Tariffs Gebbers Pt 3
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Talking tariffs and other aspects of a trade war that's hitting Northwest growers especially hard, Cass Gebbers was in the nation's capital making a case for the ag industries role in a trade war.
The Gebbers Farms president and CEO spoke last week with the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade and posed the question, what happens when we lose some of our biggest markets?
GEBBERS ... "So what happens is if we lose some Cherry business? No problem, Spain, Turkey, the EU guys will fill in on the back space behind us and take those markets and it's very difficult. Those relationships are long, but they're pretty short-lived when you don't fill your commitment and make a promise and do what you say you're going to do."
He says it feels like ag is taking the brunt of the retaliation ...
GEBBERS ... "And that's all we're asking is let's level this playing filed, and I get where we're headed. I'm patriotic and I get there's going to be some pain shared. Make sure the pain's shared amongst all industries, a trillion dollars of high-tech money sitting overseas. Make sure they're sharing in the pain of this IP protection."
Gebbers says the Northwest is really feeling the pain ...
GEBBERS ... "We're high profile. We're easy. There's an apple grown in darn-near every state so it's easy to get under the skin of your ag producers and make a difference. It's why we're here. But, these markets are not fungible so we can't just pick up and send an apple is an apple is an apple. There's no way it works that way."
Gebbers says if the tariffs aren't lifted soon, the government will need to offer as many mitigation options as possible for growers, packers, and shippers ... and the jobs they support.
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BL: Welcome back to another "Fruit Bites" brought to you by Valent U.S.A. With us again is Valent's Allison Walston. And this week Allison, let's talk about cocktail cherries, its 5 o'clock somewhere, right.
AW: I'm sure it is! Have you ever noticed that lovely little cherry at the bottom of an Old Fashion or a Manhattan?
BL: The bright red maraschino cherry?
AW: yes, Fun fact. A professor at Oregon State University, Ernest Wiegand, perfected the modern process of making them right here in Oregon around 1931. But I think there's a cocktail cherry revolution.
BL: Really? A revolution?
AW: Ok that is a bit strong. But fancy whiskey bars serve these brandied cocktail cherries and they are delicious. So I decided to make some "hooch-soaked cherries" with some extra Rainiers and Vans.
BL: so what's on the menu?
AW: I went old school and made maraschino liqueur soaked cherries. mulled-spiced-Brandied cherries and my favorite were the bourbon soaked cherries. I call them drunken cherries. Equal parts simple syrup to booze and then I canned them.
BL: do I get a jar?
AW: you bet!
BL: Well, thanks Allison. Join us again next time for Fruit Bites, brought to you by Valent. Until then, I'm Bob Larson.
