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Cherry Marketing Committee nominations...
Nominations for grower positions of the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee will be taken during the annual Cherry Institute at the Yakima Convention Center on January 13. Growers whose terms will expire in March are Robert Pringle, with Ken Knight as alternate, and Gary Ormiston, with Mike O’Brien as alternate.
Nominations for grower positions on the Washington Apricot and Washington Cherry Marketing Committees will be accepted at the North Central Washington Stone Fruit Day at the Wenatchee Convention Center on January 17.
Growers whose terms will expire on March 31 are:
Apricot Committee: Jan Luebber and alternate Aaron Young; John Ford and alternate Edsel Reeves.
Cherry Committee: Bill Brauchla and alternate Doug Hodgson; Norm Gutziler and alternate Ronald Jagla; Kyle Mathison and alternate Ed Kane.
For more information about committee nominations, call (509) 453-4784.
Nominees sought for pear groups...
Pear growers will elect nominees this winter for positions on the Processed Pear Committee and the Fresh Pear Committee of Marketing Order No. 927. Each committee is responsible for the collection of assessments for research, and the promotion and advertising of all pears in domestic and export markets.
There are two positions to be filled at the Hood River Winter Horticultural Meeting at Pine Grove Grange on February 9. The positions expiring on June 30 are currently held by the following:
Fresh Pear Committee, Mid-Columbia district: Erick von Lubken with Mark Laurance as first alternate and Dan Sheppart as second alternate.
Processed Pear Committee, Oregon: Mike Oates with Kevin Zielinski first alternate and Camille Hukari second alternate.
The Wenatchee district position on the Fresh Pear Committee, which also expires June 30, will be filled at the North Central Washington Pear Day at the Wenatchee Convention Center on January 18. The position is currently held by Ray Schmitten with Daryl Harnden as first alternate and Robert Cowan as second alternate.
All pear growers are eligible to attend and participate in the nominations. Names of those elected will be submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture for official appointment to the committee. Terms are for two-years.
Free seminars at Ag Expo...
The World Ag Expo, reputed to be the world’s largest agricultural equipment technology show, is scheduled for February 14-16 at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, California. More than 1,500 companies from throughout the world will display their products and services, and the top ten new products of 2006 will be showcased.
The expo features more than 100 free seminars covering such topics as the Farm Bill, trade with China, emerging markets, and irrigation.
The expo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on February 14 and 15 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 16. Admission costs $7, with three-day passes available for $18. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on-line. For more information, call (800) 999-9186 or check the Web site at www.farmshow.org.
Hard cider information easy to find...
Information on hard cider research conducted by Michigan State University researchers can be found on the Web site www.michiganhardcider.org. The site lists Michigan wineries, farm markets, restaurants, and other retail outlets carrying hard cider and related products. It also lists resources for people interested in developing a hard cider business, including a guide to brewing cider, a business plan template, marketing guidelines, and strategies for launching a business.
Stemilt launches gift business...
The retail store of Stemilt Growers, Inc., Wenatchee, Washington, has teamed up with Chelan Douglas Developmental Services to launch a gift business called Bountiful Fruit.
The new business has a Web site, catalogue, and walk-in service for ordering gift packs of fruit and provides jobs for disabled adults in Chelan and Douglas Counties.
Stemilt’s retail store has been a local outlet for its fruit since 1989. CDDS is a nonprofit organization that helps disabled people find job training and employment. Several CDDS clients work at the retail store, and Stemilt pays them a percentage of Bountiful Fruit sales at the end of each month. As the gift business grows, the CDDS clients might be employed year round, according to information from the company.
Brian Vertrees, customer information specialist with Stemilt’s marketing department, said Stemilt sees Bountiful Fruit as a way to serve both the community and its customers who buy fruit gifts. Members of the Bountiful Fruit Club receive a gift box each month of the best fruit in season.
The Web site is at www.bountiful fruit.com.
Learn to sell wine...
A hands-on symposium about selling Washington wines is scheduled for February 8 in Kennewick and February 28 in Bothell.
The symposium, sponsored by the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, is intended for those involved in, or who want to be involved in the sale and marketing of Washington wine. Attendees will gain a world view on wines, learn about branding and sales, taste and evaluate Washington wines, and learn about the discriminating choices of restaurant buyers.
Program presenters include Nina Milligan, wine marketing consultant; Richard Kinssies of the Seattle Wine School and wine writer; Lisa Samuelson of Samuelson Communications; Tom Samuelson, president of the Island Wine Group; and Shayn Bjornholm, Master Sommelier and wine director at Canlis Restaurant.
Registration costs $45, which includes wine tasting. The symposium is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of wine grape growers. For more information, call (509) 782-8234.
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