Working for the Apple Industry

Working for the Apple Industry. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The apple industry here in Washington and across the states has had a bit of a set back towards the end of the 2008 season even though there is a great amount of optimism for the 2009 crop. Diane Kurrle, Director of Public Affairs for US Apple says they are not only trying to help the apple industry but improve nutrition as well.

KURRLE: This is an area where you also see Congress in a bi-partisan way and the Administration really on the same page looking at the need to address childhood obesity, find ways to reduce healthcare problems and healthcare costs and I think everyone agrees that one way to do this is to increase fruits and vegetables in everyone’s diet.

She says part of the Farm Bill was really geared towards apples.

KURRLE: Here at US Apple it’s been a top priority for us and one we worked on during the Farm Bill and there were a number of programs in the Farm Bill that are really geared toward increased fruit and vegetable consumption including apples.

Kurrle talks about the Fruit and Vegetable Snack program.

KURRLE: This is a program that’s now in all 50 states, it’s targeted to low income areas and it provides a free fruit or vegetable snack to students in those schools. The funding for this program is due to increase every year for the life of the Farm Bill. This program has been just amazing because what it does is bring fruits and vegetables to a population that in come cases is not used to having them.

More tomorrow.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.