The ANUK team headed up north to join Mark Zirkle, President of Rainier Fruit Company, at one of the company's blueberry orchards in Paterson, WA. Rainier Fruit is creating a niche during the summer months by growing organic blueberries on their own Central Washington family acreage and competing with "locally" grown blueberries in other parts of the United States. "Our varieties have excellent size, firmness and flavor which exceed customer expectations. Our soil and our climate make our blueberries different from those grown in other parts of the country", stated Mr. Zirkle. Rainier is able to take advantage of the long warm days and cool nights, combined with well-draining volcanic soil, dry summers and careful management of the soil environment create fruit of exceptional flavor and quality. Studious attention to mulching, organic applications and water management produce "beautiful, delicious fruit".<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
