Your AMO assessments fund all of the activities of the New York Apple Association, helping to encourage profitable growing and marketing of New York apples. Stories and photos with this logo specifically highlight how your AMO dollars are being put to work for you.

Inside: NYFB fighting minimum wage hike. Page 5

Official Newspaper of the New York Apple Association

In this Issue Jim Allen on AMO’s impact on direct marketers. ...................................... Page 3

Wolcott grower launches new product line. ...................................... Page 6 New York growers reminded to deal only with licensed dealers. ...................................... Page 6 USDA expands crop insurance options for fruit growers ...................................... Page 6

NYAA working on design for Apple Country® pouch bags. ...................................... Page 7 Rep. Stefanik crosses aisle to support Schumer’s hard cider tax bill. ...................................... Page 8 NYAA’s public relations efforts focus on new crop. .................................... Page 10 George Lamont Award winners named. .................................... Page 13

7645 Main Street PO Box 350 Fishers New York 14453-0350

Volume 4, Issue 3

August 2015

2015-16 consumer advertising campaign • Mix of traditional and digital media By Michael Cassidy [email protected] The 2015-16 New York Apple Association consumer advertising campaign will be in “full bloom” beginning in early September with an aggressive mix of traditional and digital o n l i n e m e d i a vehicles. T h e primary target of the campaign is women 2554 with children. It will commence in early September and run through February 2016 in all of upstate New York. The objectives of the campaign are to build interest and purchase of New York apples during peak apple season and beyond. Promotional advertising will encourage consumers to visit their local orchards, farm markets and local retailers, as well as interact with the NYAA web site, nyapplecountry.com. Here is an overview of the traditional and digital campaigns:

The New York Apple Association’s website, above, and ‘From Blossom to Awesome’ video, below, are part of the association’s advertising strategy.

Traditional media See Advertising, Page 14

Susan Sarlund to lead EPC Cornell offers workshop on bird damage. .................................... Page 13 Prospects for agricultural trade with Cuba. .................................... Page 16

The Board of Directors of the Eastern Produce Council is proud to announce the appointment of Susan McAleavey Sarlund as Executive Director of the Eastern Produce Council. Sarlund is a graduate of Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in communications; she went on to achieve her master’s degree in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Sarlund is currently part of the Northeast Sales team for the New

Sarlund

York Apple Association. She held various sales and marketing positions with companies including N a b i s c o , Hilton Hotels and two other Investment firms, prior to

joining the New York Apple Association. She brings a wealth of knowledge as well as experience to the EPC, where she has served under former longtime executive director John McAleavey over the past five years. “Susan was the natural choice, there were no other candidates for this position that could hit the ground running and keep the EPC course set

See Sarlund, Page 14

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Core Report®

August 2015

Retail Review News from the retail marketing industry A&P declares bankruptcy Andnowyouknow.com

MONTVALE, N.J. - After several months of speculation, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in five years. “After careful consideration of all alternatives, we have concluded that a sale process implemented through chapter 11 is the best way for A&P to preserve as many jobs as possible, and maximize value for all stakeholders,” said Paul Hertz, president and chief executive officer of A&P. “And while the decision to close some stores is always difficult, these actions will enable the Company to refocus its efforts to ensure the vast majority of A&P stores continue operating under new owners as a result of the Courtsupervised process.” The company has already lined up deals with three grocery chains that would acquire 120 of its stores employing 12,500 employees for nearly $600 million, USA today reported early this morning. Ahold also announced this morning that its Stop & Shop branch will acquire 25 of these locations at a cost of $146 million. The grocery chain filed for bankruptcy protection in a federal court in the Southern District of New York, citing about $2.3 billion in debts and listing $1.6 billion in assets, according to

USA Today. A&P also has two loans totaling $270 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, taking on an additional $420 million in juniorranking debt as part of its exit from bankruptcy in 2012. At the time it had lost around $123 million on sales of almost $1.6 billion in its latest quarter, according to a regulatory filing. Without the proposed sales, A&P will have “no choice but to liquidate their business in a fire sale and piecemeal fashion,” Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Chief Restructuring Officer Christopher McGarry said in the filing. “The best and only viable path to maximize the value of their business and preserve thousands of jobs is a strategic chapter 11 filing to facilitate sales free and clear of liabilities.” The company has several sources of secured financing, according to USA Today, including investors represented by U.S. Bank ($677.1 million) and Wells Fargo Bank ($561 million). A&P listed supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. as its largest unsecured creditor with $39.4 million in claims. The next four largest unsecured creditors are McKesson Drug Co. ($8.4 million), Facility Source LLC ($6.7 million), Coca-Cola Enterprises ($4.8 million) and Mondelez Global LLC ($3.2 million). Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. has 296 supermarkets and other stores under several brands, including A&P, Waldbaum’s, SuperFresh, Pathmark, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, Best Cellars, and A&P Liquor.

Key Food debuts new banner Supermarket News

Key Food Stores Co-operative said it would debut a new banner, Windsor Farms Market, later this month in Brooklyn. The store in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace neighborhood will offer customers a full deli department with prepared foods made by on-site chefs, a scratch bakery, fresh seafood including sushi along with fresh produce and of fresh produce and organic and nonorganic products. “The community asked for a grocery solution and we’re here to deliver,” Key Food VP of business development John Durante said in a statement. “It’s so exciting to open our doors to the Windsor Terrace community.” Local officials and Key Food executives will attend grand opening ceremonies at the store, located at 589 Prospect Ave., July 20. Based in Staten Island, N.Y., Key Food is a cooperative of more than 180 independently owned and operated grocery stores with $1.6 billion in annual sales.

Price Chopper names first non-family president Supermarket News

The Golub Corp., parent company of Price Chopper Supermarkets, said Scott Grimmett has been named president — the first non-Golub to hold that title in the company’s 84-year history. Grimmett will continue as COO, a title he has held since he joined the

chain as EVP and COO in 2012. Jerry Golub will give up the title of president but continue as CEO, and Neil Golub will continue as executive chairman of the board. Before he joined Schenectady, N.Y.based Price Chopper, Grimmett spent 37 years with Safeway, including serving as president of Dominick’s and later its Denver divisions. He joined Safeway as a courtesy clerk in its Seattle division and worked subsequently in the Seattle and Northern California divisions as a store manager and district manager before spending a year on the corporate operations and administrative staff at the chain’s offices in Pleasanton, Calif. In 2000 he was named VP, retail operations, for Safeway’s Dominick’s Finer Foods division in Chicago and later was named president — a post he held until moving to head the chain’s Denver division in 2003.

British chain lifts sugary kids drink The (UK} Daily Mail

The UK’s biggest supermarket chain is axing some of the best-selling children’s drinks brands as the war on sugar is stepped up in a bid to tackle childhood obesity, according to a new report. Tesco has revealed that it is to cull an array of added-sugar soft drinks including CCE’s Capri-Sun and several varieties of Suntory’s Ribena as it revamps its range amid growing concerns over health and obesity. And the sugar crackdown was immediately welcomed by health campaigners who challenged other supermarkets to follow the lead set by Tesco.

Wash. Court sides with workers on piece-rate pay Fruit Grower News

In July, the Supreme Court for the state of Washington ruled that farm workers who are paid a piece rate must also be compensated for rest breaks. The court made the decision unanimously. The decision could drive up the cost of labor in Central Washington’s fruit production industry, where the workforce makes up about half the average farmer’s operating costs. “What this means is a higher cost of production,” said Mike Gempler, executive director of the Washington Growers League, a Yakima association that represents farmers in labor issues. The ruling is the result of a portion of a class action lawsuit by Skagit County berry farm laborers in federal court, which sent the rest break pay question to the state Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case during a March session at Heritage University in Toppenish. State regulations mandate that employers cover the cost of 10-minute rest breaks every four hours for all workers in all industries. Farming is no exception. However, the case was less clear when applied to piece-rate work compensated by unit instead of time. In the case, piece workers accused Sakuma Brothers Farms of denying them rest breaks; the farm owners argued that the rest breaks were already included in the negotiated piece rate pay. The court sided with the workers. Those who side with the Supreme Court believe that paid breaks will encourage laborers to “take a breather from time to time for their own health.”

August 2015

Core Report®

Core Report® is published monthly by the New York Apple Association as a member service.

New York Apple Association staff: Front row, from left — Ellen Mykins, Molly Zingler. Back row — Jim Allen, Cathy Jadus, Joan Willis.

