Hort Society analyzing results of grower survey. ...................................... Page 4 NYAA directors estimate crop size for 2014. ...................................... Page 7 USApple preparing for deregula- tion of Arctic ® apple. ...................................... Page 7 Part three of series on history of New York apple marketing. ...................................... Page 8 Is social media right for your busi- ness? And which medium should you use? ...................................... Page 9 NYAA trumpets advent of harvest to the state’s press. .................................... Page 11 Washington grower helps save village from wildfire. .................................... Page 12 USApple contest invites consum- ers to share their selfies. .................................... Page 13 Your AMO assessments fund all of the activities of the New York Apple Association, helping to encourage profitable growing and marketing of New York apples. Stories and photos with this logo specifically highlight how your AMO dollars are being put to work for you. In this Issue 7645 Main Street PO Box 350 Fishers New York 14453-0350 Official Newspaper of the New York Apple Association Volume 3, Issue 3 August 2014 Inside: APHIS weighs allowing China apple imports Page 16 ’Net gain for NYAA • New website helps industry connect with consumers By Julia Stewart [email protected]W ith start of the 2014 New York state apple harvest just weeks away, New York apple fans have a great new source for apple information: the all-refreshed www. nyapplecountry.com. The address is the only thing about the New York Apple Association website that hasn’t changed. The updated site has a colorful, friendly new look and down-to-earth feel, plus is easier to navigate. And it offers more of the information that consumers want, such as a variety guide, recipes and help finding local suppliers of apples and cider. “Our consumer visitors told us they want to learn more about New York state varieties, to get recipes and to find a local supplier – so we literally put that information front and center It’s your turn Put the new NYAppleCountry. com to work for your business, here’s how: • Check your information: • Pick-your-own operators, direct marketers and cider producers: Check your information on our new locator map (www.nyapplecountry. See Turn, Page 15 See Site, Page 15
Transcript
Hort Society analyzing results of grower survey....................................... Page 4
NYAA directors estimate crop size for 2014....................................... Page 7USApple preparing for deregula-tion of Arctic® apple....................................... Page 7Part three of series on history of New York apple marketing....................................... Page 8
Is social media right for your busi-ness? And which medium should you use?...................................... Page 9NYAA trumpets advent of harvest to the state’s press..................................... Page 11
Washington grower helps save village from wildfire..................................... Page 12USApple contest invites consum-ers to share their selfies..................................... Page 13
Your AMO assessments fund all of the activities of the New York Apple Association, helping to encourage profitable growing and marketing of
New York apples. Stories and photos with this logo
specifically highlight how your AMO dollars
are being put to work for you.
In this Issue
7645 Main StreetPO Box 350Fishers New York 14453-0350
Official Newspaper of the New York Apple Association Volume 3, Issue 3 August 2014
Inside: APHIS weighs allowing China apple imports
Page 16
’Net gain for NYAA• New website helps industry connect with consumers
With start of the 2014 New York state apple harvest just weeks away, New York apple
fans have a great new source for apple information: the all-refreshed www.nyapplecountry.com.
The address is the only thing about
the New York Apple Association website that hasn’t changed. The updated site has a colorful, friendly new look and down-to-earth feel, plus is easier to navigate. And it offers more of the information that consumers want, such as a variety guide, recipes and help finding local suppliers of apples and cider.
“Our consumer visitors told us they want to learn more about New York state varieties, to get recipes and to find a local supplier – so we literally put that information front and center
It’s your turnPut the new NYAppleCountry.
com to work for your business, here’s how:
• Check your information: • Pick-your-own operators, direct
marketers and cider producers: Check your information on our new locator map (www.nyapplecountry.
See Turn, Page 15See Site, Page 15
Safeway shareholders OK Albertsons merger
Supermarket NewsSafeway shareholders voted
overwhelmingly at the chain’s July annual meeting to approve the merger with Albertsons.
The transaction, announced in March, is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.
Meeting at the chain’s headquarters in Pleasanton, Calif., shareholders approved and adopted the proposal for AB Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, to acquire Safeway. According to Safeway, 70 percent of the outstanding shares and 96 percent of the shares voted were in favor of the merger.
Shareholders also approved a non-binding advisory proposal to approve a merger-related compensation plan for Safeway’s top-level executive officers; and they voted down two other measures, in line with recommendations by the board of directors: 90 percent said no to a proposal to label products containing genetically modified ingredients, and 88 percent voted against extending producer responsibility.
Pending any divestitures that might be required by the Federal Trade Commission, the merger with Safeway would leave Albertsons with close to 2,400 stores, including approximately 1,300 from Safeway, with total sales approaching $60 billion.
Market Basket may replace some workers
Supermarket NewsThe management of Demoulas
Market Basket, Tewksbury, Mass., said
in on July 30 any associates that fail to return to work by Monday, Aug. 4, could be replaced.
“We understand that some associates may choose not to return,” Felicia Thornton and James Gooch, the company’s co-CEOs, said in a joint statement. “Consequently we will begin advertising for employment opportunities.”
The statement follows weeks of in-store walkouts and parking-lot demonstrations by employees who want to see Arthur T. Demoulas return as president, a job from which he was fired by other factions of the Demoulas family in mid-June.
The joint statement said existing employees seeking promotion could go to the chain’s IT computer center in Andover, Mass., on Aug. 4-5, while outside candidates could apply for jobs on Aug. 6.
“We want Market Basket associates back to work and reiterate they can return without fear of penalty,” the co-CEOs said in the statement. “We again acknowledge and understand how difficult this situation has been for associates. However, we also need to have associates working to support
stores, customers and vendors.”
Startup looks to make supermarkets obsolete
Fortune.comFarmigo, a small farm-delivered
food service, has an audacious dream: It thinks it can help wipe out the likes of Kroger and Albertsons.
Benzi Ronen thinks that the supermarkets’ time is up. And his company is just the thing to speed up its demise.
“Our goal is to make the supermarket obsolete from a fresh perspective,” Ronen says.
Farmigo, his five-year-old 30-employee startup, sells produce and other products like milk and cheese purchased directly from farmers for 10-20 percent less than equivalent grocery store items. He does it by shrinking the supply chain, essentially taking out the middleman. Users place an order online; the order is fulfilled by a farmer who transports it to a centralized packing hub; and then Farmigo delivers it to community
drop-off points for the customer to pick up. This all happens within 48 hours.
“We don’t have a retail store,” Benzi explains. “We get rid of all of that. We source just in time.” That means there’s no waste and produce is brought directly from harvest.
Other sellers, such as Fresh Direct, also cut out the physical store. But Ronen argues that they’re just an extension of the supermarket model, with similar warehouses that keep a huge inventory on hand. By contrast, Farmigo’s hubs are filled exclusively with product that’s just been delivered by farmers and is going out for delivery.
