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CapitalPress.com
July 14, 2017
People & Places
Thinking differently with pears
Rudy Prey Jr.
goes high density,
getting more fruit
from smaller trees
Western
Innovator
Capital Press
Higher density
Initially, the orchard was
just 30 acres of 125 that was
mostly wooded and on mod-
erate to steep hillsides rang-
ing up to a 20 percent grade.
Calendar
Rudy Prey Jr.
Through Sunday
July 30
California State Fair. 10 a.m.-10
p.m. Cal Expo Center, 1600 Exposi-
tion Blvd., Sacramento, Calif. Web-
site: www.castatefair.org/
Saturday, July 15
Washington State Sheep Pro-
ducers Ram and Ewe Sale. 1:30-6
p.m. Grant County Fairgrounds,
3953 Airway Drive NE, Moses Lake,
Wash. For questions, call 509-200-
2112. Email: wssp@gmx.com
Farm to Table Dinner and Auc-
tion. 5:30-9 p.m. Oregon Garden,
879 W. Main St., Silverton, Ore.
Guests to this event will savor the
flavors of the season with food do-
nated from local farmers picked at
the peak of ripeness and prepared
by Chef Daryl Gossack at Loustic
Catering. Tickets are on sale now at
our website or by phone. Through
June 17 tickets are $85 per and $95
after June 18. The event is present-
ed by Bonaventure Senior Living
and all proceeds will feed people in
our community through Marion-Polk
Food Share. Website: http://bit.
ly/2qth9a1
Wednesday, July 19
Community Open House. 4-7
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Age: 52
Born: Kiel, West Germany.
Raised there and Peshastin,
Wash.
Family: Single
Education: Cascade High
School, Leavenworth,
Wash., 1984; Wenatchee
Valley College, tree fruit
program, 1986.
Photos by Dan Wheat/Capital Press
Rudy Prey Jr. in a row of Red d’Anjou pear trees at his Peshastin, Wash., orchard, where he’s tied tree
tops together for better light interception for the fruit.
Occupation: Peshastin pear
grower and fruit stand owner
since 1996.
Work History: After college,
worked short time in an
Oregon tree fruit nursery and
six months in apple orchards
in New Zealand.
A 30-by-50-foot flag flies above
Prey’s Fruit Barn along U.S.
Highway 2, near Peshastin, a
couple miles east of Leaven-
worth, Wash. His father began
flying the flag after gaining U.S.
citizenship.
Now there’s 75 acres of or-
chard with 55 to 60 percent
high-density, 20 to 25 per-
cent moderate-density and
20 percent low-density.
In 1975, the Preys planted
20-by-10-foot spacing — 20
feet between rows and 10
feet between tree trunks in a
row. That was 220 trees per
acre, which was double the
standards of the time of 20-
by-20 and 110 trees per acre
or 24-by-24 with 80 per acre.
The Preys tightened their
grid with each new block of
orchard, getting to 14-by-6
before Prey took over man-
agement from his father in
1996.
The younger Prey con-
tinued the effort, maxing
out at 14-by-1.5 feet and
2,000 trees per acre. Now
he’s backed off to 14-by-2 or
14-by-2.5 for 1,000 to 1,500
trees per acre because he’s
found little improvement in
yields beyond that to warrant
the extra expense of more
trees.
Lack of rootstock
Most growers in the valley
now plant at 14-by-4 or 14-
by-6 for 400 to 800 trees per
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Board of directors
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Mike Omeg
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Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
By DAN WHEAT
PESHASTIN, Wash. —
When people in the Wenatchee
Valley think of Prey’s Fruit
Barn and Orchard they think of
its huge U.S. flag that dwarfs
everything around it.
It’s been a tourist attraction
and conversation piece for al-
most 30 years. It was put up
in the early 1990s by the late
Rudy Prey Sr. in honor of his
receiving U.S. citizenship after
he and his family immigrated
from West Germany in 1975.
What fewer people realize
is that beyond the over-sized,
30-by-50-foot flag, Prey, who
died in 2003, and more so his
son, Rudy Prey Jr. have been
pear industry innovators.
Their orchard is one of the
few high-density pear orchards
in the Pacific Northwest, and
with its own twist. Rudy Prey
Jr. ties the tops of pear trees to-
gether with twine to form arch-
ways over the rows between
trees, allowing more sunlight
to reach fruit, hastening early
yield and sizing of fruit.
“There’s less input costs
and higher returns, but it’s hard
to calculate how much higher
because of so many variables
like weather and variety,” Prey
said. “The startup costs to
plant are higher but they are re-
covered quicker. So over time
it’s definitely higher returns.”
Keeping trees to no more
than 12 feet tall allows the use
of shorter ladders and less time
on ladders for workers, cut-
ting pruning time in half and
increasing picking efficiency.
He figures costs are reduced
by $50 per bin while yields in-
crease about 30 percent.
The Preys moved to Pe-
shastin from Kiel, West Ger-
many, when the younger Prey
was 10 years old. They had
been here on vacation and de-
cided to make it their home.
