April 2023 - 9

NASS SUCCESS
Large turnout
Conference attendance was high, said Kevin
Schooley, executive director of the Welland, Ontario,
Canada-based NASGA. Up to 375 attendees from
more than 17 countries, including South Africa,
Australia and Canada, trekked to the central California
coastal city to learn the latest on strawberry research
and production practices.
" We had extraordinary turnout, " Schooley said.
" This show is seeing very strong attendance. It's close
to the best we have ever had for the symposium. "
Despite the inclement weather and tour
cancellation, the symposium was an overall
success, he said.
" The attendance shows the strong industry
involvement and the vibrance in the industry, "
Schooley said. " Attendees see a lot of research
going on. With COVID easing, people get to see
colleagues they haven't seen in a while. This show
brings together people from different countries.
The participants enjoy sharing information and
networking. Many growers find suppliers here. "
The show featured numerous sessions on
technology, as well as pest and disease management,
breeding, genetics and genomics, organics and
other topics.
In his presentation on California strawberry
industry trends and prospects, Holmes discussed
robotic harvesting. At one time, as many as five
companies were testing harvesting equipment in
California. Today, two companies remain in the space,
he said.
" The technology wasn't as far along as it is now, "
Holmes said. " Tremendous progress has been made.
This is highly proprietary technology that is in the
development stages. "
Todd Stacy of Stacy Family Farm in Marietta, Ohio,
attended a session on automation in production
and harvesting.
" The technological information is very
impressive, " he said. " We have some ideas for niche
marketing that we can put strawberries in, but labor
would be an issue. "
This was the first time the southeast Ohio grower
attended the conference.
" We go to many strawberry conferences, " Stacy
said. " This show is very interesting. It's definitely a lot
more in-depth here than some others. "
Alex Russomagno, business development and
strategy for Apeel Sciences, said she appreciates the
global presence at the event.
" Having representation outside of California is really
helpful, " she said. " There's so much data. It's good
to hear, listen and understand the landscape of the
industry which is here. "
Authorized Distributor of Orchard-Rite® Wind Machines
Superior Wind Machine Service, Inc.
616-971-8177 orchard-rite.com
FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM | 9
When one cold night can ruin
an entire year's hard work...
It's best to play it safe.
Since 1967, we have hand-crafted our wind machines with
precision technology. We take pride in the details, which is why
growers from around the world trust Orchard-Rite® wind
machines to protect their mature stock and new plantings from
the dangers of frost.
Adding ORCell™ to your AutoStart system
allows you to remotely operate, monitor
and manage your wind machines from
anywhere in the world with internet
connection. ORCell™ saves you time
and reduces labor costs!
Over 38,000 Wind Machines Sold Worldwide!
A Global Frost Protection Management System
http://www.orchard-rite.com http://www.FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM
April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2023
