02/04/08 Tree Fruit Day

Tree Fruit Day. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The Washington State Horticultural Associations 6th Annual Tree Fruit Day is coming up this Thursday and Lynette Smith, Hort's Communications Director says it's a great time to get one-to-one with our elected officials. SMITH: We don't always get an opportunity to talk with them or speak our mind and this is one of those opportunities where we can do that and it's also sort of nice to meet the legislators on their turf and help get our message across. Between 25 and 30 tree fruit producers will make the trip to Olympia to discuss many different issues. SMITH: They have a list of discussion points to discuss while they're there. One of them is the current labor supply shortage that we are facing in the tree fruit industry. Some of the other ongoing issues that will be discussed are the propane sales tax exemption, farm worker housing, unemployment insurance reform, minimum wage, water, water storage. If you are interested in taking part in Tree Fruit Day this year you should contact Lynette Smith at the Hort office today or tomorrow at the latest to register. Smith says it's really important to get in front of the legislators. SMITH: The majority of agriculture in Washington State is east of the Cascades and tends to be isolated from the power center of the Puget Sound so it's critical that we have that opportunity to get over there at the beginning of the year, that the legislators understand our story because their laws and rules that they're discussing and passing in Olympia affect us directly. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.