The results of a Summer 2014 survey of 250 consumers, conducted by retail design firm King Retail Solutions emphasizes the broad appeal of community-run local street markets aka farmers markets.
Farmers markets hold mass consumer appeal and thrive in thousands of communities across the U.S. The farmers market concept is structurally basic, yet difficult to reproduce, in whole or in part, on a commercial scale because they are self-contained, hyper-local, and constantly evolving with their community. What can retailers learn from these markets?
KRS identified and surveyed 5 top U.S. farmers markets in distinct regions around the country: Green City Market Chicago, Ithaca Farmers’ Market, Little Italy Mercato San Diego, Pike Place Market Seattle, and SFC Farmers’ Market Austin. The 250 most recent Yelp reviews (50 for each market) were analyzed. Any pros and cons mentioned were identified and catalogued.
The study analyzes the most cited “pros” of farmers markets and the percentage of shoppers who mentioned any aspect of a farmers market they’d visited as a benefit. The study also analyzes the most cited “cons” of farmers markets and the percentage of shoppers who mentioned any aspect of a farmers market they’d visited as an irritant or deterrent to shopping there again.
Page 2 Core Report® August 2014
Retail ReviewNews from the retail marketing industry
A corporate shakeup at Market Basket inspire protests covered by several media outlets, including this one depicted on the website of New Hampshire Public Radio.
This is the time of year that I spend a great deal of time traveling to visit retailers, setting up the upcoming season’s promotions and programs.
I have been doing a little participant o b s e r v a t i o n while waiting for flights; I find airports are the best place to people watch. I like to see the latest trends that people g r a v i t a t e t o w a r d s ; whether it is fashion, e l e c t r o n i c s ,
food-you name it, you will see it represented in an airport.
We all know there are trends in food;
apparent in all of the big brands with their latest and greatest flavors they flood the markets with. Produce has the same trends; and apples are part of the trend. Consumers are adapting to the greater variety of apples available to them; they are learning what new varieties they like, what price they are willing to pay.
I always stop at grocery stores when I am on the road; I sneak around the produce department feeling a little strange as I examine the apples finding out their origins, often taking pictures. I find I get some very strange looks from the staff, they must be thinking who is the crazy lady examining the apples? Apples are available year round in all stores; some retailers more aggressive with the variety displayed at this time of year.
They are sourcing fruit from other countries to bridge the gap until they have fresh fruit available domestically.
August 2014 Core Report® Page 3
Core Report® is published monthly by the New York
Apple Associationas a member service.
New York Apple Assn.Contact
7645 Main St., Fishers, NY 14453-0350Phone: (585) 924-2171, Fax: (585) 924-1629www.nyapplecountry.com
StaffJames Allen, President, [email protected] Golden, Director of Marketing, [email protected] Willis, Executive & Communications AssistantCathy Jadus, Administrative & Retail AssistantEllen A. Mykins, Accounting Dept.John McAleavey, Northeast Account ManagerLinda Quinn, Nutrition SpokeswomanJulia Stewart, Public Relations Director and NYAA spokesperson, [email protected]
Board of DirectorsWill Gunnison, Chairman, District 1, Crown Point,(518) 597-3363, [email protected]
With the launch of the new NYAA website we can now reach the fastest growing group of consumers, the Gen-X and the Millennials, quicker, easier and on purpose!
Our new optimized site accommodates and responds to users regardless of the platform or the method they used to get on line with us.
Surfers on the Web today, unless they are carrying
a laptop around, are accessing the internet while on the move. Smart phones and tablets are becoming the tool used most to get on line. For young users, ages 25-35, it is practically the only way they use the Internet. They don’t have time to sit in front of a desktop to search for an item, but they find time to search while they are mobile.
Mobile access to the Internet is one thing, but the key to making the website user friendly is to be able to optimize the site to respond to mobile access. We have done that. There is nothing more frustrating or disappointing to click onto a Web address for a restaurant or a point of interst, only to have the site appear in tiny little words and images. Working through this site is difficult and cumbersome, and by the time you figure out how to enlarge the image or the ability to read what you are looking
for, your patience is gone; at least mine is. I will sooner dump the search and redirect to another query, than go through the aggravation. Maybe it is because I am a “dinosaur” in the tech world; but if that is how I feel, then on the flip side guess how a viewer feels when the site delivers a delightful experience. We want to “delight” our users and want them to come back over and over. I think we have done that.
The new site actually recognizes three different access points and adjusts to them differently. From a conventional desktop or laptop, the page will fill the screen. From a tablet or pad, which is a smaller image and has an orientation feature of either landscape or portrait, the view has to be different. Finally from a smart phone with a 2-by-3 screen, some of the images have to be eliminated or redesigned to fit the screen. This is called optimization. We are optimizing every possible way that viewers will view our site.
One of the highlights of the site is the ability to search for varieties, pick your own (PYO), cider, farm markets, and events. The Find Apple feature is awesome. Go check it out by plugging in your zip code and how far you want to travel to find, cider, a farm market, or a PYO orchard. A map shows all the locations and you can get directions to find them. From the corner of 11th and 7th St. in Manhattan to Warwick, N.Y., you can find farm fresh cider, fresh picked Honeycrisp and a cider doughnut, all on your smart phone in a nanosecond. If consumers want to find recipes, apple hints, tips and facts, this site has it all. It is all aimed at consumers, apple eaters and apple customers! Simply put, “How do you like them apples?”
Good luck
Jim Allen
Branching Out
Summer scouting
Molly Golden
Website focuseson consumers
Jim
New York Apple Association staff: Front row, from left — Ellen Mykins, Molly Golden. Back row — Jim Allen, Cathy Jadus, Joan Willis.
With the assistance of Cornell University, Cooperative Extension
and, of course, the many of you who took the time to complete the survey on growing practices in the previous year we are completing the data.
This data will be used to illustrate with hard statistical facts the current
trends in fruit production in New York orchards. We can document needs and trends in our industry which can help us validate the needs of each of you in operating your fruit farms.
This data can illustrate the human resource needs in your operation. It clearly shows the dependence we have on an annual importation of harvest labor into New York to harvest our annual 30 million plus bushels in fewer than two months. We can show the orientation of this labor and the importance of this to a successful harvest on time.
The survey helps to show that because of our ability to hire this seasonal labor we are able to maintain a healthy year round employment for many New York residents. Without this seasonal labor thousands of New York jobs would be lost. Telling this story is one thing. To be able to statistically prove this story is incredibly important.
The NYS DOL and the Federal DOL are aware we have this data and it makes a huge difference in your ability to request and apply for job orders. No longer can either DOL suggest that your need and job skill requirements are not necessary. This same data will be used in both discussions with New York legislators and our delegation in Washington, D.C., to make our points on the need for a more realistic guest worker program.
Legislation on hold for the moment
With the coming of August we will see our elected on both the state and federal levels back in their respective districts.