New York Apple Assn. Contact

7645 Main St., Fishers, NY 14453-0350 Phone: (585) 924-2171, Fax: (585) 924-1629 www.nyapplecountry.com

Staff

James Allen, President, [email protected] Molly Zingler, Director of Marketing, [email protected] Joan Willis, Executive & Communications Assistant Cathy Jadus, Administrative & Retail Assistant Ellen A. Mykins, Accounting Dept. Susan Sarlund, Northeast Account Manager Linda Quinn, Nutrition Spokeswoman Julia Stewart, Public Relations Director and NYAA spokesperson, [email protected]

Board of Directors

Page 3

President’s Message

What does AMO Assessment do for direct marketers?

By Jim Allen [email protected]

Last month I teased readers by saying “stay tuned, next month I will take the processing assessment question and direct it to the direct marketers.” It’s next month! So the second most asked question from the industry over the years has been, “What do I get for my Jim Allen fresh direct assessment money?” This is certainly not a new question. It actually peaked back in the ‘90s, when as a result of the inquiries the assessment rate paid by growers who sold apples directly to the consumer was reduced by a grower vote. The rate went to $.08 per bushel. For most cases that action alone seemed to eliminate most of the

questions and also in the 90’s the attention given to that segment of the industry was very small compared to now. Today, I have no problem defending and showing by example the benefits that this market receives from their $.08 AMO assessment. First of all so much has changed since 1995, and many of those changes have benefited direct marketers. The biggest, homegrown; second, the internet; third, food safety; and fourth, the buying habits of consumers. Certainly we (AMO and NYAA) cannot take credit for the homegrown movement; but we will take credit for using the trend to promote New York apples. There is no market that benefits more from homegrown than your market. Even where the major retailers try and promote homegrown, they still have issues on what exactly homegrown, locally produced or regionally correct means and how they can use it. Today in New Jersey efforts are being made to restrict the use of homegrown to only New Jersey grown produce sold in New Jersey. That would

See Allen, Page 14

Branching Out

Will Gunnison, Chairman, District 1, Crown Point, (518) 597-3363, [email protected] Jay Toohill, District 1, Chazy, 518-846-7171, [email protected] Jonathan Chiaro, District 2, Hudson, (518) 828-1151, [email protected] David Jones, District 2, Germantown, 518-537-6500, [email protected] Alisha Albinder, District 3, Milton, (845) 795-2121, [email protected] Kurt Borchert, District 3, Marlboro, 845-236-7239, [email protected] Sarah Dressel, District 3, New Paltz, (845) 255-0693, [email protected] Jack Torrice, District 4, Oswego (315) 342-3793, [email protected] Richard Endres, District 5, Sodus (315) 483-6815, [email protected] Todd Furber, Vice Chairman, District 5, Sodus (315) 483-8529, [email protected] Chris Hance, Treasurer, District 5, Pultneyville, (315) 589-4212, [email protected] Abram Peters, District 5, Pultneyville, (585) 455-3600, [email protected] Kevin Bittner, District 6, Barker, 716-795-3030, [email protected] Kaari Stannard, District 6, Medina, 518-477-7200, [email protected] Jason Woodworth, District 6, Waterport, 585-682-4749, [email protected]

Retailers are ready to move 2015 crop

By Molly Zingler [email protected]

The apple season is almost upon us and there is a sense of anticipation in the air; the excitement of a new crop gets the industry l o o k i n g forward to fall. I am setting up promotional programs with retailers for the upcoming season and there is a resonating theme amongst all of them --Molly Zingler they want New York apples! The apple category is growing leaps and bounds for retailers. And yes while we often sigh at the introduction

of new club varieties with the fear that our conventional varieties might be pushed aside, consumers’ choice and buying habits will keep our fan favorites alive; I am certain of it. Backed with strong retail promotions such as ads, demos and the ever expanding digital coupon world, it is my job to keep our apples in the forefront of the retailer buyer’s mind. We want them requesting Empire, Macs, New York Gala and New York Honeycrisp specifically to fulfill our promotions. We are armed with exciting new POS cards, variety guides and a bin header (see photo) to attract the consumers to our apple displays. There are no other apples quite like New York apples and we intend to drive that message home as always.

ly l o M

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Core Report®

August 2015

The Hort Report

News from the New York State Horticultural Society

The five things we cannot change What political party do you belong to? By Paul Baker NYS Horticultural Society

It is the end of July and we are about to harvest yet 30 million more bushels of apples soon here in New York. On the national agenda we anticipate record projected crops from Washington and Michigan. We are planting orchards, erecting cold storages, new packing lines and more. So what did I leave out? Oh yes, what is our strategy to turn this work into a profit? We have fearlessly invested in new concepts Baker as growers. We embrace this opportunity. Question I am asking --what is the basis for all of this inertia? Record returns after prolonged years of break-even to negative returns have left us feeling the glass is full of opportunity for continued success. Jim Allen and I have recently, independent of each other, drafted articles suggesting that we need to revisit our strategies to market these crops. I could not be more in line with this. It is summer and there is very little legislatively to report to you so let me challenge you with this series of thoughts. There is a short book I would encourage each of you to invest in. On Amazon it is less than $10. I recall George Lamont prior to the last critical look at our marketing strategy encouraged us all to read a short book about marketing cheese. History seems to be repeating here. The book is by David Richio and is called The Five Things We Cannot Change. There are certain facts of life that we cannot change --- the unavoidable “givens” of human existence. u Everything changes and ends u Things do not always go according to plan u Life is not always fair u Pain is part of life u People are not always loving and loyal If we can accept for the moment that most, if not all, of these concepts are

US Apple Association is online at www.usapple.org

By Paul Baker Agriculture Affiliates

By the time most of you read this there will be snow in the forecast. So with that in mind I will pose this rhetorical question to you. As a farmer, do we have a particular political party we support? The reason you will be reading this with snow is because for the next three months you will only have enough time to harvest your fruit and perhaps get a couple hours of sleep. If you keep this Core Report it will be in the corner pile on your desk. I know this because I have been in your shoes. The Presidential debates seem to begin shortly after the elected new president is sworn in. I find this actually an insult to us that we devote so much time and energy to this rather than address the real difference maker issues perennially waiting on Congressional desks. Immigration/guest worker reform jumps to the top of this list. I have been stumping around both Washington and Albany now for you for over a decade. The routine seems to play out the same. New names rise up and declare their good intentions as to how they will correct the many injustices if you only cast your vote for them. Upon arrival at their respective capital they make a few initial sounds but are quickly escorted off to back rooms and told what the PARTY line is. Gone is the independent thinker who sold me the idea that he/she was different. So the question really is are we electing a candidate or only one true, then the question has to be --- have we made the necessary adjustments to cope with time? I personally believe he is correct. Nothing lasts forever. In Roman times the chariot was the Cadillac. Think about bottled water. We consume more bottled water than all the beer sales in this country. Who in 1950 following WWII would have believed this could be possible. Water? … It is free; just open your tap. While we, years ago, created with the best of intentions a strategic plan, it may need revisiting. Those of you operating a farm can relate to the second point I am certain, that everything will not always go according to plan. Plans work when we are flexible to adjust to

Labor matters News from Ag Affiliates

more vote on the party side we feel is going to act in our best interests. Traditionally I think most farmers tend to be conservative. Therefore, they would feel the greatest affiliation with the Republican Party. On the topic of immigration reform it has been the leadership of the Democrats in the Senate that got the only meaningful piece of legislation passed on immigration reform. This legislation, when turned over to the Republican controlled House, simply never got to a vote. It was stalled and died. On a second very emotional topic such as the Affordable Health Care Act, this was Democrat driven and Republican opposed. Most farmers see this as a huge burden being jammed down their already over regulated lives. the present environment. We all have experienced either frost or hail so we can relate to number three. Life is not always fair. Yes, pain is part of life and survival. Finally personal connections are fluid. Loyalties do seem to be rather volatile at times. Sales connections and markets are not guaranteed. I know I am trying to convince you of these five points. What I hope you are beginning to grasp is that no matter how sensational any plan or strategy, is it will always need to reflect the present challenges. We can only guess what will happen in the future. What we know about the future is that it will be different from the present. Good organizations are constantly adjusting their strategies to meet the

So the question remains. Which party really has your best interest at heart? This is how I see it. We have no party. We support issues. Our requests serve the combined needs of our industry. When we are asked, and we have been in the past, to support a particular candidate we decline to declare. As an individual you can fight for the candidate of your personal choice. I do not think Agriculture Affiliates for example can afford to be labeled a Democratic supporter or a Republican backer as well. To do so we automatically remove our message from 50 percent of the elected. By remaining neutral we can enter any office to discuss our “issues.” Many of our issues as already illustrated are not clearly rooted in one particular political ideology. To advance our agendas we need to remain neutral so we can have all of the doors in the Capital open to us. I certainly am not discouraging each of you from sending the brightest and best to Washington, D.C., and Albany. Ask them hard questions. I always remind those of you who have made the trip to D.C. or Albany, they work for you. They are only there because a large enough majority of your peers saw the wisdom of having them carry your messages. Grade their work, just as you do on a daily basis with those in your operations who work for you. Sometimes we have to make some changes for the collective good. current marketing scenes. We need to be doing this and projecting ahead a road of opportunities. To continue to hold onto the same marketing plans while everything else about this industry is changing is, in my opinion, a short road to foreclosure. I am fully in favor of new technologies. I feel we need to continue the growth in all aspects of our business or we will quickly fall out of balance. The laws of supply and demand do not respond well to imbalance. We need to move now while we are still on the road of optimism from recent years. Let’s keep this industry strong and not fall into the trap of complacent routine actions when all around us the world continues to spin forward.

