Ag consultants for Pacific Northwest small fruits growers since 1992

Tom Peerbolt, Senior Consultant, created Peerbolt Crop Management Incorporated in 1992 and began working with small fruit growers in Southwest Washington and Oregon the same year. Since that time, we have steadily expanded the number of acres under contract and expanded our research program. Our emphasis has been on increasing the profitability and sustainability of our clients through integrated pest management, on-farm research, and increasing the communication and cooperation between growers, processors, industry representatives, and public sector institutions (WSU, OSU, USDA). On-going education is also a factor in our business. Our participation has grown steadily in the off-season schedule of workshops and conferences.Tom Peerbolt has over 30 years experience in horticulture, including a plant science degree from UC Davis in 1987, ownership of a retail nursery and experience in wholesale nursery management.

Anna Peerbolt worked as a journalist, and in PR and marketing in New York City, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Winters, CA. before she and Tom moved to Oregon in 1992. Once settled, she opened a marketing business until, in 1999, in response to the growth of PCM, she joined Tom, taking on the responsibilities of the office and the bookkeeping. Through the years, she picked up an understanding of computer-Internet-networking technology, and soon added web site design and maintenance to the business, allowing PCM to offer new services, including broadcast emailing for the Small Fruit Update newsletter, this business web site and the other sites belonging to Peerbolt Crop Management.

Julie Pond is the Scout Supervisor and Research Technician at Peerbolt Crop Management. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Horticulture and a minor in Biotechnology from the University of Saskatchewan in 2006. Along with supervising field scouts, she is also assisting in ongoing research projects. Much of her past experience involves plant pathology research, microbiology testing, and nursery production. She has been employed at Peerbolt Crop Management since March 2008.

Beth Robinson is the GIS Manager and Office Assistant at Peerbolt Crop Management. She is also doing some scouting during the 2009 season. Hired in November 2007, Beth provides administrative and website support as well as handles the mapping and GPS aspects of PCM. Her past experience in Ag includes serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 2005-2007 in the Natural Resource Management sector. Beth earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2004 from Loyola University New Orleans, double majoring in Modern Foreign Language and English and minoring in History. She is currently pursuing a Geographic Information Systems Graduate Certificate at Portland State University.

 

Every year, PCM hires seasonal workers with a background in agriculture and/or science to scout clients' fields and also help with research projects. The PCM services are offered to growers from the Woodland area, north of Vancouver, Washington, to the Salem/Woodburn areas south of Portland, Oregon. We are also in the process of developing long-distance services that incorporate email and Internet interaction as well as scheduled on-farm visits. In addition, PCM is involved in on-farm research. If you are interested in further information, please contact us.

2009 Scouts

Emily Scott is on board for another season to scout Hillsboro fields as well as some fields on Sauvie Island and in SW Washington. She graduated in 2007 from the University of Oregon, with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Geography, with a focus on Agriculture. With all the scouting experience she has under her belt she has become our ‘Master Scout’ this year. She is off to volunteer for the Peace Corps later this year.

Hannah Goodwin is dedicated to keeping in touch with the Willamette Valley Fruit Company fields for the season. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and Botany from Oregon State University in 2008. Her eyes in the fields and her zeal for working outdoors will help throughout the growing season.

Melissa McChesney is our Southwest Washington field scout technician this season and will be scouting strawberry and caneberry fields. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Hawaii Pacific University in 2008. Her background in Plant Science and her past fieldwork will come in handy for this scouting season. She will be volunteering for the Peace Corps after finishing the PCM scouting season.

Click here to see pictures from previous scouting seasons