February 2020 - 1

Food production
industry entering era of
automation expansion
New grower shares
struggles, successes in
starting new farm
10
14
22
Two generations of
Georgia's Dickey Farms
honored by peers
February 2020 | Volume 59 |
Issue 2
due diligence
Doing
Ground-harvested fruit,
with care, OK for cider use
Bri Ewing Valliere, clinical assistant professor, Washington State University's School of Food Science, outlines the guidelines for using ground-harvested cider apples. Photos: Bri Ewing Valliere
By Gary Pullano
Managing Editor
The global cider market size was
estimated at $4.33 billion in 2018, and
is anticipated to register an annual
growth rate of 3.1% through 2025.
Fruit growers remain intrigued by
the prospect of expanded outlets for
their products in the cider-making
market, but processes involved in
harvesting and marketing the fruit
require special care.
Using ground-harvested fruit for
cider production must be done in
compliance with the Food Safety
Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce
Safety Rule. Apples that have come
in contact with the ground outside of
normal harvesting methods may be
used for human consumption only if
there has been adequate processing to
reduce food safety concerns.
Bri Ewing Valliere, clinical
assistant professor, Washington State
University's School of Food Science,
stressed the importance of following
proper procedures in a presentation
to growers and hard cider producers
at the Northwest Michigan Orchard &
Vineyard Show in Acme, Michigan.
Cider can be made from any apple.
" Cider apples " refers to cider-specific
cultivars that are typically considered
either bittersweet or bittersharp.
These apples serve no alternative
purpose and are destined for alcoholic
fermentation for cider.
Because they are unlikely to be
consumed raw, as of January 2019,
cider apples, winegrapes and hops
were considered " raw produce destined
See KANTOR, page 6
Technology is on the move for growers
By Christine Corbett Conklin
FGN Correspondent
It sounds like science fiction:
Robotic vehicles moving up and down
orchard and vineyard rows, gathering
information to guide growers in
everything from harvesting to disease
detection and pruning.
Yet, that technology is under
development right now, according to
George Kantor, senior systems scientist
with Carnegie Mellon University in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Addressing the
Washington State Tree Fruit Association's
Annual Meeting & Horticultural Expo
in December in Wenatchee, Washington,
Kantor outlined how this cutting-edge
technology will help growers.
For a number of years, automated
vehicles have existed, sometimes
rigged with cameras and large lighting
equipment to take pictures of fruit.
A camera card would then be taken
back to the research lab for processing.
However, rapid advances in computer
technology now make it possible to
produce sophisticated 3D models, with
information directly available from
the field, said Kantor who works in
the Robotics Institute, a division of the
university's School of Computer Science.
" There's a special kind of computer
system - GPU (Graphics Processing
Unit) - that makes computer games
work so well, " he said. It's also really
good for work in the field because it is
See CIDER, page 8
GEORGE KANTOR
February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2020