“At age 42, my dad
changed countries, languages
and careers. In West Germa-
ny, he did cattle and pigs and
then built elevators. He came
here and took up orcharding
because that was the thing to
do here,” Prey said.
Kiel is flatter country but
Peshastin and Leavenworth
reminded the Preys of Bavaria.
Capital Press
p.m. North Willamette Research
and Extension Center, 15210 Miley
Road, Aurora, Ore. Website: http://
oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/
Tuesday, July 25
Dairy Sheep and Goat Work-
shop. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gooding Coun-
ty Fairgrounds, 203 Lucy Lane,
Gooding, Idaho. University of Idaho
Extension workshop. Lunch includ-
ed. The workshop is $30 with pre-
registration until July 21 and $40
after that.
Friday, July 28
Forest Insect and Disease
Field Day. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Benewah
County Fairgrounds, 2330-2398
St. Maries Ave., St. Maries, Idaho.
The event will give participants first-
hand exposure to a wide range of
organisms that impair the growth of
trees and forests in Northern Idaho
including: Douglas-fir beetle and
other bark beetles; Armillaria and
other root diseases; white pine blis-
ter rust; indian paint fungus, pini rot
and other stem decays; and dwarf
mistletoes. Experts will help partic-
ipants identify insect and disease
symptoms and discuss practical
long- and short-term methods of
dealing with them. Those wishing
to participate should pre-register at
the University of Idaho Extension
Office in Benewah County by July
21. A $10 registration fee covers re-
source materials and refreshments.
Saturday-Sunday
July 29-30
47th Annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Powerland
Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Road
Rows of pear trees have their tops tied together for maximum light
interception on the fruit in Prey’s Orchard, Peshastin, Wash., June 28.
acre, Prey said. Movement to
high-density has been ham-
pered by the lack of a win-
ter-hardy, dwarfing rootstock
for pears.
Dwarfing rootstock would
keep trees more compact, de-
creasing vegetative growth
and increasing fruiting wood.
Prey tries to do the same,
but not quite as well, by fer-
tilizing and pruning less but
increasing tree training and
bending tops.
Researchers are working
on it but as of yet just hav-
en’t found the right dwarfing
rootstock, said Tim Smith,
Washington State University
tree fruit specialist emeritus
in Wenatchee.
Pears are inherently harder
to grow in compact form than
apples, Smith said.
Tying tree tops
Prey began tying tree tops
together in late 1990s. It was
his idea, an adaptation of the
V-trellis system used in ap-
ples but saving the cost of
trellis posts and wire.
At first, he planted trees at
30-degree angles to help form
the archway. Stronger-rooted
than apple trees and in heavy
soil, the pear trees didn’t need
trellises for support.
But snow, up to 100 inch-
es a year, flattened the young
trees, so now he plants them
upright but still ties the tops
together.
Tying tree tops together
over the rows complements
high-density for higher yields.
“When you plant close to-
gether, you try to utilize all
the space in the orchard you
can to intercept light for fruit
and foliage,” Prey said. “You
want to minimize areas shad-
ing each other.”
He ties tops together when
trees are three to four years
old, tying back onto two-year-
old wood that is stronger than
one-year-old and less likely to
break.
Prey does it with all his
varieties: Concorde, Bartlett,
Red and Green d’Anjou, Bosc
and Starkrimson. The Con-
corde variety is a little stiffer
and harder to work with. Bart-
lett is easier.
What others say
“I think he’s come up with
a pretty good way of grow-
ing pears on his property.
They sculpted the hillsides
to make them more plant-
able and navigable and that’s
made areas where the trees
tend to grow smaller and less
vigorously, naturally,” Smith
said.
It’s innovative but grow-
ers are not likely to tear out
older orchards and replace
them with high-density with-
out dwarfing rootstocks,
Smith said.
A few miles from Prey’s
orchard, grower Josh Koem-
pel, 41, has followed Prey’s
lead of tying tree tops to-
gether in high-density plant-
ings for the past eight years.
Koempel is using 10-by-4
or 12-by-4 density, depend-
ing on slope. He plants trees
upright and in their fourth
year ties their tops over in
early spring after irrigation
loosens the ground. It curves
the trees but then the tree
tilts, creating a “V”.
“Guys love picking in it.
It’s way more efficient. It’s
easier to spray,” Koempel
said. “The tree is only 2.5
feet in width and depth. It
creates a fruiting wall like is
being done in apples.”
There’s potential for more
bins of fruit per acre with
smaller trees, he said. A few
growers in Cashmere, Yaki-
ma and Wapato are planting
high density without tying
over tops, he said.
“I’m trying to build on
everything Rudy has done.
He’s the trailblazer on this
thing. He’s the guy who’s
made it all happen,” Koem-
pel said. “I’ve spotted a good
system for the genetics we
have and he’s been willing
to teach us. He’s a heck of a
smart guy.”
