MSHS incoming president optimistic about future

By Matt McCallum
Publisher

Joe Klein is optimistic about the future of the apple industry - if growers embrace new technology and varieties to give the consumer a better quality apple.

"Last year was a good example of what supply and demand can do to price," the incoming Michigan State Horticultural Society (MSHS) president said. "In the marketplace we have to work on increasing consumption and we can do this by giving the public a better product. We need to do a better job of growing not quantity, but quality."

The Sparta, Mich., apple grower owns and operates Royal J. Klein & Son with his wife Sharon. Joe's father Royal and his brother Ken started the farm. It was originally a mix of fruit trees and dairy cows until the brothers decided to split the farm with Royal taking the fruit and Ken taking the cows. Royal, now 88, still shows up to work on the farm every day and is a great help. His wife, Irene, also still helps around the farm when needed.

Joe and Sharon have two children, Kara, 28, and Joe, 32. Kara is married and works in property management. Their son, Joe, left the farm and attended Michigan State University (MSU) where he earned a degree in turf grass management. He went on to get married and get a job as a golf course superintendent in southeast Michigan - until he got lonely for the farm. In 1997 he asked his father if he could come back.

"I never told him to stay on the farm. I wanted him to come back, but he had to make his own decision," Joe said. Son Joe now owns his own apple orchard nearby and helps with the main farm. His wife, Colleen works off the farm, but helps on the weekends. They have a three-year-old son Austin.

Growing operation

Today, the Royal J. Klein & Son operation grows 200 acres of apples including Red Delicious, Rome, Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Empire, Idared, Jonagold, Jonathan, Honeycrisp and a few other varieties. The operation has always grown for the fresh market and today sends 90 percent to that channel. The fresh apples are packed and marketed through nearby Jack Brown Produce, where Joe has been a board member for more than 35 years.

"We've always tried to be on the forefront of new varieties," Joe said. "We were one of the first to plant Gala and have now pulled out the first block we planted because of newer, redder strains that we have replaced them with."

Growing the better varieties isn't enough. The apple industry must also make it a priority to get the apples to the consumer in better shape than they have in the past, Joe said. Using technology like CA storage in combination with SmartFresh (1-MCP) should allow growers to increase firmness by a couple of pounds and give the consumer a crisper apple, he said.

"If we can go to market with apples in better shape, we can increase consumption, increase demand and put more money in our pockets," Joe said. "I'm not an advocate of getting bigger. We must get better"

New venture

The Kleins have also jumped onto the farm market bandwagon. Their operation is situated on the corner of two busy roads - they had always known the spot would be a perfect spot to sell their fruit.

"I saw the need to diversify because all our eggs were in one basket," Joe said. "Apples were the only things we've ever grown." When Joe first heard about the Gisela dwarfing sweet cherry system, he knew it was the opportunity to expand into the u-pick market because the trees were small and easy to pick.

The first trees were planted in 1998 right by the road so people could see them. He has planted 2,500 trees on six acres.

"I like to grow them because it's a change from apples and very interesting," he said. "The first block I like to call my mistake block. The second block is better and the third is the best.

I got all the advice I could, especially from Wally Heuser of Summit Sales and many MSU researchers." The foray into farm marketing has been a huge success for the Kleins, Joe said. Three years ago the stand was only open one week. Last year the stand was open three days because of the small crop. This year they stayed open the entire month of July.

Running the stand is a real family affair. All the Kleins pitch in to weigh the buckets, collect the money and show people were to pick. The stand is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and also offers already-picked cherries.

"This is the neatest experience we've ever had," Joe said. "Getting the positive comments from people is probably the most gratify experience I've had as a fruit grower. And, no one complains about the price. Everyone is cheerful because they want the product."

One group came to the farm one Sunday with more than 50 family members and left with 200 pounds of cherries. Another couple from New York City who was in the area stopped because the woman had never seen an orchard before.

"She said it was the best fun she'd ever had," Joe said. "On the way back to New York they stopped by and bought some more."

This is the first time in 30 years that Joe has been face to face with the people who buy his fruit. "Normally I drop off the fruit at the packinghouse and we let someone else do the marketing," he said.

"This was real eye opening because people are willing to pay a high price for your fruit if it is high quality."

Hort society

The MSHS has become more politically active in the last year since it has hired retired Southwest Michigan fruit grower Allyn Anthony.

"We now have a voice at the legislature and MSU through Allyn," Joe said. "The things that affect us as growers, he is giving our input at these meetings and this is a tremendous opportunity for our growers."

Joe will take over as president of MSHS at its annual meeting held during The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo, Dec. 9-11 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

He said he wants to continue the political activity because "we have to know these (legislative) people on a first name basis."

One of the hottest issues that MSHS has tackled this year is getting the State of Michigan to enforce its abandoned orchard law. As many older growers develop their land or split off parcels, the new landowners are not keeping up the orchards, increasing pest and disease pressure on the neighboring active orchards.

"The law is on the books, and it's not being enforced," Joe said. "We are working hard to get this done."

Growers need to become more active in the MSHS because the organization is doing many things for growers, Joe said.

"We are the voice for growers in Michigan and we need their support," he said. "There is power in numbers. Growers must make it a priority to join the hort society and come down to the Great Lakes Expo to see what's going on and take advantage of that great meeting."

---

© 2003 | Great American Publishing | All Rights Reserved
The Fruit Growers News
616-887-9008 | fax 616-887-2666 | email