INTERVIEW WITH CASS

Q: Gebbers Farms will celebrate 115 years in 2025. What is the key to its success?
A: Hard work, family values, a strong faith, and a little luck. Well, maybe more than a little luck. The most significant factor in our success is that we love farming. The generations before us “scratched the gravel” (had it) harder than I ever did, and I don’t want to fail them. None of us (the family) want to disappoint those who came before us. There is also a tremendous satisfaction in knowing that our farm provides fruit to someone across the road, country, or even the world that can make a difference in their health. Honestly, before I learned I was diabetic, I didn’t eat many apples. I didn’t know that apples don’t raise blood sugar because they contain fiber. Now, I eat them all the time as part of my diet. I’m proud to know the fruit we grow can help others, too.

Cass Gebbers, his siblings and Grandma Reba

Q: What’s it like working with family?
A: My four siblings, at least 20 of my son Clay’s generation, and I work on the farm. We each have specific jobs and always challenge each other to do and be better. We have family meetings, and if we ever get into a tangle with one another, we resolve it between us—never in front of employees. The best part of working with family is that we get to work with our best friends every day.

Q: What role do employees play on a family farm?
A: We cannot grow, harvest, pick, pack, or ship one piece of fruit without our employees. We respect all our employees, value their skills, and are proud to donate to the local schools, daycare, Boys & Girls Club, and services that benefit their communities. We are incredibly blessed to have employees who have worked alongside us for decades. They have seen my kids grow up and are an essential part of our farm family.

Q: What was it like when you were growing up on the farm?
A: My brothers, sisters, and I grew up hearing stories from the older generations about how the farm was founded and the hard work it took to make a go of it. I remember changing the water lines in the apple orchards with my mom every morning. She is an amazing woman. She is 91 years old, and her faith keeps our family together. My dad was the first to grow Lapin cherries in Washington. Others said it couldn’t be done, but he took a chance. We are truly blessed to have known “the old guys” and learned from them.

Q: What would you say to those who perceive only the idyllic farm of the early 1900s with a cow in the barn, a chicken in the yard, and a small crop qualifies as an actual family farm?
A: It isn’t complicated. A family makes a family farm. If a farm is owned and operated by family members, it is a family farm regardless of the size. Gebbers Farms, which is family-owned and operated, is the largest cherry farm in the U.S. and one of the largest apple growers in the U.S.

If a farmer with one cow, a chicken, and a small orchard has children and wants them to have a choice to stay on the farm and earn a living, then he must grow the farm. And if his grandchildren want to earn a living working the farm, it must grow again. It is simple math. Over time, Gebbers Farms has diversified into cattle, fruit, and hospitality to support the six generations who have chosen to make the farm their lives. With faith, hard work, and luck, it will be around to support the seventh generation.

Q: Along those lines, how do you keep the next generation on the farm?
A: I don’t. They have to choose to be on the farm. Many of the fifth generation went away to school, and some came back, and some didn’t. My job is to ensure the farm can support those who want to work it. We all have to find our own path in life, and, as a family, we support one another whether or not that path involves working on the farm.

Q: What keeps you going when volatile weather, increasing costs, low market prices, and day-to-day operational challenges pile up?
A: I remind myself of six fundamentals—three business-related and three cultural. From a business perspective, we focus on cost, conversion, and FOB (Freight on Board) shipping terms. As individuals and a company, we must always conduct ourselves with honesty, transparency, and humility. When we stay true to those fundamentals, I believe we can overcome the many challenges that make farming hard but rewarding.

Q: I’ve heard about “The Granny Orchard.” What is it, and why is it so special?
A: In 1968, my dad planted one of the first Granny Smith orchards in the country. “The Big Grannies” are one of those original orchards and still produce commercial fruit today. At the time, only red apples were sold in stores, and consumers weren’t used to seeing green apples. People told my dad he’d “never sell a green apple.” It was also thought that a late-season apple variety would never grow in Washington state. He planted Grannies anyway. He believed consumers wanted something different, and, from a merchandising perspective, the green would help break the red apples on the display shelves, increasing the sales of red apples while giving consumers something new and exciting to try. He was right.

Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: I know the farm will succeed because we (the family) can rely on each other. But when I let myself worry, I wonder how many more generations will continue to farm. We all want to give the next generation more than we had, but it is a fine line between spoiling someone so they have greater expectations than the farm can provide and making it so hard that they never want to farm again. Even in farming, there needs to be a work-life balance. For example, no matter how hard I worked on the farm, my dad always gave me time to play ball (basketball). Everyone, including employees, needs to enjoy time outside of work.

Q. Why has per capita consumption of fresh apples in the United States been relatively flat since 2000?
A. If I knew the answer to that question, I could sell it for much more than our entire apple farm. I think it is a couple of factors: 1) as an industry, we should focus on fruit quality and work together to increase overall demand instead of pulling out orchards to accommodate declining demand, and 2) Americans eat about 3-5 fewer apples a year than our European counterparts. That may not sound like a lot, but if every American ate 3 to 5 more apples a year, American apple growers would sell millions of more pounds of apples and keep more apple farmers in business.

Q. Can you elaborate on that?
A. If consumers have a bad experience eating an apple, they won’t immediately return to buy another apple. Apple farmers shoot themselves in the foot when poor-quality fruit is in the marketplace. We must ensure that consumers have a good experience every time they bite an apple. 

Q. Why should consumers eat more apples?
A. Apples are high in fiber, low in sodium and cholesterol, and sweet but don’t increase blood sugar. I have Type II diabetes, and I eat one every day. Also, research shows that apples are an excellent source of vitamin C and can help your brain and protect your heart. There are so many different varieties—Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady apples, Rockit apples—literally one for every preference. 

Q. What can apple farmers do to increase U.S. apple consumption?
A. We (farmers) should work together to increase overall per capita consumption. This involves more than selling to local retailers. It means gaining the support of nationwide retailers and health insurance companies to promote and reward healthier eating. For example, within the Chelan Fresh™ grower community, multigenerational growers work together to increase consumption under the Joyfully Grown™ label. I’m not saying that this is the only way to increase consumption. I’m saying that all apple growers should make increasing overall apple consumption one of their primary goals. It isn’t about any one farm; it is about saving all of them. 

Q. What is Joyfully Grown™?
A. Joyfully Grown is more than a brand; it is a way of farming. It is a commitment to nurture, honor, and respect people, the planet, and our food. I truly believe that how we treat others, care for the natural resources around us, and grow and handle our fruit is essential to our values and our mission. The Joyfully Grown label manifests our joy of farming and our desire to share that with consumers.

Q. What are some of the newer technologies being used on farms?
A. I’ve noticed more drones being used to monitor crops, including pears, apples, and cherries. AI is used to predict packing, warehouse, sales, and delivery flow. Robotics in the warehouse are becoming more common, too.

Q. What future technologies aren’t on the farm yet?
A. Robotics work well in packing facilities, but automated pickers aren’t yet reliable in the orchards. The uneven terrain and hills can be a challenge. Also, we tested an automated tractor on our farm. It was impressive and worked okay, but it’s tough to justify the cost with the market the way it is now. Many developers and companies are putting a lot of effort into making these technologies feasible, so I do not doubt that sooner rather than later, it will happen.