as a whole. For this reason, he is heavily involved in the activist side of the apple industry. A trustee with the U.S. Apple Association, Crist recently added another item to the hefty list of associations in which he is involved. He now sits on the advisory council for the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. The goal of the council is determining whether to release new varieties of apples as broad releases or exclusive club releases. "We need to figure out how best to release new varieties in a manner that is fair to New York producers, but also a positive event for the industry on a national scale," Crist says.

As a trustee with U.S. Apple, Crist will be in attendance at the Apple Grower of the Year award presentation at U.S. Apple's Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference in Chicago next month. However, he also enjoys attending the conference on a personal level. "To recognize people who have provided leadership is a positive thing. Apple Grower of the Year, along with the material American/Western Fruit Grower has covered throughout the years, has really helped to set a precedent for how strong the apple industry is today," he says. 

??????? (2008)

As you look back at the first 19 winners of the Apple Grower of the Year award, the bar seems to be set higher and higher every year. So who will emerge as the winner in 2008? By the time you receive this issue, our editors will already know the answer to that question — in fact, we'll be dropping hints each week in our electronic newsletter for the month of July (to sign up to receive the e-newsletter, point your browser to www.americanfruitgrower.com). We can tell you that we have received a large number of nominations, and every grower who was nominated is at the top of their game when it comes to horticultural skills, marketing, and service and leadership to the industry. Stay tuned for the August issue, where the winner, as well as four other finalists, will be announced.