SPARC - Strengthening Pear and Apple Resilience to Climate

January 17, 2025

Extreme temperature events—both heat and cold—have resulted in recent annual insurable losses exceeding $80 million for the U.S. apple and pear industry. These extreme temperature events are forecast to become more frequent. Our knowledge of apple and pear responses to hot and cold temperature extremes is based off older varieties and is insufficient to assess current and future risks for newer varieties.

Our group is made up of 22 scientists from six states (WA, OR, MI, NY, PA, ME) and seven institutions (WSU, OSU, Michigan, Cornell, Penn State, U Maine, and USDA-ARS). We are working to better understand the physiological responses of apple and pear trees to extreme temperatures and seeking to identify the genetic control of those responses, to help growers choose the best varieties to grow. We will also model historical and future risk of extreme temperature events and assess their economic impacts on apple and pear production, which can then inform capital investment decisions and regional cultivar choices. Ultimately, this research will help us refine (or develop new) strategies that continue to help growers limit losses from extreme temperatures.

You can help us achieve this goal. Please complete this voluntary, anonymous survey to help us understand how heat and cold are affecting your orchards and the strategies you use to minimize the resulting losses. Your responses will inform our research and extension activities, so that the tools we develop to assess the risk of losses to extreme temperatures and to mitigate these losses help sustain the U.S. as a leader in apple and pear production in light of the temperature extremes that we will increasingly face in the future.

Take the survey in English:

Survey link:https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyfLFPQZ3dHutUi

Complete la encuesta en español:

Enlace a la encuesta: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/...

Apples

Apricots

Asian Pears

Blueberries

Cherries

Currants

Gooseberries

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

Unusual Fruit

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Upcoming Events

From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan

January 7, 2025 : Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?

January 14, 2025 : Session 2: Introduction to Project Management

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

Session 2: Introduction to Project Management

January 21, 2025 : Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan

January 28, 2025 : Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition

February 4, 2025 : Session 5: Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

Session 5: Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals

February 11, 2025 : Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts

February 18, 2025 : Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements

February 25, 2025 : Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers

March 4, 2025 : Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise

View From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan Details

Advisory Committee Meeting - Program & Project Updates

February 26, 2025
Spencerport, NY

Please join us for our advisory meeting, join the team as they share their current and future projects and programming. Please pre-register by noon on February 24th.

View Advisory Committee Meeting - Program & Project Updates Details