Orchardists may spend plenty of time walking the rows of trees,
planting, pruning and harvesting fruit. But they also need to be able to run
a business.
"We go to all kinds of conferences to keep up on the latest
trends in the fruit industry and we subscribe to a lot of different fruit
growing magazines too," says Cheryl Siemens, an orchardist. "You need to be
able to read these to find out new information."
You are an American
orchardist thinking of moving your production north to Canada. Will it be
the same producing fruit in Canada as it was growing crops in California?
There's
only one way to find out -- research! Read the following Agriculture Canada
excerpt about fruit production to see if there will be any major differences:
While
Canadian fruit producers are competitive in many crops, they are often faced
with higher costs than producers in countries with warmer temperatures and
milder winters (because they have to deal with a colder climate and a shorter
growing season).
Fruits have a variety of end uses. They can be enjoyed
fresh or processed for use as juice, sauces, wines, ciders, dried fruit or
jams and jellies. Fruit can be dried, canned or frozen for preservation. Other
uses for fruits include flavoring, oils, dyes and cosmetics. Many of these
products are also used by the bakery trade as well as by ice cream and yogurt
manufacturers.
An exciting development in the last decade is the number
of new fruit varieties and production techniques adapted to the Canadian climate.
Vinifera grape varieties are doing very well in Canada and as a result have
created a boom in the wine industry.
New varieties of peaches, blueberries,
raspberries, strawberries, kiwis, blackberries, currants and gooseberries
have also been adapted to Canada's climate through breeding programs emphasizing
hardiness and seasonal adaptation.
Because of Canada's varied climate,
scientists are continually developing and enhancing technology from around
the world to maximize production in our shorter growing season. Plants must
be able to grow in a short season with long sunlight hours and researchers
are always adapting new varieties to these conditions.
Biotechnology
is also influencing the fruit industry as researchers try to bring improved
products to consumers in Canada and abroad.
(Excerpted with permission
from Publication 1916E, Revised 1999, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada press
releases)