Jim Bair and Chris Gerlach traveled to Yakima, WA to attend the Northwest Hort Expo and Washington State Tree Fruit Association annual meeting. As the opening speaker, Chris presented industry data and an update on USApple efforts in DC. Jim and Chris made the most of their time by touring facilities and meeting with USApple … Continued

Diane Kurrle and Jessa Allen traveled to Grand Rapids, MI to attend the Great Lakes Expo. Diane addressed a luncheon for about 350 apple growers hosted by the Michigan Apple Committee. Both Diane and Jessa attended the Michigan Apple Committee’s board meeting, providing an update on USApple activities. Jessa facilitated the third and final trip … Continued

Chris Gerlach reviewed the latest storage reports, helping the industry recalibrate for the remainder of the marketing year. The webinar highlighted findings from the USAppleTracker national storage surveys that detail the holdings and movement of U.S. apples by state, variety, use and storage type over the course of the year. These data are critical to … Continued

USApple joined with 267 national, state and local trade associations signed on to a letter urging both the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance to return to the bargaining table with the goal of reaching a new labor contract before the new January 15 contract expiration date. Before being paused after three … Continued

On November 19, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $2 billion economic relief package for specialty crop growers. The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program is a direct result of the work of USApple, its leaders, and our coalition partners. Our outreach to Congress and Secretary Vilsack has focused on the impact of spiraling … Continued

USApple hit the road this harvest season to meet with growers, packers, storage teams, marketers, and cider makers, gathering insights on the opportunities and challenges facing our industry. These face-to-face conversations are invaluable since each grower and region is unique, and our industry is constantly evolving. A huge thank-you to our members who took time … Continued

In October, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted USApple and other agriculture associations to discuss key issues with an emphasis on challenges facing growers in the H-2A program. The meeting was a follow-up to the joint meeting that Secretary Vilsack and Department of Labor (DOL) Acting Secretary Julie Su hosted in May. … Continued

USApple submitted comments to EPA regarding the fungicide mancozeb. Our comments urge EPA to reconsider its proposed action to prohibit hand-thinning when mancozeb is used. Read our full comments here. USApple is also a member of the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA), a coalition representing the pesticide interests of specialty crop growers. USApple’s legal counsel – … Continued

On November 26, a federal district court in Mississippi found the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lacked the authority to issue certain parts of regulations of the H-2A visa program it issued in April 2024. USApple is a plaintiff in the case along with several other agricultural organizations. The provisions that have been overturned were … Continued