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The 2026 FIRA-USA conference brought all kinds of ag tech equipment and conversation to Yakima, Washington, this week. We cover some breaking news from Reservoir Farms and take a deep dive into what automation adoption means for a company's culture with Derek Tomasini of Stemilt Growers.

In this inaugural episode of Sound Bites, the podcast from Good Fruit Grower, we talk to Paul Cathcart, area manager for Washington Fruit Growers, about his approach to ag tech and his advice for growers heading to the FIRA-USA tech conference in Yakima, Washington, Oct. 20–22. The episode also features a sponsor spotlight conversation with Jim Adams from Willow Drive Nursery.

We're putting the final touches on something new here at Good Fruit Grower and we can't wait to share it with you. While we get get the first episode ready for next week, we wanted to share a little introduction to the podcast, our new studio, and other new things around the Washington State Fruit Commission building in Yakima. That includes new president Eric Patrick, who joins managing editor Shannon Dininny for this special mini-episode.