August 2015

Core Report®

2015 Labor Issues By Frank Gasperini National Council of Ag Employers

The news in late July remains dominated by the Greek economic crisis, acts of domestic terror in the United States, the arrivals finally of larger numbers of H-2A and domestic migrant workers for many fruit and vegetable growers, and Donald Trump. Did I say Donald Trump, I meant to say the escalating 2016 Presidential campaign but “The Donald” has dominated the recent news cycles. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could get Congress, the media, and the public to pay one tenth as much attention to the work that continues to be left undone to assure continued success of our fruit and vegetable producing agriculture; and our nation’s food security? So far this season the H-2A visa program broke down in early June as part of a global problem in the Department of Homeland Security’s security clearance computer programs that shut down the processing of all visas for over two weeks. Growers lost millions of dollars, and workers who had hoped to be earning wages to get

their families through the next year lost work opportunities. U.S. growers as well as f o r e i g n w o r k e r s and their families lost opportunities. Gasperini Although the system appears to be working now, opportunities lost are lost forever. NCAE and others call on Congressional leaders to demand an accounting from Homeland Security and the State Department to explain what happened, how they will prevent it happening again, and that they have back-up plans for any future difficulties so that domestic businesses are not left rotting in the fields, orchards, and vineyards along with their crops again. The 2015 visa issue did not stop workers entering from the Caribbean Basin Initiative countries,

predominantly Jamaica because they are pre-screened and pre-approved and do go through the same U.S. Consulate process as other workers. We hope that the system continues to run smoothly and that all backlogs will be overcome in time for the fall tree-fruit harvest season. Agriculture and other businesses are expecting continued onslaught of regulatory action for the next 12 to 18 months with the Pesticide Worker Protection standard now rumored to be back on track to publish a final rule, that agriculture employers will find onerous and time-consuming to implement, in the next month or two. We have already seen the Waters of the U.S. regulations being finalized, and expect a series of H-2A special procedures related final or proposed rules by the end of the year. With everything being thrown at us, and no legislative relief in sight, NCAE and our allies are working now to prepare a comprehensive agenda for ag employers nationally to prepare for 2016 and beyond. In December NCAE will host its second annual Agricultural Employer

Page 5

Labor Forum in Las Vegas with speakers from the private sectors, associations, and government. Registration for this forum is now open in our website. It is only by working together to learn and share strategies that we can standup to the growing regulatory load that growers face. Also this month, NCAE is moving our offices closer to the Capital and the federal agencies who legislate and regulate issues of importance to our industry. As the season progresses please keep us posted on your key labor issues and deficiencies so that we can address them in future columns. The author is Executive Vice President of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. NCAE is the national trade association representing Agricultural Employers in Washington, D.C. NCAE advocates and addresses employer issues for all employers of both domestic and H-2 agriculture workers. Visit NCAE’s website at www.NCAEonline.org for more information and continuing updates.

N.Y. Farm Bureau takes stand on minimum wage By Nicole Horowitz New York Farm Bureau Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Commissioner of Labor recently convened the State Wage Board in relation to fast food employees wage rates. They have now held public meetings in multiple locations to discuss an increase in wages for the fast food industry with a target of possibly $15 per hour. New York Farm Bureau has voiced our strong concern to both the governor and the Department of Labor through both testimony and letters. At the time of this publication, an official decision by the Wage Board has not been made in this matter. While we recognize the support for increasing the minimum wage, we oppose any further increase in the minimum wage at this time. However, by circumventing the Legislature in this matter, through a Wage Board, the Legislature will be prevented from thoroughly vetting this issue, and effectively representing their constituents, from districts as diverse as Brooklyn in New York City and Mayville in rural Chautauqua County. We are equally concerned by prospective unintended consequences from a minimum wage increase for the food industry in our state. If the minimum wage is increased for fast food workers, our farms will be asked to lower the cost of their products being sold to these companies to offset increased labor costs for those businesses. This will, in turn, likely force restaurants to source their products (tomatoes, lettuce, etc.) from another state, or more likely another country, that can offer a lower priced product. Of course this result is wholly counterproductive to the past efforts

by the state to highlight agriculture, and to the “buy local” effort in New York. Furthermore, in crafting a specific definition of “fast food chain,” the Wage Board will have to make distinctions that result in arbitrary and disparate treatment of businesses and their employees. This runs contrary to the Board’s stated objective of preventing unfair competition, and will impose significant implementation hurdles for businesses. It is unclear how fast food employees will be viewed and established within the job industry if the Wage Board moves forward with this initiative. Serious questions arise in these circumstances, such as how does a cashier at a fast food establishment differ from the cashier at a local farm stand that serves food? How does a person making food behind the counter at a fast food restaurant differ from an employee at a winery serving sandwiches and cheese platters to their wine tasting customers? There are numerous questions and similarities between jobs that could very well cause difficulties for the agricultural industry if the Wage Board moves forward in regard to the fast food industry. It is not definitive, but the process of convening the Wage Board and focusing on fast food employees could have serious implications for the future of not just farm employees, but all employees throughout the state. Currently, all businesses throughout the state are linked to the New York minimum wage, which today is $8.75 and is set to increase at the end of 2015 to $9.00 per hour. New York has already created a separate state minimum wage rate, ending the automatic link to the federal rate. The full impacts of New York’s current, escalating wage increases have yet to be seen, let alone

the impacts of separating an entire industry from the rest by arbitrarily increasing their labor costs. New York Farm Bureau is closely monitoring any further efforts or meetings of the NYS Wage Board and

will continue to have conversations with the Department of Labor and Governor’s office to voice our member’s concerns and the possible unintended consequences this could have on our industry.

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Core Report®

August 2015

Grower, entrepreneur rethinks apple retailing By Jena Lunkenheimer [email protected]

Bob Norris has been an apple grower for 22 years, so he knows the industry inside and out. And for all of those years, he grew apple varieties and sold them just like other apple growers. Then, about two years ago, the Wolcott, N.Y., grower had an epiphany. “What if we sold apples based on their flavor, not by variety?” he thought. From this “aha” moment came an innovative business in Wayne County, and exciting growth potential. TreeCrisp2Go is the name of the company formed by Norris and his wife Cindy. Their apples sold by flavor not variety include (for starters) Flavor Freak™, Pucker Punch™, and Sweet Shock™. In a way, it seems like Norris is adapting the marketing strategies of snack food manufacturers and using them for apples. “First, no apple variety is great allyear round,” Norris says. “Second, people are hesitant to eat an apple from a grocery or convenience store without washing it first. And third, by focusing on flavor and specific taste appeal we are marketing apples as great snacks. People know apples are good for them and a healthy choice, and TreeCrisp2Go builds on that knowledge by creating an appealing product that adds fun and flavor to the mix.” Currently TreeCrisp2Go apples are being sold at airports, convenience store chains, vending machines and micro markets. His goal, through packaging, promotion, merchandising

N.Y. Ag & Markets

and events is to help consumers look at and buy one of his TreeCrisp2Go apples the same way they would a bag of chips or an ice cream sandwich. Norris’ apples are all triple-washed, fresh, and individually bagged and sealed. But the beauty of Norris’ concept is that he is not locked in to any specific varieties. “Whatever is the best, freshest fit for each brand profile is what we will provide,” he said. “Now a consumer doesn’t have to know 30 apple varieties, simply whether he or she enjoys a more tart or sweeter apple, for example.” Additionally, Norris feels not enough has been done to increase per capita consumption of fresh apples, especially in the snack and ready to eat markets. “Apples, as currently sold in the ready to eat snacking market, are a failure,” he said. “Bananas out sell apples 30 to 1 and I don’t have data but I’m pretty sure candy and doughnuts

out sell bananas.” The new TreeCrisp2Go product addresses the problems that prevent apples from selling in ready to eat markets. Also, TreeCrisp2Go apples are sold in refrigerated cases, therefore shelf life and quality can be maintained. For the apple supply, TreeCrisp2Go will use apples from Tree Crisp Orchards for the 15-16 season, but will need apples from other growers once they expand. Two important apples that have performed extremely well for TreeCrisp2Go are Jonagold and Cameo. Knowing returns for these two varieties have not been stellar the past two seasons, he hopes some growers will be willing to keep some Jonagold and Cameo orchards. Operating out of the Wolcott area, TreeCrisp2Go apples are prepared and packed on a production line at Empire Fruit Growers, where Norris leases space from this apple-packing co-op where he’s a member.

