Croptracker is excited to be featuring Columbia Fruit in our Customer Spotlight series. Since 2018, Columbia Fruit has been using Croptracker’s Punch Clock and Spray modules. Discover how Columbia Fruit leverages Croptracker’s employee management and spray tools to improve efficiency, track costs and activities and support audit processes. For this blog, we spoke with Farm Manager, Garrett Dolan. Garret has been at Columbia Fruit for the last 2 seasons and took on managing employees and ensuring proper record-keeping with Columbia Farm’s existing Croptracker workflow.
Columbia Fruit is a 4th generation family-owned and operated farm in Woodland Washington. Since 1959, the Peterson family has been working the land, transitioning from dairy farming to berries in the mid-1980s. They currently grow and pack premium, fresh frozen fruit mixes for retail, and wholesale for food service and manufacturers. On-site, they grow blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and sometimes strawberries and rhubarb. For the fruit that does not grow in Washington, like bananas, Columbia Fruit often imports directly for the mixed packages.
To help manage their nutrient and plant protection applications schedule across nearly 2000 acres, Columbia Fruit works with several agronomists. After receiving a recommendation from an agronomist, Garrett will adjust the application rates using Croptracker’s customizable spray rate and application pattern features. Garrett will then decide on precise implementation timing and assign the spray applications to staff. This ensures the tank mix is accurately calculated for real world conditions – Columbia Fruit’s sprayers and growing area borders and current weather conditions. To help ease audit processes, including Global GAP, WSDA and USDA, Garrett prints and compiles all spray records from Croptacker.
We use Croptracker really heavily for activity blocks. … I'll add an activity that the supervisor wants to be a part of that field. And then because there's a difference between cutting the plants and retraining them up, [I can] tell you exactly how much each process costs.
Garrett manages several farm supervisors and a large staff to complete tasks around the farm. All permanent and seasonal employees track their labour and activities in Croptracker’s Punch Clock module. At the beginning of the day, workers will report to supervisors who use the mobile application process to badge in workers to specific locations and assign activities. As workers change tasks throughout the day, supervisors are able to easily move workers from one area and activity to another using their mobile devices. Garrett is then able to correct any mistakes or misattributed records remotely using Croptracker’s ‘Work Log Admin’ features.
In 2024, I was able to, in one field, save 10% on pruning with Croptracker.
The Employee Worklog Report is crucial. I use it every week - Garret Dolan
Columbia Fruit is a shining example of how technology can be seamlessly integrated into traditional farming practices to drive efficiency, compliance, and cost savings. By leveraging Croptracker’s Punch Clock and Spray modules, Columbia Fruit has been able to optimize labor management, track spray applications accurately, and maintain detailed records for audits—all while staying true to their commitment to quality and sustainability.
Garrett Dolan’s experience demonstrates how Croptracker can empower growers to make informed decisions that directly impact the bottom line. By using real-world data to adjust spray rates and monitor labor costs, Columbia Fruit has achieved measurable success. These savings not only highlight the value of Croptracker but also underscore the importance of continuous improvement in agriculture.
As a family farm with nearly seven decades of experience, Columbia Fruit’s ability to adapt to modern tools and practices while maintaining their core values is inspiring. Their story serves as a testament to the power of innovation in farming and shows how technology can support both operational efficiency and compliance in today’s increasingly complex agricultural landscape.
Croptracker is proud to partner with Columbia Fruit and other forward-thinking farms that are shaping the future of agriculture. By combining tradition with technology, these farms are setting new standards for productivity and sustainability—ensuring that they continue to thrive for generations to come.