The federal will be home for five weeks to meet with you and in most cases try to convince you that it would be a great idea for you to give them your vote come this November. My response
to this is you need to ask what they will be willing to do if reelected in November with your vote
Now is the time to set up meetings to ask some questions as to their vision for the future.
You have issues that remain unsettled. Be certain that they are aware of your reservations and concerns. When they return, if elected, after the November elections they need to carry with them a clear knowledge of your concerns. Too often I think people tend to forget these people work for you. They are in office because you selected them to accomplish a set task.
If any of your employees worked to less than a 20 percent effectiveness would you retain them? I doubt you would and feel you had good cause for termination. I am not asking for you to terminate any elected official. I am asking you to make them accountable for their actions both good and bad.
Positive futureIn the last couple of months I have been
on many of your farms. It is impressive to witness the positive changes taking place in this industry. New plantings associated with investments in bins, storage, equipment, packing house improvements and added housing for your help are everywhere.
The market place in the last few years has rewarded you for your investments in delivering the very best apple to your consumer. We need to continue this and maintain that trust.
It is good to be able to report a positive picture. So often I have to report a story of failure to move Congress to act.We all need to be aware that Congress will act but clearly not as quickly as we would feel prudent.
In the mean time we all need to work to understand the market and political atmosphere of the day. When we accept both we can make wise decisions based on facts. Those of you that continue to invest wisely will have a long bright future in this business. Investment sometimes comes in the form of knowing when it is time to remove even productive yet unprofitable orchards. Change will never end. With the investments in research you will be able to meet these changes.
The New York State Horticulture Society will continue to encourage investments in research and advocate for sound political change. It is encouraging to work in an industry so resilient to these challenges. I am very optimistic that we are on the right path to a continued strong industry here in New York.
The Hort ReportNews from the New York State Horticultural Society
Baker
August 2014 Core Report® Page 5
Opinion
But what I really meant was …By Frank A. GasperiniNational Council of Ag Employers
Communication is a critical component to managing employees and to being an effective employee
or partner in any business enterprise.
A s s u r i n g that what we intended to convey and what is heard, or read, by the receiver can make the d i f f e r e n c e between a great day or an awful day, success or
failure, safety or tragedy. I was reminded of this recently when
I commented via e-mail that I had failed to understand the significance of a document when I received it, and could they re-send it. My comment intended no disrespect or disparagement of the information, however the receiver read it as saying that I considered the information shared as unimportant and a fast e-mail back and forth could have easily escalated from there.
As the old saying goes, “even a blind squirrel finds and acorn occasionally,” I fortunately picked up the phone to talk instead of going down the path of quick and too often misunderstood e-mail and the miscommunication was resolved. Too often these situations do not resolve themselves so painlessly, particularly when we are busy, tired, or feeling pushed or under-appreciated. Too often things said, or unsaid, result in hard feelings, lost time, lost business, lost friends, or even worse.
Although all of us will misspeak or be misunderstood occasionally we can, and should, work to minimize these avoidable losses.
Communication can difficult enough in stress-free settings where there is not the added pressure of time constraints, worry, weather, fatigue, employer/employee relationships, and even language and cultural complications. There are many excellent books and training classes to consider for the off-season on the topic of clear, concise, respectful, impactful, and productive communication. For now, here are a few tips to start with.
Think before you speak, or type. How many times have you wished you hadn’t launched those hasty words or hit the send key as fast as you had? Once launched, you cannot get words back. The more important the communication, the more important it is to intentionally slow-down and be sure what you want to communicate and how best to communicate it.
Thirty seconds spent out-front can save hours, days, lifetimes of trying to undo. Say or type it in your head before you say it out loud. With e-mail read it again before you send it, step away for another cup of coffee and read it again or for very important communications consider having some else read it and seek their advice. If it is worth saying at all, it is worth saying well.
Keep it clear. List important points or steps, in e-mail it often helps to start with something like: I have three questions I need your input on, and then number each one. Don’t beat around the bush. Even bad news is best communicated clearly, precisely, and respectfully. One of the worst things a manager can do is to use the old “sandwich” technique of giving negative feedback or bad news that you
focus on the good parts so profusely that the recipient walks away never having perceived the bad news. Keep it intentional, clear, honest, direct, consistent, and respectful.
Remember the social and cultural perspective of every particular conversation or communication. As the manager, your words many have different weight and may be more prone to being over-interpreted. Back to intentional, clear, honest, direct, consistent, and respectful.
Face to face it is much easier to watch the body language and expression of the person you are talking with, to ask questions and reinforce your intent. Face to face it is easier, although not always foolproof to judge whether your communication was truly understood as you intended and adjust on the fly.
Through e-mail or over the phone is a little trickier. Remember to keep important communications clear enough and in small enough increments that you can continually test for concurrence. With e-mail communications do not allow yourself to be drawn into running battles or escalating disagreement or cynicism. When e-mail starts to get cryptic or disagreeable stop, don’t send
the next e-mail, pick-up the phone or go to where the other party is and talk with them live.
We live in a fast-paced and complex world. Life and business should be satisfying and enjoyable. A little attention to good communication habits will make working with employees, co-workers, business contacts, and family easier, more productive and significantly more fun.
As managers, we always have the potential that someone will be angry at us or that things will not go as planned. There are dozens of reasons things may not turn out as hoped. The best managers always work hard to assure that when things do go wrong it is not because they communicated poorly.
Keep it intentional, clear, honest, direct, consistent, and respectful.
uuu
The author is Executive Vice President of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. NCAE is the national trade association representing Agricultural Employers in Washington, D.C. Visit NCAE’s website at www.ncaeonline.org for more information and continuing updates.
Gasperini
Core Report® is online at: http://www.nyapplecountry.com/industry/core-report?
Page 6 Core Report® August 2014
The New York Apple Association ran this ad-vertisement in ta recent issue of the national publication The Produce News.
Strength in numbers
August 2014 Core Report® Page 7
NYAA board releases July estimate• 30 million bushelsand growing!
On July 25, NYAA board members met via conference call to discuss and release the 2014 New York apple crop
estimate. This year’s crop is being pegged at 30 million bushels, which is slightly lower than last season but above the five-year average.
All districts reported excellent growing conditions and very little weather related damages to date. Most areas reported that they anticipated at least 90-95 percent of a normal crop; but all agreed that fruit is sizing very well and gaining weight rapidly, which could easily increase our final volume
number. Some varieties such as Empire, Red
Delicious and Fuji are down from last year’s harvest; but all agreed that last year was one of the largest cropping years in history.
In addition, some of the processing varieties were spotty as far as volume.
The Hudson and Champlain Valley regions both reported the strongest crop at 95-110 percent of last year. Wayne County and central New York
had a few lighter areas because of the heavier processing varieties, as well as Empire and Fuji being down slightly. The lowest estimate for this area was 75 percent of a crop while others were 80-85 percent. West of Rochester reports some weather damage but overall 90 percent and growing stronger.