House OKs voluntary GMO labeling bill

By Tom Karst The Packer

With a tougher fight expected in the Senate, the House of Representatives decisively passed legislation that would pre-empt state-labeling for genetically modified food and put in place a voluntary labeling system for genetically modified foods. While produce industry organizations support a federally based approach to labeling regulations, United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers

Farmers reminded to sell only to licensed dealers

and the Produce Marketing Association didn’t voice oppostition to the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, introduced by Reps. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., and G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. “If the consumer wants to know about how the food is produced, I think the industry would be much more comfortable with a federal rule as opposed to individual state rule,” said Robert Whitaker, chief scientific officer for the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Del. Whitaker said having to comply

with individual state rules would be expensive and potentially disrupt distribution. PMA likes the concept of federal preemption but will wait and see what the Senate bill looks like, he said. “If there needs to be labeling at all, we would rather see (federal) preemption so there is one set of guidelines to be used by everybody in the industry,” he said.

See GMO, Page 13

ALBANY — New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball in July reminded farmers that in order to protect themselves against non-payment and to ensure they are paid in full and on time, they should sell only to licensed farm product dealers. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets maintains a current list of licensed farm product dealers on its website and will provide a hard copy upon request. The Agricultural Producers Security Law, under Article 20 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, requires that farm product dealers must be licensed in order to buy or receive farm products from New York producers in excess of $10,000 annually to resell at wholesale. They must also provide security in the form of a bond or letter of credit, and they must contribute to a security fund, offering additional financial protection to farmers in the event of a default in payment. In order to preserve a producer’s eligibility for the financial protections available under the Agricultural Producers Security Law, the producer must: u Sell only to licensed farm product dealers. u Stop selling product to a farm product dealer who is 120 days delinquent on payment. Unpaid transactions that occur after the 120day period will not be eligible for financial protection. u File a claim of nonpayment with the Department within 365 days of delivery of the farm products. Farm product dealers’ licenses expire April 30 each year and must be renewed for the license year beginning May 1. Forms to apply for the license are available at www.agriculture.ny.gov/ programs/apsf.html. To renew an existing license, farm product dealers can call 518-485-0048. For up-to-date information about the law, a copy of the brochure or a list of licensed farm product dealers, please visit the Department’s website at www.agriculture.ny.gov/programs/ apsf.html or call the Department at 1-800-554-4501.

USDA broadens Crop Insurance options for fruit producers WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture in July announced the expansion of crop insurance to provide additional options for fruit and nut producers. The Supplemental Coverage Option and the Actual Production History Yield Exclusion are now available to cover fresh fruit and nuts in select counties beginning with the 2016 crop year. “USDA remains committed to making new crop insurance options outlined in the 2014 Farm Bill available to as many types of producers as possible. Providing these options

for our producers of fresh fruit and nuts gives them the stronger safety net they need to continue farming, even after particularly bad years,” Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “USDA will continue to work toward implementing risk management provisions from the Farm Bill as quickly as possible so that producers can plan for the future and protect their businesses.” SCO will now be available in select counties for almonds, apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes, safflower, tomatoes, and walnuts for the 2016 crop year.

Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/ tangerines, oranges, and tangelos will be eligible for coverage beginning with the 2017 crop year. This is in addition to the alfalfa seed, canola, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, grass seed, mint, oats, onions, and rye that were recently made available for 2016 as well. Currently, SCO covers corn, cotton, cottonseed, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in selected counties. SCO is an area-based policy endorsement that can be purchased to supplement an underlying crop

insurance policy. It covers a portion of losses not covered by the same crop’s underlying policy. USDA’s Risk Management Agency, which administers the federal crop insurance program, has posted information on the expanded program, including where SCO is available by crop and county. Visit www. rma.usda.gov/news/currentissues/sco/ index.html to learn more. Producers of apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes,

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Getting personal with social media By Christina Herrick American Fruit Grower

The business of fruit growing takes skills both in the orchard and out. You can grow the best fruit, in the most progressive ways, but you also have to be able to sell your produce. Increasingly, social media is a common way growers are successfully marketing their fruit. When it’s done well, social media can be effective, even “viral,” which is a good thing in the social media world. I’d like to highlight some of the creative marketing ideas I’ve noticed on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter from you, the business owners. Each one of these ideas is unique to their medium, but each post has one thing in common — they create a personal connection with potential customers. I found this photo posted on the Tougas Family Farm Facebook page to be creative and memorable. It features a great idea from co-owner Mo Tougas’ son-in-law, Alan. The caption on the photo reads “Alan was up early this morning picking CARAMEL APPLES off the caramel apple tree so he can bring them up to the Farm Store, YUM!” The caption also mentions which apple varieties are available for picking at the time of the post and lists other activities on the farm, the farm’s hours, and what else is available in the kitchen. We’ve all seen photos of caramel apples, and this is a unique way to highlight a product that your farm sells, while catching the attention of your followers.

Some examples of creative social media promotions from Tougas Family Farm in Massachusetts, above, and Three Springs Fruit Farm in Pennsylvania, below.

By Jim Allen [email protected]

Promoting things in a different way

Holmberg Orchard’s Twitter feed is filled with great photos and videos that typically push visitors to their Facebook page. Kimberly Schlapamn of Kimberly’s Simply Southern show on Great American Country network visited the orchard in late fall for a taping with third- and fourthgeneration apple growers Rick and Russell Holmberg. She was nearby for a Little Big Town concert and thought the story of Holmberg Orchard was perfect for the show. To help promote when the episode was going to run, the orchard ran a blooper reel from the taping that pushed Twitter and Facebook followers to YouTube (visit this link to view the video). In the blooper reel put together by the network, Russell Holmberg shows a more personal and goofy side. What a great idea to use extra elements from the TV crew’s visit to highlight the orchard. “It was a fun experience and a fun day. I’m glad we did it,” says Holmberg.

Using the medium to the maximum

Ben Wenk keeps the Three Springs Fruit Farm Instagram feed fresh with apple art creations that are featured at the Silver Spring FRESHFARM Market. Whether it be an apple butterfly, turtle, or ladybug, each photo is a different and gives followers something to look forward to. Wenk also ties all the Instagram photos to Twitter, which is

NYAA does preliminary pouch bag design

a good way to push his 2,500 Twitter followers to the farm’s Instagram account. This photo features an apple owl, created by Shane Gladhill (pictured). The caption includes the hashtags #SilverSpring, #farmersmarket, #localfood, and #apple. Wenk also tagged the farmer’s market in the post as well. This idea is a great way to highlight the farmers markets where Three Springs Fruit Farm sells its produce.

Pinning to win

Sietsema Orchard uses Pinterest as another way to connect with customers, highlighting products at the orchard market, orchard weddings, and even food pairings with the products they sell. Pinterest definitely reaches a different demographic of produce consumers than your Instagram and Twitter feeds.

The common thread

Produce buyers desire a closer connection with the people growing the food they buy and social media can help you reach your customers. As you can see from the examples above, what better way than to post videos, creative photos, and food pairings with your produce to make a personal connection with your consumers?

At the request of a New York apple shipper, the New York Apple Association commissioned Mason Marketing to create a generic New York Apple Country® Pouch Bag. The example shown is for Honeycrisp. Other varieties can be substituted as requested. The Association collects a royalty on all the Apple Country® bags that are in use, and that money is used to update or create innovative packaging for the industry as requested. The art work would be provided to individual packers to share with their bag manufactures.

