USDA announced a second round of Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) payments on April 30th and funds were released at the end of June. USApple, in coordination with coalition partners and congressional offices, urged the Trump Administration to move forward with this program, highlighting the urgency of grower needs. Growers who received an initial … Continued

USApple and our Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance partners advocated tirelessly for the inclusion of key farm bill priorities in the House and Senate versions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This effort withstood the lengthy debate and amendment process, resulting in an increase in funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Specialty Crop … Continued

As President Trump continued appointing key personnel through the second quarter of the year, USApple proactively engaged with senior officials across the Administration to advocate on a wide range of issues impacting apple growers.  We met with high-level staff and leadership from: Priority issues discussed include:

To complement our nutrition-focused social media content, USApple developed a new series of health Backgrounders on our website. These resources help educate stakeholders and highlight the role apples play in a healthy diet. They also support our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy – already, one of the pieces ranks among the top five best-performing posts … Continued

Weather WebinarIn April, USApple hosted a Weather Outlook Webinar featuring Drew Lerner, an agricultural meteorologist with four decades of forecasting experience. Drew shared insights on potential weather patterns that could affect 2025 apple production. USApple InsightsIn May, USApple Vice President Chris Gerlach presented the revised and final USDA production data from the 2024/25 season and … Continued

USApple attended the 2025 Premier Apple Cooperative Forum in Syracuse, NY, where East Coast industry leaders gather annually to discuss market dynamics and issues impacting the region. USApple Vice President of Insights & Analytics Chris Gerlach presented an in-depth analysis of U.S. and Canadian apple production trends and forecasts. USApple Senior Vice President Diane Kurrle … Continued

This quarter, USApple spotlighted three 2025 NextGen Fellows in our #FreshPicks video series, showcasing the innovation and passion driving the future of apple growing.