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Naumes removes more trees Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Naumes Inc. has removed more than 200 acres of pear trees along North Phoenix Road in the past six weeks. Naumes is downsizing its orchard acreage to decrease operating costs while improving productivity on remaining acreage with intensive growing methods, company officials say. By Shari Downhill Naumes Inc., the largest independent fruit grower in the Rogue Valley, has moved forward with its plan to downsize its Rogue Valley orchard operation. The company has removed more than 200 acres of pear trees along North Phoenix Road over the past month and a half. Last year, the company removed 400 acres of pear trees in an attempt to minimize under-producing fruit tree stock, said Tony Freytag, Naumes marketing director. Naumes� orchard removal is part of an aggressive effort to decrease operating costs by improving productivity over a smaller amount of acreage. "During the time when you could sell everything you could grow, it didn�t matter," he said. "But now, the market demands a very specific fruit size and weight." Trees being removed are in problematic areas with thin clay soils and in areas plagued by unfavorable weather. Freytag said the trees are being removed rather than abandoned to prevent pest infestation and disease. Although Naumes� Rogue Valley orchards will decrease to about 2,000 acres with the most recent removal, about 40,000 new trees have been planted this year on the remainder. Intensive growing methods have led to more fruit production per acre even given the decrease in overall acreage, Freytag said. "It�s a tough time for agriculture right now," Freytag said. "There are going to be growers who aren�t going to make it. But we�ll be here. We all have our challenges. How we survive depends on how we deal with those challenges." In addition to the 2,000 acres under fruit cultivation in the Rogue Valley, Naumes� agriculture operations include 1,100 acres in Washington and 3,000 acres in California. A portion of the 200 acres being cleared this year has been donated to the Rogue Valley Manor and will be included in the expansion of the Quail Point Golf Course. Acreage cleared last year remains fallow but is not up for sale. Besides efforts to improve productivity, several factors have contributed to the downsizing of the company�s valley orchards, maintains Mike Naumes, company chief executive. Those include a rapidly consolidating marketplace, escalating operating costs coupled with consistently dropping fruit prices, a sparse labor market and harsh governmental regulations. All of Naumes� recently cleared acreage is zoned exclusively for agricultural use. Urban encroachment has plagued growers, including Naumes, who purchased orchards 50 years ago in rural, undeveloped areas. "Mr. (Joe) Naumes started buying orchards 50 years ago, when they were out in the sticks," Freytag said. "Now, housing developments are moving right to the edge and across the street." While having orchards next door can be enjoyable at times, residential neighbors eventually begin complaining about noise, worker activity and spraying. "They complain about the noise of the wind machines which have been there for 20 years," Freytag said. "We have to use those ... when the frost comes or we�ll be out of business." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.