WSTFA Batjer Address Pt 1

From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Coming up in a few short weeks, the Washington State Tree Fruit Association will hold its 2022 Annual Meeting and Hort Expo in Wenatchee.

Delivering this year’s Batjer (BAY-cher) Address is WSU Extension’s Karen Lewis who says with the theme this year being “Stronger Together’, her message will be simple …

LEWIS … “I really want to stay focused on the celebration of who we are and why it’s so important that we all work together to not only survive but to thrive and to do it together, and to come out the other side of what is currently, these past couple of years, a pretty rough place to try and earn a living growing fruit.”

But that, Lewis says gives us good reason to celebrate …

LEWIS … “It’s wonderful that, year in and year out, with such big problems, some of them unexpected, not weather related, and we still, I say we so I need to be very careful here. I don’t grow fruit so sorry if I use the collective, we, but I’m just so impressed at what the tree fruit industry, individual producers and the workforce, can do every year given the conditions that are thrown at them.”

Lewis says they just keep proving themselves …

LEWIS … “And COVID is a perfect example of, oh my Gosh, there is no way we’re going to do this … and yet, here we are on the other side.”

Tune in tomorrow for more on this year’s Batjer Address from

Karen Lewis.

To register for the WSTFA Annual Meeting and Hort Expo is December 5-6-7 in Wenatchee … just go to www.wstfa.org