The group agreed that this year’s crop so far looks very good and that timing is about normal. Ginger Gold and Paula Red will be ready mid-August as usual.
USApple preps for Arctic® deregulationU.S. Apple Association
USDA deregulation of the genetically modified Arctic® apple, in which the gene that causes browning has been suppressed, could come any day.
While historically there has been some dissent among the apple industry against deregulation, it appears approval for commercial planting at this point in the process is imminent. Once deregulation has occurred, USApple’s priority must shift away from industry debate to instilling confidence that these apples are safe and assuring consumers that all other apples will continue to be non-GMO and available for purchase.
In anticipation of public concerns, USApple has prepared a press release pertaining to the expected decision and is ready to act as the primary media point of contact for the industry.
Wendy Brannen, director of consumer health and public relations for USApple, said, “We have witnessed a solid indicator of what we can expect in the apple industry by monitoring what sister industry U.S.-grown potatoes is currently going through.”
U.S. Potato Board and National Potato Council have both gotten
heavy social media traffic the past few weeks as a result of anti-GMO activity instigated by a group called GMO Free USA.
The associations have also gotten calls and emails from consumers and media.
Months ago, the USApple Crisis Communications subcommittee began
shaping industry talking points on this issue. Those talking points will be distributed to USApple members to incorporate into their conversations with retail customers and consumers—and friends and family—on what the Arctic® apple is and what it means for our industry and the public.
Also in anticipation of Arctic® approval, USApple has drafted social media statements that address the most common questions and comments from consumers.
The association will act as primary media contact on the new apple should it be approved, but it is highly probable that anyone in the industry with social media channels will also get questions and comments.
These social media statements will, like the talking points, be available to all USApple members.
Page 8 Core Report® August 2014
Apples, apples; try them, buy themEditor’s Note: This month, Core Report® runs the
second of a four-part series reprinted from the 2013 Annual Yearbook of the Dutchess County Historical Society. If you would like more information about the society or the Hart-Hubbard collection, e-mail Melodye Moore at [email protected]. See part one online at: www.nyapplecountry.com/core.htm
By Melodye MooreDutchess County Historical Society
This month we continue to explore the Hart-Hubbard Collection at the Dutchess County Historical Society by taking a look at some of the clever ways apples were being marketed by the New York and New England Apple Institute.
Promoting Eastern applesThe history of apple growing in New York is long
and important.In 1647 Gov. Peter Stuyvesant planted an apple tree
from Holland on the corner of Third Avenue and 13th Street in New York City. By the 1700s Hudson Valley orchards were shipping fruit to New York City on the Hudson River. In the late 1700s John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) planted his first orchard on his Uncle’s farm in Olean.
In 1896 a record apple crop of 54 million bushels was produced. Competition for consumer dollars for Eastern apples soon appeared from Western and Southern fruit growers and this was one of the major factors driving the formation of the New York and New England Apple Institute.
To stimulate the distribution and consumption of the McIntosh and other Eastern varieties the leaders of the Institute quickly recognized they needed an aggressive and ambitious marketing campaign.
Advertising and publicityThe main problems were: 1. To change the
consumer’s demand from “eating apples” to McIntosh, Cortland, Spy –especially McIntosh and, from “cooking apples” to Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening. Red Delicious and Rome were seasonally mentioned; 2. To get the retail stores to buy, advertise and sell these varieties.
To this end our advertising agent prepared strips to paste on windows and walls – “It’s McIntosh Time.” They originated a little Scotchman in a kilt and tamoshanter holding up a red McIntosh; and a chef with a Red Baldwin. Counter cards of these with space for price were distributed to the stores to identify the advertised varieties. They supplied mats with these figures for chain stores and others to use in their advertisements.
Industry participationThe Institute was formed as a grower association.
No distributor, unless also a bonafide grower, could be a member. Distributors and suppliers, cold storages, etc., could be contributors without vote.
To encourage such contributions, special projects were set up. The Seaboard Cold Storage contributed $500 to finance a colored movie which the advertising chairman persuaded Prof. and Mrs. Taylor of The Oakwood School to take of local orchard operations of growing, picking and packing.
Special emphasis was given to the prevention of bruising in picking, in packing and in retailing to impress the growers and the retailer groups to which it was shown. The Red Hook Cold Storage and
Palmer Hart furnished $500 to put an apple booth in the great Brooklyn food show.
Tens of thousands of consumers saw our varieties attractively displayed and described both by attractive literature and display signs and display signs and by pleasing apple men and girls.
The Winn-Ricker Co., and others of Boston financed displays in the Boston fruit show different years. One year the Red Hook Cold Storage and Palmer Hart, Wm. A. Brown and the Bronx Refrigerating Co., financed the purchase of and placing in fruit stores in lower Manhattan educational apple signs. A young fruit grower was employed under the direction of A. Percival Hart, who had been in charge of such work for Stuart Hubbard, who canvassed some 1,200 fruit stores in upper Manhattan, Bronx and Queens for many years.
The most effective advertising pieces for such displays were large yellow cards printed in red and green, illustrated attractively and worded as follows:
“Apples, apples, try them buy them.Baldwins, Greenings: sauce them pie them.Spies and Cortland: salad, bake them,
Tapioca, applecake them.Red Delicious rich and sweetGrace the table, hard to beat.McIntosh are best to munchIn the morning, after lunch,When we go to bed at night,Beauty, flavor always right.Apples, apples; try them buy them,Treat the children. Don’t deny them Apples”
The “Apples” verse was composed by the advertising chairman at 5 a.m. when he lay in bed on Thanksgiving morning pondering how to tell all there was to tell about our varieties of apples so that consumers in the store would read and remember.
This verse was said by retailers to be the most effective piece of advertising ever placed in their stores. Children gathered in front of it, chanted it, begged for the card to take to Art of English teacher. Retailers asked that it be left up or a new one furnished. Some did duty for five years on the store wall. Wherever the Cortland sign was displayed, the sale of Cortland soared.
Apples, apples, try them buy them.Baldwins, Greenings: sauce them pie them.
Spies and Cortland: salad, bake them,Tapioca, applecake them.
Red Delicious rich and sweetGrace the table, hard to beat.
McIntosh are best to munchIn the morning, after lunch,When we go to bed at night,Beauty, flavor always right.
Apples, apples; try them buy them,Treat the children. Don’t deny them Apples
Minor Crop Farmer AlliancePollinator health is an emotionally
charged issue that is here to stay and must receive specialty crop industry attention, as underscored by two recent
high-profile announcements.Citing “a significant loss of pollinators,”
the Obama administration announced on June 20 a federal strategy to promote pollinator health. A presidential memorandum creates a Pollinator Health
Task Force tasked with creating a pollinator research action plan, coordinating public education, developing public- private partnerships, and increasing and improving pollinator habitat.
