Western Fruit Grower: Through Sweet And Sour

IF you're a fruit or nut grower, you're likely all too familiar with the shortage of honeybees available to pollinate your crops. If you're an almond grower, you're acutely aware. Not only are massive numbers of hives needed to pollinate California's $1 billion-plus almond crop, but as the first tree fruit or nut crop to bloom, almonds are the first crop to suffer with shortages this year.

The cause of the shortage is well-documented. It's largely due to a nasty little parasite, the Varroa mite, that infests hives, weakening the bees and eventually wiping out entire colonies. Contributing problems include American Foulbrood Disease and the fact that honey's popularity has soared, leading some beekeepers to get out of the pollination business and into honey production.

In any case, growers are simply going to have to live with the shortages in the near future. It's tough times like these that make growers appreciate the value of strong, lasting business relationships. After all, everybody loves a winner. If you've ever been to a casino and heard the gleeful shouts coming from the craps tables, you know how popular a hot shooter can be.

Follow The Golden Rule

I got to thinking about that recently while touring the extensive ranches of Baker Farming Co., where they grow almonds, winegrapes, and pomegranates in Firebaugh, CA. One of the two brother-partners, Barry Baker, was giving me a tour in his pickup - his delightfully mannered two-year-old daughter softly cooing in the back seat - when he had to take a cell phone call. During this time of year, taking a call from his beekeeper probably runs a close second to one from his wife.

But unlike the conversations endured by several growers in 2005, this wasn't bad news. In fact, Baker was telling the beekeeper that he appreciated the fact that the man wasn't gouging him on price this year, as some other beekeepers have reportedly done. It's the ugly side of the law of supply and demand, I'm afraid.

Baker, however, didn't stop at merely thanking the man. He told the beekeeper that he would be paying him a premium for the bees this year because he appreciated how fairly he had been treated. "Call it a bonus," Baker said over the phone, chuckling.

I couldn't help but think that this was one of the keys to Baker's obvious success. Sure, he follows many of the keys to success we highlight in American/Western Fruit Grower. (He's featured in this month's cover story in part for innovative irrigation, an example of researching strategies to cut costs.) He's also vertically integrated, from growing the trees in a nursery all the way to taking the nuts to the roasting and chopping stage as a partner with Hughson Nut Co.

But what will always stick out in my mind when I think about Baker is how he rewarded his business associate to show how much he appreciated fair treatment in tough times. That's a valuable lesson to remember - in good times and bad.

deddy@meistermedia.com