CFVGA New President/More WIC Funds Target Fruits and Vegetables
The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has a new president but his name is familiar to many in the state ag industry.
Bruce Talbott, of Talbott’s Mountain Gold, Palisade peach, and grape orchards has been elected president of the CFVGA Board of Directors replacing long-time president Robert Sakata. Sakata of Sakata Farms in Brighton stepped down after he was appointed to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Talbott says he is honored by his selection and knows the job will be tough at times. In a statement, he says, “The urban/suburban consumer and voters have very little understanding of the extent of the ag infrastructure and what it takes to successfully and sustainably produce fruit and vegetables in Colorado, whether conventional or organic. Talbott said their ability to survive and thrive is linked to the ability to communicate and win the public's understanding.”
Meanwhile, families who participate in the USDA’s Women, Infants and Children program or WIC may have more funds to buy more fruits and vegetables this summer.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack:
Vilsack:” We are working very hard to figure out ways to get the word out and to figure out ways in which to be more innovative with that program.”
The USDA will offer states the option of raising the cash value of vouchers by 3 times the current amount for up to 4 months, to purchase fruits and vegetables. The funding for the increase is coming from the “American Rescue Plan”.
