Gary A. Moulton
WSU – Northwestern Washington Research & Extension Center
16650 S.R. 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
360-848-6131
e-mail: gamoulton@wsu.edu
Gary Moulton has worked since 1980 in the Fruit Horticulture department of the NWREC research station. In 1991 he took over the management, direction, and leadership of the Fruit Research program. He holds a Master’s Degree from WSU in Plant Pathology specializing in fruit diseases, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pomology/Fruit Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
The comprehensive mission of fruit research at NWREC Mount Vernon is to evaluate different tree fruit and small fruit resources for their potential as high value added alternative crops. Currently the Wine Grape research project is a major aspect of that program. In cooperation with area wine growers and wine makers, research is exploring the production of high quality wines from grape varieties uniquely suited to cool maritime climate conditions.
Another project in cooperation with area cider makers involves a trial of apple varieties specifically bred for hard (fermented) cider production, and the evaluation of ciders and other beverages with commercial sales potential, such as carbonated juices.
Much of the time Gary hasspent in fruit research has involved not only the planning and layout of trials, but also the hands-on work of fruit culture. This has enabled him to observe the performance of different fruit varieties and judge the effectiveness of cultural methods as applied in the field. Having grown up working in orchards since he was in grade school, he is a very experienced hands-on pomologist. In addition to his work for WSU, for 9 years he was also a partner and manager of a commercial apple orchard operation in the Skagit Valley.
By actively working with commercial growers specializing in Jonagold production, he coordinated some useful research in this area, and summarized this material in a bulletin, EB1804 Growing Jonagold in Western Washington (1995). EB2001 Growing Wine Grapes in Maritime Western Washington, which summarizes the results of the wine grape trials from 2000–2005 is in press (November 2005). Two more publications in process of review are New Alternative Fruit Crops for Western Washington and a long awaited update and revision of EB0937 titled Fruit Handbook for Western Washington: Varieties & Culture. Both of these publications should be available December 2005–January 2006.
In addition to his publications, Gary has co-produced a widely used instructional video on pruning fruit trees. He is also involved in teaching master gardener programs, working with commercial orchardists and nursery professionals, and bringing the results of the fruit research programs to fruit hobbyist and fruit clubs. These topics have dealt with all the major elements of fruit and grape varietal and cultural research and production. He understands the needs of both the commercial grower and the home hobbyist, and his research is directed to serve both their needs. These projects have also been supported financially by both groups.