Torrey Farms Receives Grower Achievement Award At United Fresh Conference

Surprise. That’s what Maureen Torrey of Torrey Farms in New York said she felt when she learned the farm was the recipient of American Vegetable Grower’s (AVG) 2013 Grower Achievement Award. This year marks the 12th year for the award program.

AVG editor Rosemary Gordon (right) presents the award to Maureen Torrey.

AVG editor Rosemary Gordon (right) presents the award to Maureen Torrey.

Maureen knew she was in good company, following predecessors that include the first award recipient in 2002, Florida-based A. Duda and Sons, all the way to last year’s winner, Steven Lyles Farms from New Mexico.

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“It was quite a surprise for our farm to receive the Grower Achievement Award. It is an exciting time to be recognized for doing what we love best — farming,” she said. “Farmers are very humble and not used to receiving awards because we are doing what we love to do. To be honored by your peers and by people in the industry is just something that is very special to the heart.”

The award was presented by AVG editor Rosemary Gordon at United Fresh’s Washington Public Policy Conference (WPPC) in Washington, DC, on Oct. 1. Maureen and her niece Jordyn Torrey accepted the award on behalf of the farm.

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In addition to the award presentation, the WPPC was chock full of learning opportunities for attendees with sessions on managing labor issues as well as addressing food safety challenges now and in the future.

The conference’s annual March on Capitol Hill to discuss issues critical to specialty agriculture was interrupted by the government shutdown. Attendees were able to visit their Congressmen on Oct. 1 but visits to Senate offices were canceled on Oct. 2. For more conference highlights, go to http://bit.ly/16Ivm2J.

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