Get To Know New CEO Of U.S. Apple Association
March 3, 2014 
James “Jim” Bair joined the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) in January as the nonprofit organization’s president and CEO. Bair comes to the association from the North American Millers Association (NAMA), where he worked for almost 25 years, first as director of government relations and then most of those years as vice president.
Chris Britton, chairman of USApple, was on the association’s selection committee and said Bair stood out because of his leadership ability and communication skills. He explained, “USApple has a uniquely talented and capable staff, and we feel like we found a person who can lead the association for many years to come.”
NAMA represents millers of wheat, corn, oats, and rye in the U.S. and Canada. Bair served as NAMA’s spokesperson with media, government, and industry groups and represented member companies on trade, quality, environmental, and biotechnology issues. Prior to serving with NAMA, Bair was a White House appointee with USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service and marketing director for the Kansas Wheat Commission.
He recently answered the following questions from American/Western Fruit Grower.
Q: What’s the value of a grower membership with USApple?
Bair: We realize that growers are busy people with businesses to run. And while they’re doing that, we’re serving as their eyes and ears here in Washington, and when necessary serving as their voice too. Growing apples is a challenging business, and new regulations and customer demands are making it even tougher. My dad was a farmer, and when his teenage son thought it was high time for a shiny new tractor, he’d say, “That’s not a moneymaker.” Regulations certainly aren’t moneymakers, so we are constantly advocating on the grower’s behalf.
We know that consumers are busy people too. They want to eat healthy, but there’s so much conflicting noise telling people what to eat, what not to eat, and much of it is inaccurate and some of it downright unhealthy. We aim to cut through the clutter and be there with solid messages about the health-giving properties of apples. We may not have the gazillion-dollar promotional budgets of other commodity organizations, but we do have something money can’t buy — a great reputation for a food that is wholesome and affordable. People wanting to sell the latest fad diet books try to make food and nutrition complicated — it’s not. It’s actually quite simple. Your mom was right about most things, and she was sure right about this one — eat your fruit.
Q: If I were an apple grower who was not a member, how would you convince me to join?
Bair: USApple is the growers’ voice on Capitol Hill. We serve as their full-time legislative and regulatory team, speaking up for the needs of the national apple industry. USApple works directly with Congress and the federal regulatory agencies. So whatever issue is a hot button for an individual grower — immigration reform, food safety, exports, research, whatever — we’re there for them. And they can learn about it from our publications, some of which are available only to growers.
If they want to get involved and put their shoulder to the wheel pushing for the greater good, we’ve got active committees and we’d welcome them. But even if an individual just wants to stick to growing apples and running their business, they can take comfort in knowing that their interests are being represented in Washington. Because that’s what we do.
Q: Part of what makes the apple business so interesting is the disparate nature of growers. How can USApple be of service to both the 30-acre New England U-Pick grower and the 4,000-acre Washington state grower that has their own IT department?
Bair: Since I started here at USApple I’ve noticed the industry dynamics of big and small, West and East, fresh and processed, etc. But the importance of information and advocacy isn’t determined by size, geography, or end use.
Our publications — Apple News, Apple Bites, Market News, Production & Utilization Report — have value for every grower operation regardless of size. Our Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference, held each August, is the apple industry’s most important event of the year. It attracts industry leaders from the U.S. and abroad, coming together to discuss production, packing, processing, sales, marketing, and new products. Members attend education sessions and hear from the industry’s best minds and thought leaders on the latest trends. It’s a fantastic platform for growers to network with peers from across the country.
In short, USApple strives to provide an environment where every grower has an opportunity to excel. “A rising tide lifts all boats” may be cliché, but it’s still true.
Q: A lot of growers, particularly the younger growers we’ve been talking to as part of our GenNext Growers Initiative, say they are concerned about bridging the gap between farm and fork. They say that as farmers get more efficient, which means there are fewer people involved in agriculture, the gap is getting wider. Does this concern you? Does USApple have programs that touch on this issue? Do you have any plans to do so?
Bair: In some important ways the gap between growers and consumers is actually shrinking, in my opinion. For example, like never before consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. Local food, organic, and sustainability are outgrowths of this trend. Every time a consumer contemplates food production, we advance apples in the marketplace a little bit because we’ve got such a great story to tell. Madison Avenue marketing experts talk about product differentiation and, well, excuse me, but the apple industry invented differentiation! We’ve got dozens of apple varieties, and something I’ve learned since arriving here — every consumer has a favorite. I can’t think of another food that has as many natural distinctions in the marketplace. People really seem to care about their apple choice. And that’s a good thing.
