WSTFA Annual Meeting
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The Washington State Tree Fruit Association recently held their annual meeting with growers, packers, shippers and others from the industry gathering in Wenatchee.
WSTFA President Jon DeVaney says this year’s theme for the meeting was appropriately enough … “Perseverance” …
DeVANEY … “I think our meeting chairman, Bryan Peebles selected that theme for two reasons. One, he wanted to recognize the perseverance that our industry’s already shown through generations and through a difficult downturn. So, it’s honoring that. But it’s also encouragement to keep persevering, that we’ll see good days again and there are pathways forward to be successful in the future.”
That pathway, DeVaney says it might not be smooth …
DeVANEY … “There’s so much going on in the world that we can’t always expect every elected official, every agency staff person, every voter in the state to understand the exact financial situation of the tree fruit industry or of agriculture. That’s not where they live and work.”
But the word, DeVaney says is getting out there …
DeVANEY … “So, there is an increasing recognition that there’s a problem to be fixed. Getting to exact agreement on what that fix looks like is not there yet, but that conversation is starting. It’s not a very high-profile one yet, but it’s one that we’re having with senior Democrats in our legislature right now.”
Again, that’s Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.
