May 2021 - 39

INDUSTRY NEWS
Organic event
set for December
The Organic Produce Network and
Western Growers have formed a
strategic partnership reflecting the
importance
of organic
production
and
announced
that Western Growers will be the
presenting sponsor of the Organic
Grower Summit 2021.
" Organic Grower Summit 2021
presented by Western Growers
and OPN " will be held at the
Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort in
Monterey, California, on Dec. 1-2.
Exhibitor registration will open in
May with general registration slated
to open in June.
The live and in-person event
provides growers firsthand
knowledge and information in a
variety of areas ranging from agtech
to food safety to sustainability.
" The Organic Grower Summit is
a great opportunity for growers in
either position to get the latest in
innovation and industry trends that
are impacting the organic segment
for fresh produce, " Dave Puglia,
president and CEO of Western
Growers, said in a news release.
" Partnering with WGA will solidify
the Organic Grower Summit as the
best place for organic specialty
crop growers to get all the latest
information on the organic
industry, " said Matt Seeley, CEO and
co-founder of OPN.
Food box cuts get
United Fresh response
Americans who gained access to
healthy fresh produce throughout
the COVID-19 pandemic, we are
deeply disappointed in USDA's
decision to end the food box
program, " United Fresh Produce
Association said in a news release.
" This decision is shortsighted,
and comments disparaging the
program are a slap in the face to
the thousands of volunteers, nonprofits,
regional food distributors
and farmers who worked together
in communities across the country
to deliver healthy foods to people in
their time of greatest need. "
Produce sales dip;
demand still high
March 2020 experienced the
biggest spikes in the history of
grocery retailing as the nation
bought supplies to fill their
freezers, fridges and pantries in
preparation for shelter in place.
After an initial flurry of trips in
mid-March 2021, the number of
store visits fell far below year-ago
levels whereas the average basket
ring came in well ahead of the prepandemic
normal.
" In
fruit,
the line
up of the
top 10
measured
in dollar sales is fairly typical, " said
Joe Watson, VP of membership
and engagement for the Produce
Marketing Association. " Berries
are the untouchable No. 1, nearly
doubling the sales of No. 2, apples.
That is followed by the typical
powerhouses of bananas, grapes
and avocados. Citrus fruit continues
to do very well with mandarins,
oranges and lemons all in the top
10 in dollar sales. "
The USDA will end the Farmers to
Families Food Box program in May.
" We're going to continue to
provide healthy food but we're
going to do it through the most
efficient system that we have. The
reality is the food box program was
set up to respond to COVID. There
were a lot of problems with it, a
lot of problems, " said Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a
congressional hearing on April 14.
The remainder of the money
that was allocated to the food box
program will be used to support
existing food aid programs, and the
agency is planning to start a new
produce box program run through
food banks.
" On behalf of the millions of
Seven out of the top 10
selling fruits lost ground versus
the tremendous sales spikes of
2020. The notable exception is
berries that in addition to being
the biggest seller still managed
robust sales increases both in
the comparison to the 2019 prepandemic
normal (+28.6%) and the
year-on-year view (+9.2%).
Winegrowers group
honors industry leaders
The Washington Winegrowers
Association recognized four
industry leaders in early March
for their achievements during the
annual Convention & Trade Show
in Kennewick, Washington.
Dave Minick, owner and
founding winemaker of Willow
Crest Wine Estates and recently
retired vineyard director for
Precept Wine, Willow Crest's
The Illinois State Horticultural
Society announced the return of its
in-person Summer Horticulture Field
Day at Edwards Apple Orchard West
in Winnebago, Illinois.
The Edwards family invites guests
to tour their orchard and farm
market operation on June 10 for the
annual event. The orchard has been
open for over 30 years and features
18 different varieties of apples from
partner company received the
Grower of the Year Award for
demonstrating viticultural skills
that provide impact in the vineyard
and in the bottle.
over 8,500 trees, freshly made apple
cider and their famous apple cider
donuts.
Kent Waliser, general manager
of Sagemoor Vineyards in Pasco,
received the Industry Service
Award for a lifetime of service
impacting the grape and wine
industry. Waliser comes from a
long line of growers in MiltonFreewater.
Waliser has had a vision
for the Washington wine industry
and spent his career working on
pillars of education, research and
collaboration.
Mike Sauer, owner of Red Willow
Vineyard, received the Lifetime
Achievement Award to recognize
nearly 50 years of extraordinary
contributions to Washington wine
industry history. Sauer began
Red Willow Vineyard in the early
1970s. He was on the forefront
of implementing drip irrigation,
new varieties, trellis systems, field
blends, clones, building quality
through soil biology, nutrition and
sustainable practices. He lobbied
for the start of the Washington
Wine Commission, served on its
board and also served as chair
of the Washington Winegrowers
board.
Gordy Hill, winemaker at
Coventry Vale Winery, was awarded
the Grand Vin Award for making
a significant impact in the winery,
on wine and branding. He helped
pioneer Port wines and spent his
early days making Semillon and
White Riesling, but for most of his
career has focused on red wines.
Illinois Summer Hort
Field Day to be June 10
Guests will also be able to speak
with industry vendors, learn about
new equipment and products and
speak with other growers from
all over the state. There will also
be specialty crop experts from
the University of Illinois Extension
available on a field tour to discuss
specialty crops, disease and pest
management, and more on apples,
pumpkins, raspberries and mums.
Advance registration is $30 and
includes lunch. To register and find
more information, visit
www.tickettailor.com/events/.
ARS Hall of Fame
names two scientists
Two scientists have earned a place
in the Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) Science Hall of Fame for their
pioneering and impactful research
in small-fruits breeding and remote
sensing for improved irrigation
water scheduling.
Chad E. Finn. Photo: Vaccinium
Coordinated Agricultural Project
Chad E. Finn (posthumously) and
William P. Kustas were inducted
in a virtual ceremony April 13
rather than a physical event due
to ongoing COVID-19 safety
precautions.
A plant geneticist at the ARS
Horticultural Crops Research
wLaboratory in Corvallis, Oregon,
Finn, who died Dec.17, 2019,
was honored posthumously for
his outstanding and sustained
contributions to the advancement
of small-fruits crop research. His
accomplishments include the
development and release or corelease
of more than 57 blackberry,
raspberry, blueberry and strawberry
varieties, some of which have
become industry standards
generating more than $450 million
in fruit and plant sales over the
past 10 years.
Kustas, a hydrologist at the
ARS Hydrology and Remote
Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville,
Maryland, was honored for
scientific accomplishments that
include using satellite data with
computer models for mapping
evapotranspiration - the process
of plant water use through
transpiration and water loss or
evaporation from the soil.
FGN | MAY 2021 | 39
http://www.tickettailor.com/events/
May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2021
