October 2021 - 1

A sentimental look at
the impact of Larry Gut
Annual awards
program recognizes
the next generation of
leaders
8
1A
20
Controlling rodent
pests in the orchard
October 2021 | Volume 60 |
Issue 10
CHARTING A
RED PATH
Michigan grower takes helm
of USApple board
Chris Alpers operates RedPath Orchards in Lake Leelanau, Michigan. He is the new chair of the U.S. Apple Association's board of directors. Photo: Gary Pullano
By Gary Pullano
Editor
Chris Alpers is a fruit grower who is
comfortable in the middle of an apple or
cherry orchard, as well as in a boardroom.
The U.S. Apple Association recently
named Alpers as the new chair to lead its
board of directors to serve the 2021-2022
term.
A third-generation grower, Alpers
is the operations manager of RedPath
Orchards and Alpers Farms and a
partner in Alpers Tree Sales in Lake
Leelanau, Michigan, where he works
with his father, Dave, to grow apples, as
well as sweet and tart cherries.
Alpers' leadership in USApple began
when he was selected as a Young Apple
Leader in 2014 and has since continued,
including three years of service as a
USApple officer. His immediate past
role was vice chair of the USApple
Board of Directors and chair of the
organization's government affairs
committee. He has also served as chair of
the communications committee.
" Chris is a combination of positive
attitude, grower know-how and farm
policy smarts, " said USApple President and
CEO Jim Bair. " He was the first person to
testify at the first hearing of the last farm
bill, which is the kind of policy leadership
we're looking forward to. Although he's
busy running successful orchards and has
two small children, he never says no to any
request to put his shoulder to the wheel. "
Aside from his leadership with
USApple, Alpers serves on the boards of
the Michigan Apple Committee, the West
Central Michigan Research Station, the
Leland Township Board of Review and the
See USAPPLE, page 5
Water woes challenge Western ag
By Stephen Kloosterman
Associate Editor
In September, when funding was
gutted for a much-anticipated water
bill, then withdrawn from the floor of
the California state legislature, growers
responded with fighting words.
Senate Bill 559, also known as the
State Water Resiliency Act of 2021,
would have provided $785 million to
fix the Friant-Kern Canal, the DeltaMendota
Canal and major portions of
the California Aqueduct, all of which
have degraded and are losing water as
a result of subsidence, or the actual
shrinking of land. Millions of acres
bearing hundreds of different crops are
irrigated via that infrastructure.
The legislative action - or lack
thereof - was offensive to the growers.
Western Growers President and CEO
Dave Puglia likened it to California Sen.
Melissa Hurtado and her supporters
collectively
getting " the
middle finger. "
Puglia's
colleagues at
the California
Fresh Fruit
Association
(CCFA) and California Citrus Mutual
didn't like it either. CCFA President
Ian LeMay said the " decision to defund
the repair of our critical conveyance
systems is not financial, but ideological,
and will harm thousands of multigenerational
family farms and countless
disadvantaged communities in the San
Joaquin Valley. "
A season of drought, coupled with
inaction at the state legislature and
ongoing worries about groundwater
have growers concerned this season.
Drought decisions
Drought conditions in the West
are among the driest they've been in
recorded history.
" We are dry. We are drier than we've
ever been. That is an issue that we
really can't point the blame at anybody
for, " LeMay said in an interview with
Fruit Growers News. " That's a Mother
See WATER, page 10

October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021