Meanwhile, The Keystone Center
announced on June 18 that it has assembled a diverse Honey Bee Health Coalition, which will focus on forage and nutrition, hive management, crop pest management, and outreach, education and communications.
Pollinator health has been a topic at recent MCFA Technical Committee meetings; the June 3 meeting included discussion of the recently released USDA-supported Bee Informed Partnership report on colony losses. Past discussion items have included the likelihood that USDA will eventually issue best management practices; and potentially could include pollinator protection as part of the programs the agency administers and funds.
Commercial beekeepers are also calling for revisions to pesticide label language to offer specific protections to pollinators. It appears this will extend to whole classes of pesticides, not just insecticides.
To participate in the MCFA Technical Committee’s work on pollinator health, contact committee chairman Dan Botts to volunteer. MCFA is also working with other stakeholders such as CropLife America to coordinate approaches and share information.
New York Apple Association’s public relations team began building
a n t i c i p a t i o n for your 2014 apple crop last month, by a n n o u n c i n g the launch of our updated website and the beginning of harvest (see articles on pages 1 and 11).
To announce the website
launch in mid-July, we notified industry members first – to give you a head start – and then consumer media. We reached out to newspapers, television and radio stations in every growing region. We are also posting website drivers weekly on our Facebook page. To further engage consumers, we are crowdsourcing photos for the website’s overhauled recipe section.
Next we alerted media that harvest would officially get under way Aug. 15, and announced NYAA’s crop forecast. Meanwhile, our expert – and telegenic – consulting dietitian Linda Quinn, MS, RD, CDN, is booking appearances on local TV stations’ morning and lunchtime shows.
Our goal is to keep your apples top of mind with consumers throughout harvest and into the year-end holidays, by providing media with the tools they need to do their jobs.
In the coming months, we will promote NYAA’s presence at the state fair, pick-your-owns and farm markets, back to school, cider season, and the year-end holidays.
Check this monthly column for updates.
Want to customize our materials for use with your local media outlets?
You can download our press releases from the new website’s Press Room,
Website, blog, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter. Pinterest, Google Plus, Four Square… There are lots of social media channels, and the list seems to grow daily.
Wondering which channel(s) are best for your business? Actually, the first question to ask should be whether social media makes sense for your business in the first place.
To help you answer that question, you should consult your public relations plan and the target audiences, objectives and strategies that you outlined when you developed it. (See the March edition’s PR Theory column for PR planning basics. The few minutes you spend crafting a plan will bring focus and discipline to your work, and help sustain and grow your business.)
In a nutshell, your defined business strategies should drive your choice of communications tactics – and social media channels are just that, tactics.
Website requiredEvery apple business – wholesale
and direct marketer – should have a website. The only companies that won’t benefit from a website are ones whose production is 100 percent captive, and always will be. (Know many of them?)
You don’t need a fancy site with a big price tag. You do need at least an
attractive, “placeholder” web presence so that current and potential customers can find you when they look for you, learn why they should do business with you, and contact (wholesale) or visit (direct market) you. Ideally, you’ll also seize the opportunity to tell your company’s story, and to make personal connections.
Adding a blog to your website is optional, and ideal for good story tellers. Keep posts relatively short to save you time, and keep your readers returning. Create an editorial calendar and plan new content out for months at a time – this could be as simple as a weekly picture and/or blog post. Make it easy for visitors to subscribe for updates via RSS feed.
Social options, optional
So beyond a website, who should be social? That depends on your business’ target audiences. If you’re direct marketing, then your audience is primarily women aged 25-54, including moms – and that means Facebook.
Facebook requires a healthy time commitment, mind you. You must feed it new content a few times a week heading into and during peak season, and occasionally off-season; here too, an editorial calendar can be invaluable. Plus, you’ve got to recruit followers – sorry, Facebook isn’t like
Field of Dreams, followers won’t come simply because you built a page. And you must be ready to engage with followers daily.
Beyond Facebook, whether you employ other social media tools will depend on how much time you can commit. Like Facebook, Twitter has no cost of entry and is popular with women. However, it requires regular feeding, ongoing recruiting and daily monitoring – and shouldn’t mirror your Facebook page.
If you’re a wholesaler who’s not interested in connecting with consumers, then Facebook and the other social media channels likely don’t fit your business. But consider that today’s consumers want to know where their food comes from. Your PR plan should map out how to reach the consumers who are buying your products from your wholesale customers.
At the end of the day, don’t forget that your most important business interactions are the offline ones – the families visiting your pick-your-own or market, your calls to wholesale customers, letters from happy shoppers. Your website and social media can supplement those experiences, but won’t ever replace them.
This is the sixth column in a series designed to help you grow your New York apple business with public relations. Read previous columns at http://www.nyapplecountry.com/industry/core-report.
Stewart
PR Theory
Which/Is social media right for you?
Pollinator health center stage
Page 10 Core Report® August 2014
It’s always somethingBy John McAleavey
We are excited about our new crop which looks to be on par with last years’ and are out spreading that message.
However, in talking with our customers, we’re learning that there may be an issue with our West Coast competitors.
In a normal season, California stone fruit runs out around Labor Day which works perfectly for retailer to then transition to our New York apples and gain all of the available display space.
This year apparently, there is not as much stone fruit available.
In fact, California is through about 80 percent or so of their crop already.
There isn’t going to be the overlap this year as there has been in the past.
W i t h W a s h i n g t o n projecting their Galas will be ready mid-August, they are going to try and capitalize on the shortfall of stone fruit and their early crop and be first to market with apples and
subsequently secure the prime display space first.
The issue will then be, if in fact Washington is ready with their galas mid-August and retailers switch prime space from California stone fruit to Washington apples, how much will
retailers adjust their display space a few weeks later to include our New York apples? Let’s try and get the early crop apple varieties into the marketplace as soon as possible.
As we know all too well, weather plays a tremendous part in the success of our New York apple crop year in and year out.
We may learn this year how the weather’s effect on other crops has a large effect on our business too. In the produce department, it’s all about real estate … let’s be sure to beat our West Coast competitors to the punch! Our theme as always is Buy Local. Good selling. Let’s have a great year.
McAleaveyCornell’s Boor joins board of Food and Agriculture Research foundationCornell University
Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a professor of food science, has been appointed to a five-year
term on the inaugural board of directors of the new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, an independent nonprofit corporation created under the 2014 Farm Bill to oversee national
research into food, agriculture and some other sciences.
It will leverage public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation and partnerships critical to boosting America’s agricultural economy.
“I am pleased to serve in this exciting new initiative,” Boor said. “Our charge encompasses some of our world’s most pressing challenges, and that knowledge makes our work, and its part in fostering real progress, unquestioningly crucial.”
Authorized by Congress as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, the foundation will seek and accept private donations to fund research activities that focus on problems of national and international significance. Congress also provided $200 million for the foundation that must be matched by nonfederal funds as the foundation identifies and approves projects.
