New York Apple Association and Anthony Farms recognized at United conference
New York Apple Association and Anthony Farms recognized at United conference
WASHINGTON -- A group known for tirelessly advocating immigration reform, the New York Apple Association received the 2007 Produce Advocate of the Year Award at the United Fresh Produce Association's Washington Public Policy Conference.
"The New York Apple Association has championed many of our top issues," said United Fresh President Tom Stenzel. "Jim Allen in particular has been relentless in his passion about immigration reform, and we can always depend on his help to talk to members of Congress about nutrition policy." Sponsored by Syngenta Seeds/ROGERS brand, the award was accepted by Mr. Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
"I was honored and humbled to receive it," Mr. Allen told The Produce News. Along with the group's work on farm labor issues and advocating for specialty crops in the farm bill, New York apple businesses have had to push on trade and tariff issues. "Those are fires we fight on the spur of the moment," he said.
Mr. Allen stayed in the nation's capital to participate in a special event each year hosted by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who organizes a farm day to highlight foods produced by her state's farm businesses. She invites her colleagues to come to the reception and learn to appreciate New York agriculture as an industry, he said.
"And it's a great opportunity to mention to elected officials that this all would not be possible without farm labor," he said.
Also during the conference, United Fresh and American Vegetable Grower magazine awarded Anthony Farms its 2007 Grower Achievement Award. Vic and Chris Anthony, who for 30 years have run a 5,000-acre farm and other businesses, were recognized for their potato promotion efforts, food-safety programs and high-tech solutions to improving water and soil management.
The couple participates in the Wisconsin Healthy Grown program, which requires the farm and packaging facility to be audited every year and to follow certain rules to retain an environmentally friendly certification. In the past five years, the Wisconsin couple redesigned fresh potato packages after recognizing the packaging contained little information on nutrition or other consumer information. The packages included recipes and the couple helped design the colorful Wisconsin Skinny Potato Bin with nutrition information on an in-store billboard.
In accepting the award, Mr. Anthony credited the young people the business hires for helping to make a difference.
"The New York Apple Association has championed many of our top issues," said United Fresh President Tom Stenzel. "Jim Allen in particular has been relentless in his passion about immigration reform, and we can always depend on his help to talk to members of Congress about nutrition policy." Sponsored by Syngenta Seeds/ROGERS brand, the award was accepted by Mr. Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
"I was honored and humbled to receive it," Mr. Allen told The Produce News. Along with the group's work on farm labor issues and advocating for specialty crops in the farm bill, New York apple businesses have had to push on trade and tariff issues. "Those are fires we fight on the spur of the moment," he said.
Mr. Allen stayed in the nation's capital to participate in a special event each year hosted by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who organizes a farm day to highlight foods produced by her state's farm businesses. She invites her colleagues to come to the reception and learn to appreciate New York agriculture as an industry, he said.
"And it's a great opportunity to mention to elected officials that this all would not be possible without farm labor," he said.
Also during the conference, United Fresh and American Vegetable Grower magazine awarded Anthony Farms its 2007 Grower Achievement Award. Vic and Chris Anthony, who for 30 years have run a 5,000-acre farm and other businesses, were recognized for their potato promotion efforts, food-safety programs and high-tech solutions to improving water and soil management.
The couple participates in the Wisconsin Healthy Grown program, which requires the farm and packaging facility to be audited every year and to follow certain rules to retain an environmentally friendly certification. In the past five years, the Wisconsin couple redesigned fresh potato packages after recognizing the packaging contained little information on nutrition or other consumer information. The packages included recipes and the couple helped design the colorful Wisconsin Skinny Potato Bin with nutrition information on an in-store billboard.
In accepting the award, Mr. Anthony credited the young people the business hires for helping to make a difference.