The shipper is responsible for the printing plates and the packer identification information on the bag. If New York shippers are interested in this artwork at no charge, please contact Jim Allen (jimallen@ nyapplecountry.com or 585-9242171).

Waiting to harvest after a rain enhances food safety  Cornell University

To protect consumers from foodborne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, according to new research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce. Cornell scientists, along with other agricultural researchers from around the country, are conducting more food safety research in order to set rules, standards and guidelines for the Food Safety Modernization Act, which became law in 2011.

“We’re looking at the science that helps governmental entities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and private entities create policies that keep our food supply safe,” said Daniel Weller, a doctoral student and the lead author of the new work, “Spatial and Temporal Factors Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Spinach Fields.” Factors such as proximity of a field location to water and other landscape features also play important roles in the presence of Listeria. The researchers tested fields in a variety of locations throughout New York and found that after rains or irrigation, the chances of finding Listeria were 25 times greater. But, after the fields dried at least 24 hours, the chances of detecting Listeria dropped dramatically, to levels similar to baseline.

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Stefanik joins Schumer on cider tax

The (Glens Falls) Post-Star

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, in July co-sponsored legislation Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, introduced Jan. 28 to tax hard cider the same as beer. Hard cider now is taxed as a luxury beverages. The proposed law — HR 600, the Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation (CIDER) Act — is a companion bill to legislation U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced

Stefanik

in the Senate, according to the Library of Congress government information web site. It is one of the legislative priorities of Adirondack G a t e w a y Council, a

coalition of municipal government, planning agencies and economic development groups in Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties. Schumer visited Washington County in 2013 to discuss the proposed change. The following criteria in the proposed legislation defines hard cider: Carbonation level does not exceed 6.4 grams per liter; Beverage is derived totally from apples, apple juice concentrate and

Can you survive ‘Mobilegeddon’?

By Christina Herrick American Fruit Grower

The Mobilegeddon is upon us. No, this isn’t a time to prepare disaster bunkers, or buy canned food in bulk. But this is a good time to take another look at your business’s website because you might get buried in search results if you’re not careful. On the bright side, though, if you are prepared the change could be a nice plus. Late last year, Google announced a change in the way websites will be ranked in search results on mobile phones. Specifically, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it will appear lower in search results. People are using the term Mobilegeddon to describe the impact of these new search features. That may sound like hyperbole

but if you have a retail operation that relies on your website to reach potential customers, falling lower in Google search rankings truly could be a disaster. Here are a few things Google is looking for when it comes to making your site more mobile-friendly: u Avoid using software not accessible on mobile devices, such as Flash. u Make sure your website’s text is readable without users having to zoom. u Make sure the size of your page is displayed properly on the screen so users don’t have to scroll to zoom. u Make sure links are placed far enough apart so users can correctly tap on the proper link. u The first thing to do is to check if your website is vulnerable to being penalized in search rankings on mobile

phones and tablets. Google has an online test to see if your site is mobilefriendly. If your site passes the test, congratulations. If not, the test will tell you what problems there might be with your website. Here are some tips to help you survive Mobilegeddon I found really helpful from the California Small Business Development Center. Remember what users visit your site for. Contact information, hours of operation, address, etc., should appear in your home page. Keep your navigation and design simple. If your website has a lot of drop-down menus and photos, it will be hard to display on a phone. Remember how your site will be viewed. I’ve read a lot of pointers that say your site should be “thumb-

water or pears, pear juice concentrate and water; No fruit product or flavoring other than apples or pears in ingredients; Alcohol content is at least 0.5 percent and less than 8.5 percent in volume. The House legislation had 20 cosponsors -- 12 Republican and 8 Democrat -- as of July 17. Elsewhere in the region, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, co-sponsored it on May 5. Stefanik has now co-sponsored 13 Democratic-introduced measures.

friendly” or “swipe-friendly” because that’s precisely how mobile visitors will navigate through your site. Less content is better to view. Mobile visitors want quick-to-access information. Think about the tools you use to build and maintain your site. Content management sources such as WordPress, Joomla, and Squarespace offer “responsive design” that can help your websites display on the proper device. Get some help. I had hoped to offer some inexpensive ways to convert your website, but if you have used an outside source to design your website, you may need to get some help. There are places

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Core Report®

Time to buy some New York apples

The “Apple Watch” advertisement has appeared in two national trade publications, The Produce News and Produce Business magazine. Both publications each year have a special Hunts Point Market edition which features stories about Hunts Point, the merchants, and the wholesale market. The New York Apple Association always places ads in both publications.

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PR focuses on new-crop buzz

By Julia Stewart [email protected] With all but a few storage facilities across New York state now emptied of their 2014-crop fruit, the New York Apple Association’s public relations team has turned our full attention to building buzz for the crop awaiting harvest. Late spring can be a bit schizophrenic for your PR folks; one hand is promoting the crop that is finishing up, while the other is starting to talk up the one that’s blooming on the trees. It’s always a bit of a relief to be able to focus on the new crop, and doing one job well. As we reported in this column in June, NYAA began promoting the 2015 crop in early May. Our annual bloom announcement also proclaimed the official end of winter, as declared by our gorgeous pink and white blossoms. We also took that occasion to reassure crisisseeking reporters that our hardy trees had overwintered just fine, thank you. NYAA won’t issue our usual July crop forecast this year, instead we will report on the state forecast developed at U.S. Apple Association’s marketing conference the third week of August. We have decided to discontinue our July forecast in favor of a later, better look at the crop. Meanwhile, our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension are working on designing a state forecast/ estimate model. Next our attention will turn to trumpeting the beginning of harvest, to get consumers salivating for the new crop as it heads to market. We plan to emphasize the localness, flavor and variety of our 2015 crop, to differentiate our wares from the other, more travel-weary fruit that flooded our markets this spring when the U.S. export markets hit various road bumps. We are planning a heavy schedule of media outreach activities this fall, to help keep New York state apples and cider top of mind with consumers during the peak of our season. We will tie into fall holidays and other seasonal rites of passage, such as packing healthy, local lunches for all

Start your PR engines

By Julia Stewart [email protected]

Harvest is right around the corner – is your business ready for our industry’s best opportunity to get in front of consumers? Whether you’re a direct marketer or wholesaler, these days engaging directly with consumers is a must for most of us. As we’ve written numerous times in this column, consumers increasingly want to know the face and the story behind the foods they eat. Because most of the consuming public hasn’t been involved in agriculture for a few generations now, they want our reassurance that they can trust us to meet their most basic human need (and pleasure): food. To make the most of your harvest communications opportunities, we recommend that you: u Spruce up your website: At a minimum, make sure all your content is current, and all the links are working. Remove any content that’s no longer relevant. Check recent editions of this column for consumer trends you can tap into to attract customers. Make sure you’ve linked to nyapplecountry. com and nycider.com. Search engines prefer sites that are updated, so post new content regularly. u Go mobile: If your site isn’t mobilefriendly, it’s time for a redesign if you want your customers to be able to find

you. A majority of Internet searches are now conducted on mobile devices (phones and tablets) – and the largest search engine (Google) now prioritizes mobile-friendly sites when returning results for mobile searches. u Get social: Today’s consumers want to engage with the companies they do business with, and social media is the easiest, cheapest platform to connect with them. As we wrote in this column last month, Facebook is the best way to reach Baby Boomers and Millennials alike (who should be your No. 1 and No. 2 target audiences, respectively). u Put your smartphone’s camera to work: Social posts that include a photo or video consistently get more attention than posts that don’t. Today’s phones can shoot world-class photos and videos, but you don’t have to be Ansel Adams or Frank Capra. Just have a steady hand, share content consumers will find interesting, and keep your videos short and to the point. (Our world is now foreign enough to them that you may be surprised at what they will find interesting!) u Reach out to local reporters: Media relations is symbiotic: by providing reporters with news they can use, you help them do their jobs – and by reporting your news, they help you reach your customers. Today’s news rooms are smaller and leaner than ever, so it can be hard to get reporters’ attention… but an invite to

visit your beautiful orchard or hightech packing shed, not to mention a gift box containing some hot new (or old!) varieties, are great attention getters. Remember, reporters and producers want and need news, so be ready to talk to them about what’s new and different in your apple world. u Play offense, not defense: Today’s consumers (rightfully) want to know how you’re producing the food that they are putting in their mouths and bodies. Be ready to field consumers’ questions about key industry issues. Pollinator health, biotechnology and foodborne illness are trending in the news; pesticide residues are a perennial topic. Your customers will appreciate your thoughtful, positive responses. Contact NYAA for key messages regarding geneticallymodified Arctic apples, and the socalled Dirty Dozen list. See our website FAQs for advice on how to talk about wax coatings and internal defects. See the May 2015 edition of Core Report for media relations 101 advice. Apples and apple cider are very old foods that we are constantly making new again. We have great stories to tell our customers. So let’s get to it! For more information or assistance with social, media, issues and other public relations, contact NYAA Public Relations Director Julia Stewart by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (703) 727-8808.