The research funded by FFAR will foster collaboration among agricultural researchers to meet research needs through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding. FFAR will complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research, education, extension and economics activities that are conducted by various agencies, such as the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service.
FFAR’s board is composed of 15 directors, selected from a variety of universities and private companies nationwide, with the top five government agriculture and science leaders – such as the U.S. secretary and undersecretary of agriculture and the director of the National Science Foundation – serving as ex-officio members.
“I am thrilled that Kathryn Boor, of New York, was appointed to the foundation,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said.
“This new foundation will provide much needed resources to our nation’s farmers and industry leaders in the areas of food safety, nutrition, energy, agriculture systems, technology, economics and rural communities.”
August 2014 Core Report® Page 11
Volunteers Neededfor NYAA’s booth at the New York State Fair
Thank you and we hope to see you at the fair!
For the 15th consecutive year, we will be pro-
moting the many healthy aspects of apples by pro-viding fresh apples, sauce and cider to fairgoers in exchange for a donation to the American Cancer Soci-ety. This is a great oppor-tunity to promote our wonderful New York apples and apple products to thousands of fairgoers.
We are asking growers, packers, shippers, and apple industry members to come help us staff this exhibit. The booth is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. You
can join us for a variety of timeframes (10– 5:30, 10–2, or 2–5:30); we’d love to have you help promote apples as well as your own farm or business, and your generous donation of time will be very much appreciated. Fair admission and parking passes will be provided. Also, if you have shirts with your farm name and/or logo on it, please wear it to promote your business.
The Fair runs Thursday, Aug. 21, through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Please contact Joan Willis at the NYAA office in Fishers (585-924-2171) if you are interested in volunteering or have any questions.
Concentrate, import numbersN.Y. harvest kickoffannounced to pressBy Julia Stewart [email protected]
To bring consumer attention to this year’s apple crop, NYAA has announced Aug. 15 is the official harvest state date to consumer media statewide.
The harvest kick-off was proclaimed to newspapers, television and radio stations in all growing regions, and included NYAA’s crop forecast setting the 2014 crop at 32 million bushels.
NYAA’s report to consumer press called this year’s crop “a strong encore to last year’s vintage crop.” It reported that growers across the state have had excellent growing conditions, starting with near-perfect pollination weather and continuing throughout the summer. That should result in ample supplies of consumer-favorite varieties, with large-size fruit with high sugar levels, NYAA reported.
Consumers urged to buy local
The consumer-focused press release included a strong “buy local” message. Consumers were encouraged to visit NYAA’s revamped website to find local suppliers and learn more about the state’s top varieties. To build buzz for the website and the crop, NYAA is crowdsourcing photos for the website’s extensive Recipe section.
“We grow more apples than other state east of the Mississippi, so New Yorkers don’t need to look any further than right here to find great apples,” NYAA President Jim Allen said.
Trades get strong message
Meanwhile, NYAA’s announcement to produce and retail trade media sent a strong message that the New York industry is ready for another strong retail showing this crop year. Retailers were urged to contact their shippers to find out what they will have available, and to plan your apple promotions.
“Knock on bin wood, Mother Nature has smiled on us two years in a row,” NYAA President Jim Allen said. “Harvest is on time, we have plenty of bins and storage, and we are getting strong retail support in our key
See Kickoff, Page 14
Page 12 Core Report® August 2014
Wash. grower saves village
OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. — Last month as reported nightly on the national news, Washington State experienced the worse forest fires in history; and if it was not for Gebbers Farms, the village of Brewster would have been a charred deserted memory.
As the brush and timber fires raced across the open land toward Brewster on July 18-20, not only were thousands of acres of orchard, timber, and pasture threatened, but the lives and homes of over 2,500 residents were in the path of destruction.
Thankfully for those residents, Gebbers Farms, the largest single employer and agricultural operation in the area, directed all of their resources to fighting the fires. In the peak of the Sweet Cherry harvest and packing season, the Gebbers family diverted every available tractor, sprayer, bulldozers, tanker trucks, pumps and unlimited personnel to stopping the spread of the fire. It was the massive D-6 cats that were able in the nick of time to create fire breaks, while orchard sprayers, dozens of them, were used to apply water to hedge rows and the fire breaks.
Jon Wyss, a member of the Gebbers management team, posted updates on Facebook showing the destruction and the efforts to contain the fire and the man hours spent in the battle. Jon also spent countless hours helping to oversee the firefighting operations and coordinating bringing in supplies, generators and equipment.
The efforts lasted through the weekend and even into the next week, putting out hot spots and enlarging the firebreak areas. The results were gallant as the fire was stopped just short of the populated areas of the village. But many losses did occur in the area, as a dozen homes were lost. The area of Alta Lake and Pateros, the adjacent towns, had mass destruction and losses. The Gebbers Farms packing and storage complex, one of Washington’s largest, was spared any major damage, as well as the orchards.
During all of this cherries were being harvested and packed and apples were being packed and shipped.
The outcry of appreciation and gratitude from Brewster residents was enormous, and the recognition by county and state officials for the extraordinary efforts that a private operation put forth for the good of the community was unparalleled.
Joel Kretz of Promised Land Ranch and Brewster resident posted “Gebbers crew worked constantly all day to stop the fire several miles from town; several fire lines were over run, but many held, saving homes, barns, haystacks, and corrals. The fire was stopped on several fronts and funneled into a single front, but coming hot and fast towards town. Gebbers big cats were up higher from earlier attempts at stopping it, but thank God that got down in time to defend the town. An endless stream of orchard tractors sprayed water on the roadside fire line. This was truly the last stand before the fire hit town and at this point there is NO better sight then a Gebbers D-6 rolling up the hill. An extraordinary effort, we all owe Gebbers Farms and their hardworking crews a huge thank you.”
Patty Knolton writes “Thank God for all the fire fighters and thank all the Gebbers who worked so hard to save our place.”
As the week progressed and the fires were contained, the task of providing power and water to ranchers, and homes was a monumental task. Jon Wyss posted: “After fits and starts and a few miscommunications, the generators are starting to move in. We will start going through the list of those who have signed up for them and get in touch. Working with Okanogan Farm Bureau put out a state wide call for generators to run pumps for fruit trees and get water to cattle and horses.”
To all the Gebbers Family and employees:
“I would like to thank all of you on behalf of all of us at Chelan Fruit and the Brewster/Brewster Flat community for protecting our business and personal residences from being destroyed from the recent fire. All your fire-fighting efforts did not go unnoticed or unappreciated by the residents of our community. Thank you so much for being such a good neighbor. Please pass this ‘thank you’ along to all the people I didn’t have emails for in your family and at Gebbers Farms.”
