The Fruit Growers News


It was almost like a hearing the cheering section of a college football team chanting or a protest march in Berkley, Calif., Disaster Assistance, NO Way…except the chant was coming from all different directions, across the country and up and down legislative hallways. It was heard, but it was not accepted in Duchess or Ulster counties New York, or in small towns like Highland and Poughquag, N.Y. Apple growers named, Barton, Boylan Crist and Dembroski, along with Dressel, Fino and Fuchs were chanting another cheer. Joining them were growers Holze, Grout, Minard, Porpiglia and Ryan to form the Hudson Valley Fruit Growers Task Force. With the assistance of Mike Fargione of Cornell Cooperative Extension, along with George Lamont, the fight began to change the cheer to Disaster Assistance, ABSOLUTELY. The negative cheers were loud and they had good reasoning behind them. Although many legislatures supported and agreed with the need for specialty crop disaster assistance, they had realistic reasons why it may not happen. After all the largest Farm Bill in history was in place, the failing economy, the impending cost to support a war, the enormous drought loss in the Midwest and unfortunately a fragmented national apple industry that did not 100% agree on the need for the assistance were negative reasons against help. Add to those reasons the fact that the apple industry just received millions in AMLAP support payments were factors being offered up as excuses and justifications for denial of any measurable disaster assistance for specialty crops. I have spoken in the past about the resolve of New York apple growers. And the passage of the Agricultural Assistance Act of 2003 is proof. The Hudson Valley Fruit Growers Task Force never relented in their fight for this assistance, and they masterfully formed a coalition to include grape and cherry growers and their respective leadership to take their mission to Washington, D.C. Skillfully lead by USApple’s Nancy Foster, CMI’S Phil Korson, and Nick Pyle of National Grape, the coalition mounted the attack. New York fruit growers traveled to Washington a number of times to visit with key industry allies to garner support. USApple helped organize a grower fly-in to join with the Farmers Union and Lamont personally visited with USDA Secretary Anne Venenmen. Not all apple, cherry and grape growers across the United States will be effected by the disaster assistance act, but those that lost more than 35% of their crop in 2001 or 2002 certainly are. Because 12 apple growers in the Hudson Valley decided to work together, lie out a plan, and form a coalition to include other fruit industry leaders, disaster assistance will be a reality for all that suffered crop losses.