As for young growers, we have a great program called our Young Apple Leader (YAL) program and we’re very proud of it. Apple-producing states identify and sponsor young people who are “up and comers.” They get to come to Washington, DC, in March for USApple’s annual meeting. They attend the Board of Directors meeting and committee meetings, and participate in meetings on Capitol Hill with their senators and representatives helping to tell the apple story. Sort of a junior varsity lobbying team, they get their first taste of policy making and begin to understand how what happens in their nation’s capital impacts their businesses back home. Then, as they grow and take on more responsibilities within their company, they will be more ready to slide into a committee or Board of Directors slot and begin to contribute immediately. Last year, we had 12 YAL participants, this year’s class will have 18, and like I said, we’re very pleased with that.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Produce Safety Rule?
Bair: USApple believes food safety practices must be risk-based, commodity-specific, and reflect sound science. We carefully studied FDA’s 548-page produce safety rule proposal and our Technical Food Safety Task Force provided guidance in developing our comment letter to FDA. That letter was filed on Oct. 29 and is available on our website at usapple.org under the Government Affairs tab on the homepage (click on Regulatory Affairs). The USApple comment letter addressed 15 specific rule proposals on areas including agricultural water, harvest equipment sanitation, record keeping requirements, employee training, and more.
There are no documented cases linking apples and foodborne illness, so FDA’s blanket approach that captures apples is not a “science-based” approach. Rather, it more closely resembles the “precautionary principle” where even the most unlikely and undocumented possible risk can be factored in and result in additional regulation. This precautionary principle approach will lead to excessive regulation while offering little or no benefit of enhanced food safety in the case of apples.
USApple and other groups have advised FDA that it should rethink its approach of lumping apples and similar tree fruit and nut commodities into the proposed regulation since there is little evidence to suggest that costly regulations will contribute any additional measure of public health. We’re cautiously optimistic that FDA is listening to our input because the agency announced in late December that it will revise the proposed rules and will be seeking still more public comment before the rules become final.
Q: What do you think of the House approach to take on immigration reform piece by piece? Do you think it will result in real reform that will result in a stable source of labor for growers?
Bair: Securing a legal, stable, and reliable workforce is USApple’s top legislative priority. I am heartened by the set of principles released by the Republican leadership in late January and their commitment to address this critical issue. The House and Senate operate in very different ways and we respect that. USApple’s focus will be to ensure that the legislation addresses our current workforce and provides a future flow of workers through a reformed guest worker program. We look forward to working with House leadership and key members of Congress from apple-producing districts as the process moves forward.
Q: How do you feel about Arctic Golden and Arctic Granny apples, two non-browning varieties produced through biotechnology by Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. (OSF), which are currently
undergoing USDA review?
Bair: It’s important to note that FDA has declared that Arctic apples are just as safe and healthy as conventional apples. There are currently no apples developed through biotechnology in the marketplace now, and won’t be for several years, so consumers will have some time to decide whether they want to purchase them when they do become available. The developer has other biotech traits in its R&D pipeline to address plant health issues important to growers such as fire blight, scab, and scald.
Q: What’s your favorite apple variety? Why?
Bair: Oh, that’s easy. My favorite apple is whatever apple my Grandma — Elsie Bair — picked from her little orchard for her homemade applesauce. On the farm she had a few trees about 30 steps from her back door and she would walk out there with her collie Rex and fill a basket. In her later years she was blind and could only pick up apples that had fallen on the ground. But she still made the world’s best applesauce — and that fact is not up for debate! As a result, applesauce is such a powerful memory for me that my 17-year-old daughter and I eat some just about every day. Isn’t it amazing how food and family are linked so tightly? And that’s a great thing for the apple industry — everyone loves apples and their wholesomeness.
Q: If you could have dinner with one person, either someone alive today or someone from the pages of history, who would it be and why?
Bair: I’d love to meet George Washington Carver. I’m inspired by his story of perseverance, faith, and wonder at our natural world. He was born into slavery and separated from his parents as an infant. But he never let himself get bitter over his bad lot in life. He walked miles and slept in barns to attend school. His love of plant life eventually culminated in B.S. and M.S. degrees in plant pathology from Iowa State. He was an artist, inventor, and educator who had no trouble reconciling his faith in God with his knowledge of science. At the peak of his fame he turned down lucrative job offers because he wanted to bring modern production methods to poor farmers. He had no family, and so he left his entire estate to establish an agricultural research foundation. His dedication to agriculture and service to his fellow man inspire me.
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