Alton Leatherman
And finally this last quote from a grateful neighbor wrote:
“Heroes and true friends and neighbors walk in when everyone else walk out … God bless you all”
A tremendous effort by all the residents and officials to douse the devil took place and it was because of neighbors helping neighbors, and employers and employees working hand in hand, the efforts were successful. It was because of the connection the Gebbers family has to the land, to their friends and workers, and to their community that they stepped up to the fight. It was the resolve of Cass and Mac Gebbers, and Jon Wyss along with support from their families that fueled this magnificent effort. Their actions have redefined the meaning of a good neighbor who walks in when everyone else walks out.
— Jim Allen
Washington State Rep. Joel Kretz and Jon Wyss are literally on the front lines fighting the fires. They have skipped out on all the photo pops and press conferences to fight the fires.
U.S. Apple AssociationFrom people clowning around in
orchards to horsing around with their horses, USApple has gotten dozens of clever pictures posted on its Facebook wall the past few weeks.
The association challenged social media followers to grab their smartphones and take a selfie as part of its “Apple Summer Selfie” Facebook contest.
The promotion, which launched July 1 in time for July 4 festivities and runs through Aug. 15, encourages individuals to snap and share selfies with their favorite apples or apple products to celebrate the fruit’s convenience and refreshing taste during our warmest months.
Wendy Brannen, Director of Consumer Health and Public Relations, says that apples’ portability makes them perfect for summertime snacking – and snapping.
USApple chooses at least one photo each week to win a special prize from one of the campaign partners: Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, TAJÍN Seasonings, Brooks Tropicals, and Dizzy Pig BBQ. See “Fried Apple Pies” sidebar for more partner details.
To see all of the selfies submitted, visit USApple’s Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/USApples.
Fried Apple Pies sealed with USApple kiss
Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, a casual dining franchise specializing in chicken, home-style sides and biscuits,
is participating in USApple’s “Summer Selfie” campaign by promoting its new, made on-location Fried Apple Pies.
Lee’s has 142 restaurants in 13 states primarily in the South and Midwest. Participating stores will seal more than 20-thousand apple pies with USApple-logo stickers that also bear the USApple website address.
The restaurant developed a coupon specifically for USApple to distribute via its Facebook page for local patrons
and summer vacationers to try a free apple pie with purchase. Lee’s will also donate gift cards for weekly “Summer Selfie” winners.
Three other companies are supporting the program.
Tajîn, the leading fruit seasoning in Mexico and the U.S., is comprised of a unique blend of chili peppers, sea salt and dehydrated lime that enhances the flavor of fruit and veggies. Tajîn is providing prize packs and apple recipes and cross promoting the contest to its 1.4 million Facebook followers.
Brooks Tropicals grows, packs and ships tropical produce from Florida and the Caribbean. Brooks is sharing interesting summer recipes and product prize packs to showcase apples with a tropical twist. Dizzy Pig BBQ makes 17 tasty, all-natural, hand-blended seasonings.
Dizzy Pig is providing crowd-pleasing apple recipes perfect for the grill, along with prizes.
August 2014 Core Report® Page 13
AUGUST 21 – SEPT. 1, 2014New York State FairNYAA Apple BoothHorticulture Building on FairgroundsSyracuse
AUGUST 21-22, 2014Apple Crop Outlook& Marketing Conf.USAppleRitz Carlton, Chicago, Ill.
SEPTEMBER 8-10, 2014The Washington ConferenceUnited Fresh Produce AssociationHyatt Regency Wash. on Capitol HillWashington, D.C.
OCTOBER 17-10, 2014PMA Fresh Summit Expo
Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim, Calif.
NOVEMBER 2, 2014TCS NYC MarathonNew York City
DECEMBER 2-4, 2014New York Produce Show & ConferenceNew York City
DECEMBER 8-9, 2014NYAA Board of Directors MeetingSheraton Syracuse University HotelSyracuseDECEMBER 9-11, 2014NY Farm Bureau State Annual MeetingRochester
“Let’s start making sure New York is New York’s customer,” Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said at the July 24 meeting between the Office of General Services and with agriculture industry leaders to discuss the procurement process of New York grown commodities for state agencies.
New York state agencies are attempting to make true to desire to procure New York-grown products; but due to the bidding processes involved
and the approved vendor process, the ability to guarantee this now must take a step further by requiring their approved vendors carry New York-grown products such as apples, potatoes and other goods.
Department of Corrections officials were present discussing their centralized purchasing agency which bids out weekly their required items for the state prison system menus. There are 14 regions that are bid out and each approved vendor must be able to supply all items; not just apples. This is where the problem of distribution lies; our shippers must ship apples to the approved vendor according to the specs required by DOC (120-125ct, 40# cs eating apples). We are working to get the spec more specific, since “eating apples” is about as generic as it gets.
Other agencies present at the meeting were the Office of Mental Health, which only utilized frozen diced products for their meals, and the Office of Children and Family Services, which utilizes Sysco and other produce suppliers, but works off of the list of New York products they carry; not requiring of their suppliers certain products.
The Office of Aging, which has 59 county-based agencies that supplies programs for the elderly such as Meals on Wheels, has 500 food prep sites across the state and sources 85 percent of their produce locally.
For more information on the approved vendors for DOC, please contact the NYAA office at 585-924-2171.
Page 14 Core Report® August 2014
markets – all in all, we are off to a good start and have high expectations.”
In the coming weeks, NYAA will work to keep New York apples top of mind with the state’s media, reporting on our presence at the state fair, highlighting pick-your-owns and farm markets, announcing cider season and tying apples into the year-end holidays.
View these and other NYAA press releases online at www.nyapplecountry.com/press-room. Industry members are invited to customize NYAA releases for use with your local media. For assistance, contact NYAA’s Julia Stewart by email at [email protected].
For 13 years the New York Apple Association has proudly displayed and distributed fresh New York apples and cider to hundreds of “Hill” people at New York Farm Days.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, sponsored the event in Washington, D.C., which was started by then-Sen. Hillary Clinton D-N.Y., when she served in the Senate.
This yearly event, which is sponsored in part by the New York Apple Association along with other New York ag groups, is designed to highlight New York agricultural products and
showcase the plethora of great foods, wines and now spirits from New York.
The event, held in the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Building on Capitol Hill, attracts Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen from New York and other states. Visiting our booth this year were Sens. Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
In addition to the Senators, Reps. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, Timothy Bishop, D-Southampton., and Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, from New York all enjoyed cider at our table.
Our presence allows us to meet and greet our representatives and their staff, and exchange dialog in an informal atmosphere.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., enjoys New York apples with NYAA President Jim Allen.
Apple growers’secret revealed By Linda Quinn, MS, RD, CDN
Many have wondered why apple growers seem to have the most beautiful wives and so many children.
There has always been a hint of jealousy among dairymen and vegetable growers. Whether at a Field
Day or Fair, countless folks would notice this trend. Now Italian r e s e a r c h e r s have shed light on what apple growers have known for decades: E a t i n g apples make women more amorous.
