Don’t Ignore These Gifts

Everyone loves getting gifts during the holidays, especially children. Think back to when you were a kid: There were some gifts you received that you were eager to take out of the package and use right away. On the other hand, there were probably other gifts that you opened, and smiled politely to the person who gave it to you. By the next day or so, they were stuffed into the back of your closet or deep inside a drawer, only to be found the next time you were told to clean your room. By that time, it was probably too late to use the gift you had received.

In other words, the true value of a gift is not what you actually receive, but how you use it.

In the past couple months, fruit growers have been handed three different gifts. It’s time to find out whether they will be used properly, or discarded as unnecessary.

Save America’s Food

On Thursday, Oct. 27, several produce industry leaders took part in “Speak Up for America’s Food Day,” a nationally-coordinated effort of the Save America’s Food and Economy (SAFE) campaign. SAFE, along with the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, which has many industry members such as United Fresh, urged “everyone who is part of, or cares about, American agriculture to tell their elected officials in Washington why America needs legislation now to provide a reliable farm labor force.”

The highlight of the day was the promotion of SaveAmericasFood.org, an interactive website that allows you to join this coalition in speaking on behalf of your industry, and why having a reliable labor force is critical to the success of the nation’s fresh produce suppliers.

What made the message of this day so relevant is that it came shortly after the release of a study conducted by the University of Georgia. The study surveyed growers that represented approximately 46.6% of the blueberry, blackberry, Vidalia onion, bell pepper, squash, cucumber, and watermelon acreage available for harvest in Georgia this spring. Surveyed growers reported a loss of anticipated crop revenue for the spring/summer harvest of more than $74 million. Assuming the grower responses in the study are representative of all growers of those commodities, the total loss at the farm gate attributed to labor shortage for the seven crops studied would be about $140 million. Total losses to the state’s economy are pegged at $391 million.

If the passage of E-Verify legislation comes to fruition, you can bet these numbers will be matched or exceeded in other states. The Save America’s Food website may not be a panacea for enacting reasonable guest worker reforms, but it is certainly a step in the right direction, and it’s only a click away.

Dollars And Sense

Earlier in October, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced it was awarding 29 grants across 19 states, totaling $46 million, to develop and share science-based tools to address the needs of the specialty crop industry. The grants were awarded through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). Funded projects address five focus areas: improve crop characteristics through plant breeding, genetics, and genomics; address threats from pests and diseases; improve production efficiency, productivity, and profitability; develop new innovations and technologies; and develop methods to improve food safety.

The largest dollar amounts went to projects ranging from brown marmorated stink bug research to long-term profitability of the Northeast winegrape industry to innovative management technologies and tactics for apple and cherry production systems. A full list of all the grants can be found at www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/scri_awards.html.

It might take years to realize the full impact of these grants; the important thing to remember is that they stand to benefit growers of just about every major crop, in every major production region.

A Handful Of New Consumers

The third gift was presented by Bryan Silbermann, president of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), who gave his “State of the Industry” address during the PMA Fresh Summit in October. Silbermann highlighted a new breed of consumers, and potential buyers, in the form of young “digital natives.” This group has grown up with, and speaks the language, of digital technology and communication. They are using social media, whether it’s Facebook, YouTube, or QR codes, to learn more about what they are buying.

As with the first two gifts, it is going to be vital for you to take advantage of what you’re presented with, rather than casting it aside. Your success in 2012 depends on it.