In 1910, Washington state had more than 27,000 commercial farms that grew apples, according to data from the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.
A little over a century later — as of 2012, the latest year data was available — the state had 2,839.
The number of commercial tree fruit farms has dropped drastically, and the companies left are bigger and vertically integrated operations. But most, if not all, firms remain family-owned.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Yakima Herald