GASES / WELDING / SAFETY / FIRE
www.oxarc.com
NE, Brooks, Ore. Packed with vintage
power, this annual event celebrates
the steam power, machines and peo-
ple who drove Oregon agriculture,
logging, transportation and more from
the 1800s through early 1900s. Get
upclose to the power farm machinery,
vintage trucks, antique cars, logging
gear and a working steam sawmill.
Kids of all ages will enjoy train and
trolley rides, daily parade, huge flea
market, traditional tractor pulling,
machinery demos, threshing and quilt
show. This year the featured makes
are Aultman-Taylor and Rumely. Gen-
eral admission $12, children under 12
are free. Website: http://www.antique-
powerland.com/html/steam-up.html
Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 1-4
7th World Congress on Conser-
vation Agriculture. Rosario, Argenti-
na. A world meeting presented by the
American Confederation of Farmers
Organizations for a Sustainable Ag-
riculture, which began with associa-
tions of farmers that promoted the no
till system and are currently working
to promote sustainable production
systems. Website: http://congre-
soaapresid.org.ar/.
Friday, Aug. 4
9th Annual Friends of Agricul-
ture Golf Tournament. Chehalem
Glenn Golf Course, 4501 E. Fern-
wood Road, Newberg, Ore. The
tournament benefits Oregon Aglink,
which is dedicated to growing ag-
riculture in Oregon through educa-
tion and promotion and bridging the
gap between urban and rural Ore-
gonians. Contact Mallory Phelan at
503-595-9121 or mallory@aglink.
org. Website: www.aglink.org
20 Northwest Locations
Left Coast’s Run for the Oaks,
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Left Coast Cellars,
4225 N Pacific Highway W, Rick-
reall, Ore. The course will pre-
dominantly be on gravel roads or
off-road with trail and paved road
segments. The run will meander
throughout the Left Coast Cellars
estate and runners will pass oak
forests, vineyards and gardens with
spectacular views of the Willamette
Valley. All proceeds from the race,
food and wine sales for the day will
be devoted to the Oak Savanna
Restoration Project. 10K Trail Run:
$60 Start time 9 a.m. 5K Trail Run/
Walk: $50 Start time 9:15 a.m. Reg-
istration Includes complimentary
wine tasting; free Patagonia Cap-
ilene T-shirts; finishers receive a
GoVino wine glass; music, awards
and snacks. Left Coast Cellars has
over 100 acres of ecological com-
pensation areas and 70 acres of old
growth oak forest. Through time the
forest has become populated with
invasive species and our goal is to
restore the forest to a native oak
savanna. We have partnered with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Website: http://leftcoastcellars.com/
Saturday-Sunday
Aug. 5-6
Mother Earth News Fair. 9
a.m.-6 p.m. Linn County Expo,
3700 Knox Butte Road E., Alba-
ny, Ore. The Mother Earth News
Fairs are fun-filled, family-oriented
sustainable lifestyle events that
feature dozens of practical, hands-
on demonstrations and workshops
from the leading authorities on re-
newable energy, small-scale agri-
culture, gardening, green building,
1-800-765-9055
green transportation and natural
health. Cost: $15-50. Website:
http://www.motherearthnewsfair.
com/oregon/
47th Annual Great Oregon
Steam-Up. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Power-
land Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake
Road NE, Brooks, Ore. Packed
with vintage power, this annual
event celebrates the steam power,
machines and people who drove
Oregon agriculture, logging, trans-
portation and more from the 1800s
through early 1900s. Get upclose
to the team-power farm machinery,
vintage trucks, antique cars, logging
gear and a working steam sawmill.
Kids of all ages will enjoy train and
trolley rides, daily parade, huge flea
market, traditional tractor pulling,
machinery demos, threshing and
quilt show. This year the featured
makes are Aultman-Taylor and
Rumely. General admission $12,
children under 12 are free. Website:
http://www.antiquepowerland.com/
html/steam-up.html
Wednesday-Saturday
Aug. 9-12
Skagit County Fair. 10 a.m.-10
p.m. Skagit County Fairgrounds,
479 W. Taylor St., Mount Vernon,
Wash. Website:
https://www.
skagitcounty.net/Departments/Fair/
main.htm
Friday, Aug. 18-
Sunday, Aug. 27
Western Idaho Fair, noon-11
p.m. Western Idaho Fairgrounds,
5610 Glenwood St., Garden City,
Idaho. Website: http://www.idaho-
fair.com/
Entire contents copyright © 2017
EO Media Group
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Index
California ................................ 8
Dairy .....................................11
Idaho .................................... 10
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Oregon .................................. 9
Washington ........................... 7
Correction
The name of Zippy Duvall,
president of the American Farm
Bureau Federation, was incorrect
in a story in last week’s print
editions of the Capital Press.
The Capital Press regrets the
error.
Correction policy
Accuracy is important to Capital
Press staff and to our readers.
If you see a misstatement,
omission or factual error in a
headline, story or photo caption,
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We want to publish corrections to
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