Apple Scholarships

Apple Scholarships. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Each year the Washington Apple Education Foundation gives away hundreds of dollars to apple industry kids and they have just announced another round of scholarships according to executive director, Jennifer Witherbee.

WITHERBEE: Well this was an incredible year for kids raised in tree fruit districts at the time they needed us most the industry increased the number of scholarships it awarded. It was our biggest year yet. We awarded over 120 scholarships which equates to about $350-thousand dollars in scholastic aid for college bound kids.

And Witherbee says this was a substantial increase over last year.

WITHERBEE: This was quite an increase from last year. Last year we awarded over 100 scholarships and we were very excited about that but the value of our awards went up pretty dramatically this year, about $100-thousand dollars more we were able to award this year.

These scholarships are designed around the tree fruit industry.

WITHERBEE: The students that receive the Washington Apple Education Foundation scholarships are kids that are raised in tree fruit districts. Their parents might be growers, they might be farm workers, it could just be that they are in a community that has a very heavy tree fruit industry presence and kids from that high school are being recognized.

For more information or to apply for the 2010 scholarships visit their website at www.waef.org.

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