those apple-loving kids heading back to school. The fun won’t stop when fall gives way to winter. We’ll continue to promote your wares through the yearend holidays, after the New Year and into the spring, for as long as they are in the market. The PR team will also support NYAA Consulting Dietitian Linda Quinn’s work this summer and fall to highlight

the health benefits of New York apples. We’ll work to encourage local media to get the word out to state fair goers about Linda’s appearance, and help her book television appearances as she makes her annual live on-set visits. Meanwhile, NYAA’s websites nyapplecountry.com and the new nycider.com will help New Yorkers learn all they want to know about our apples and cider – and our home

page’s locator map will help them find your pick-your-owns, farm markets and cider mills. NYAA invites you to tailor any of our plans to help promote your business. For more information or assistance with social, media and other public relations, contact NYAA Public Relations Director Julia Stewart by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (703) 727-8808.

Let’s get ready for New York apples By Susan Sarlund

It’s the time of year when Staples and Target are relentless with their Back to School advertising. Sure it’s great to see bathing suit ads in March and April signaling summer is on the way but Back to School ads in mid-July? Not a favorite in my home, that’s for sure. Along the same lines, this is the time of year when produce departments are looking ahead to the new season, fall. And what does fall bring? New York apples. Just like your backyard garden where things are starting to wilt and get a little tired looking. It’s time to get excited for a change, a fresh start. Nectarines, peaches, plums and watermelon (to name a few) have been the summer fruit stalwarts driving the produce departments these past few months. And, in many supermarkets, mini farm stands have been created to promote locally grown produce from

W

e are getting great feedback on our new POS cards.

farms in the general vicinity, bringing that homegrown feeling to consumers. Shortly, these departments will transition to fall, to fall fruits and to New York apples. The resounding theme as we visit the major Metro New York retailers these days is this building excitement. Out getting commitments for early crop ads and point-of-sale orders, each of the Produce Buyers we work with is telling us that they’re psyched for apple season.

“We can’t wait to have New York apples to sell,” is what we’ve heard. To help sell the apples through at store level, we are getting great feedback on our new POS cards. In addition to the single variety POS cards, the Variety Guide has always been utilized by retailers. The newly designed one has been well received and ordered as in certain locales the Spanish version is the perfect choice. Two other POS cards have been positively received out on our calls; the “NY Feature Apple” card with a white box that the individual stores can write in their own variety and price as well as the New “Sweet to Tart” card featuring our New York apples along a line graph from sweet to tart tasting. Between this POS and the building interest from our customers and consumers, we have an exciting opportunity in front of us. We have an attentive audience ready and waiting for our product. Customers ready

to turn over their departments and consumers ready to buy. Something else that could prove as an opportunity for us has to do with the pricing of stone fruit coming out of California. With the water shortage issue out there, prices have climbed. While a good feature price used to be $.99/lb. which has climbed to $1.99, with an average retail of $2.99, consumers putting a few peaches in a bag could all of a sudden be spending $6 for a few pieces of fruit which can start to get expensive. There is a ceiling for everything and there is a fine line before you turn off your loyal customers. In this regard, apples could benefit. New York apples – they’re close, water is not an issue, transportation is not an issue and we will be more competitive pricewise versus stone fruit which will be winding down when we start to ramp up. Good supply, quality fruit – bring on New York state apples. Good selling!

August 2015

Record exports for Yakima County Yakima (Wash.) Herald

For the fifth straight year, Yakima County set a record for export value. Driven largely by everincreasing international sales of fresh fruit, the Yakima Metropolitan Area exported $1.3 billion worth of goods in 2014, a 4.2 percent jump over the previous year, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Agricultural products led the way in Yakima, capital of the tree-fruit world. A total of $644 million worth of crops was exported in 2014, just under half of total exports, according to the report. Other key export categories for Yakima in 2014 were processed foods, chemicals and machinery. Yakima County is the largest apple-packing county in the nation, and the state produces 60 to 70 percent of America’s apples. Export values, at least for fruit, will likely increase even more in coming years, said Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission, the Wenatchee-based group charged with marketing apples overseas. At least, he hopes they will, because domestic demand for apples has stagnated. His goal is to increase exports of Red Delicious apples 48 to 60 percent and Galas by 50 percent in the next two years. Earlier this year, the U.S. and China reached an agreement allowing trade of all apple varieties. Before the agreement, China had allowed the importation of only Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples. Meanwhile, industry officials hope new trade policies help. Pacific Northwest fruit growers typically export between 30 and 40 percent of their cherries, apples and pears each year to the tune of roughly $1 billion, said Kate Woods, vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council, a Yakima-based association that represents the fruit industry in international trade and federal politics. “For example, Vietnam — which is already a combined $22.5 million dollar market for Northwest apples, pears and cherries — has significant growth potential should the existing 10 percent tariff on these products be removed through TPP negotiations,” Woods said in an email.

Recipes, nutrition facts, more nyapplecountry.com

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Bird damage seminar set Cornell Cooperative Extension

BALLSTON SPA — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County will offer a one-day workshop on limiting bird damage in fruit on Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the morning learn which bird species damage fruit, economic losses from birds to fruit, consumer preference for management tactics (e.g. kestrel nesting boxes), New York grower survey, tactics for deer management, regulations & permitting for wildlife control, landscape factors that place fruit at risk, and bird mitigation strategies. Morning session available via WebEx webinar. In the afternoon enjoy on-farm field demonstrations of scare tactics such as falconry, air dancers and exchange insights through discussions of tactics being used on your farms. Gain comprehensive knowledge about successful bird management strategies in susceptible fruit crops, including sweet and tart cherry, blueberry, Honeycrisp apples and wine grapes. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, Aug. 12. The workshop is limited to 30 attendees. The cost is $10, which includes lunch. To register contact: Marcie Vohnoutka, ENYCHP, at 518-2724210 or email [email protected].

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Lamont Award winners named By Molly Zingler [email protected] This year’s Lamont Leadership Development Award winners are Kaitlyn Kelder of Kelder Farm in Accord and Maxwell Russell of Russell Farms in Appleton. Kelder will be starting her senior year at Cornell University in the ag sciences program focusing on business and education. She has been active in multiple clubs while studying at Cornell; she is president of the Collegiate FFA, the Ag Ambassador in the Collegiate Farm Bureau Club, a member of the Dairy Science Club, as well as a Farm Credit Fellows. Kelder also spent a semester abroad in 2014 studying in Ireland to gain an understanding of international markets. She has worked over the past few years as a summer intern at

the Tompkins County 4-H office, as well as the Hudson Valley Cornell Cooperative Extension Lab researching B r o w n Marmorated Stink Bug. Russell will Kelder be starting his senior year at Cornell University majoring in applied economics and management with a concentration in agribusiness management. He has been active in many organizations while studying at Cornell; he holds the position of president of the Collegiate Farm Bureau at Cornell, a member of the Cornell University

R O T C program, Cornell Food I n d u s t r y Management Program Food Marketing Fellows, as well as a Farm Credit Fellows. Russell has had numerous Russell responsibilities over the years on the family farm, as well as spent three years at the Cornell Orchards as a fruit picker. We congratulate both Kaitlyn and Maxwell on this distinguished award achievement and we look forward to hosting them at the 2015 Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Atlanta this October.

State opens more Taste NY stores ALBANY, N.Y. - Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in July announced the newest Taste NY stores are open at the Pattersonville and Sloatsburg Service Areas on the New York State Thruway, and at the Broome Gateway Travel and Tourism Center on Interstate 81. These mark a major step toward Cumo’s goal of tripling the gross sales of participating Taste NY vendors and expanding the state’s efforts to promote New York’s agricultural producers.

GMO

Continued from Page 6 With growing global food needs, Whitaker said it is good to have the debate about GMOs. “We want to make sure our members participate in that debate,” he said. Retail and farm groups expressed support for the legislation, which passed by a margin of 275 to 150. “The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 would protect consumers from confusing and misleading GMO labels and create a national, voluntary labeling standard based on science and common sense,” Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in a news release. The Food Marketing Institute and the National Grocers Association issued a joint news release applauding the House action.