Throughout history, there has always been a mystique about the “powers” of apples. Since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, apples have been considered a symbol of temptation. Folk lore concerning the aphrodisiac qualities of apples dates back to the ancient Greeks. In fact, Greek men would throw an apple at the woman that was the “Apple of His Eye”, if she caught the apple, it was considered an engagement ring and they would soon marry.
Apples have also been used in love
spells in many cultures. According to food writer Amy Reilly, “what pretty girl could ever pass up a shiny, lipstick red, orchard-fresh fruit of the gods?”
Now research reveals that there is actually science to back up all this conjecture. In their study “Apple consumption is related to better sexual quality of life in young women.” Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, July 2014 Italian Researchers surveyed 731 women aged 18 to 43.
What did they find? Women who ate more apples reported being more “satisfied.” Apples contain high quantities of polyphenols and antioxidants. They also contain a compound called phloridzin, which is similar in structure to the female sex hormone estradiol.
Eating natural and delicious apples can benefit health in many ways. Now we know that apples may help women enjoy their lives more fully.
We tried to contact apple growers for this story and were met with “No Comment.” Finally one grower we cornered smiled, shrugged his shoulders and simply said, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”.
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For more information about this study and other information about the benefits of apples, visit our website Nutrition Section at www.nyapplecountry.com.
Quinn
August 2014 Core Report® Page 15
on the new site,” NYAA President Jim Allen said. “That dovetailed perfectly with the requests we got from industry, asking us to help them better connect with consumers.”
The updated site features:• “buy local” messaging emphasized on the site’s
home page;• locator maps to help connect consumers with pick-
your-owns, direct marketers and cider producers;• profiles on 24 of New York state’s top apple
varieties, including Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Gala;• an extensive, searchable recipe collection;• facts about the New York apple industry and apples
in general, as well as frequently asked questions;• a large Nutrition section, including apple
Nutrition Facts, health and weight benefits of eating apples, and research updates from NYAA Consulting Dietitian Linda Quinn, MS, RD, CDN.
“Our goal is to re-establish nyapplecountry.com as consumers’ go-to source for information about New
York state apples, and to connect consumers with the New York state apple industry,” Allen said.
To build buzz, NYAA crowdsourcingrecipe photos
Throughout the harvest season, NYAA will promote the refreshed site to consumers through media relations and social media.
To help NYAA create buzz about the new site, the association is crowdsourcing recipe photos from New York state apple fans.
Photographers will be credited on the recipe’s page, and on NYAA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nyapples.
“We know that with food, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words, so we are hoping that our fans will help us add photos to the Recipe section,” Allen said. “We know cooks tend to be a bit competitive too, we are counting on that,” he added with a smile.
com/find) to make sure it is up to date. • Wholesalers and processors: Check our
directories to make sure your information is correct. To access the directories, click on the “Industry” link found at the very top of the home page, then select “NY Apple and Apple Products Directories” from the right-hand menu (or point your browser to www.nyapplecountry.com/industry/ny-apple-and-apple-products-directories).
• To request changes: Contact NYAA’s Joan Willis by email at [email protected] to request changes.
• Add a link from your site to ours.• Send us your public event information, for
posting to our site (see www.nyapplecountry.com/find/events).
• While you are at it, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nyapples.
And send us your feedback on the site via www.nyapplecountry.com/contact.
TurnContinued from Page 1
SiteContinued from Page 1
A couple of screen captures from the new www.nyapplecountry.com. Clockwise from left, the variety guide, the pick-your-own locator and the recipes page.
The U.K. GuardianVladimir Putin has banned the
import of agricultural goods from countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia in a tit-for-tat move that deepens the economic standoff between the Kremlin and the west.
Russian government officials have been told to draw up a list of western agricultural products and raw materials that will be banned or restricted for up to one year, according to the decree published on the Kremlin website.
In tacit recognition that Russian consumers will bear the cost of the import ban, the decree also instructs officials to come up with measures to stabilize commodity markets and prevent food price rises.
The import ban follows a threat of retaliation from Russia’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, in response to the grounding of the budget airline subsidiary of Aeroflot as a result of EU sanctions. Russian officials are reported to be considering banning European airlines from flying to Asia over Siberia.
Food has also been caught up in political tensions between Russia and
the west. In recent days Russian food safety authorities have banned the import of Polish fruit and vegetables, while McDonald’s cheeseburgers and milkshakes are being investigated by a regional branch of consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor.
The import ban will hit all EU countries and the United States, which last week stepped up punitive action against Russia in response to Moscow’s support for eastern separatists in Ukraine, unwavering despite the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17.
The Kremlin decree did not specify which foods would be affected, but an official told the newspaper Vedomosti that the list would include meat, fruit and vegetables, but not wine or baby food.
Russia is Europe’s second largest market for food and drink and has been an important consumer of Polish pig meat and Dutch fruit and vegetables. Exports of food and raw materials to Russia were worth 12.2 billion Euros ($16.3 billion) in 2013, following several years of double-digit growth.
Page 16 Core Report® August 2014
Export Report
APHIS proposes ruleto allow fresh apples from ChinaFreshfruitportal.com
The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has proposed a new rule to allow imports of fresh apples from China into the continental United States. The agency has recommended a systems approach including registrations and inspections of operations, the bagging of fruit, safeguarding, labeling and that consignments be on a commercial scale.
Under the framework, this approach would suffice in areas where Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is not known to exist, while growers in areas where the pest may be present must fumigate and refrigerate their apples.
The move follows on from a pest risk analysis released more than a year ago, which found measures beyond standard port-of-entry inspection were
required to mitigate the plant pest risks posed by Chinese apples.
APHIS will be considering all comments received on or before Sept. 16.
According to a post on the Federal Register, no more than 10,000 metric tons of fresh apples would be expected for import from China annually, which would be the equivalent of about 5 percent of U.S. imports and 0.44 percent of the U.S. domestic fresh
apple supply in 2012.“Most of China’s fresh apple exports
to the United States would likely be shipped to West Coast ports, primarily ones in California,” APHIS said.
“California is also the largest market for Washington apples, and any effects of the proposed rule may be borne mainly by Washington and California apple growers, in particular, U.S. apple growers of the Fuji variety.
“U.S. apple growers of other varieties
and in other areas may also experience limited effects in terms of increased competition.”
To commentGo to www.regulations.gov
Search: ‘Importation of Apples from China’
Russia bans produce from West
This trend of year-round apples available to consumers is good and bad; good because consumers are eating apples and getting the health benefits, bad because there is a chance that the fruit is either beyond its prime or lacks the flavor profile of our apples-whether freshly picked or stored our apples just taste better. But, this adds to the excitement of a new crop of New York apples; consumers and retailers alike are excited for this crop and cannot wait for that first crunch.
