WSTFA Batjer Address Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. This year’s Batjer (BAY-cher) Address at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association’s Annual Meeting will follow the theme of “Stronger Together.”
Delivering the address is WSU Extension Service’s Karen Lewis who says the tree fruit industry in general, but the workforce specifically is a pretty resilient group …
LEWIS … “So, you remember that in COVID people were running away, and our workforce ran towards. They were the first responders. They knew when they were leaving their home and their family in Mexico to come work here for harvest, they knew we had COVID and they still came.”
Lewis says we’d be lost without them, but it demonstrates our teamwork …
LEWIS … “It is the theme, ‘Stronger Together’ and I expect that the first speaker is going to explain that the together could be a wider net. And so, we need to join forces with other agricultural commodities and maybe even drill down to forming alliances, tighter alliances, with perennial high-value crops.”
Bottom line, Lewis says we’re in it “Together” …
LEWIS … “This is a very competitive, free-enterprise based industry so individual producers are competing against individual producers and operations, but do they all come under and support the brand. So, my answer is, yes they do, and they have.”
Register for the WSTFA Annual Meeting at www.wstfa.org
The meeting and Hort Expo is December 5-6-7 in Wenatchee.