In 2014, total gross sales of New York products from Taste NY events and stores amounted to approximately $1.5 million. Pictures of the Sloatsburg store can be found here, the Pattersonville store here, and the Broome County store here and here. “We have said time and time again that New York produces some of the best food and beverage products in the world, and taking Taste NY to service areas across the state is just one more

“Having a clearly defined national labeling standard to identify the GMO content of food products is essential if we hope to avoid adding to consumer confusion about GMOs, and if we wish to elude unnecessary impediments to interstate commerce, both of which would result from a state-by-state patchwork of muddled, differing and conflicting GMO labeling laws,” Food Marketing Institute president and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in the release.

Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act key points:

u The Food and Drug Administration must allow, but not require, food to be labeled as GMO; u FDA must regulate the use of “natural” on food labels; and u Requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service to establish a program to certify non-GMO food.

way to get the message out,” Cuomo said. “Each year, rest areas on the Thruway and major Interstates are frequented by millions of visitors, all of whom will now have the opportunity to discover the great food and beverages made right here in the Empire State.” The Pattersonville store is located on I-90 westbound between exit 26 (Schenectady/Rotterdam West) and exit 27 (Amsterdam – Route 30).

Mobile

Continued from Page 8 like Fiverr.com, where you can bid for the assistance of creative professionals and that may cut down on costs. Our company has gone through the process of mobile-optimizing all of our websites (including GrowingProduce.com), and may be able to offer advice or help as well. You can learn more at Meister Interactive. Whether or not your business’s website is impacted by the Mobilegeddon is entirely dependent upon what your website is designed for. You know your market best, and if you feel like the best way to reach your customers is through social media, perhaps making your website mobile-friendly is not a priority. However, if you are near a metropolitan area and growing your business is important, you may need to upgrade sooner rather than later, or you may lose out on potential customers who search on their phone for pick-your-own or on-farm markets, simply because your website is not mobile-friendly. Who would want to lose out on business all because of a website? That truly would be Mobilegeddon.

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Allen

Continued from Page 3

mean Shop Rite could not say that New York apples are homegrown in their Jersey Stores, but a store 5 miles into New York could. That is ridiculous! What could be more homegrown than purchasing apples at a farm market or green market from a New York apple grower? Better yet, picking apples at a PYO! The main theme of our consumer promotion efforts is homegrown. We advertise in regional food publications such as Edible and Hudson Valley Table, and New York City publications such as Metro Newspaper which carries full page ads on PYO orchards, apple varieties and cider locations in upstate New York. The NYAA spends thousands and thousands of dollars on TV, radio, print and now internet that promotes homegrown and directly targets your market segment. Our fall radio messages for the last number of years are designed to get people excited in the fall about New York apples and direct them to your markets. Our TV spots are often filmed in orchards and even farm markets to communicate the “on the farm” message. The second reason is the Internet; and as we have reported in the past, our Apple Country® website and now our new Apple Cider website are both consumer driven tools to get people to buy homegrown. The most popular page on our site continues to be “Find an Orchard or Farm Market near you.” Hands down, the go-to resource for consumers that want to find your

orchard, your market or your products is our website. And now with the growth and excitement with juices and ciders, that is only increasing the online traffic. As a direct marketer, having your presence on line and a link to your operation is invaluable; and yes, well worth the $.08 per bushel. The third reason you are getting your .08 cents worth deals with Food Safety and the perception that consumers have about food safety. Your assessment works very hard for you on a national level through the U.S. Apple Association to help mold the national policy on food safety regulations. Unless you have the resources to travel to D.C. to attend USDA and FDA hearings where the regulations are written that will be imposed on you, no one is representing you better than USApple and our coalition groups. Consumers perceive that homegrown is safe compared to factory farms that distribute nationally and can cause national recalls. It’s your job to provide safe food and it is our job to provide you with all the needed tools to comply, yet not be buried with over-burdensome regulations. Such regulations could easily cost you many times over your AMO assessment. I run the risk of stirring up some bad feelings with the mention of cider and cider treatment regulations. But as a result of our actions a number of years ago on behalf of the vast majority of the cider producers in New York, and dealing with food safety, the New York cider industry today is stronger than ever. Consumers are assured that the cider they drink from New York is safe and we have not experienced any food illness outbreaks or cider contamination issues since the pasteurization/treatment regulation went into effect, while other states have. Those that ignore the regulations are a risk to themselves and then to the industry. The fourth reason is the buying habits of today’s and tomorrow’s consumers. We have nothing to do with this, other than help facilitate these habits by offering to consumers knowledge and information on what they are purchasing. Today’s buyers want to know so much more than I ever did as a consumer. If it looks good and tastes good, that’s good enough for me. But today the questions are, who grew it, how was it grown, what the carbon footprint is and unfortunately, what is used to grow it. Our job on your behalf is to assure, to reassure, to educate and to facilitate the consumer’s decision to purchase New York apples and feel good about it. We fight hard to defend you and our products and to fend off those that are driven to disparage and condemn how you grow apples. From the chemicals to the labor you use, you are constantly under attack by advocacy groups. This alone could be a full time effort especially with the Internet and the speed of disseminating information, specifically alarming information! I will use the same closing as last month’s column … So What’s The Bottom Line? Hopefully one can see that the Fresh Direct AMO Assessment of $.08 per lb. is used in myriad ways to benefit growers at some level in many ways. In this case, compared to the processing efforts, most all of these efforts are very visible and very prominent in print, broadcast, internet and now in this column! Good luck this season.

Jim

August 2015

Advertising

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u Television spots in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and Poughkeepsie will begin in early September and run through January 2016. A mix of 30 and 15-second commercials will be highlighted by a spot featuring Abby Wambach, women’s international all-time leading goal scorer, Women’s World Cup Champion and Rochester native. A spot titled “From Blossom to Awesome” and two new 15-second animated TV spots will be added to the mix. u Radio commercials will also run in these same markets plus Burlington, Vt. These spots, running in September and October will be “Orchard Reports” encouraging consumers to get out to their local orchards and pick apples, buy apple cider and visit farm markets and their local retailers. In addition, “live” radio remotes will be held at the NYS Fair, as well as popular “apple festivals” throughout the state. u Again this year, the NYAA will be sponsoring the “Total Traffic Network”, in all upstate New York markets. New York apple growers will be a sponsor of these widely listened to reports, which will add more than 1,000 commercials to an already aggressive radio campaign. u New this year on radio, the NYAA will be a sponsor on National Public Radio in all of the major upstate markets.

Digital online media

Media viewing habits are continuing to shift to internet enabled computers, tablets and smart phones. In fact, on a typical day, adults will spend over five and a half hours on their digital devices. Given that ever increasing trend, the NYAA digital campaign will be in the forefront to achieve high impact and engagement across multiple channels targeting our primary consumers, women 25-54.

Interactive banner ads

u These interactive banner ads will have three “click through” tabs where consumers will be able to locate a nearby orchard or farm market, download “apple” based recipes or watch NYAA TV commercials or education videos. These ads are completely “trackable,” so we know how many people clicked, clicked through, or even “moused” over our ads. u The ads will rotate over thousands of web sites targeting NY Apple consumers that feature, health, fitness, recipes, parenting, etc. u Banners will also be featured on the most popular TV, radio and newspaper sites throughout New York.

Online videos

u Online video viewership has exploded, providing numerous opportunities to engage with apple buying consumers. More than 73 percent of Internet users are online video viewers, and more than 27 percent view videos online daily. Online video tactics to be executed include: u 15-second second videos “From Blossom To Awesome” and “Make It Your Goal Abby Wambach will play prior to a video that at a con”sumer has already chosen to watch. These will be placed across thousands of web sites

that appeal to our consumers. u 15-second videos will also be posted on Facebook, and will be promoted to thousands of users who aren’t currently following the New York Apple Facebook page. (facebook. com/nyapples)

Facebook promoted posts

u Facebook is the largest social network reaching almost 70 percent of the online U.S. population. According to Facebook, there are currently 1,100,000 women 25-54 in our target markets who are active users. • Promoted posts are even more effective than traditional Facebook advertising. The NYAA promoted posts will be used to promote videos, recipes, events as well as increase “likes” the NY Apple Facebook page. • The promoted posts will appear on Facebook within the newsfeed of our target demographic in New York. Native Content Advertising (New this year) • NYAA press releases will be contextually targeted to relevant editorial placements. This “semantic targeting technology” will be able to place editorial content from NYAA releases across Family & Parenting, Food & Drinks, Health & Fitness and News & Travel articles on the Internet. Videos will also be embedded within the articles for additional consumer engagement.

