Hi all,

I just want to give everyone an update on the 2001 Michigan Expo. This was the first year that the horticulture and vegetable shows were combined. It went better than everyone expected. That was the best Michigan show I have been to in several years.

They have been working on combining it for I think seven years and we had always thought it was a good idea. In Michigan, many farms who are still in business are growing both fruits and vegetables and many have a farm market or go to farmers markets in Chicago. Before this year growers and exhibitors would choose one show or the other and hardly ever attend both. Attendance was as good as I have ever seen it in 16 years of attending and exhibitors were up so much they had to make the largest meeting room into an exhibit hall. So there were four large exhibit halls with over 600 exhibitors. There were between four and six meetings going on at the same time in the morning or afternoon and many times the meetings were full or overflowing. It was great and I hope it continues to be as busy for many years to come.

I also want to congratulate Melissa Moser for being our new Michigan Apple Queen. Many of you may know her father, Matt Moser, who is a tree salesman with C & O Nursery in Michigan and a fellow grower. She is a great girl and we know she will make an excellent queen this next year.

Annette Bjorge
Stellar Peaches, Fruit Acres Farms
Coloma, Mich.