Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'Sorry About That' book expands ... Fallen tree debris at Howard Prairie is being used to create habitat for infant wild coho ... Ashland to purchase Acid Rock Castles ... 'Sorry About That' book expands ... Fallen tree debris at Howard Prairie is being used to create habitat for infant wild coho ... Ashland to purchase Acid Rock Castles ... Early harvest means shortage of workers Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 12:01 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Northwest tree-fruit growers find a sweet spot in exports to India... • Northwest tree-fruit growers find a sweet spot in exports to India... » Social News In his six decades of growing pears, Ron Meyer can't recall an earlier harvest than the present. A combination of warm but gentle weather ripened early red varieties so that picking began the third week of July, followed by harvest of Bartletts. Comice pears, which generally start coming off the tree in late August, are ready now, with Bosc to follow. "It's the earliest harvest I know of since I've been in business," said the veteran Talent grower. "My father told me of a year in the late '40s or early '50s when they started picking here before California." After last summer's lengthy onslaught of triple-digit days that ultimately slowed pear development and reduced quality, weather has been of relatively little consequence this season. Even the usual scattered hailstorms have been scarce. "The warm weather we had during the bloom got the fruit off to a good start, moving cell division at a rapid rate," said Mike Naumes, president of Naumes Inc. Depending on what part of the valley they are found, the present pears are both a better quality and sized larger than the 2015 crop. "We've got estimates indicating we'll have a solid crop of every variety," Naumes said. "And we'll pick slightly more than we did last year." Naumes relied on a government program to bring in more pickers and is doubling down this season. "Labor is generally short everywhere in the Northwest," Naumes said. "They're still picking pears in California, and that has delayed us about 10 days for getting our workers. If the fruit gets too mature, it starts dropping from the trees, and you can't utilize it." Naumes would like to have a force of 300 pickers on the company's 1,600 Rogue Valley acres to augment the 250-person crew in the packing house. Early picking helps growers to sidestep potential weather issues at the end of harvest. "When you pick pears into October, you run the risk of windstorms that can devastate a crop," Meyer said. "Usually, the weather stays pretty good well into September." The bigger challenge is a human one, he said. The majority of migrant pickers haven't made it this far north yet, and subsequently growers are caught short-handed with pears ready to harvest. Meyer said he pays $27 a bin, plus a $3 per bin bonus for pickers who stay through the entire harvest. However, it requires some skill. "We take anyone willing to do the work, but a lot of people just won't," he said. "We sent four or five away, because they couldn't handle it. One picked half a bin and one picked one bin in a day. A decent picker with fill five bins a day and really good picker does six a day; that's $180 a day." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles .31. By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501