Internet radio advertising

u Pandora is the largest “streaming” internet radio service offering audio and display advertising that is highly targeted. A consumer must register for this service allowing us to target our advertising to women 25-54 in our upstate markets. According to their data, Pandora reaches over 620,000 women 25-54 in our markets. This represents 34 percent of the total population. u NYAA commercials will stream both on desktop as well as mobile devices. Banner ads will also run, providing an opportunity for consumer interaction. u IHeartRadio is an “app” made available through IHeart Radio stations. They provide a “streaming” radio service that can play both on custom channels, like Pandora, and local channels owned by IHeart Radio. As part of a value-add to our radio buys in Rochester, Syracuse and Poughkeepsie, we will receive additional commercials to listeners of the app.

Sarlund

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straight as we know Susan can,” EPC President Vic Savanello said. “We are very happy to be able to retain Susan, the vote at our July 14 meeting was unanimous in support of Susan’s appointment, we can’t wait to see her blossom as our new leader.” “I was thrilled with the outcome of the vote as I know my father is,” Sarlund said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Board and the membership in this new capacity, to continue John’s legacy and build on the success of the organization.”

August 2015

Cuba

Continued from Page 16 Virginia and North Carolina, did ship and has shipped into the market. You can make your own judgment on why Virginia and North Carolina apples found a niche in that market. In 2008, a large New York Delegation visited Cuba. The trip was planned by the Department of Agriculture and folks from across New York attended representing wood products, vegetables, wine, canned vegetables, New York apples and a number of other products and/or services. This was a very well planned and scheduled trip which included meeting with Alimport, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Foreign Relations, food markets, farming operations and others. At least three New York apple exporters were on the trip and each one had face to face meetings with the appropriate Cuban officials involved with importing fresh apples. As it turned out, since this trip was an official New York state sanctioned and sponsored mission, it quickly became apparent that the goals for the Cubans were to express continued opposition to the U.S., the U.S. Embargo and mostly of the history of abuse taken against Cuba by the U.S. Government over the last 100 years. To my knowledge no trade agreements, contracts or future business resulted in this mission. In my opinion, since New York state was involved and because of our strong senatorial leadership, this became a political mission for Cuba. Also, the same restrictions on trade still existed. Fast forward to 2015 and the recent developments between the U.S. and

Core Report® Cuba. Flags are flying over Embassies and Jet Blue is flying to Havana. With this change many of the obstacles should also be removed such as banking procedures, exchange of funds, communications and trade protection measures, as well as the ability to trade under somewhat normal conditions. At least now, or in the near future, you can travel to Cuba and conduct business without having to gain Department of State clearance or fly from Canada. The Cuban market does or could offer some opportunities for our industry. Although it will certainly be a growth market and will take time to emerge as more Americans travel to Cuba, the appetite for U.S. products has to increase, including New York apples. The Cuban population here in New York is measurable and as they travel to and from their motherland, they too will demand more New York products. Looking ahead to Cuba I see some real possibilities for increasing trade and business. I think that the fresh vegetable production in Cuba has a real opportunity to flourish and I predict that major U.S. growing and marketing companies will invest in Cuba. They have the resources needed in fertile land, water and labor. They could become the smaller Mexico of the east, providing fresh vegetables to the eastern seaboard; in some places in hours and others a day or two. Compare this to Mexico or better yet, to the Salinas Valley that is drying up! Between running out of water and the U.S. government’s failure to confront immigration reform, feeding Americans with U.S. grown produce continues to be at risk. Growing apples in Cuba is not possible; but growing their economy to purchase New York apples is.

Insurance Continued from Page 6

safflower, tomatoes, and walnuts in select counties will have the option to elect the APH Yield Exclusion for the 2016 crop year. Producers of grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/ tangerines, oranges, and tangelos will have the option to elect the APH Yield Exclusion for the 2017 crop year. Alfalfa seed, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, oats, onions, rye and winter wheat are also eligible in certain counties beginning with the 2016 crop year. These are in addition to barley, canola, corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, popcorn, rice, soybeans, sunflowers and spring wheat, which were offered beginning in the 2015 crop year. The APH Yield Exclusion allows farmers, with qualifying crops in eligible counties, to exclude low yields in exceptionally bad years (such as a year in which a natural disaster or other extreme weather occurs) from their production history when calculating yields used to establish their crop insurance coverage. Crop years are eligible when the average per planted acreage yield for the county was at least 50 percent below the simple average for the previous 10 consecutive crop years. It will allow eligible producers to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program. Producers also have access to new online tools designed to help them determine the options that work best for their operations. The Crop Insurance Decision Tool and the SCO/ APH Yield Exclusion mapping tool,

Page 15 available online, provide farmers with information on APH Yield Exclusion and SCO eligible crops, crop years, and counties where they may elect the programs. This user-friendly resource can help producers quickly explore and understand available coverage options. Users will get general estimates to help them make purchasing decisions. Producers should consult their crop insurance agent for detailed information, sales closing dates and an actual premium quote. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the Risk Management Agency’s agent locator. Growers can use the agency’s cost estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Visit the Risk Management Agency at www.rma. usda.gov/news/currentissues/aphye/ index.html to learn more about SCO and APH Yield Exclusion. APH Yield Exclusion and SCO are made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing, and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda. gov/farmbill.

Volunteers Needed for NYAA’s booth at the New York State Fair

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or the 16th consecutive year, we will be promoting the many healthy aspects of apples by providing fresh apples, sauce and cider to fairgoers in exchange for a donation to the American Cancer Society. This is a great opportunity to promote our wonderful New York apples and apple products to thousands of fairgoers.

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e are asking growers, packers, shippers, and apple industry members to come help us staff this exhibit. The booth is open every day from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. You can join us for a variety of timeframes (10–5:30, 10–2, or 2–5:30); we’d love to have you help promote apples as well as your own farm or business, and your generous donation of time will be appreciated very much. Fair admission and parking passes will be provided. Also, if you have shirts with your farm name and/or logo on it, please wear it to promote your business.

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he Fair runs Thursday, August 27th through Labor Day, September 7th. Please contact Joan Willis at the NYAA office in Fishers (585-924-2171) if you are interested in volunteering or have any questions.

Thank you and we hope to see you at the fair!

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Core Report®

August 2015

Export Report

Cuba – could it be a new market for New York apples? By Jim Allen [email protected] Cuba sure has been in the news and it is causing a renewed interest in the Cuban market for New York apples. Stepping back in time to June of 2002, two NY exporters and I visited Cuba to participate in the first U.S.Cuban Trade show. The show was the result of President Clinton’s action that allowed food stuffs and pharmaceuticals to be exempt from

the U.S. Embargo. The trade show was dominated by large U.S. commodity groups and products such as beef, grain, soy, etc. We met with the state controlled import agency, Alimport. As a result of the trip, we learned that the demand for apples in that market was separated in two different categories. First was the state need, to feed residents in feeding programs and controlled markets. As we experienced from seeing these markets, the selection, quality and infrastructure to

provide anything close to safe, quality produce was very limited. In addition, a good portion of this fruit went to open air markets, similar to our farmers markets, but on a larger scale. The second avenue was to provide fruit to the food service and tourist trade, which served the emerging tourist business. This market preferred higher quality fruit than what they fed residents, but it was still underpriced. Most of this growth was because of outside investors, such as Argentina and Spain, who were partnering with the Cuban government. They were investing in coastal hotels and resorts. But in 2002 that investment was somewhat limited. It was obvious to us at that time that both markets were driven by price

and that quality was pushed aside. In 2002, even though this new trade opportunity had emerged, there were still a number of hurdles, obstacles and risks in the market. None of the commerce was sanctioned by the U.S.; therefore, all typical trading guidelines and protection measures were not available. The exchange of money was a huge issue and shipments were restricted to certain ports and shipping lines. All of these obstacles, in addition to unattractive pricing, certainly did not encourage any measurable trade for New York apple exporters. Very few loads were shipped. Our neighbors from the south,

See Cuba, Page 15

Calendar August 19, 2015 USAEC Meeting Chicago, IL August 20-21, 2015 Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conf. The Ritz Carlton Chicago, IL August 27 – Sept. 7, 2015 New York State Fair NYAA Booth – Horticulture Building Syracuse

September 9, 2015 New York Farm Days by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC October 24-25, 2015 PMA Fresh Summit Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA