NWA focusing on food safety at 2008 annual convention
NWA focusing on food safety at 2008 annual convention
Attendees at the National Watermelon Association's 94th annual convention can look forward to an action-packed schedule that will be chock full of high- profile speakers and will focus heavily on food safety and other important issues that affect the industry, as well as the many other initiatives that the organization has worked on for its members over the past year.
The convention will take place in Orange Beach, AL, at the Perdido Beach Resort on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Feb. 20-24.
"It's going to be a great conference," Bob Morrissey, the NWA's executive director, told The Produce News. "We have over 500 people registered. In our estimation, we're running two years ahead of schedule as far as growth is concerned. In the three years that I've been here, we've experienced close to a 35 percent growth in attendance and participation in the national convention. It's been absolutely incredible and the attendance at this convention will blow any other convention in our 94-year history away. We've really been able to put watermelon on the map, but we've got a long way to go."
Mr. Morrisey continued, "This year's convention will be our second major opportunity to instill a greater awareness about food safety and the need for GAP certification. We made the decision a number of months ago to work very intensely on getting every one of our farmers, packers and shippers certified so we can show other industries around the country, especially our legislators in Washington, that we are doing everything we need to do to effectively grow, harvest, pack and ship a crop that is safe for consumers worldwide to consume and enjoy."
The NWA would also inform its members through workshops "about the potential successes that we've been able to achieve working under the umbrella of the United Fresh Produce Association to create a title for specialty crops, which is basically fruits and vegetables, nursery crops and a number of other items. We've never had a title in the farm bill before and if Congress in the conference committee they are assembling now do what we believe they will, we will significantly improve our presence in the farm bill beyond anywhere we have before."
Mr. Morrissey said that the convention would also focus on immigration and the impact it will have on the NWA's membership.
"We are preparing our people on two different fronts," he said. "One is the values of and the many misgivings about the H2A labor program so that if any of them are interested, they know what the ins and outs of the program are and the failures are. The will be able to talk to some of their fellow farmers who are involved in case they decide to pursue it as it is a very laborious process."
He continued, "On the other side of the coin, we have an expert coming in to prepare them not if, but when an audit or a raid happens by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security. We will tell them what DHS or ICE will potentially do with or without a subpoena and what their rights are and what they should expect and prepare. Both federal organizations have indicated because Congress failed to pass any immigration reforms last year, [they are] going to enforce the laws on the books, whether they are inadequate or not, and are going to significantly increase their audits and raids of migrant labor employers."
The convention will kick off on Wednesday morning with its second annual Food Safety Workshop, which will moderated by Beth Bland, the GAP program director of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and David Gombas, the senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association. Mr. Morrissey said that it was also expected that Kathy Staley, the senior adviser for quality management, fresh products branch, fruit and vegetable programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service, and Trevor Suslow from the University of California-Davis would be in attendance.
Wednesday afternoon, the NWA will hold its annual golf tournament at Craft Farms Resort's Cotton Creek, a golf course designed by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. For those who want to try their hand at a different sport, there will be a fishing tournament on the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, the first one the association has held in at least 10 years, Mr. Morrissey noted.
After the NWA's committees and its individual state chapters meet Thursday morning, 16 different workshops will be offered Thursday afternoon in a format of four per hour for four hours. They will include seminars on the 2007 farm bill, the NWA's newly implemented insurance program for its members, GAP certification, the H2A migrant labor program, immigration legislation and ICE audits, and two different watermelon research presentations.
On Thursday night, attendees are invited to a president's welcoming reception and dinner from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. that will have a beach party theme complete with a steel drum beach band.
Friday promises to be an activity-packed day, starting with the opening general session breakfast at 8 a.m., where attendees will be addressed by Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Alabama), who sits on the House agricultural committee and who will discuss the farm bill, and Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at the United Fresh Produce Association, who will also discuss the farm bill. Attendees will also see the kickoff of the annual National Watermelon Queen pageant.
"The eight chapters' queens have served our chapters very well this year and will compete for the title of 2008 National Watermelon Queen to become our public relations ambassador and travel the country representing the industry," Mr. Morrissey said.
A watermelon seed-spitting contest will take place later Friday morning, followed by the convention's most popular and unique event, the annual watermelon auction, at 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Morrissey said that the association typically raises up to 75 percent of its operating funds for the coming year at the auction, which has numerous tables of watermelon-related items complete with almost anything one could imagine with a watermelon on it. The items are donated by its membership and purchased by members for more than what could buy in stores, with the knowledge that they are making an investment in the NWA and its programs for the following year.
Between events, attendees will be able to visit an exhibit business center of approximately 30 companies that will be strategically located near where most of the events will be held.
After Saturday's breakfast session, where Mr. Morrissey will give his "state of the NWA" address, attendees will have the afternoon off to enjoy the resort and the numerous recreational opportunities that the area offers.
That night, the association will host its annual awards banquet where Jim Cantore, an on-camera meteorologist and "StormTracker" for The Weather Channel, will be its keynote speaker. He will talk about global warming and its effect on weather patterns and agriculture. At the banquet's finale, the 2007 National Watermelon Queen Jenna Standford's reign will come to and end and she will crown the 2008 National Watermelon Queen.
At Sunday morning's closing breakfast, "We'll welcome our new president, Nowell Borders," the president of Borders Melon Co. Inc. "and our new first vice president, John Lapide," the secretary-treasurer of Melon One in Brooklyn, NY, Mr. Morrissey said.
The association's new second vice president will be nominated and voted on at the awards banquet on Saturday night.
The convention will take place in Orange Beach, AL, at the Perdido Beach Resort on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Feb. 20-24.
"It's going to be a great conference," Bob Morrissey, the NWA's executive director, told The Produce News. "We have over 500 people registered. In our estimation, we're running two years ahead of schedule as far as growth is concerned. In the three years that I've been here, we've experienced close to a 35 percent growth in attendance and participation in the national convention. It's been absolutely incredible and the attendance at this convention will blow any other convention in our 94-year history away. We've really been able to put watermelon on the map, but we've got a long way to go."
Mr. Morrisey continued, "This year's convention will be our second major opportunity to instill a greater awareness about food safety and the need for GAP certification. We made the decision a number of months ago to work very intensely on getting every one of our farmers, packers and shippers certified so we can show other industries around the country, especially our legislators in Washington, that we are doing everything we need to do to effectively grow, harvest, pack and ship a crop that is safe for consumers worldwide to consume and enjoy."
The NWA would also inform its members through workshops "about the potential successes that we've been able to achieve working under the umbrella of the United Fresh Produce Association to create a title for specialty crops, which is basically fruits and vegetables, nursery crops and a number of other items. We've never had a title in the farm bill before and if Congress in the conference committee they are assembling now do what we believe they will, we will significantly improve our presence in the farm bill beyond anywhere we have before."
Mr. Morrissey said that the convention would also focus on immigration and the impact it will have on the NWA's membership.
"We are preparing our people on two different fronts," he said. "One is the values of and the many misgivings about the H2A labor program so that if any of them are interested, they know what the ins and outs of the program are and the failures are. The will be able to talk to some of their fellow farmers who are involved in case they decide to pursue it as it is a very laborious process."
He continued, "On the other side of the coin, we have an expert coming in to prepare them not if, but when an audit or a raid happens by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security. We will tell them what DHS or ICE will potentially do with or without a subpoena and what their rights are and what they should expect and prepare. Both federal organizations have indicated because Congress failed to pass any immigration reforms last year, [they are] going to enforce the laws on the books, whether they are inadequate or not, and are going to significantly increase their audits and raids of migrant labor employers."
The convention will kick off on Wednesday morning with its second annual Food Safety Workshop, which will moderated by Beth Bland, the GAP program director of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and David Gombas, the senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association. Mr. Morrissey said that it was also expected that Kathy Staley, the senior adviser for quality management, fresh products branch, fruit and vegetable programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service, and Trevor Suslow from the University of California-Davis would be in attendance.
Wednesday afternoon, the NWA will hold its annual golf tournament at Craft Farms Resort's Cotton Creek, a golf course designed by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. For those who want to try their hand at a different sport, there will be a fishing tournament on the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, the first one the association has held in at least 10 years, Mr. Morrissey noted.
After the NWA's committees and its individual state chapters meet Thursday morning, 16 different workshops will be offered Thursday afternoon in a format of four per hour for four hours. They will include seminars on the 2007 farm bill, the NWA's newly implemented insurance program for its members, GAP certification, the H2A migrant labor program, immigration legislation and ICE audits, and two different watermelon research presentations.
On Thursday night, attendees are invited to a president's welcoming reception and dinner from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. that will have a beach party theme complete with a steel drum beach band.
Friday promises to be an activity-packed day, starting with the opening general session breakfast at 8 a.m., where attendees will be addressed by Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Alabama), who sits on the House agricultural committee and who will discuss the farm bill, and Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at the United Fresh Produce Association, who will also discuss the farm bill. Attendees will also see the kickoff of the annual National Watermelon Queen pageant.
"The eight chapters' queens have served our chapters very well this year and will compete for the title of 2008 National Watermelon Queen to become our public relations ambassador and travel the country representing the industry," Mr. Morrissey said.
A watermelon seed-spitting contest will take place later Friday morning, followed by the convention's most popular and unique event, the annual watermelon auction, at 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Morrissey said that the association typically raises up to 75 percent of its operating funds for the coming year at the auction, which has numerous tables of watermelon-related items complete with almost anything one could imagine with a watermelon on it. The items are donated by its membership and purchased by members for more than what could buy in stores, with the knowledge that they are making an investment in the NWA and its programs for the following year.
Between events, attendees will be able to visit an exhibit business center of approximately 30 companies that will be strategically located near where most of the events will be held.
After Saturday's breakfast session, where Mr. Morrissey will give his "state of the NWA" address, attendees will have the afternoon off to enjoy the resort and the numerous recreational opportunities that the area offers.
That night, the association will host its annual awards banquet where Jim Cantore, an on-camera meteorologist and "StormTracker" for The Weather Channel, will be its keynote speaker. He will talk about global warming and its effect on weather patterns and agriculture. At the banquet's finale, the 2007 National Watermelon Queen Jenna Standford's reign will come to and end and she will crown the 2008 National Watermelon Queen.
At Sunday morning's closing breakfast, "We'll welcome our new president, Nowell Borders," the president of Borders Melon Co. Inc. "and our new first vice president, John Lapide," the secretary-treasurer of Melon One in Brooklyn, NY, Mr. Morrissey said.
The association's new second vice president will be nominated and voted on at the awards banquet on Saturday night.
